The Calgary Flames came out of the 2026 NHL Draft with two first-round additions in Carson Carels and Jack Hextall, but the bigger question hanging over the organization is still the same one: where does the top centre of the future come from?
That’s why the 2027 NHL Draft is already worth circling. The class is expected to be loaded with centres, and for a Flames team that also has Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach in the pipeline, it could end up being a huge moment for the franchise. There’s still just under 12 months to go, but for fans trying to get a head start on the next wave of prospects, one name belongs on the list right away.
Petr Tomek is the kind of player who jumps out because of the production, even if the frame gives you pause. The Czechia forward stands 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, which makes him smaller than the other prospects in this group, but his skill level is what keeps him in the conversation.
At just 16, Tomek put up 13 goals and 20 points in 51 games for HC Energie Karlovy Vary in Czechia’s top league. He also added 6 points in 7 games at the U18 World Juniors. Next season, he’s expected to get more chances at the highest level in Czechia and will also have a shot at the U20 World Juniors.
If he adds strength over the next year, Tomek could be a strong option for Calgary if the Flames end up outside the top three or four picks in 2027. The upside is clear. The size, for now, is the tradeoff.
In Other News...
Flames Face A Morgan Frost Decision Fans Have Been Arguing About
The Flames have a decision to make on Morgan Frost, and it is the kind of front-office call that can shape the next stretch of a season. Calgary is drawing trade interest in the center, but the club has not settled on whether to move him now or hold onto him and reassess later, which has naturally fueled debate around how aggressively the team should handle a player whose value has been rising.
Frosts appeal is easy to understand after a career year and better work in the faceoff circle, and that is exactly why multiple teams are circling without anything close to a deal yet. For the Flames, the question is less about whether there is a market and more about timing, because waiting could change the return, but so could moving too soon. [Read more 🡒]
Morgan Frost Just Became Calgarys Next Tough Rebuild Decision
The Flames rebuild has already started to force some uncomfortable choices, and Morgan Frost is quickly becoming one of the clearest examples. Calgary is drawing trade inquiries on the 26-year-old center, whose arrival was supposed to help stabilize the middle of the roster, but instead has put the front office in a spot where it has to weigh value now against whatever he might still bring later.
Frost is in the final year of his contract, which only adds to the pressure around his situation, and he also holds an eight-team no-trade list that could shape any move. There is real interest from around the league, and a deal could come together if the Flames decide to act, but for now the timing remains the big question as Calgary decides whether to move him soon or let the market develop deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have Another Mid Round Steal Brewing In Their System
Ethan Wyttenbach has already given the Flames something worth tracking closely. The 2025 sixth-rounder at Quinnipiac arrived with some intrigue after rumors pointed him back to the USHL, but instead he chose the NCAA route and wasted no time making it look like the right call. As a freshman, he put up a scoring pace that turned heads around college hockey and put him firmly on the radar as one of the more interesting young forwards in Calgarys system.
For a club that has seen mid-round picks turn into real NHL players before, that kind of early production matters. Wyttenbach is still in the part of the process where development can go in a lot of different directions, and the jump from college dominance to pro impact is never simple. But when a prospect is already producing at that level in his first season, it gives the Flames another name worth watching closely as the system continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]