The Calgary Flames added another centre to their prospect group when they took Jack Hextall with the 30th-overall pick in the 2026 Draft, and the early returns at Michigan State have been encouraging.
Hextall has already shown the kind of versatility that makes him stand out. The Chicago-area forward, who comes from Rolling Meadows, Illinois, stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 181 pounds. His game is built around passing and offensive creativity, and he can make things happen all over the attack zone, whether he’s operating in the high slot or working low below the goal line.
His path to this point started in minor hockey with the Windy City Storm before he moved on to the Chicago Mission. He also comes from a hockey family, as the second cousin of former NHL goalie Ron Hextall.
From there, he moved into the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms and quickly established himself as a prospect worth tracking. In his first season, he put up eight goals and 34 points in 53 games. The next year, his offence took a big step forward: 10 goals and 58 points in 59 games.
That second season came with a clear rise in his ability to drive play. He used his hockey sense more effectively, generated chances consistently, and kept his team on the attack with a relentless forecheck. He wasn’t winning battles by overpowering opponents physically; instead, he was anticipating plays and arriving first.
That combination of skills helped him land in the range most draft rankings had him pegged in, from late in the first round to early in the second. The main question was physicality, because his game has leaned heavily on intelligence and timing rather than strength. At the next level, that approach will have to carry more weight without the same margin for error.
Still, the upside was easy to see. Hextall may not be the flashiest player on the ice, but he doesn’t need to force anything.
He knows how to slow the game down, find soft areas, and then turn it up when he spots an opening. He also made his presence felt on the power play, piling up 31 points in that second Phantoms season by working effectively in open space.
Now at Michigan State, Hextall has made a solid start with two goals and four points in five games. He has joined a Spartans roster packed with NHL prospects, particularly on offence, and he has blended in well thanks in part to the fact that he can handle different roles.
Although he is usually a centre, he has also spent time on the wing throughout his career. That has continued this season, with Hextall seeing action on the first line at left wing alongside fellow Flames prospect and 2025 first-round pick Cullen Potter, as well as on the third line at right wing. No matter where he’s been placed, he has produced.
For Flames fans hoping for a quick arrival, the wait will be longer. Calgary’s prospect pool is deep, especially down the middle, so Hextall is not expected to be in the mix by the end of this season. That should work in his favour, giving him more time at Michigan State to build his game, take on more responsibility, and eventually move into a bigger centre role.
If his style stays on this track, his projection points toward a second-line two-way centre who can score and still handle the defensive side of the game.
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The offensive contribution has been part of the appeal, too, with Pospisil showing he can still help drive play while handling more responsibility down the middle. There was also a brief altercation in the Toronto game, a reminder that his edge remains part of the package, but the bigger takeaway for the Flames is how smoothly he has taken to the new assignment. If this continues, Calgary may be finding a fit that gives Pospisil a clearer path to regular minutes and a more defined place in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]