The Calgary Flames came out of the 2026 NHL Draft with nine new prospects, and the next question is simple: where are they all playing when the 2026-27 season opens?
For now, the answer is split across college hockey, the WHL, the OHL, Russia’s junior ranks and, in one case, a likely return to the same junior path he was already on before draft weekend.
Carson Carels, the Flames’ sixth-overall pick, is committed to the University of North Dakota after two seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Prince George Cougars. He is still too young for the AHL in 2026-27, even with the expanded eligibility rules, which leaves NHL or NCAA as his options.
The expectation is that he’ll land in college, though the Flames are expected to have a firmer update after development camp. If that’s how it shakes out, he’ll join former World Junior teammate Cole Reschny with the Fighting Hawks.
The Flames’ other first-rounder, Jack Hextall, is also college-bound. Selected 30th overall after two seasons with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, Hextall is headed to Michigan State, where he’ll line up alongside fellow Flames first-round pick Cullen Potter.
In the second round, Chase Harrington, taken 36th overall, said during his Zoom availability with the media on Saturday that he intends to return for a third season with the Spokane Chiefs.
Tomas Trejbal, picked 42nd overall after a standout year with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms in 2025-26, is set for the University of Massachusetts. He’ll be there with fellow Czech prospect and Flames player Max Curran, along with another Flames draftee, Egor Barabanov.
Barabanov went 100th overall after two seasons in the USHL with Sioux Falls and Madison and one year in the OHL with Saginaw. He’s also headed to U-Mass for 2026-27, where the Minutemen will have a cluster of Flames prospects.
Alan Shaikhlislamov, chosen 55th overall, is expected to return to Tolpar Ufa in the MHL. He was drafted out of Russian major junior and is slated to go back to the top level of Russian junior hockey next season.
Joe Iginla, the 65th overall pick, is set to return to the Vancouver Giants after splitting the 2025-26 season between Vancouver and the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The Flames’ fifth-round pick, Simon Katolicky, is headed to the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. The Czech forward spent two seasons in Finnish junior hockey with Tappara and played in Finland last season, but after being selected 132nd overall, he’ll move to Sarnia for 2026-27.
Bode Laylin, taken 164th overall, is the lone late-round pick with a different timeline. Committed to the University of St.
Thomas - where his father Cory coached from 2021-26, one older brother, Luc, attended from 2022-26 and another brother, Casy, still attends - Laylin is slated to spend 2026-27 with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips before arriving at St. Thomas in 2027-28 as a 20-year-old freshman.
In Other News...
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Nemec has long been viewed as the sort of player who can anchor a blue line for years, and the fact that Calgary is still working through the details only adds to the intrigue around what kind of deal might eventually get done. Around the league, the market keeps shifting in small ways, but this is one of those cases where the next answer matters a lot more than the chatter around it. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Land Jacob Middleton In Costly Blue Line Shakeup
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There is a cost to that kind of upgrade, of course, and this one reaches beyond just the roster shuffle. Middleton is entering the second year of a four-year contract with a $4.35 million cap hit, so Calgary is committing to him for the long haul while parting with meaningful assets, including a second-round pick. For a team trying to balance immediate help with future flexibility, it is the kind of trade that says plenty about how seriously the Flames are treating their defense. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Just Made A Veteran Trade That Says Plenty About The Plan
The Flames kept busy on the trade front by moving out veteran help and adding a defenseman plus a bundle of draft capital, a sign the front office is still shaping the roster with an eye on both the present and what comes next. The deal with Minnesota brings Jake Middleton to Calgary along with picks in 2027, 2028 and 2029, while the Flames are also carrying part of the financial load on the outgoing side.
For Calgary, the move fits a familiar pattern for a club trying to balance experience, flexibility and future assets without fully tearing anything down. Coleman and Maatta brought championship pedigree to the organization, but the return suggests the Flames were willing to turn that kind of veteran value into a longer runway, even if the full picture of how this reshapes the blue line and the cap will take a little more time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]