Calgary Flames Look To Trade To Move Up In NHL Draft

The Calgary Flames have two picks in the first round of next month's NHL Draft (#6 & #28). But they're not satisfied with that, and are looking at a trade to move up from the No. 6 pick into the top 3, says insider David Pagnotta.

The Flames finished the regular season at 34-39-9, the fourth-worst record in the NHL in 2025-26. With that, they were right on the borderline of being able to nab one of the top 5 impact prospects. But their lottery luck didn't hold up, and the ping pong balls left Calgary dropped to the sixth pick in the draft.

Pagnotta told the boys on Daily Faceoff Live this week that GM Craig Conroy is now fully invested in a rebuild, and has some ammunition to try to move up to grab one of the elite prospects at the top of the draft.

It looks like they want to move up or at least try to... Maybe move up to No. 2, maybe No. 3. They’re going to talk to, I would imagine, all of those teams to see what the price tags are and what the appetite is to move up, or for those teams to potentially move down. We know San Jose’s willing to listen on No. 2. We know Chicago’s willing to listen on No. 4.

For the Sharks, they would be willing to drop a few spots if a team like Calgary would be willing to surrender an additional established NHL talent. In particular, they're looking for big-time help on the blueline. Now, if San Jose is sold on going with the top d-man prospect in the draft, Chase Reid, at No. 2, it would only make sense that they'd be unlikely to trade that pick without getting a proven, legit top-four defenseman in return.

As for the Blackhawks, they have so many recent top young picks in their lineup already, they'd be willing to just flat out trade their 4th pick altogether for "a legitimate NHL caliber, top-six, in his 20s type of player to play with either (Connor) Bedard or (Anton) Frondell," says Pagnotta.

We've already heard that the Flames "are open for business" as they go about remaking their roster. Just about everyone is on the block, save for Dustin Wolf, Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh. The wheeling and dealing will now include draft capital as well, if they get their way.