Flames Attempted Huge Trade For Nathan Mackinnon

Friday, May 08, 2026 , ,
Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon celebrates goal during 2026 game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs shocked the hockey world Tuesday night by winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery despite entering with the fifth-best odds, and the conversation that followed immediately turned to one question: would they trade the first overall pick?

Elliotte Friedman offered an answer by way of a history lesson on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts.

The most instructive example, he said, came from the 2013 draft, when the Calgary Flames made what amounted to a franchise-altering offer to the Colorado Avalanche in an attempt to move up and select Nathan MacKinnon.

"The famous one I always remember is the year Nathan MacKinnon was up," Friedman said. "Calgary had three picks in the first round: 6, 22, and 28. And they offered all three of them to Colorado for the number one pick, and Colorado was like, 'Nope, we're not doing that.' And it wasn't even a thought because they felt those three picks together weren't even worth number one."

Three first-round picks. Not even a thought.

How the Flames Got There

Calgary's unusual three-pick first-round haul in 2013 was itself the product of aggressive pre-draft dealing.

The Flames sent Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues in April of that year for a conditional first-round pick that converted when St. Louis made the playoffs, giving Calgary the 22nd overall selection.

They acquired the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick, which became 28th overall, in the deal that sent Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh at the 2013 trade deadline in exchange for Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski, and that pick.

Their own pick came in at sixth overall.

With that unprecedented three-first-round arsenal assembled, Calgary's front office apparently believed they had enough to pry the top pick away from Colorado.

Joe Sakic, who was running the Avalanche's hockey operations at the time alongside GM Greg Sherman, saw it differently.

The Avalanche held firm, walked to the podium, and called MacKinnon's name.

What Each Organization Got Instead

The contrast in outcomes between the two franchises from that single draft moment is almost too stark to fully process.

MacKinnon posted 127 points in 80 games during the 2025-26 regular season and has accumulated another 10 points through the first six playoff games, continuing one of the most sustained individual excellence runs in modern NHL history.

He has already won a Stanley Cup, multiple Hart Trophies, and a Conn Smythe, and is on a trajectory toward being considered one of the five best players in the history of the sport.

With the three picks they retained, the Flames selected Sean Monahan at sixth overall, Emile Poirier at 22nd, and Morgan Klimchuk at 28th.

Monahan became a legitimate top-six center for Calgary and produced back-to-back productive seasons before injuries and roster changes eroded his standing with the organization, ultimately leading to his trade to Montreal in 2022 as a salary cap casualty.

Poirier played six NHL games in his career.

Klimchuk played one.

Phoot Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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