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Craig Conroy, the general manager of the Calgary Flames, just completed his third draft as the GM. The Flames owned eight picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, including two in the first round. As the team hopes to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22, they laid the foundation for future success with this draft, earning Calgary a solid draft grade in the process.
Conroy joined the Flames front office upon retiring from the team in 2011. He would become the assistant general manager in 2014 and be promoted following the departure of Brad Treliving in 2023. He has seen some solid draft picks as well. Back in 2011, the Flames took the late Johnny Gaudreau, while adding Sean Monahan in 2013, Sam Bennett in 2014, and both Matthew Tkachuk and Adam Fox in 2016. Still, for all the solid picks, many of them are no longer with the team. Rasmus Andersson, a 2015 second-round pick, is currently still on the roster, but Andersson could be traded.
Currently, much of the roster for the Flames has been acquired via trades or signings, with Matt Coronato, Mikael Backlund, Dustin Wolf, and Martin Pospisil being the other notable exceptions. With eight overall selections this past draft, this is how the Flames grade out this time around.
Cole Reschny joins the Flames in the first round
With the 18th selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, Calgary selected Cole Reschny. The 18-year-old forward out of Canada was seen as a mid-first-round draft pick. He joins the team out of the WHL, playing with the Victoria Royals. In 2023-24, he played in 61 games, scoring 21 times with 38 assists. He would take his game to the next level in 2024-25, scoring 26 times, but adding 66 assists, good for 92 points. Further, in the playoffs, he would score nine goals with 16 assists in just 11 games.
He is a solid playmaker who can control the pace of a game. Further, he is strong in the two-way game and plays good defense. His passing is the best part of his offensive game, but the forward still has a solid shot. The shot could use some refinement, but Reschny is a pass-first type of offensive player. He is still a little small, which gives concern about whether he can play center at the NHL level, or if he will need to move to a wing. Regardless, he will be a solid player in the NHL, who could be a top-six player if he continues to develop. He will get that chance, as he will be joining the University of North Dakota next season.
Calgary adds Cullen Potter
The Flames acquired this pick from the Florida Panthers in the trade that sent Thachuk to the now two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. They used the pick to select Potter, a forward from the United States. Last year, he spent time with both the U.S. National Development Team and Arizona State University. Overall, he scored 22 points with each team, playing in 35 games for each squad. Potter may have been a steal at the end of the first round, with most grades seeing him as a mid-first-round pick.
Like Reschny, he is on the smaller side, which impacts both his physicality and strength. Still, he has speed, athleticism, and offensive awareness that is fantastic. The American was a major contributor on the offense for Arizona State and great on the powerplay. He also excels at finding open space. He was one of the fastest and most talented skaters in the class, and if he can improve on the defensive end of the ice, the Flames will have a top-line forward for the future.
The rest of the draft and final Flames draft grade
In the second round, at pick number 54, Calgary would take a third straight forward, selecting Theo Stockselius out of Sweden. He showed solid scoring prowess with Djurgardens IF J20 last season, scoring 22 goals with 29 assists in just 40 games. He also showed some lack of discipline, racking up 50 penalty minutes in those 40 games. Overall, he is a solid two-way player. The Swede has speed and uses that to get back on defense and stay in position. Unlike the first two picks, he also has good size. Still, he needs to build into his frame and add strength. As he develops both physically and in skill, he should become a solid middle-six forward in the NHL.
The Flames would make their first defensive selection in the third round, selecting Maceo Phillips. Phillips played with the U.S. National Development Team and the U18 National Team last year. He will also be playing for the University of Minnesota next year. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, he is an imposing presence on the ice. The blue liner is solid on the boards and has great defensive awareness. He struggles somewhat in transition and will also take plenty of penalties. Regardless, his aggressive nature combined with his physical tools gives him the possibility of becoming an NHL-level player.
After not having a fourth-round selection, the Flames would take Ethan Wyttenbach in the fifth round. The winger played last season for the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. There he scored 24 goals and added 27 assists. While being solid at moving the puck, size is a concern for him as well. He is just 5-foot-9. Still, he brings speed and aggressiveness to his game. His game should also grow next year playing at Quinnipiac University.
Aidan Lane would be the next selection for the Flames, going in the sixth round and the 176th overall pick. The Ontario, Canada native played this past season with St. Andrews College, scoring 34 goals and adding 52 assists. He would then play 13 games with the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL, scoring 13 points. Lane will play for Harvard next year. He moved to OHL once it became clear that the NCAA would allow CHL players to play at the college level. He is not the strongest skater and can be slow at times. Still, he has quick hands and and shown he can be a reliable piece to an offense. This could make him a bottom-six winger in the NHL, which would be a steal in the sixth round.
The Flames also made two selections in the seventh round. The first was Jakob Leander, a defenseman out of Sweden. He is not the biggest offensive threat, and was not ranked by many of the top scouting services. Still, he is a player with good size and is strong in the defensive zone. He has yet to play at a major level of hockey, but he does have some raw tools that give credence to this seventh-round pick.
The final pick of the draft for Calgary was Yan Matveiko out of Russia. He was draft-eligible last year, but was not selected. Part of the reason was his struggles at the MHL level in 2023-24, scoring just one goal in 26 games. He played that season at 150 pounds, but grew to 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds for his next year. He would then score ten goals and add 14 assists. Continued physical growth would need to happen for Matveiko to make it to the NHL, but he could be a late bloomer who pays dividends.
The Flames had a great draft. They got two solid picks with Reschny and Stockselius, while also potentially getting steals with Potter, Phillips, and Lane. Many of the players they drafted do have size concerns, but these are also all young players who can grow and develop physically. The Flames consistently found value for each spot in the draft, and may have had one of the best draft classes in the NHL this year.
Flames Best Pick: Cullen Potter, First Round, 32nd overall
Flames Worst Pick: Ethan Wyttenbach, Fifth Round, 144th overall
Final Flames Draft Grade: A-
