Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy cited the team’s draft history as a reason for optimism after landing the sixth overall pick.
The Flames entered Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery with the fourth-best chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick. Unfortunately for Calgary, they dropped two spots, moving down to No. 6 overall, after the Toronto Maple Leafs won the No. 1 pick and the San Jose Sharks won the No. 2 selection. The 2026 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 26-27 in Buffalo, New York.
Still, even though the Flames dropped down two spots to No. 6, there is reason for hope and optimism if you are a Flames fan, based on the team’s draft history.
Craig Conroy Tells Flames Fans to Remain Optimistic
Speaking to reporters after the Flames got the No. 6 pick, Conroy reminded Flames fans to remain optimistic with their draft pick, given the team’s successful history of picking in that spot.
“It will be interesting to see what happens at No. 6. We’ve been there a few times with (Sean) Monahan and (Matthew) Tkachuk, so we’ve gotten really good players there in the past, and I think we’re going to get a really good player again,” Conroy said.
According to Conroy, the Flames like six players specifically in this draft, so the team is going to get a promising prospect regardless of who the five teams ahead of them take.
It’s for this reason that Conroy is telling die-hard Flames fans to remain optimistic despite dropping two places in the draft after Toronto and San Jose lucked out and moved up.
Calgary Flames History of No. 6 Overall Picks
The Flames have held the No. 6 overall pick five times in their team’s history. They hit a grand slam with one pick, a home run with another, a double with one, and grounded into double plays with two of them. Overall, though, that’s a really good hit rate for the No. 6 overall pick in the draft.
In the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the Flames selected Sean Monahan with the No. 6 overall pick, and he turned into a terrific player for them, playing nine seasons in Calgary. Monahan ended up being a cap dump by the Flames to the Montreal Canadiens after his final year with the team, as the Flames needed cap space at the time to sign Nazem Kadri. But Monahan is still playing at a high level in the league, and is currently starring for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Then, in 2016, the Flames used the No. 6 overall pick that year to select Matthew Tkachuk, who blossomed into an elite NHL winger with Calgary. He played six seasons in Calgary before being shipped off to the Florida Panthers, with whom he has won two Stanley Cups.
As well, the Flames had the No. 6 selection in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, and they took Cory Stillman, who ended up playing 16 years in the NHL, winning two cups and playing seven years for the Flames. Two busts were Daniel Tkaczuk and Rico Fata, the No. 6 selections in 1997 and 1998, respectively. But overall, the Flames have had a ton of success picking sixth overall.
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