Flames’ Targets With 2nd-Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is fast approaching, and the Calgary Flames are loaded with eight picks in the first three rounds of the draft.

Over the next few days here atThe Hockey Writers, we’ll look at some prospects the Flames can target with each of the selections they own in the draft. We’ve gone over who they should target with the sixth-overall pick and their late first-round pick.

Now, let’s look past the first round and look at who the Flames should be targeting with their four picks in the second round, which all sit between 35th and 55th overall.

In the first two pieces of this series, I split the prospects into groups based on the likelihood of them being available when the Flames’ selection comes around. However, once you get into the second round and beyond, the draft results will be way too unpredictable to accurately assess availability of players in these spots.

So, this time around, I am just going to throw four names at the wall and see if any stick. Let’s get into it.  

Markus Ruck – Medicine Hat Tigers

If you’ve been reading along with this series, this is one you may have expected me to suggest: the Flames draft Markus Ruck after suggesting they draft his twin brother Liam with their late first-round pick.

There are some similarities between the two brothers’ games, both of whom are prolific in the offensive zone. However, the skill sets are quite different, or at least that is how it was perceived, with Markus leading the Western Hockey League with 87 assists and 21 goals, compared to Liam, who was more of a goalscorer, finishing with 45 goals for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala wrote in his rankings that Markus is one of the few players in the class that can “see how plays are developing one or two sequences ahead of time.” The only knocks on his game are strength and skating, two skills you can argue are the easiest to improve.

Ideally, the Flames can land both twins and let them continue to develop their games and chemistry together. But regardless, if either one is on the board when the Flames’ 35th- and 36th-overall picks come around, it feels like a spot to me where the Flames have to gamble on the offensive upside.

Markus Ruck – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Adam Valentini – University of Michigan

To start the season, Adam Valentini’s name circulated through the hockey world. He was expected to spend the season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Kitchener Rangers. However, a couple of weeks before their training camp opened, he changed his mind and committed to the University of Michigan.

Since then, he has flown under the radar despite posting 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 40 games with the Wolverines, even as his minutes fluctuated at times throughout the season. Per Valentini’s prospect profile here at THW, it is noted, “Among NCAA draft-eligible players, he ranks second in scoring at 0.68 points per game, trailing only projected first-overall pick Gavin McKenna.”

He is a dynamic offensive player, with all the tools: a great shot with a quick release, excellent vision, and crafty hands. He plays with a ton of pace, and despite being undersized, he is willing to get involved on the forecheck and can hold his own in battles along the boards.

He could be another boom-or-bust pick, but the offensive upside is undeniable, and he fits the mould of a player the Flames need perfectly.

Adam Valentini – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Jack Hextall – Youngstown Phantoms

After an intriguing rookie season with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL), Hextall caught a lot of eyes early in this season’s scouting process by putting up seven points (two goals, five assists) in five games for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup back in Aug. 2025.

He built on his impressive rookie season in the USHL, posting 58 points (20 goals, 38 assists) in 59 games in his second season with the Phantoms. He did most of his damage on the man advantage, scoring nine of his goals and tallying 22 of his assists on the power play. Hextall also showed an ability to score big goals for the Phantoms, finishing the season with six game-winning goals.

He is an intriguing offensive prospect. He’s got some hands, a good shot, and good vision. He plays well in tight spaces on the half-wall and in front of the net. His work ethic is tremendous, and he is relentless on the forecheck.

Hextall could use some improvement in the defensive end if he wants to play down the middle in an impact role in the NHL. However, in addition to the offensive upside, he has good size and moves well. He has a lot of tools in his kit and with some patience, Hextall could develop into a very valuable NHL player.

Jack Hextall – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Pierce Mbuyi – Owen Sound Attack

Mbuyi is another guy I think is fairly underrated. It probably starts with the stigma against undersized players, with him standing at five-foot-11 and weighing only 163 pounds. He also didn’t put up the numbers that other draft-eligible OHL players like consensus first rounders Nikita Klepov and Adam Novotny did.

However, I don’t think people are talking enough about how bad Mbuyi’s Attack team was. He managed to put up 75 points (32 goals, 43 assists) in 68 games on a team that allowed the fourth-most goals in the OHL (which would have been much worse if they had not had Team Canada goalie Carter George for half the season).

Even while being undersized, Mbuyi was the Attack’s play driver at five-on-five and on the power play. He is crafty but direct with the puck, making smart plays or dancing around defenders when the opportunity presents itself. What I love most about him is his adaptability to different situations in the game. He can be that playmaker, the scorer, the first man in on the forecheck, the high-support forward. He reads the game well and his motor never turns off.

The combination of smarts, work ethic and skill makes him a very intriguing prospect. The size may be a concern, but he has the skills and the motor to become a productive NHL player if given some time to develop the strength needed to compete with guys at the top level.

Pierce Mbuyi – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

All four of these players are somewhat similar in the fact that the ceiling is incredibly higher offensively, but the floor may be a little bit lower than others in this area of the draft.

With how many picks the Flames have, how many prospects they already have, and the number of future picks they’ve already stockpiled, the Flames can afford to take a bunch of risks in this draft to try and hit a couple of home runs on players flying under the radar.

We’ll see if general manager Craig Conroy is thinking along similar lines come draft day.