Flames’ Targets With 3rd-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 at The 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, their late first-round pick and their four selections in the second round.

Now, let’s look even deeper into the class and try to find a couple of potential gems the Flames can snag with their two picks in the third round (65th & 68th) of the draft.

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 this deep into the draft, the results will be way too unpredictable to accurately assess player availability in these spots.

So, this time around, just like the targets I suggested in the second round, I am just going to throw two names at the wall and see if either sticks. Let’s get into it.

Alexander Bilecki – Kitchener Rangers

To be quite honest, it is shocking to me that Alexander Bilecki’s name did not skyrocket up draft boards while winning a Memorial Cup championship and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championship with the Kitchener Rangers.

Sure, the Mississauga, Ontario native didn’t play the biggest role on the Rangers’ blue line, but that wasn’t from a lack of trust, skill or whatever you want to argue against his game. He was just stuck on a stacked blue line, which had four NHL prospects.

Even though Bilecki spent most of the season playing on the Rangers’ third pairing, he did quarterback their second power-play unit all season. In 66 games, he put up 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists), and even as ice time dropped further as the benches shortened in the playoffs, Bilecki’s production increased, with 11 points in 18 OHL playoff games and three assists in four games at the Memorial Cup.

According to Puck Preps, Bilecki was graded as the sixth-most productive defenceman in the OHL on a per 60-minute basis (from ‘Player Cards’, Puck Preps, June 8, 2026). He is a true two-way blueliner. He skates incredibly well, which allows him to jump in on rushes and defend them with ease. He’s a big kid, standing at 6-foot-2, that does well in board battles. Offensively, he relies on his vision and IQ. He sees plays developing ahead of others on the ice. He understands when to carry the puck and when to dish and dash to open ice to get it back with time and space on the rush.

He doesn’t really have a weakness in his game. If anything, he could use some refining of his tools just to give off the look of effortlessness that so many of the top prospects in the class have. However, the makings of a reliable two-way NHL puckmover are there. With the way he thinks the game, and the improvements needed being minor, Bilecki could be the steal of the draft in my opinion.

Egor Barabanov – Saginaw Spirit

A bit of a weird situation here. Egor Barabanov is a bit of a late bloomer. The now 20-year-old, after a May 16 birthday, was passed over in both of the years he was first eligible for NHL selection.

Probably not shocking considering he only managed 17 points in 60 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL) in his first draft year, then didn’t turn many more heads with only 39 in 58 games the following season.

However, this season, after moving to the OHL and playing with the Saginaw Spirit, something clicked. Barabanov led the Spirit in assists and finished fourth in the OHL in points. He graded as one of the top play drivers in the OHL, driven by his ability to make passes into tight areas for chances in the slot and cross-seam passes to find open shooters. He is comfortable carrying the puck and leading rushes. He uses his crafty hands and shifty play to create space, then uses his speed to beat the defence or create gaps.

He’s not the most physical or impactful player on the defensive end, and that needs to improve if he is going to continue playing centre at the next level. But he has the size to become an effective defensive player.

Even though Barabanov is already 20, and the chances of someone becoming a full-time NHL player drop drastically around 21-23 years old, we have to remember that isn’t the case for everyone. There are those unique late bloomers who figure their game out later than others and never look back.

Barabanov looked like one of the best offensive players in North America’s top development league. With the Flames starving for offensive weapons, gambling on an older prospect with this kind of upside feels worth the risk.

Calgary Flames Draft Targets Wrap Up

Well, over the course of four articles, I’ve suggested 15 players the Flames should target with the eight selections they have in the top 68 picks of the draft, which is just over two weeks away. If you haven’t caught the other pieces in this series, check them out below:

• Calgary Flames’ Targets With No. 6 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Flames’ Targets With Late 1st-Round Pick in 2026 NHL Draft
• Flames’ Targets With 2nd-Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft

To make a long story short, the Flames’ priority needs to be finding offensive weapons. Over the last three seasons, they have been the third-lowest-scoring team, only ahead of the San Jose Sharks and the Chicago Blackhawks (via Natural Stat Trick).

If they want to be on the upswing and competing for a playoff spot in the season where their new arena opens, as general manager Craig Conroy has suggested, the Flames need to find this production in a hurry.

We’ll see if they’re thinking along similar lines at the draft on June 26 and 27.