Now that the Calgary Flames have opened the doors for another training camp, we looked at the names on the invite list and noticed a handful of first-round picks are in attendance this fall. Considering some of the franchise’s best players are former first-round picks, like Al MacInnis and Gary Roberts, we sorted through the names and decided to check in on the Flames’ top picks in the salary cap era, which began in 2005.
Related: Calgary Flames’ Must Watch Games in 2023-24
Although the most recent picks are young and still looking to crack the lineup, several veteran players still play professionally in the NHL or Europe. Of course, a handful of skaters on this list invoke many questions about what could have been, while others still have unwritten stories.
Whether they had a brief stint with the Flames or became fan favorites, the organization has made 17 first-round picks in the past 18 years, and this is where they are today.
Samuel Honzek (16th Overall 2023)
Current status: Attending 2023-24 training camp
NHL games: zero
As the Flames’ latest top draft pick, joining the organization through the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Samuel Honzek is attending his first professional training camp at 18. Even though he is committed to the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for another season, hanging out with the superstars in Calgary should help him continue adjusting to life in North America.
Matthew Coronato (13th Overall 2021)
Current status: Attending 2023-24 training camp
NHL games: one
Although the Flames missed the postseason by just two points, the team struggled to string together enough consecutive wins throughout the year to get into the postseason. Ultimately, several prospects, like Matthew Coronato, made their NHL debuts in 2022-23.
Interestingly, the 20-year-old has never skated in the AHL, suiting up for Harvard University last year, collecting 36 points in 34 games. Even though he’s not a lock to make the opening night roster, he’ll get the opportunity to play more than once this year as the Flames begin to welcome top prospects into the lineup.
Connor Zary (24th Overall 2020)
Current status: Attending 2023-24 training camp
NHL games: zero
Connor Zary will attend another NHL training camp this fall but will most likely spend another season with the Calgary Wranglers. Since being drafted in 2020, he’s spent time in the WHL (Kamloops Blazers) and AHL, earning his best totals at the professional level in 2022-23 with 58 points in 72 games.
Jakob Pelletier (26th Overall 2019)
Current status: Flames bottom-six winger
NHL games: 24
As the Flames spent most of the season on the cusp of a playoff spot, former head coach Darryl Sutter finally called up Jakob Pelletier in January. Interestingly, right out of the gate, the 22-year-old immediately impacted the lineup, showcasing passion and energy to fire up a team in desperate need of a spark. Even though he finished the year with only seven points, compared to 37 with the Wranglers, Pelletier proved he belonged with the big club. Ultimately, he’ll have a more significant role under a new head coach, leading to more opportunities.
Related: Flames’ Pelletier Part of Youth Injection That Could Save Season
Juuso Valimaki (16th Overall 2017)
Current status: Arizona Coyotes second-pairing defenseman
NHL games: 160 / Flames games: 82
Juuso Valimaki never reached his potential in a Flames uniform, departing the organization after the 2021-22 season when the Arizona Coyotes selected him off waivers. Since his WHL days ended in 2017-18, Valimaki bounced between the NHL, AHL, and Liiga in Finland before becoming an everyday player with the Coyotes in 2022-23.
Matthew Tkachuk (6th Overall 2016)
Current status: Florida Panthers second-line winger
NHL games: 510 / Flames games: 431
When Matthew Tkachuk told the Flames that he did not plan on signing an extension with the club in 2022, they traded the talented forward to the Florida Panthers. In exchange, Calgary landed Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, who figure into the organization’s long-term plans.
Although it appears the Panthers have won the trade (thus far) with Tkachuk leading them to the Stanley Cup Final last year, it is still too early to tell who will emerge victorious in the end. Meanwhile, Flames fans can remember Tkachuk and what he meant to the organization for six years, including his 104-point season in 2021-22.
Sam Bennett (4th Overall 2014)
Current status: Florida Panthers second-line center
NHL games: 546 / Flames games: 402
As of this season, Sam Bennett remains the Flames’ highest draft pick in the salary cap era, going fourth overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Interestingly, he jumped from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) straight to the NHL in 2015, never scoring more than 36 points in a season. Ultimately, the team parted ways with the forward in April 2021, sending him to the Panthers, where he scored a career-high 49 points in his first season with his new club.
Sean Monahan (6th Overall 2013)
Current status: Montreal Canadiens bottom-six center
NHL games: 681 / Flames games: 656
Unfortunately, Sean Monahan left the Flames in 2022 after the team had to shred his contract to sign Huberdeau to a lengthy extension. Despite a career-high 82 points in 2018-29, Monahan’s production has dipped every season since, with just 17 points in an injury-plagued 2022-23 season. Although he was a key member of a young core in Calgary, his contract cost him a spot in the lineup and a fresh start with the Montreal Canadiens.
Emile Poirier (22nd Overall 2013)
Current status: Free agent
NHL games: Eight
Emile Poirier skated just eight games in the NHL, earning a high draft position after impressive seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Unfortunately, he spent most of his time playing in the AHL with several clubs before leaving North America after 2019-20. After playing in Slovakia, Russia, Sweden, and Germany, Poirier is not skating with any teams in 2023-24, according to his profile at EliteProspects.com.
Morgan Klimchuk (28th Overall 2013)
Current status: Retired
NHL games: One
Morgan Klimchuk skated in one NHL game during the 2017-18 season, four years after being drafted in 2013. During his WHL days, he routinely scored more than 70 points a season but never topped 43 in the AHL, where he spent most of his professional career. After bouncing between organizations from 2017 to 2020, he stepped away from hockey after 49 games with the Belleville Senators in 2020.
Related: Calgary Flames Have Never Been Good at Building Through the Draft
Mark Jankowski (21st Overall 2012)
Current status: Nashville Predators defenseman
NHL games: 322 / Flames games: 208
In 2022, Mark Jankowski joined the Nashville Predators on a two-way deal, which led to the former first-rounder skating in 50 games last season. After 208 games with the Flames, where he collected 64 points, he left the franchise to play with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres.
Thus far, he’s collected 92 points in 322 NHL games, with another 107 points in 117 games in the AHL. Interestingly, no one has traded Jankowski yet; instead, he’s opted to relocate as a free agent each time.
Sven Baertschi (13th Overall 2011)
Current status: Free agent
NHL games: 292 / Flames games: 225
Sven Baertschi debuted in 2011-12; however, he only played 66 games with the Flames over four seasons before a trade to the Vancouver Canucks in March 2015. Interestingly, Calgary received a second round in that year’s draft, which they used to select Rasmus Andersson. After playing as a regular with the Canucks until 2019-20, he played a couple of seasons in the AHL before heading to Europe to play in Switzerland in 2022-23. As of right now, he remains a free agent.
Tim Erixon (23rd Overall 2009)
Current status: Timrå IK (Sweden Hockey League)
NHL games: 157 / Bruins games: 134
Despite being a top pick for the Flames in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Tim Erixon never played a game for the franchise. Ultimately, while still playing in Sweden, Calgary traded him to the New York Rangers in June 2011. After stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs, Erixon went to play in the SHL, where he has been since 2019-20.
Greg Nemisz (25th Overall 2008)
Current status: Retired
NHL games: 15
As a top pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Greg Nemisz last played professional hockey in 2015, appearing in 21 contests with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL. After just 15 games in the NHL, he forged a career in the minor leagues, collecting 106 points in 241 games over five seasons. Unfortunately, knee injuries cut his career short at just 25.
Mikael Backlund (24th Overall 2007)
Current status: Flames third-line center
NHL games: 908
Mikael Backlund has one season left on his current contract, so if he doesn’t re-sign with the team, it will mark the end of an era as the team’s longest-tenured player. Currently, he is the only draft pick in Flames history to skate in 900 games with the club and is just 92 contests from becoming only the third skater to surpass 1,000 games in a red sweater.
Besides serving as a third-line center, Backlund is one of Calgary’s best special teams players and is one of their veteran leaders, wearing a letter on his jersey since the 2018-19 season. At 34, he’s never won a Stanley Cup, so if he wishes to pursue that opportunity elsewhere, no one can fault him after a decade and a half of service in Alberta.
Related: Backlund is the Flames’ First Drafted Player to Surpass 900 Games
Leland Irving (26th Overall 2006)
Current status: Retired
NHL games: 13
As one of just four netminders to be drafted by the Flames in the first round in their history, Leland Irving skated in only 13 NHL games. After posting a 3-4-4 record, he spent most of his days in the AHL, where he found moderate success in 241 games with a 106-104-10 record. However, unable to find employment in North America, Leland opted to play in various European leagues while spending a season in Russia, last playing in Switzerland during the 2021-22 season.
Matt Pelech (26th Overall 2005)
Current status: Retired
NHL games: 13 / Flames games: five
Matt Pelech was Calgary’s first draft pick in the salary cap era, which began in 2005. Although he only skated in five games with the Flames, he found more opportunities in the AHL before venturing over to Europe to continue his professional career. Ultimately, Peleach retired after the 2019-20 season, collecting 110 points in 597 career games.
Historical Perspective
Although it pains many fans to reminisce about former players like Tkachuk, Monahan, and Bennett, young stars who left town too early, it raises the question about the Flames’ inability to retain top prospects. Once Backlund leaves or retires, the only skaters from this list who will still be in the organization could be Pelletier, Zary, Coronato, and Honzek.
Furthermore, a handful of teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Edmonton Oilers still employ many first-round picks. Ultimately, this list highlights the importance of top picks and how retaining them can lead to successful or unsuccessful stretches in team history.
Hopefully, after so many missed opportunities in previous draft classes, the Flames can usher in a new era of young, talented players with their most recent draft picks, turning the club into contenders again.
