The Calgary Flames didn’t have to move up in Monday’s draft lottery for Don Maloney to be optimistic about their first pick.
As expected, the Flames remain 16th in the draft order, prompting the Flames’ interim GM to remind folks the first pick of the club’s new era should be a good one.
“There’s real value there, especially in a deep draft,” said Maloney of no. 16 overall.
“I follow all the scout’s reports, and you look at all the different rankings, and when you get down to where you think the group of players who are going to be in our slot, it’s a good group of players.
“It’s like every team, we’re excited.
“Whether we make the pick, trade the pick, trade up, trade down, those things all have to be determined.
“If we make the pick, we believe we’re going to get a really good player.”
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Going into Monday’s lottery with the best record of any team that missed the playoffs, the chances were heavily against the Flames improving their standing.
They didn’t.
And so, while Chicago Blackhawks fans celebrated news they had indeed moved up two spots to select Connor Bedard first overall this summer, Calgary hockey fans will have to look a lot further down the draft rankings to see which youngster might be wearing Flames silks in camp next fall.
Sportsnet’s draft specialist Jason Bukala recently released his top-60 rankings and has 5-foot-11, 188-pound centre Oliver Moore at No. 16 on his list.
The quick, energetic and skilled Minnesotan scored 31 goals and had 75 points in 61 games for the US U18 team.
Just before Moore on Bukala’s list is 6-foot-4, 186-pound Slovakian centre Samuel Honzek of the Vancouver Giants, who is preceded by 5-11, 165-pound right winger Gabriel Perreault, who is a goal-scoring machine from the US National Development team.
Ranked after Moore is 6-2, 185-pound Wheat Kings centre Nate Danielson, followed by 5-11, 166-pound centre Brayden Yager of the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Expect to hear lots of other names from other lists as the June 28-19 draft in Nashville draws near.
Recent 16th overall picks in the NHL include Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Newhook, Mathew Barzal and Flames defenceman Nikita Zadorov.
The last time the Flames picked 16th was in 2017 when then-GM Brad Treliving called Juuso Valimaki’s name.
The only other time came in 1986 when the Flames took Minnesota high school star George Pelawa who died in an accident months later.
Maloney said the process of hiring a new GM is well underway, with the new architect having to decide quickly which way he’ll take the club moving forward.
The Flames have picks in the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh rounds this year.
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