The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is rapidly approaching, taking place on June 28 and 29. The intensive travelling and studying done by each franchise’s scouting staff is about to pay off. For the Calgary Flames, there is a lot of pressure added to this year’s event. For the first time since 2013, the team has two selections in the first round, including one in the top ten. In addition, general manager Craig Conroy and company have two seconds and two thirds to utilize. This many high picks are immensely important as the team enters a “re-tool on the fly”, and even despite this, their prospect cupboard has dwindled over the last few seasons.
The majority of fans and media are more focused on the selections the Flames will make with their ninth and 28th overall picks this year. However, the best teams are the ones who can find proverbial diamonds in the rough. As the rounds go on, the probability of an NHL player lessens. The Flames’ next best chance is in Rounds 2 and 3. It has been eight years since they have picked twice in the second round, and both players were whiffs. They picked twice in the third round of the 2021 Entry Draft, but the same issue persisted. History cannot repeat itself in 2024. Luckily for the Flames, there is an abundance of talent that may still be available at the times of these picks. Here are four young men that are strong potential fits for the team.
Dominik Badinka, Right Defence, Malmö
First up is 18-year-old Czech defender Dominik Badinka. Ranked as the 14th-best European skater in the draft, he offers great size and steadiness on the backend and may just be available for the Flames’ selection at 41. He currently skates against full-grown men in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) as a member of the Malmö Redhawks. He split the 2023-24 season between them and their junior team. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound rear guard put up one goal and three assists in 33 SHL games and two goals, and 11 assists in 17 junior contests. Badinka is touted for his ability to calmly anticipate plays and successfully contain offensive threats. The fact that he can lead a breakout and chip in offensively is just an added bonus. The Flames could use a right-shot, two-way defenceman like him to mix in with their offensive and shutdown defence prospects.
Justin Poirier, Right Wing, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Next up is another intriguing prospect, Justin Poirier of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Some Flames fans will recognize his last name, and yes, he is the younger brother of current Flames defence prospect, Jérémie Poirier. The only thing the brothers have in common in hockey, however, is their last name. Justin is a winger instead of a defenceman, and is an expert at scoring goals, not preventing them. Since entering the QMJHL in 2022, the 17-year-old has done nothing but generate offence on a nightly basis. He scored 28 goals and 48 points in 55 games as a rookie in 2022-23, and a whopping 51 goals and 82 points in 68 games this season. No one scored more goals in the QMJHL in 2023-24 than Poirier, and it was the highest goal total by a 17-year-old since some guy named Sidney Crosby scored 66 in 2004-05.
Poirier is also a proven playoff performer to boot. In his two QMJHL seasons, he has put up a very impressive 22 goals and 36 points in just 24 playoff games. He is the epitome of a sniper; he can shoot effectively off of the rush, and scouts love his instincts as well as his NHL-ready shot that he can seemingly get off from anywhere in the offensive zone. However, he isn’t afraid to get gritty and be at the front of the net for tap-ins, redirects, and rebound goals as well. The Flames shouldn’t draft him simply because he’s Jérémie’s brother, but rather because they are in desperate need of offence and he is one of the best scorers in the draft. What has his stock lower is his size; Poirier stands at 5-foot-8 and weighs 180 pounds. This shouldn’t scare Conroy, as the Flames have had plenty of success drafting and developing smaller players in the past (see: Theoren Fleury, Martin St. Louis, and Johnny Gaudreau, among others). Poirier could likely be had with the second-round pick acquired via the Dallas Stars (62nd).
Luke Misa, Centre, Mississauga Steelheads
Third on our list is a player that could greatly aid one of the Flames’ greatest needs; young centres. After 2023 first-rounder Sam Honzek, the team is quite thin at centre for the future. Mississauga Steelheads middleman Luke Misa could be just what the Flames need. He is ranked as the 76th-best North American skater and could be had with either their own third-round pick (74th) or the Vegas Golden Knights pick (84th) from the Noah Hanifin trade. Misa’s speed and playmaking abilities are what separate him from his peers; he is a dynamic transition skater who excels at distributing the puck. He also has underrated goal scoring skills. In total, he had 26 goals and 81 points in 66 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games in 2023-24 and led the Steelheads in points. Luke is also a famous brother; his younger brother Michael is the projected 2025 first-overall pick.
Miguel Marques, Right Wing/Left Wing, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Last, but certainly not least is high-impact winger Miguel Marques from the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes. Despite being 17, he emerged as a leader on the Hurricanes in 2023-24. He was first on his team in assists (46), points (74) and second in goals (28), all accomplished in 67 games. The 5-foot-11, 172-pounder exhibited tremendous growth and dominance on offence. He is a premier playmaker on the wing who is a master of finding open teammates and creating scoring chances. He has nifty hands and makes plenty of WHL defenders look silly before executing an outstanding pass or curling and dragging into a filthy snipe.
The Flames are also getting a bit thin on wing prospects as players like Jakob Pelletier and Matt Coronato make full-time transitions to the NHL. Marques would immediately head the next wave and would be more than worthy of a selection. The Flames would need to pick him up in the second round, as he probably won’t be available come Round 3. He has two more years of junior eligibility to hone his skills further and then could transition to the Flames or the American Hockey League and play a prominent role for the Calgary Wranglers. The Flames have Jonathan Huberdeau as a pass-first winger, but could always use more with finishers like Zary and Yegor Sharangovich as key future pieces. Marques could also feature on the team’s power play one day, hopefully boosting its dreadful success rate.
Related: Flames’ Draft Options if Tij Iginla Is Gone
To end off, we know that the Flames will select the best available player with their second and third-round picks. These four are just some of many very talented options, and only time will tell if they’re even up for grabs when it is the Flames’ turn to choose. Scouts are too good nowadays to leave any player unlooked, and the other teams are well aware of how great these players are. Hopefully, the Flames can get at least one of them come draft day.
