The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery delivered mostly frustration across the league as the darling Toronto Maple Leafs somehow landed the top spot. Gary Bettman’s excuse was simple: the league doesn’t reward losing. But here’s the thing the league does do: rewards teams that don’t need the help.
Although I’m no proponent of conspiracy theories–that the draft lottery is rigged–I am in favour of changing the rules so teams who are consistent draft winners can’t build dynasties through draft luck. That’s happening in SJ, who also jumped significantly into the #2 spot. With the league cap increasing exponentially over the next few years, teams like SJ may dominate for years simply through lottery wins.
If the league was serious, they would change the rules, which they did after Edmonton kept winning lotteries, to give teams who’ve selected 1st (or top 3) repeatedly, less ‘points’ to win again. Without it, you will find teams forever dogged by an inability to accumulate generational talent through the draft, at the expense of other franchises who do nothing but win a roll of the dice repeatedly. A professional sports league can’t operate in a way that simply hands draft wins to the same handful of teams each year. So something has to change.
As for the Flames….
Entering the lottery, Flames fans had some hopes that the bottom 4 finish would net at least a top 4 pick. Not so thanks to the Bettman odds. Calgary ultimately landed the sixth overall selection. The result still places the Flames in a strong position to add a high-end prospect, but it will depend on teams ahead them going off the board.
Flames are going to land a GOOD player, but not a generational one (arguably that player doesn’t exist in this year’s draft). What they are unlikely to get is help down the middle anytime soon which is what they really need. It could also spell a full year added to the rebuild, without players capable of making the hump to pro.
The Flames will have tons of draft picks heading into the 2026 class, but all of those players will need 3-4 years of development. When you add in Pacigic division rivals winning draft lotteries and light years ahead in development, the Flames may be slated for another 3-5 years sitting around 31st in the league. With the cap going up, one could make the argument that the Flames could land some free agents to shore up gaping holes like LHD or C. But those types of players rarely build championship teams, rather, are stop gaps for teams finishing 16th every year, which the Calgary franchise is good at.
We’ll see come draft day who is available, and expect the Flames to pick the best player, even if it’s another RHD, which somehow the Flames have plenty of high-end prospects at.
For Calgary, the challenge is simply: make the sixth pick count.