The Calgary Flames selected defenceman Carson Carels with the sixth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, adding a left-shot blueliner to a deep prospect pool. Carels, who is from Cypress Hills, Manitoba, skipped the draft ceremony and heard his name called from his family's cattle ranch.
Highest pick since 2016
Carels is the highest pick by the Flames since they took Matthew Tkachuk sixth overall in 2016. He was one of the top-ranked defencemen in the draft class, known for his skating, physicality, hands, and vision.
Adding to a position of strength
The Flames already have a strong stable of young right-shot defencemen in Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Henry Mews, and Simon Nemec, whom they acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Carels, a left shot, fills a need on that side and gives Calgary arguably the deepest under-23 defence corps in the league. Fans can envision Carels playing on the left side alongside Parekh or Nemec in the future.
A do-it-all type
Scouting reports highlight Carels as a high-ceiling two-way defenceman who projects as a top-pairing player. While he may not be a first-unit power-play quarterback, the Flames have Parekh and Nemec for that role. Carels posted 20 goals and 53 assists for the Prince George Cougars this season, proving his offensive instincts.
Give it a year or two
Carels will play at the University of North Dakota next season alongside fellow first-round pick Cole Reschny, forming a potent NCAA duo. He is not NHL-ready yet and will likely spend at least one or two seasons in college. The Flames have ample NHL blueliners under contract, including Kevin Bahl, Yan Kuznetsov, Zach Whitecloud, Olli Maatta, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal, so there is no rush for Carels to develop.
