- David Pagnotta says Calgary wants to move up from sixth in next month’s draft
- San Jose (No. 2) and Chicago (No. 4) are both reportedly willing to listen
- Read below for the video, the prospects Conroy is chasing, and how rare this trade-up really is
The Calgary Flames don’t want to sit at No. 6 next month.
GM Craig Conroy is shopping for a way up the 2026 NHL Draft board, according to The Fourth Period‘s David Pagnotta, who laid it out on Thursday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live. The Flames dropped two spots in the lottery earlier this month and landed at sixth overall, and Conroy isn’t ready to settle there.
Pagnotta was asked about Calgary’s draft strategy:
“It looks like they want to move up or at least try to. They were hopeful they were going to get a better pick. They moved down. They’re hopeful that they can figure something out here, maybe move up to two, maybe three, four.”
Catch the full Pagnotta segment with the video below:
Two real trade-up paths exist. The San Jose Sharks own the No. 2 pick after a seven-spot lottery jump, and Pagnotta said they’re willing to slide back. The Chicago Blackhawks have No. 4 and would move it entirely for the right NHL piece.
“I think San Jose is willing to move back. I think Chicago is willing to move the pick entirely if it brings in a legitimate NHL caliber, top-six, in his 20s type of player to play with either Bedard or Frondell.”
Ivar Stenberg is the prize Calgary is chasing. The Swedish winger is widely projected to come off the board second, with Gavin McKenna expected to go first to Toronto.
Conroy has the ammo to try. He’s stockpiled 11 picks in the 2026 draft, including two first-rounders, four second-rounders and two third-rounders, which gives him a chip pile deep enough to build a serious package without gutting the prospect base.
Pulling it off would be historic. The last time a team traded a declared top-three pick was 2003, when Pittsburgh moved into first overall and took Marc-Andre Fleury, sending the third-overall pick the other way. Calgary swinging into the top five would be the kind of move that almost never happens.
Buffalo hosts the draft on June 26-27. Conroy’s pitch to jump the line starts now.
