The Calgary Flames will select ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft this June, following the results of today’s draft lottery.
The Flames had a slight opportunity to get a top-three pick at the upcoming draft, but it wasn’t meant to be. That said, this wasn’t a failure for the Flames, who had an opportunity to slide down as low as 11th. Instead, they remained in ninth, where they had a 64.4% chance at slotting before the lottery began.
While this takes the Flames out of the running for projected first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, speculation will only increase further about them landing Tij Iginla, son of franchise icon Jarome Iginla.
Tij has flown up the draft rankings in recent months thanks to an impressive 47-goal, 84-point season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. Given the obvious ties to the franchise, there has been plenty of chatter about the Flames calling his name on the first day of this year’s draft.
Flames general manager Craig Conroy was asked earlier this year about the potential of drafting Iginla. While he admitted that he’s very excited to see the son of his former teammate having great success, he said the ties to the organization won’t play a part in who they select.
“We just have to put everybody in the right order, put them where they belong, and then when we start to draft, we’ll go down the list, and when we pick, whoever is on that list, we’re going to take the best player,” said Conroy. “I haven’t talked to Jarome, Kara, or Tij about any of this.”
There were no changes in the draft lottery from how the NHL standings played out. The San Jose Sharks landed the first overall pick, while the Chicago Blackhawks will pick second. The 2024 draft is set to take place on June 28 and 29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
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