Towards the end of the 2022/23 NHL season, some fans were calling for the Calgary Flames to push for the youth and potentially improve their draft standings, and after the team refused to do so, while missing the playoffs anyway, their chances of moving beyond No. 16 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft were slim to none.
On Monday night, the NHL held their draft lottery, and unsurprisingly, with less than a 2% chance of moving up, the Calgary Flames will now officially pick at No. 16 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, as they look to build around a solid veteran core with other young players coming through.