If the Calgary Flames had it their way, then general manager Jay Feaster could’ve walked up to the podium to select Nathan MacKinnon first overall in the 2013 NHL entry draft.
The Flames attempted to trade picks six, 22 and 28 to the Colorado Avalanche for the first overall pick, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in his weekly 31 Thoughts column Saturday.
While the Avalanche clearly declined the deal and opted to select Nathan MacKinnon, it would’ve been a franchise-altering draft for the Flames had they been able to make the trade. It should be without a doubt that the Flames would’ve selected MacKinnon first overall, but instead only hit on one of three draft picks from that first round.