At the 2025 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames selected two players in the first round, 18th overall and 32nd. Both players are forwards with upside who should become solid contributors to the group in a few years. Here’s a look at both players, their upside, and the drafting philosophy that has led some to call the Flames the best drafters in the NHL right now
18th Overall: Cole Reschny
Drafted from the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL), Cole Reschny is a 5-foot-11, 180 lb forward — he plays both centre and wing — with superior playmaking instincts and a playoff pedigree. With the Royals, he put up 92 points in 62 regular-season games, second among all draft-eligible players after Benjamin Kindel, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 11th overall. In the playoffs, the Royals lost in the second round to the Spokane Chiefs, but Reschny put up 25 points in 11 postseason contests — good for ninth in the league, despite the team’s relatively early exit.
Most of his points were assists. He’s primarily a playmaker and play driver, but Reschny can score goals. He has an uncanny ability to “pull” his opponents’ attention onto him, so that his linemates seem to disappear and then reappear to tap one of his passes for a shot on net. This is a quality often seen among star NHL playmakers — Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights, for example, has this skill and racks up assists.
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Reschny isn’t expected to make his NHL debut this season. Thanks to the new CHL-NCAA transfer agreement, he’s committed to the University of North Dakota of the NCAA, where he’ll have the opportunity to develop in a new environment. When he does make his debut, however, the Flames will have a young, top-tier offensive driver.
32nd Overall: Cullen Potter
Drafted from the Arizona State Sun Devils of the NCAA, Cullen Potter is a similarly small forward — 5-foot-10, 172 lb — and a graduate of the United States National Team Development Program. In his rookie season with the Sun Devils, Potter scored 22 points in 35 games, placing eighth on the team in scoring as the only player under 20 on the roster.
Potter is more of a goalscorer than Reschny, and as a smaller player who doesn’t drive play in the same way, he relies a lot on foot-speed and positioning to rack up his points….
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