Flames have specific target with No. 4 draft pick

Calgary Flames executive Craig Conroy was on Sportsnet 960 Wednesday morning with Boomer and Pinder.

On the talent level at the top of the draft:

"There's probably three guys that everyone else would say, 'these are the three guys', but we really feel there's a group of six players. There's a group of six guys that if we got one of those six guys we'd be extremely happy. So at four, it's a perfect situation. I think everyone's been talking about three guys, but I think there's probably three more guys that can be in the conversation for sure."

On if the Flames will be taking the best player available, rather than choosing by position:

"I think that's the one thing we've talked about and Brad kind of made the point when we started amateur meetings, was we want the best player. If he's a left wing, if he's a defenceman, if he's a right wing... I mean, if you look at the draft this year, probably more forwards than defence. So it'd be tough to take a defence early. Probably one of the defence will go really quick in Ekblad, but that's kind of where we're at. We want the best player. Position, obviously you like defence, you like goalies, you like centres. Wings, we have a lot of left wings, but, you know, you just want to take the best player available."

On if he has 'a guy' he wants with the Flames' No. 4 pick at the draft, or could he be swayed?

"You never know what's going to happen before you, so I think when it comes to that pick - do we have a person we have in mind? For sure. I mean, there's a guy we would love to get. Whether you get him or not, time will tell. I mean, it depends what Buffalo, Florida and Edmonton do. Last year everybody thought Seth Jones was going to go really early. He went later."

On if there's a guy in the consensus top group that the Flames would definitely not take:

"I don't think there is in that top six. In years past I think there has been a guy where you say you have some question marks. Is he really a guy you want to put a Flames jersey on? That's what it comes down to. We want guys that we feel comfortable to put a Flames jersey on and they're a Flame for life. That's the goal.

"And there's always been a few guys - top guys - that you've questioned. I don't see anybody in our six like that. There might be in the next, let's say, 14, there were a couple of guys that we actually took off the board that we just felt weren't a good fit for the Calgary Flames. And they're going to get drafted probably in the first round. Which is fine. Just not by Calgary."

Source: Sportsnet 960