The Scouting Report:
Tij Iginla of Lake Country, BC is projected to be a first-round pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. Iginla was born on August 1st, 2006 and measures at six feet tall and 185 pounds. Iginla is the son of Jarome Iginla, who had a long NHL career, mainly with the Calgary Flames. Tij Iginla has hockey in his veins and is looking to write his own NHL story.
Tij Iginla played for the Kelowna Rockets this past year in the WHL and landed an impressive 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games. After a dominant season, he continued the impressive results in the postseason with 15 points in 11 playoff games. When Iginla is on the ice, the play seems to favor his teams, and he will look to bring that impact to whichever NHL team drafts him.
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Draft Projections
Ranked #11 by Inside The Rink
Ranked #4 by TSN/Craig Button
Ranked #11 by Daily Faceoff
Ranked #17 by Dobber Prospects
Let’s take a deeper look into Tij Iginla and why he projects to be picked high in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Diving Deeper:
Playmaking
Tij Iginla’s playmaking and vision are some of the main areas of his game that set him apart from other prospects in this year’s draft. Iginla shows an NHL-level vision and playmaking ability that is able to create offense and contribute to his positive impact on the ice. His puck skills are also a key here, as he is able to set up plays not all players can with his quick hands helping to create the offense that he sees in his head.
“His goal-scoring comes in various ways as well. Whether it’s a shot from the faceoff dot or crashing the net and burying a rebound, he is always around the puck. That said, Iginla’s playmaking is probably the most underrated part of his game.”
Tony Ferrari – The Hockey News – Apr. 15th:
Board Battles
Something that stands out in Iginla’s game is his plays along the boards. He is aggressive and uses his body to win puck battles, and he often creates offense from those board battles. If you watch him in the offensive zone especially, you will notice his play in the corners and how he uses a combination of smarts and physicality to come out with the puck more often than not.
“With Iginla, as good as the scoring is, it isn’t even his biggest strength: his board game is. No one else in this draft gets off the wall as frequently and as efficiently as Iginla does. He also happens to be one of the smartest forwards in the draft, with a sixth sense for finding open ice off the puck and great vision to connect with teammates off the cycle.”
Hadi Kalakeche – Dobber Prospects – Apr. 20th
Shooting
Scoring 47 goals in the WHL is quite impressive as a 17-year-old, but what sticks out even more is the variety of ways Iginla scored. Iginla has an impressive shot that looks like it will translate at higher levels of play. He has power on his shot and is a threat, not just in the slot. Iginla also is skilled at one-timers and deflections thanks to his hand-eye coordination. Overall, being able to score multiple different ways is what sets players apart from others, and Iginla has that trait.
On-Ice Abilities:
Tij Iginla has a vast array of abilities and as such the key for him as he looks to progress to the NHL, is to keep up his pace. Iginla will look to continue training so that he is able to make decisions quickly and also keep up with the NHL pace.
Iginla also has elite hands, similar to his father, and is able to pull off plays you don’t see often in the WHL, and those hands should help him produce at an NHL level. Iginla’s creativity and hands are able to provide offense for his team and tilt the ice in his team’s favour as well as his compete level.
Prospect Potential:
Tij Iginla has some elite offensive skills that should translate well to the NHL and he has impressed many this season with his production outburst. Currently, he projects to be a top-six forward, with a high chance of being a top-line forward. Iginla will look to grow his game into a complete game, and his power-forward style of play could make him a key player not just at even-strength but on special teams as well.
Best Potential Fit:
Ottawa Senators: The Ottawa Senators currently hold the 7th selection in the draft and adding an offensive player like Iginla could really help the future Senators as they look to start changing the course and start making appearances in the playoffs. For the same reason, and as rumours start to circulate, the Senators could look to trade the 7th selection in the draft to speed up the process. Iginla is a skilled player who could result in a team trading up to select.
Calgary Flames: The Flames select 9th in the draft this year, and with the projections for Iginla, he may be available when the Flames are on the board. If so, I imagine that the Flames take a good look at Iginla. It would be quite the story if the team that Drafted Tij, was the team that his father spent most of his career on. The Flames bolstered their future defensive pool this past year with their Tanev and Lindholm trades so selecting a forward with the 9th overall pick, and one as gifted offensively as Iginla would make a lot of sense.
Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres pick 11th in the draft, where Inside the Rink has Tij Iginla ranked, and if he’s still on the board by this point, I’d be surprised if the Sabres don’t select him. The Sabres recently also added to their defensive core, with their trade for Byram, and they appear relatively set on defense for now. Adding a forward to the mix makes sense, and Iginla would be a great workhorse for the Sabres.
Final Thoughts:
Tij Iginla looks like a promising prospect, with creativity and playmaking skill that has him poised to produce at a high level in the NHL. Look for Iginla to continue developing his craft, and write his own story in the league, starting when his name is called in this year’s draft.
Stats via Elite Prospects
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