Though the Calgary Flames were only eliminated from playoff contention this past Thursday, most of the fan base accepted the reality that it wasn’t happening with this team for some time. With that, fans have turned their attention to the future, which looks bright for this organization thanks to the recent pickups of several draft picks and prospects.
A big part of shaping their future will come at this year’s draft, where the Flames have two first-round picks, one of which could be franchise-altering. As of now, their first pick projects to be eighth overall, though they are in a tight race with several teams, including the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Arizona Coyotes, and the Montreal Canadiens. Regardless, the expectation should be that they will pick in the 6-10 range, where several highly talented prospects will remain up for grabs. But there is one in particular that has the entire focus of the Flames fan base.
Iginla Is Potentially a Top-10 Pick
Tij Iginla, the son of Flames legend Jarome, is having a heck of a season in the Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets. The 17-year-old didn’t have a ton of draft hype heading into 2023-24, as he struggled to find ice time a season ago with the Seattle Thunderbirds. He was traded to the Rockets during the offseason, however, and things have changed dramatically since then.
After just six goals and 18 points a season ago, Iginla burst on the scenes this season, finishing the year with 47 goals and 84 points through 64 games. Earlier in the year, he was being talked about as a late first-round pick, but with his hot play continuing, he could wind up being a top-10 selection.
On Sportsnet’s latest draft rankings, Iginla slotted in at 11th overall. That is slightly later than the Flames are likely to end up, but given the obvious connection he has to the organization, many fans are hoping that the Flames wind up selecting him. With the draft nearing, that noise is continuing to increase, to the point that general manager Craig Conroy discussed it days ago on After Hours with Scott Oake.
“For the last 13 years, I’ve been doing the draft,” said Conroy, who was teammates with Jarome for several seasons. “The guys that you played with, you see their kids all the time. What we’ve always said is [that] we just have to put everybody in the right order, put them where they belong, and then when we start to draft, we’ll go down the list. When we pick, whoever is on that list, we’re going to take the best player.
“I haven’t talked to Jarome, or Kara or Tij about any of this. Our scouts have been out there working hard all year. It’ll be interesting to see when it comes to the draft how it all plays out. He’s playing great, it’s exciting for him. You’re excited for all the guys you’ve played with when you see their kids out there. There is something special about each one, and with Tij and Joe, they grew up with us and my kids.”
While there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for the Flames to draft Tij, there are also some cons. The biggest would be the amount of pressure, as the young forward would have a tough time ever living up to the legacy his father built in Calgary. That said, having a mentor like his father would also give him the upper hand when it comes to dealing with that type of pressure.
It remains to be seen where the Flames will pick, but regardless of where they slot in, talks of Iginla potentially getting selected by the Flames will remain until the day the draft takes place. It would certainly be a great story if the stars were to align, but it is also good to hear that Conroy is adamant that they are looking at taking the best player available.
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