It’s been a long, long time since the Calgary Flames had this many quality winger prospects in their pipeline.

In previous years, a player like Jacob Battaglia would be a shoo-in for a top-10 spot in our annual prospect rankings here at FlamesNation. But with the Flames mere months removed from a terrific showing at the 2024 NHL Draft, Battaglia slots in at No. 11 to kick off his tenure as an NHL prospect.

Although he may not be as flashy as some of the other members of Calgary’s 2024 draft class, Battaglia absolutely deserves to be mentioned as one of the more intriguing prospects in the Flames’ system. Let’s take a closer look.

Jacob Battaglia

Right wing, shoots left
Born March 17, 2006 (age 18) in Mississauga, Ontario
6’1″, 196 pounds
Drafted in the second round (62nd overall) by Calgary in the 2024 NHL Draft

Is it possible for a prospect to become underrated less than two months after being drafted? Asking for a certain ‘Jacob Battaglia.’

The Flames earned rave reviews at the draft in June, not only for taking Zayne Parekh in the first round, but also for landing Andrew Basha, Henry Mews, and Luke Misa lower than where most onlookers expected them to be picked. But the selections of Matvei Gridin and Battaglia, both taken roughly in line with most projections, were generally greeted with less enthusiasm.

It’s easy to understand why a potential superstar talent in Parekh and a local kid in Basha would command most of the attention from fans and media alike. They both look like great picks. If the Flames are able to turn things around by the time Scotia Place opens, there’s a decent chance those two guys play a role in it.

But it’d be unwise to forget about Battaglia, who scored a lot of goals last year despite playing on a thoroughly middling Kingston Frontenacs team. Battaglia, who is of no relation to former NHL forward Bates Battaglia, led last year’s Kingston side with 31 goals, a figure that also ranked fourth among all first-year-eligible OHLers. The three players who finished ahead of Battaglia — Liam Greentree, Marek Vanacker, and Parekh himself — all went in the first round.

Battaglia finished his draft year with 65 points in 67 games, enough for him to finish just four points pack of 2022-drafted Blackhawks prospect Paul Ludwinski for the top spot on Kingston’s scoring leaderboard. Nobody on the 2023-24 Frontenacs really produced all that much, which made it all the more impressive that Battaglia was able to score as often as he did. He kept chugging along into the playoffs, managing a team-high three goals in five games as the Frontenacs were quickly dispatched by the North Bay Battalion in the first round.

One of the younger members of Calgary’s 2024 draft class, Battaglia still has plenty of room to grow at the OHL level before he turns pro in the Flames’ system. Here’s what Brock Otten, director of scouting at McKeen’s Hockey, had to say to us about Battaglia earlier this week:

The combination of his size/power and IQ is incredibly intriguing. I wouldn’t call Battaglia a power forward, but he plays a heavier game that is driven by his ability to work the wall, get to the middle, and protect the puck through traffic. He’s hard to separate from the puck and drives time of possession down low in the cycle. However, what makes him unique is that he’s more than just a “grunt.” He is a really smart player, with and without the puck. He’s got great vision. He times his cuts well. He’s got a skill set perfectly tailored to being a high end complementary piece at the NHL level. The key for him is just improving those athletic tools. He needs to get quicker. He needs to work on his agility. He needs to get even stronger for the type of game he plays…and perhaps add a bit more snarl to it. There’s definitely upside as a strong middle six piece here and Battaglia was a savvy pick for that reason.

Expectations for 2024-25

First and foremost, it remains to be seen whether Battaglia will remain with the Frontenacs for the entirety of the 2024-25 season or if they’ll elect to sell some of their more established talent and embark upon a retool. With Ludwinski eligible to join the Rockford IceHogs this coming season, Battaglia might end up playing with a new centre if he stays in Kingston.

The Flames will ultimately have the luxury of being able to promote their two 2024 second-round picks (the ’05-born Basha and the ’06-born Battaglia) into the AHL in consecutive seasons, not having to worry about integrating two rookie wingers into the Wranglers’ lineup at the same time. Until then, Battaglia will be able to develop at his own pace in the OHL — and, with so many other wingers ahead of him in the Flames’ system, he’ll be able to progress away from the spotlight.

Regardless of where Battaglia spends the season, it’d be nice to see him put up another 30 goals in 2024-25. If he ends up joining one of the OHL’s championship contenders, his assist and point totals could jump in a major way. And don’t forget: Battaglia could sign an entry-level deal with the Flames at any point this year.