Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The first round of the 2024 NHL Draft is nearly here, and the Buffalo Sabres have now moved down three spots in the draft order as of Thursday to pick 14th overall come Friday night.
With Round 1 closing in, the final prospect we're profiling for this year's draft is the son of Hockey Hall-of-Famer.
Tij Iginla, son of longtime NHLer Jarome, exploded on the scene during his 2023-24 season with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League. So much so, it makes him one of the more intriguing prospects available for teams in the early half of Friday's opening round.
Profile:
After a season played with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL, where he put up 18 points (6+12) in 48 games played, Iginla quadrupling his scoring numbers with 84 points (47+37) in 64 games with the Rockets. With these numbers, he led his team in goals, and was fourth overall in the league in points among draft eligible players.
The Lake Country, British Columbia native has been mocked anywhere between the third overall pick and 12th overall selection in this year's draft. NHL Central Scouting ranks him ninth among North American Skaters.
Given his rankings heading into Friday night's first round, the Sabres would likely have to trade up on the draft board to grab him. However, if he were to fall to the 14th pick in the end, it'd be seen as a steal across the league.
Iginla possesses a specific set of skills that makes him a very effective forward in the offensive and neutral zones. At 6-foot, 192 pounds, Iginla won't physically overpower defenders, rather, he utilizes his skilled stickhandling to enter the zone and create scoring chances.
Positives:
Iginla has some of the best stickhandling abilities in this draft class, using high quality moves to blow by defenders and create a scoring opportunity. He can also connect the offensive zone to the neutral zone with great entry passes to set up teammates for a quick chance on goal.
When he has the puck himself, he can utilize his deceptive shot from nearly anywhere in the offensive zone. Between the use of body feints, look-offs, and fake shots, he can create his own shooting lanes and catch goalies off guard with quick snapshots.
Iginla also showed a massive step forward this past year, in terms of points on the scoresheet and time on ice. The fact he could jump so far forward in just one year's time shows his ability to exponentially grow as he transitions to the next levels of hockey.
Negatives:
While his stickhandling and skating ability are massive positives, there is a worry about being able to effectively transition that to the NHL level. Many players have shown an ability to pull off move-after-move around defenders at the junior level, but that won't always work against top NHL defensemen.
Sabres forward JJ Peterka went through a similar transition when coming into the NHL just a couple years ago. Highly skilled players can utilize these skills in small increments, but shouldn't try to take on the whole opposing team.
The idea of quality over quantity needs to be emphasized to a player with Iginla's abilities.
If Iginla wants to be an effective playmaker in the NHL, he'll need to identify the right time and place to make a big move, or a risky pass without putting his team in danger of a scoring chance going the other way.
NHL comparison:
Hockey players like Iginla have great ability to control the game, but in a subtle way that you may not notice on the nightly box score.
New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider possesses the same sort of skill set, showcasing the ability to impact the game in multiple different ways through stickhandling, puck movement, and controlling parts of the ice. He has been a force for the Rangers for almost 10 years, recording multiple seasons 40-plus points.
Kreider is also a leader for his team, and has been wearing the "A" as an alternate captain for the past five seasons.
Where may he fit the Sabres?
The Sabres currently have many prospects in their system, but none quite to the caliber that Iginla projects to be. The closest comparable for him currently in the prospect pool could be Matthew Savoie, however, Iginla brings more skill to his game, whereas Savoie is more speed.
In time, Iginla can easily become a top line left winger to play with Tage Thompson, and either set him up with beautiful one timers or crash the net himself to score a highlight reel goal.
Given that Iginla is only 17, another year in the WHL would be necessary to further evaluate his skills. Depending on his performance, he may also need a year in the AHL with the Rochester Americans.
Based on current projections, though, he wouldn't take more than 2-to-3 years to play at the NHL level in a third or second line role.
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