Tij Iginla ranked No. 10 overall by Bob McKenzie for 2024 NHL Draft

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by #-3

I think your comp is the 2012 draft, much weaker than normal forward draft, and much stronger than normal D draft, but I'm not sure you look at any of the any of the about 20 d men that had great NHL careers, and think you yourself that's I guy who can't be passed over for a guy who can drive first line offence, so if he is there and you believe he can drive offence the way his dad did, you probably have to think long and hard about taking Tij, and trying to recover the D man later in the draft, a position that is much harder to successfully scout at the age of 18, and sees a much high proportion of 2nd round+ homeruns, and a higher proportion of top 5 pick busts.

I don't think Iginla can drive first line offence. I think his upside is a complementary front line player. Not a driver.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't think Iginla can drive first line offence. I think his upside is a complementary front line player. Not a driver.

Have you watched him the last few months?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Have you watched him the last few months?

Ah the classic "I disagree with you so it must mean that you don't know what you are talking about".

yes I have.
Great prospect.
Not the driver on a top line at the NHL level.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Not the driver on a top line at the NHL level.

It's hard to say that many 17yr olds would be. Impossible to say he never will be.

Besides, unless you're a generational talent you're unlikely to step in to drive a line as a rookie. We shouldn't be expecting a generational talent picking 9th.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

LOL out of nowhere eh? I'm sure this thread and the constant discussion has nothing to do with it.

I really hadn't been thinking about it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Icon

It's hard to say that many 17yr olds would be. Impossible to say he never will be.

Besides, unless you're a generational talent you're unlikely to step in to drive a line as a rookie. We shouldn't be expecting a generational talent picking 9th.

Well I was responding to this:

"think you yourself that's I guy who can't be passed over for a guy who can drive first line offence, so if he is there and you believe he can drive offence the way his dad did, you probably have to think long and hard about taking Tij"

I don't think he can. So I would take one of the D or actual centres (Catton, Lindstrom) over him.

But i'm just one opinion and talking out of my ass as much as anyone.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Well I was responding to this:

"think you yourself that's I guy who can't be passed over for a guy who can drive first line offence, so if he is there and you believe he can drive offence the way his dad did, you probably have to think long and hard about taking Tij"

I don't think he can. So I would take one of the D or actual centres (Catton, Lindstrom) over him.

But i'm just one opinion and talking out of my ass as much as anyone.

There might not be more than 6 dmen taken in the entire first round next year. There are 6 that could go top 10-12 this year. Next year there will likely be 5 guys who will play center taken in the first 8-10 picks. I sure hope the Flames do not try to squeeze in a forward need over BPA because I really think BPA will be far and away a dman at 9.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ah the classic "I disagree with you so it must mean that you don't know what you are talking about".

yes I have.
Great prospect.
Not the driver on a top line at the NHL level.

I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about, but you haven't explained why you don't think he can drive a line.

I won't claim he's a guaranteed top line play driver but:

He was Kelowna's best player down the stretch and in the playoffs, he drove the line when playing with Szturc so much so Tampa signed him as a free agent and at the U18's he drove the line no matter who he was playing with, he was also very good on the PP.

He's 17 years old, he has all the tools and drive to project into a special player, to act like the second coming of Nostradamus and say he'll never be a top line driver is just silly IMO.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't think Iginla can drive first line offence. I think his upside is a complementary front line player. Not a driver.

I think that's a fair thought, I haven't watched him enough to have an opinion. But if that's who the Flames think he is, I think it's reasonable to take him (if he's available).

I doubt there is a big enough body of evidence to know what he's, let alone that anyone us have seen enough of him to know. But I from what I will admit is only highlights, I think it's a reasonable risk to take that he could be the top player on a good team one day, (if our scouts believe in him).

[Kipper_3434]

To be fair hockey is a team sport and "driving a line" is a very loose term. Crosby can drive a line with anyone on it, so can Backlund. They aren't even the same caliber of player. I think folks often like to confuse driving a line with being a puck carrier. I would define a line driving player as a player that elevates the play of most of those he plays with. Iginla plays a very complete game for his age and I would argue that he shows signs of elevating the players around him.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ah the classic "I disagree with you so it must mean that you don't know what you are talking about".

yes I have.
Great prospect.
Not the driver on a top line at the NHL level.

Is that how you took it? Because I think it came across as a genuine question. He elevated his game in the post season and looked every bit a driver.

[CsInMyBlood]

In some of those playoff games and then in the U18 his play driving looked elite to me.

There were a couple of games where he dragged his team to wins. Looks like one of those rare guys that has that extra gear in important games. Clutch under pressure.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about, but you haven't explained why you don't think he can drive a line.

I won't claim he's a guaranteed top line play driver but:

He was Kelowna's best player down the stretch and in the playoffs, he drove the line when playing with Szturc so much so Tampa signed him as a free agent and at the U18's he drove the line no matter who he was playing with, he was also very good on the PP.

He's 17 years old, he has all the tools and drive to project into a special player, to act like the second coming of Nostradamus and say he'll never be a top line driver is just silly IMO.

How is me stating my opinion any different than you? You have been extremely strong in your belief on how good he will be. Does that also make you Nostradamus? We are both just sharing opinions that happen to differ.

I didn't say "he'll never be a top line driver" I said this:

"I don't think Iginla can drive first line offence. I think his upside is a complementary front line player. Not a driver."

Neither of us know.

[Jiri Hrdina]

To answer the question, I don't see him as a play driving center because i don't see him someone that will drive an entire line, and be the one that sets up plays. I see him being the one that finishes plays. His best attribute is his shot. I don't know that he has the playmaking/hockey sense to be a centre let alone a top line centre. And I don't think he's as physical as his pop.

[Jay Random]

Few players have fully developed their playmaking abilities at age 17. Tij Iginla has plenty of runway for that.

It sounds to me, based on sound bites only, as if he has set his mind to the goal of making the NHL as a centre. If so, I won't be the one betting against him.

[Paulie Walnuts]

How is that any different from Lindstrom who is anC but has more goals than assists ?

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Ah the classic "I disagree with you so it must mean that you don't know what you are talking about".

yes I have.
Great prospect.
Not the driver on a top line at the NHL level.

How can you possibly know with certainty?

Squatting on a crystal ball over there?

This is what I don't get about your takes. The self assuredness on what 17 year olds will or won't be in the NHL.

Everything scouts have described about his game in the back half makes him sound like he's trending towards that kind of player.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

There might not be more than 6 dmen taken in the entire first round next year. There are 6 that could go top 10-12 this year. Next year there will likely be 5 guys who will play center taken in the first 8-10 picks. I sure hope the Flames do not try to squeeze in a forward need over BPA because I really think BPA will be far and away a dman at 9.

So let’s get our Luke Schenn this year and our Barret Hayton next year!

[CsInMyBlood]

It's easy to forget Tij is only 17.

It's actually huge all things considered.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by MrMike

So let’s get our Luke Schenn this year and our Barret Hayton next year!

Exactly. Best player available this year at 9 may actually be the forward, becuase the other top 8 teams are thinking that this is the year they need to take their defender. It’s silly to think that just because this is a defence-heavy year, Calgary has to take a defender no matter what.

If a defender is at the top of the list, take him, but hopefully the flames’ management won’t close their mind to anything else.