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

[Jiri Hrdina]

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

Yeah, if there was a consensus he projects as center in the NHL then he'd be ranked higher. If his last name wasn't Iginla there would be way less interest in him on this board as well lol.

I'm pretty much good however this draft shakes out barring a huge reach on the pick. Flames will get their best prospect yet in this re-whatever it is.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

If the Flames draft this kid I hope for his sake that he's half as good as his dad or it's going to be tough sledding given the unrealistic expectations some Flames fans seem to have for him.

[Njord]

I think the question should be what players would you take over Iginla? Or maybe it should be who's your top ten in what order?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

It's an uncertainty. The issue here isn't whether you think or don't think that Iginla might be able to play C at the NHL level, it's that some people seem to think that it is in fact a certainty (one way or the other).

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Njord

I think the question should be what players would you take over Iginla? Or maybe it should be who's your top ten in what order?

1. Celebrini
2. Demidov
3. Levshunov
4. Lindstrom
5. Parekh
6. Buium
7. Dickinson
8. Catton
9. Silayev
10. Hage

That is my own personal top 10. I have Tij at 11. That is by no means how I think the draft will go.

[BigFlameDog]

I can't speak for every fan but I know I can be a fan of Tij, the pick and the player, and not put giant expectations on him because of his Dad.

The pedigree means he will probably be a high motor player who will very likely be a good NHL'er and that would be fine with me if the Flames pick him. Anyone who automatically expects as good as his father isn't even being fair to themselves but I haven't talked with anyone like that yet.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Njord

I think the question should be what players would you take over Iginla? Or maybe it should be who's your top ten in what order?

If I was building my draft list it would start like this.
I do have a bias against Russians potentially not coming over or being as impactive. As well I do put more of a weighting on defensemen and then centers.

1 - Celebrini
2 - Levshunov
3 - Parekh
4 - Dickinson
5 - Lindstrom
6 - Buium
7 - Catton
8 - Helenius
9 - Yackemchuk
10 - Iginla
11 - Hage
12 - Sennecke
13 - Silayev
14 - Demidov
15 - Greentree
16 - Boisvert
17 - Jiricek
18 - Brandsegg-Nygard

[Kipper_3434]

Demidov at 14 is GD hilarious

[dammage79]

I take Demidov before anybody not named Celebrini. That's it.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It's an uncertainty. The issue here isn't whether you think or don't think that Iginla might be able to play C at the NHL level, it's that some people seem to think that it is in fact a certainty (one way or the other).

Odds of him playing center in the NHL are pretty slim being drafted as a winger based on history of this happening. A lot of centers drafted end up playing wing in the NHL but the list of wingers at draft that go on to be centers is short like defensemen converted to forwards or vice-versa. Last top player I can recall was Giroux who was a RW and Flyers converted him to center and I’m sure there may be some depth players that may have converted but it’s not very common at all.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

We'll see what they say this time next year. Tij said the plan for next season is to go back to junior and run with the center role, and just based on how much this kid progressed this year alone and his relatively young age, I am pretty optimistic that this is the type of guy that can do it. If it doesn't work or he is less productive at center, well at least they tried. All he did was climb all year and given how he played in the post-season, I can't help but wonder where he would be ranked in the draft with a little more runway.

There are a few players that I would be happy with at 9th OA, so I am not in the group that thinks it needs to be Tij at all costs, but I am not sure if the the division of tiers is so strong that it's not reasonable to let the name factor into it a little.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

Your points are fair, but I'm curious as to why you've downplayed Tij's upside from what seems like the beginning of the discussion, and haven't waivered despite him putting up some great late-season performances in multiple tournaments.

Some Flames fans have become a little too infatuated with him, but I think you might not be giving him enough credit either.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Odds of him playing center in the NHL are pretty slim being drafted as a winger based on history of this happening. A lot of centers drafted end up playing wing in the NHL but the list of wingers at draft that go on to be centers is short like defensemen converted to forwards or vice-versa. Last top player I can recall was Giroux who was a RW and Flyers converted him to center and I’m sure there may be some depth players that may have converted but it’s not very common at all.

Because you keep calling him a winger doesn't make it true, I can't wait till next year when he's considered a top 5 center in the dub

[CliffFletcher]

There are two reasons prospects don’t make the jump to playing C in the NHL.

1) The don’t have the tools: skating, size, processing the game, defensive diligence.

2) They have the tools, but in order to take on the responsibilities of a C they have to sacrifice too much offence.

It’s possible 1 doesn’t apply to Iginla, but 2 does. For example, Mercer with the Devils was drafted as a C, has played a bunch at C in the NHL. But he’s much less productive when he plays C, so the Devils prefer him at the wing.

It’s just a huge jump to play C in the NHL. Half the guys drafted at C in the upcoming draft, including blue chip guys like Lindstrom and Catton, will probably wind up as wingers in the NHL.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

This season. He was drafted as a C and played plenty of C up until this year. One of the reasons he wants to leave Carolina is because he wants the opportunity at C. If we go by your logic than Elias Lindholm was never a C either, he is a RW.

in the 2023 playoffs (last season), Necas played...

293 mins as LW/RW on 6 different lines.
0 mins as C on 0 lines.

In the 2023 regular season, he played...

1509 mins as LW/RW on 12 different lines.
0 mins as C on 0 lines.

How much further do I have to go? He's only played more than 10 games in 5 seasons, and I've already done his last two.

[dammage79]

If Iggy Sr. Sold the Flames on Tij being a center and they drafted him, then they better go all in, because they pay off of having Iggy Jr. Become a number one center as a legacy pick has untold benefits.

But if it also blows up in their faces, has untold damaging effect with compounding opinions about misguided nepotism.

Gah, the legacy pick is tempting and scary as hell.

[FanIn80]

I did another one....

in the 2022 playoffs (last season), Necas played...

211 mins as LW/RW on 4 different lines.
0 mins as C on 0 lines.

In the 2022 regular season, he played...

1262 mins as LW/RW on 21 different lines.
0 mins as C on 0 lines.

That's his last three seasons now.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by dammage79

If Iggy Sr. Sold the Flames on Tij being a center and they drafted him, then they better go all in, because they pay off of having Iggy Jr. Become a number one center as a legacy pick has untold benefits.

But if it also blows up in their faces, has untold damaging effect with compounding opinions about misguided nepotism.

Gah, the legacy pick is tempting and scary as hell.

There's a lot of space between him being a legacy centre and a total flop.

As much as we discuss it, I doubt any team is drafting him because he says he's going to play centre next year. It's also doubtful Jarome is trying to convince the Flames of anything (and he and anyone who's interviewed keeps saying that he leaves the room whenever his kid comes up so I doubt he's saying much about him).

It's just intriguing that he'll likely get another year in junior to see how he does at centre.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Diss is right that there are few, if any, scouts who consider Iginla to be a likely centre at the NHL level. You can ignore that if you want, but it does seem like there is an element that if anyone dares speak negatively about Tij is either accused of "not watching him" or "having a bias".

My observation is that there is far more of a bias in favor of the player than against.

And again, none of us really know, so all the views should be considered acceptable and good discussion.

It's a weird topic inside of a weird draft. There's a camp who seems to be certain that there's no way he's available at 10 - he's just that good. I think these guys are overwhelmed by the pedigree. There's a camp that wants to avoid him and will argue against anything that suggests he's a fit and the Flames should take him. This is the "Flames can't win no matter what so I'm arguing the downside of everything" side.

To me, if he's around at 10 he is a good bet, wing or centre. There are previous few centres in the top of this draft anyway. And the defencemen all seem to have question marks in some aspect, just as much as Iginla (who only seems to have position as his).