Tij Iginla, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Selected as number 6 in the draft
1 August 2006 | 1.83 m | 86 kg
Level: Bubble-Top and Middle of the Lineup Players
Skating: NHL Average
Puck skills: Above the NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL Average
Compete: Above the NHL average
Shot: High-quality
Player comparison: Viktor Arvidsson
Analysis: Iginla has excelled in the WHL for Kelowna and in the U18s for Canada this season and has developed into a top NHL talent. The son of Jarome Iginla, Tij is a very talented offensive player. His stick-handling ability consistently stands out. He often beats defenders one-on-one and improvises very well with the puck. He skates well and can make high-level plays with his feet moving. Iginla has a great shot that comes off the stick quickly and can pick corners. He has scored a lot of goals this season and is expected to beat pro goalies from distance. He also gets inside to score and shows strong effort without the puck. However, his pure sense and playmaking do not stand out as much as the rest of his game. He is valued as a strong top-six winger who will score a lot of goals.
Pick class: B-
Thoughts on the selection: Iginla is a player who has gotten better as the season has gone on and has become an option so high in the draft. He is a very competitive scorer with a lot of skill. I had a few minor concerns about his hockey sense and am a little surprised they didn’t go in that direction given some of the great defensive talent on the board like Anton Silayev, Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh. Iginla is rated as a top-six forward who brings a lot of elements to a lineup.
This article originally appeared in The athlete.
