Tij Iginla
Kelowna Rockets
Tij Iginla had a rocket strapped to his back, as the son of a Hall of Famer has gone from the late-teens, mid-20s range to now a pretty secured top-10 pick. There are a few legitimate reasons for this. For one, many are believing in the pedigree.
Another reason is his insane performance at the U18, leading Canada to a gold medal. He even scored the game-winner for the Canadians, adding the tally in the waning seconds of a major penalty that changed the game for the Americans. In total, he finished with 12 points in just seven games. He almost averaged a goal per game, showing he truly might just be a late bloomer ahead of the draft.
Iginla was pretty mediocre coming into this season. Our friend Lyle Richardson with Bleacher Report didn’t even have him in his “way-too-early” mock draft from last summer (it’s also especially cruel to see the Devils expected to select 31st overall). He had just 18 points in 48 games with the Seattle Thunderbird of the WHL. He was sent to Kelowna, and he exploded with 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games.
We’ve seen these types of explosions of points in the WHL before. Gaining just a little bit of muscle mass will give players a severe advantage. Iginla might not even be available when the Devils pick, with many saying the Seattle Kraken will make the pick. However, the Devils should be ready to make the pick if he falls to them.