The Calgary Flames seem to have a pretty easy decision for their target in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Longtime captain and franchise legend Jarome Iginla has a son, Tij, in the top ten of draft rankings. The Flames and their general manager Craig Conroy know plenty about the Iginla family, as Conroy and Iginla were also teammates. The worry for the Flames is that Tij Iginla could have swayed teams above them in the draft to take him, leaving Calgary with a much harder decision.
The Flames have plenty of room to improve this offseason, with $23 million in projected cap space and 12 forwards, six defensemen, and one goalie under contract after the Jacob Markstrom trade. The Flames will sign Dustin Wolf to a contract as he is a restricted free agent, which will complete the roster of 18. They will give some looks to their prospects in the minors, namely Matthew Coronato, Samuel Honzek, and Jeremie Poirier.
Calgary will then take some stabs in free agency, but the issue is there aren't players lining up to move to Alberta. The Flames have plenty of opportunities to acquire new talent. They have six first-round picks, four second-rounders, and five third-rounders over the next three years. Calgary doesn't necessarily want to kick the can down the road and compete in five years. They have Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri on long-term contracts. These players are 31 and 33, respectively, so if they want to compete while they can still contribute, something has to be done to help them in the short term.
Let's look at two targets the Calgary Flames must avoid with the ninth and 28th picks in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Is the Cole Eiserman project worth it?
Cole Eiserman could be the real deal. If it hits, his upside is through the roof. However, there's a chance Eiserman never materializes at the professional level. Eiserman will always be an elite goal-scorer, and he could keep all his faults that he showed this season and still play for the Flames and score 30+ goals.
The issue is that the Flames can't afford to take another player whose faults will hurt the rest of the team. The Flames have plenty of frustrating players on their roster. Nazem Kadri works hard and gives everything, but his offensive skills aren't enough to be a first-line center. Jonathan Huberdeau shows glimpses of being the best offensive player on the ice, but his work ethic frustrates fans.
Scouting circles say that Eiserman will be the biggest project in this year's draft. The Flames don't have time to work on a project, as they need immediate help if they're going to keep their fans happy. The Flames could take Eiserman here and let him rediscover his game in college and then get him accustomed to the professional game in 3-4 years. By then, Kadri will be 37 and Huberdeau will be 35. Then, the Flames have to hope that their other prospects panned out and will be ready to help Eiserman.
Eiserman will need an elite playmaker to capitalize on his skills, which the Flames don't have in their prospect pipeline. The Flames would be better off drafting a playmaker who can play alongside Connor Zary or Matthew Coronato in a year or two instead of a sniper who they'll need to find a playmaker for in 3-4 years.
Teddy Stiga has climbed the ranks
They took a swing by acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau after a 115-point season. Huberdeau has played 160 games for the Flames since that trade and has just 107 points.
The trade was already a sore spot with fans, but watching Matthew Tkachuk go to Florida and win a Stanley Cup has to be rubbing salt in the wound. Huberdeau's struggles haven't been able to get the Flames into the playoffs yet, while Tkachuk has led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row.
Teddy Stiga and Cole Eiserman were on the United States National Team Development Program this season. Eiserman broke the team's goal-scoring record by tallying 58 goals, while Stiga finished with 36 goals and 43 assists.
Stiga was on the fringe of being drafted heading into the season but has risen to various spots in different mock drafts. TSN's Bob Mckenzie ranks Stiga as the 43rd-best prospect, while Sportsnet's mock draft has him right at 28th where the Flames pick. There is too much variance in Stiga's upside, which, like Eiserman, isn't what the Flames need.
Stiga, and many other NCAA players in this draft, is someone the Flames will need to wait a couple of years for, and there is no guarantee he will work out. It's always a risk to take a player who had one good season in his draft year, especially someone from the NTDP. They don't always end up being NHL-ready prospects once they go from the USHL to the NCAA level, and the Flames taking Eiserman and Stiga in this first round and both being busts would be a failure of epic proportions.
The Flames should take more of a sure thing here and target Ryder Ritchie or Julius Miettinen with the 28th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Follow Us
Subscribe