2024 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings for the Calgary Flames
By Nathan Smith
6. Tij Iginla - F Kelowna Rockets
Tij Iginla is the name on most lips when it comes to the Calgary Flames 2024 NHL Draft process, as it's simply tough for the organization to ignore the son of the greatest player the franchise has ever seen. On his own merit however, Iginla has risen up draft boards with his pure goal scoring ability and determination, as he has risen from the mid-teens to a potential spot in the top five, with the former Kelowna Rockets forward being linked to at least four different teams before Calgary.
One major positive of Iginla's game is his versatility, as he projects to be a center at the next level, while having the talent and the ability to play wing as well, and given the Flames current makeup, that's a major plus. The majority of mock drafts leading into the big night have predicted that the Flames will end up with Iginla, and if the top-five on this list are gone, it's certainly going to be the move for Craig Conroy.
5. Zayne Parekh - D Saginaw Spirit
When talking about offensive upside in this draft, you can't ignore Zayne Parekh of the Saginaw Spirit, who won the award for OHL's Best Defenseman of the Year in 2023-24 after an incredible campaign. It was a record year that saw Parekh notch 33 goals and an incredible 96 points, so the Flames would absolutely love to pair him with Hunter Brzustewicz, who scored 92 of his own this past season in the OHL.
Parekh, similar to other defenseman in this class needs to work on his defensive game, but with so much potential, limitations in his own zone certainly won't stop a team somewhere in the top-10 taking a chance on him. At this point it appears that team will come before the Flames, but with the team attempting to build around their blue line, adding an X factor in Parekh would be a home run move for this organization.