Ottawa Senators First Draft Target – Tij Iginla – Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators

With so many top defensemen available in the 2024 NHL Draft, much of the focus is on the Ottawa Senators' struggling defense and how they can fix it with their seventh overall pick. There is a good chance that one of Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, or Zeev Buium will still be available when the Senators step up to the podium, all of which will give the team instant power on the blue line.

But the Senators have more needs than just defense, and there will be several impressive prospects available in the top 10 that could give Ottawa a big boost up front. As I wrote in my first article looking at the three priorities the team needs to deal with their first round pick, one of their biggest areas of need is at center. So, let's switch gears and look at one of the top prospects expected to be available in the top 10, Tij Iginla.

Tij Iginla Scouting Report

Iginla had a decent draft-eligible season. He started as a rookie after midseason with the Seattle Thunderbirds, but burst out of the gate with the Kelowna Rockets, putting up 13 goals and 21 points in his first 12 games with the team. While his explosive speed slowed over the next few months, NHL Central Scouting upgraded his starting grade from 'B' to 'A' prior to his appearance in the Kubota Top Prospects Game in January. Although he couldn't get his team a win, he was always very competitive and followed the puck like a dog on a bone.

Related: Senators First Draft Target – Sam Dickinson

In no time, Iginla became one to watch, and he did not disappoint. In the next 19 games, he scored 15 goals and 27 points, finishing with a team-leading 47 goals, and in the finals he scored nine more goals in 11 games, including a hat trick in his first game. An early exit from the hands of the Prince George Cougars allowed him to travel to Czechia to join Canada at the U18 World Junior Championships, where he once again showed how dangerous he is with the puck. In seven games, he finished second with six goals and third with 12 points, leading all draft-eligible players on Team Canada en route to a gold medal.

Iginla's steep climb seems limitless; now, scouts are talking about him as a top 10 pick and a possible top five pick. Here's what Jacob Billington wrote about Iginla in his Top 10 Centers in the 2024 Draft about what makes him the most valuable prospect:

“Tij Iginla has a wealth of offensive talents and has risen up the draft ladder over the course of the season. He's strong on the puck and has good skating, but his handling skills are where he really shines. Without a doubt, he can get a good game and end up with a chance to score goals. His vision and hockey IQ to be able to find the seam pass is great. Despite being a dangerous passer, he has the ability to keep defenders guessing as to what his next move will be. Comparisons to his father, Jarome Iginla, will never end, but Tij is showing everyone that he is his type of player. Some similarities like efficiency and aggressiveness in puck battles have been made, but the offensive game is where he really shines, unlike Jarome, who was a respected forward.”

Why Ginla Makes Sense

Simply put, Ottawa needs more clean sheets. The Senators had just three players score more than 20 goals in 2023-24 and haven't had a 40-goal scorer since 2007-08. The team has tried several times to find the next top scorer, with one of the most recent (and infamous) attempts with Alex DeBrincat in 2022-23, joining other failed experiments Evgenii Dadonov, Marian Gaborik, Matt Duchene, and Derrick Brassard, among others. It has been a long process with few success stories over the past decade. Adding Iginla immediately gives the Senators a potential top-six scorer on their roster in a few seasons.

But, most importantly, Iginla brings stability. The Senators made sure they were locked in last offseason, signing second-line center and former 30-goal scorer Josh Norris to a $7.95 million deal through 2030. However, several shoulder injuries that followed ended the team's confidence that he would return in 2030. player who earned that extension, leaving a huge gap in the top six. Shane Pinto has shown the ability to take on that role, but he is the only one. That's a lot of pressure on a player who doesn't have a long-term contract.

On the other hand, Iginla is a good fit in the Senators context. As mentioned before, he has a good nose for the net, which fills the hole left by Norris, but he also has a good work ethic that would pair well with Brady Tkachuk, Ridly Greig, and Tim Stutzle. He's smaller in stature than his Hall-of-Fame dad, but he's not afraid to get involved and will chase pucks in the corners. He has shown high intelligence and quick decision-making, making him a threat anywhere on the ice.

Why Ginla May Not Be the Right Choice

Steve Staios has publicly stated that, while he may go for a need later in the draft, with the seventh pick, the Senators will select the best player available, whoever that may be. No matter how things go, there will be plenty of interesting players available in the seventh spot, and there is legitimate belief that there may be better players available when the Senators pick. Iginla is a strong offensive player, but he is not the strongest skater or the best defensive player, although both are serviceable. When the Senators pick, they could select Ivan Demidov, Anton Silayev, Berkly Catton, or one of the defensemen mentioned earlier, all of whom will be difficult to pass up.

There is also a possible log jam problem in the future. While the Senators lack center depth, they have candidates under them who could be solid middle-six producers. I already mentioned Pinto, but Greig was a junior center before playing wing when he became a champion. Meanwhile, Stephen Halliday looked solid in his pro hockey debut after two seasons at Ohio State University. While it's not bad to have so many top-six players, there's a chance it will create a tough decision next time.

Finally, if the Senators make a move, it leaves their defense untouched, meaning they will have to rely on a trade or free agent to address their most pressing need. Current free agent options on the right side include Tyler Myers, TJ Brodie, Chris Tanev, Tyson Barrie, Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, and Filip Hronek. While a few of them would be good fits, they won't be cheap, which will take up a lot of space for the Senators. The trade will be more difficult, however, as it can cost them a piece they don't want to part with or force them to overpay to get rid of a bad contract. Writing a defender can be very easy, even if they won't fix the problem right away.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to love Iginla in Ottawa. He is a relentless, front-of-the-line offensive player who can make a team's top six extremely dangerous. His style projects well with what the Senators are already building around Tkachuk. The only question that remains is whether Staios believes Iginla is the best player available if he chooses.