Top 5 forwards the St. Louis Blues must have on their shortlist in the 2024 NHL Draft

Tij Iginla, Kelowna

Few prospects in the 2024 draft saw their productivity take off in the way Tij Iginla’s has. The 17-year-old didn’t make a significant impact with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, putting up just 18 points and six goals in 48 games, and he made just three appearances in the playoffs. But Iginla was also one of the youngest players on what was a stacked Thunderbirds team, so this had little to do with loss of competition or underperformance. 

Following a strong showing for Team Canada that saw him score two goals and contribute seven points in WHC-17, Iginla continued his WHL career with the Kelowna Rockets, where he found twine 47 times and logged 84 points in 64 games. He also scored another nine goals and 15 points in 11 playoff games, 

Iginla’s 47 goals equaled 18.8 percent of the 250 the team scored this year, and his 84 points meant he contributed to 33.6 percent of them. That’s ultra-impressive, and Iginla isn’t finished just yet, as he will return to the junior ranks next season. 

From a size standpoint, the 6’0, 185-pound Iginla is ahead of the curve. So, if Doug Armstrong went with a forward over a blueliner, it wouldn’t be an ideal scenario, but it would be hard not to like Iginla in the system.