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Tij Iginla: a kind of Matthew Tkachuk, according to a WHL coach

 Emily Smith
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Tij Iginla: a kind of Matthew Tkachuk, according to a WHL coach
Credit: Photo by Dale Preston/Getty Images
For several months now, even before the Montreal Canadiens were officially eliminated from the playoffs, the eyes of Habs fans have been riveted on the draft and the top prospects that will be available.

Discussions surrounding the prospect who will be selected by the Tricolore with its first-round pick have, in fact, become increasingly precise and serious since we know the Habs’ selection rank, which is 5ᵉ overall.

Several prospects come up in these various conversations, and every Habs fan has his favorite, and therefore the one he will defend as the best possible pick for the Habs between now and the draft.

In my case, I explained yesterday that my favorite was clearly Cayden Lindstrom, the 6-foot-4 center who can do everything on the ice.

However, I wouldn’t be disappointed if the Habs chose Tij Iginla, another prospect I like.

If Ivan Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom were ever selected in the top-4, I wouldn’t be at all disappointed if the Tricolore ended up with Tij Iginla, especially when you look at the various analyses and comparisons about him.

Indeed, Iginla, who has been climbing the rankings of the various experts for several weeks now, was recently compared to an excellent active player in the National Hockey League, namely Matthew Tkachuk.

Indeed, one WHL coach said that iginla was a Matthew Tkachuk type, so he clearly wouldn’t pass up the chance to draft such a clutch player, who’s worth gold in the playoffs.

For this coach, iginla’s work ethic, hustle and talent make him a genuinely impressive player who will clearly make a big impact once in the NHL.

Moreover, this same coach would choose Iginla ahead of Cayden Lindstrom and Berkly Catton, two players he has seen play all season long on opposing teams, just like Iginla.

And let’s not forget the fact that Iginla comes from a family of leaders, as his father, Jarome Iginla, enjoyed a full NHL career, as well as being an excellent captain for the Calgary Flames for nine seasons from 2003 to 2013.

In short, there are many elements that make Tij Iginla an excellent choice, and there’s little doubt that he will become an excellent NHL power forward.

It now remains to be seen whether the Habs see Iginla’s strengths as forming a superior whole to, say, Cayden Lindstrom.


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