Bill Armstrong had high hopes that Tij Iginla would be available at No. 6

The vast majority of Montreal Canadiens fans are very happy to now be able to count on a prospect like Ivan Demidov.

Although he was clearly the second most talented player of the draft, the famous “Russian factor” and questions about his injury history pushed him down to 5th place, much to the Habs’ delight.

Immediately after the Tricolore’s pick, it was the Utah hockey team’s turn to select at 6ᵉ.

General manager Bill Armstrong was very happy to see that Tij Iginla was still available when it came time to talk.

So happy, in fact, that he most likely escaped on the club’s official name.

He was definitely excited that Jarome Iginla’s son was available, but I didn’t think he’d be that excited after listening to him on TSN Overdrive today.

Utah GM Bill Armstrong on TSN OverDrive says they were anxious when Celine Dion was picking for the Canadiens because it took her so long to make the pick announcement, when they finally did they exploded off their table knowing they were getting Tig Iginla.

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) July 10, 2024

It’strue that Céline Dion took all the time in the world to announce the Canadiens’ pick at the Sphere in Vegas.

I was starting to get impatient myself.

Knowing that Demidov was available, I was so hoping he’d be chosen.

Armstrong was in a similar situation, but with a lot more pressure than me…Obviously.

But it wasn’t Demidov he had in mind. It was Iginla.

Imagine being happy missing out on Demidov?

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) July 10, 2024

On the other hand, we have to admit that Tij Iginla possesses assets that Demidov does not.

He’s a dog, he plays intensely and he’s extremely competitive, if Armstrong’s comments on TSN 1050 are anything to go by.

He’s also arguably the player with the highest floor this year.

Basically, he’s the one with the greatest value in terms of what he can bring to an NHL club, despite his slightly lower potential than the rest of the top-10.

Let’s see what time brings to find out if the Habs made the right choice with Demidov.

Overtime

– The 39-year-old veteran will be in his 20thᵉ NHL season.

#stlblues announce they’ve agreed to terms with veteran defenseman Ryan Suter, who was bought out by the Dallas Stars this summer. It’s a one-year deal for $775,000.

– Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 10, 2024