With their first pick of the second round and their third in the draft overall, the Calgary Flames selected forward and Calgary local Andrew Basha out of the WHL at 41st overall. Basha was widely regarded as a late first-round talent, so the Flames did some tidy work getting him in the second round. So, what makes Basha an exciting prospect and potential steal? Let’s break it down.
Who is Andrew Basha?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| LW | Left | 5’11” | 184 lbs |
Basha is a left-shot left-winger. He’s played exclusively on the wing in the WHL and projects as a winger at the next level as well. Basha is a local Calgary kid who grew up cheering for the Flames and even dons number 34 in the WHL in honour of Miikka Kiprusoff.
As mentioned above, Basha was widely regarded as a late first round pick, so it was surprising to see him even still available by the time the Flames made their first pick in the second round. Due to his smaller stature—standing under six feet tall and just 184 pounds right now—he no doubt dropped a tad come draft night.
Basha’s on-ice production
As a November 2005 birthday, Basha already has three seasons in the WHL under his belt, playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was the 105th overall pick in the 2020 WHL draft.
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | D-1 | WHL | Medicine Hat Tigers | 67 | 20 | 36 | 56 |
| 2023–24 | D+0 | WHL | Medicine Hat Tigers | 63 | 30 | 55 | 85 |
Basha has seen steady increases in production across his three years in Medicine Hat. His rookie season in the WHL in 2021–22 saw him post just 14 points, but he followed that up with 20 goals and 56 points in 2022–23. His 56 points were third on the Tigers behind a pair of older players, and across the entire WHL, he ranked second among 2024 draft-eligible players that season, behind only Tanner Howe.
This most recent season, Basha took another huge step forward, totaling 30 goals and 85 points in 63 games, a 29-point increase from his D-1 total. His 85 points ranked third in the WHL among 2024 draft-eligible skaters behind only eighth overall pick Berkely Catton and 17th overall pick Terik Parascak. He also added five points in five playoff games, finishing second on the Tigers in playoff scoring.
Basha’s strengths
Quickness/Agility
Basha plays the game at an advanced pace, something that is crucial in today’s NHL. He’s not an elite skater, but he’s still a strong one who can attack in short bursts and has impressive acceleration. His skating would be best described as quick, as he doesn’t possess high-end north-south speed, but he’s able to change directions and weave in and out of traffic very efficiently. It’s his agility that really stands out as he can be hard to contain and has been known to easily shake off defenders with quick little movements.
Below is a great example of Basha using his quickness and agility to evade defenders and maintain possession of the puck, leading to a goal.
Playmaking/Vision
Basha can score, as shown by his 30 goals in the WHL this past season, but his primary impact on the game comes from his vision and playmaking ability. He possesses great vision and is able to find teammates all over the ice. He’s the type of player that can make difficult, threaded passes look easy. One scout even labelled him as the second-best playmaker from the WHL in the 2024 draft.
“In my eyes, Basha’s pure playmaking ability is the second-best of any WHL player in this class after Berkly Catton. He is incredibly elusive in the offensive zone and will find excellent passing lanes with ease.” – Ben Misfeldt, McKeen’s Hockey
That’s some incredibly high praise for a player taken in the 40s of the draft. Basha is the type of player teammates love to play with, as he’s always creating scoring chances and opportunities with his vision and passing ability. This also makes him a dangerous option on the power play, coming off the boards and finding teammates for one-timers or tap-ins.
Puck Skills
Lastly, Basha is just flat-out nasty with the puck on his stick. He combines his agility and quickness, along with his strong puck skills, to weave his way through defenders while maintaining possession. By doing this, he’s able to open up space for not only himself but also his teammates. He’s great at using deception and fakes to make defenders bite one way, only to then stickhandle his was way past them.
Below is a highlight reel that showcases just how skilled Basha is with the puck on his stick and why he’s such a dangerous player.
Basha’s areas of improvement
Consistency
One of Basha’s primary areas of concern is his consistency. There are certain shifts or even games where he has little to no impact on the game, often drifting into the background for long periods. It’s likely one of the reasons he dropped into the second round of the draft. He’s an incredibly skilled player, but there are moments where you don’t notice that in his game, and the effort level isn’t there.
As a smaller player with not a lot of physicality to his game, when he isn’t flying around the ice and impacting the game offensively, there isn’t much else he’s bringing to the table. It’ll be key for Basha over the next couple years to find some more consistency in his game so that he isn’t disappearing into the background as often.
Basha’s next steps
Basha will return to Medicine Hat next season for his fourth season in the WHL, where he should be one of the league’s top offensive threats. Skating in a loaded Tigers forward group that also contains 2024 fourth overall pick Cayden Lindstrom and 2026 draft-eligible phenom Gavin McKenna, Basha has a real opportunity to crack 100 points next season. He also has an outside shot of representing Canada at the 2025 World Juniors if he has a hot start to the season.
Projection with the Flames
Basha isn’t a perfect prospect, but he offers plenty of upside and potential, which is what makes him such an exciting prospect. The Flames have desperately needed more dynamic skill in their organization, and Basha immediately becomes one of the team’s top forward prospects.
He’ll likely need a year or two of conditioning in the AHL once he makes the jump to pro hockey, but if he can continue to work out the kinks in his game, he has the potential to be an impact middle-six winger and powerplay option for the Flames in a few years.
