With their second pick in the second round, the Flames went back to the OHL, a well they know much about, and selected Jacob Battaglia of the Kingston Frontenacs. This is their first selection from the Fronts since they took Sam Bennett fourth overall in 2014.
Who is Jacob Battaglia?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| LW/RW | Left | 6’1″ | 196 lbs |
The winger played both sides this season and used his size and hands to his advantage for Kingston. As one of the younger players in the draft, Battaglia still has a good amount of runway to grow his game.
Battaglia’s on-ice production
Offensively, he was a star for the Frontenacs, who struggled as a team this season.
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | Playoff GP | Playoff G | Playoff A | Playoff P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | D-1 | OHL | Kingston Frontenacs | 66 | 7 | 20 | 27 | ||||
| 2023–24 | D+0 | OHL | Kingston Frontenacs | 67 | 31 | 34 | 65 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Battaglia finished second on his team in points with 65 this season. Only 20-year-old Paul Ludwinski finished with more, and that was just four more points. He also finished second in playoff points as the Fronts lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The only knock on Battaglia’s numbers is he finished with a not-great minus-15 on the season. Kingston finished minus-25 on the season and leaked goals all season long. This is going to be an area of improvement for the team, but especially for the Flames’ prospect.
Relative to the league, he finished ninth in points among U17 skaters. Flames’ prospect Zayne Parekh led the way with 96. However, finishing just around a point-per-game in the OHL is no small feat. This bodes well for his future.
Battaglia’s strengths
Read of the game
Battaglia reads the game at such a high level and is able to adapt to what the situation needs. He is really good at reading defenders and can move around them as they try to close him down. With small touches and off-the-board passes to himself, Battaglia is able to advance the puck efficiently and create chances in the offensive zone.
Offensively, he has a wicked shot and uses his smarts to pick his spots and timing to beat goalies night in and night out. Not a small body, Battaglia uses his size to his advantage, able to protect the puck effectively. There’s so much to like about the way he plays the game.
Playmaking
Battaglia keeps his head up in the offensive zone and has a knack for creating space for himself and his teammates. With this, he can make great passes to create chances on net. Even when it seems like he has no space to move, he is still able to find teammates reasonably easily. His 34 assists in the OHL isn’t bad by any stretch, and he will only get better next season as he continues to grow and mature.
Compete level
Battaglia is a battler and has no issues getting into the corners to fish the puck out. He also has a knack for the net and uses his frame to find his way to the front of the net. Using his size and strength, Battaglia has no concerns about forcing his way through checks and is not afraid to throw hits in open ice or along the boards. Soft is not a word to describe Battaglia.
Battaglia’s areas of improvement
Skating
The biggest, most glaring issue with Battaglia is his skating, which is really not very good. He stands up very straight on his feet and has to move his legs side to side to really get going in an unfluid motion. On top of that, even when he gets going, he’s not overly fast.
Battaglia has been good at working around this, developing a really good read of the game and keeping his head up to still be an effective playmaker. His details are good, and he has been able to use his reach and size to protect the puck, but the skating is still a major concern.
Battaglia’s next steps
The forward will almost certainly be back in the OHL with Kingston to start next season. He may even need one more season after that in the league before turning pro, but smart money would say that if he continues to improve his offensive numbers and skating, he will sign his entry-level contract and turn pro after next season.
From there, most of his development will come in the AHL. If he can continue to work on his skating, the NHL looms on his horizon.
Projection with the Flames
However, his skating is probably the key to what he will be. If Battaglia can figure this out, he could be a middle-six playmaker at the NHL level, but if not, he may be a depth body or a fringe NHLer. In the past, the Flames have been good at developing players where skating has been an issue, but Battaglia will need to put in a lot of work to really figure out this part of his game.
