With their 2024 fourth-round pick, the Calgary Flames went off the board and selected the double over-ager forward Trevor Hoskin. Having just turned 20 years old, Hoskin just completed his D+2 season, playing in the OJHL with the Cobourg Cougars.
Who is Trevor Hoskin?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| C/RW | Right | 6’1″ | 174 lbs |
Hoskin is not a small man, and being a year older, he is one year bigger than most of his competition. Having just completed his final season in the OJHL, the Belville-born forward is bound for the NCAA’s Niagara University. Not the strongest of college sides, Niagara plays in the Atlantic Hockey Association of the NCAA.
Hoskin’s on-ice production
One of the biggest reasons that Hoskin was taken in the draft this year was his outstanding production in the OJHL. Take a look at his numbers here:
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | D+1 | OJHL | Cobourg Cougars | 54 | 16 | 45 | 61 |
| 2023–24 | D+2 | OJHL | Cobourg Cougars | 52 | 42 | 58 | 100 |
Hoskin finished fifth in goals in the league, but led the league in points this season. He was named the league MVP for good reason, given his outstanding production. While he is a year older than his draft year, most players in the league that were competing with him for the scoring title were in his age range.
What was also interesting was the way he took a step forward in his production season-over-season, particularly in his scoring. While his assist numbers took a small step forward, his scoring took a major jump, more than doubling. He was much more willing to shoot the puck this season, and used his shot to beat goalies from all over the ice.
What is there to like in Hoskin?
There is a lot of risk in taking a double over-ager. The runway in his development is a lot shorter given he is much closer to being fully grown compared to the remaining 18-year-old prospects to draft. As a result, whether he will have the capacity to develop effectively into an NHLer is a much bigger question than other prospects.
But Hoskin does have a few things working in his favour. He has clearly shown his potential as he has developed. Putting up 100 points in the OJHL is no small feat even if he is 20 years old. There is clearly a good amount of skill. On top of that, he took a major step forward this season in his development, and a team like the Flames must have looked at that to see he has the potential to continue developing as he gets older.
Craig Conroy has been big on selecting players who are keen to grow and improve their game, and Hoskin seems to fit that mould. Not a traditional mid-round pick, Hoskin will need to do a ton of work if he wants to be an NHLer in a few years.
Hoskin’s next steps
This growth is going to be big at Niagara, and with the program there, he will have a ton of opportunities given to him. Being a small program that doesn’t attract many NHL prospects, Hoskin should have plenty of opportunities to play heavy minutes and grow his game.
It will probably be three years of development if not more before he is potentially ready for a move to the pro game. The question will be whether Hoskin has what it takes to get to the next level. There are so many unknowns with him that we just don’t know what to expect from him as of yet.
Projection with the Flames
If Hoskin develops the right way and turns pro, it will probably be a couple more years in the AHL before he can be an NHLer. If that happens, he probably falls into a depth role, playing a third or fourth line role with offensive upside. The potential is there for him to be a player, but it will take time for him to really get there.
