The 2024-25 NHL season is now well underway, and already a multitude of alluring storylines have arisen. One of, if not the most prominent of the bunch is the early success of the Calgary Flames. The team has begun their season by winning their first four games in a row, including triumphs over intense rivals, the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers. This comes as a shock to many members of hockey media and fans alike, who mostly had the Flames pegged as a bottom-feeding basement team this season.
Related: Calgary Flames Earn 6-5 OT Win Against Canucks
While this is a welcome sign for the Flames, their focus should still be on building for the future. After a season that saw them trade a litany of veterans and “earn” the ninth overall selection at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the franchise’s prospect cupboard is chock full of burgeoning talent. To add to the excitement surrounding the organization this campaign, a handful of Flames prospects are already on hot streaks to begin the season. Here are some we deem worthy of further analysis.
Jacob Battaglia, RW, Kingston Frontenacs
The first future Flame we’re going to look at is Kingston Frontenacs winger Jacob Battaglia. The Flames selected him in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 62nd overall. The pick used to draft him was originally the Dallas Stars’, acquired in the trade that saw Chris Tanev head to the Lonestar State. Battaglia had put up a very respectable 31 goals and 65 points in 67 games for the Frontenacs in 2023-24. He also chipped in with three goals and four points in five playoff games as his team was beaten in round one of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoffs. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Battaglia has decent size for the NHL and many scouts put him high on their lists due to this and his obviously advanced skillset.
So far this season, Battaglia is making the Flames brass look like geniuses. The 18-year-old already has seven goals and 16 points in just eight games in 2024-25. At the time of writing, those figures have him tied for fourth in points and seventh in goals league-wide, respectively.
While it is unlikely that Battaglia maintains this 60-goal, 136-point pace, it is becoming more evident that he is outpacing his junior peers. He is a master playmaker who excels at getting passes through defenders and onto the sticks of his teammates. His leadership…
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