The Calgary Flames used the 65th pick in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Joe Iginla, adding the WHL forward to a prospect pool that already has plenty of wingers.
Iginla’s name will always carry weight in Calgary. He is the son of former Flames legend Jarome Iginla, was born in Lake Country, British Columbia, and came up through minor hockey in BC before moving on to the Edmonton Oil Kings. This season, he split time between the Oil Kings and the Vancouver Giants, giving the Flames a closer look at a player whose path now leads to the same franchise his father captained for almost a decade.
The offensive numbers took a clear step forward. In 2024-25, Iginla put up 9 goals and 7 assists for 16 points in 61 WHL games with Edmonton.
This season, across 59 games with Edmonton and Vancouver, he finished with 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. That jump is a positive sign, even if the raw production doesn’t scream top-end prospect.
He’s still a player who will need time and patience as he works through the development process.
What stands out most in Iginla’s game is his creativity with the puck. He sees the ice well, spots passing lanes early, and can thread difficult passes through traffic. He’s more of a facilitator than a pure finisher, the kind of player who can lift the people around him by creating chances for them.
There’s also a competitiveness to his game that feels familiar. He brings energy, stays involved without the puck, and battles hard for possession even though he is not an overly physical player.
Coaches tend to appreciate that sort of consistent effort in all three zones, and Iginla has shown it throughout his development. His work ethic also leaves room for more growth as he gets stronger and sharpens the rest of his game.
The next challenge is speed. Iginla is a good skater, but he does not currently have elite NHL-level acceleration or breakaway gear.
His hockey sense helps him get to the right spots, but at higher levels he’ll need more separation to create offense consistently. Better first steps and more explosiveness would make him more dangerous in transition and give him a stronger chance to attack defenders off the rush.
Strength is the other major area he has to keep building. Iginla competes and doesn’t avoid traffic, but stronger opponents can still move him off the puck.
As he advances into tougher competition, adding muscle should help him protect the puck, win more board battles, and be more effective around the net. It would also help him hold onto possession longer and extend offensive-zone shifts.
His next stop is the NCAA, where he’ll continue his development at the University of Denver. DU has a strong track record of producing NHL players, and that setting should give Iginla the chance to face older, stronger, and more structured competition while playing meaningful minutes.
For the Flames, the long-term question is straightforward: can he separate himself enough to earn a real shot? He was drafted much earlier than many scouts expected, with projections around the 5th to 7th round, and he’ll need to work hard to rise above a crowded group of Calgary wingers.
Still, he has enough skill to make the NHL conversation interesting down the line. The work now is about turning that potential into something more tangible.
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Calgarys interest was built on more than numbers, with the organization pointing to his work ethic, leadership and overall approach as reasons he fit their plans. Castagna, for his part, has spoken with real appreciation about his time at Cornell and a humble mindset as he starts the pro climb, which is part of what makes him such an intriguing addition for a team that has been looking to add dependable pieces with some upside. [Read more 🡒]