In the wildly unpredictable world of NHL Amateur Draft rankings, being the son of a Hockey Hall of Famer never hurts.
The Ottawa Senators will choose seventh at this year's NHL Draft and there's a good chance they'll take a defenceman. They have needs everywhere, of course, but their biggest need is on defence. And as a longtime NHL defenceman, GM Steve Staios would value the position as strongly as anyone.
But Staios is already on record saying he'll take the best player available with the early picks and then draft for need later on. When it comes to draft rankings this year, things vary wildly from the 4th overall projection to the 15th, depending on which expert you're reading or listening to.
And that brings us to Kelowna Rockets centre Tij Iginla, whose draft stock has risen quickly over the past year. Now, a month and a half out from the NHL Draft, we've seen him ranked in the mid-teens and as high as sixth. So there's an excellent chance he'll still be available when the Ottawa Senators choose seventh.
Iginla scored 47 goals and 84 points in 64 Western Hockey League games. He skates well, he's great with the puck, tough in the corners and has a great shot. So he should be in the discussion for Ottawa even before we discuss bloodlines.
Okay, now let's discuss bloodlines.
If Ottawa is selecting in a part of the draft that's as hard to rank as they say it is, where you might have five guys you like equally, then isn't being the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla a pretty great tiebreaker?
Even with the internal pressure every son feels to be as good as his dad, the 17 year old pumped opponents for 47 goals this season (and 9 more in 11 playoff games). Opposing WHL goalies and defenders didn't stop trying because his last name was Iginla. They probably went even harder.
Some people have suggested that the Senators should play some draft poker and bluff a little. The Calgary Flames would probably love to have a star named Iginla in the fold. They pick at number nine, two picks after the Senators.
If the Flames think the Sens are about to take him, maybe there's a deal to be made. They could swap picks and grab, say, Calgary's third rounder, move down to nine, and get the player they wanted anyway.
Calgary GM Craig Conroy, Jarome's longtime Flames' teammate, watched Tij grow up, and knows Iginla would be a hit with the fan base.
But you know who else played with Iginla in Calgary? Steve Staios. Staios also saw first hand how great Iginla was as a teammate. So if Staios buys into the impressive hockey pedigree, it's certainly possible Tij Iginla may soon be an Ottawa Senator.
Heck, the kid even wears number 11. #PraiseAlfie