Jacob Battaglia Drafted 62nd Overall by Calgary; Developed Into a Lethal Goal Scorer in Kingston

Jacob Battaglia is taking his talents to Alberta, as the Calgary Flames take him in the second round, 62nd overall on Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Battaglia, a second round pick, 27th overall by Kingston in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, had an excellent season that featured a lot of growth, especially in his goal-scoring ability

“It was a pretty good year. I’d give myself a B+ or A-. I think I could have had a better start to the year, but I think I upped my game towards the end of the season,” said Battaglia at the combine about how he feels his sophomore season went.

The Kingston Frontenacs right winger increased his goal output this past season from seven to 31 and led Kingston in powerplay goals with 12. He’s a big body who can play the net-front position extremely well and possesses great hand-eye. Also, he’s a savvy passer from along the goal line.

Battaglia said he likes to model his game after Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, “He’s not the greatest straight-line skater, but makes up for it with his edgework and puck protection and the way he sees the ice and thinks the game I think is pretty similar to the way I like to play.”

He has a similar body type to Draisaitl. Battaglia recognizes that he’s not a high-end skater and will have to utilize his frame to shield pucks, just like the Edmonton superstar has learned to do.

Brock Otten, McKeen’s Hockey Director of Scouting, noted that the Kingston forward’s edgework and agility are solid for a heavier forward and works the cycle as well as any draft-eligible forward in the OHL.

Battaglia mentioned at the combine that he’s focused on improving his skating and developing more power and strength in his lower body.

Even though his goal-scoring took leaps forward in 2023-24, he’s not a one-dimensional offensive player. Battaglia is a quick and assertive playmaker who can catch defenders off guard with snappy passes.

Jacob mentioned at the combine that he started going on more frequent runs two summers ago and likes to challenge himself with long-distance runs.

“I usually run around 5-8km within my workouts throughout the week. I’ll go for longer runs around 15-20km near the end of the summer to try and challenge myself.”

The inspiration behind his desire to start running came from reading David Goggins’ book. Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL and an accomplished marathon/triathlon runner.

Battaglia has the potential to become an effective bottom six winger who can provide offense in a depth role and tire defenders out along the cycle, as long as he improves his speed to keep up with the NHL pace.