Flames make surprising draft pick by taking Gridin 28th overall

The Calgary Flames have selected Matvei Gridin with their 28th overall pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

Welcoming Matvei Gridin to the C of Red at 28! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Tty8fGldqr

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 29, 2024

This pick was somewhat of a surprise, as Gridin was projected on very little, if any mock drafts, to go in the first round.

Despite the pick being somewhat surprising, however, Gridin is a highly-skilled player with tons of potential. The 18-year-old winger suited up for 60 games in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring a team-leading 38 goals and 83 points.

Gridin, who was born in Kurgan, Russia, stands at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds.

“Gridin leverages his ability to spot lanes and create space to amplify his impact as both a shooter and passer,” Elite Prospects 2024 NHL Draft Guide describes him. “A quick fake opens both shooting and passing lanes, and he generally chooses the right play at the right time.

Gridin is a bit of a project player, which works perfectly for the Flames. The organization is going through a retooling process right now, and aren’t likely to be competitive over the next few years. That will give their newest prospect plenty of time to continue developing and working on his craft in order to one day make an impact at the NHL level.

This was the second pick of the first round for the Flames. They also selected ninth overall, where they took defenceman Zayne Parekh. These two now join an organization with some other impressive young talent including Hunter Brzustewicz, Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Samuel Honzek, Connor Zary, and Jeremie Poirier.

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