The big tickets in Medicine Hat this past season were Cayden Lindstrom and 2026 first-overall candidate Gavin McKenna, of that there is no doubt. But with scouts paying a lot of attention to the Tigers, Andrew Basha took advantage, putting together a very solid draft year and pumping his stock more and more as the season went on.
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta
Date of birth: November 8, 2005
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6′0″
Weight: 185 lbs.
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Basha has a late 2005 birthday, missing the cutoff for 2023 NHL draft eligibility by a just couple of months. Last year was his third with the club, and he posted the best season of his WHL career by far. He jumped from 56 points to 85 in four fewer games, and as mentioned, forced some scouts to take notice of him despite them ostensibly being there more for his big name teammates.
His game at the WHL level revolves around pace. One of the better and faster skaters in the league, he backs defenders off before using lateral movement to facilitate his entry into the offensive zone. Turnovers are his bread and butter; if the Tigers were able to get one high in the defensive zone, or in the neutral zone, and he was on the ice, he would have it in the opposing zone before they could get a chance to regroup.
Once he gains the offensive zone, he’s immediately scanning, and boasts strong vision and instincts with his playmaking. He does have more of a pass-first element to his game, but an above average shot allows him to be a scoring threat as well when the opportunity arises. He isn’t likely to develop into an elite scorer, but does have a ceiling that could see him as a capable playmaking winger in an NHL top-six if his development goes well.
The worry with Basha is how his game can translate to the next level. His pace out there was able to overwhelm the opposition in junior, but he isn’t the level of elite skater that will continue to enjoy that advantage when he turns pro. He’ll need to gain a step for that to continue being an advantage. He also enjoyed some pretty fantastic teammates in Cayden Lindstrom and Gavin McKenna throughout the season, leading to some questions around whether or not he can drive play on his own.
But a caveat to that second point is how improved Basha’s off-puck positioning got throughout the year. Here’s an example:
You’ll find this a lot in his highlight packs. He starts this play bottled up with a smart drop pass to a teammate who can move into space. then he just lurks his way to the front of the net, fights for stick positioning and bangs home an easy one. There’s a little Zach Hyman-esque ability there, so it’s no wonder he excelled when he got the chance to play with more gifted offensive players.
That could explain some of the smoke around him going in the first round. That kind of work ethic and sound positioning to get to the greasy areas can pay off big time, and gives a player the ability to play up and down a lineup.
Preliminary Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #19
Elite Prospects: #18
FCHockey: #37
Hockey Prospect: #22
Hadi Kalakeche: #21
McKeen’s: #37
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #24
NHL Central Scouting: #26 (North American skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #87
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #29
The rankings are really all over the place for Basha, but the majority have him placed towards the end of the first round. He might be waiting until day two to hear his name, but teams who are interested in him wouldn’t want to bank on that, given that he has enough upside to warrant a nod from those late-first teams that tend to have time to wait for their players to develop.
Could such a team be the Montreal Canadiens? The answer to that question could depend on who they take at fifth-overall. If they end up with a certain aforementioned teammate of Basha’s, their interest level could be much higher.
But perhaps that doesn’t matter for them. They reportedly met with him numerous times throughout the season, which would at least suggest a measure of interest notwithstanding their top-five pick. Basha’s floor should see him as a competent bottom-six NHLer in the future, so as long as the Canadiens are comfortable with that, they could look his way. If they want to take more of an upside swing, there should be better options available.
Of course, there have even been rumours of the Canadiens looking to trade that 26th-overall pick they acquired from the Winnipeg Jets, so the only person who really knows their plans is Kent Hughes himself. If he is picking at that spot, Basha would make a fine late-first addition to his prospect pool.
