Welcome back to The Win Column 2025 Calgary Flames Prospects Rankings. Up next, at number six, we have Andrew Basha of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Basha is a 19-year-old winger who just went to the Memorial Cup Final.

The Flames selected Basha in the 2024 NHL Draft in the second round, 41st overall. He just came off a shortened season due to injury. He stays in the same spot as he was last season.

RankingYear DraftedHighest RankingLowest Ranking2024 Ranking6th20245th8th6th

Basha’s development thus far

YearTeamLeagueGPGAP2021–22SAHA U18 PrepCSSHL U181471623Medicine Hat TigersWHL4859142022–23Medicine Hat TigersWHL672036562023–24Medicine Hat TigersWHL633055852024–25Medicine Hat TigersWHL2392029

All stats courtesy of Elite Prospects.

Basha just finished his final season in the WHL and will be making the jump to pro hockey with the Wranglers next season. This season, he didn’t play for the Tigers from December to May, returning just in time for the WHL Championship Series. The injury limited him to just 23 games in which he produced 29 points. His draft year was his best by far, recording 85 points through 63 games, a 1.34 points-per-game average.

After returning from injury, Basha didn’t show any signs of slowing down. He averaged a point per game during his playoff time, scoring five points in five games. During that Championship Series and the Memorial Cup, Basha was an integral part of the Tigers’ offence. An offence that had Gavin McKenna and Oasiz Weisblatt. His offensive prowess is exactly what the Flames need.

Basha’s strengths

Mentality

In all sports, the thing that separates good players from the great is their difference in mentality. Basha’s mental game is extraordinary. After being cut from Bantam teams, he didn’t stop; he went harder, using that as motivation. He played like he always had something to prove. In his pre-draft interviews with teams, he said being cut from the Calgary Royals Bantam AAA team motivated him the most. He used that to ensure that the next year he wouldn’t be cut again. The Athletic wrote an article about the story shortly after Basha was drafted. Basha doesn’t settle for anything less than being at the top.

Skating

It isn’t often that you see a winger who has great skating abilities; Basha has just that. Transitions between all three zones come naturally to him. Basha moves incredibly efficiently around the ice and doesn’t stop skating. He finds space in the offensive zone in multiple ways. One way is that he will fake going wide along the boards before cutting to the middle. His movement is excellent off the puck as well. He puts himself in dangerous scoring positions. It’s what allows him to put the puck in the back of the net so often.

Playmaking

Along with the skating, Basha can find his open teammates anywhere on the ice. He makes incredibly sharp passes that are especially effective during giva-and-go’s. It’s another way he creates space and uses his skating to blow by the defender. When he drives to the net, which he often does, he notices if a defender draws towards him, leaving his teammate open. He makes the easy pass and makes his opponents pay.

Basha’s weaknesses

Strength

With all the things that Basha excels at, there are still some aspects of the game he can improve upon. The primary part is his strength. Basha is listed at just under 190 pounds, and while that isn’t necessarily bad, the Flames have plenty of smaller, skilled players. As well as needing to set himself apart from those who are also extremely skilled, Basha could use the extra strength in the pro game. It is much more physical than juniors, and we saw how long he was out for due to injury.

Size

This part isn’t in his control. Basha is listed at 6’0″, just under the average NHL player at 6’1″. Flames fans are the first to know that smaller players can still be just as impactful. Basha uses his smaller stature as an advantage; he is shifty and moves fluidly on the ice. He turns a negative into a positive. The problem comes from the fact that, as mentioned before, the NHL is a different beast. It’s all about making sure that he is ready for the physicality that comes with playing in the big leagues.

What’s next for Basha?

As previously mentioned, his time in the WHL came to an end when the Medicine Hat Tigers lost in the Memorial Cup Final. It is almost certain that Basha will be a regular on the Calgary Wranglers. From there, he can continue to elevate his game, not just where he is weaker at, but also improving upon his strengths and becoming even better. His future is bright and could easily be a second-line scorer for the Flames. It all relies on taking the right steps with his development, not rushing him, and making sure he is equipped for the next step.

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