Calgary Flames select Matvei Gridin with No. 28 overall pick in 2024 NHL Draft

The Calgary Flames have selected winger Matvei Gridin with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The Kurgan, Russia product spent the majority of his 2023-24 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he had 38 goals and 45 assists for 83 points in 60 games played. That not only lead his team in scoring, but led the league in scoring by a five-point margin. He was also fourth in the league in goals and tied for fourth in assists, but he still led his team in both stats.

Gridin also got into eight playoff games with the Lumberjacks, where he had 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points, which was tied for third on the team in scoring. The Lumberjacks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in a three-game sweep.

Daily Faceoff’s own prospect expert Steven Ellis projected Gridin to go 52nd overall in his Top 120 Draft Rankings. Ellis had this to say about him in his prospect rankings:

“Gridin captured the USHL scoring crown for 2023-24,” Elis said. “The University of Michigan product had the most multi-point efforts in the league this season, too. His two-way game needs some work, but he’s been more engaged without the puck the final few viewings I had compared to, say, the Fall Showcase. His offensive upside is interesting as long as he can keep putting up similar numbers in the NCAA, and I do think he’ll be a top-six threat with the Wolverines. Maybe he’ll be a nice pickup for someone in the second round.”

The Flames finished with a 38-39-5 record in the 2023-24 season, giving them 81 points that was good enough for fifth in the Pacific Division.