Andrew Basha

September 2024 – The Calgary Flames signed Basha to a three-year entry-level contract. Mark Henry

June 2024 – Basha was selected in the second round, 41st overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche

April 2024 – Andrew Basha is a lot of fun. Basha is, first and foremost, an offensive catalyst, leading to a successful season where he was third among WHL eligibles in points. Basha is an entry machine. He’s equal parts quick and agile with a burning top speed to blow by neutral zone checkers. This quickness and a tight puckhandle allow him to slip through the offensive zone to avoid pressure and create lanes for himself. Basha’s tendency to constantly funnel to and arrive at the net lets him use his swift, hard, and accurate snapshot or slap home rebounds and tap-ins. Outside of his skating, Basha’s best attribute is his playmaking. No matter how fast he’s chugging along, Basha’s head is always up, maintaining his keen awareness of where his teammates are to make deceptive and timely slot passes. Especially with his speed, Basha has some checking upside, but he is not much of a defensive stalwart at the moment. His defensive game isn’t porous, and his checking game isn’t uninvolved, but Basha is an offensively focused player and will require a mentality shift to unlock the defensive upside. Overall, Basha projects as a high-end, top-nine transporter and playmaker. Luke Sweeney (April Rankings: #19) 

November 2023 – Basha has been hiding in fellow Tiger Cayden Lindstrom’s shadow at times this year, but he more than deserves his flowers. An exceptional skater who consistently explodes out of the defensive zone with the puck on his stick, Basha has been getting increasingly comfortable jumpstarting those breakout opportunities with defensive mapping, anticipating play well, and positioning himself proactively in his zone.

On the puck, there are some limiting factors. Although his brain more or less keeps up with his feet, his hands aren’t yet there. He struggles to handle the puck off reception and hasn’t figured out the shooting mechanics off-stride yet. The upside if he can get his hands up to speed is interesting, but his versatility could make him a bottom-six transition force with or without progression in that area. Hadi Kalakeche