Jakob Pelletier, 23, is a former late first-round selection (26th) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames.
Standing at 5’9″ and 170lbs, the Flames were not shy about smaller skaters. Pelletier, noted for being very competitive, is a checking forward with an offensive upside. He plays a bigger game than his frame suggests. A two-way talent praised for his above-average hockey IQ, Pelletier was valued slightly higher at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft than his NHL career suggests amongst the draft class.
On his draft day, Pelletier had top-six potential in the NHL. Some compared his style to Brad Marchand.
Brad Treliving selected Pelletier. During his pre-draft interview with Calgary, Pelletier declared he would win the Stanley Cup. It’s the goal of every person related to an NHL franchise, but Pelletier showed his drive and ambition with the common goal.
One report suggests Pelletier reminded scouts ‘of a young Steve Yzerman’ when watching the two-way play and assessing his leadership. However, the former late first-round selection fizzled into more of an early second-round value. It’s not a steep drop for Pelletier. His NHL journey is hardly off of the ground. He could be a stellar fit with the Philadelphia Flyers (23-25-7).
During the 2022-2023 season (24GP; 3G, 4A), Pelletier made his NHL debut. His bench boss was Darryl Sutter. Sutter wasn’t one to make a scene out of a debut in the NHL. He looked at the stat sheet when Pelletier made his debut, read it out loud, and moved on, stating, ‘it’s the NHL.’
Sutter soundly dismissed a late first-round selection. En route to making his NHL debut, Pelletier was an AHL All-Rookie in 2021-2022. Then, at the end of the season, Sutter wasn’t the head coach. Ryan Huska accepted that role. In 2023-2024 (13GP; 1G, 2A), Pelletier had to earn the trust of a new chief.
Last season, Pelletier had to overcome a few variables outside of his control. He only competed in 13GP, but if you look at his production from 2022-2023, Pelletier maintained his pace. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to grow under Huska.
In the 2023 NHL Preseason, Pelletier suffered an upper-body injury, keeping him from competing in the NHL or AHL until 2024. Pelletier didn’t appear in an NHL lineup until February against the Boston Bruins.
Then, the second injury mentally drained Pelletier.
He wasn’t the same on the Flames after his second injury last season. Pelletier faced limited ice time, and Calgary sent him to the AHL in time for a postseason push with the Calgary Wranglers.
By many accounts, Pelletier will fit in with the Flyers. He plays a high-energy style and is familiar with the song and dance from Sutter; John Tortorella and his standard shouldn’t be surprising. This season (24GP; 4G, 7A), Pelletier is at the top of his game in the NHL.
“He [Pelletier] was skating. He was harder on the puck to finish some checks, which we don’t ask him to do like he did in front of our bench, but we want him to be a guy that’s competitive on the puck and at the puck, and then use his speed to his advantage. He did that for his linemates, for himself. That’s the best game I’ve seen him play in the NHL. Hopefully, it’s a sign of some great things to come for him.” – Ryan Huska; 1/23/2025
Pelletier carries an $800k/AAV cap hit and will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
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