‘Touch, passing and vision score’

LAS VEGAS – The volatility of draft day makes for compelling television.

And a lot of stress for everyone else.

Everyone, that is, except Jacob Battaglia – who already is knew He went to the Flames.

“It may sound crazy,” he laughed. “But at Christmas I saw a spiritual healer and she told me she really feels Calgary. Not a word of a lie – I’m not making this up. She feels Calgary. And when they came up I thought, ‘This must be it, this must be it!’

“And there it was.”

Crazy? Far from it. In fact, his reasoning offered a glimpse into the cerebral mind of this prolific points producer. It wasn’t a canned response – it was genuine.

Raw.

Authentic.

“I’ve been doing it for a while,” he said of the visit. “I’m Catholic, and my whole family is Catholic. … Maybe if I ever need other fortune telling, I’ll go to her.

“I wasn’t even (looking for draft intel). It was so early — it was only Christmas. I was like, ‘Dude, you can’t tell me this now.’ I guess it came true.”

Now a new journey – spiritual or otherwise – begins in earnest.

A right winger for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, Battaglia is a powerful skater with excellent puck skills and a lethal release. He is known for his vision, puck protection and his ability to navigate tight spaces, allowing him to generate strikes out of thin air.

The Mississauga native scored a team-leading 31 goals last year, along with 34 apples for 65 points, and finished second in team scoring as a 17-year-old.

And at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he drives the game, taking corners and winning fights better than almost anyone in his age group.

“I think I’m really good in the corners (and in) small areas in the offensive zone,” Battaglia said. “I think I can score very well and I think the game is at an elite level. The only thing… Skating. I have to work on it and it’s getting better.

“I think the game is at a very fast and elite level. Scoring, passing and vision – and I think I have a lot of good intangibles in my game that sometimes you can’t maybe learn.

“Patrick Kane was my favorite player. Always always. That’s why I wear 88. His skill and, again, the vision, the passing and the way he outwitted everyone – even without the puck – that’s where I get a lot of inspiration for my kind of playing style.”