The second day of our countdown brings forth another 2024 draft pick. When two mid-round draft picks immediately make it among the top 25 prospects in the system, it’s a pretty thin system. Like Hagen Burrows, Jan Golicic is going to be a bit of a project, but if he can pull it all together, he could be a big piece of the Lightning’s future.
| Name | Jan Golicic |
| Position | Defenseman |
| Age (as of October 1) | 18 |
| Height/Weight | 6’6″ / 198 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Gatineau Olympiques |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2024, 4th Round (118th overall) |
| Previous Rankings | Not Applicable |
| Writer’s Ranking | 20 |
| Reader’s Ranking | 24 |
| Final Rank | 24 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
When a team doesn’t have a pick until 117 other players have already been selected, there are no sure-fire NHL players available. Everyone selected will have two things – flaws and potential. So, let’s give the Lightning a little credit for going big, literally, with their first pick this summer. The first thing everyone notices about Jan Golicic is his size. As an 18-year-old he stands a robust 6’6″ (he’s eye-to-eye with Victor Hedman) and he knows how to use his size.
While he isn’t the fleetest of skaters, he makes up for that with a tremendous reach and the ability to read the play as attackers enter the zone. He isn’t overly physical, but he uses his size to take players out along the boards like Hedman does. Golicic likes to set up towards the middle of the ice and use his reach to drive the forwards towards the boards and away from danger.
He has some sneaky offensive skills. While his shot isn’t the booming cannon one would expect from someone his size, it does catch goaltenders off-guard and generates some rebounds, which plays into the system the Lightning like to run. He made his QMJHL debut as a 17-year-old (he turned 18 the day after the draft) and put up a respectable 29 points (3 goals, 26 assists) on a middling Gatineau team.
Skating is a concern, and he acknowledged that the Lightning are sending him back north with a lot of skating drills to improve that aspect of his game. At this point in his career, he can compensate for any skating deficiencies by using his size, but as he steps up against compensation, he is going to have to move a little faster. Right now, sudden direction changes can catch him out of sorts and leave him chasing the play. Working on improving his explosiveness will help with that.
This is how hockeyprospect.com put it in their draft primer,
“Golicic has decent skills for his size in addition to decent footwork and agility, but heβll need to add power to his stride in order to be more explosive on the ice. That could come once he starts filling out his frame to work on his aforementioned lack of strength. His missing explosiveness is on display when forced to use recovery skating in the neutral zone following a turnover, or when he has to change directions quickly while pivoting.”
He has a lot of upside to his game and if he can take the next step the Lightning might have made a really nice value pick. It’s unlikely that he’s going to be a top-pairing defenseman, but with his size and instincts, he could be a solid fifth or sixth defenseman if he can get his skating up to NHL standards.
There were probably safer picks available when the Lightning made this selection, but the scouts like his skillset and believe they can improve the aspects of his game that need work. It’s possible that Golicic never gets his skating up to an acceptable level and he maxes out at the AHL level, but there is also the chance that it clicks for him and he develops into a physical defenseman with size and a little bit of offense.
They will be cautious with his development and there is a good chance he isn’t even sniffing a chance at professional hockey for another three years. That’s the downside of middle-round picks. There is so much that is unknown about them, but the Lightning have shown an affinity for being able to turn players with raw potential into productive players.
While Golicic is the first Slovenian drafted by the Lightning, he isn’t entirely unfamiliar with the North American game. His father, Jurij, played with the Owen Sound Platers of the OHL back in the late 1990s before heading back to Europe for a long career. His uncle, Bostjan, played in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen from 2007-09.
For some older hockey fans, the name Jurij Golicic might ring a few bells. He was involved in the infamous brawl that resulted in Jeff Kugel, playing for the Windsor Spitfires, getting banned for 25 games. Golicic was the player that Kugel sucker-punched after he jumped off the bench to join a fight already in progress. Kugel was initially banned from the OHL, but that punishment was rescinded. And, yes, that’s Sean Avery swinging his stick like he’s going after a pinata.
Highlight Videos
Nothing fancy on this one. Gatineau won the face-off and Golicic shoveled it towards the net. It was a nice quick release from the big guy.
Golicic got a little lucky on this one, but the instinct was correct. He had his head up the whole way and spotted his teammate cutting to the net. The pass was deflected a little, but it was still the right play to make.
