The Lightning acquired the 118th overall pick from the Kings and drafted Jan Goličič, defenseman from the Gatineau Olympiques. A younger player in the draft, Goličič is a shutdown defensemen, standing tall at 6’6″ and 198 pounds. In 65 games played last season in the QMJHL, the lefty defenseman had 3 goals and 26 assists for 29 points. Goličič also represented his home country, Slovenia, in the WJC U18 tournament, and had 10 points (4 goals and 6 assists) in 5 games played.
According to the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, Goličič uses his size and strength to block passing lanes, knock pucks away and really uses his reach to not only take the puck away, but also move the puck around defenders. The 17 year old played in Austria with EC-KAC U17, U18 and Future Team in the 2022-2023 in addition to playing his first year in the WJC U18 tournament that season (via Elite Prospects).
While he finished December 2023 at -15, he improved his game to +11 in the 2024 calendar. The Hockey Prospects Black Book, commends him for the use of his reach towards skill, but presents key areas of development, including his shot and explosiveness. Goličič’s puck distribution and movement skill is noted as a positive upside, but continued improvement is needed on the other side of the puck, as seen during last season.
Acquiring the Pick
The trade that acquired the pick sent Tanner Jeannot to Kings, and the Lightning acquired the Kings’ 2nd Round Pick in next year’s draft as well.
