Bokondji Imama

Hometown:

Montreal Quebec

Team:

Tampa Bay Lightning

Currently Playing In:

CHL

Birthday:

1996-08-03
Position:

LW

Eligible for draft:

2014
Shoots:

Left
Drafted:

2015
Height:

6-1
Acquired:

6th overall (180th overall), 2015
Weight:

214 lbs.
<<<<<<< Updated upstream
History

2011-12: Bokondji Imama played midget AAA hockey for Laval-Montreal Rousseau Royal in Quebec. In 43 games he scored 7 goals with 9 assists and 30 penalty minutes. The Royal missed the playoffs. Imama was selected by Baie-Comeau in the fourth round (65th overall) in the 2012 QMJHL Entry Draft.  

2012-13: Imama skated in 44 of 68 regular season games and five playoff games for Baie-Comeau as a 16-year-old in his first QMJHL season. He scored 3 goals with 3 assists and was -3 with 34 penalty minutes in the regular season. The Drakkar finished first in the East Division and reached the QMJHL Finals against Halifax. Imama was +1 with no points and 9 penalty minutes in five playoff games.  

2013-14: Imama was second in penalty minutes for Baie-Comeau, providing occasional offense in a lower line role for the Drakkar. In 59 games he scored 7 goals with 8 assists and was +14 with 101 penalty minutes; trailing only Nashville prospect Felix Girard (130). Baie-Comeau finished first in the East Division and reached the QMJHL Finals for the second straight season, falling to Val’d-or. Imama had 4 assists and was +4 with 14 penalty minutes in 14 playoff games. 

2014-15: Imama showed some goal scoring ability to go with his physical play in his third QMJHL season. In 36 games with Baie-Comeau he scored 10 goals and had 89 penalty minutes before being acquired by Saint John in January at the league trade deadline. In 59 regular season games between the two teams he scored 13 goals with 15 assists and was +2 with 137 penalty minutes. The Sea Dogs finished third in the Maritimes Division, falling to Baie-Comeau in a first-round playoff series. Imama had 1 assist and was -1 with 6 penalty minutes in five playoff games against his former team. Not among the 210 North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings, he was selected by Tampa Bay in the sixth round (180th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft in his second year of eligibility. 

Talent Analysis
There isn’t much offensive potential in Imama’s game but he brings an element of physicality and agitation to the ice. In the past two seasons, split between Baie-Comeau and Saint John, Imama has accumulated 238 penalty minutes, many of which were collected through fighting majors. The Lightning liked Imama in the 2014 NHL Draft, which was his first year of eligibility, and monitored him throughout the 2014-15 season. Despite his limited offensive ceiling, he did score 13 goals in the 2014-15 campaign; he could eventually fill out a fourth-line role in the NHL as an enforcer who can occasionally chip in the odd goal.
Future
Imama has just one more year of junior eligibility left (two if he stays for an overage year, which might be likely) and the 2015-16 season will be an important one. The Sea Dogs have a plethora of skilled young forwards, including exceptional status rookie Joseph Veleno and it will be Imama’s job to make sure those players get the space and protection they need.

Deep crop of Tampa Bay Lightning prospects in junior

by Chris Roberts
on
Photo: Cristiano DiGiacinto joined Team OHL at the CHL Canada Russia Series in November, where he registered 2 PIM in his single appearance. (Courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

Photo: Cristiano DiGiacinto joined Team OHL at the CHL Canada Russia Series in November, where he registered 2 PIM in his single appearance. (Courtesy of Terry Wilson/OHL Images)

 

 

In the past two NHL drafts the Tampa Bay Lightning have heavily selected from the CHL. Of the team’s 16 picks, 12 have come from Canada’s top junior league. Both Anthony DeAngelo and Cam Darcy, selected in last year’s draft, have already turned pro, but the Lightning still have 10 prospects playing in the CHL. Read more»

2015 NHL Draft: Tampa Bay Lightning draft review

by Chris Roberts
on
Photo: Mitchell Stephens had 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 62 games with the OHL's Saginaw Spirit in 2014-15. (Courtesy of Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

Photo: Mitchell Stephens had 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 62 games with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit in 2014-15. (Courtesy of Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

 

 

Less than two weeks after his team lost in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Tampa Bay Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman went back to work at maintaining a strong foundation for his team through the draft. With a young roster on the rise that perhaps arrived as a legitimate contender a year early, Yzerman didn’t have any particular needs to fill at the 2015 NHL Draft. Instead, he replenished his team’s system with players of quality character and skill. Read more»

2015 NHL Draft Review: Sharks make Meier the top pick from the QMJHL

by Chris Roberts
on
Timo Meier - San Jose Sharks; Jakub Zboril - Boston Bruins - 2015 NHL Draft - QMJHL

Photo: Halifax Mooseheads forward Timo Meier (San Jose Sharks) and Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Jakub Zboril (Boston Bruins) were the top two selections from the QMJHL at the 2015 NHL Draft (courtesy of Ken McKenna/HF)

 

 

The QMJHL returned to being a most popular league amongst NHL scouts and executives this season, and that was proven at the 2015 NHL Draft. In total, 30 of the 211 picks at the draft were players who spent last season in the QMJHL, up from just 17 in the 2014 NHL Draft. Read more»
More News & Features
HF Boards