Prospect Info: 1st Round Kings Pick #29 Center/LW Adrian Kempe

[ScoreZeGoals]

Just got home from work, how the hell did Kempe fall to 29? I thought he would easily go in the teens.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Just got home from work, how the hell did Kempe fall to 29? I thought he would easily go in the teens.

Don't bother watching the draft. It cut off around the #26 mark.

 

[HYORI 1963]

It's a late round pick (almost a second rounder) That's what these type of picks produce.

The objective is to get two NHL roster players per draft in any round.

You are not going to find Tyler Toffoli's in every draft, in later rounds.

You look for kids that can make your NHL roster.

He may have been drafted late 1st, but we tried to trade up to get him, so, clearly, Lombardi & Co., think more highly of him.

A hybrid of a Landeskog lite/Kopi lite sounds about right to me.

 

[damacles1156]

Denis Fugere had some pretty strong words for how lazy the kids are in this day and age.

Said "These kids have entitlement issues, it's tough to find kids with the mold the Kings want". Kings Scout Denis Fugere

 

[damacles1156]

He may have been drafted late 1st, but we tried to trade up to get him, so, clearly, Lombardi & Co., think more highly of him.

A hybrid of a Landeskog lite/Kopi lite sounds about right to me.

His game does really look like Landeskog's or Jannik Hansen. Very North American not much Euro

 

[KingsHockey24]

He kinda sounds like a Nikolai Kulemin type of player.

 

[triplcrown]

He seems like a good pick for #29.


I just have 1 question:

Is his structural perfection matched by his hostility?

 

[Primakov!]

It's a late round pick (almost a second rounder) That's what these type of picks produce.

The objective is to get two NHL roster players per draft in any round.

You are not going to find Tyler Toffoli's in every draft, in later rounds.

You look for kids that can make your NHL roster.

I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but it almost sounds like you're suggesting pursuing realizable certainties regardless of draft position instead of taking the chance to find the best player available on the strength of your scouting staff's ability to find talent.

just how many top 6ers do you think are in each draft? then ask yourself how many are left after the 20th pick. i think it's important to come in with the right expectations.

The reason I brought it up as a concern was because the hoopla and optimism being shown in this thread that he's a talented second line player doesn't quite match with what a member of the Kings brass is saying to expect.

I mean, the point to draft for best player available, is it not? So is the player they're projecting as a 3rd line player in their own words really the best player available when they examined the prospect pool for this year?

If the candidate pool is truly that bereft of talent after only 28 selections then why not just trade down and pick up additional picks either this year or next instead? Might as well just pick up more ammo and shotgun the field to raise the chances of hitting on deliverable players if that's the objective.

 

[damacles1156]

I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but it almost sounds like you're suggesting pursuing realizable certainties regardless of draft position instead of taking the chance to find the best player available on the strength of your scouting staff's ability to find talent.



The reason I brought it up as a concern was because the hoopla and optimism being shown in this thread that he's a talented second line player doesn't quite match with what a member of the Kings brass is saying to expect.

I mean, the point to draft for best player available, is it not? So is the player they're projecting as a 3rd line player in their own words really the best player available when they examined the prospect pool for this year?

If the candidate pool is truly that bereft of talent after only 28 selections then why not just trade down and pick up additional picks either this year or next instead? Might as well just pick up more ammo and shotgun the field to raise the chances of hitting on deliverable players if that's the objective.

Since Kids take soo long to develop, especially later round picks.

You can't simply just always trade down(or wait for a stronger draft). Your NHL roster would suffer in the future.

We don't even know if Toffoli/Pearson are main stay's in the top six yet. They have yet to play full NHL seasons.

So technically Lombardi/Futa have not drafted a single top six player yet.

You can be a bottom six player and talented, There are bottom six players in the NHL that score at 40-50 points a year.

 

[Live in the Now]

I absolutely love being in the position to draft a player like this. One we won't see for years, stashed playing in a men's league. Really nothing to worry about. If the pick pans out it does, if it doesn't, it doesn't. It's not a huge deal.

 

[tsanuri]

I don't mean to put words in your mouth, but it almost sounds like you're suggesting pursuing realizable certainties regardless of draft position instead of taking the chance to find the best player available on the strength of your scouting staff's ability to find talent.



The reason I brought it up as a concern was because the hoopla and optimism being shown in this thread that he's a talented second line player doesn't quite match with what a member of the Kings brass is saying to expect.

I mean, the point to draft for best player available, is it not? So is the player they're projecting as a 3rd line player in their own words really the best player available when they examined the prospect pool for this year?

If the candidate pool is truly that bereft of talent after only 28 selections then why not just trade down and pick up additional picks either this year or next instead? Might as well just pick up more ammo and shotgun the field to raise the chances of hitting on deliverable players if that's the objective.

How much of this might also be trying not to put pressure and raise expectations too high? Remember we are talking about a 17 year old kid here.
He's already proven as a boy he can play with men. But he still has both physical and mental growth to do.

 

[damacles1156]

The odds of drafting a top six player outside the top 15 picks...its pretty damn slim.

Which is why Toffoli was a dynamite pick, true top six potential.

 

[KingsKnight]

pic.twitter.com/C95OQ4kA

 

[KingPurpleDinosaur]

I mean, the point to draft for best player available, is it not? So is the player they're projecting as a 3rd line player in their own words really the best player available when they examined the prospect pool for this year?

If the candidate pool is truly that bereft of talent after only 28 selections then why not just trade down and pick up additional picks either this year or next instead? Might as well just pick up more ammo and shotgun the field to raise the chances of hitting on deliverable players if that's the objective.

good points. i think at pick #39, a 3rd liner can be the best player available. as for trading down, i think that's exactly what the kings were thinking because of that. i don't know if you got to read that portion of it, but the kings were keying in on 3 names. if all 3 names were gone by 29, they would trade down. Because kempe was available, they used their pick. in this case, it appeared as though a 3rd liner was worth drafting, instead of just going for the shotgun approach.

as for getting picks for next year, i think this year's draft isn't as strong as next years, so it'll be tough beans to get those picks. got to give props to buffalo for nabbing all those 1st rounders in a very heavy draft. they're as loaded as DT was in 2003 draft.

 

[Reclamation Project]

pic.twitter.com/C95OQ4kA

He has the character that the Kings covet. And by that I mean he's a character.

 

[tsanuri]

Since Kids take soo long to develop, especially later round picks.

You can't simply just always trade down(or wait for a stronger draft). Your NHL roster would suffer in the future.

We don't even know if Toffoli/Pearson are main stay's in the top six yet. They have yet to play full NHL seasons.

So technically Lombardi/Futa have not drafted a single top six player yet.

You can be a bottom six player and talented, There are bottom six players in the NHL that score at 40-50 points a year.

Aren't Scheen and Simmonds both playing top 6 in Philly? If either or both that would be one drafted by Lombardi/Futa.

 

[damacles1156]

Aren't Scheen and Simmonds both playing top 6 in Philly? If either or both that would be one drafted by Lombardi/Futa.

Neither played top six roles with the Kings. That is what the Kings/Fans should be focused on.

 

[kingsfan]

I don't know if you guys watched the Christian Ruutu interview posted by KingsVision, but when asked about Kempe he said the team views him as a F7 -- a third line forward that can play some minutes on the penalty kill and power play units.

For a 1st round pick I was hoping they would see him as having a bit higher upside than that. It really makes me worried that the team just took another Trevor Lewis going by the description given by Ruutu.

An F7 is someone like Mike Ricci, Adam Henrique, Michal Handzus, Jarrett Stoll etc. in their primes. A twoway player that can score but also adept at a good all around game (solid DF, faceoff ability, attention to detail, etc.) If we could get a guy like these where in their prime at 29th overall that is a steal.

 

[MynameisKing]

pic.twitter.com/C95OQ4kA

Is that a chick?

 

[kingsfan]

Neither played top six roles with the Kings. That is what the Kings/Fans should be focused on.

You said DL/Futa didn't draft a top six forward. Just because the guys they drafted aren't on LA doesn't take away the fact they drafted one/two.

 

[CTKingsFan]

Is that a chick?

Nope. It's our 1st round draft pick!

 

[damacles1156]

You said DL/Futa didn't draft a top six forward. Just because the guys they drafted aren't on LA doesn't take away the fact they drafted one/two.

I don't think Scheen plays a top six role in Philly, Simmonds does, But the majority of his points are from PP's.

So Futa/Lombardi haven't drafted a full time top six player for the Kings (yet).

Most likely Toffoli will.

 

[kingsfan]

I don't think Scheen plays a top six role in Philly, Simmonds does, But the majority of his points are from PP's.

So Futa/Lombardi haven't drafted a full time top six player for the Kings (yet).

Most likely Toffoli will.

I disagree. I also think that's its more than fair to say your claim of no top 6'ers is at the very least debateable.

 

[MynameisKing]

Nope. It's our 1st round draft pick!

I had to do a double take, but at first glance that looked like a chick! It looked like there was lipstick and foundation on his face.

 

[Primakov!]

Since Kids take soo long to develop, especially later round picks.

You can't simply just always trade down(or wait for a stronger draft). Your NHL roster would suffer in the future.

We don't even know if Toffoli/Pearson are main stay's in the top six yet. They have yet to play full NHL seasons.

So technically Lombardi/Futa have not drafted a single top six player yet.

You can be a bottom six player and talented, There are bottom six players in the NHL that score at 40-50 points a year.

If you aim for a player thinking that they have potential to be a top six player, but they end up being a bottom six guy instead like Trevor Lewis then you at least get something there, if barely. If you aim for a bottom line player, however, and they slip slide in expectations then what do you have to show for it?

My thinking is that you look for guys that you think have the potential to be the best available at the time of selection. If he pans out then awesome you get what you intended and while it would suck to miss the payoff is much higher.

How much of this might also be trying not to put pressure and raise expectations too high? Remember we are talking about a 17 year old kid here.
He's already proven as a boy he can play with men. But he still has both physical and mental growth to do.

Perhaps it's a mistake on the part of Christian Ruutu, but he really shouldn't have said anything so concrete then.

There's nothing wrong in throwing out some canned ham response like: "We're not sure what role he's going to ultimately fulfill at the NHL level, but we believe he's a very talented player with a promising future and are looking forward to seeing what he can do as a member of our organization."

The odds of drafting a top six player outside the top 15 picks...its pretty damn slim.

Which is why Toffoli was a dynamite pick, true top six potential.

You're focused on the top six position, but best player available is the best at whatever position it happens to be, right?

Just to throw a name out a name out there as an example, but if Thatcher Demko happened to have the potential to be a legitimate #1 starter then regardless of how set we are in net could he net a better return than a 3rd line player?

I'm probably just going to drop the pursuit of this line of thought, but it just *really* feels wrong to not aspire for top talent in the 1st round of the draft and settling for what might be considered a safe pick. Especially late in the 1st round when it's almost a 2nd round pick, as you mentioned before.