2014 LA Kings Draft Thread

[kovacro]

Same.....

Everyone is falling in love the guy's speed. The rest of his game is garbage.

So basically Ho-Sang is another Ramzi Abid or Rico Fata? haha.

Seeing as we are close to the brink of elimination what are we looking at in terms of where we may pick, anywhere between 18 - 22?

 

[etherialone]

So basically Ho-Sang is another Ramzi Abid or Rico Fata? haha.

Seeing as we are close to the brink of elimination what are we looking at in terms of where we may pick, anywhere between 18 - 22?

Believe this or not I heard Futa make that EXACT comparison just over a week ago.

 

[kovacro]

Believe this or not I heard Futa make that EXACT comparison just over a week ago.

I guess I'm not as dense as I had thought when it comes to player comparisons, once and awhile you can get one right..haha.

 

[etherialone]

I guess I'm not as dense as I had thought when it comes to player comparisons, once and awhile you can get one right..haha.

You do just fine.

 

[KopitarFAN]

Being down 0-3, i've started to think about end-game draft position. As I understand it, teams eliminated in the 1st round will be 14-21 (remember that NJ is locked into 30th), based on regular season points. With the results so far, Tampa (101 points) and the loser of CHI/STL will be behind the Kings when the order is set.

 

[damacles1156]

The Kings should be 17th right ? Cause the teams that didn't make the playoffs take 1-15 correct ?

Columbus should be 16th

At this point should the Kings try to land a Defender, or swing for the fences and try and land a Boom or Bust top six forward ?

The Draft will be interesting.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The Kings should be 17th right ? Cause the teams that didn't make the playoffs take 1-15 correct ?

Columbus should be 16th

At this point should the Kings try to land a Defender, or swing for the fences and try and land a Boom or Bust top six forward ?

The Draft will be interesting.

1-14 is determined, and the Devils are bumped down to select 30th due to their cap circumvention penalty for the Kovalchuk fiasco.

 

[damacles1156]

1-14 is determined, and the Devils are bumped down to select 30th due to their cap circumvention penalty for the Kovalchuk fiasco.

So that means the Kings could end up 16th.. Even better.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

So that means the Kings could end up 16th.. Even better.

Entry Draft Order
The order of selection among the Member Clubs in each season shall be determined in the following manner:

A composite of all Member Clubs shall be prepared by placing:

i) First the Clubs which failed to qualify for the preceding playoffs in the order of points earned by each of them in the regular schedule of the preceding season starting with the Club having the lowest points total and followed by the Club having the next lowest points total, and so forth.

ii) The Clubs which participated in the preceding playoffs (but had not been ranked first in their respective Divisions and had not won the Stanley Cup that season) in order of points earned by each of them in the regular schedule of the preceding season starting with the Club having the lowest total points and followed by the Club having the next lowest total points, and so forth.

iii) The Clubs which had been ranked first in their Divisions during the next preceding season (but had not won the Stanley Cup that season) in the order of points earned by each of them in the regular schedule of the preceding season starting with the Club having the lowest total points and followed by the Club having the next lowest total points, and so forth.

iv) The Stanley Cup winner shall select last, thus, positioning all Clubs on the list.
In the event of a tie for any position, such tie shall be resolved by application of the rules governing the determination of final League standings. The resulting list shall constitute the order of selection.


With Florida winning the draft lottery, we know that the first round order will be:

Florida
Buffalo
Edmonton
Calgary
NY Islanders
Vancouver
Carolina
Toronto
Winnipeg
Ottawa (traded to Ducks in Bobby Ryan trade)
Nashville
Phoenix
Washington

The Devils were set to pick between the Sens and Preds, but with their penalty, drop to 30th. If the Stars, Red Wings, Jackets, and Flyers are eliminated, they pick 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th. The Kings may end up with the 18th pick if that is how it plays out.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Some names I've seen in mocks at 18th. Not having seen any of them play. Who looks like a good choice at 18th IF LA picks there? Or who's your pick?

Dylan Larkin c
Jakub Vrana W
Sonny Milano LW
Alex Tuch C/RW
Nikolay Goldobin RW
David Pastrnak W
Nikita Scherbak LW

Roland McKeown D
Julius Honka D

 

[dryz]

I want Vrana or Pastrnak but I'm biased I guess Vrana is more suitable for our style of play. On the other hand, Pastrnak has high-end skill and speed and I think Kings desperately need someone like him.

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

Some names I've seen in mocks at 18th. Not having seen any of them play. Who looks like a good choice at 18th IF LA picks there? Or who's your pick?

Dylan Larkin c
Jakub Vrana W
Sonny Milano LW
Alex Tuch C/RW
Nikolay Goldobin RW
David Pastrnak W
Nikita Scherbak LW

Roland McKeown D
Julius Honka D

Julius Honka....what a name.

 

[etherialone]

I want Vrana or Pastrnak but I'm biased I guess Vrana is more suitable for our style of play. On the other hand, Pastrnak has high-end skill and speed and I think Kings desperately need someone like him.

I like Pastrnak a ton. His two way game is reasonable but his skills are well better than average. Vrana will either make it in the NHL as a 2nd/3rd line hitter who can skate and pop in on O or he will be an AHLer. Either way a solid player with very good skills. I would rather Pastrnak given the choice.

I am still liking Goldobin and Tuch but I have to spend more time with their dedicateds.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I'll name some guys I think we might pick:

Vladislav Kamenev LW
Nikolaj Ehlers LW
Brycen Martin D
Alex Ruch RW/C

 

[etherialone]

I'll name some guys I think we might pick:

Vladislav Kamenev LW
Nikolaj Ehlers LW
Brycen Martin D
Alex Ruch RW/C

Martin would be a nice pick up in the 3rd. He has all the tools but is just super raw.

Ehlers is just so inconsistent but he too has allot of upside. He makes a truly slick move now and then.

 

[NikF]

Some names I've seen in mocks at 18th. Not having seen any of them play. Who looks like a good choice at 18th IF LA picks there? Or who's your pick?

Dylan Larkin c
Jakub Vrana W
Sonny Milano LW
Alex Tuch C/RW
Nikolay Goldobin RW
David Pastrnak W
Nikita Scherbak LW

Roland McKeown D
Julius Honka D

Haven't seen Goldobin and Scherbak yet (started way behind what I wanted to, thankfully there's video on demand online, not for free though sigh)

Larkin - Smart competitive center, with good vision and ability to make plays. An all-around compete type with decent wheels. Battles for pucks, plays a gritty style game while being smart about his choices. Can bull his way to the net. Bit of questionable offensive upside, but I think I'd almost be willing to bet he's going to be a useful NHL player in some capacity.

Vrana - Stingy and competes. Has speed, hands and shot. Enters the zone with speed. Sees the ice well, has a tendency to find himself at the right place at the right time, finds that soft spot that he often sneaks in for a scoring opportunity. Takes advantage of breakdowns, good speed and backs off D well. Engages physically at boards despite not being the biggest guy around. Needs more consistency in his game and could stand to utilize his teammates better.

Milano - skilled, fast winger that plays at a high pace. Great hands. Has that quick strike ability to pull off a brilliant move that results in a scoring chance, the flip side is I'd like him to commit more to having a shift-to-shift impact, would also like to see him create more off the cycle. Needs to utilize linemates more as well. Undeniable skill but if you take his space away... Could be very solid complimentary player, I don't see him as someone you go to trench war with, again could be solid pick but not someone you build your team around.

Tuch - big guy with solid wheels for his size. Hockey IQ, vision, hands, competes at both ends of the ice, long active stick. Solid instincts. Need more viewings of him, so far a bit ambivalent. You see some stuff that makes you think he's a player for sure, but then I get that nagging feeling that while everything is above-average nothing really stands out. Very attractive package though when you consider his size, the ability to skate, and above-average hands.

Pastrnak - Highly skilled kid with great hockey IQ. Always buzzing around the play, fluid skater. Great vision and ability to make plays. Active stick, knocks pucks out of the air, stickcheck ability. Competes on both ends of the ice. Makes smart little plays. Does not shy away from contact but won't dish out. Elusive with his agility. See him as a skilled two-way playmaker. One thing that impresses me about Pastrnak is that he's always around the play either defensively or offensively, a bit similar to Sam Reinhart in that regard I think.

McKeown - Speed, mobility, fluid skater. Smart reads and mobility make him intriguing. Has good size but doesn't exactly go out of his way to use it. Smart about his decisions to jump into play. Has plenty of tools but would like to see more fire and decisiveness out of him. Right now I see him as a complementary two-way top 4 D. I don't know how often a guy starts playing with more will, but it's like he doesn't realize what he can do with the tools he has. If he starts imposing himself more on the game....watch out.

Honka - A small defenseman with excellent skating ability and hockey IQ. Very calm and collected, plays with great poise. Competes and is stingy despite his small frame. Passes are crisp and accurate. Can skate the puck out with ease, excellent agility. Looks like a natural on the ice. Good stickcheck. Size is an issue in battles, even though he engages physically he can be easily swatted off by physically bigger players. Puck-moving type with a good shot as well. Needs to polish out his defensive positioning a bit more, but I don't think that's going to be a problem with his hockey IQ.

Out of those I'd probably go:
Pastrnak
McKeown
Tuch
Honka
Larkin
Vrana
Milano

 

[Fat Elvis]

Great post nki, thanks for all the insight.
Tuch reads like a DL type of pick.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Great post thanks!

I would be shocked and baffled if Pastrnak fell all the way to us but if we skipped him when he did I would be shocked.

I'm staying bullish on Ho-Sang too but that was more of a "If we pick 28th and he's still there" thing because there's very few other ways to get potential top-5 talent later on and I still see him as extreme boom-bust.

 

[King'sPawn]

Good observations, nki, though I do have some disagreements. What's amusing is I've seen pretty much the opposite players you've seen. I'll rank them as I see them with a bit of insight:

1. Scherbak - The best comparison I've seen is he's like Marion Hossa, and I think that's a very good description. He is very speedy with excellent vision, and he controls the puck exceptionally well.

2. Julius Honka - A very talented and mobile defender with a very quick shot. He's very tenacious, and while on the wrong side of 6', he plays a big game. Even when he can't out-muscle the opposition, he uses good stick work.

3. Roland McKeown - He moves well for a bigger player, and captaining the U-18 Team Canada is a notch of leadership under his belt which makes him appealing, but he's struggled this year and has lacked the intensity in his game.

4. Nikolai Goldobin - A very talented albeit one dimensional winger. He is a prolific scorer but goes through disappearing phases.

 

[NikF]

Good observations, nki, though I do have some disagreements. What's amusing is I've seen pretty much the opposite players you've seen. I'll rank them as I see them with a bit of insight:

1. Scherbak - The best comparison I've seen is he's like Marion Hossa, and I think that's a very good description. He is very speedy with excellent vision, and he controls the puck exceptionally well.

2. Julius Honka - A very talented and mobile defender with a very quick shot. He's very tenacious, and while on the wrong side of 6', he plays a big game. Even when he can't out-muscle the opposition, he uses good stick work.

3. Roland McKeown - He moves well for a bigger player, and captaining the U-18 Team Canada is a notch of leadership under his belt which makes him appealing, but he's struggled this year and has lacked the intensity in his game.

4. Nikolai Goldobin - A very talented albeit one dimensional winger. He is a prolific scorer but goes through disappearing phases.

If Scherbak is anything like Hossa count me in, Hossa is arguably my fav winger in the game.

The guy that I still really like is Kempe. There's not much hype about him this draft at all, Button has him the highest at 9, but mostly I seem him 20-35, sometimes mid teens at highest. In fact there aren't even any decent highlights online that I can find. Odds are I'll probably laugh at myself a couple of years from now when he busts or something.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

If Scherbak is anything like Hossa count me in, Hossa is arguably my fav winger in the game.

The guy that I still really like is Kempe. There's not much hype about him this draft at all, Button has him the highest at 9, but mostly I seem him 20-35, sometimes mid teens at highest. In fact there aren't even any decent highlights online that I can find. Odds are I'll probably laugh at myself a couple of years from now when he busts or something.

Risk you run when you start talking prospects. There's a reason teams don't publish their lists I've looked stupid for putting Faksa #6, but also looked like a genius for putting Trouba #7 and as the #2 D

I really like Kempe as well though. I'm still putting together my list but he is in that 12-18 range. Plays a strong two-way game, very smart player. Would be completely ok with him at Kings pick that's for sure.

With regards to your list, I don't really agree with your rankings, but most of those guys are very very close so it's really hard to argue. I'll post my thoughts later with my list, but I'll just say I really really like Tuch. Big strong good skating power forward, love his game.

 

[NikF]

Risk you run when you start talking prospects. There's a reason teams don't publish their lists I've looked stupid for putting Faksa #6, but also looked like a genius for putting Trouba #7 and as the #2 D

I really like Kempe as well though. I'm still putting together my list but he is in that 12-18 range. Plays a strong two-way game, very smart player. Would be completely ok with him at Kings pick that's for sure.

With regards to your list, I don't really agree with your rankings, but most of those guys are very very close so it's really hard to argue. I'll post my thoughts later with my list, but I'll just say I really really like Tuch. Big strong good skating power forward, love his game.

I'd be happy with Tuch if he falls that far. He's the guy I've seen the least on that list though, so need a bit more viewings before I iron out my opinion and his ranking. USA-SWE should be a doozy anyways. Haven't put my list together either, but the way it's starting to come together I suspect Barbashev and Kempe are probably going to end up a whole lot higher than what other people will rank them.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

I'd be happy with Tuch if he falls that far. He's the guy I've seen the least on that list though, so need a bit more viewings before I iron out my opinion and his ranking. USA-SWE should be a doozy anyways. Haven't put my list together either, but the way it's starting to come together I suspect Barbashev and Kempe are probably going to end up a whole lot higher than what other people will rank them.

Well make sure you post your list on here I do every year then take flak for it

 

[NikF]

Well make sure you post your list on here I do every year then take flak for it

I plan on doing a top 120. Although there will be a small amount of guys I'll have zero viewings on so I'll just have to pass on ranking them (Snuggerud and Brandon Hickey for example come to mind, I don't know if there's a way to get any video on them, so far I haven't found anything. If they're notable prospects I'll make sure to note the omission, which sucks but what can you do with limited resources). I'm sure I'll look like an idiot either way though.

EDIT: actually appears Fast Hockey has pretty much everything covered, pretty pricey though. $7.99 for one game.

 

[kingsfan]

If DL thinks Glodobin has a good work ethic and no character issues, I can see us picking him. He's a 40 goal guy, so if he's willing to work his D can come around to be at least passable under Sutter.