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GDT: 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN, SN, TVAS)

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I’ve been doing some research today on Björnfot and it looks to me that the apathy by some for the pick is as much about lack of familiarity about him and him not being all shiny and pretty as anything else. He looks a great pick to me.

He’s projected as a 2nd pairing guy and will play in all situations. He’s played the tail end of the regular season plus the play offs in the SHL as an 18yr old and has been a riser on most lists of note throughout the year. The SHL is a great place for developing players and getting there at 18 is the sign of a top prospect. His intangibles are great and we saw this year how important that side of things can be to a team.

I also don’t think there are that many good defenders in this draft whereas there is less of a drop off amongst the forwards. Also we could now draft one of the previous highly rather forward prospects with our 2nd round pick (or trade it). Things have worked out nicely so it has been a great 1st round if you ask me.
 
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Any thoughts about local kid Nicholas Robertson in the second round? Undersized with non-stop motor. The Kings certainly don't mind picking a young player and Robertson hasn't turned 18 yet. Maybe he's not done growing. Potential is there, but he could also be a nothing-burger.
 
lumbergh said:
Any thoughts about local kid Nicholas Robertson in the second round? Undersized with non-stop motor. The Kings certainly don't mind picking a young player and Robertson hasn't turned 18 yet. Maybe he's not done growing. Potential is there, but he could also be a nothing-burger.
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He's one of 4 I am looking at. The other 3 would be: Hoglander, Albin Grewe or Afanasyev . Afanasyev Central Scouting North America #16. Nicolas Robertson #17 central scoutng.

Doughty would like Robertson, for his trash talk game alone: He’s extremely hard on the forecheck, relentless in puck pursuit, and a big-time trash talker, EPrinkside.com 2019

Robertson indeed is a late bday: was born on 9/11 2001 in Arcadia. I was born in Pasadena and grew up in Arcadia...and was living in Monrovia...everyone remembers where they were on 9/11. He was probably born at Methodist Hospital, Arcadia, about 3 miles from where I was. His brother is highly touted Dallas prospect, Jason Robertson. Nicolas can play LW or C and is a sniper.

Egor Afanasyev, LW, Muskegon-USHL
Jan. 23, 2001 | 6-foot-4 | 201 pounds
Afanasyev is an acquired taste. Initially, he didn’t do much for me, but as the season went on he kept climbing up my board, as he was one of the best forwards in the USHL and leaders in shots on goal. What’s immediately noticeable about Afanasyev is his 6-foot-4 frame and his high skill level. He’s a very coordinated puck handler for a big man who can make the flashy, between-the-legs play and toe drag. He gains the zone with skill quite often. Afannasyev also has a very hard shot, and is able to finish chances and ring iron from mid-distance. Scouts expressed concerns over his playmaking. He’s no power play quarterback, but as the season went on, he showed better passing, And while he forces plays here and there, he seems to see the game well. His main issue is so-so speed and pace combined with taking shifts off here and there. He’s not a perfect player by any means, but his strengths standout, make him valuable and could lead to him scoring in the NHL.
 
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Another possibility at 33: Samuel Fagemo. versatile, lw/rw. 19 yr old with Frolunda...scored 10 goals in 8 games in the SuperElit and moved up to Frolunda in SHL and was their 6th leading scorer, scoring 14 goals and then 6 goals, 4 assists in 16 games, on Frolunda's championship run, in which they won. Scoring 14 goals at 18 in SHL is great...he turned 19 in March (as did Kupari) Jacob Moverare played on the Frolunda team, so am sure the Kings saw a lot of him.

Samuel Fagemo at eliteprospects.com

Samuel Fagemo, LW, Frolunda-SHL
March 14, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 194 pounds
Fagemo went undrafted last season after a good, albeit unspectacular, draft season. He started off briefly in the J20 Sweden ranks but quickly rose up to the SHL. He was extremely productive for an 18-year-old, getting significant minutes and power play time for a Frolunda team that won the SHL. He was also impressive at the world juniors. Fagemo isn’t a guy who wows you in any one area. He skates well, but he’s not a blazer. He’s skilled but won’t have a highlight reel rush. He has a good shot and can score goals in a variety of ways, be it a hard drive or picking a corner from the circles. Fagemo gets a lot of chances close to the net, and despite not being that big or strong, he drives the net hard. He showed flashes of top-end hands and vision, but not consistently. The skill set on its own doesn’t overly excite, but it’s hard to ignore his incredible production.
 
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Peter James Bond II said:
Another possibility at 33: Samuel Fagemo. versatile, lw/rw. 19 yr old with Frolunda...scored 10 goals in 8 games in the SuperElit and moved up to Frolunda in SHL and was their 6th leading scorer, scoring 14 goals and then 6 goals, 4 assists in 16 games, on Frolunda's championship run, in which they won. Scoring 14 goals at 18 in SHL is great...he turned 19 in March (as did Kupari) Jacob Moverare played on the Frolunda team, so am sure the Kings saw a lot of him.

Samuel Fagemo at eliteprospects.com

Samuel Fagemo, LW, Frolunda-SHL
March 14, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 194 pounds
Fagemo went undrafted last season after a good, albeit unspectacular, draft season. He started off briefly in the J20 Sweden ranks but quickly rose up to the SHL. He was extremely productive for an 18-year-old, getting significant minutes and power play time for a Frolunda team that won the SHL. He was also impressive at the world juniors. Fagemo isn’t a guy who wows you in any one area. He skates well, but he’s not a blazer. He’s skilled but won’t have a highlight reel rush. He has a good shot and can score goals in a variety of ways, be it a hard drive or picking a corner from the circles. Fagemo gets a lot of chances close to the net, and despite not being that big or strong, he drives the net hard. He showed flashes of top-end hands and vision, but not consistently. The skill set on its own doesn’t overly excite, but it’s hard to ignore his incredible production.
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Perfect value for the 3rd round.
 
He's got to have Italian ancectery with that vowel at the end of his name. So, no. Awful people. Would never want to be a member of a group that would have me as a member.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
Thomas Hickey was Team Captain in '09.





I'd love to be wrong.

But my big complaint is that's a positional redundancy, so he'd better be significantly better than the talent taken immediately after him, especially Tomasino, Pelletier.

If we just need a middle pairing minute munching vanilla d-man, go shopping at the deadline using a 2nd round pick.





For sure, Christian Ruutuu has done some magic for us in Europe.






I watched those full videos and then some. I like the player plenty.

Like I said above, positional redundancy, so he better have been bpa.

I don't think the scouts are dumb, Kings are dumb, whatever, I just think they drafted a maybe-better clone of every LHD in our system for the last 5 years when there was more offensive talent on the board. I wasn't looking for 'safe' picks.

It's fine, I'm over it, and I'm excited to see what day two brings, but I think there are very legitimate reasons to not like this pick.
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I was really POd about this too.

But overall we got a really good player who should be able to make it to the NHL level and be a great piece. I do think they were influenced by the "great leadership/attitude" that he has which also is a red flag for me especially for 1st round picks. I expect they must have some plan to fill the glaring need of fast scoring offense producing forwards so I'm over it but yeah I think a better use of the asset as a pick could have been made.

Keep in mind that Ryan O'Reilly was a 2nd Round pick (33rd) and so there a gems in the pool out there now to be had. Lets hope the Team is up to the challenge.
 
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Statto said:
I’ve been doing some research today on Björnfot and it looks to me that the apathy by some for the pick is as much about lack of familiarity about him and him not being all shiny and pretty as anything else. He looks a great pick to me.

He’s projected as a 2nd pairing guy and will play in all situations. He’s played the tail end of the regular season plus the play offs in the SHL as an 18yr old and has been a riser on most lists of note throughout the year. The SHL is a great place for developing players and getting there at 18 is the sign of a top prospect. His intangibles are great and we saw this year how important that side of things can be to a team.

I also don’t think there are that many good defenders in this draft whereas there is less of a drop off amongst the forwards. Also we could now draft one of the previous highly rather forward prospects with our 2nd round pick (or trade it). Things have worked out nicely so it has been a great 1st round if you ask me.
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Good post. A lot of disappointment from people thinking this guy isn't all that, but you're drafting for players that show high potential to be NHL players in the 1st round, not boom and bust. And if you get a 2nd pairing D man that can skate and has strong coverage in his own end that's a huge win. Blake added last night that the Kings did not choose any D men in the draft last year, and after taking a forward they wanted a defensemen (as did almost all of us). You have to keep a well-rounded pipeline. Seems to me this kid will have a good chance to make it to the next level and will be playing against men for the next two years before he comes over.
 
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regulate said:
Good post. A lot of disappointment from people thinking this guy isn't all that, but you're drafting for players that show high potential to be NHL players in the 1st round, not boom and bust. And if you get a 2nd pairing D man that can skate and has strong coverage in his own end that's a huge win. Blake added last night that the Kings did not choose any D men in the draft last year, and after taking a forward they wanted a defensemen (as did almost all of us). You have to keep a well-rounded pipeline. Seems to me this kid will have a good chance to make it to the next level and will be playing against men for the next two years before he comes over.
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What gets me, is that people see this::::

Forbort Doughty
Martinez Walker
MacDermid Roy
Ladue

and go apeshttt and say "man, that sucks....." and so the Kings draft a solid, awesome skating, gets pucks out of the zone cleanly, either by clean passess or skating them out and even through the other team..
6" 203 lb Swedish defenseman that captained the U-18 Swedes to their first U-18 title and his 10 minutes highlights look like he's better than Forbort right now and probably the rest on that list excpet for DD and Martinez. His teammates say he's a great leader, his coaches love him and yes, he has high skill. High skill does not just mean offensicve skill,.,,he's got great skills in his zone, his skating, his IQ and his overall play. 11 goals in 39 games in SuperElit shows some offense and being named best Defenseman in SuoerElit,. what do you want? there's a problem with this? It's not like they drafted him over Zegras, Newhook, Krebs, Boldy, for cripes sake....Clague , Anderson and Durzi should all make it, but Bjornfot may be better defensively than any of them. Look at the list above...who do you want on the PK? I want Bjornfot on the PK.

You want offense? They are addressing that...drafted Turcotte, bringing Kupari over, signed Porky...who was only 1 of 4 Russians that scored a ppg in KHL. Calm down. The Kings need everything,
 
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Still some good talent for 33. Hoglander, Grewe, Brink, Kaliyev, Leason, Nic Robertson, Rees, Afanasyev, Lavoie

Rees could be intriguing here. 8 pts in 7 games for Canada U-18. Impressive.

Jamieson Rees, C, Sarnia (OHL)
NHL Central Scouting: No. 30
Rees (5-10, 182) had 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 37 games; 18 of his assists were primary assists. He missed two months early in the season because of a lacerated kidney and was suspended eight games for a blind-side hit Feb. 18. He is strong on his edges, gets pucks and makes plays and is hard to play against. Rees had eight points (two goals, six assists) in seven games for Canada at the 2019 World Under-18 Championship.
 
I'm a big fan of Grewe. Not at #33, but would love to land him somehow.

Kaliyev or Lavoie for me here. You got your two NHLers in the first. Swing hard for the fence now. Wouldn't mind the other guys, either, but you don't get dynamic offensive talent in the 2nd without warts--take the 'work ethic issue' guy and put him around an asshole like Turcotte.

But in any case yeah lots of quality left for us :yo:
 
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