Prospect Info: 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

[fsanford]

Well Brayden Schwann whom we actually drafted isn’t a bad player and was key to two SC runs...
He’s also more than serviceable! Not sure you’re talking about the right guy but Brayden would be our 3rd best player.

Well he was key in one the cup runs, because he got the Kings Richards,
His stats are serviceable a good player, but this year there were 112 NHL players that scored over 50 points


To me Dach or a Zegras would be Brayden Schenn at 5 is the safe pick I fear. vanilla..
And I think you can still find those types of players at 22 or even early round 2.

Just feel Caufield, has Gaudreau potential

When was the last time the Kings really had a big time bonafide sniper? Do we have to go back to the Ziggy days? Gaborik certainly was a sniper during the 2014 cup run, but that was the extent of it.

The thing is if we look at most mocks, the top 3 or 4 are set, after that they are all over the place in terms of order.. Mostly this order is dependent on preference. I guess my preference is not to draft: a facilitator or defensively responsible center or winger.

Caufield fills a need this franchise is sorely lacking.. The drafts premier sniper awaits at #5 ..Do it Rob!

Though if we get Cozens or Turcotte, i can probably live with it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

This would be a good time for the Kings to have the type that yields a couple of impactful players, like the Blues 2010 draft.

Looked it up to see how previous teams who had 3 picks in top 35 did over the last decade. Kind of mixed results.

Isles 2009 - Tavares (1), De Haan (12), Koskinen (31)
Panthers 2010 - Gubranson (6), Bjugstad (19, Howden (25)
Oilers 2011 - Nugent-Hopkins (1), Klefbom (19), Musil (31)
Senators 2011 - Zibanajad (6), Noesen (21), Puempel (24)
Sabres 2013- Ristolainen (8), Zadorov (16), Compher (35)
Flames 2013 - Monahan (6), Poirier (22), Klimchuk (28)
Bruins 2015 - Zboril (13), DeBrusk (14), Senyshyn (15)
Flyers 2017 - Patrick (2), Frost (27), Ratcliffe (25)
Wings 2018 - Zadina (6), Veleno (30), Berggren (33)
Rangers 2018 - Kravstov (9), Miller (22), Lundkvist (28)

Would a 2011 Oilers type draft make us happy as Kings fans?

Flyers and Sabres seem to be the only ones who did really well with both later picks. Risto, Zadorov, Compher is a good haul, Patrick is a byproduct of a tougher draft year but they nailed it with Frost and Ratcliffe in the early going. Crazy how many of those guys are jury-out or outright busts, its almost like a rite of passage with that many picks, heh. And oddly also how many of the top picks are relatively mediocre.

 

[KingsFan7824]

This would be a good time for the Kings to have the type that yields a couple of impactful players, like the Blues 2010 draft.

Looked it up to see how previous teams who had 3 picks in top 35 did over the last decade. Kind of mixed results.

Isles 2009 - Tavares (1), De Haan (12), Koskinen (31)
Panthers 2010 - Gubranson (6), Bjugstad (19, Howden (25)
Oilers 2011 - Nugent-Hopkins (1), Klefbom (19), Musil (31)
Senators 2011 - Zibanajad (6), Noesen (21), Puempel (24)
Sabres 2013- Ristolainen (8), Zadorov (16), Compher (35)
Flames 2013 - Monahan (6), Poirier (22), Klimchuk (28)
Bruins 2015 - Zboril (13), DeBrusk (14), Senyshyn (15)
Flyers 2017 - Patrick (2), Frost (27), Ratcliffe (25)
Wings 2018 - Zadina (6), Veleno (30), Berggren (33)
Rangers 2018 - Kravstov (9), Miller (22), Lundkvist (28)

Would a 2011 Oilers type draft make us happy as Kings fans?

And it's likely that in the hours or days after those drafts, people were really excited about the picks their team made. Maybe not Boston, but whatever. Hindsight, it's a lot of nothing great, like most draft classes. If the Kings matched the 2011 Oilers, yes, that would be great. If 2 out of 7 picks making an impact is generally considered a good draft, then if the Kings get 1 of the top 33 prospects to do something, they'll be ahead of the game. If the 5th pick is in theory more of a sure thing, that can only help. Have to hit on at least 1 of the picks though.

 

[KINGS17]

It's a long haul for a player to reach NHL prominence. Kupari is 19 and hasn't even played a game in North America and people are penciling him in on the 2nd line already as the 2C the Kings need. In reality the kid probably needs three more years of development, and by then there will be one year remaining on Kopitar's contract. I would not expect a swift turnaround for the Kings in the standings any higher than the black hole. Other younger and more talented teams are improving each off season as well.

 

[lumbergh]

This would be a good time for the Kings to have the type that yields a couple of impactful players, like the Blues 2010 draft.

Looked it up to see how previous teams who had 3 picks in top 35 did over the last decade. Kind of mixed results.

Isles 2009 - Tavares (1), De Haan (12), Koskinen (31)
Panthers 2010 - Gubranson (6), Bjugstad (19, Howden (25)
Oilers 2011 - Nugent-Hopkins (1), Klefbom (19), Musil (31)
Senators 2011 - Zibanajad (6), Noesen (21), Puempel (24)
Sabres 2013- Ristolainen (8), Zadorov (16), Compher (35)
Flames 2013 - Monahan (6), Poirier (22), Klimchuk (28)
Bruins 2015 - Zboril (13), DeBrusk (14), Senyshyn (15)
Flyers 2017 - Patrick (2), Frost (27), Ratcliffe (25)
Wings 2018 - Zadina (6), Veleno (30), Berggren (33)
Rangers 2018 - Kravstov (9), Miller (22), Lundkvist (28)

Would a 2011 Oilers type draft make us happy as Kings fans?

I wonder if having so many early picks gets into the heads of the front offices. Instead of trying to figure out who the best player is at that pick, they start thinking about how they can fill multiple holes or have one pick compensate for another (e.g. we pick one with size, then we can pick a smaller guy with the next pick). This is not a healthy approach in my opinion.

 

[KINGS17]

Drafting for need in the NHL is a mistake. These kids are 17-18 years old, not 20-22 years old like the men drafted into the NFL. In the NFL teams must draft for need. In the NHL take the best asset available, because who knows how it will be used five years down the line.

 

[kings11]

Well he was key in one the cup runs, because he got the Kings Richards,
His stats are serviceable a good player, but this year there were 112 NHL players that scored over 50 points


To me Dach or a Zegras would be Brayden Schenn at 5 is the safe pick I fear. vanilla..
And I think you can still find those types of players at 22 or even early round 2.

Just feel Caufield, has Gaudreau potential

When was the last time the Kings really had a big time bonafide sniper? Do we have to go back to the Ziggy days? Gaborik certainly was a sniper during the 2014 cup run, but that was the extent of it.

The thing is if we look at most mocks, the top 3 or 4 are set, after that they are all over the place in terms of order.. Mostly this order is dependent on preference. I guess my preference is not to draft: a facilitator or defensively responsible center or winger.

Caufield fills a need this franchise is sorely lacking.. The drafts premier sniper awaits at #5 ..Do it Rob!

Though if we get Cozens or Turcotte, i can probably live with it.

Ziggy was more than just a sniper, he was an all around offensive threat
Caufield is a player with a dynamic singular skill... at #5 we need and require more than that

 

[SFKingshomer]

Ziggy was more than just a sniper, he was an all around offensive threat
Caufield is a player with a dynamic singular skill... at #5 we need and require more than that

Exactly. Caufield makes sense for the Avs, Oilers, Sabres, etc. but not for the Kings.

 

[AzKing]

I just feel that if Turcotte and Byram are gone, Cozens is going to be the pick. His overall skillset and the ability to play C and W fits what the Kings need. This team needs help everywhere. He is a relatively safe pick in that he will be a top 6 player. I am not against Caufield or Dach but I agree with what I have seen here and other places that with Dach being more of a true setup guy, he is not going to leapfrog Kopitar so his upside for the Kings is at best a #2 Center and he will need to have snipers to be maximized. We don't really have those snipers yet. Zegras is interesting but I don't see him going that low. Same with Krebs and Boldy.

Caufield, along with Podkolzin are the most polarizing players and it's for different reasons. If Caufield were 5'10, he is probably #3 overall. It's just the way it is with height. For the Kings, he could be a great sniper but the Kings probably need a more complete player since Vilardi is an unknown. If Vilardi was healthy and tore it up, Caufield could be a guy they envision pairing with him but with GV not even able to play right now, they will probably pivot to Cozens if the other two are already gone.

If the Kings trade down a few spots though, all bets are off and Caufield, Zegras, Krebs and Boldy are going to be on the table.

 

[SFKingshomer]

I'd be ok with them trading down with #5 and moving up with #22 to try to grab 2 in the top 15. Zegras and Broberg would be a nice haul...

 

[Brodeur]

Drafting for need in the NHL is a mistake. These kids are 17-18 years old, not 20-22 years old like the men drafted into the NFL. In the NFL teams must draft for need. In the NHL take the best asset available, because who knows how it will be used five years down the line.

Totally agreed, it's funny looking back on the Devils board. In 2015, many people ruled out drafting Ivan Provorov since we needed a forward. Fast forward a couple years and our D looks like trash while the forward group looks okay. Similary in the 2nd round, everybody was upset that we drafted a goalie instead of a forward like Paul Bittner or Daniel Sprong. And four years later, Cory Schneider's been battling injuries and suddenly Mackenzie Blackwood looks like an important part of the near future. Meanwhile Bittner hasn't panned out and Sprong is still trying to carve out a spot.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

And it's likely that in the hours or days after those drafts, people were really excited about the picks their team made. Maybe not Boston, but whatever. Hindsight, it's a lot of nothing great, like most draft classes. If the Kings matched the 2011 Oilers, yes, that would be great. If 2 out of 7 picks making an impact is generally considered a good draft, then if the Kings get 1 of the top 33 prospects to do something, they'll be ahead of the game. If the 5th pick is in theory more of a sure thing, that can only help. Have to hit on at least 1 of the picks though.

If only the Kings would be held to that standard around here.

I wonder if having so many early picks gets into the heads of the front offices. Instead of trying to figure out who the best player is at that pick, they start thinking about how they can fill multiple holes or have one pick compensate for another (e.g. we pick one with size, then we can pick a smaller guy with the next pick). This is not a healthy approach in my opinion.

That's a really good point. It's gotta be tough not to think you have a few extra lottery tickets, but I would say it shouldn't change your draft strategy at all (other than the movement of picks as currency, that is).

Caufield, along with Podkolzin are the most polarizing players and it's for different reasons. If Caufield were 5'10, he is probably #3 overall. It's just the way it is with height. For the Kings, he could be a great sniper but the Kings probably need a more complete player since Vilardi is an unknown. If Vilardi was healthy and tore it up, Caufield could be a guy they envision pairing with him but with GV not even able to play right now, they will probably pivot to Cozens if the other two are already gone.

Tend to agree, Caulfield is just short Laine.

 

[crassbonanza]

In reality the kid probably needs three more years of development, and by then there will be one year remaining on Kopitar's contract.

Why do you feel that he won't make the team until he is 23? Do you feel that his development has been stunted or he is in danger of being a bust?

I've been watching him fairly closely this season(as much as I can) and it seemed to me that he was excelling beyond his expectations. He played very well for the best team in Liiga and had good showings in his tournaments. It doesn't seem like he is trending to not make the team until his year 23 season.

 

[Cook24]

Byram or Turcotte at #5 or trade down imo...

 

[kovacro]

Tend to agree, Caulfield is just short Laine.

Do you mean he's just as short as Patrick Laine? Or he could turn out to be a shorter version of Laine?... Or maybe I just totally misunderstood the post.

Caufield is listed as 5'-7" while Laine is listed at 6'-4".

 

[KINGS17]

Why do you feel that he won't make the team until he is 23? Do you feel that his development has been stunted or he is in danger of being a bust?

I've been watching him fairly closely this season(as much as I can) and it seemed to me that he was excelling beyond his expectations. He played very well for the best team in Liiga and had good showings in his tournaments. It doesn't seem like he is trending to not make the team until his year 23 season.

In three years Kupari will only be 22. I don't expect him to join the Kings at 21 and make an immediate impact. If it happens, great but I am not expecting it. Liiga and tournaments are not the NHL. It's not even like playing a full AHL schedule. Most young players have trouble adjusting to the number of games in a season and get worn down as the season progresses. There is a steep learning curve at the beginning of a young pro's career.

 

[crassbonanza]

In three years Kupari will only be 22. I don't expect him to join the Kings at 21 and make an immediate impact. If it happens, great but I am not expecting it. Liiga and tournaments are not the NHL. It's not even like playing a full AHL schedule. Most young players have trouble adjusting to the number of games in a season and get worn down as the season progresses. There is a steep learning curve at the beginning of a young pro's career.

For the age part, I was a bit confused by you saying where Kopitar only has 1 season remaining on his contract. Kupari will be 23 when Kopitar only has 1 season remaining on his contract.

Anyways, I feel like you are being way down on Kupari right now. First round picks that don't make the NHL by their 22 year old season are kind of considered busts. Look at the 2014 NHL draft, those players entered the season as 22 year olds and out of the 1st round there is only 1 player1 that has not played in the NHL.

For the games played part, Kupari played 1 less game last season than he would have with the Reign and that includes much more travel.

Essentially, saying that Kupari will not make the team until he is 22/23 means you are either not happy with his development or that you are looking for a way to be negative while masking it in realism.

 

[fsanford]

Ziggy was more than just a sniper, he was an all around offensive threat
Caufield is a player with a dynamic singular skill... at #5 we need and require more than that

The Kings lack immensely in that singular skill not even debatable. You can try and shore it up with a bunch of good players, playmakers or you address in a major way with 1 pick.
Ranking near the bottom in Goals scored, is not good, now probably a chunk of that is the coaching situation lots of all around bad last year

Still I read this, and I just think what fun it would be to actually have a legitimate goal scoring threat.. I mean we have guys who have nick names such as "Hands of Stone".. I sure would like to see what best hands in the draft can do on this team some day. Also at least these comments don't make him appear as 1 dimensional as we might be led to believe. In the end though its all opinion.


NHL is still about scoring more goals than your opponent. Guess will see what happens...


"What makes him so dangerous is how he scores the goals. Just like every great basketball shooter has “their shot”, every great goal scorer has “their shot”. Alex Ovechkin has the slot area. Steven Stamkos has the middle of the ice and the opposite slot area. Caufield’s shot is definitely in the slot area, but he can beat you in so many ways. He’s not afraid to score off a deke either.
Also, his ability to get open is scary. Combine this with Caufield’s top-notch skating and you’ve got someone who is smart enough and skilled enough to play in anyone’s top six. He also has some strong intangibles. Caufield has been noticeable in nearly every game I’ve seen him play. More often than not, he’s found ways to raise his game on the biggest stages. You can’t teach that.
Considering how small he is, he is a pain in the butt to knock off the puck. Caufield is elusive and is low-key strong on the puck. He’s also very good when he has the puck, excelling in transition. Caufield might have the best hands in the draft, as he has a ton of moves in his arsenal to put defensemen on highlight reels for all the wrong "

 

[kings11]

The Kings lack immensely in that singular skill not even debatable. You can try and shore it up with a bunch of good players, playmakers or you address in a major way with 1 pick.
Ranking near the bottom in Goals scored, is not good, now probably a chunk of that is the coaching situation lots of all around bad last year

Still I read this, and I just think what fun it would be to actually have a legitimate goal scoring threat.. I mean we have guys who have nick names such as "Hands of Stone".. I sure would like to see what best hands in the draft can do on this team some day.

NHL is still about scoring more goals than your opponent. Guess will see what happens...


"What makes him so dangerous is how he scores the goals. Just like every great basketball shooter has “their shot”, every great goal scorer has “their shot”. Alex Ovechkin has the slot area. Steven Stamkos has the middle of the ice and the opposite slot area. Caufield’s shot is definitely in the slot area, but he can beat you in so many ways. He’s not afraid to score off a deke either.
Also, his ability to get open is scary. Combine this with Caufield’s top-notch skating and you’ve got someone who is smart enough and skilled enough to play in anyone’s top six. He also has some strong intangibles. Caufield has been noticeable in nearly every game I’ve seen him play. More often than not, he’s found ways to raise his game on the biggest stages. You can’t teach that.
Considering how small he is, he is a pain in the butt to knock off the puck. Caufield is elusive and is low-key strong on the puck. He’s also very good when he has the puck, excelling in transition. Caufield might have the best hands in the draft, as he has a ton of moves in his arsenal to put defensemen on highlight reels for all the wrong "

Not denying we need scoring but while Caufield could eventually be another Fleury or even Bure without the speed, "I" see Turcotte as a future 30 goal scorer, Cozens a potential 40 goal scorer and Dach as a Jumbo Joe type player.. so it really depends on how you want to build you're team really... I just cannot justify the Kings taking Caufield at #5 when better all around players will be available..
I personally think the Hawks and Avs take their pick of Turcotte, Cozens, Dach and Podzolkin .... Do we bypass Byram for Caufield?? or over Turcotte, Dach or Cozens

 

[Choralone]

I just feel that if Turcotte and Byram are gone, Cozens is going to be the pick. His overall skillset and the ability to play C and W fits what the Kings need. This team needs help everywhere. He is a relatively safe pick in that he will be a top 6 player. I am not against Caufield or Dach but I agree with what I have seen here and other places that with Dach being more of a true setup guy, he is not going to leapfrog Kopitar so his upside for the Kings is at best a #2 Center and he will need to have snipers to be maximized. We don't really have those snipers yet. Zegras is interesting but I don't see him going that low. Same with Krebs and Boldy.

Caufield, along with Podkolzin are the most polarizing players and it's for different reasons. If Caufield were 5'10, he is probably #3 overall. It's just the way it is with height. For the Kings, he could be a great sniper but the Kings probably need a more complete player since Vilardi is an unknown. If Vilardi was healthy and tore it up, Caufield could be a guy they envision pairing with him but with GV not even able to play right now, they will probably pivot to Cozens if the other two are already gone.

If the Kings trade down a few spots though, all bets are off and Caufield, Zegras, Krebs and Boldy are going to be on the table.

Agree 100% that one of Turcotte, Byram, and Cozens will be available, and that is who we should choose. Don't really want to trade down - the higher the pick, the higher your opportunity to choose the BPA who you really want to choose. Unless you are supremely confident you know how the other teams that leapfrog ahead of you are going to choose, and the guy you want the most will still be available, why give up opportunity?

 

[KINGS17]

Why do you feel that he won't make the team until he is 23? Do you feel that his development has been stunted or he is in danger of being a bust?

I've been watching him fairly closely this season(as much as I can) and it seemed to me that he was excelling beyond his expectations. He played very well for the best team in Liiga and had good showings in his tournaments. It doesn't seem like he is trending to not make the team until his year 23 season.

It didn't say 23, I said three years. Kupari is now 19, that would make him 22. If he gets some games in with the Kings when he is 21, I would be pleasantly surprised if he was a major contributor.

 

[fsanford]

Not denying we need scoring but while Caufield could eventually be another Fleury or even Bure without the speed, "I" see Turcotte as a future 30 goal scorer, Cozens a potential 40 goal scorer and Dach as a Jumbo Joe type player.. so it really depends on how you want to build you're team really... I just cannot justify the Kings taking Caufield at #5 when better all around players will be available..
I personally think the Hawks and Avs take their pick of Turcotte, Cozens, Dach and Podzolkin .... Do we bypass Byram for Caufield?? or over Turcotte, Dach or Cozens

Yea I am picking Caufield under the assumption Byram and Turcotte not there

If they take Cozens I can live with it, Dach is just more of what the Kings are now.. Zegras also would not be a very thrilling pick either. Play makers are only as good as the guys they pass it too, when you don't have finishers, kind of inhibits their impact.

So I guess I would go Byram, Turcotte, Caufield, Cozens..

All said I can take chances with no repercussions, no pressure on me. I am guessing if the Kings don't move back and Byram/Turcotte are gone, they will take Cozens.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Yea I am picking Caufield under the assumption Byram and Turcotte not there

If they take Cozens I can live with it, Dach is just more of what the Kings are now.. Zegras also would not be a very thrilling pick either. Play makers are only as good as the guys they pass it too, when you don't have finishers, kind of inhibits their impact.

So I guess I would go Byram, Turcotte, Caufield, Cozens..

All said I can take chances with no repercussions, no pressure on me. I am guessing if the Kings don't move back and Byram/Turcotte are gone, they will take Cozens.

Caufield doesn't look like a great skater to me and I think without someone that can create offense setting him up, he may struggle. I think he's really boom or bust and I don't know that the Kings can afford to blow a top 5 pick.

 

[Cook24]

Sorry but I do NOT want Caufield. Dude is tiny and would get wrecked in the playoffs...

 

[fsanford]

Sorry but I do NOT want Caufield. Dude is tiny and would get wrecked in the playoffs...

Marchand is 5'9" and seems to be doing pretty well in the playoffs

Kid is not going to play in the NHL for a couple of years, he will get stronger.