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

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm big on Newhook too, he's just in that soft zone where we shouldn't pick him and where he'll likely be gone before we pick again.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Just don't wind up with the next Pavel Zacha (sorry Brodeur), who went 6th overall in 2015, before Timo Meier, who was 9th overall, and Mikko Rantanen who went 10th overall. Plus plenty other good players went after Zacha in the first round.

Now that turned out to be a regrettable selection for the Devils, ending up with a player who appears to be a third liner at best. You can't say a draft is idiot proof not knowing how some of these careers will turn out, like say, Gabe Vilardi.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

If you like Caufield and want the Kings to draft him, you are going to be a lot louder in your support after reading this:

Pronman: Why you shouldn't underestimate prospect Cole...

I have no doubts that this kid is going to be a major goal scorer in the NHL if he is on a line where the focus isn't just on him and if he has a playmaking center. He just scores goals anywhere and everywhere on the ice. When you have a wrist shot like he does with accuracy, you basically scare the daylights out of Defenses and Goalies.

You probably won't see Caufield last beyond #7-8.

I particularly liked this part:

And what will Hughes miss the most about playing with Caufield? “Easy points,” Hughes joked.

Cole Caufield said: “I try to find spots in the offensive zone that not many people can. I’m not the biggest guy, but I feel my shot and release are pretty elite. I don’t mean this in a cocky way, but I feel like I’m the best goal scorer in the draft.”

Also, this is an interesting table.

 

[AzKing]

I'm big on Newhook too, he's just in that soft zone where we shouldn't pick him and where he'll likely be gone before we pick again.

I think with those 10-20 names outside of the names that get mentioned a lot in the top 10, you see things like this from Pronman:

Newhook: The one knock on Newhook is, at the levels with higher pace than the BCHL such as the World Jr. A or Hlinka U18 camp where he was cut, he wasn’t dominant; but he was great at the IIHF U18 tournament.

Boldy: However, he had stretches this season where he didn’t impact games, and sometimes they were long stretches. His main weakness over the years was his skating. I think it’s improved to an average level, but he’s not a powerful skater and his stride could be cleaned up.

Kaliyev: Kaliyev can often look like he’s not going that hard and will have long stretches of indifference. With that said, even in the many games where he looks like he’s doing nothing, you’ll check the box score and see one goal and two points. Thus the question is whether his style of play will translate to the NHL pace. He’s one of the most divisive prospects in this year’s draft.

Suzuki: Some will look at his production this season (25 goals-75 points in 65 games) and not be wowed, but he didn’t play on a good team. It’s fair to say he hasn’t been as dominant as he could be with his talent level, but he’s a good player and projects to be a top-six center.

Tomasino: Tomasino has a slight build and isn’t the best at winning 1-on-1 battles in the tough areas. He can at times get pushed around and out of the game, and other times he’ll drive the tough areas. He’ll need to work on the consistency of his play and making the most of his tools, but he’s got the ability to impact a shift like few in this class do.

Hogland: I wish he had more of a dangerous top gear because versus men he got eliminated along walls quite often on zone entries.

Lavoie: As a late 2000 birth date on a good QMJHL team, his production (32 goals-73 points in 62 games) was mediocre for a projected top talent. This reflects a consistency problem in his game at times, as well as the fact that scouts aren’t the biggest fans of his decision-making.

Brink: What may hold him back is his skating. He moves with a weird stutter in his stride, and his feet flail. His top speed is fine due in part to his size, and he’s got good power on his edges to allow him to maneuver around the ice. But he lacks any kind of explosiveness you want in a player that size.

Broberg: He can be careless with the puck too, and often I’ve seen him make terrible turnovers, but I’ve also seen a few high-level plays with the puck. If you’re expecting more, you’ll be disappointed. But if you want a two-way defenseman with size who can close a gap, man a second power play and transition the offense at even strength at a high level, he’s your man.

York: He lacks a dynamic top gear you’d like in a small defenseman, but he can skate pucks out of trouble or into the offensive zone. He defends well due to his feet and great brain, but it will be interesting to see how that translates versus men, as I wouldn’t call him a top-tier defender.

Harley: Defensively he’s a bit of a work in progress. His feet and stick allow him to make stops and close gaps, but he needs to bulk up a lot and be better at times in his own end. Harley makes a lot of plays but tends to get too cute and make costly turnovers. Some scouts argue that was just the byproduct of the massive and arguably excessive minutes he played.

Soderstrom: For a smaller guy, his game could have more speed. His skating looks fine when he winds up and get going, but he lacks explosiveness and doesn’t have a ton of pace in his game.

Heinola: He’s fine defensively due to his positional play, despite not being the biggest defender. However, he has limitations that may hinder him as he progresses. His size is obvious but his skating is also a minor concern. His stride breaks down when he gets going in a straight line, which is worrisome in a 5-foot-11 defender.

These types of comments are, of course mixed in with some good things too but I don't see these glaring things said about the guys mentioned in the Top 10 and any sort of critique is usually masked heavily by what makes them good. These are all things that fall into that category where the player has to want to get better and have the cerebral tools to actually implement what they are coached to do. That's why it seems like there is a gap after the top 10 in my opinion. You just don't know which one of these guys is going to leap over the questions marks that are attached to their scouting reports.

 

[King'sPawn]

I think that Zegras is going to go higher than some may think. If a team really feels that he was just sitting in Hughes' shadow and could have carried the load as a #1, then he could be the first Forward off the board after Hughes and Kakko if a team wants that potential #1 Center. Right now, it seems like you have Cozens, Turcotte, Dach and Zegras all in a group where there isn't a huge gap and it depends on what a team feels. Cozens is more of an outlier in that he could be a C or W whereas Dach, Turcotte and Zegras are pretty much only Centers.

Thank you for reading, and I agree, Zegras could go high. However, I'm not very high on him. I'm not a scout though and don't want to say "get excited for this prospect I think may bust."

If you ask me, my ranking of Zegras is out of the top 10. But this is supposed to be more informative than editorial.

 

[LAKings88]

From fanspeak’s draft simulator.

Not bad if I say so myself

 

[Brodeur]

Just don't wind up with the next Pavel Zacha (sorry Brodeur), who went 6th overall in 2015, before Timo Meier, who was 9th overall, and Mikko Rantanen who went 10th overall. Plus plenty other good players went after Zacha in the first round.

Now that turned out to be a regrettable selection for the Devils, ending up with a player who appears to be a third liner at best. You can't say a draft is idiot proof not knowing how some of these careers will turn out, like say, Gabe Vilardi.

Yeah, I don't think too many of us were overly enthused about Zacha in the moment. Glimmer of hope as he finished with 20 points in his final 30 games last season, but he was getting ice time that he wouldn't have been getting if Taylor Hall were playing. We're still hoping for a late bloomer scenario like Sean Couturier. If we take Hughes, it might force Zacha to the wing which might be better suited for. Zach Parise was a disappointment during his rookie year when he was a center, but he got shifted to wing and things clicked after that.

I think of the 2019 picks stayed relatively healthy which is nice from a scouting perspective. Tough thing with Zacha was that he missed half of his draft year, so I think scouts were relying a little too much from what they saw out of him as a 16 year old when he was more physically developed than the rest of his peers.

Definitely worse spots to be than picking #5.

 

[Rekingsfan17]

I'm big on Newhook too, he's just in that soft zone where we shouldn't pick him and where he'll likely be gone before we pick again.

Rekingsfan17 said:
I'm hoping for Turcotte or Newhook. Newhook's hockey sense is near the same level as Hughes/Kakko and his skating is probably top 5 in the draft. Newhook's puck skills are near the same level as Turcottes. Newhook just gets underrated because he played in the BCHL. He was also CJHL MVP..... I would love it if the kings picked Newhook even at #5 overall.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I'm big on Newhook too, he's just in that soft zone where we shouldn't pick him and where he'll likely be gone before we pick again.

I am not a fan of trading down from 5,.....except for ONE player: Newhook. He may well be as good as anyone after Hughes and Kakko...even better than Byram and Turcotte.
If Turcotte or Byram fall to 5, I take them. If they're gone, would consider trading down a few slots and take Newhook. I would not even blink an eye in trading 22 and 33 to
get Newhook if he falls 10-14. Sure, you may get a Tomasino at 22 and a Grewe / Leason / Fagemo / Vlasic at 33...but give me Newhook over 2 of those.

"""explosive forward … at his best with puck on his stick … always wants the puck … plays with no fear … quick release … dangerous every shift, ISS Hockey 2017""'

Can you imagine getting Byram at 5 and Newhook at apx 12 ?? Franchise begins to turn around and not an effing 5 year plan....Kupari, JAD, Mikey Anderson, Clague,
Durzi, Grundstrom, Byram, Newhook.. Wow.

Watch his quickness...his feet...his deceptive moves...his decisiveness...confidence...stickhandling...shot..playmaking.
It's all close to elite or is elite. And this is the U18 Worlds, not the BCHL. No big deal, to elevate his game. If the Kings took him 5, I would be happy.



In the video, watch all of it. Newhook does about everything you would want in a top 6 center.
Watch him in front of the net at 3:45, good job - 2 kicks off his foot, keeps the goalie from getting it, pulls it back and buries it, all in less than 1.5 seconds. SKILL...and watch the last one from 3:50 to the end. Cozens makes some slick moves, pass, and back to him in the slot and scores. I'm ok with Cozens at 5. He's damn good and going to be 6'4" 200 and be solid.

Pick #5 is a BYYYYATCH!!! No one will bat an eye at this: 1 Hughes 2 Kakko 3 Byram 4 Turcotte....then at #5 NO MATTER WHO THE KINGS TAKE THERE, some / many will go "what, Caufield? Really? What about Dach? Cozens? Zegras?....or fill in the blank. 'Cozens? Really? They passed on Caufield? he's going to score 30+ goals for 12 years!"....You know this is going to happen.
F'ing lottery. The Kings sucked so hard to earn 1-2.

102 pts in 53 games. then 24 pts in 15 playoff games..and then 10 pts in 7 for U18 Team Canada, tied with Krebs for the team leader and 1 pt more than Cozens. Newhook is the type of player that is going to elevate his game and be a star, I think. Whereas the Cozens, Krebs, Boldy's and Dachs may be decent 2nd line talent.

Alex Newhook at eliteprospects.com

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Had to do this excerpt from my last post...(since many will not read it all and find this)

Pick #5 is a BYYYYATCH!!! No one will bat an eye at this: 1 Hughes 2 Kakko 3 Byram 4 Turcotte....then at #5 NO MATTER WHO THE KINGS TAKE THERE, some / many will go "what, Caufield? Really? What about Dach? Cozens? Zegras?....or fill in the blank. 'Cozens? Really? They passed on Caufield? he's going to score 30+ goals for 12 years!"....You know this is going to happen.
F'ing lottery. The Kings sucked so hard to earn 1-2.

 

[Herby]

Having read Pronman for awhile now you can really see how much Caufield has grown on him. He was originally very skeptical as I think many people here still are, but it's hard to watch those videos and just not think future NHL star. He obviously has some flaws, but those hands and in particular that shot are just insane.

 

[Docgonzo]

View attachment 232193

From fanspeak’s draft simulator.

Not bad if I say so myself

Wow if we ended up with that without trading anything that’d be amazing.

 

[yankeeking]

Cozen and Newhook looked pretty good together , Krebs not so shabby either in that highlight video

 

[Mats26]

If that is a "Newhook" highlight video I would also argue that Cozen was one player that stood out. He created so much space for Newhook and his teammates on several plays. He also created some nice give and goes and completed some plays with a quick release. He seems to be front and center on every scoring play driving the net bringing the D with him. North - South 2C pivot.

Newhook has some nice skill, he's got speed and uses it to close the gaps quickly when a chance to score is present, no doubt at 7-10 he is great value, a potential steal if he drops out of top 10. I think he can become a skilled winger(don't see him as a center) that will excel on the PP and transitional game.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

If that is a "Newhook" highlight video I would also argue that Cozen was one player that stood out. He created so much space for Newhook and his teammates on several plays. He also created some nice give and goes and completed some plays with a quick release. He seems to be front and center on every scoring play driving the net bringing the D with him. North - South 2C pivot.

Newhook has some nice skill, he's got speed and uses it to close the gaps quickly when a chance to score is present, no doubt at 7-10 he is great value, a potential steal if he drops out of top 10. I think he can become a skilled winger(don't see him as a center) that will excel on the PP and transitional game.

True, that's why I pointed out the last play on the reel. Cozens makes a nice spin, evades D, makes a nice pass and goes to the slot..gets return pass and scores. Cozens is highly thought of as a very good player that has the tools, can skate, character and drive...but is said to perhaps lack elite skills. You then get the Dach vs Cozens and some bring up Dach's skating and the Dach supporters say 'Dach's skating is not bad or an issue"...they won't admit Cozens is the better skater. Dach may be more physical and has better vision and passing skills, but not by a lot. Cozens is shoot first and can score. I would be ok with either, but wonder if Newhook is the better player and choice. I hope Yannetti and all get this right. #5 is the toughest slot in the top 10.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Having read Pronman for awhile now you can really see how much Caufield has grown on him. He was originally very skeptical as I think many people here still are, but it's hard to watch those videos and just not think future NHL star. He obviously has some flaws, but those hands and in particular that shot are just insane.

I love how all the analysis supports his conclusions in that Athletic piece and then bascially anytime there's some criticism it just boils down to "Yeah, but it's a lot of goals."

Really is insane and it's nice that he's not a one-trick pony, he scores in many ways from everywhere.

Caulfield-Kopitar-Brown.

Let's do it.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[King'sPawn]

Caufield article just posted:

2019 NHL Draft Preview: Cole Caufield, USA Forward

One key piece of the research to show the draw to him. The Kings haven't had a player lead the team in goal scoring in back-to-back seasons since Palffy.

Edit: To clarify - Brown and Kopitar shared the lead this year, and last year Kopitar was the sole leader. However, not a single player has led the team in goal scoring in back to back years since 2002-03.

2019: Kopitar and Brown, 22
2018: Kopitar, 35
2017: Carter, 32
2016: Toffoli, 31
2015: Carter, 28
2014: Kopitar, 29
2013: Carter, 26
2012: Kopitar, 25
2011: Brown, 28
2010: Kopitar, 34
2009: Frolov, 32
2008: Brown, 33
2007: Frolov, 35
2006: Cammalleri, 26
2004: Frolov, 24
2003: Palffy, 37
2002: Palffy, 32

 

[AzKing]

I like McKeen's a lot when it comes to the Draft and this is what they had to say about Newhook in February. They currently have him ranked #16:

A scouting report from Kevin Olexson, February 2019
Alex Newhook has all of the offensive skills and abilities that any team is looking for. He is a speedy and undersized center, who likes to play with speed and do everything quickly. He seems to be able to create offence consistently and possesses tremendous puck skills and playmaking abilities. He is both a good passer and shooter, and being a very unselfish player, he can make you pay in a number of ways.
Newhook projects to be a top line center who will create plenty of offensive chances, and who will also excel on the power play. Being a bit undersized, he should fill out and add strength to help him transition to the pro game more efficiently. He really excels right now, and when he does make mistakes, he is able to quickly recover because of his extreme speed and skills, regaining possession and control so it does not hurt him much at this point.
He needs to work on his strength, and be stronger on the puck, as he can presently be weak on it, where turnovers and giveaways transpire, but he does work hard to rectify and fix the mistakes that he has made.
He will also have to use his shot more often, as he won’t be able to dominate with his speed and dance his way to the net at the pro level. After he adds size, weight and more strength, and he will be a real force to take the puck from and should translate more of the same at the higher levels.
Skating: Newhook is a terrific skater with excellent balance and agility. His has an extra gear and his top end speed is impressive to say the least. He moves and shifts his feet quickly and can change direction instantly. He keeps a wide base, and accelerates quickly with his powerful strides, and really gets going with his incredibly strong start and takeoff. With lots of power in his first three strides, he takes flight quickly and uses his speed to his advantage as he is able to fly through open ice. He can blow by defenders with ease as he catches them out of position, and cuts through traffic regularly to create breakaways and odd man rushes. He moves notably well in all directions, and he is very skilled in his edge work. He skates effortlessly around the ice, and uses his speed to forecheck and back check hard, and to chase down and retrieve pucks. Grade: 60
Shot: Newhook is a finisher with a great shot. He has a great one timer that he uses regularly to beat goaltenders and put pucks in the net. It has good speed and velocity, and he really gets all of it. He has a very accurate snap and wrist shot, with a real quick release. He likes to drag the puck, change angles, and then pick his spot. Because of his speed and style of play, he does not have to use his shots, as he is usually forcing the play with breakaways, odd man rushes, and in close goals. Grade: 55
Skills: Newhook is a highly skilled offensive player who is always making things happen and involved in the play. He has exemplary puck skills, nice soft hands, and great vision and passing skills. He likes to have the puck on his stick, controls the puck with ease, and can impressively dangle and stickhandle around defenders. He can handle the puck with speed and accuracy, using his quick hands as he both carries the puck and make moves in transition and at top speed. He has superb playmaking and passing abilities, as he is both creative and accurate with the puck. He is very patient with the puck and very deceptive to defenders, as he likes to dangle and engage multiple opponents as he finds lanes and ways to get the puck to the net or open teammates. With his vision and patience, he can read plays and react to them or lead them to make things happen. He also likes to drag the puck, change angles and lanes, and open up other options or opportunities. Grade: 60
Smarts: Newhook is a very smart player who possesses extremely high hockey sense and IQ. He has excellent vision as he sees the ice well and what transpires on it. He is able to read plays and react accordingly, make smart plays with the puck, and without the puck as his play is also really strong in his own end of the ice. He is a strong defensive player who can track the puck well, get in and take away lanes, and uses his stick wisely and actively to create turnovers and disrupt plays. He has good knowledge, and knows where he should be on the ice, and uses his good positioning and tenacious forecheck to support and help his team transition. He also is smart enough to know how to use his teammates to both his advantage and theirs, as he is able to lead them to open areas and set up their many different scoring chances. Grade: 60
Physicality: Newhook is a smaller player who does not boast a physical type of game. Aside from that, he will not shy away from the physical element of the game, and is willing to stand in there and take hits to make plays. He is strong on his skates, and does not get intimidated or rattled by physicality. He does play a strong and aggressive style though, and likes to engage opponents and drive the net. Grade: 50
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 58
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I like McKeen's a lot when it comes to the Draft and this is what they had to say about Newhook in February. They currently have him ranked #16:

A scouting report from Kevin Olexson, February 2019
Alex Newhook has all of the offensive skills and abilities that any team is looking for. He is a speedy and undersized center, who likes to play with speed and do everything quickly. He seems to be able to create offence consistently and possesses tremendous puck skills and playmaking abilities. He is both a good passer and shooter, and being a very unselfish player, he can make you pay in a number of ways.

Thanks for posting...16th? There are not 15 better players than Newhook in this draft. I think rankings may have changed since the U18 Worlds, where he had 10 pts in 7 games, to tie for Team Canada lead....the one knock was "but he plays in the BCHL"...and after the Worlds, he's shown he's legit top tier talent on the world stage with his CHL / USND / EURO peers

 

[AzKing]

Thanks for posting...16th? There are not 15 better players than Newhook in this draft. I think rankings may have changed since the U18 Worlds, where he had 10 pts in 7 games, to tie for Team Canada lead....the one knock was "but he plays in the BCHL"...and after the Worlds, he's shown he's legit top tier talent on the world stage with his CHL / USND / EURO peers

He seems to be currently slotting right around 9-12 depending on the person doing the mock draft. It seems like Newhook, Zegras, Caufield, Boldy are the forwards that are really getting some bumps right now.

It feels like the forwards are really grouped right now:

Group A: Hughes, Kakko
Group B: Turcotte, Cozens, Dach
Group C: Zegras, Caufield, Newhook
Group D: Krebs, Boldy, Kaliyev

It kind of gets weird after these guys in terms of Forwards because none of them really jump off the page. You could throw Brink, Suzuki, Hoglander, Dorofeyev, Tomasino, Puistola and Lavoie in a pot and whoever you grab could be a hit or a miss. Some of those guys are going to be there when the Kings pick at 22. You can throw Podkolzin in there as well because nobody knows what he is going to do.

The main reason I think that Dach is going to be rated higher is that 6'4 Centers that can control the play and make others better are not that common. His size is going to make him go higher than a guy like Zegras who is probably the better overall player.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the Kings try to package their #22 and 2nd rounder to get into the 10-15 range. Usually, teams have deals explored with other teams and can pull the trigger if the player they want is there. One or two of these guys in Group B-D is going to drop down because things always are fluid once the picks start coming off the board. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see a guy like Krebs, Newhook or Boldy sitting there because a bunch of Defensemen went higher than expected. That's where I would be aggressive if I were Blake. How pleased would we be be if the Kings were able to grab Byram and then pivot up and snag Newhook or Krebs?

 

[SFKingshomer]

Podkolzin was a projected 3rd round pick before his big Jr. tournament showing. I think he's going to go in the teens maybe lower.

 

[johnjm22]

I've seen more than half of the points Kaliyev scored this past season. He's a very good setup man. He made lots of excellent passes that led directly to teammate's goals.

He also scores goals in a variety of ways. He's got the big one-timer (reminds me of Stamkos), be he also scores a lot of goals in tight like Gaborik.

The knock on him is that he looks invisible when not scoring, but that can be said about a lot of goal scoring wingers.

50+ goals in the CHL is a lot for a 17 year old. The other players that achieved that all ended up having long NHL careers at the very least.

 

[King'sPawn]

I'm insanely jealous that Blackhawk fans have a guy on site who's speaking with all the prospects and tweeting on the fact the Blackhawks have spoken to them, as well as getting quotes.

Don't we have media people paid by the Kings? Can't any of them provide anything?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I'm insanely jealous that Blackhawk fans have a guy on site who's speaking with all the prospects and tweeting on the fact the Blackhawks have spoken to them, as well as getting quotes.

Don't we have media people paid by the Kings? Can't any of them provide anything?

But we get bark madness.