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

[KINGS17]

Neither.

it's nice to know a guy has work ethic at that age, just as it's nice to know a guy may be underdeveloped and has potential, but it's just one descriptor. Gimme the player, everything else is workable. Wasn't it McDavid that couldn't do a pullup?

Similar to when I hear skating is an issue. Some stuff is fixable to a degree. Skill/IQ, not so much.

you would never have known from the combine/pre draft fitness that Doughty would be the durable, top minute muncher, almost-never-hurt one while Bogosian would be the one who had his entire career derailed by injury.

Drew Doughty has no muscles to pull, that's a huge advantage.

 

[KINGS17]

When the Devils drafted Jon Merrill in 2010, I watched every Michigan game I could on the Big 10 Network. I saw several games against Michigan State and Krug always stood out. I debated picking him up in my keeper league but I made that cardinal mistake of thinking "...he's too small to make it in the NHL." And that's why I'm an armchair GM. [/coolstorybro]

There are always exceptions, and Krug is one of them.

 

[King'sPawn]

So, they didn't meet with Cozens?

If things kind of go as planned with the teams picking in front of the Kings, Cozens would be my choice. Definitely a future 1C replacement for Kopitar in my mind.

I'm sure they did, but unfortunately there's no media who has said definitively who the Kings spoke to. I'm just trying to piece things together from my own reading/research. The Kings were going to interview 70 people, according to Yanetti:

It’s the same thing. The meetings aren’t just sitting there, talking about players A, B and C and putting them in order, so part of the meetings are devoted to character assessment, character observations. You go to the combine, you talk to the players, hey, if we’re talking USHL Player A, there’s three concerns we have to figure out about them, and you have to challenge them on these three. If we’re talking OHL Player B, there’s absolutely no concerns, all the homework’s been done, just talk to the guy and get a feel for him, see how you like them, see how you feel. There’s ones where there’s one specific thing, good or bad – when you talk to WHL Player C, you have to find out about this one thing. All our research is pointed to this – good or bad. So, you basically have a mission statement, you have an operating manual this year. I think we’re doing 70 players this year. Each one of those players has a detailed list of what needs to be asked and sometimes in what tone it needs to be asked in.

Balancing viewpoints and data, "bad cop" Yannetti builds team philosophy into scouting - LA Kings Insider

I'm just doing my deductions, because nobody from Kings media tweeted any Combine news. I'm trying to piece it all together:
- Ryan Johnson (met with all 31 teams)
- Moritz Seider (met with all 31 teams)
- Cole Caufield said he spoke with LA last week in a radio interview
- Toronto, Buffalo, New Jersey did not interview Harley:

 

[King'sPawn]

It's interesting to see how Cole Caufield ranked high on a lot of the strength based tests (bench press, vertical jump, pull-ups).

While it is impressive for the vertical jump, smaller players have benefits for the other strength base tests;

The bench press gets calculated by a weight percentage, instead of the flat 150 lbs they used to measure with. So, smaller players have to bench a lighter weight.

The pull-ups benefit smaller players, as well, since they a) have to pull their own weight and b) smaller arms leading to more torque as they pull themselves up. Longer arms make pull-ups more difficult.

I'm not trying to sound like I'm taking anything away from Caufield, but just wanted to contextualize some of the testing

 

[LAKings88]

#33 is an interesting pick. Still think they can get good value there or package it with #22 to move up.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I agree with RC if that's his evaluation. JC with a bad shot = Trevor Lewis. That would be a good player to get with the 22nd pick but not the 5th pick. We would want JC with JC's shot with that pick.

Cozens does not have a bad shot at all. He shoots from everywhere. Its one of his best assets.

You cant be a similar player like Carter if you have a bad shot.

Did I say he had a 'bad' shot? I don't remember, but I don't think so. I just meant he didn't have Carter's shot.

I don't think he's going to be a 30- or 40-goal scorer, that's all. I'm sure he'll be a perfectly acceptable 20-25 goal, 50-60 point guy. I just want more boom at #5.

 

[King'sPawn]

Tomasino said in an interview with Mark Schweig that he spoke to 30 teams; only team he didn't speak to was Colorado. So you can add him to the list of players the Kings definitely spoke to.

 

[LAKings88]

Tomasino-Plays with Akil Thomas
Ryan Johnson-Craig’s son.
Seider-German connection

I could see all these guys being of interest to LA.

 

[kilowatt]

Nothing to add, as usual, but great detective work, boys.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Mock draft: Turcotte, Cozens predicted to be picked at No. 3

They have Turcotte and Cozens going in the 3 and 4 slots leaving Byram to the Kings.

 

[kilowatt]

Mock draft: Turcotte, Cozens predicted to be picked at No. 3

They have Turcotte and Cozens going in the 3 and 4 slots leaving Byram to the Kings.

Fine by me.

 

[The Lukeman]

I'm not trying to sound like I'm taking anything away from Caufield, but just wanted to contextualize some of the testing

Just to add comparison to Alex Debrincat, he didn't make top 10 in any of the NHL Combine tests. Seems like Caufield is in better shape than Debrincat at the time.

 

[RocketKing]

Mock draft: Turcotte, Cozens predicted to be picked at No. 3

They have Turcotte and Cozens going in the 3 and 4 slots leaving Byram to the Kings.

I would be down with any of these 3 and I do think its going to be one of them. Would be a huge asset if that's how it turns out. We got screwed for sure by the NHL out of the top 2 but this is a pretty good alternative.

 

[KINGS17]

Mock draft: Turcotte, Cozens predicted to be picked at No. 3

They have Turcotte and Cozens going in the 3 and 4 slots leaving Byram to the Kings.

That would be fine with me, but if Colorado goes with Byram, which is what I would expect, I like Turcotte.

Reading an article on Turcotte in The Athletic this morning and he sounds like a Mike Richards-type player with a bit more skill. Not sure Caufield really has a place in the top 4 though, and I expect Turcotte to be gone by the time the Kings pick.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Wouldn't be a bad pick if he's around at #33.

This is a kid who was USHL Forward of the Year. This is a kid who posted 68 points in 43 games, or 1.58 points per game. The only USHL player this century to best his production was Thomas Vanek, who was taken fourth overall. Brink out-produced 14th overall pick Jaden Schwartz (1.38 points per game), 17th overall pick Kyle Connor (1.32 points per game) and fourth-round pick Johnny Gaudreau (1.20 points per game).

Much like with Gaudreau (who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds these days), concerns about Brink are driven by his size at 17 years old. Brink is one of the younger players near the top of the draft and won’t turn 18 until the second week of July, after he has been selected. In Buffalo for the combine, he measured 5-foot-8 1/4 and weighed 165 pounds.

 

[King'sPawn]

Kings also apparently interviewed Connor McMichael:

 

[johnjm22]

The combine results mean nothing to me. I don't see any correlation between getting good results on these evaluations and being a good NHL player.

At the NFL combine a receiver's 40 time can give some useful information because running is an actual part of being a receiver.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[KINGS17]

Did I say he had a 'bad' shot? I don't remember, but I don't think so. I just meant he didn't have Carter's shot.

I don't think he's going to be a 30- or 40-goal scorer, that's all. I'm sure he'll be a perfectly acceptable 20-25 goal, 50-60 point guy. I just want more boom at #5.

I you're looking for more boom, you might get more bust. If Cozen's isn't a 1C, he seems to be a good bet to be a 2C. If Turcotte or Byram isn't there at #5, I think Cozens is more of a sure thing with less down side potential.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm actually considering going to the draft party since the "WHO?!?" pick.

 

[tonellisghost]

Every time I post anything it gets deleted before I can put it up. So without the descriptions or reasons why I will post my list for 5th pick in order as quickly as possible.

1st Turcotte
2nd Zegras
3rd Cozens
4rth Byrum
5th Dach.

Thanks to the people who emailed me asking my opinion(s). I will respond via email with my opinions and reasoning as to why I settled on these players in this order.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Yep, Turcotte is officially my "alvin mack no matter what" pick (unless Kakko drops, lol).

Explaining the unexplainable behind Alex Turcotte, the 2019...

“If you were to ask each of his teammates who their top three friends on the team are, he probably gets 80 percent of those votes. Now, on the flip side of that if you asked them to name three guys they don’t want to go against in practice he would definitely be on that list as well,” he tried to explain.

“Every time he comes to the rink you know exactly what you’re going to get out of him. If you take the puck away from him in practice, I wouldn’t be surprised if you feel a little slash on the wrist and it might piss you off but if you look back at it you have to admire him,” Lindmark said.


This guy is a franchise-changing future C.

 

[AzKing]

Yep, Turcotte is officially my "alvin mack no matter what" pick (unless Kakko drops, lol).

Explaining the unexplainable behind Alex Turcotte, the 2019...

“If you were to ask each of his teammates who their top three friends on the team are, he probably gets 80 percent of those votes. Now, on the flip side of that if you asked them to name three guys they don’t want to go against in practice he would definitely be on that list as well,” he tried to explain.

“Every time he comes to the rink you know exactly what you’re going to get out of him. If you take the puck away from him in practice, I wouldn’t be surprised if you feel a little slash on the wrist and it might piss you off but if you look back at it you have to admire him,” Lindmark said.


This guy is a franchise-changing future C.

I agree in that he seems like he has it all going for him. The one thing that makes me a bit nervous is his hip injury. When I hear "Recurring," it makes my radar go into high gear. My guess is that if he is being projected as a Top 3-5, teams have done their due diligence and are confident that it isn't a chronic thing. The Kings just can't afford to have another Vilardi situation and hips, like backs can become chronic.

I am trying not to get my hopes up on Turcotte and Byram because it will require either CHI or COL going off the projections and taking someone else. I can see CHI going Turcotte only because they have loaded up on DMen in the last few drafts. If that happens, would COL really pass on the opportunity to pair Byrman with Makar? That's just a disgusting young 1/2 for years on the blueline.