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

[Ziggy Stardust]

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right.

The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds.

That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere to showcase his talents in his late 20s, which is what Robert Lang did with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Since Robert Lang was selected, you can't find a top six player drafted by the Kings outside the top two rounds.

Beyond the top two rounds, the team has been historically awful at finding talent. That's quite the accomplishment, and places more emphasis on the importance of landing picks in the top two rounds.

 

[LAKings88]

I think there is a good chance Byram it Turcotte falls to the Kings. I also think once that happens I will be upset at the Kings passing because they assumed they would not and locked in on another guy.

I remering wanting to scream when they drafted Hickey.

I only see him falling if Chicago takes Turcotte and Colorado goes Zegras.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

 

[Pandaman11]

I sure hope they don't draft a G with #22.

I sure hope we do draft Knight with that pick.

At 5th it will be a center like Dach or Cozens because I believe Byram goes 3rd

 

[AzKing]

I sure hope we do draft Knight with that pick.

At 5th it will be a center like Dach or Cozens because I believe Byram goes 3rd

Why would you want them to draft a goalie that high when they actually have depth at the position and Petersen? I can't see any situation where they would take a goalie at that pick.

 

[AzKing]

The old anonymous "hockey guy" to back up your poorly perceived opinion. Everyone else who is really hockey people (as in they put their name on it because they are paid to do so) says otherwise.

I agree.

Lethbridge Hurricanes coach Brent Kisio on Cozens: “He’s a difference maker. He’s very fast and utilizes his speed very well. His playmaking abilities are exceptional.

I tend to take note of guys like Pronman in their analysis:

Cozens measures in at 6-foot-3 and is a very good skater, not just for his size, but overall. That combination alone makes him a handful to deal with when a guy that size comes barreling through the neutral zone. He doesn’t just skate fast, he consistently pushes the pace and plays the game hard. Cozens is not going to do a fancy between the legs kind of play, but he gets by defenders with dekes at full speed, makes skilled plays to the net and can make plays in small areas.

And with Dach, he has no hands, right? I wonder why a coach would say this then?:

Saskatoon Blades coach Mitch Love on Dach: “He’s a student of the game. He’s got a very high hockey IQ. His playmaking ability is second to none. There aren’t many 6-foot-4, 200 pound, 17-year-old players who can play center the way he can.”

More from Pronman on Dach:

He makes high-end plays to his teammates and through defenders with consistency. His vision particularly stands out. He has great patience, finds guys in traffic and makes tough passes when you least expect it. He’s a prototypical power play QB and plays a 5-foot-10 skill game in a big man’s body.

 

[King'sPawn]

I sure hope we do draft Knight with that pick.

At 5th it will be a center like Dach or Cozens because I believe Byram goes 3rd

Just out of curiosity, have you watched Knight play? I've seen a few games and I'm just not impressed.

His biggest strengths to me are his composure and puck handling skills.

However, there are many times he lets in very stoppable goals. And being that he played on a very stacked team, he didn't have to steal too many games.

But I also suck at evaluating goalies, so maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I wouldn't take Knight early for a variety of reasons. We don't have a current problem at the position. Replacement-level goaltending is easy to find and one of the last things this roster should worry about with so many other holes. We have a great prospect already in Petersen. Knight plays behind a stacked team so hard to learn if he's the real deal. If he drops to like our 4th pick that's something else entirely, but I definitely wouldn't use any of our first three on him.

 

[YP44]

I don't want any goalie taken in the first round. Out of this year's playoffs isn't their only 1 goalie (Vasilevsky) who was drafted in round 1 and with the team that drafted them?

Goalies take a long time to pan out, are a crap shoot, and can be found in later rounds. I hope if LA drafts a goalie it is not in rounds 1 or 2.

 

[Reaper45]

3rd round is a good one for a goalie.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right.

The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds.

That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere to showcase his talents in his late 20s, which is what Robert Lang did with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That is quite an accomplishment.

That is even more difficult than to draft just one !

 

[King'sPawn]

Turcotte article: 2019 NHL Draft Preview: Alex Turcotte, USA Center

At the moment these are just profiles on players. I have my own preference but try not to let the bias show. That said, I'm a huge fan of Turcotte. He does the ugly work non-stop, where he'll park himself in front of the net on the top unit of the powerplay, while Hughes, Zegras, Caufield, and York play keep away. He's one of the top defensive forwards. He just competes in so many facets.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The fire Turcotte is always described as playing with is the major reason he's higher than the other forwards for me.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

3rd round is a good one for a goalie.

That's how I feel as well. I have a feeling they may do that with Dustin Wolf with one of their four draft selections in the third or fourth rounds.

That is quite an accomplishment.

That is even more difficult than to draft just one !

I had to do a double take and go over the history of Kings draft selections to make sure that was accurate. And if you disqualify Robert Lang since it took him a long time to reach his potential with another team, then the last top six player the Kings drafted outside of the top two rounds who was successful here was...

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I sure hope we do draft Knight with that pick.

At 5th it will be a center like Dach or Cozens because I believe Byram goes 3rd

It's got to come down to BPA at 22. There is going to be several very good prospects at 22. A mix of: Tomasino,, Heinola, Seider, Bjornfot, Suzuki, Brink, Afanasayev, Hoglander, McMichael there...and Albin Grewe. I'd rather have most anyone of them over Knight. If the Kings get either Campbell or Petersen under a longterm deal, either of them can go 5 years or more. The Kings have a ton of goalie prospects in the pipeline now, and Ranford will polish a few of them: Hrenak, Vilallta, Kehler, Ingham...this aint the Lombardi era, where there was like one in the pipeline, JF Berube years. There's 4 or more now...not even counting Cal.

I'm so hoping for Turcotte / Byram 5....Tomasino / Seider / possibly Hoglander or Brink at 22 and anyone that falls to 33 and have liked what I read and saw of Grewe...and after TG called him Top 10, except for his hands...and a young Esa Tikkanen...that sounds good....it's not that his hands are bad - just not elite. He led his SuperElite team in points per game. But plays like a beast and the Kings need beasts that can play. Puistola or Kokkonen at 33 could be good.

Hoping they can take #22 and add ?? to get up to 12-15 for Boldy, Newhook or Kaliyev! or even Broberg or Soderstrom.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

on the ALBIN GREWE train at #33
102 PIM in 25 games? Kings need a t-rex that eats everything (and can still play the game)

""""" plays with considerable energy.. is a threat down the right side when he puts his shoulder down to attack wide and then drive the net, Draftin Europe 2018
He is at the top of the food chain, a t-rex, eats everything and thinks everything is under him, Robert Ohlsson (Coach) 2018
slick stickhandler … dangerous in the offensive end … plays a fast game … works hard every shift … deadly on the power play, ISS Hockey 2017"""""

Albin Grewe at eliteprospects.com

Djurgårdens IF J20

SuperElit

25

13

21

34

102

12

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[fsanford]

Blueshirt Banter 2019 NHL Draft Rankings - #4 Trevor Zegras

Nice write up on Zegras.

Thanks for this, it sounds like a smaller version of Kopitar,. I chuckled when one guy talked about his skills at the half board. (All I can think of is Kopitar on PP)

Still think we need more of a shooter, kid will be a solid but my preference would be someone else with that pick.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I wouldn't take Knight early for a variety of reasons. We don't have a current problem at the position. Replacement-level goaltending is easy to find and one of the last things this roster should worry about with so many other holes. We have a great prospect already in Petersen. Knight plays behind a stacked team so hard to learn if he's the real deal. If he drops to like our 4th pick that's something else entirely, but I definitely wouldn't use any of our first three on him.

I don't know much about what makes a good goalie. It doesn't matter anyways since I've not seen him. However, if he's the best pre draft goalie prospect since Al Montoya (as I heard him referred to as on thn) then have no problem capitalizing on an under appreciated niche in the market, as it were.

I do not care if we have Peterson. The Kings need top end talent and I'd love to get Knight with our second round pick. I like talent sorting itself out as opposed to lack of options eliminating all question. Let the goalies battle it out.

 

[DoktorJeep]

After his OHl playoffs performance, I’d be happy if Suzuki falls to 22. The guy who might be there are could be a steal is LaVoie

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't know much about what makes a good goalie. It doesn't matter anyways since I've not seen him. However, if he's the best pre draft goalie prospect since Al Montoya (as I heard him referred to as on thn) then have no problem capitalizing on an under appreciated niche in the market, as it were.

I do not care if we have Peterson. The Kings need top end talent and I'd love to get Knight with our second round pick. I like talent sorting itself out as opposed to lack of options eliminating all question. Let the goalies battle it out.

Is it, though? I'd argue goalies actually get drafted too high in many cases.

I agree that it's better to be oversaturated with talent at all positions, but goalie is the least of our needs with those first several picks, imo. We have several tiers of ages and abilities with Quick, Campbell, Petersen, as well as Villalta, Cole Kehler under contract and Hrenak and Jacob Ingham also in the system. I'd love to add Knight to that but not at the cost of a high pick.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

After his OHl playoffs performance, I’d be happy if Suzuki falls to 22. The guy who might be there are could be a steal is LaVoie

good offensive players with size, that can score goals at a premium...don't think he drops to 22. He just scored 20 goals in 23 playoff games. Has the advantage of playing late into the season and killed it. Seems like he's gone in the teens for sure

 

[Frolov 6'3]

After his OHl playoffs performance, I’d be happy if Suzuki falls to 22. The guy who might be there are could be a steal is LaVoie

euh which Suzuki you are talking about?

It certainly isnt Ryan Suzuki...

 

[Frolov 6'3]

good offensive players with size, that can score goals at a premium...don't think he drops to 22. He just scored 20 goals in 23 playoff games. Has the advantage of playing late into the season and killed it. Seems like he's gone in the teens for sure

Possible but he was almost eligible in last year's draft. That could be an issue.

Besides the last time LA drafted something noteworthy from the Q was decades ago. We have a horrible draft history over there.

Even Bernier was a disappointment.

 

[scramble91]

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right.

The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds.

That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere to showcase his talents in his late 20s, which is what Robert Lang did with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Since Robert Lang was selected, you can't find a top six player drafted by the Kings outside the top two rounds.

Beyond the top two rounds, the team has been historically awful at finding talent. That's quite the accomplishment, and places more emphasis on the importance of landing picks in the top two rounds.

Let’s hope that record is broken this year with Nikolai

 

[DoktorJeep]

euh which Suzuki you are talking about?

It certainly isnt Ryan Suzuki...

I confused the two, you’re totally right.

 

[TopT]

I know we are out of it but I am still not getting Hughes over Kakko, I dont think its even close at this point