2022 Draft Discussion (after the trade)

[King'sPawn]

I am getting back into writing for MM. If you're interested in bad puns but a perspective about a potential target, here's one posted earlier this week: 2022 NHL Draft Preview: Owen Pickering, Canadian Defense

I'm hoping to ramp up the efforts before the draft.

 

[Mcsorley47]

It’s that time of year again!

 

[Docgonzo]

After doing some reading I’m leaning towards Mesar, Snuggerud and Ohgren. Pickering is interesting but don’t like the idea of Bischel, he leans more towards defensive Dman and I don’t think you should take those in the 1st round.

Ultimately I think they package it for a trade at the draft, but if no I want one of those 3 forwards.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

There are some names in there that definitely could fall, like Lambert, Nazar. But assuming a 'normal' draft I like Mesar, McGroarty, Mateychuk.

If we had better luck with Russians I've seen a lot of projections that have Miroshnichenko falling but...you know.

 

[Peter James Bond III]

Ones I would consider trading up in 12-16 range: Conor Geekie, Mintyukov and Marco Kasper.
But I still think at 19, will land a good player.
I would prefer a sizeable, skilled,, LHD or a top winger...but am not afraid of drafting a center, if they are BPA.
Anyone at slot 19, will not be ready for 3 years and by then, Kopi is gone, Danault is in the last 2 yrs of his contract...and who knows how anyone not named Byfield, can take a center spot or is even dealt. RHD is a no go, as so many young RHD for years. (at least unless Grans, Durzi or Spence is dealt this offseason...AND Faber is questionable to ever sign)

 

[kilowatt]

There are some names in there that definitely could fall, like Lambert, Nazar. But assuming a 'normal' draft I like Mesar, McGroarty, Mateychuk.

If we had better luck with Russians I've seen a lot of projections that have Miroshnichenko falling but...you know.

McGroarty, Lambert, or Nazar would be great. Surprised to see Cutter Gauthier rise to the 5-10 range, I think his teammates might be better than he is. Scouts must line his size.

Bummed there aren’t any real solid goalie prospects.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Man there are some serious letterkenny names in this draft

 

[Docgonzo]

There are some names in there that definitely could fall, like Lambert, Nazar. But assuming a 'normal' draft I like Mesar, McGroarty, Mateychuk.

If we had better luck with Russians I've seen a lot of projections that have Miroshnichenko falling but...you know.

I’d be ok if they took a chance at Miroshnihenko, Kings could use some home runs. Even their “safe” picks are taking longer to reach so I’d be ok with a big risk.

Also I think the Kings do ok with Russians in rounds 1&2, beyond that I’d say no. It the deeper rounds where they all decide to stay in Russia on us.

 

[Peter James Bond III]

I really love the scouching guy and he's adding prospect profiles again.

his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Scouching/videos

Logan Cooley. Looks great. Is playing at Minnesota next yr with Faber. After watching him,
would try to trade up for him...but he'll go to NJ at 2 or Az at 3, it would seem.



Here's Mesar's profile. He looks good, but looks like about 5'8", just based on that, would probably pass. There will be other good options at 19. Kings need more size in the future. Who knows if Helenius makes the grade.
At 19, should be a few of Pickering, McGroarty, Ohgren, Snuggerud, Howard, Mateychuk, Kulich, Bischel there and would probably prefer one of them.

 

[Vino]

We have already average/below average sized R-shooting forwards Fagemo, Madden, Thomas, Chromiak, Simontaival coming and Kings should draft another skill softie like Filip Mesar? Hell no.

Canada's U18 WJC-team didn't play well at all (awful coaching), but I liked Pickering and I hope that Kings draft him. Or Kevin Korchinski.

If they use later round picks to draft LD Calle Odelius (so smart and calm), C Filip Bystedt (slow, but skilled), C Topi Ronni (a two-way center, good passer, so-and-so skater) I'm happy. If they draft any Russian player, who played last season in the KHL/MHL/VHL or any player, who is shorter than 6'0 or Brad Lambert, I'm not happy at all.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

We have already average/below average sized R-shooting forwards Fagemo, Madden, Thomas, Chromiak, Simontaival coming and Kings should draft another skill softie like Filip Mesar? Hell no.

Canada's U18 WJC-team didn't play well at all (awful coaching), but I liked Pickering and I hope that Kings draft him. Or Kevin Korchinski.

If they use later round picks to draft LD Calle Odelius (so smart and calm), C Filip Bystedt (slow, but skilled), C Topi Ronni (a two-way center, good passer, so-and-so skater) I'm happy. If they draft any Russian player, who played last season in the KHL/MHL/VHL or any player, who is shorter than 6'0 or Brad Lambert, I'm not happy at all.

This is where not drafting BPA because you perceive you've 'filled a need' will get you in trouble.

Precisely ZERO of those guys have shown us anything in the NHL to suggest we can't pick a shooting forward and even if they did Mesar would be far off enough that redundancy at a position would be an asset in itself (see our RHD situation). Never mind the fact that the Kings, you know, eternally suck at scoring, haha.

If Mesar is the BPA, don't get cute.

 

[raswilliam]

Maveric Lamoureux​

If you’re a fan of oversized defensemen who can skate well, you’re going to love what Maverick Lamoureux brings to the table. Standing at 6-foot-7 and inching closer to the 200-pound mark, he draws comparable to Zdeno Chara, and he certainly has the imposing stature to show for it.

Maveric Lamoureux – 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Maveric Lamoureux is a 2022 NHL Entry Draft eligible prospect currently for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[Fishhead]

One guy who intrigues me is Kasper Halttunen. Really big guy, always been one of the youngest on the national rosters. Skating is decent, could work on his stride a bit, rocket of a shot, and will blow guys up given the chance. Has that Tkachuk style of play, but I have no idea if he's an asshole. Can be shifty with the puck, even though his stick is really long.

I think he'll go anywhere between 12-24 or so.

 

[tomd]

One guy who intrigues me is Kasper Halttunen. Really big guy, always been one of the youngest on the national rosters. Skating is decent, could work on his stride a bit, rocket of a shot, and will blow guys up given the chance. Has that Tkachuk style of play, but I have no idea if he's an asshole. Can be shifty with the puck, even though his stick is really long.

I think he'll go anywhere between 12-24 or so.

2023 draft eligible.

 

[Fishhead]

2023 draft eligible.

Oh shit, I didn't know he was that young!

 

[Peter James Bond III]

While there should be a very good prospect at 19, I won't be pissed if the pick is traded in a package for an established player 27 or younger. It's not like when DL traded #13 in 2015, with Connor and Barzal (and Chabot) available. There won't be someone that good at 19 in this draft - unless you really get lucky. It's possible, just not probable. I'm all for making the Kings better now. Need to develop the 10+ top prospects they already have.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

A power forward you say?

 

[Schrute farms]

I'm usually a BPA guy when it comes to drafting and you can figure the logjam out later. But i have to admit -- i want SIZE and lots of it

 

[verbalkint47]

Lots of mentions about size but a quick peek at hockeydb or hockey reference shows we have lots of players and prospects listed between 6' and 6'2". I agree we need to add toughness to both the Kings and Reign but we're not exactly the late/post Gainey era Habs with Gionta, Gallagher , squid , Byron, Desharais, etc.
I think you draft BPA even if it's a RHD or smaller forward. Swing for the fences. It's easier, and cheaper, to add depth toughness through trades or UFA signings than to add an impact scoring threat .

 

[crassbonanza]

Lots of mentions about size but a quick peek at hockeydb or hockey reference shows we have lots of players and prospects listed between 6' and 6'2". I agree we need to add toughness to both the Kings and Reign but we're not exactly the late/post Gainey era Habs with Gionta, Gallagher , squid , Byron, Desharais, etc.
I think you draft BPA even if it's a RHD or smaller forward. Swing for the fences. It's easier, and cheaper, to add depth toughness through trades or UFA signings than to add an impact scoring threat .

I agree with BPA in general, but I don't think it is easier to trade for or sign toughness as it might have been a while ago. Goodrow, Coleman, and Foligno were all recently traded for first round picks. People mocked Ottawa for keeping their 4th round pick to draft Brady, but it turned out to be the right call. While size doesn't translate to grit/toughness(which we have seen in guys like Kopi, Forbort, Byfield), but I do think you need to take some risks now to find a gem to complement the team. Going consensus has not gone super well for us so far, it might be time to think outside the box and go for a home run.

 

[kingsfan]

Maveric Lamoureux​

If you’re a fan of oversized defensemen who can skate well, you’re going to love what Maverick Lamoureux brings to the table. Standing at 6-foot-7 and inching closer to the 200-pound mark, he draws comparable to Zdeno Chara, and he certainly has the imposing stature to show for it.

Maveric Lamoureux – 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Maveric Lamoureux is a 2022 NHL Entry Draft eligible prospect currently for the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL.

thehockeywriters.com

Not that I'm entirely opposed to drafting a guy of that size, but typically those guys take a long time to grow into their bodies. Chara was 22-23 before he became a regular and almost 25 before he was a top four minute muncher. Logan Stanley is a more recent example and this year he's 24 and averaging just 15:39 a game. For the record, I think Stanley will round into a top four guy but by the time they reach their potential they are well down the path towards their UFA years. At this point you're investing almost as much time into them as you are into developing a starting netminder.

While there should be a very good prospect at 19, I won't be pissed if the pick is traded in a package for an established player 27 or younger. It's not like when DL traded #13 in 2015, with Connor and Barzal (and Chabot) available. There won't be someone that good at 19 in this draft - unless you really get lucky. It's possible, just not probable. I'm all for making the Kings better now. Need to develop the 10+ top prospects they already have.

In pretty much every draft ever there's been an elite skilled player drafted after the 19th overall pick. In most cases well after the 19th overall pick.

 

[kingsfan]

Lots of mentions about size but a quick peek at hockeydb or hockey reference shows we have lots of players and prospects listed between 6' and 6'2". I agree we need to add toughness to both the Kings and Reign but we're not exactly the late/post Gainey era Habs with Gionta, Gallagher , squid , Byron, Desharais, etc.
I think you draft BPA even if it's a RHD or smaller forward. Swing for the fences. It's easier, and cheaper, to add depth toughness through trades or UFA signings than to add an impact scoring threat .

If there's any draft in at least the last 25 years for us to swing for the fences, it's this one. We can completely whiff on a guy and still have one of the best prospect pools in the league.

The only thing I want us to do this draft is pick a goalie at some point. No one in the system is screaming guaranteed NHL back up for me between the pipes, let alone heir apparent.

 

[Vino]

This is where not drafting BPA because you perceive you've 'filled a need' will get you in trouble.

Precisely ZERO of those guys have shown us anything in the NHL to suggest we can't pick a shooting forward and even if they did Mesar would be far off enough that redundancy at a position would be an asset in itself (see our RHD situation). Never mind the fact that the Kings, you know, eternally suck at scoring, haha.

If Mesar is the BPA, don't get cute.

Here a need and BPA meet each other. In my mind Pickering's pro potential is higher than Mesar's. In HFBoards BPA usually means "a forward, who had nice stats and some fancy moves".

Dmens, which Kings have drafted since 2017 (after Blake was named GM):

2017

LD Mikey Anderson (6'0" / 196 lbs)
LD Markus Philipps (6'0" / 201 lbs, traded away)
LD Cole Hults (6'0" / 190 lbs, traded away)

2018

-

2019

LD Tobias Björnfot (6'0" / 201 lbs)
RD Jordan Spence (5'10" / 163 lbs)
LD Kim Nousiainen (5'9" / 170 lbs)
LD Braden Doyle (5'11" / 181 lbs)

2020

RD Helge Grans (6'3" / 205 lbs)
RD Brock Faber (6'0" / 190 lbs)
LD Ben Meehan (6'0" / 179 lbs)

2021

RD Brandt Clarke (6'2" / 185 lbs)
LD Kiril Kirsanov (6'1" / 198 lbs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drew Doughty's Exit Interview:

"He knows it’s not his job to make offseason changes or additions, but highlighted two areas that he thinks maybe one more piece is needed, whether that be through internal growth or external improvement. They go along pretty well with the narratives you usually see, and really aren’t all that surprising.

I don’t want to say we’re missing things, but I think we can add some toughness, I think that would be good,” he said. “Maybe a bigger guy on D, besides Eddy, we’re all kind of little guys, but I think we can always add a scorer, that’s still our downfall I think, is not scoring. Power play was not even close to good enough, so I think we could still add another top-six guy that puts the puck in the net, I think that would be great, but I don’t know what we have to do, that’s just my opinion, it’s up to them to decide.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's impossible to get toughness or bigger D internally, if you don't draft bigger d-prospects. In my mind Blake and Yannetti have done a huge mistake, when they have not drafted toughness/edge/mean guys. Or even some bigger guys like Isles/Carolina's Mayfield/Pelech/Pulock/Slavin/Pesce. Those guys are so f***ing valuable when playoffs start.

 

[verbalkint47]

I agree with BPA in general, but I don't think it is easier to trade for or sign toughness as it might have been a while ago. Goodrow, Coleman, and Foligno were all recently traded for first round picks. People mocked Ottawa for keeping their 4th round pick to draft Brady, but it turned out to be the right call. While size doesn't translate to grit/toughness(which we have seen in guys like Kopi, Forbort, Byfield), but I do think you need to take some risks now to find a gem to complement the team. Going consensus has not gone super well for us so far, it might be time to think outside the box and go for a home run.

You make a fair point. Teams loading up for cups runs have been paying a premium for size and toughness lately. Hell even Ryan Reaves fetched a 1st once upon a time. There's still UFA options like Deslauriers or even Nick Paul. I like the Brenden Dillon shout if Winnipeg needs to shed cap space. We signed MacD as a free agent and had success drafting in the 2nd round with Simmonds and Clifford. Also drafted Helenius last year. If the scouts think BPA is Bischel or McGroarty then I'm all for it. But if they think other options are in a tier above draft some size and toughness in the 2nd and/or later rounds.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Here a need and BPA meet each other. In my mind Pickering's pro potential is higher than Mesar's. In HFBoards BPA usually means "a forward, who had nice stats and some fancy moves".

Dmens, which Kings have drafted since 2017 (after Blake was named GM):

2017

LD Mikey Anderson (6'0" / 196 lbs)
LD Markus Philipps (6'0" / 201 lbs, traded away)
LD Cole Hults (6'0" / 190 lbs, traded away)

2018

-

2019

LD Tobias Björnfot (6'0" / 201 lbs)
RD Jordan Spence (5'10" / 163 lbs)
LD Kim Nousiainen (5'9" / 170 lbs)
LD Braden Doyle (5'11" / 181 lbs)

2020

RD Helge Grans (6'3" / 205 lbs)
RD Brock Faber (6'0" / 190 lbs)
LD Ben Meehan (6'0" / 179 lbs)

2021

RD Brandt Clarke (6'2" / 185 lbs)
LD Kiril Kirsanov (6'1" / 198 lbs)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drew Doughty's Exit Interview:

"He knows it’s not his job to make offseason changes or additions, but highlighted two areas that he thinks maybe one more piece is needed, whether that be through internal growth or external improvement. They go along pretty well with the narratives you usually see, and really aren’t all that surprising.

I don’t want to say we’re missing things, but I think we can add some toughness, I think that would be good,” he said. “Maybe a bigger guy on D, besides Eddy, we’re all kind of little guys, but I think we can always add a scorer, that’s still our downfall I think, is not scoring. Power play was not even close to good enough, so I think we could still add another top-six guy that puts the puck in the net, I think that would be great, but I don’t know what we have to do, that’s just my opinion, it’s up to them to decide.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's impossible to get toughness or bigger D internally, if you don't draft bigger d-prospects. In my mind Blake and Yannetti have done a huge mistake, when they have not drafted toughness/edge/mean guys. Or even some bigger guys like Isles/Carolina's Mayfield/Pelech/Pulock/Slavin/Pesce. Those guys are so f***ing valuable when playoffs start.

Ok so...BPA

I agree with all of this, that's different than your first post I responded to, where you said literally if the Kings drafted Lambert or anyone under 6' you'd be upset, and I think my point stands, the moment you start putting that sort of conditions on your picks is when you get into trouble. If Pickering > Mesar, do it, and be happy. But if Mesar > Pickering and you don't pick him due to size especially beacause other small guys are in the Kings' system, that's a bad move.

I think ultimately it will be a moot point because there are a lot of pretty beefy but good players in our range, ie pickering and mcgroarty.