2022 Draft Discussion (after the trade)

[Mats26]

I wonder what people would say about the Seider selection now if he had as many injuries as Turcotte did and would not be in the NHL by now

Bo Byram had serious injuries too, he is now 1 win away now from the NHL cup finals and playing really well. You need to make some progress out of the 30 or so games you play or just simply make injuries your excuse. In Turcotte's case, it is not one injury , it is cumulative, with a history of injuries and that is worrisome.

 

[ricardfromage]

Good post.
It took Filip Chytil 4 years to show what he can do now...and Troy Terry, also 4 years.
Neither of them looked that special a year ago....could have probably got them in a trade.
It took Kempe 5 years - although he was decent, his first 4....but not reaching the level he has now attained.

There will always be a few like McDavid, that can make an impact by age 19, but that's not the norm.
Even Draisaitl and MacKinnon, needed a few seasons. Matthews was making an impact, straight off.

Many of the King prospects have had short seasons and injuries: Byfield, broken ankle, Vilardi, back issues, Turcotte, 2 concussions and lower body inj, Madden, broken collarbone, Thomas, 2 bad shoulders. Brandt Clarke, knee injury. Never seen so many injuries, to prospects. Even Grans was banged up at the end of this year.
Good grief!

Most of these will be their 4th pro season, we see them hit their (near) peaks. Some will make an impact and some will be fringe.

I believe Byfield makes an impact next year, in terms of consistent play, 15 minutes a night...possibly reaches 20 goals, 40 points- if he gets PP time. I think Chromiak, Clarke make impacts by their 2nd pro year.
Hard to define impact, as you could say Spence made an impact, but he's not near where he will be, by pro season 3. That was his first pro season and pretty impressive.

I think QB worked hard and was ready in camp and played great. Then the ankle break. Who knows what his year would have been like, without that. Took 3 months away. Maybe with 3 months more experience, he's ready for round 1 vs Oilers. I think he will have a great Summer, show up 10 lbs more muscle and will be 20 in August.

I so much want Gabe to be ready to take the next step. It looked like he took a step the last 2 weeks of the year and Todd scratches him. Gabe needed to be better, earlier. I hope they don't trade him...until he's given a real shot. He had a shot 2 yrs ago, but a lot of pressure as 2C and Carter was crap...as was AA, on his line. That didn't help him.

I think Kaliyev is ready to make a bigger impact next year, as he knows he can play in this league and getting better and better. He should push for top 6. But, year 3 and 4 will be even better.

I couldn't agree more. Great post as usual.

I am in the same boat as you are where Vilardi is concerned all the way. He has the size skill and drive to be an impact player in the NHL and I believe that he will achieve his potential if he is given an honest chance. I don't know how he ended up in TM's doghouse but he clearly did or at least it appears so.

If he ends up being dealt which has been rumored then I hope he gets an honest chance with his knew team. I know that the Redwings have had serious interest in him as have the Flyers and Islanders but Blake has kept his responses close to his chest (a good thing). If the supposed Redwing offer were to go thru then it would be a mistake on our part but you never know.

I actually thought that Kaliyev had a very solid rookie season. With 14 goals and 13 assists while playing protected minutes you have to be very happy with his production. Sure there is plenty of room for improvement but he had a very good start to his NHL career. I think that your assessment is spot on.

QB is proving to be a very enigmatic young player. He has really quick hands and his skating is pretty solid. I think that QB needs time to get his head to catch up with his body and that once that happens he will be ready to start making an impact and has star potential. Pretty much everyone said about him prior to his draft seems to be true and is coming to form in front of us.

I remember seeing him play in person during his draft year. He had a 3 point night (goal and two apples) and I wrote that if he can put it all together with confidence that he could be a very special NHL'er. Same holds true today on that it looks like he is very close to doing so.

Martin Chromiak looks like he will be a very good young forward for us in a season or two. He is one smart player who always wants the puck on his stick. He likes to hit and is impossible to move in front of the net.

I think that it is time for Andersen/Dolan to begin his NHL career for us as a bottom 6er with 2nd line potential. He plays a very smart game and has solid hands. He looks really good to me when it comes to D coverage in the N and D zones. Really good. His O game is solid but can always be improved on. In short all of our prospects look pretty good to very good to me. Of course not all of them will be able to make the jump for us but it looks like we have allot of depth ready to make the jump.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Bo Byram had serious injuries too, he is now 1 win away now from the NHL cup finals and playing really well. You need to make some progress out of the 30 or so games you play or just simply make injuries your excuse. In Turcotte's case, it is not one injury , it is cumulative, with a history of injuries and that is worrisome.

So you're saying he's got opportunity in the NHL?

Imagine that.

Edit: actually funny you bring up Byram, not once did the Avs make him 'earn' it, he's played a grand total of 2 AHL games otherwise he immediately went to his current role if nearly 18 minutes a game. On a championship-caliber team, mind you. Weird how even the Avs with all their talent can figure it out but the Kings can't.

 

[yankeeking]

The kid line everyone is raving about has been given regular shifts since their draft and many were wondering if KK and Laffy were mistakes , if you remember some here joked that we drafted the right laffy ., we had about two weeks of our kid line playing together and getting better and then were benched for AA and DB , old school hockey mentality that veterans play when available and
understandable especially for Brownie , so i believe we will be pleasantly surprised out of camp how our new third line plays/ And for AT hopefully he can survive these concussions and get to being the two way player he was drafted for being , these are the guys that that drive championship teams , for you guys that remember Dionne and saw him play he could score almost at will but after we traded Butch we never even advanced to the second round , hockey is the ultimate team game and guys with the talent we saw in jrs. from turcotte he will be one of he pieces needed

 

[Mats26]

So you're saying he's got opportunity in the NHL?

Imagine that.

Edit: actually funny you bring up Byram, not once did the Avs make him 'earn' it, he's played a grand total of 2 AHL games otherwise he immediately went to his current role if nearly 18 minutes a game. On a championship-caliber team, mind you. Weird how even the Avs with all their talent can figure it out but the Kings can't.

So your saying that we have issues developing players? Where did you stand on this 2 years ago when I was saying the same thing about how we develop forwards. If we use the same recipe as we do with D- men, we won't be having this discussion.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

So your saying that we have issues developing players? Where did you stand on this 2 years ago when I was saying the same thing about how we develop forwards. If we use the same recipe as we do with D- men, we won't be having this discussion.

I don't know how much clearer I can make it, honestly.

 

[Mats26]

I don't know how much clearer I can make it, honestly.

Glad your on board, but this was nothing new to some posters, poor forward development was way behind goaltending and D-men for years.

 

[Lt Dan]

We need a forward that scores goals and terrorizes smell medieval villages. We are too soft and need to score more.

 

[All The Kings Men]

 

[Fishhead]

So you're saying he's got opportunity in the NHL?

Imagine that.

Edit: actually funny you bring up Byram, not once did the Avs make him 'earn' it, he's played a grand total of 2 AHL games otherwise he immediately went to his current role if nearly 18 minutes a game. On a championship-caliber team, mind you. Weird how even the Avs with all their talent can figure it out but the Kings can't.

To be fair there is more at play here, it's not this simple.

The Avs had to have Byram in, they were at the cap all year and without him in they would be over. They were no other options, without Newhook and Byram on ELCs they would have struggled to be cap compliant, if they would be at all.

The Avs are also a juggernaut. When the Kings were great, Toffoli, Pearson, King, Nolan - they all had key roles and were contributing. King in particular was lights out in some playoff series. Does that mean the Kings actually could develop forwards back then? We bitched just as much back then about how we could churn out defense but not forwards. Those guys helped us win cups, just like Byram might. On a championship-caliber team, no less. And just like Colorado, the Kings relied on those ELCs and cheaper contracts to stack their team.

So I don't think it's a figuring it out thing. On another team, Byram is likely not performing nearly as well and might even have been shut down because of his head issues, but he's in a fantastic situation and is showing his ability.

I really don't think the Kings are good at developing talent at forward, not in the same ballpark as they are with D and goalies, just playing devil's advocate here as our perceptions with the Kings are biased.

A lot of development is situational. There is a reason Colorado's defense this year is: 2 drafted guys, 5 traded guys, 2 signed guys. In fact, there are only 6 guys on Colorado's roster that they drafted and developed. Does that mean they suck at it? 12 of their guys they had to bring in via trade to build their team. One could easily argue that Colorado is terrible at drafting and development and the only reason they hit on a few guys is because they couldn't miss. 4 of the 6 drafted guys on their team now were top-4 picks. When you have those year after year you are bound to hit on guys.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Wheeler's rankings are out. Did a little bit of a deeper look and would love Pickering or Bischel as a LHD in the 2nd (though I can imagine teams picking them earlier than our pick).

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

To be fair there is more at play here, it's not this simple.

The Avs had to have Byram in, they were at the cap all year and without him in they would be over. They were no other options, without Newhook and Byram on ELCs they would have struggled to be cap compliant, if they would be at all.

The Avs are also a juggernaut. When the Kings were great, Toffoli, Pearson, King, Nolan - they all had key roles and were contributing. King in particular was lights out in some playoff series. Does that mean the Kings actually could develop forwards back then? We bitched just as much back then about how we could churn out defense but not forwards. Those guys helped us win cups, just like Byram might. On a championship-caliber team, no less. And just like Colorado, the Kings relied on those ELCs and cheaper contracts to stack their team.

So I don't think it's a figuring it out thing. On another team, Byram is likely not performing nearly as well and might even have been shut down because of his head issues, but he's in a fantastic situation and is showing his ability.

I really don't think the Kings are good at developing talent at forward, not in the same ballpark as they are with D and goalies, just playing devil's advocate here as our perceptions with the Kings are biased.

A lot of development is situational. There is a reason Colorado's defense this year is: 2 drafted guys, 5 traded guys, 2 signed guys. In fact, there are only 6 guys on Colorado's roster that they drafted and developed. Does that mean they suck at it? 12 of their guys they had to bring in via trade to build their team. One could easily argue that Colorado is terrible at drafting and development and the only reason they hit on a few guys is because they couldn't miss. 4 of the 6 drafted guys on their team now were top-4 picks. When you have those year after year you are bound to hit on guys.

Oh, it's absolutely this nuanced, nice explanation.

My response was simply to the 'well, he's in the NHL' metric of prospect evaluation.

 

[Fishhead]

Oh, it's absolutely this nuanced, nice explanation.

My response was simply to the 'well, he's in the NHL' metric of prospect evaluation.

Well, the best thing about the complexities of evaluating prospects is that there is always something to complain about

If I was a Colorado fan, I can't help thinking that we would complain about the following:

This team is a bunch of mercenaries, we have to win this year because it's not sustainable!

11 years, 70 draft picks, only 6 on the current roster. Terrible.

Out of those 70 picks, 45 never sniffed an NHL roster. Even worse.

Out of those 70 picks, only 7 (10%) have played in at least 100 NHL games. EVEN WORSER!

Sakic sucks at drafting, we are lucky he can trade! And even though he's not our GM, Blake sucks too for ripping off the C and coming here! And he can't draft either!

 

[King'sPawn]

Thank you for this. I love Will Scouching's work, and he's pretty consistent with his analysis, even if I disagree with some of his conclusions.

 

[King'sPawn]

Well, the best thing about the complexities of evaluating prospects is that there is always something to complain about

If I was a Colorado fan, I can't help thinking that we would complain about the following:

This team is a bunch of mercenaries, we have to win this year because it's not sustainable!

11 years, 70 draft picks, only 6 on the current roster. Terrible.

Out of those 70 picks, 45 never sniffed an NHL roster. Even worse.

Out of those 70 picks, only 7 (10%) have played in at least 100 NHL games. EVEN WORSER!

Sakic sucks at drafting, we are lucky he can trade! And even though he's not our GM, Blake sucks too for ripping off the C and coming here! And he can't draft either!

Well yes, when people exaggerate the shortcomings, it will always look absurd. Especially when the team has success right now.

But keep in mind they are largely buoyed by their top picks: MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen. All top-10 picks. As well as trading away a former third overall pick Matt Duchene.

As the Avalanche have multiple seasons of NOT picking in the top-10, and their core ages, they will have to find a way to develop their later round picks to sustain a winning model.

Sakic has done a phenomenal job with what he has and deserves all the credit for what he's built. But there should be long-term questions asked despite the success, and asking if the current structure is applicable in all circumstances.

It's why a team like Nashville deserves a lot of respect despite their lack of cups. They have frequently competed in or for the playoffs despite drafting in the top 10 only twice since 2004.

 

[Fishhead]

Well yes, when people exaggerate the shortcomings, it will always look absurd. Especially when the team has success right now.

But keep in mind they are largely buoyed by their top picks: MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen. All top-10 picks. As well as trading away a former third overall pick Matt Duchene.

As the Avalanche have multiple seasons of NOT picking in the top-10, and their core ages, they will have to find a way to develop their later round picks to sustain a winning model.

Sakic has done a phenomenal job with what he has and deserves all the credit for what he's built. But there should be long-term questions asked despite the success, and asking if the current structure is applicable in all circumstances.

It's why a team like Nashville deserves a lot of respect despite their lack of cups. They have frequently competed in or for the playoffs despite drafting in the top 10 only twice since 2004.

I've always been impressed with what Nashville does. Just year in and year out they identify guys and keep it rolling. Can't get over the hump, but still commendable.

 

[Mats26]

I've always been impressed with what Nashville does. Just year in and year out they identify guys and keep it rolling. Can't get over the hump, but still commendable.

Nashville has been the poster child for what a "bubble team" is. Never good enough to go on a deep run, never bad enough to rebuild. They should rehire Trotz and get back to their identity. Big, physical, structured team with good D.

 

[SmytheKing]

But keep in mind they are largely buoyed by their top picks: MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Rantanen. All top-10 picks. As well as trading away a former third overall pick Matt Duchene.

Unrelated, but how is Landeskog only 29? I feel like he's been playing since before Kopitar and Brown were on the Kings.

 

[JeanBlanc]

With the #2 pick in play, I wonder if the Blake would consider making a play for it using Byfield to get power LW, Juraj Slafkovsky (LW - TPS - 6'4" 218lb).

Smaht Scouting
The Hockey Writers
Dobber Prospects
The Draft Analyst
Last Word on Sports
Elite Prospects

The argument for Byfield is that power forwards are easier to find than skilled big centers with speed.

The argument for Slafkovsky is that he's ready to slot into LW1 as an 18 year old at an ELC, filling our needs for toughness, skill, and puck protection (reminiscent of a younger Kopitar that way).

 

[SmytheKing]

With the #2 pick in play, I wonder if the Blake would consider making a play for it using Byfield to get power LW, Juraj Slafkovsky (LW - TPS - 6'4" 218lb).

Smaht Scouting
The Hockey Writers
Dobber Prospects
The Draft Analyst
Last Word on Sports
Elite Prospects

The argument for Byfield is that power forwards are easier to find than skilled big centers with speed.

The argument for Slafkovsky is that he's ready to slot into LW1 as an 18 year old at an ELC, filling our needs for toughness, skill, and puck protection (reminiscent of a younger Kopitar that way).

What are you adding to it besides Byfield because no way is NJ doing that trade straight up. Not with Hughes and Nico as their #1 and #2.

 

[Schrute farms]

I just noticed that the draft this year is Thursday & Friday -- as opposed to Friday & Saturday. Bummer if true. I liked waking up Saturday AM drinking too many cups of coffee and ridiculously proclaiming stardom for guys i've never seen (or even heard of before) that the Kings draft in rounds 2-7.

I hope day 2 on Friday will be after 4-5pm.....when i'm not working and can drink copious amounts of alcohol instead.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

With the #2 pick in play, I wonder if the Blake would consider making a play for it using Byfield to get power LW, Juraj Slafkovsky (LW - TPS - 6'4" 218lb).

Smaht Scouting
The Hockey Writers
Dobber Prospects
The Draft Analyst
Last Word on Sports
Elite Prospects

The argument for Byfield is that power forwards are easier to find than skilled big centers with speed.

The argument for Slafkovsky is that he's ready to slot into LW1 as an 18 year old at an ELC, filling our needs for toughness, skill, and puck protection (reminiscent of a younger Kopitar that way).

I cannot see the Kings trading up to #2 with NJ. It would cost a lot and it's not like Slafkovsky is a slam dunk...many thought Kakko was destined for stardom - and honestly, Slafkovsky may go #1 and Wright #2.
If that is the case and Rob worked out a deal with NJ 'if the player we want is at #2'....NJ may not want to make a decision on the clock, if the player the Kings want is not there.

I could see the Kings possibly trading up in 12-16 and a longshot to deal up to 5-9, if they covet a player.
It would not necessarily cost Byfield, Kaliyev, Chromiak or Clarke. Ducks 10 and Sharks 11 do not make trade partners, nor does Vanc at 15. Maybe the Kings would trade up for a player like Gauthier, Lekkerimaki, Mateychuk or possibly Howard...Nazar...McGroarty...Ohgren. But honestly, a good prospect will certainly be there at 19.

 

[JeanBlanc]

What are you adding to it besides Byfield because no way is NJ doing that trade straight up. Not with Hughes and Nico as their #1 and #2.

Good point about NJ being set at a center. I didn't think that through.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Cutter would be great, but likely picked in the top 12.

 

[AnThGrt]

Cutter would be great, but likely picked in the top 12.

Gone before 8 most likely #6 maybe #5