2022 Draft Discussion (after the trade)

[Rekingsfan17]

2022 LA Kings Draftee's.............

Jack Hughes
Kenny Conners
Agnus Booth
Otto Salin
Jared Wright
Jack Sparkes
Kaleb Lawrence

Welcome to the LA Kings !!!!!!!
We are looking forward to seeing you play.

 

[Reaper45]

My son will be happy we drafted someone with the same name as him. Let’s go Otto!

 

[apadilla]

Jack Sparkes - 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Jack Sparkes is a big defenseman that plays a big-man game, and that size should see him get drafted in the 2022 Draft.

thehockeywriters.com

?

And judging PIMs from a guy who played 2 games due to injury is funny.

Jordan Sparkes, I hereby name thee, Birdman!

They drafted a guy who is 6'8" and apparently mean on the ice and another guy who is 6'7"...?

Cool beans, I spouted off two rounds too quick.

 

[kinghock]

This was a really bad year for goalies. Why waste a pick on a guy who will never play a game in the nhl.

And why keep 4 goalie prospects who do not have starter projectabilities with exception of Parik.

He is not sure thins either...

I got it, because it is self-resolving issue…

 

[lumbergh]

I'd love to be proven wrong, but this draft feels like a giant swing and a miss to me

More like a foul bunt.

 

[kinghock]

All of the Kings goalie prospects are 6’2” and above.

Does it make them great?

 

[lumbergh]

seriously -- 6'8 233 yes please!

Pair that with Willie Mitchell’s stick please!

 

[FSL KINGS]

Pair that with Willie Mitchell’s stick please!

Was Mitchell the one with a whippy, or soft stick?

Happy with the draft. They took some risks on a couple players. Starting with a late second limits what they could do.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Was Mitchell the one with a whippy, or soft stick?

Happy with the draft. They took some risks on a couple players. Starting with a late second limits what they could do.

Willie Mitchell speaks softly, carries an 80-inch stick

Mike Keenan loves him some controversy. Yesterday morning, in preparation for the Canucks match-up with the...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[AbsentMojo]

More like a foul bunt.

after 2 strikes

 

[Docgonzo]

Does it make them great?

He said we needed to draft big goalies like they’ve been drafting ones who are 5’9” or something.

And goalies are different animals. nobody in this forums knows if any goalie, except possibly Villiata, will be good or not. Goalies are non existent one day to unbelievable the next.

 

[Rekingsfan17]

2022 LA Kings Draftees

Pick #51
Jack Hughes, CL, 5’11.5”, 170 lbs., LS, 11/02/03, Northeastern Univ./NCAA (USA/Canada)

(#35 overall on Bob Mekenzie’s Final Draft Ranking)
(“#46 overall on his Top 127 Draft list, Best Puck Skills #6”.......Corey Pronman)
(committed to Northeastern Univ./NCAA 2021-22)
APS/BASK8
Pick #86 traded to Predators for Picks #103 and #169
Pick #103
Kenny Connors (D1), CL, 6’1”, 190 lbs., LS, 03/10/03, Dubuque Fighting Saints/USHL (USA)

(committed to UMass/NCAA 2022-23)
Pick #116
Angus Booth, LD, 6’1”, 176 lbs., LS, 04/27/04, Shawinigan,Cataractes/QMJHL (Canada/U.K.)

(#173 on Bob Father’s Final Draft list)
Pick #148
Otto Salin, RD, 5’11”, 205 lbs., RS, 03/07/04, HIFK/Liiga (Finland)

Pick #169
Jared Wright (D1), CR/W, 6’1”, 179 lbs., RS, 11/22/02, Omaha Lancers/USHL (USA)

(committed to Colgate Univ./NCAA 2023-24)
Pick #180
Jack Sparkes, RD, 6’8”, 229 lbs., RS, 10/20/03, Saint Michael's Buzzers/AJHL (Canada)

NHL Combine results: Wingspan (#2T) 80”
(#244 on Bob Father’s Final Draft list)
(“#69 overall on his Top 127 Draft list, Most Physically Dominate #1”.....Corey Pronman)
(committed to Michigan State Univ./NCAA 2023-24
ASH and AC/BASK8 and BAPS
Pick #215 (Traded 2023 7th round pick for this pick)
Kaleb Lawrence (D1), CL/RW, 6’7”, 229 lbs., LS, 01/10/03, Owen Sound Attack/OHL (Canada)

 

[Rekingsfan17]

2022 LA Kings Draftees

Pick #51
Jack Hughes, CL, 5’11.5”, 170 lbs., LS, 11/02/03, Northeastern Univ./NCAA (USA/Canada)

(#35 overall on Bob Mckenzie’s Final Draft Ranking)
(“#46 overall on his Top 127 Draft list, Best Puck Skills #6”.......Corey Pronman)
(committed to Northeastern Univ./NCAA 2021-22)
APS/BASK8
Pick #86 traded to Predators for Picks #103 and #169
Pick #103
Kenny Connors (D1), CL, 6’1”, 190 lbs., LS, 03/10/03, Dubuque Fighting Saints/USHL (USA)

(committed to UMass/NCAA 2022-23)
Pick #116
Angus Booth, LD, 6’1”, 176 lbs., LS, 04/27/04, Shawinigan Cataractes/QMJHL (Canada/U.K.)

(#173 on Bob Father’s Final Draft list)
Pick #148
Otto Salin, RD, 5’11”, 205 lbs., RS, 03/07/04, HIFK/Liiga (Finland)

Pick #169
Jared Wright (D1), CR/W, 6’1”, 179 lbs., RS, 11/22/02, Omaha Lancers/USHL (USA)

(committed to Colgate Univ./NCAA 2023-24)
Pick #180
Jack Sparkes, RD, 6’8”, 229 lbs., RS, 10/20/03, Saint Michael's Buzzers/AJHL (Canada)

NHL Combine results: Wingspan (#2T) 80”
(#244 on Bob Father’s Final Draft list)
(“#69 overall on his Top 127 Draft list, Most Physically Dominate #1”.....Corey Pronman)
(committed to Michigan State Univ./NCAA 2023-24
ASH and AC/BASK8 and BAPS
Pick #215 (Traded 2023 7th round pick for this pick)
Kaleb Lawrence (D1), CL/RW, 6’7”, 229 lbs., LS, 01/10/03, Owen Sound Attack/OHL (Canada)

 

[kingsfan]

This was a really bad year for goalies. Why waste a pick on a guy who will never play a game in the nhl.

It's a bad year to take a goalie high, not take one at all. You'd be hard pressed to find many drafts where a goalie taken in the later rounds didn't become a starter at some point in the NHL. Odds are good at least one of the goalies taken today will reach that level.

 

[kingsfan]

The one thing I like about the Hughes picks besides that it was great value at that selection, you know he comes from a good background and has a higher hockey IQ because of it. I watched him speak in the post-draft interview and the Montreal media peppered him with questions about his dad more than him and the kid handled it well and with grace and humour. He may not be a top line guy but he looks like a solid 3rd line forward with 20-20-40 potential and good leadership and well respected by teammates. I'm fine with that.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Even if they aren't "big" names like I had hoped, I think some people are jumping the gun to get angry.

Hughes - I was a major Sykora fan, and hoped the Kings would get him. But he's a two-way center. He could top out at a bottom-six role. Nothing wrong with that.

Connors - another low-upside, possible bottom-six forward. Reportedly plays with speed and tenacity.

Booth - A two-way defenseman, probably more defensive, who had some injury issues

Salin - A smallish offensive defenseman who also lost a chunk of time to injuries

Wright - Competitive and fast. Also tops out as a bottom-six.

Sparkes - A massive defender with okay mobility for his size.

Lawrence - Only played 2 games last season for reasons unknown, but heck, again, if he makes it in the bottom six, that's a good grinder.

It's truly a return to roots where these are all slow boils into professional hockey. The difference is I think fans are more cognizant than to assume a big player will just "make it" regardless. They aren't sexy picks, but again, the goal is to get one or two NHLers. They won't all make it, and that's okay.

I think this is all good takes. I just disagree.

Maybe its' because they set the bar too high with their aggressive pursuits and movement the last draft or two but after hearing 'quality over quantity' again only to watch the Kings sit there with their dick in their hands while guys got snagged in front of them didn't look like a team interested in being there. Trading down also tells me they were dissatisfied with what was left. We entered this draft with some pretty clear organizational needs--G, LHD, size, and high-end talent and what we got was a plethora of depth players, Cs, projects/players with major injuries, skating concerns, and some size that will be lucky to see NHL ice. It's a return to a lot of 'safe' ish picks which is kind of bunk. It's not like we have a shortage of just-a-guys in the organization and 7 picks most of which are late does not scream quality over quantity to me. We're already having issues getting prospects playing time...

I mentioned elsewhere I trust this org to develop bottom six forwards and depth Dmen so maybe these guys will turn out as all Kings 7th rounders seem to but that still leaves the org completely short.

Frankly, I'm not sure what we accomplished today. I know the draft doesn't happen in a vacuum and you can't separate Fiala from this but I'm truly dissatisfied with this outcome.

I'm not trying to be angry. Hell I get constantly accused of being too high on prospects. And I didn't really have high expectations going into this draft but man.

They seem really high on Hughes which I'm not at all so I can give them the benefit of the doubt on him but just...there's not a lot there that I think projects to anything at all. They may have been better off trading two picks in this draft for one in the next if they were just going to pick bottom six forwards.

 

[ClayAikenFan77]

Jared Wright decommitted from Colgate a couple months back. Currently choosing between (in no order), University of Minnesota, Harvard, Boston College, St Cloud State University, and University of Denver. Won't give too much of an opinion on Jared due to my connection with his family, but will drop that he ranked #1 for all on-ice and off-ice tests at the Biosteel All-American Weekend. They did not publish these results publicly, but have first hand knowledge from the weekend. My only opinion I'll give is that I think his points total doesn't tell the whole story of his puck possession and offensive abilities that he displayed the past season in Omaha.

Cheers!

 

[King'sPawn]

I think this is all good takes. I just disagree.

Maybe its' because they set the bar too high with their aggressive pursuits and movement the last draft or two but after hearing 'quality over quantity' again only to watch the Kings sit there with their dick in their hands while guys got snagged in front of them didn't look like a team interested in being there. Trading down also tells me they were dissatisfied with what was left. We entered this draft with some pretty clear organizational needs--G, LHD, size, and high-end talent and what we got was a plethora of depth players, Cs, projects/players with major injuries, skating concerns, and some size that will be lucky to see NHL ice. It's a return to a lot of 'safe' ish picks which is kind of bunk. It's not like we have a shortage of just-a-guys in the organization and 7 picks most of which are late does not scream quality over quantity to me. We're already having issues getting prospects playing time...

I mentioned elsewhere I trust this org to develop bottom six forwards and depth Dmen so maybe these guys will turn out as all Kings 7th rounders seem to but that still leaves the org completely short.

Frankly, I'm not sure what we accomplished today. I know the draft doesn't happen in a vacuum and you can't separate Fiala from this but I'm truly dissatisfied with this outcome.

I'm not trying to be angry. Hell I get constantly accused of being too high on prospects. And I didn't really have high expectations going into this draft but man.

They seem really high on Hughes which I'm not at all so I can give them the benefit of the doubt on him but just...there's not a lot there that I think projects to anything at all. They may have been better off trading two picks in this draft for one in the next if they were just going to pick bottom six forwards.

I know you're not a fan of Hoven's personality, but he covered this in his draft preview article. Keep in mind, I actually disagree with the thought process he surmised, but it coincides with what actually happened.

- The Kings wanted to leave this draft making more picks than they had. Trading down is something they already wanted to do.
- The reason for this is because they plan on moving more prospects in the upcoming seasons. They don't want to have a depleted cupboard, so they want to "get ahead of the game" by filling up on prospects, in which they are already full of, because the combination of graduations and trades will quickly dwindle their prospect count.

Given what they've done with creating checking forwards, I'm actually "okay" with them taking a bunch of more grindy forwards, since that's where they thrive with their forwards. To me, it makes little sense to go all in for "high skill" players when they'll be put in the bottom six anyway.

On another note, I saw a highlight of Jack Sparkes. It's ****ing hilarious how big he is compared to the rest of the players. He looked photoshopped in there.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I know you're not a fan of Hoven's personality, but he covered this in his draft preview article. Keep in mind, I actually disagree with the thought process he surmised, but it coincides with what actually happened.

- The Kings wanted to leave this draft making more picks than they had. Trading down is something they already wanted to do.
- The reason for this is because they plan on moving more prospects in the upcoming seasons. They don't want to have a depleted cupboard, so they want to "get ahead of the game" by filling up on prospects, in which they are already full of, because the combination of graduations and trades will quickly dwindle their prospect count.

Given what they've done with creating checking forwards, I'm actually "okay" with them taking a bunch of more grindy forwards, since that's where they thrive with their forwards. To me, it makes little sense to go all in for "high skill" players when they'll be put in the bottom six anyway.

On another note, I saw a highlight of Jack Sparkes. It's ****ing hilarious how big he is compared to the rest of the players. He looked photoshopped in there.

Sparkes looks like when you turn a create-a-player alllll the way up, he's comically huge, I love it. I really like that pick and where anyway, few people had him a bit higher.

I get that philosophy and remember Hoven suggesting it but to me that also seems as foolish as drafting for need because by the time it's necessary the landscape has changed. Filling up on random bodies is easy to do, you don't need 2-3 extra shitty draft picks to do it. They would have been better off packaging those and making 4 good picks over 7 mediocre ones (I know it's more nuanced than that, just simplified to make a point). If your thought is to trade and replace, say, Madden, who does that? A combination of three average dudes? No. I don't like it, I don't agree with it. I see the reasoning, I'm just not a fan.

Though I agree with and get what you're saying about checking forwards. Zero problem with this team churning out bodies. Turning up the just-a-guy factory this draft in particular instead of loading up for the next one is a vision choice that I don't like. If there's one thing we should absolutely not be worried about, especially based on how personnel have been handled, it's 'oh no where are we going to find surplus average-to-below average two-way players that might be projects and might have skating issues'

 

[King'sPawn]

Article's in French, but there's a video where Sparkes just looks hilariously oversized against everyone else:

Le géant du repêchage 2022 - TVA Sports

Du haut de ses 6 pieds 8 pouces et un quart, Jack Sparkes est un monstre comme vous en avez rarement vu.

www.tvasports.ca

 

[bland]

Its going to be a difficult draft to digest for a while. Definitely less exciting for the fan, very similar to following the pre-internet picks where you had maybe a magazine and a guide to read blurbs about kids you couldn't see.

These were not highly visable players, not a group with a lot of pre-draft coverage apart from KPs work.

Tough to get worked up in any direction about any of these choices. But, regarding the Mayor's report of wanting to fill the coffers in advance of a purge is pretty disappointing. They just have no desire to see this rebuild through to its potentially terrific conclusion. Why on God's green earth they are so positive that Kopitar, Doughty and Quick can still win at their well-worn age to the point of refusing to nurture such talent is very, very depressing. They just needed three years of prioritizing modest growth to LIKELY have 8 or 9 homegrown mid 20 year olds with top tier skills at cost-controlled rates at the top of the lineup. Sacrificing it to try to win now, and you can bet the damn farm they won't be winning a damn thing in that timeframe anyway. Just sad.

 

[kingsfan]

Its going to be a difficult draft to digest for a while. Definitely less exciting for the fan, very similar to following the pre-internet picks where you had maybe a magazine and a guide to read blurbs about kids you couldn't see.

These were not highly visable players, not a group with a lot of pre-draft coverage apart from KPs work.

Tough to get worked up in any direction about any of these choices. But, regarding the Mayor's report of wanting to fill the coffers in advance of a purge is pretty disappointing. They just have no desire to see this rebuild through to its potentially terrific conclusion. Why on God's green earth they are so positive that Kopitar, Doughty and Quick can still win at their well-worn age to the point of refusing to nurture such talent is very, very depressing. They just needed three years of prioritizing modest growth to LIKELY have 8 or 9 homegrown mid 20 year olds with top tier skills at cost-controlled rates at the top of the lineup. Sacrificing it to try to win now, and you can bet the damn farm they won't be winning a damn thing in that timeframe anyway. Just sad.

I can understand the argument about Kopitar - though he's still a top 2 C on pretty much every team in the league- but Doughty isn't blocking anyone cause no one is even holding a candle to him and who is Quick blocking? We have f*** all for legit prospects and Peterson is a buyout candidate on a contract he hasn't even technically started yet.

I have questions about development of some kids too, but it's not cause these guys are blocking anyone really. The one you could make that argument about is Brown, and he's gone.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Wright’s got wheels.

He does, so he probably doesnt have a lot of other things.

 

[kingsfan]

He does, so he probably doesnt have a lot of other things.

Austin Wagner 2.0

 

[King'sPawn]