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2ND ROUND, #51 OVERALL - AKIL THOMAS

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kings11 said:
That’s a lack of playing time more than anything., I would venture to say that if given 3C minutes he’d put up Some solid numbers
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Yeah, in all fairness, every Kings player this year looked like a man amongst boys at one point or another.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
Almost every one of those 24 regular pre-age-21 players was a top-15 pick at worst. No, 40 20 year olds didn't 'make' the NHL, most of those guys got less than their 9 games, like I said, only 15 played 40+ games. I can definitely see many of our AHLers doing that next year but I wouldn't call them NHLers because they got a cup of coffee.

I could see Turcotte playing a year of college and coming out and maybe a couple of others getting a taste, but statistically, that's a tiny percentage of players sticking in the NHL before age 21.

Also consider you probably don't want to roll some of those guys directly into a full schedule, for example, a guy like Mikey Anderson who has played a college schedule vs. an 82-game NHL marathon.

I guarantee almost every one of these guys plays a full AHL season with an NHL cup of coffee before sticking. K17 has it right to assert that most guys need 3 years post-draft seasoning. It's not everyone, obviously, but it's not controversial in the slightest to expect that as a development path for the above-average prospect.

You're also correct though to point out that the Europeans have a slightly different scenario because that's something we haven't had to deal much with, guys playing in mens leagues across the pond.
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Yes correct but not every prospect is constantly and at least three years away from the NHL. Two of them will play within two years for us. That was my original point.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
He's more than made his case. He's been misused.

He should be the 3C this year.

Still think he has moderate 2C upside. He's boring, but so is Derek Stepan.
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I don't know about this. What has Amadio done to make his case? He deserves a look no doubt, but he is a long way from becoming a fixture in the Kings lineup.

I like that he is only 23 years old, and he put up good numbers in Ontario last year in his limited time there, but he really needs to break through this season in the NHL as a solid 3C. McLellan did great work with some of the young forwards he had in San Jose, maybe he can do it here.
 
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KINGS17 said:
I don't know about this. What has Amadio done to make his case? He deserves a look no doubt, but he is a long way from becoming a fixture in the Kings lineup.

I like that he is only 23 years old, and he put up good numbers in Ontario last year in his limited time there, but he really needs to break through this season in the NHL as a solid 3C. McLellan did great work with some of the young forwards he had in San Jose, maybe he can do it here.
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He's destroyed the AHL to the same trajectory of his junior career, getting stronger and stronger as time goes on.

Out of Kings with 35+ games played last year, he had the 2nd lowest TOI/GP to Austin Wagner, at 10:12 a game. He got next to no PP time, 0:39 a game.

Yet, he had the third highest G/60 (.89) and fourth highest P/60 on the team. He was literally tops in rush attempts per 60, far and away tops in takeaways/60 (2.66--2nd was Kopitar at 2.14), 3rd in hits taken per 60 behind clifford and ladue, signalling his willingness to get plugged, 5th in CF% (50.52), 7th in GF% (50)....

Yes, he's earned the opportunity to get harder minutes and matchups. He's crushing his. There's not much more he can do being held down on bottom lines. More AHL time is pointless and 10 minutes a game in the NHL isn't fair. Maybe he won't cut it, but he's earned the opportunity to try with more skilled linemates.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
He's destroyed the AHL to the same trajectory of his junior career, getting stronger and stronger as time goes on.

Out of Kings with 35+ games played last year, he had the 2nd lowest TOI/GP to Austin Wagner, at 10:12 a game. He got next to no PP time, 0:39 a game.

Yet, he had the third highest G/60 (.89) and fourth highest P/60 on the team. He was literally tops in rush attempts per 60, far and away tops in takeaways/60 (2.66--2nd was Kopitar at 2.14), 3rd in hits taken per 60 behind clifford and ladue, signalling his willingness to get plugged, 5th in CF% (50.52), 7th in GF% (50)....

Yes, he's earned the opportunity to get harder minutes and matchups. He's crushing his. There's not much more he can do being held down on bottom lines. More AHL time is pointless and 10 minutes a game in the NHL isn't fair. Maybe he won't cut it, but he's earned the opportunity to try with more skilled linemates.
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Hey, I agree give Amadio plenty of ice time this coming season and see what he can do with it. I just don't think he is a lock for the future spot in the lineup just yet.

The Kings should be using this season for the evaluation of several young players.
 
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KINGS17 said:
Hey, I agree give Amadio plenty of ice time this coming season and see what he can do with it. I just don't think he is a lock for the future spot in the lineup just yet.

The Kings should be using this season for the evaluation of several young players.
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No that's totally fair, just saying he's made his case for a bigger role, and he was actually one of the relative bright spots last year, was just held back by the ghosts of veterans past.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
Yes, he's earned the opportunity to get harder minutes and matchups. He's crushing his. There's not much more he can do being held down on bottom lines. More AHL time is pointless and 10 minutes a game in the NHL isn't fair. Maybe he won't cut it, but he's earned the opportunity to try with more skilled linemates.
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Part of why I'm interested to see how TMc handles these young guys vs WD who was still playing Kopitar mega minutes (the highest ice time per game average of his entire career...) at the end of the season and putting needless miles on him in a lost season. How about those awesome games when Wagner was killing it with a goal scored and sometimes two and yet still would only get 9 minutes of TOI during that very game. Absolutely baffling. There is zero reason in a rebuild for Kopi to be playing 20 minutes a game. If TMc runs Kopi into the ground too, I'm gonna lose my shit next season.
 
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I am definitely rooting for this to be Amadio’s breakout year.

Waaaaay too early to talk about it, but I can’t shake the feeling that IF the center prospect pipeline starts bearing fruit over the next couple years, guys like Amadio and Kempe are going to be moved for help on D.
 
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How did Amadio look like a boy against men while riding the bench? Is there a manly way to ride pine?

Amadio in his limited exposure did well and even produced. His game didn't fall out, he actually improved, but I don't blame you guys for not noticing considering the mind blowing ineptitude behind the bench this year.


Remember, Stevens rode the top two lines heavily especially the top line.

And the dumb moustached bastard did the exact same thing. All 82 games.
 
If we can go back to Thomas for a sec, where do you all think he falls in with our future plans? I honestly think he will be a good asset to move later for a bigger piece we will need down the road.
 
Mats26 said:
If we can go back to Thomas for a sec, where do you all think he falls in with our future plans? I honestly think he will be a good asset to move later for a bigger piece we will need down the road.
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Thomas is hard to figure out until he matures. He's still a couple years away. I've read the Kings like him as a possible winger on the left side, but it's still early. Big year for him at 19 in the OHL.
 
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Yeah, he's still a pretty identityless player. This is a huge year for him. He's not bad, but he's not great either, and doesn't really do anything to distinguish himself vs. his NHL-prospective peers. Like I said before, it's McKeown's scouting report but at forward--who does he want to be? He's definitely gotta start getting to the dirtier areas if he wants to be a good pro.

I know I come off as 'down' on him more than most but really it's not that, I'm just not UP on him, haha. I'm not sure what to make of a guy with a great toolbox but no real definition.
 
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regulate said:
Thomas is hard to figure out until he matures. He's still a couple years away. I've read the Kings like him as a possible winger on the left side, but it's still early. Big year for him at 19 in the OHL.
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Not sure what else Thomas needs to prove in the OHL. 81 and 102 pt seasons in the books. I am hoping he physically matures before he plays in the AHL in a year from now. I agree we might not know what we have for at least 2 more years.
 
Mats26 said:
Not sure what else Thomas needs to prove in the OHL. 81 and 102 pt seasons in the books. I am hoping he physically matures before he plays in the AHL in a year from now. I agree we might not know what we have for at least 2 more years.
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Making Team Canada would be a nice step for this season.
 
He strikes me as a speedy playmaker. More suited on the wing. It's a hard read since he played on a pretty stacked team, but he was able to cross the 100 point threshold in his D+1 year, something his teammate Jason Robertdon wasn't able to accomplish until his D+2 season
 
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Thomas needs a solid year improving on all facets of his game. He will probably be traded before the deadline or earlier as Niagara has to replenish the draft picks they used up last season. Point being he will be traded to a team that can give him more playoff experience and some different
coaching that can further his development. Needs to build up his upper body in the off-season to give him the strength he needs to win those battles going to the net and in the corners. Akil should have another 100 pt year but it won't be Niagara rebuild this year IMO.
 
King'sPawn said:
He strikes me as a speedy playmaker. More suited on the wing. It's a hard read since he played on a pretty stacked team, but he was able to cross the 100 point threshold in his D+1 year, something his teammate Jason Robertdon wasn't able to accomplish until his D+2 season
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I also think it was nice that he morphed from more goal-scorer to more playmaker (or was it vice versa?) with the Robertson trade.

I generally agree on speedy playmaker, but unless he learns to cut to the middle, he's going to be just another "blow down the wing, center pass/shot on goal" Trevor Lewis type. That's not bad, but that's not top-prospect good, either.
 
I think some are underselling him, but I think its mostly due to the strength of some of our other prospects. I think if Akil was a prospect from around 2015 we'd be saying he was our top prospect. I'm not saying he's perfect, but I think he's better than most people give him credit.
 
Agree Amadios game would benefit from a double dose of grit. His skating and stick handling reminds of mike Richards.
 
He didn't look good in pre-season action last year but he's super young. But then you hear that he didn't really stand out at development camp either so it's like, is he not stepping up in the "bigger" moments so far?

I like the numbers, obviously, but I do get a sense of something lacking whereas someone like JAD will figure out a way to contribute at the NHL level even if it isn't the same role he played in Juniors.. But that's why Thomas is a late 2nd round pick.

Hope he figures it all out. Wish he could go to the AHL this season.
 
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