After the draft top 10

[Fishhead]

I would like to compare Kupari and Vilardi in different areas of hockey game in my opinion:
Vision and creativity: Vilardi is better
Shot: Vilardi is better
Puck skills: Kupari = Vilardi
Skating: Kupari is better
Speed: Kupari is better
Physicality: Kupari is better
Defensive play: Kupari is better

Pretty spot on, I think. I would say Kupari and Vilardi are a wash physically. There are 2 other areas I think Vilardi has a substantial advantage, and that's passing and board work.

I think they would compliment each other well, Vilardi between Kupari and Moore might be worth a look. Or, stick a center between them and put one on their off wing.

 

[lumbergh]

Clarke must be amazing if he’s already ahead of Kaliyev.

 

[kinghock]

Pretty spot on, I think. I would say Kupari and Vilardi are a wash physically. There are 2 other areas I think Vilardi has a substantial advantage, and that's passing and board work.

I think they would compliment each other well, Vilardi between Kupari and Moore might be worth a look. Or, stick a center between them and put one on their off wing.

I believe Kupari is underrated passer, but not as good as Vilardi.
Also I insist that Kupari is more physical.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Clarke must be amazing if he’s already ahead of Kaliyev.

Yes, Clarke is f***ing amazing. I'd even have him over Turcotte at this point and you know how much I go to bat for Turc.

I believe Kupari is underrated passer, but not as good as Vilardi.
Also I insist that Kupari is more physical.

Kupari can be a little spicy which is much appreciated.

Vilardi has yet to show that with consistency which bummed me out last year because the confident, borderline cocky kid was getting all up in everyone's grill the previous year but it's like he let his physical game wither with his confidence last year. He's a big ass kid, I'm sure he'll rediscover it, and I love that he doesn't like watching his teammates get pushed around, ie he takes responsibility as a 'big guy.'

 

[Sparky206]

I was low on Kupari before this season. I watched 3/4 of the reign games and the kid is legit. Speedy, drives the play, great hands in close and can dangle through groups of defenders. He led the ENTIRE AHL in scoring for a good chunk of the season. Anyone who said he went backwards wasn't watching, this was a make or break season and he got two NHL call ups and they were on merit, he was the best player on the reign for the majority of the season. There is a large gap between the kind of impact he had on games compared to Thomas. Thomas had one great hatrick comeback game but was invisible in a large chunk of games.

 

[Bandit]

I hope you are all correct and that we are the first team in the history of the league where all of our prospects are NHL players. I really do.

personally I’m banking on Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, and Clarke. Anything else is gravy. The rest of your life… gravy.

 

[Lt Dan]

I was low on Kupari before this season. I watched 3/4 of the reign games and the kid is legit. Speedy, drives the play, great hands in close and can dangle through groups of defenders. He led the ENTIRE AHL in scoring for a good chunk of the season. Anyone who said he went backwards wasn't watching, this was a make or break season and he got two NHL call ups and they were on merit, he was the best player on the reign for the majority of the season. There is a large gap between the kind of impact he had on games compared to Thomas. Thomas had one great hatrick comeback game but was invisible in a large chunk of games.

Get 'em Sparky!

 

[Bandit]

I was low on Kupari before this season. I watched 3/4 of the reign games and the kid is legit. Speedy, drives the play, great hands in close and can dangle through groups of defenders. He led the ENTIRE AHL in scoring for a good chunk of the season. Anyone who said he went backwards wasn't watching, this was a make or break season and he got two NHL call ups and they were on merit, he was the best player on the reign for the majority of the season. There is a large gap between the kind of impact he had on games compared to Thomas. Thomas had one great hatrick comeback game but was invisible in a large chunk of games.

Sounds like Derek Armstrong. Just sayin…

 

[bland]

Kupari is the next Kempe.

Funny thing is that exactly what I thought when he was picked. I have had Thomas rated over Kupari since he was picked and have yet to see anything to change my mind. I am a big Thomas fan though, so its not really an insult to Kupari.

The reason I agree with the Kempe comparison is that neither guy has really decided what kind of player they are yet. Being able to do lots of things isn't always a plus, because its more difficult to set and gauge growth and progress if you don't have clear projections.

If Kupari is a center, I don't think he makes it here in LA. If he sticks to the wing, he has a real shot. He has to force that decision on the team, because if they don't know what to do with you, what chance do you really have of impressing? And it's getting awfully deep here. If you are the 6th best center option and you are among the older prospects, its a long shot. If you don't get enough minutes on the wing, suddenly you are down that chart as well. Make a statement, take control of your career, and claim your spot. Don't let them try to find a place for you. Kempe has suffered from not staking his claim.

 

[Lt Dan]

Sounds like Derek Armstrong. Just sayin…

Armstrong was a hell of a player for us. He could play all four lines and was a world class fill-in on higher lines.
Derek's only problem was that we didn't have the proper talent to push him down to the line that he should have been playing on.

 

[Token]

Armstrong was a hell of a player for us. He could play all four lines and was a world class fill-in on higher lines.
Derek's only problem was that we didn't have the proper talent to push him down to the line that he should have been playing on.

Isn’t that true for pretty much every forward on our current roster not named Anže?

 

[kinghock]

Yet Vilardi was often rated higher than Kupari when Vilardi was still considered a prospect. Even with his injuries and uncertainty of recovering.

By your logic, if people picked solely because of "newness", Kupari would have been rated higher.

Kupari being rated lower has been explained by me and others. However, if you need additional assistance, the further removed a player is from their draft class AND the further they are from playing their projected role, the lower their value.

Kupari may get time on the top line this season. However, these are the players ahead of him on the depth chart in each forward position:

LW
Iafallo
Kempe
Andersson
So if used on the left, Kupari would be in the Frk/Lemieux/Wagner/Grundstrom range

C
Kopitar
Vilardi
Byfield
JAD
So Kupari would be in the Lizotte/Turcotte range at Center

RW:
Arvidsson
Moore
So Kupari would be in the Brown/Frk/Kaliyev/Tkachev range

For a highly-skilled winger, he's struggling to land a top-6 role. Injuries have played a part, sure, but Kaliyev has passed him on the depth chart by virtue of rounding out his game while displaying better playmaking and scoring ability at a younger age.

That's when he might project to play in the middle-six. He has more raw skill than Thomas, but Thomas' utility will likely move him around the lineup easier (oh, and Thomas was drafted in the same year as Kupari, so it's not a "new toy").

Kupari's raw talent may not land him a top-6 role on the Kings. And he's not an energy forward. That affects his value.

I highly respect your opinion, but I would like to add my 2 cents.
I think Kupari can be better player if he is given chance comparing to:
Iafallo-LW
Kempe-LW
Andersson-LW
Moore-RW
Basically in my view he still can play wing on top lines this season.

 

[Bandit]

Armstrong was a hell of a player for us. He could play all four lines and was a world class fill-in on higher lines.
Derek's only problem was that we didn't have the proper talent to push him down to the line that he should have been playing on.

Absolutely.

 

[Lt Dan]

Isn’t that true for pretty much every forward on our current roster not named Anže?

Hopefully it doesn't apply to Arvidsson

 

[lumbergh]

Funny thing is that exactly what I thought when he was picked. I have had Thomas rated over Kupari since he was picked and have yet to see anything to change my mind. I am a big Thomas fan though, so its not really an insult to Kupari.

The reason I agree with the Kempe comparison is that neither guy has really decided what kind of player they are yet. Being able to do lots of things isn't always a plus, because its more difficult to set and gauge growth and progress if you don't have clear projections.

If Kupari is a center, I don't think he makes it here in LA. If he sticks to the wing, he has a real shot. He has to force that decision on the team, because if they don't know what to do with you, what chance do you really have of impressing? And it's getting awfully deep here. If you are the 6th best center option and you are among the older prospects, its a long shot. If you don't get enough minutes on the wing, suddenly you are down that chart as well. Make a statement, take control of your career, and claim your spot. Don't let them try to find a place for you. Kempe has suffered from not staking his claim.

Problem is, do the Kings need two Scandanavian, fast-skating, middle six center/wingers with a last name starting with a K? There can be only one, no? Which one gets dealt?

 

[johnjm22]

That's an odd rational that leads to all kinds of wonky reasoning. By that logic Kupari would be the fourth best prospect on the list, and he isn't even top ten.

Clarke is a potential top pairing defender who runs your top PP unit and drives play forward at all times. That's a more valuable role than where Turcotte projects, and that is the worst you will ever hear me say about Turcotte.

And I think that the opposite is just as true. There is just as much of a tendency to hold back on praising newer picks to cover your opinion than there is to over praise them.

I'm not using that logic. I'm just pointing it out. I didn't give an opinion on which prospect I like more.

That said, I do think Turcotte was/is a more highly touted prospect.

 

[KingLB]

Funny thing is that exactly what I thought when he was picked. I have had Thomas rated over Kupari since he was picked and have yet to see anything to change my mind. I am a big Thomas fan though, so its not really an insult to Kupari.

The reason I agree with the Kempe comparison is that neither guy has really decided what kind of player they are yet. Being able to do lots of things isn't always a plus, because its more difficult to set and gauge growth and progress if you don't have clear projections.

If Kupari is a center, I don't think he makes it here in LA. If he sticks to the wing, he has a real shot. He has to force that decision on the team, because if they don't know what to do with you, what chance do you really have of impressing? And it's getting awfully deep here. If you are the 6th best center option and you are among the older prospects, its a long shot. If you don't get enough minutes on the wing, suddenly you are down that chart as well. Make a statement, take control of your career, and claim your spot. Don't let them try to find a place for you. Kempe has suffered from not staking his claim.

I see it that way too.

The said, I see Thomas as the next Lewis? So not sure I see much separation as one above the other. Ideally Akil develops more offense, but if not, I still found Lewis criminally underrated on this board.

 

[kilowatt]

I hope you are all correct and that we are the first team in the history of the league where all of our prospects are NHL players. I really do.

personally I’m banking on Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, and Clarke. Anything else is gravy. The rest of your life… gravy.

I would be surprised if Thomas doesn't eventually reach the NHL. Agreed on those first four, although three are top eight picks, so they'd better make it.

A few other guys I believe have a decent shot are Fagemo, Faber, and Helenius.

 

[ru4reals]

I hope you are all correct and that we are the first team in the history of the league where all of our prospects are NHL players. I really do.

personally I’m banking on Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, and Clarke. Anything else is gravy. The rest of your life… gravy.

Yup pretty much agree 100%!!! That's why I've never been big on "organizational rankings" and I know it's nice to see we've been looked at as having one of the best prospect pools, but until we see it all come into fruition it's just hopes and dreams.

 

[Vino]

Vilardi has yet to show that with consistency which bummed me out last year because the confident, borderline cocky kid was getting all up in everyone's grill the previous year but it's like he let his physical game wither with his confidence last year. He's a big ass kid, I'm sure he'll rediscover it, and I love that he doesn't like watching his teammates get pushed around, ie he takes responsibility as a 'big guy.'

Vilardi is not a physical player by nature, and I don't belive that he ever will be a physical player. He will be just like Kopitar, a big player, who can use his size as an advantage but not a naturally aggressive at all.

 

[kinghock]

I would be surprised if Thomas doesn't eventually reach the NHL. Agreed on those first four, although three are top eight picks, so they'd better make it.

A few other guys I believe have a decent shot are Fagemo, Faber, and Helenius.

In my opinion Faber>>Helenius=Fagemo

 

[kinghock]

Vilardi is not a physical player by nature, and I don't belive that he ever will be a physical player. He will be just like Kopitar, a big player, who can use his size as an advantage but not a naturally aggressive at all.

Kopitar is much better skater comparing to Vilardi.
Also he knows how to use his size much better as well.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Some of you are really high on Grans. He really belongs in the "yet to be determined" category of the prospect pool. I'd like to see him be able to play defense, since he's a defenseman and all. He's the prospect I'm least confident about right now. Hopefully he has a good season and eases some of the concerns about his overall game.

When making top 10-20 lists, don't get too caught up in draft position. It's a results orientated business.

 

[King'sPawn]

I hope you are all correct and that we are the first team in the history of the league where all of our prospects are NHL players. I really do.

personally I’m banking on Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, and Clarke. Anything else is gravy. The rest of your life… gravy.

Who said they feel they're all NHLers? I at least talk about role and fit if they become NHLers.

If I thought any were certain to become NHLers, they'd be off my "prospect" list

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Vilardi is not a physical player by nature, and I don't belive that he ever will be a physical player. He will be just like Kopitar, a big player, who can use his size as an advantage but not a naturally aggressive at all.

I'm definitely not suggesting he goes around running people, but he initiates contact a LOT more than Kopitar ever has, even back to junior. Much like Kempe, he's a different player when he's physically engaged. You can almost tell his confidence level from how close he gets to people. I agree it's similar in that he's a running back style contact ABSORBER--I just think he's got more piss and vinegar going on. He takes things personally.