Around the League 2024-25 season

[Omni Owl]

Winnipeg looking absolutely formidable. If they stay healthy I think they could go deep. They have a solid #1 at every major position and a great supporting cast. Vilardi looks at home on the top line with Connor and Scheifele (way to pad that team Blake, you absolute dipshit).

Dustin Wolf also looks like a star #1 goalie in the making. Him and Demko rep California goalies nicely.

 

[Master Yoda]

Winnipeg looking absolutely formidable. If they stay healthy I think they could go deep. They have a solid #1 at every major position and a great supporting cast. Vilardi looks at home on the top line with Connor and Scheifele (way to pad that team Blake, you absolute dipshit).

Dustin Wolf also looks like a star #1 goalie in the making. Him and Demko rep California goalies nicely.

Too bad the Kings didn't take him with the 7th rounder that year. At least they got Andre Lee.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859288872951161103

Could’ve drafted him, but no, they had to go with the taller goalie in Lukas Parik. What’s Parik doing now?

 

[Kingfan1967]

Goalies are a crapshoot what ever round they get picked , a 7th round goalie hitting and it's time for that scout to play the lottery.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Oh come on, it's not like we NEEDED a right shot wing...oh

Well it's not like he could have been had anyway, he would obviously have been expensive....what's that?

Well, at least we got back what we needed for him...doh

He was a big meanie at practice, so I'm GLAD I don't get to wear the Vilardi jersey I bought right before he was traded

Goalies are a crapshoot what ever round they get picked , a 7th round goalie hitting and it's time for that scout to play the lottery.

Kings have a little extra connection to Wolf because he grew up here in the Junior Kings org and idolized Quick. Once he left and had the #s, it was kind of stupid to not even glance at him, especially given they were clearly aware

https://x.com/i/web/status/1856416923904286825

This isn't revisionist GMing either, the name came up plenty at the time.

Edit: hell a quick search reveals quite a few of us calling for Wolf in the 3rd - 5th rounds over taking spencer knight in the 1st, never mind after that. Their picks there were Parik, Spence, Nousiainen.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I would've grabbed him for the name alone.

 

[Omni Owl]

Oh come on, it's not like we NEEDED a right shot wing...oh

Well it's not like he could have been had anyway, he would obviously have been expensive....what's that?

Well, at least we got back what we needed for him...doh

He was a big meanie at practice, so I'm GLAD I don't get to wear the Vilardi jersey I bought right before he was traded



Kings have a little extra connection to Wolf because he grew up here in the Junior Kings org and idolized Quick. Once he left and had the #s, it was kind of stupid to not even glance at him, especially given they were clearly aware

https://x.com/i/web/status/1856416923904286825

This isn't revisionist GMing either, the name came up plenty at the time.

Edit: hell a quick search reveals quite a few of us calling for Wolf in the 3rd - 5th rounds over taking spencer knight in the 1st, never mind after that. Their picks there were Parik, Spence, Nousiainen.

I'm so f***ing sick of our management's blatant incompetence, weak scouting, and player development. They rate right down with there with the worst in the league.

 

[tny760]

of course nick vachon is a junior kings coach

 

[Herby]

With the amount of teams Rob Blake has helped to the top of the standings

He goes into the Hall of Fame as a builder right?

It is pretty crazy to think.

Imagine Ottawa without Stutzle, Minnesota without Faber and Winnipeg without Vilardi.

This is modern day Mike Milbury stuff.

 

[kingsholygrail]

It is pretty crazy to think.

Imagine Ottawa without Stutzle, Minnesota without Faber and Winnipeg without Vilardi.

This is modern day Mike Milbury stuff.

Minnesota without Faber is still Minnesota with Kaprizov. Winnipeg is still Winnipeg with Connor, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck. Ottawa sure.

 

[Herby]

of course nick vachon is a junior kings coach

Just keeping the seat warm until Jack Blake and Blake Emerson finish their college careers.

Can't believe Blake didn't return the favor and name his son Emerson, what a bad friend.

 

[kingsfan28]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1859288872951161103

Could’ve drafted him, but no, they had to go with the taller goalie in Lukas Parik. What’s Parik doing now?

This board is hilarious. Complaining about a small goalie taken in the 7th round in 2019 the Kings passed on, the last goalie pick btw. He's was the longest of longshots taken that late and is now showing some success. Good on him to beat the odds. That fact is small 6-0" goalies don't make it in the NHL, only Soros is smaller at 5-11. Parik was top 10 on every list and at 6-4" , was the right move at the time. Even though Parik was released, they got a another really good goalie named Erik Portillo 6-6" from that draft too. And there is also Hampton Slukynsky, and Carter George.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

This board is hilarious. Complaining about a small goalie taken in the 7th round in 2019 the Kings passed on, the last goalie pick btw. He's was the longest of longshots taken that late and is now showing some success. Good on him to beat the odds. That fact is small 6-0" goalies don't make it in the NHL, only Soros is smaller at 5-11. Parik was top 10 on every list and at 6-4" , was the right move at the time. Even though Parik was released, they got a another really good goalie named Erik Portillo 6-6" from that draft too. And there is also Hampton Slukynsky, and Carter George.

Except the Kings knew all about him, some of us here knew about Wolf as well. And Portillo is a big TBD. He’s been quite erratic this season.

 

[tigermask48]

Minnesota without Faber is still Minnesota with Kaprizov. Winnipeg is still Winnipeg with Connor, Scheifele, and Hellebuyck. Ottawa sure.

Herby's point being that Stutzle, Faber, Vilardi, Wolf is an amazing core of players to add to Clarke, Anderson, and then build around those players.

A heck of a lot better than Fiala, and Kuemper... yet here we are.

But sure go ahead and keep convincing yourself that Blake is doing a great job.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Herby's point being that Stutzle, Faber, Vilardi, Wolf is an amazing core of players to add to Clarke, Anderson, and then build around those players.

A heck of a lot better than Fiala, and Kuemper... yet here we are.

But sure go ahead and keep convincing yourself that Blake is doing a great job.

Where, in any of that, did I say Blake was doing a good job? Blake never should have been hired. Luc never should have been made president. Firing DL was the worst decision they made.

 

[johnjm22]

I can't complain about the Kings "missing" on draft picks. Especially 7th rounders. There's a lot of guess work involved. It's not a science.

But it sure is annoying Wolf went to a divisional opponent and he was right under our nose.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

As for hindsight, I suggested they draft Wolf back in May of 2019.

Prospect Info: - 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right. The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds. That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere...

forums.hfboards.com

Who's hilarious now?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I can't complain about the Kings "missing" on draft picks. Especially 7th rounders. There's a lot of guess work involved. It's not a science.

But it sure is annoying Wolf went to a divisional opponent and he was right under our nose.

As for hindsight, I suggested they draft Wolf back in May of 2019.

Prospect Info: - 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right. The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds. That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere...

forums.hfboards.com

Who's hilarious now?

I guess the point is--I referenced some evidence above and Ziggy linked it directly--that he clearly should not have fallen to the 7th round and there were a significant # of people here calling for him to be drafted as early as the third but most often between 3rd-5th.

Not just a random complaint about a 7th rounder. Obviously the Kings have great success there and even in that draft they snagged Lee. But to have the guy under your nose before he even has a 'teen' before his age, to know his abilities as evidenced by quotes, from california, played under Kings staff supervision, and to not even be slightly in on him when it's an organizational need? It stings.

I'm not a big 'i could do better' guy, i'm mostly just a guy that complains on the internet. But we as a group have been unfortunately right a lot over the last 5 years especially.

 

[Herby]

TSN Top 50 Under 24

1. Jack Hughes
2. Connor Bedard
3. Macklin Celebrini
4. Tim Stutzle
5. Owen Power
6. Brock Faber
7. Matvei Michkov
8. Cole Caufield
9. Moritz Seider
10. Ivan Demidov
11. Jake Sanderson
12. Alex Nikishin
13. Wyatt Johnston
14. Leo Carlsson
15. Luke Hughes
16. Will Smith
17. Ryan Leonard
18. Artyom Levshinov
19. Zeev Buium
20. Matt Boldy
21. Lucas Raymond
22. Adam Fantilli
23. Alexis Lafreniere
24. Dustin Wolf
25. Juraj Slafkovsky
26. Seth Jarvis
27. Lane Hutson
28. Cutter Gauthier
29. Logan Stankoven
30. Sam Dickinson
31. Thomas Harley
32. Zayne Parekh
33. Yaroslav Askarov
34. Brandt Clarke
35. Logan Cooley
36. Matthew Knies
37. Dylan Guenther
38. Mason MacTavish
39. Trey Augustine
40. Jacob Fowler
41. Bennett Senecke
42. Cayden Lindstrom
43. Denton Mateychuk
44. Easton Cowan
45. Tij Iginla
46. Kaiden Guhle
47. Pavel Mintyukov
48. Tom Willander
49. Berkly Catton
50. Connor McMichael

People can pick apart who they think is to high, to low or who should or shouldn't be on the list. But this is the age group where the Kings a bunch of high picks and nobody can deny the ROI has been bad, and absolutely horrible when you factor in the best pick was traded for empty calories.

- Faber was clearly their crown jewel pick, and he is traded for a non-needle moving winger
- Blake had the realistic opportunity to draft #4, #8 and #20.
- #9, #11 and #21 were taken almost immediately after bad Kings picks
- #24 and #26 were pushed on messageboards as potential Kings picks (But how could Blake have known?)
- A good chunk of the rest could have potentially been drafted by the Kings with high picks in 2022 and 2023 had picks not been handed out like Halloween candy for black hole warriors like Fiala and Gavrikov.

For anyone here to young to remember being a Kings fan from 1994 to 2007, well you sadly have your own "Serious Hockey, Serious Fans" and "I play my best hockey when" era you can tell your kids about.

 

[Master Yoda]

I guess the point is--I referenced some evidence above and Ziggy linked it directly--that he clearly should not have fallen to the 7th round and there were a significant # of people here calling for him to be drafted as early as the third but most often between 3rd-5th.

Not just a random complaint about a 7th rounder. Obviously the Kings have great success there and even in that draft they snagged Lee. But to have the guy under your nose before he even has a 'teen' before his age, to know his abilities as evidenced by quotes, from california, played under Kings staff supervision, and to not even be slightly in on him when it's an organizational need? It stings.

I'm not a big 'i could do better' guy, i'm mostly just a guy that complains on the internet. But we as a group have been unfortunately right a lot over the last 5 years especially.

I was hoping the Kings take him in the mid rounds. As you said, he was projected as a mid rounder with some upside.
The only reason he slipped is because of his size.

But to Blake's defense (or I guess in this case, it is on Yanetti and co.) I remember that they said they were going to invite Wolf to development camp if he didn't get drafted. So he was in their radar, just not in it enough to make a trade to get another 6th or 7th rounder to pick him.

 

[Master Yoda]

TSN Top 50 Under 24

1. Jack Hughes
2. Connor Bedard
3. Macklin Celebrini
4. Tim Stutzle
5. Owen Power
6. Brock Faber
7. Matvei Michkov
8. Cole Caufield
9. Moritz Seider
10. Ivan Demidov
11. Jake Sanderson
12. Alex Nikishin
13. Wyatt Johnston
14. Leo Carlsson
15. Luke Hughes
16. Will Smith
17. Ryan Leonard
18. Artyom Levshinov
19. Zeev Buium
20. Matt Boldy
21. Lucas Raymond
22. Adam Fantilli
23. Alexis Lafreniere
24. Dustin Wolf
25. Juraj Slafkovsky
26. Seth Jarvis
27. Lane Hutson
28. Cutter Gauthier
29. Logan Stankoven
30. Sam Dickinson
31. Thomas Harley
32. Zayne Parekh
33. Yaroslav Askarov
34. Brandt Clarke
35. Logan Cooley
36. Matthew Knies
37. Dylan Guenther
38. Mason MacTavish
39. Trey Augustine
40. Jacob Fowler
41. Bennett Senecke
42. Cayden Lindstrom
43. Denton Mateychuk
44. Easton Cowan
45. Tij Iginla
46. Kaiden Guhle
47. Pavel Mintyukov
48. Tom Willander
49. Berkly Catton
50. Connor McMichael

People can pick apart who they think is to high, to low or who should or shouldn't be on the list. But this is the age group where the Kings a bunch of high picks and nobody can deny the ROI has been bad, and absolutely horrible when you factor in the best pick was traded for empty calories.

- Faber was clearly their crown jewel pick, and he is traded for a non-needle moving winger
- Blake had the realistic opportunity to draft #4, #8 and #20.
- #9, #11 and #21 were taken almost immediately after bad Kings picks
- #24 and #26 were pushed on messageboards as potential Kings picks (But how could Blake have known?)
- A good chunk of the rest could have potentially been drafted by the Kings with high picks in 2022 and 2023 had picks not been handed out like Halloween candy for black hole warriors like Fiala and Gavrikov.

For anyone here to young to remember being a Kings fan from 1994 to 2007, well you sadly have your own "Serious Hockey, Serious Fans" and "I play my best hockey when" era you can tell your kids about.

it's less stress for us fans not drafting some of those guys because you know BLuc would've just traded them anyways

 

[King'sPawn]

As for hindsight, I suggested they draft Wolf back in May of 2019.

Prospect Info: - 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

Here's something remarkable that I found to be hard to believe. I had to double check this to make sure I was right. The Kings have gone almost 30 years since they drafted a top six player beyond the first two rounds. That player, who was selected in the 7th round in 1990, had to go elsewhere...

forums.hfboards.com

Who's hilarious now?

You're still hilarious, but looks aren't everything.

J/k.

I liked Wolf too. I mentioned I would have taken him and Miner with the 3rd and 5th over Knight:

Prospect Info: - 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

He needs a center who can get him the puck...and he needs to realize that his career is on the line. Without those two things I don't see a big bounce back but I can't imagine he'll be worse than last year. Toffoli did have 24 goals without Carter in 0217-18. Last year he did a terrible job at...

forums.hfboards.com

I was convinced the Kings wouldn't have picked him though. I remember hearing "a goalie from Everett? Probably not" as it was implied his numbers were inflated playing for a strong defensive team. I still was interested though.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

of course nick vachon is a junior kings coach

He;s been a JR King coach for years and years and years, if memory serves, he was there when I was still in CA so going on 20plus years

 

[FrozenKing18]

The whole Wolf thing is just weird to me because they knew about him, he's a former JR King, they think he's great and amazing. He's still available 7th round. Wouldn't you just give the hometown kid a shot at that point? I mean, last pick and all. Unless there was intel that Lee was a homerun.

 

[Bandit]

The whole Wolf thing is just weird to me because they knew about him, he's a former JR King, they think he's great and amazing. He's still available 7th round. Wouldn't you just give the hometown kid a shot at that point? I mean, last pick and all. Unless there was intel that Lee was a homerun.

Ah yes, the good ol’ 4th line “home run”. The LA Kings special.