Prospect Info: First round pick #26 The environmentally friendly Liam Greentree

[KopitarGOAT420]

Greentree cannot play in the A until 2026-27. He doesn't turn 20 in the 2025 calendar year, thus ineligible for the A due to the CHL-NHL Agreement. NHL or back to junior in the O.

Man that rule is annoying...

So because of that CHL/NHL rule, it's physically impossible for Greentree to follow the same development path as Robertson - which is objectively the development path that makes the most sense for the player.

Playing in the OHL as a 19 year old who just put up 130+ points the previous year is a total waste. The AHL would likely be perfect for Greentree in his D+2 - it would be a challenge but he'd still likely be able to produce at a high level. Instead he'll be bored out of his mind playing in the OHL, not being challenged at all. Frustrating stuff.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Man that rule is annoying...

So because of that CHL/NHL rule, it's physically impossible for Greentree to follow the same development path as Robertson - which is objectively the development path that makes the most sense for the player.

Playing in the OHL as a 19 year old who just put up 130+ points the previous year is a total waste. The AHL would likely be perfect for Greentree in his D+2 - it would be a challenge but he'd still likely be able to produce at a high level. Instead he'll be bored out of his mind playing in the OHL, not being challenged at all. Frustrating stuff.

Robertson had the same development path. Played 2017-18 (18 year old season) and 2018-19 (19 year old season) in the O. Didn't play in the A until 2019-20 (20 year old season, D+3)

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Robertson had the same development path. Played 2017-18 (18 year old season) and 2018-19 (19 year old season) in the O. Didn't play in the A until 2019-20 (20 year old season, D+3)

Oh sh*t wait, you're right! My b, my dumbass got the years mixed up lol.

On the bright side, that just means Greentree's production this year is significantly higher than what Robertson's was in his D+1. Also means he can follow the same development path which is great.

Robertson ended his D+1 with:

68 games

41 goals

46 assists

87 points

Greentree on pace to blow those totals out of the water. Obviously different players and still super early, but it's incredible to see Greentree progressing like he has. Hitting on a pick like this would be HUGE for the Kings future.

 

[King'sPawn]

Greentree cannot play in the A until 2026-27. He doesn't turn 20 in the 2025 calendar year, thus ineligible for the A due to the CHL-NHL Agreement. NHL or back to junior in the O.

Sorry to nitpick, but there are exceptions:
- he can play in the AHL after his OHL season ends this year. But it will be back to NHL/OHL next season. He signed a contract, so they can assign him to the AHL.
- the Kings COULD temporarily assign him for a conditioning stint, like what they did with Clarke.

Ultimately you're right he can't spend most of the year in the AHL, but he may be able to wow in short bursts.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Sorry to nitpick, but there are exceptions:
- he can play in the AHL after his OHL season ends this year. But it will be back to NHL/OHL next season. He signed a contract, so they can assign him to the AHL.
- the Kings COULD temporarily assign him for a conditioning stint, like what they did with Clarke.

Ultimately you're right he can't spend most of the year in the AHL, but he may be able to wow in short bursts.

Yes I'm aware, just wanted to give the general overview. Wonder if they give Greentree the 9 game sample next year to see if he's ready for fulltime NHL or not.

 

[BigBrown]

OHL Stock Watch: Liam Greentree taking flight with Windsor Spitfires

Lauren Kelly brings the stock watch from the OHL, highlighted by Windsor Spitfires captain Liam Greentree.

eprinkside.com

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Yes I'm aware, just wanted to give the general overview. Wonder if they give Greentree the 9 game sample next year to see if he's ready for fulltime NHL or not.

Seemed like he held on pretty hard this year at camp but they already had their minds made up, and for once I don't mean that in a bad way.

But he looked like he played a pro-ready game. Dominating more will help. I think @Herby is the one that says no one is hurt dominating the CHL for an extra year. I actually like his chances of translating his WHOLE game to the pros but I want him to get as many puck touches as he can because the moment he joins the Kings pro ranks he's on a 4th line or press box in LA, Ontario, or Greeneville for far too long until we complain he's not ready ad nauseum till waiver eligibility/age 25.

 

[Herby]

Seemed like he held on pretty hard this year at camp but they already had their minds made up, and for once I don't mean that in a bad way.

But he looked like he played a pro-ready game. Dominating more will help. I think @Herby is the one that says no one is hurt dominating the CHL for an extra year. I actually like his chances of translating his WHOLE game to the pros but I want him to get as many puck touches as he can because the moment he joins the Kings pro ranks he's on a 4th line or press box in LA, Ontario, or Greeneville for far too long until we complain he's not ready ad nauseum till waiver eligibility/age 25.

Well it more applies to college players, you can't hurt a players development by having him play a season more of college hockey (Faber) but you can certainly hurt a players development by pulling him a year early (Turcotte).

Despite being a huge fan of NCAA hockey, I prefer the Kings to take CHL players over NCAA players because it takes the destructive "Put them in Ontario and let them work with Muzz" strategy off the table for teenage prospects. If Greentree were doing this at Michigan or BC, it's very likely the Kings sign him with the intention of putting him on the Reign at 19. Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, Bjornfot and Kupari all went down this path, and the results have been terrible, but that doesn't matter, they are right and everyone else is wrong.

The NHL should be a meritocracy, If Greentree is good enough to make the Kings out of camp next season, he should make the team, whether he is 19 or not. But the reality of the situation is (unless there is a management change) the Kings are going to send this guy back to junior for his age 19 season, and even if he has a historically good season, he is going to play a good chunk of his age 20 season in Ontario while "working with Muzz" and paying his dues. He's probably not as good as Clarke, and even Clarke got that treatment from the clowns running the Kings.

The Spits play in Soo a week from Sunday, hate that it's an NFL Sunday, but may make the 90 minute drive up there and see this guy, he looks like he's having a fantastic season as a D+1 in the OHL.

BTW, shout out to Liam's mom for holding tough, he was born on January 1st, meaning that he is only eligible for the OHL next season and not the AHL. Had he been born a day earlier he would be another teenager playing for the Reign next season.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Well it more applies to college players, you can't hurt a players development by having him play a season more of college hockey (Faber) but you can certainly hurt a players development by pulling him a year early (Turcotte).

Despite being a huge fan of NCAA hockey, I prefer the Kings to take CHL players over NCAA players because it takes the destructive "Put them in Ontario and let them work with Muzz" strategy off the table for teenage prospects. If Greentree were doing this at Michigan or BC, it's very likely the Kings sign him with the intention of putting him on the Reign at 19. Byfield, Turcotte, Kaliyev, Bjornfot and Kupari all went down this path, and the results have been terrible, but that doesn't matter, they are right and everyone else is wrong.

The NHL should be a meritocracy, If Greentree is good enough to make the Kings out of camp next season, he should make the team, whether he is 19 or not. But the reality of the situation is (unless there is a management change) the Kings are going to send this guy back to junior for his age 19 season, and even if he has a historically good season, he is going to play a good chunk of his age 20 season in Ontario while "working with Muzz" and paying his dues. He's probably not as good as Clarke, and even Clarke got that treatment from the clowns running the Kings.

The Spits play in Soo a week from Sunday, hate that it's an NFL Sunday, but may make the 90 minute drive up there and see this guy, he looks like he's having a fantastic season as a D+1 in the OHL.

BTW, shout out to Liam's mom for holding tough, he was born on January 1st, meaning that he is only eligible for the OHL next season and not the AHL. Had he been born a day earlier he would be another teenager playing for the Reign next season.

Had he been born a day earlier, he would have been the youngest 2005 birthyear in his school year grouping (Canada school year grouping is Jan 1-Dec 31) and in hockey birthyear grouping, and thus he would have been at a significant developmental disadvantage growing up playing minor hockey in Ontario. Hell, because he's born on January 1 and was the oldest in his grade and hockey birthyear, that's probably a minor fact in why he fell to the 20s in this draft. If he was an August birthday like Byfield and put up the same production, I bet he goes before 20. There's a good amount of data, with some volatility, that Canadian January birthday hockey players peak earlier due to being the oldest growing up and have less room to grow in terms of development after minor hockey and junior. Look at Shane Wright (January 5), even with him playing up a birthyear most of his minor hockey career.

 

[Herby]

Had he been born a day earlier, he would have been the youngest 2005 birthyear in his school year grouping (Canada school year grouping is Jan 1-Dec 31) and in hockey birthyear grouping, and thus he would have been at a significant developmental disadvantage growing up playing minor hockey in Ontario. Hell, because he's born on January 1 and was the oldest in his grade and hockey birthyear, that's probably a minor fact in why he fell to the 20s in this draft. If he was an August birthday like Byfield and put up the same production, I bet he goes before 20. There's a good amount of data, with some volatility, that Canadian January birthday hockey players peak earlier due to being the oldest growing up and have less room to grow in terms of development after minor hockey and junior. Look at Shane Wright (January 5), even with him playing up a birthyear most of his minor hockey career.

I realize this is true, and have seen it brought up before.

But there have also been many many great post-9/15 birthday Canadian players who have had incredible NHL careers. He is a 1st round pick who is shredding the OHL in his age 18 season, I don't know if it would have mattered as much in his case.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I realize this is true, and have seen it brought up before.

But there have also been many many great post-9/15 birthday Canadian players who have had incredible NHL careers. He is a 1st round pick who is shredding the OHL in his age 18 season, I don't know if it would have mattered as much in his case.

Oh of course. Plenty do. My point that I should have emphasized more is that if he's born one day earlier, his minor hockey and thus junior hockey career is completely different and he would have been at a position of weakness instead of his reality of a position of strength.

Great players are great players, but there have been fewer 9/16-12/31 Canadian born studs simply because of the structure there.

 

[FSL KINGS]

It would be the most Blake thing to call up Grünbaum to patch the whole next to Kopi & Kempe, then bench him for 50 games & send him on a conditioning stint to the AHL.