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Kings Article: Kings Development Camp begins next week

Just got here and on the way down Nash at the park on the right about half block to the facilities I saw DL and most of the defensive prospects along with another coach doing stretches and other isolation techniques

Forwards been on the ice this AM. Some notables: Brodzinski (very good skater, solid puck handler, faster if those in the ice) Kempe (fluid at everything, beyond the hash he floats most shots high from a casual viewers perspective, good skater, came away feeling like I watched a younger Kopitar in the making. Auger is a large individual with some good mobility but on some of the in-tight drills with sharp turns he would lose his edge frequently. Marchment good speed, good turning in drills, solid day.

Defense is coming on the ice now.
 
Good to finally hear some reports. I had heard Kempe comparisons to Trevor Lewis at draft time. As much as I like Lewis and appreciate what he contributes to the team, I wouldn't use a first-round draft pick on another Trevor Lewis. Glad to hear that Kempe comparison you made above.

Sheng Peng, your link was what we've been looking for. THANK YOU.
 
It still blows my mind how Patrick Newell on hockeydb is listed at 135 lbs. How is that even possible? :laugh:
 
TwoForRoughing said:
It still blows my mind how Patrick Newell on hockeydb is listed at 135 lbs. How is that even possible? :laugh:
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That's crazy. I recall when my brother was playing High School Baseball at Arcadia
High in 1985...I was at work and got to the game late...my brother came up for another at bat. Someone said "that's the skinny kid who hit one over the 370 sign, last at bat".
Glenn weighed 135 lbs. I thought the guy was bs'ing but it was true. That was his sophomore year. In his SR year, he tagged one off of Greg Maddux in a tournament in Las Vegas. Grand slam, winning homer. Of course I was in Northern California rafting and missed that one too.

135 lbs cannot be possible for pro hockey!
 
Out of curiosity, is invitee Stephen Harper playing defense or forward at the camp for you guys?
 
Primakov! said:
At that pace he'll fill out to a nice Prince Fielder package when he's ready to play in the NHL for some team.
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Kid is still tiny. It's amazing to think how well he's been able to compete playing with players so much bigger than him. It's like he hasn't really finished puberty yet. If he's just on a slow growth curve, he could very well end up being a medium sized, very capable D1/Pro player. Here's an interview from less than two months ago...



EDIT: Just looking quickly for a precedent, I noticed Gaudreau was drafted at 5'7" and 140lbs. He's now listed at 5'9" and 159lbs, which is at least a bit more reasonable. I could see something similar for Newell.
 
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Brock said:
Out of curiosity, is invitee Stephen Harper playing defense or forward at the camp for you guys?
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Defense.

The Exiled One said:
Kid is still tiny. It's amazing to think how well he's been able to compete playing with players so much bigger than him. It's like he hasn't really finished puberty yet. If he's just on a slow growth curve, he could very well end up being a medium sized, very capable D1/Pro player. Here's an interview from less than two months ago...
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What a charming young lady. I'm sure USA Women's Hockey will prosper greatly... :)
 
PJ Kings Hockey said:
Good to finally hear some reports. I had heard Kempe comparisons to Trevor Lewis at draft time. As much as I like Lewis and appreciate what he contributes to the team, I wouldn't use a first-round draft pick on another Trevor Lewis. Glad to hear that Kempe comparison you made above.

Sheng Peng, your link was what we've been looking for. THANK YOU.
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Thanks for sentiments on biz. Am at the point where I am now having a key supplier in Florida find a suitable retail spot in Cocoa Village and I am going to move the biz there. Loss of $35,000 last year and about the only hope I have. Must pack and be gone in 2+ weeks. Hardest part will be telling my 15 and 18 yr old sons, I am leaving. Its either go, or bankruptcy.

Regarding any comments on Kempe: it is too hard to project what a 17 year old that played in the SEL is going to be like in 4 to 5 yrs. Lewis probably would not have been good enough to play in the SEL at 17. I think it will be better to judge him in the 18 yr old tournaments vs his peers.
 
PJ Kings Hockey said:
Thanks, DocGonzo! Much appreciated.

Found this:



So we know there are sessions all morning long and at least one in the afternoon. Worth going, I'd imagine.

FrozenRoyalty is great for camp video interviews. I'd check there tonight.

ETA: We know that prospects are going to develop over several years and thus will change a lot, but it's nice to get an introduction to new members of the Kings family and exciting to see how previous years' draft picks have progressed and taken their coaches' instruction to heart. Zykov and Brodzinski, for example.
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No camp videos from me this year. KingsVision was there, so I didn't bother with video. I did speak with Kempe, Zykov, McKeown and Leslie. Also Mike Donnelly and Kim Dillabaugh. I'll be posting a photo essay shortly...
 
PJ Kings Hockey said:
Thanks, DocGonzo! Much appreciated.

Found this:

So we know there are sessions all morning long and at least one in the afternoon. Worth going, I'd imagine.

FrozenRoyalty is great for camp video interviews. I'd check there tonight.

ETA: We know that prospects are going to develop over several years and thus will change a lot, but it's nice to get an introduction to new members of the Kings family and exciting to see how previous years' draft picks have progressed and taken their coaches' instruction to heart. Zykov and Brodzinski, for example.
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One thing...you won't see much from me in terms of evaluations of the prospects in camp. Why? Because 99% of the time, they're pointless at this stage of their development. What you see now is likely to be very different in a year's time, especially for the 18-year-olds (and in Kempe's case, a 17-year-old).

When the evaluations/observations become more valuable (not a lot more, mind you) is a prospect's second time in camp...
 
FrozenRoyalty said:
No camp videos from me this year. KingsVision was there, so I didn't bother with video. I did speak with Kempe, Zykov, McKeown and Leslie. Also Mike Donnelly and Kim Dillabaugh. I'll be posting a photo essay shortly...
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Say it ain't so. KingsVision gave us 3 nice player videos. Three. No Watson, Amadio, or the other new draft picks except McKeown and Kempe. No Zac Leslie. No Zykov. No Bartosak. No Brodzinski. How did Leslie and Zykov develop since last year in their eyes and what did Leslie learn from his and Ebert's deep playoff run and eventual upset in the championship game? What was joining the AHL like for Bartosak? What did Brodzinski take from SCSU co-captains Gravel and Dowd and how will he use that as a leader at SCSU going forward? What lessons about mental toughness and teamwork did these prospects take from the way the Kings won the Stanley Cup this year? You know you get the best video interviews, Gann.

Well, I guess we'll have to wait until Rookie Camp. Meanwhile, we'll look forward to your photo essay.

ETA: And I just saw your post above. Going to look at your photo essay now...
 
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From an article on teh Insider about ZYkov yesterday (camp) and his thoughts on his own progress:

Jon Rosen @lakingsinsider · 13h Zykov on his focus: "Try to help my team win. It’s not always points, it’s not always goals. Just be better on the ice than the opponent."

http://lakingsinsider.com/2014/07/08/development-camp-how-has-zykov-progressed/

Team happy with Zykov's progression:

Valentin Zykov’s 40-goal, 75-point 17-year-old season with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar left a major question heading into his sophomore major junior season.

What could he possibly do to top that?

“Just try to help my team win,” he said. “It’s not always points, it’s not always goals. Just be better on the ice than the opponent."...
 
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Sorry Gann, but I disagree. Player evaluations a year later are equally useless without evaluations a year earlier. Development camp is to develop the player's skills and habits. What good is evaluating how a player develops without providing context where they are now?

In the purest sense, these evaluations are pointless since these kids are not professionals. I don't go there to determine with 100% certainty if a player will be a pro. It's to see what he needs to work on and where he's strongest.

It's very disappointing my work situation prevents me from making it, but it's equally disappointing there are people who are going but won't share their thoughts for those of us who wish they could go. But that's just me.
 
King'sPawn said:
Sorry Gann, but I disagree. Player evaluations a year later are equally useless without evaluations a year earlier. Development camp is to develop the player's skills and habits. What good is evaluating how a player develops without providing context where they are now?

In the purest sense, these evaluations are pointless since these kids are not professionals. I don't go there to determine with 100% certainty if a player will be a pro. It's to see what he needs to work on and where he's strongest.

It's very disappointing my work situation prevents me from making it, but it's equally disappointing there are people who are going but won't share their thoughts for those of us who wish they could go. But that's just me.
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One camp doesn't really give anyone, including the Kings, an accurate view of a player's skills, etc. They know that, they admit that. They get a rough idea, but that's really all they get. Where they get the best information is what they do during a season. That's the best way to evaluate a player.

I guess what I'm saying is that there's so little to really grasp onto that can be gleaned from a five-day development camp, that, IMHO, the evaluations don't mean a whole lot. What you can see, to some degree, are fitness and strength changes in a player. But beyond that, it's tough.
 
PJ Kings Hockey said:
Say it ain't so. KingsVision gave us 3 nice player videos. Three. No Watson, Amadio, or the other new draft picks except McKeown and Kempe. No Zac Leslie. No Zykov. No Bartosak. No Brodzinski. How did Leslie and Zykov develop since last year in their eyes and what did Leslie learn from his and Ebert's deep playoff run and eventual upset in the championship game? What was joining the AHL like for Bartosak? What did Brodzinski take from SCSU co-captains Gravel and Dowd and how will he use that as a leader at SCSU going forward? What lessons about mental toughness and teamwork did these prospects take from the way the Kings won the Stanley Cup this year? You know you get the best video interviews, Gann.

Well, I guess we'll have to wait until Rookie Camp. Meanwhile, we'll look forward to your photo essay.

ETA: And I just saw your post above. Going to look at your photo essay now...
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We didn't get those players because we didn't ask for them. There was a limited amount of time between the end of the afternoon sessions and when they had to go to dinner. We got the players we had time to get.

I did talk to Leslie...wanted Bartosak, but he slipped past us to dinner. I did speak with Kim Dillabaugh about both Bartosak and Berube (who is not in camp) for a future story.
 
cyclones22 said:
Nice article. How long have those former players (Emerson, Murray, Donnelly etc.) been part of the organization in player development? I know Emerson has been here for awhile, but I'm curious as to when Murray and Donnelly came aboard.
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Donnelly has been there since just after Lombardi took over...was one of his first hires. Murray joined last season.
 
Decided to get out there today... pretty disappointed that the organization is being so hush-hush about this camp... As someone that's been going to these things for about 9 years now, and since I do drive out from Pasadena for these, it would be nice to know what yr getting yrself into.
Probably less than 4 in the stands that weren't working for the kings.

Forwards skated at 8pm
Defenseman skated around 9:15.

here are some quick notes:
--loved Brodzinski's shot... it is as advertised
--Kempe was smooth was silk out there... don't wanna get ahead of myself here but I definitely got that..."oh snap this guy is going to develop into an awesome player" feeling. Sure it's not much to go on, but you just got that sense how easy things came to him. Shot was a bit inconsistent but that's being harsh... I think Kempe is going to end up being a good player in the NHL.
--That Newell kid is for sure 135 pounds.. spotted him walking w/ the rest of the forwards outside TSC... he is teeny-tiny. However! the dude has wheels. Like legit wheels.
--Zykov's really improved on the fundamentals compared to last year. Looks a lot more confident on this go round..
--Watson's puck handles are nice.
--also noticed Amadio looking real solid all around.

Had a little bit of ADD watching the D men.
--Mckeown skates pretty great.
--Lintuniemi's size is pretty noteworthy.. 6'3 227. had a bit of trouble passing and he accidentally bowled over Middleton in a corners drill. Middleton was annoyed and was laboring from the fall a bit. but continued on just fine
--Leslie looked the most comfortable out there in all of the drills.

That's all for now... anybody go to any of the 3pm GROUP sessions? i'm thinking of going tomorrow but was wondering what goes on in that session.
 
I really do think Brodzinski is a reason why the team was okay with giving up Hudson Fasching in order to add a young, big defenseman. And I hope in a few years we'll see that the Kings made the right decision with that trade.
 
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