Kings Prospect Pool Voting: Ranking #4

[bland]

Once you start getting to the 7th or 8th best prospect in any organization, the luster fades quite a bit.

There's a list of 34 players here, and my usual plan is to go down the entire list, because what else do we have to do for the summer? I found the results of my poll from two years ago and will post it for comparison in the end.

Myself, I made my own list from 1-34. Try to make a list. Even if you're thinking "who cares about the 23rd best prospect?" it's a cool exercise that's not as easy as it sounds. Jordan Nolan and Matt Roy were both 7th-round picks, so even on the Kings' draft lists, they were probably rated in the 70s on the Kings' scouting lists.

One of the people on the poll is actually outside my top-20, which is what makes these lists fun. People have different criteria. When you make your lists, you actually have to force yourself to think about what you value, what you think works and what doesn't, and how you stack all these variables up against another.

Let's just look at goalies. Slukynsky went 28-1-1 in high school as an 18 year-old. How does that stack against Erik Portillo, who went 25-11-2 in college? In college, Portillo's stats worsened compared to the previous year, even though he's a year older. Does that matter? Does the size of the goalies matter? Or the quality of competition?

Or to compare two forwards: Alex Laferriere seems to be in the lead for this poll, and he scored 31 points in 35 games his Freshman year at Harvard as a 20 year-old. Kenny Connors had 26 points in 32 games at UMass as a 19/20 year-old. Connors actually played internationally in the WJC and potted a couple goals for Team USA. Does that matter to you? I'm not saying it should or shouldn't. I'm just saying when you start looking into these prospects at the granular level, even players you may be forced to rank in the 20s has qualities and can still emerge as a quality player.

I know this nerdy aspect of my hobby isn't for everyone, but I'm not even voting except in the case of tiebreakers. I am still excited by how things will turn out. I love seeing how the list grows, and I look forward to compare my own list with this one. Slight spoiler, only Brandt Clarke matches the list so far, and three of my top-five are still on the board to be voted on. I'm also interested in seeing how this own list has evolved from the last time this was done two years ago.

My point is: the polls will be what you make of them. I am sorry you feel underwhelmed at what the list may look like after a few more days, but there are things you can do to be excited about this stuff if you want to.

Connors is a top 5 prospect here in my opinion, surprised he isn't getting more response. I have him well above Laferriere, Jamsen, Salin and Ziemmer, neck and neck with Kirsanov and Chromiak but more likely to make it to the NHL.

 

[King'sPawn]

Connors is a top 5 prospect here in my opinion, surprised he isn't getting more response. I have him well above Laferriere, Jamsen, Salin and Ziemmer, neck and neck with Kirsanov and Chromiak but more likely to make it to the NHL.

And I love that. My list differs quite a bit, but that's what makes this all the more interesting. With his freshman season, I can understand why someone is higher on him than others. I have Connors closer to the middle of the pack, but that also speaks to the quality of prospects.

It's also just a major mystery, because these players will grow differently and have different inspirations and events which shape their future career.

I am guessing you are drawn a lot to Connors' compete level? Not that he's unskilled, but he's definitely a driven dude who engages physically.

 

[bland]

And I love that. My list differs quite a bit, but that's what makes this all the more interesting. With his freshman season, I can understand why someone is higher on him than others. I have Connors closer to the middle of the pack, but that also speaks to the quality of prospects.

It's also just a major mystery, because these players will grow differently and have different inspirations and events which shape their future career.

I am guessing you are drawn a lot to Connors' compete level? Not that he's unskilled, but he's definitely a driven dude who engages physically.

Yes, and unlike players whose career path lies largely on their ability to translate their puck skill, prospects like Conners are easier to project as actual NHL players because their motor gives them an edge. Its very easy to see Conners as a 3rd line winger with upside to move up if he demands it if himself.

I rate players with a higher likliehood to make their mid-range impact over one with the bigger upside but some obvious stumbling blocks. Conners has fewer speed bumps in his way than most of these prospects, and looks like a better bet to make it to the Kings than most on this list.