Prospect Info: Linden Vey to Canucks for 2nd Round Pick #50; Kings select Defenseman Roland McKeown

[FrozenKing18]

Just yesterday, I saw a couple people on here being disappointed that we didn't take McKeown at 29th.

 

[CTKingsFan]

Sad to see Vey go. I always liked his game and think he'll be in the NHL this season. But, there was no spot for him on this team. He would've had to clear waivers to get to Manchester this season and would've likely been claimed.

GREAT trade, imo. Really excited about McKeown!

 

[Face Wash]

Very also lost every physical battle. He one lost a battle to a potato

Then the potato goaded him into a fight and Vey lost THAT too.

Vey's is listed at bigger than he really is and plays. Kings players pay the price for possession up and down the ice, he simply doesn't. He has really good hands though and looked like a pretty good playmaker to me which takes vision & instincts you can't teach. On another team he may have success (a la Teddy Purcell) but not the Kings. Just not willing to muck it up and come away with the puck which on LA is a pre-requisite.

Good Luck to him though!

 

[KingsHockey24]

Just yesterday, I saw a couple people on here being disappointed that we didn't take McKeown at 29th.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

We walked away with Kempe and Mckeown despite winning the Cup this year and having the last pick in every round.

That's pretty fantastic if you ask me.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

We walked away with Kempe and Mckeown despite winning the Cup this year and having the last pick in every round.

That's pretty fantastic if you ask me.

That's more that pretty fantastic. That's ****ing fantastically awesome

 

[Reclamation Project]

Dean ****ing Lombardi.

 

[apadilla]

I wanted to move up to pick McKeown...in Round 1. Stoked we got him at 50

yup, i remember a few mock drafts had us taking him at 29,

 

[Reclamation Project]

Regardless of where people penciled him in, I never thought he'd get a chance here.

 

[Nefarious]

Sad to see Vey go. But given the circumstances, I am veyry happy! No one toys with my emotions like Dean.

Nuff said.

 

[deeshamrock]

We walked away with Kempe and Mckeown despite winning the Cup this year and having the last pick in every round.

That's pretty fantastic if you ask me.

Absolutely. That's a smart GM cemented his reputation. And they mentioned that during round 1 and 2, pointing out all the Kings who contributed to the Cup that were Round 2 and beyond. I can't believe they got McKeown. I was hoping they took him at 29. He's gonna be a very solid D for them for years, has all the tools and knows how to use them. Like any young D, he needs to mature and we know DL doesn't rush his propects and they are all the better for it. Bright future with both of these young players.

 

[etherialone]

Wow we got both Kempe AND McKeown? Such a huge win for us. Neither of these two will be elite talent types but that wasn't what this draft was about with a few exceptions. This draft was about getting the type of players who can play all around games and help you win their character grit and blood.

Both Kempe and McKeown are those types of players and while both of them have solid skill sets neither of them are likely to become elite talents when they reach the NHL but both of them have the ability to have a very big impact on the team in their respective ways.

McKeown is a solid hard hitting (when he wants to be) excellent skating Dman who does everything pretty well. He imo is more of a pmd than an SAH today but I believe he will be more of a VV type of player when he reaches the NHL. Very happy with picking him up.

I have written several things about Kempe and will post more on him later but he is the guy that the team had as their top likely prospect and that says everything anyone needs to know about him. Solid win for us.


As for losing Vey well I see it as a high price for us to have paid for McKeown. Linden Vey is a very solid young player who is going to play in the NHL for a long time. Give him ice time and the right wings and he will produce on O in the NHL while not costing you at the other end. Ask him to play a shut down style and he will give you that. We only get to see a very small sample of who LV was on the Kings and who he should become at the NHL level but like has happened with so many other young players who have made the team he (LV) needs time to establish his game and build his confidence.

Hopefully the Canucks can give him those two things. With a less restrictive two way system LV should be able to become the very good 3rd line center that everyone believed he would be. I am sorry to see him go and the Canucks got a very good young NHL ready center for the price of a 2nd round pick.

That said credit to DL for once again making a tough but correct decision when it comes to how to handle everything to do with the team. If it wasn't Vey it would be someone else and with our depth at C LV would have had to play wing to stick around and even then we would have had to have found a spot for him.

Great job by DL and co and all the best to LV.

 

[KBA4life]

I read a scouting report on Mckeown once a few months ago. After that, I was really hoping DL would pick him. Due to all my knowledge on the matter

 

[goosh]

Favorite selection of the draft. Everything about it is right. Got great value for Linden Vey (who I thought would warrant a third- or fourth-round pick) and get a steal in McKeown. A- for this pick.

 

[Yung Rotini]

You lucky SOB's. I was hoping that the Flames would get McKeown at 54

 

[Scottkmlps]

Man, this defense is going to be solid for years to come.

 

[Peter James Bond]

Man, this defense is going to be solid for years to come.

So true. The Kings are building an amazing stable of D prospects.

McNabb, Forbort, McKeown, Gravel, Ebert, LaDue, Roach, MacDermid,
Lintuniemi, Miller, Leslie...and maybe even Middleton develops.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

Looks like he's a pretty good playmaker and has a pretty big shot.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

lol ok all you draft experts where are we week now ? as far as prospect go ? rw top 6? only thing i can think of now

 

[etherialone]

lol ok all you draft experts where are we week now ? as far as prospect go ? rw top 6? only thing i can think of now

Hey KC!

Enjoying the draft. I am dead tired but had great day. I have to take a long look at our org before I would be willing to give a definitive answer but off the top of my head I would say that we only have two prospects who could develop into elite first line sniper types but would also say that we are a team that isn't really set up to develop those kind of players. A player like Zykov on a team like the Isles or Oilers could develop into a true sniper due to the system that they play where we aren't going to allow anyone to cherry pick too often or to play a one zone style.

I guess we could use one or two more Zykovs and Porkins but who couldn't? Other then that we are the deepest team in the league for everything else imo but again I want to take a look before I would hazard a guess.

 

[kingsfan]

lol ok all you draft experts where are we week now ? as far as prospect go ? rw top 6? only thing i can think of now

We still need a high end prospect and we could use a legit goalie prospect, but even those needs could be met by Kempe, Zykov, Bartosak, Dillon, etc.

The one big risk a team that stays at the top end of the standings -and thus the low end of the draft order- is finding high end skill. We have some good candidates for sure but none of Toffoli, Pearson, Kempe, Zykov, Prokorkhin, etc has proven they are that level yet.

Basically, that's all nitpicking. We are deep at almost all positions and have a bunch of intriguing prospects who have some good upside. Can't complain much.

 

[Scottkmlps]

lol ok all you draft experts where are we week now ? as far as prospect go ? rw top 6? only thing i can think of now

It's all about development and the Kings have shown they are one of the best at that. But, to answer your question, I would say on the wings, and a bonofide #1 center prospect, but we can wait another couple of drafts with having Kopi. (No, I don't think he bolts when his deal is up because Dean will already have him locked up before that happens.) It's also hard to draft a bonafide #1 center prospect when you're drafting in the late 20's or 30th year after year. Such a good problem to have.

 

[Trolfoli]

Good value for Vey. Best of luck up in Van.

Here's to hoping someone steps up for the 4C spot so the Kings don't end up with Lewis there.

 

[Scottkmlps]

Good value for Vey. Best of luck up in Van.

Here's to hoping someone steps up for the 4C spot so the Kings don't end up with Lewis there.

Ummmm....don't the Kings have Kopi, Carter, Richards & Stoll as their centers? Why would they need Lewis to center the 4th line, unless an injury of course?

 

[KingCanadain1976]

Hey KC!

Enjoying the draft. I am dead tired but had great day. I have to take a long look at our org before I would be willing to give a definitive answer but off the top of my head I would say that we only have two prospects who could develop into elite first line sniper types but would also say that we are a team that isn't really set up to develop those kind of players. A player like Zykov on a team like the Isles or Oilers could develop into a true sniper due to the system that they play where we aren't going to allow anyone to cherry pick too often or to play a one zone style.

I guess we could use one or two more Zykovs and Porkins but who couldn't? Other then that we are the deepest team in the league for everything else imo but again I want to take a look before I would hazard a guess.

Hey tg

I loved the draft always one of my 5 favorite days of the year (b day free agent day xmass eve ( the family dinner ) trade deadline day and draft day in different order. The reason for my question i tend to be the one answering trade needs on the main board and i am curious if there something i should sorta keep my eye out for sorta thing. I think i ll stick to the draft picks idea as our scouts know the needs in the future better then i do. I dunno if u answer this else where as i havn't seen your thoughts yet on all the pick but where will Kempe project to be 2nd line c lst lw Ive read plays both but havnt seen where he will most likely be. Our could any other of the pick end up top line? I'm sure you will answer this in the individual threads if not could you? Oh and was there a pick you wanted or hoped would fall to us in the later rounds? someone you feel strongly that we missed ? Anyways always great reading your thoughts especially at this time of year? Who is your steal of the draft for the kings and others?