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The Kings top 20 Prospects (as voted by you)

kingsfan

kingsfan

President of the Todd McLellan fan club by default
Mar 18, 2002
13,384
1,032
Manitoba, Canada
#1 Tanner Pearson (71.23% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1721939
#2 Valentin Zykov (36.73% of votes)
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1722333
#3 Adrian Kempe (50% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1722809
#4 Brayden McNabb (40% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1723143
#5 Nikolai Prokhorkin (52.08% of votes http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1723683
#6 Roland McKeown (33.33% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1724317
#7 Nick Shore (52.94% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1725135
#8 Derek Forbort (39.39% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1725637
#9 Jordan Weal (42.86% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1726159
#10 Andy Andreoff (53.13% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1726443
#11 Patrik Bartosak (38.24% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1726783
#12 Michael Mersch (27.59% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1727215
#13 Nick Ebert (31.82% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1727731
#14 Zac Leslie (21.88% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1728295
#15 Jean-Francois Berube (19.23% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1728699
Tie-breaker http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1728985
#16 Jonny Brodzinski (29.17% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1729271
#17 Maxim Kitsyn (36.36% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1729715
#18 Nic Dowd (27.27% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1730261
#19 Colin Miller (26.09% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/sh....php?t=1730697
#20 Alex Lintuniemi (27.78% of votes) http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1731241

Interesting list, perhaps the best part is that only five of the 20 prospects recieved 50% of the votes or more while seven received less than 33%.

Another tidbit, Spencer Watson was in a three way tie for #15 prospect and yet after that didn't even manage to crack the list at all.

I think this list reflects the purge of players we've had that had been hanging around for a while (Vey, Kozun, Toffoli, Jones, Deslauriers) and the overall youth of our prospects. I believe half of the prospects are still in juniors/college.
Click to read more...
 
Thank you for doing this. My list is a bit different, but that's what makes these discussions fun.
 
Speaking of prospect any word on who might participate on the rookie games against the Coyotes next week?
 
That Watson stat is so bizarre... Guy ties for 15th and then seemingly falls off a cliff with voters. That said I had him at 18 on my list but never voted for him once due to trying to get Miller on there someplace.
 
Thanks for doing this. Overall, this list coincides pretty well with mine, which is as follows:

1. Tanner Pearson
--
2. Brayden McNabb
3. Valentin Zykov
4. Adrian Kempe
5. Nikolai Prokhorkin
--
6. Derek Forbort
7. Roland McKeown
--
8. Nick Shore
9. Jordan Weal
10. Andy Andreoff
11. Patrik Bartosak
--
12. Michael Mersch
13. Zac Leslie
14. Nick Ebert
--
15. J-F Berube
16. Jonny Brodzinski.
17. Nic Dowd
--
18. Colin Miller
19. Alex Lintuniemi
20. Mike Amadio
 
great job doing this I really enjoyed voting for the players. I really don't see why Watson would make the list He was a late pick for a reason. At 5 9 i really don't see him making the kings ever
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
great job doing this I really enjoyed voting for the players. I really don't see why Watson would make the list He was a late pick for a reason. At 5 9 i really don't see him making the kings ever
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Vey and Weal were both late picks and both were undersized when drafted. Both are now also on the cusp of cracking an NHL roster. All three were undersized high-skill boom or bust players when drafted and you could even put Kozun and Azevedo on this list as well. All of them were solid prospects that were in the system for a number of years. Seems short-sighted to write Watson off a few months after he is drafted as too small.
 
tigermask48 said:
That Watson stat is so bizarre... Guy ties for 15th and then seemingly falls off a cliff with voters. That said I had him at 18 on my list but never voted for him once due to trying to get Miller on there someplace.
Click to expand...

My guess is there's some kind of expectation he will be like Kozun or Weal, and I just don't see him as either. He's not physical or overly creative. He has a good attitude and ethic, and if he strengthens, COULD become like Mats Zuccarello, but otherwise would struggle at best in the NHL. He's near the bottom of my list. I was surprised he made it in the tiebreaker at all.

My list, which is usually very contentious (as an aside, I made this in July; Pearson wasn't included as a prospect, and Gravel was still a prospect. I won't include him on this list):

1. Adrian Kempe
2. Valentin Zykov
3. Brayden McNabb
4. Nikolai Prokhorkin
5. Derek Forbort
6. Andy Andreoff
7. Roland McKeown
8. Nick Shore
9. Patrik Bartosak
10. Mike Amadio
11. Nick Ebert
12. Nic Dowd
13. Steven Johnson
14. Michael Mersch
15. Zac Leslie
16. Alex Roach
17. Jonny Brodzinski
18. Jacob Middleton
19. Jordan Weal
20. Alex Lintuniemi

HM: Scott Sabourin, Alec Dillon, Matt Mistele, Jake Marchment, Paul LaDue
 
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tigermask48 said:
Vey and Weal were both late picks and both were undersized when drafted. Both are now also on the cusp of cracking an NHL roster. All three were undersized high-skill boom or bust players when drafted and you could even put Kozun and Azevedo on this list as well. All of them were solid prospects that were in the system for a number of years. Seems short-sighted to write Watson off a few months after he is drafted as too small.
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Imo one of the reason Vey was traded is he was to small to fit in the king scheme of playing. I also think Weal will not make the kings. He will be traded for picks. I am not writting off anyone talent will always find a place in the nhl. However a 7th round pick that is only 5'9 doesn't have a place on a top 20 Kings prospect list when other will at least have a shot to make the kings.
 
I think Brodzinski has the potential to surprise people. Then again, he could turn out to be like another Jeff Tambellini (hope not!). He's got an NHL caliber shot, and I think his emergence is one reason why the Kings were able to afford to trade a solid forward prospect like Hudson Fasching.
 
Not bad compared to the one I did here either. Only a few real stark differences.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articl...wait-many-los-angeles-kings-fall-2014-top-20/

1. Pearson (-)
2. Zykov (-)
3. McNabb (+1)
4. Prokhorkin (+1)
5. Kempe (-2)
6. McKeown (-)
7. Forbort (+1)
8. Weal (+1)
9. Shore (-2)
10. Mersch (+2)
11. Ebert (+2)
12. Andreoff (-2)
13. Dowd (+5)
14. Leslie (-)
15. Brodzinski (+1)
16. Bartosak (-5)
17. Lintuniemi (+3)
18. LaDue (NA)
19. Watson (NA)
20. Miller (-1)
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
Imo one of the reason Vey was traded is he was to small to fit in the king scheme of playing. I also think Weal will not make the kings. He will be traded for picks. I am not writting off anyone talent will always find a place in the nhl. However a 7th round pick that is only 5'9 doesn't have a place on a top 20 Kings prospect list when other will at least have a shot to make the kings.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, you could argue that a 7th rounder who develops in the system for a few years and can be flipped for a third rounder or a serviceable depth player in the future is worthy of a 15-20 slot on the top prospects list. As much as I love to overvalue our players, most of those players will not be Kings long term. This is hard lineup to crack, but that does not diminish their value as prospects. I think this is how we have to start looking at the depth chart and it's a nice problem to have. Thank goodness I'm no longer hoping that a Jordan Weal can crack the lineup as the number 2 center and help us get into the first round for the first time in 5 years. I don't miss the mid-2000s.
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
great job doing this I really enjoyed voting for the players. I really don't see why Watson would make the list He was a late pick for a reason. At 5 9 i really don't see him making the kings ever
Click to expand...

Watson really fell at the draft, some scouting reports had him much higher. I think The Hockey News had him as a late 2nd to early 3rd, so the upside is there. Very similar plummet as Nick Ebert had at his draft two years ago, and so that pick isn't looking to bad.
 
T2M said:
On the other hand, you could argue that a 7th rounder who develops in the system for a few years and can be flipped for a third rounder or a serviceable depth player in the future is worthy of a 15-20 slot on the top prospects list. As much as I love to overvalue our players, most of those players will not be Kings long term. This is hard lineup to crack, but that does not diminish their value as prospects. I think this is how we have to start looking at the depth chart and it's a nice problem to have. Thank goodness I'm no longer hoping that a Jordan Weal can crack the lineup as the number 2 center and help us get into the first round for the first time in 5 years. I don't miss the mid-2000s.
Click to expand...

Ok i maybe old and forgot someone but who was the last person the kings drafted in the 7th round that got fliped for a 3rd ? I don't remember anyone in the last 35 years that it happened like that. I will say sure its possible but i have better odds in the lotto.
I will ague that there are others off the list with better odds of being a king. I think a lot of people look at his numbers and don't think hes a bad pick. I look at his size and say never playing for Dean.
I guess it comes down to how you think of the phase top 20 KINGS prospects. I think of the top 20 with a shot of being kings and to me you need to be 6 feet to be looked at getting in the lineup. I am not trying to slight the talent of players under 6 feet just saying they wouldn't fit into the kings approach to the game. For better or worse big and physical will be played over smaller skilled players/
 
kingsfan said:
Watson really fell at the draft, some scouting reports had him much higher. I think The Hockey News had him as a late 2nd to early 3rd, so the upside is there. Very similar plummet as Nick Ebert had at his draft two years ago, and so that pick isn't looking to bad.
Click to expand...

I am not trying to say he doesn't have talent. I honestly haven't seen him enough to judge it. All I'm trying to say is Dean and Sutter will choose size and physical over small and skilled. As for Ebert he does met my min height of 6 feet i believe hes 6'1. Now taking a shot for a depth player that will never get higher then Mancheaster is ok by me but to call him a top 20 KINGS prospect is going a bit far.
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
Ok i maybe old and forgot someone but who was the last person the kings drafted in the 7th round that got fliped for a 3rd ? I don't remember anyone in the last 35 years that it happened like that. I will say sure its possible but i have better odds in the lotto.
I will ague that there are others off the list with better odds of being a king. I think a lot of people look at his numbers and don't think hes a bad pick. I look at his size and say never playing for Dean.
I guess it comes down to how you think of the phase top 20 KINGS prospects. I think of the top 20 with a shot of being kings and to me you need to be 6 feet to be looked at getting in the lineup. I am not trying to slight the talent of players under 6 feet just saying they wouldn't fit into the kings approach to the game. For better or worse big and physical will be played over smaller skilled players/
Click to expand...

I don't think he's ever playing for this Kings team (DL/DS led). That being said, if he has offensive talent and shows work ethic in this system you never know where you get flipped. Even a fifth would be a good return on Watson in the future. And if he turns into a little offensive dynamo, so much the better.
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
Imo one of the reason Vey was traded is he was to small to fit in the king scheme of playing. I also think Weal will not make the kings. He will be traded for picks. I am not writting off anyone talent will always find a place in the nhl. However a 7th round pick that is only 5'9 doesn't have a place on a top 20 Kings prospect list when other will at least have a shot to make the kings.
Click to expand...

Loktionov was a 5th rounder and was easily a top 20 prospect immediatley. When drafted he was only like 5'10" and 165lbs. Perfectly alright with a smallish high skill player that drops in the draft being in a top 20 list. It's not like he's that small and he's 18, possible he grows another inch or two, and if he doesn't oh well. Richards is what 5'10"? 5'11 at most? He's perfectly fine playing on the Kings.

I think what did Vey in more than anything was the fact that Toffoli and Pearson were just better than Vey in every aspect and there was no room for Vey. That more than anything sealed Vey's fate in LA.

King'sPawn said:
1. Adrian Kempe
2. Valentin Zykov
3. Brayden McNabb
4. Nikolai Prokhorkin
5. Derek Forbort
6. Andy Andreoff
7. Roland McKeown
8. Nick Shore
9. Patrik Bartosak
10. Mike Amadio
11. Nick Ebert
12. Nic Dowd
13. Steven Johnson
14. Michael Mersch
15. Zac Leslie
16. Alex Roach
17. Jonny Brodzinski
18. Jacob Middleton
19. Jordan Weal
20. Alex Lintuniemi

HM: Scott Sabourin, Alec Dillon, Matt Mistele, Jake Marchment, Paul LaDue
Click to expand...

Solid list! A few I disagree with but that may be due to haivng seen very little of them (Johnson) or just not seeing what others are (Ebert)Here's is what I come up with for a top 25 when we started:
1. Pearson
2. Zykov
3. Kempe
4. McNabb
5. Porkins!!
6. McKeown
7. Forbort
8. Andreoff
9. Bartosak
10. Weal
11. Dowd
12. Miller
13. Mersch
14. Berube
15. Brodzinski
16. Ebert
17. Leslie
18. Amadio
19. Sabourin
20. Lintuniemi
21. Kitsyn
22. LaDue
23. Watson
24. Johnson
25. Roach

I know I'll get flamed for some of those (Miller at 12 lol. Right?) but I tried to take ceiling, nhl readiness, team need, etc into account when making the list. Flame away I guess.
 
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KingCanadain1976 said:
Ok i maybe old and forgot someone but who was the last person the kings drafted in the 7th round that got fliped for a 3rd ? I don't remember anyone in the last 35 years that it happened like that. I will say sure its possible but i have better odds in the lotto.
I will ague that there are others off the list with better odds of being a king. I think a lot of people look at his numbers and don't think hes a bad pick. I look at his size and say never playing for Dean.
I guess it comes down to how you think of the phase top 20 KINGS prospects. I think of the top 20 with a shot of being kings and to me you need to be 6 feet to be looked at getting in the lineup. I am not trying to slight the talent of players under 6 feet just saying they wouldn't fit into the kings approach to the game. For better or worse big and physical will be played over smaller skilled players/
Click to expand...

This guy:

huet.jpg


Deal actually was Garon and a 3rd for Huet and Bonk, but to me that deal always broke down as Bonk for Garon; Huet for a 3rd
 
tigermask48 said:
Is it bad that I didn't even recognize Garon? I immediately went Zaba? Munce? Taylor? Hauser?
Click to expand...

Garon was the epitome of the Dave Taylor era decision making. Garon was a career backup that looked like the greatest goalie in the world against us one game and (just because someone decided so) Garon was going to be everything than Fiset and Storr weren't. La Barbara was plan B.

This was going in to the season of 'Judge us on now" when there was a level playing field, we're gonna spend to the cap, there is nothing to stop us this time!

And what happened started hot, and faded and faded and faded and faded. Murray was fired, then Sean Avery, then Taylor.

Garon was gone after the next season and was on 4 teams in seven years as a career backup and played last season in the KHL.

Deep down, I think Tim Lieweekly made the decision to trade for him and Eric Rassmussen
 
T2M said:
I don't think he's ever playing for this Kings team (DL/DS led). That being said, if he has offensive talent and shows work ethic in this system you never know where you get flipped. Even a fifth would be a good return on Watson in the future. And if he turns into a little offensive dynamo, so much the better.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying he isn't talented or that he wouldn't be flipped for something. What i'm saying is others on the list have a chance to play in a king uniform something Watson doesn't Kozan is a perfect example he was a 20+ goal scoring ahl player However he was overlooked to play Dwight King and Jordan Nolan The kings needed goals bad then If any player under 6 foot deserved a shot to play in nhl it was Kozan. This is going to be a choice Sutter and Dean will make every time in the future. Watson would have to be a 30+ ahl goal scorer to get a shot imo. Also he has alot of young king players ahead of him on the depth chart. If Dean got a 5th right now i would take it and run.
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
I'm not saying he isn't talented or that he wouldn't be flipped for something. What i'm saying is others on the list have a chance to play in a king uniform something Watson doesn't Kozan is a perfect example he was a 20+ goal scoring ahl player However he was overlooked to play Dwight King and Jordan Nolan The kings needed goals bad then If any player under 6 foot deserved a shot to play in nhl it was Kozan. This is going to be a choice Sutter and Dean will make every time in the future. Watson would have to be a 30+ ahl goal scorer to get a shot imo. Also he has alot of young king players ahead of him on the depth chart. If Dean got a 5th right now i would take it and run.
Click to expand...

The Kings likely won't make a decision on Watson for 2 years at least and 5 years at most. Who knows where he'll be then after the development team is done with him.
 
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