Who does LA pick #2

[bland]

If the kings interviewed Stutzle before the draft, that is an indication that the kings ranked Byfield higher and thus Byfield would be the BPA. Byfield stated that the kings did not interview him since they did not think they would be picking that high.

So dos anyone know if and when Stutzle was interviewed?

I don't buy that story one bit. The team scheduled to pick 4th with a decent chance at moving up doesn't interview one of the consensus top 3 picks "because they didn't think he would be available"?

That's a pretty dumb thing to admit.

 

[Lt Dan]

Nothing that affects my judgement of talent! What about you?

I ,for one, will say that I am

 

[K1900L]

I'm very surprised on how low you guys are on Stützle. Any other forum of those which expected to be drafting top 3 (Ottawa, Detroit..) have him head to head with Byfield, most scouts too. How so?

 

[kingsboy11]

I'm very surprised on how low you guys are on Stützle. Any other forum of those which expected to be drafting top 3 (Ottawa, Detroit..) have him head to head with Byfield, most scouts too. How so?

I won't say that anyone is low on Stutzle. I think if you asked most people here if the Kings drafted Stutzle ahead of Byfield no one would really complain (okay maybe a couple) because of AEG's connections in Germany and everything else that he has going for him. I suspect we'll be going back and forth on these 2 guys for the next several months. One day most will prefer Stutzle and then the next it'll be Byfield. I've certainly gone back and forth.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

It's a tough call, and I'll be happy with either Stutzle or Byfield... But I lean Byfield based on shear potential alone. Is Stutzle a better player right now?? Maybe. But Byfield's ceiling is essentially non-existent. I mean seriously, what's his ceiling?? I don't think anyone in the hockey world can actually give an educated answer on that. He's a 6'4, 214 lb 17 year old with elite skating and elite offensive skill.... what?!? He could legitimately be a 6'5/6'6 235 lb center who can skate like the wind and make plays all over the ice. When's the last time the NHL saw a player like that?

We throw out comparisons like Kopitar, Malkin, Draisaitl.... and if Byfield ends up being even close to those players the Kings will be in amazing shape.... but the crazy thing about Byfield's potential is that.. he could legitimately end up being better than those players. And I know that's a little crazy to say, but his potential is literally that high. Also, he's working with the same trainer as McDavid... Imagine how scary he could become if he keeps getting stronger and better and manages to preserve his elite speed??? So he'll be training with the same guy as McDavid and he'll be going to the Anze Kopitar School For Elite NHL Centers (Vilardi and Turcotte can be his classmates)...... that sounds pretty damn promising to me.

And I LOVE Stutzle's game... He's so fun to watch and it's hard not to become completely infatuated with his game. But in my opinion, Byfield's potential is literally too incredible to pass up. And yes, I understand he may not reach his potential.... But imagine if he does. Imagine if he ends up as a more dominant player than say Jack Eichel for example. And the Kings just.... passed on him because "Oh we have some other centers that could be pretty good".

Some centers can play wing, others can be traded to address other organizational needs. You don't pass on a player like Byfield, IMO.

 

[BigKing]

Not knocking Stutzle, but this all seems like a classic case of being bored of having a definitive 1-2 in the draft so Byfield is now being nitpicked to death.

Hands and speed like this on a guy that will wind up playing at 225-230 pounds is ridiculous. This type of skill set works in the "New" NHL and the old NHL.

I once again will say that I'm just a limited viewings via YouTube scout, but Byfield is checking all of the boxes except I'm not seeing him crushing guys on the forecheck. I know a lot of players can do the between the legs shot, but a guy his size doing it so close to the front of the net and in an international competition is pretty silly. The one clip where he knocks the puck forward at the blueline and then does a full 360 spin while engaged with a defender is absolutely insane when you factor in his size. The agility is ridiculous and I think the physical play--at least leaning on guys--will eventually come when he gets his man strength.

A guy like Vilardi doesn't have the skating of Byfield so he relied on the heavy play on the cycle and really used his size because he had to. Byfield's skating allows him to play like a much smaller player but you do see him use his size in some of the clips with these clips showing that he has the potential to control play down low.

If Vilardi can stay healthy and they take Byfield, you could eventually have teams contending with the size/speed combo of QB, the heavy puck-control game of Vilardi and then what I expect to be the tenacity of Turcotte. That would be real tough to handle over the course of a seven game series.

Then you have Arty who is still my favorite prospect. It can't be overlooked that moving up in this draft to #2 should be a boost to AK's development and odds of making it. Be it Byfield or Stutzle, one of these guys should be setting up AK with some great scoring opportunities. The power play should be much improved.

 

[KINGS17]

I don't have an opinion on Pronman's ability to assess talent. He did write an article for the athletic where he ranked the top picks starting in 2016 and running through the top prospects in 2020.

Pronman: Top 31 NHL Draft prospects of the past five years,...

Each year, I rank the very best NHL Draft prospects of the last five years, using the perspective of when these players were draft-eligible and ignoring what has transpired since then.

Here is how he ranked the top 10:

1. Patrik Laine, 2016 draft (second overall, Winnipeg)
2. Auston Matthews, 2016 draft (first overall, Toronto)
3. Rasmus Dahlin, 2018 draft (first overall, Buffalo)
4. Alexis Lafreniere, 2020 draft
5. Jack Hughes, 2019 draft (first overall, New Jersey):
6. Quinton Byfield, 2020 draft:
7. Kaapo Kakko, 2019 draft (second overall, N.Y. Rangers)
8. Jesse Puljujarvi, 2016 draft (fourth overall, Edmonton)
9. Andrei Svechnikov, 2018 draft (second overall, Carolina)
10. Quinn Hughes, 2018 draft (seventh overall, Vancouver

(13) Alex Turcotte, 2019 draft (fifth overall, Los Angeles): I still like Turcotte a lot, but I don’t think he would go top five in a redraft. Some scouts are still on the bandwagon and hold on to hope he can regain that form, but most aren’t.

(21) Gabriel Vilardi, 2017 draft (11th overall, Los Angeles): When he was a draft-eligible, I thought Vilardi was a highly skilled and intelligent forward with size and power who wasn’t the quickest but had so many other plus tools he’d overcome his skating. What happened after was a sequence of injuries that’s made it hard to predict what his future will be. When Vilardi finally came back midseason, he looked promising, making plays and looking like a very good young player – but arguably not an elite one.

Note: Pronman has Stutzle at #18 on this list.

Obviously, Pronman would change the list based on current performance today. If you buy his analysis at all regarding Turcotte and Vilardi, the case for drafting Byfield is easily made.

 

[Cat Herder]

Listen to this (around the 13 minute mark)

In The Box - June 29, 2020 - Hour 2

 

[Piston]

Just to throw something out there...Draisaitl may have been German born but Papa was Czech and played 19 seasons( In Germany) plus coached and has continue to coach upto this day! And Leon played the last years(3) of Juniors in Canada with Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Rockets. So I'm wondering out loud what part of Draisaitl is actually German. He's a talent for sure and I know he got his early start in Germany and putting up some phenomenal numbers but is he German? You could say he's the product of the German system to a large extent but came to Canada to find the best level of competition for his age group and he rose to the challenge?And what of his NHL goalscoring exploits? Going from 19,29,25 then 50 and finishing the shorty with 43! I'm always suspicious with production like that...just like when people were suspicious of the East Germans when they won so many medals at the Olympics(event after event) in the pre-take down the wall(Communism)!

Draisaitl is a German name. There were 3 mm Germans living in Czechoslovakia who were displaced (ethnically cleansed) following the war. More than likely, his Dad comes from one of those families.

 

[Choralone]

I don't buy that story one bit. The team scheduled to pick 4th with a decent chance at moving up doesn't interview one of the consensus top 3 picks "because they didn't think he would be available"?

That's a pretty dumb thing to admit.

They didn't interview him prior to the lottery. The draft itself is months away. I don't think it's a big deal, honestly.

 

[KINGS17]

Not knocking Stutzle, but this all seems like a classic case of being bored of having a definitive 1-2 in the draft so Byfield is now being nitpicked to death.

Hands and speed like this on a guy that will wind up playing at 225-230 pounds is ridiculous. This type of skill set works in the "New" NHL and the old NHL.

I once again will say that I'm just a limited viewings via YouTube scout, but Byfield is checking all of the boxes except I'm not seeing him crushing guys on the forecheck. I know a lot of players can do the between the legs shot, but a guy his size doing it so close to the front of the net and in an international competition is pretty silly. The one clip where he knocks the puck forward at the blueline and then does a full 360 spin while engaged with a defender is absolutely insane when you factor in his size. The agility is ridiculous and I think the physical play--at least leaning on guys--will eventually come when he gets his man strength.

A guy like Vilardi doesn't have the skating of Byfield so he relied on the heavy play on the cycle and really used his size because he had to. Byfield's skating allows him to play like a much smaller player but you do see him use his size in some of the clips with these clips showing that he has the potential to control play down low.

I agree with you on another point as well in that teams should be built to win 7-game series, not to win the President's Trophy.

If Vilardi can stay healthy and they take Byfield, you could eventually have teams contending with the size/speed combo of QB, the heavy puck-control game of Vilardi and then what I expect to be the tenacity of Turcotte. That would be real tough to handle over the course of a seven game series.

Then you have Arty who is still my favorite prospect. It can't be overlooked that moving up in this draft to #2 should be a boost to AK's development and odds of making it. Be it Byfield or Stutzle, one of these guys should be setting up AK with some great scoring opportunities. The power play should be much improved.

Styles of play in the NHL come and go as far as being in style. Look what other teams in the Pacific Division did to try to address the Kings size up front. The dominant forecheck and cycle play will return to the fore someday. For me Byfield's wing span, eventual weight (for puck protection), and ability to forecheck is another plus in his column.

I agree with you on another point as well. Teams should be built to win 7-game series. I don't care which team wins the President's Trophy.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not knocking Stutzle, but this all seems like a classic case of being bored of having a definitive 1-2 in the draft so Byfield is now being nitpicked to death.

Hands and speed like this on a guy that will wind up playing at 225-230 pounds is ridiculous. This type of skill set works in the "New" NHL and the old NHL.

I once again will say that I'm just a limited viewings via YouTube scout, but Byfield is checking all of the boxes except I'm not seeing him crushing guys on the forecheck. I know a lot of players can do the between the legs shot, but a guy his size doing it so close to the front of the net and in an international competition is pretty silly. The one clip where he knocks the puck forward at the blueline and then does a full 360 spin while engaged with a defender is absolutely insane when you factor in his size. The agility is ridiculous and I think the physical play--at least leaning on guys--will eventually come when he gets his man strength.

A guy like Vilardi doesn't have the skating of Byfield so he relied on the heavy play on the cycle and really used his size because he had to. Byfield's skating allows him to play like a much smaller player but you do see him use his size in some of the clips with these clips showing that he has the potential to control play down low.

If Vilardi can stay healthy and they take Byfield, you could eventually have teams contending with the size/speed combo of QB, the heavy puck-control game of Vilardi and then what I expect to be the tenacity of Turcotte. That would be real tough to handle over the course of a seven game series.

Then you have Arty who is still my favorite prospect. It can't be overlooked that moving up in this draft to #2 should be a boost to AK's development and odds of making it. Be it Byfield or Stutzle, one of these guys should be setting up AK with some great scoring opportunities. The power play should be much improved.

Kinda what I said in the Byfield thread. I wonder what everyone would be saying if Lafreniere didn't exist.

There's no Hall-Seguin, Patrick-hischier thing going on, so gotta generate controversy somewhere. Stutzle wasn't on the radar as #2 before this year, so he's getting the 'hot new thing' bump with very little criticism while Byfield is getting nitpicked to death. Sort of like Drysdale and Sanderson now too, everyone's spent all year using Drysdale as a pinata, no one is willing to levy any criticism at Sanderson.

Listen to this (around the 13 minute mark)

In The Box - June 29, 2020 - Hour 2

It makes sense with the Kings' German presence. But also begs the question since the Kings apparently didn't even interview Byfield!

but they're also trying really really hard to connect too many dots and overthinking it, gotta go BPA regardless of organizational ties

 

[KopitarFAN]

It makes sense with the Kings' German presence. But also begs the question since the Kings apparently didn't even interview Byfield!

but they're also trying really really hard to connect too many dots and overthinking it, gotta go BPA regardless of organizational ties

Did they interview Stutzle? They said they hadn't done the Byfield interview yet because they didn't expect to be picking top 3, stands to reason that would apply to Stutzle as well.

 

[BigKing]

Did they interview Stutzle? They said they hadn't done the Byfield interview yet because they didn't expect to be picking top 3, stands to reason that would apply to Stutzle as well.

Did the Kings even say they didn't interview him or is this only coming from the Byfield interview on Sportsnet?

 

[KopitarFAN]

Did the Kings even say they didn't interview him or is this only coming from the Byfield interview on Sportsnet?

I thought I remembered Rob Blake saying they hadn't on the "31 thoughts" podcast, could've been one of the other interviews.

 

[cyclones22]

Did they interview Stutzle? They said they hadn't done the Byfield interview yet because they didn't expect to be picking top 3, stands to reason that would apply to Stutzle as well.

Honestly, I don't get the big deal about interviews at this phase. Nobody knows when the draft is actually going to even happen. And this isn't college recruiting, folks. You don't need to keep a recruit warm in hopes that they select your program. This is the draft, you go where you're drafted unless you're Eric Lindros. Now that there's actual certainty where the Kings are selecting, they can trim their list down and talk to the top prospects on whatever schedule they choose. I would bet that if they did interview players, it was the 8 or so players they saw in the next tier talentwise because they're so bunched together and you've got a ton of scenarios on who could potentially drop to you. Well now everyone is available to you sans Lafreniere.

 

[regulate]

Did the Kings even say they didn't interview him or is this only coming from the Byfield interview on Sportsnet?

They knew they were not going to be in the ballpark to draft him unless they moved up in the lottery, they have all summer to talk to him. It's like interviewing Lafreniere, why do it if there isn't a chance to draft him. Now they will do their due diligence. It's a non-issue.

 

[KopitarFAN]

Honestly, I don't get the big deal about interviews at this phase. Nobody knows when the draft is actually going to even happen. And this isn't college recruiting, folks. You don't need to keep a recruit warm in hopes that they select your program. This is the draft, you go where you're drafted unless you're Eric Lindros. Now that there's actual certainty where the Kings are selecting, they can trim their list down and talk to the top prospects on whatever schedule they choose. I would bet that if they did interview players, it was the 8 or so players they saw in the next tier talentwise because they're so bunched together and you've got a ton of scenarios on who could potentially drop to you. Well now everyone is available to you sans Lafreniere.

That's pretty much what I was saying, we all assumed they were gonna be picking 5-7, they probably did too, it's just math. As a result, they probably spoke to a bunch of the kids in the 4-10 range.

 

[regulate]

Prediction #1: This thread will last until October/November unless it's closed by a mod.
Prediction #2: The Kings don't care what we type on the internet. They will do what they think is best based upon Yannetti and his scout's recommendation. It's all good, we're gonna get an excellent player whoever they choose.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Wheels? Darryl Sutter thought Rico Fata had wheels too and prematurely brought the kid up after being a 1st rounder(6th overall). He's got to have more than wheels,especially if he's the 2nd overall pick

Just so we are clear, I have zero interest in replying to you, ever.

 

[Lt Dan]

Just so we are clear, I have zero interest in replying to you, ever.

smart move

 

[BigKing]

They knew they were not going to be in the ballpark to draft him unless they moved up in the lottery, they have all summer to talk to him. It's like interviewing Lafreniere, why do it if there isn't a chance to draft him. Now they will do their due diligence. It's a non-issue.

I'm not worried about this at all. I was just wondering if the Kings actually said it or if it was only coming from Byfield as it relates to the "Did they interview Stutzle and, if so, then they think Byfield is better" question.

I don't care that they haven't interviewed him yet: they've months to do so.

 

[Steve Zissou]

If the kings interviewed Stutzle before the draft, that is an indication that the kings ranked Byfield higher and thus Byfield would be the BPA. Byfield stated that the kings did not interview him since they did not think they would be picking that high.

So does anyone know if and when Stutzle was interviewed?

Yannetti mentioned that they have scouted Stutzle for quite a while now given that they have a really strong presence in Germany. (11:30)


As so everyone understands, in that Yannetti clip above (9:45) he mentions how in years past ::cough:: Hickey ::cough:: that when they drafted for need instead of BPA they clearly made mistakes.

Whoever they choose, be it Byfield or Stutzle, they will have drafted on who they feel is the BPA.

I can live with that, and you should too. As always, time will tell.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I won't say that anyone is low on Stutzle. I think if you asked most people here if the Kings drafted Stutzle ahead of Byfield no one would really complain (okay maybe a couple) because of AEG's connections in Germany and everything else that he has going for him. I suspect we'll be going back and forth on these 2 guys for the next several months. One day most will prefer Stutzle and then the next it'll be Byfield. I've certainly gone back and forth.

Not me its Byfield 100% there might as well not be another choice

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Just so we are clear, I have zero interest in replying to you, ever.

Then why are you replying...I certainly don't give a hoot! Who are you anyways,Mark Yannetti?