Los Angeles Kings use draft and free agency to restock prospect depth

[HF Article]

For many years running now the Los Angeles Kings have had one of the best youth systems in the NHL. However, with promotions of players, deals involving picks, and later round selections, the pool has diminished slightly over time.  It is the natural progression of a rebuilding mode that has given the organization three top-five picks since 2007 and seven top-15 picks since 2005.



However, In the last two or three years the team have promoted Alec Martinez, Jonathan Bernier, Trevor Lewis, Kyle Clifford, and Slava Voynov and they have traded first and second-round picks along with winger Wayne Simmonds (PHI), center Brayden Schenn, (PHI), and defenseman Colten Teubert (EDM).… read more



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[kingsfan]

Nevermind, misread. Good article, thanks for contributing!

[AKAY47]

Great article. Whoever wrote this actually keeps an eye on the Kings, knows exactly what the deal with their prospects is (for example the fact that Toffoli not only plays RW or C, he can play anywhere). Well done

[Fishhead]

Great read, as always.

I worry slightly about our defensive prospects (the stay at home types) because those kinds of players are hard to read. I'm confident that Muzzin could step into the lineup right now in that role and do a decent job, but it worries me to think of both Scuderi and Mitchell replaced by rookies. It's great if it works out, but I think it's more likely one of the group comes up and a free agent signing fills the other stay at home role when those guys retire.

The forward group still looks solid. It's great to see that there is still some great depth even with the success of the big club due to trading youth.

[I Am Ziggy Palffy]

stay at home dman are valuable but not as hard to find. notice the ones we have are all acquired from elsewhere, but our PMD's are all developed. Just go out and sign a Sean O'Donnell type to mentor and fill in some while younger guys develop or a better FA becomes available. I like our D situation

[kingsfan]

Originally Posted by I Am Ziggy Palffy

stay at home dman are valuable but not as hard to find. notice the ones we have are all acquired from elsewhere, but our PMD's are all developed. Just go out and sign a Sean O'Donnell type to mentor and fill in some while younger guys develop or a better FA becomes available. I like our D situation

It's why I don't like to draft them high. Even if you get a Luke Schenn type, after a few years he's costing you $3.5 million a year and you could just spend the same money to get a Willie Mitchell. But Willie only costs you salary, not salary and a 1st round pick.

While I won't join in the chorus of people calling Teubert a bust yet, I will say I didn't like the pick for the fact he's only a stay-at-home type and is a guy we could have just signed when we needed it.

You want to draft stay-at-home types, wait until the middle/late rounds and take a bunch of flyers on guys like Campbell and Muzzin.