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The HFNHL LA Kings had all of their own picks for the 2017 Entry Draft, all being the second-to-last pick in each round. The target is always BPA, with a bias towards forwards if possible, as the depth chart is heavy on defensemen.
Day 1:
Round 1, 30th overall:
Jesper Boqvist, center
The 5'11" talented Swede was the Kings' target and we were pretty sure we'd be able to land him at 30th overall. We're thrilled to get a player with this much speed, skill and hockey sense at the end of the round.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 35th to NJD (-5 spots)
Round 2, 61st overall:
Jake Leschyshyn, center
A two-way forward with explosive skating, very good all-around skills and a work ethic to match. Leschyshyn improved immensely in his second WHL season, and put up 40 points in only 47 games prior to a knee injury that kept him out the rest of the way. We like that Leschyshyn was able to put up his points from the third line with very little PP time and feel that he's due for a big season in 2017-18.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 62nd overall to VGK (-1 spot)
Round 3, 92nd overall:
Jack Studnicka, center
A 6'1" center who's still a lanky 171 pounds with room to grow, Studnicka is another two-way forward with excellent skating, vision and work ethic. He has the skills to set up teammates and an underrated shot. Studnicka had 52 points in 64 games, but if you dig deeper you see that he finished the season with 23 points in his final 20 games, and then 15 in 10 playoff games.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 53rd overall to BOS (+39 spots)
Overall, the Kings were happier with their day 1 picks as we have been in years.
"Day 2"
Round 4, 123rd overall:
Noah Cates, center
The run on smart, two-way centers with high skating ability continued into the fourth round with Noah Cates. This is a player who the Kings identified as having a very high hockey sense and ability to adapt and put up points in almost any role given. The 6'0.5" 165 pounder has room to put on muscle, and his work ethic is off the charts. Cates plays a shifty style with the puck, breaking in and out of traffic to make plays. Committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
NHL Drafted: Round 5, 137th overall to PHI (-14 spots)
Round 5, 154th overall:
Radim Salda, defenseman
A solid two-way defenseman, the 6'1" 176-pound Salda is a smart player who reads plays well and has some offense to his game as well. He played in the Czech U20 league and put up 15 points in 35 games. He also played for the Czechs in the U18's and the Hlinka. While he wasn't drafted in the NHL, we hope to see Salda continue to progress and be a legit option for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL Drafted: Undrafted
Round 6, 185th overall:
Ryan O'Connell, defenseman
What would an LA Kings draft be without an underscouted defenseman from an obscure league? O'Connell is a very strong skater with good height at 6'1 and, again, a lot of room to grow at only 170 pounds this past season. "We want player who earned their stripes based on their skills, smarts and work ethic. They can add strength later" GM McEwan was quoted as saying. O'Connell put up 33 points in 47 games in the CAHS. He will play for the Penticton Vees in 2017-18 before going to Boston University the following season, both systems having an excellent track record for player development.
NHL Drafted: Round 7, 203rd overall to TOR (-18 spots)
Round 7, 216th overall
Linus Olund, center
Olund is a highly-skilled 5'11" center with a June '97 birthday who had been twice passed over in the draft. As a 19-year-old this past season he broke out for 15 points in 39 games in the SHL with Brynas. Olund also plays a two-way game and is used in all situations. His development path is similar so far to Mattias Janmark, a fellow LA King. The fact that he was picked by Pittsburgh in the NHL is an added bonus for a prospect like this.
NHL Drafted: Round 5, 155th overall to PIT (+61 spots)
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Overall, the Kings are extremely happy with our picks. For the most part these are most of my "favorite" players throughout the draft, and it will be fun to track their progress in the coming years. Even though I rarely ever acquire extra picks and always pick near the end of each round, I'm extremely happy adding much-needed forward depth and making this possibly the deepest the Kings' prospect pool has ever been in my 19 years as GM. It's hard to get those top prospects picking late but I have a lot of underrated guys that I've identified as players who could surprised in coming years. Many will bust though
Updated Kings' Top 25 Prospects:
D Travis Sanheim
C Jesper Boqvist
D Kyle Wood
D Noah Juulsen
W Tage Thompson
D Connor Hobbs
C Kevin Stenlund
C Jack Studnicka
C Jake Leschyshyn
D Tucker Poolman
D Brett Kulak
C Janne Kuokkanen
C Dylan Gambrell
C Rourke Chartier
C Jonny Brodzinski
W Joseph Blandisi
C Noah Cates
D Filip Berglund
D Mitchell Vande Sompel
C Christoffer Ehn
C Linus Olund
D Tim Heed
D Jesper Lindgren
D Ryan O'Connell
D Michael Prapavessis
Day 1:
Round 1, 30th overall:
Jesper Boqvist, center
The 5'11" talented Swede was the Kings' target and we were pretty sure we'd be able to land him at 30th overall. We're thrilled to get a player with this much speed, skill and hockey sense at the end of the round.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 35th to NJD (-5 spots)
Round 2, 61st overall:
Jake Leschyshyn, center
A two-way forward with explosive skating, very good all-around skills and a work ethic to match. Leschyshyn improved immensely in his second WHL season, and put up 40 points in only 47 games prior to a knee injury that kept him out the rest of the way. We like that Leschyshyn was able to put up his points from the third line with very little PP time and feel that he's due for a big season in 2017-18.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 62nd overall to VGK (-1 spot)
Round 3, 92nd overall:
Jack Studnicka, center
A 6'1" center who's still a lanky 171 pounds with room to grow, Studnicka is another two-way forward with excellent skating, vision and work ethic. He has the skills to set up teammates and an underrated shot. Studnicka had 52 points in 64 games, but if you dig deeper you see that he finished the season with 23 points in his final 20 games, and then 15 in 10 playoff games.
NHL Drafted: Round 2, 53rd overall to BOS (+39 spots)
Overall, the Kings were happier with their day 1 picks as we have been in years.
"Day 2"
Round 4, 123rd overall:
Noah Cates, center
The run on smart, two-way centers with high skating ability continued into the fourth round with Noah Cates. This is a player who the Kings identified as having a very high hockey sense and ability to adapt and put up points in almost any role given. The 6'0.5" 165 pounder has room to put on muscle, and his work ethic is off the charts. Cates plays a shifty style with the puck, breaking in and out of traffic to make plays. Committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
NHL Drafted: Round 5, 137th overall to PHI (-14 spots)
Round 5, 154th overall:
Radim Salda, defenseman
A solid two-way defenseman, the 6'1" 176-pound Salda is a smart player who reads plays well and has some offense to his game as well. He played in the Czech U20 league and put up 15 points in 35 games. He also played for the Czechs in the U18's and the Hlinka. While he wasn't drafted in the NHL, we hope to see Salda continue to progress and be a legit option for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
NHL Drafted: Undrafted
Round 6, 185th overall:
Ryan O'Connell, defenseman
What would an LA Kings draft be without an underscouted defenseman from an obscure league? O'Connell is a very strong skater with good height at 6'1 and, again, a lot of room to grow at only 170 pounds this past season. "We want player who earned their stripes based on their skills, smarts and work ethic. They can add strength later" GM McEwan was quoted as saying. O'Connell put up 33 points in 47 games in the CAHS. He will play for the Penticton Vees in 2017-18 before going to Boston University the following season, both systems having an excellent track record for player development.
NHL Drafted: Round 7, 203rd overall to TOR (-18 spots)
Round 7, 216th overall
Linus Olund, center
Olund is a highly-skilled 5'11" center with a June '97 birthday who had been twice passed over in the draft. As a 19-year-old this past season he broke out for 15 points in 39 games in the SHL with Brynas. Olund also plays a two-way game and is used in all situations. His development path is similar so far to Mattias Janmark, a fellow LA King. The fact that he was picked by Pittsburgh in the NHL is an added bonus for a prospect like this.
NHL Drafted: Round 5, 155th overall to PIT (+61 spots)
---
Overall, the Kings are extremely happy with our picks. For the most part these are most of my "favorite" players throughout the draft, and it will be fun to track their progress in the coming years. Even though I rarely ever acquire extra picks and always pick near the end of each round, I'm extremely happy adding much-needed forward depth and making this possibly the deepest the Kings' prospect pool has ever been in my 19 years as GM. It's hard to get those top prospects picking late but I have a lot of underrated guys that I've identified as players who could surprised in coming years. Many will bust though
Updated Kings' Top 25 Prospects:
D Travis Sanheim
C Jesper Boqvist
D Kyle Wood
D Noah Juulsen
W Tage Thompson
D Connor Hobbs
C Kevin Stenlund
C Jack Studnicka
C Jake Leschyshyn
D Tucker Poolman
D Brett Kulak
C Janne Kuokkanen
C Dylan Gambrell
C Rourke Chartier
C Jonny Brodzinski
W Joseph Blandisi
C Noah Cates
D Filip Berglund
D Mitchell Vande Sompel
C Christoffer Ehn
C Linus Olund
D Tim Heed
D Jesper Lindgren
D Ryan O'Connell
D Michael Prapavessis
