Prospect Info: 2019 Draft Discussion: LA Kings pick 5th, 22nd overall

[TopT]

after reading/watching all I can about these kids, here is my armchair GM wish list for our pick at #5.

1. Byram
2. Dach (looks a little like Lacavalier to me)
3. Podkolzin
4. Turcotte
5. Cozens

if byram and dach are gone when we pick, I'd be open to trading down.

except Lecavalier was dominating junior

 

[LAKings88]

My top three wish list:

#5 Caufield or Zegras

#22 Tomasino or Lavoie

#33 Brayden Tracey

 

[Kingsfan1]

Byram
Turcotte
Caufield

Should be our top 3 for that pick

 

[KingsOfCali25]

Wish list...

#5- Turcotte/Byram/Zegras

#22- Newhook/Brink/Heinola

#33- McMichael/Cajkovic/Puistola

 

[LAKings88]

Byram
Turcotte
Caufield

Should be our top 3 for that pick

Two will likely be gone.

 

[AzKing]

Two will likely be gone.

Since these drafts never seem to go along the chalk lines, I think we could see Turcotte or Byram drop to us.

If not, I’m going with Cozens.

 

[kings11]

Since these drafts never seem to go along the chalk lines, I think we could see Turcotte or Byram drop to us.

If not, I’m going with Cozens.

yeah, i don't see the Hawks or Avs passing on the available offensive players.. I'm starting to think Byram falls to us just like Seth Jones fell a few years back.

 

[Docgonzo]

yeah, i don't see the Hawks or Avs passing on the available offensive players.. I'm starting to think Byram falls to us just like Seth Jones fell a few years back.

I started thinking about this, Strome scored 51 points in 58 games for Chicago, so maybe they don’t go for a center. They might try and get as much as they can out of a few more runs of Toews and Kane. And they’re deep in defense prospects. Maybe they’ll look to add Caufield and pair him with Toews and Kane.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Top 3 players I want not named Hughes, Kakko, Byram:

1. Caufield (Best pure goal scorer in the draft, It would be a pretty big statement drafting someone so small, change in culture, etc etc.)
2. Turcotte (Arguably the most complete player in the draft, reminds me of Zach Parise, but I question his ceiling.)
3. Cozens (Better scorer than Dach, and probably the 2nd best skater in this years draft behind Hughes.)

 

[Jungle Boy]

Wishlist

Byram
Seider
Nikolayev
Protas

 

[KingsHockey24]

Wishlist

Byram
Seider
Nikolayev
Protas

My hope is Seider turns into a slightly more offensive Brandon Carlo.

 

[Yog S'loth]

No way Byram drops to 5.

I'm all in on Caufield.

Which means the Kings will draft some Russian not even ranked in the top 10.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Than you just need new glasses. No offense.

Cozens is a very good skater and Dach not so much. Yet Dach has great hands.

This is not an opinion but a fact. Just a simple eye test.

You say exactly the opposite with three different things.

That is why I say you must be confused or so.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

I've had the advantage of watching Cozens for 2 years. He's improved but is he a top 5 level talent that could play top 6 in LA. I doubt it very much. I don't think he's fast enough or skilled enough. Having said that Toffoli has had success and so have two other Kings from years past that weren't very good skaters...Robitaille and Nicholls!

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

If Byram falls to us, I think he starts in the NHL... The kid has zero left to prove in the minors..

#5) Bowen Byram .. starting to think Turcotte goes to the CBHs
#22) Samuel Poulin
#33) Whoever falls from the 1st

Love to see the Kings get Byram! He would be better off playing at least 1 more season in WHL-Vancouver! Samuel Poulin at 22 would be fine by me as would K Korczak at 33.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

7 picks in the first 4 rounds.

If the Kings can acquire at least 1 more pick that would give them 11, which would be the most picks they've ever had since the 7-round draft was instituted.

Maybe Martinez and Quick get dealt and Phaneuf bought-out and the youth movement goes into full beast mode! I'm sure the Kings could get themselves a decent return for A-Mart and Quickie!

 

[jfont]

No way Byram drops to 5.

I'm all in on Caufield.

Which means the Kings will draft some Russian not even ranked in the top 10.

i see him dropping to the kings at 5

 

[funky]

I don’t think this team can go wrong picking:

Byram - need a top quality Dman. Drew has not had a quality partner in 6 years. This guy has potential

Cozens - need a top 6 pivot. This guy has size, speed and skill. Didn’t really wow me at first but the more I hear about him the more I think he fills that second line center role going forward.

Turcotte - two way center with skill. Should be a great 2nd line center. Worst car should be an elite 3rd line pivot that makes wingers better. Yes we want more out of a #5 pick, but unless we hit on an on for seen homerun the only person it looks guaranteed to be that number one center is going to go first overall. There’s hope for others but this seems like it is more of a supplemental draft than a franchise builder.

Dach - again very similar to Cozen. Very comparable top end. A few differences but again fills that 2 C role going forward.

Caufield - pure skill, pure snipe. One trick pony that could be the next Rocket Richard candidate or could be the next Pavel Brendl. He seems like the biggest gamble of the top 10 but if he goes off he is going to make many teams look silly for not picking him. I know we all hate Edmonton but man would he look nasty w McDavid.

The one guy I have avoided is a very talented Russian. It would not surprise me if he gets a top 8 pick, it would just surprise me if it’s us that picks him. He has the talent that if I could foresee the LA Kings Hockeysfuture forum I could easily see a bunch of us moaning and complaining about the Tarasenko/ Forbort picks with the names changed to Podkolzin/ Dach, Podkolzin/Turcotte, Podkolzin/Byram....etc. He is almost as big of wildcard in my eyes as Caufield.

No matter what this team has holes to fill. Blake and Co deserve credit for filling our cupboards up thus far. We just need them to hit a homerun with at least one of our top 3 picks to add some elite skill to the cupboard.

 

[AzKing]

I think that the Kings are hopeful that Byram or Turcotte are there at #5. I am just not sure if that will happen. I don’t think that Chicago takes Byram with their depth at the position and also with them having drafted a Dman with their last two first round picks.

I think that Chicago will take Turcotte. I also think that Colorado will go with Byram to basically create a nasty pairing with Makar.

So that leaves the Kings to go with Cozens or Dach “If” they stay at 5 because I just can’t see them taking Caufield that high. Will I be angry if they do? No, because Caufield is going to be a 30+ goal scorer in the NHL if he has the right linemates. He is that good. Put him on a line with an elite passing Center and maybe another Forward who can open up things and it would be a thing of beauty. If Vilardi were healthy then I think Caufield would be the pick because they would have that linemate already in the system and could gamble.

What I really wouldn’t mind is a trade down to 7-8 and picking up another pick or maybe trading a current roster player or two to get a pick/s and packaging those up with #22 to get into the Top 10-15.

I would be all over Caufield at 7-8 but that could be risky if another team grabs him.

 

[yankeeking]

Multiple people have now said they would take Caufield at 7-8 and multiple articles by people who watch these kids have said after the top two the forwards that the next 5-6 are pretty close and choice of style and strengths, that is scoring forward, first line center, two way center whatever preferences a team might have , like we would probably take cozens (modano lite) over Dach (Getzlaf type) simply because we are trying to build a new identity but my thinking is if Caufield is our guy just 2 picks later why not pull the trigger at 5 and guarantee we get “our” guy........... we over thought picking in 2003 and missed on so many and had to wait another decade to win and more importantly to contend for multiple years so let’s pray if you do that , sacrifice a chicken if you into that they they pick BPA in their opinion and don’t try to be cute and pick some project that may have a 15 year career as a third or fourth liner

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I've seen Cozens play at least 20 times and he's a work in progress in the skating department(Toffoli). I compared him to the Sutters and a hockey guy told me... yes except Cozens has no balls! Cozens has put up numbers but what does that say? Will he be a 40/50 goal scorer in Junior and what does that mean at the NHL level...20...you would expect more from a number 5 pick! Dach is soft...a good skater but soft and isn't a natural goal scorer! He could play 3rd/4th line RW or Centre in the NHL in a few years...ditto for Cozens!

The old anonymous "hockey guy" to back up your poorly perceived opinion. Everyone else who is really hockey people (as in they put their name on it because they are paid to do so) says otherwise.

 

[LAKings88]

Balancing viewpoints and data, "bad cop" Yannetti builds team philosophy into scouting - LA Kings Insider

 

[LAKings88]

Blueshirt Banter 2019 NHL Draft Rankings - #4 Trevor Zegras

Nice write up on Zegras.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I think there is a good chance Byram it Turcotte falls to the Kings. I also think once that happens I will be upset at the Kings passing because they assumed they would not and locked in on another guy.

I remering wanting to scream when they drafted Hickey.

 

[King'sPawn]

Balancing viewpoints and data, "bad cop" Yannetti builds team philosophy into scouting - LA Kings Insider

I love Yanetti interviews. It's a good article all around and really recommend everyone reads it, but this is what I take from it:
- Yanetti is almost like an arbiter (though he calls himself a "bad cop" because regional scouts have certain players they consider to be "their guy" as they've watched them extensively, and he gets to challenge each and every evaluation which results in a debate.
- They are interviewing 70 of the 100+ players coming to the combine this year, with a series of questions each player will be asked.
- They tried to copy some teams' success, and other teams try to copy theirs; however, nobody was able to pinpoint the model or ingredients completely
- Yes, they want speed, but this isn't groundbreaking. Every team wants speed.
- Dean valued puck possession and puck pursuit, but Yanetti remarks that Blake's philosophy is actually more involved, more in-depth, and more nuanced
- Rob Vollman brings analytics to the team and provides checks and balances to the eye test from the scouts.