Prospect Info: 2020 Los Angeles Kings Prospect Rankings #23

[King'sPawn]

1. Quinton Byfield, F - 87.1%
2. Gabriel Vilardi, F - 85.9%
3. Alex Turcotte, F - 90.2%
4. Tobias Bjornfot, D - 44.6%
5. Arthur Kaliyev, F - 76.6%
6. Samuel Fagemo, F - 54.8%
7. Mikey Anderson, D - 51.0%
8. Tyler Madden, F - 51.1%
9. Rasmus Kupari, F - 55.2%
10. Helge Grans, D - 43.9%
11. Akil Thomas, F - 45.6%
12. Kale Clague, D - 40.8%
13. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, F - 54.2%
14. Brock Faber, D - 46.8%
15. Kim Nousiainen, D - 30.4%
16. Cole Hults, D - 41.1%
17. Jordan Spence, D - 44.9%
18. Kasper Simontaival, F - 32.1%
19. Aidan Dudas, F - 35.3%
20. Lukas Parik, G - 37.9%
21. Martin Chromiak, F - 33.3%
22. Jacob Moverare, D - 34%

+ Johan Sodergran

Only players who are eligible for the 2021 Calder trophy. Calder eligibility is defined as:
- No older than 26 years old as of September 15th, 2020
- Has not played in more than 25 games in one season or more than 6 games in two consecutive seasons (making Cal Petersen, Carl Grundstrom, Sean Walker, and Matt Roy exempt)

We'll do this for as long as you all want, either you want to stop or we run out of options.

I sometimes get busy with work and other projects, so if someone else wants to take reigns/take over, feel free to! I'm setting the poll at 1 day. Please say if this is too short for a poll.

Don't forget to nominate who goes on next! Below are the list of eligible players.

Daniel Brickley
Alexander Dergachyov
Braden Doyle
Mikey Eyssimont
David Hrenak
Bokondji Imama
Juho Markkanen
Markus Phillips
Drake Rymsha

Click to read more...

 

[kilowatt]

Voted Durzi, think Laferriere should go soon too...

Add Markkanen!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Voted Durzi, think Laferriere should go soon too...

Add Markkanen!

Echo all of the above

Durzi, add Markkanen

 

[Lt Dan]

Ingham, add Token

 

[BringTheReign]

Laferriere

+ Markkanen

 

[Rorschach]

So gross we're talking about 23rd-26th best prospects in this vote and we're still discussing guys who have middle-six, middle pairing NHL projections.

I've been thinking about our pool and I feel like Blake now has two waves of guys he's deliberately stacked together. This first wave, which is headed by Vilardi plus guys like Lizotte, Amadio, Roy and Walker plus any guys who make it next year, will be able to play with and contribute with the current vets like Doughty, Kopitar and Brown. Obviously Kempe is in that mix as an older guy as is Frk, plus Lias Andersson and other guys about to graduate maybe, like Bjornfot, maybe Clague and Kupari, maybe maybe Turcotte. Then the next wave will be probably minimum two-three years from now when Kopitar, Carter and co. might be gone or have greatly reduced roles. This of course is headed by QB and all of the project guys we drafted this year and maybe some stragglers last year plus guys we draft next year.

Lombardi's goal was to have a big window of making many runs...in the end it wound up being three runs, 2011-12 to 2013-14, our two Cup runs. But it petered out, we barely missed the playoffs in 2015, and had no young replacements for guys lost to various criminal activities (Stoll, Voynov, Richards, etc.). Instead we started trading top futures for guys like Sekera and Lucic in the years afterward.

I think Blake would like a big window too but since he's in a position where he has transition veterans, a top prospect pool already in 2019-ish, maybe he decided to space out the waves of prospects. The top prospect pool currently can start graduating and improving the Kings today. The 2020 and on pool can keep the influx of talent going a couple seasons from now so our well keeps flowing instead of petering out like it did for Lombardi.

 

[Jericho111091]

Went with Ingham. Add Hrenak

 

[kilowatt]

Hoven had Durzi as our 13th-best prospect in March. This kid still has legitimate NHL potential. Here’s what Hoven had to say:

If you looked up ‘power play quarterback’ in the dictionary, they may show you a picture of Durzi. He has great vision and makes outstanding outlet passes. He’s a puck mover and puck distributor, who loves the offensive side of the game. Those are his strengths, and could be argued his weaknesses, as well.

Because he loves to score goals, he’s prone to playing a risk game. While he is said to be very coachable and very receptive to improving his overall game, his defensive game is still a work in progress. He’s not a big, heavy body that overpowers opponents, nor is he lightning quick like a lot of smaller defensemen. At the same time, Durzi is pretty agile and intelligent. He will adjust his angles and body to contain through trial and error. He’ll get to the point where he is out-thinking his opponent and anticipating the next move. As several coaches have noted, ‘he’s a smart kid.’

Much of this information isn’t new. You can see an expanded version of this in our scouting report on Durzi from around this time last year when the Kings acquired him from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin deal. Since that time, he won an OHL Championship with Guelph (while being fourth on his team in playoff scoring) and was a Memorial Cup All-Star. In this is his first pro season, his playing time has been somewhat spotty with AHL Ontario – partly due to a glut of defensemen on the Reign roster. However, a more honest account of the situation would note that if his defensive game was slightly better, he may have found a way to work himself into the lineup more often. Reign coach Mike Stothers is very much a ‘prove it’ coach, nobody is handed anything. Durzi needs to show that he’s capable of defending effectively.

In the meantime, Durzi is encouraged to find a way to be more durable. No longer a junior hockey player, he must be strong enough to endure the pro game. On the ice, Kings management believes he will learn to read when to go, and when to defend, especially as he gets more acclimated to the pro game. He’s still only 21 years old and a player with some real good upside.

LA Kings 2020 Prospect Rankings – Players No. 11-15

Shocked he might drop to 25.

 

[Basilisk]

Add....... Brickley & Hrenak?

Brickley......... wasn't he supposed to have made it by now? Thanks!!!

 

[Basilisk]

Aatu Jamsen.....???

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Hoven had Durzi as our 13th-best prospect in March. This kid still has legitimate NHL potential. Here’s what Hoven had to say:

If you looked up ‘power play quarterback’ in the dictionary, they may show you a picture of Durzi. He has great vision and makes outstanding outlet passes. He’s a puck mover and puck distributor, who loves the offensive side of the game. Those are his strengths, and could be argued his weaknesses, as well.

Because he loves to score goals, he’s prone to playing a risk game. While he is said to be very coachable and very receptive to improving his overall game, his defensive game is still a work in progress. He’s not a big, heavy body that overpowers opponents, nor is he lightning quick like a lot of smaller defensemen. At the same time, Durzi is pretty agile and intelligent. He will adjust his angles and body to contain through trial and error. He’ll get to the point where he is out-thinking his opponent and anticipating the next move. As several coaches have noted, ‘he’s a smart kid.’

Much of this information isn’t new. You can see an expanded version of this in our scouting report on Durzi from around this time last year when the Kings acquired him from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin deal. Since that time, he won an OHL Championship with Guelph (while being fourth on his team in playoff scoring) and was a Memorial Cup All-Star. In this is his first pro season, his playing time has been somewhat spotty with AHL Ontario – partly due to a glut of defensemen on the Reign roster. However, a more honest account of the situation would note that if his defensive game was slightly better, he may have found a way to work himself into the lineup more often. Reign coach Mike Stothers is very much a ‘prove it’ coach, nobody is handed anything. Durzi needs to show that he’s capable of defending effectively.

In the meantime, Durzi is encouraged to find a way to be more durable. No longer a junior hockey player, he must be strong enough to endure the pro game. On the ice, Kings management believes he will learn to read when to go, and when to defend, especially as he gets more acclimated to the pro game. He’s still only 21 years old and a player with some real good upside.

LA Kings 2020 Prospect Rankings – Players No. 11-15

Shocked he might drop to 25.

It's really not that crazy if you think about it considering they added Madden and 9 additional draft picks to the pool, plus a lot here softened on Durzi bigtime last year.

Personally I do think he has higher upside than a few guys taken before him but between health and the others' trajectories (like Spence, Nousianen excelling against men, etc.) I have a hard time moving him up.

Just like with the others it's less to do with Durzi being a not-good prospect and much more a symptom of insane middle-tier depth.

 

[Basilisk]

Aatu Jamsen.....???

Oops.....didn't see him up there.....sorry......

 

[King'sPawn]

I'm removing my vote (Ingham) to break the tie.

Normally if there were a very large pool of votes for others, I'd have another poll as a tie-breaker. I mostly vote so the poll results load instantly. Hopefully you all understand and are cool with the decision. If not, I apologize and will handle it differently in the future

 

[Basilisk]

I'm removing my vote (Ingham) to break the tie.

Normally if there were a very large pool of votes for others, I'd have another poll as a tie-breaker. I mostly vote so the poll results load instantly. Hopefully you all understand and are cool with the decision. If not, I apologize and will handle it differently in the future

LoL, no! We'll see you in court!!!

 

[Statto]

I find giving it to Durzi odd, he still has a chance but he’s fast being passed in the depth chart and is waaay behind Ingham in terms of making it to the NHL. Nothing against Durzi , he has the talent to make it, but Ingham is badly underrated here and he should be in the top 15 comfortably.

Had I not been away yesterday my vote would have put him over the top!