C Gabriel Vilardi (2017, 11th, LAK)

[King'sPawn]

So he could join the Reign at the end of the season but his career is in jeopardy? Who was this "someone"?

 

[DownGoesMcDavid]

Did the Kings not do their due dillegence when scouting Vilardi. Obvious top 5 talent at that draft but he fell probably because teams knew about his back and his slow skating.

Im certain they had his medical report.


It seems like someone dropped the ball big time w. The Kings and gambled big time...

Necas Brannstrom and Suzuki were all still available.


Best of luck to a healthy life for Gabe. Hockey is just a game

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Did the Kings not do their due dillegence when scouting Vilardi. Obvious top 5 talent at that draft but he fell probably because teams knew about his back and his slow skating.

Im certain they had his medical report.


It seems like someone dropped the ball big time w. The Kings and gambled big time...

Necas Brannstrom and Suzuki were all still available.


Best of luck to a healthy life for Gabe. Hockey is just a game

You win some and you lose some with these situations.

There were rumors that Martin Kaut would fall this year due to a heart issue. Looking like a pretty good pick.

 

[PG Canuck]

****in clown bro. Supposed to be a star Blakey was wet when he got to draft Vilardi they thought he top 3 but boy is all injuries , bust

What a shitty thing to say.

 

[Zaddy]

I feel so bad for this kid.

 

[Dominance]

God, can this kid catch a break? Outstanding production in the OHL, one of the youngest players in the 2017 draft - almost certainly would have gone top-5, even top-3 in 2018. Looking like it all might be ruined by something beyond everyone’s control. Anyone have a new (or even slightly used) back they can donate to this kid?

 

[Habs10Habs]

Poor kid has already gone through so much and missed so much time. Hopefully this time off will do him some good.

 

[krutovsdonut]

i really feel for this guy. he seems like a talented hardworking kid who is painfully losing a bright future. definitely have fingers crossed for him to get past this challenge.

 

[Grantham]

My favourite player prospect going into the 2017 draft. I saw a bit of Kopitar in him. I hope he can overcome all this and still be a great player. He is still young so he’s got that going for him.

 

[FinnishSniper]

So he could join the Reign at the end of the season but his career is in jeopardy? Who was this "someone"?

Yup, in my opinion a comment like this has no credibility what so ever...

 

[InfinityIggy]

I really hope he can recover from his back issues. I've liked everything about this kids game since before the draft. He really minds me a lot of Monahan.

 

[Killerjas]

Any updates? How is he doing?

 

[kings11]

Any updates? How is he doing?

No one seems to know a damn thing other than Blake saying it’s a disc/muscle thing??? The Organization is being tight lipped about the kid, which is super rare in this era were info gets leaked about everything and everyone

 

[FlyguyOX]

Honestly, if it's been thing long and we don't have any positive info like he's merely skating or anything, then it's not looking good.

Backs are a bitch.

 

[AnThGrt]

Blake said Vilardi is going through protocol to be ready come training camp. What that entitles, means, and where he is right now... No clue or they even partially admitted they don't know what will happen with him yet. Still they reference him come things next year so hopefully for the kid's sake things get figured out and he plays next season.

 

[canuck2010]

One of my favs in the CHL and going into the draft. As a person with back issues I know the pain of trying to play hockey. If you can't bend safely or with certainty, yikes.

 

[FlyguyOX]

One of my favs in the CHL and going into the draft. As a person with back issues I know the pain of trying to play hockey. If you can't bend safely or with certainty, yikes.

Really it's the back stabilizer muscles and connecting hip flexors that are strained by skating. And that's not mentioning any potential disc issues. I'd be interested to read more about the specifics of his situation.

 

[Killerjas]

I feel bad for the kid, I doubt he is gonna bounce back. He has a history of injuries, mostly his back. Knowing how tough it is to get that fixed (if there even is a way), his NHL career is in my eyes in jeopardy.

The Kings being dead silent about giving an update, ANY update, worries me. I get the feeling that they don't want to give the fans hope he is gonna pan out. Better to keep being silent than to tell bad news...

 

[Frolov 6'3]

If he doesnt bounce back, that is a huge loss.

His skating is awful but he is the best playmaker of that whole draft, great hands and an excellent shot on top of it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I feel bad for the kid, I doubt he is gonna bounce back. He has a history of injuries, mostly his back. Knowing how tough it is to get that fixed (if there even is a way), his NHL career is in my eyes in jeopardy.

The Kings being dead silent about giving an update, ANY update, worries me. I get the feeling that they don't want to give the fans hope he is gonna pan out. Better to keep being silent than to tell bad news...

They've given updates, but they're 'holding pattern' updates, which goes along with the 6 month plus timetable they talked about before:



It sounds like they're focused on his life and livelihood first. And I personally think they'll just shut him down for this whole season because I can't imagine them throwing a guy in raw to the pro game with no training camps, no development camps, and no conditioning and his injury history.

Sucks, but their best chance--for both his life and career--is to not rush a thing.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I still like this pick. High upside and was very highly ranked at the time of the draft. Very few first round picks turn into top half of the league players. There’s some value in getting a bottom half of the league player, but they are much easier to acquire. Vilardi still has the raw talent to be one of the best players from the 2017 draft. LA isn’t losing much if this guy busts completely due to not being able to play. I think this is a better pick than at least a few of the picks before the Kings pick.

 

[lawrence]

If he doesnt bounce back, that is a huge loss.

His skating is awful but he is the best playmaker of that whole draft, great hands and an excellent shot on top of it.

He is absolutely not the best playmaker in that draft and it’s not even close.

 

[Number 57]

Technically he can play junior next year, maybe that will be better for him. Say he is ready around December, maybe he can train a little with the Kings, then be sent down to juniors

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Technically he can play junior next year, maybe that will be better for him. Say he is ready around December, maybe he can train a little with the Kings, then be sent down to juniors

I would assume they would want to keep him in house at this point and with their doctors full time no?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Technically he can play junior next year, maybe that will be better for him. Say he is ready around December, maybe he can train a little with the Kings, then be sent down to juniors

Could they do the reverse? Start out in the OHL, and then half a year in the AHL.