Then go ahead and name all the college drafted defensemen who made the NHL in their late 20s.
Just looking at the Kings alone, they've drafted 3 college defenseman who made the NHL: Martinez, Forbort and Gravel.
Martinez made his NHL debut at 22 and was a full timer at 23.
Forbort made his NHL debut at 23 and is now a full timer at 24 (turning 25 in March).
Gravel also made his NHL debut at 23 and is a full timer at 24, and like Forbort, he will also be turning 25 in March.
Matt Greene was 22 when he turned to an NHL pro out of college. Paul LaDue will already be turning 25 in September. He was also signed to a one-year contract and will be an RFA come July 1. If he doesn't turn pro with the Kings, he'll go elsewhere to accomplish that. This guy isn't going to be waiting around until his late 20s to earn a shot when he's already entering his prime years.
I'm using facts, not generalization. A prospect like LaDue won't be in his late 20s when he makes the Kings. Feel free to prove me otherwise.
Just to be clear--are you complaining that LaDue won't wait around because the Kings don't have a spot for him? Or that LaDue himself isn't going to be ready? Because it's not very clear...
If it's the former...I doubt it. If he's good enough that they re-sign him, I'm sure he's at least taking the Voynov path up (half-season) unless he absolutely tanks, in which case you wouldn't want him on the roster anyway.
If it's the latter, I talked about his irregular development path above, and it's a little wrong imo to suggest that his hockey age being older means he won't make it, especially considering how he played in different places before the NHL than most.
I agree that
generally a guy not busting in until his late 20s would be problematic, especially if he started college right at 18--but that's not the case here.
And I agree with Stothers. Sometimes I watch the Reign and Ladue is
phenomenal, no one can touch him, Doughtyish. Other nights he looks like a shook-up version of Voynov, turning the puck over and being soft everywhere. I think, Like Forbort, if he's eased in next year, he'll iron some of that stuff out and settle into the player he's gonna be.