Kings Article: LA Kings Have Two Players In Their Crosshairs For 2nd Overall Draft Pick

[FrozenRoyalty]

Who will the LA Kings select with the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft?

Kings Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yanetti shared his thoughts on a handful of top-ranked prospects that the Kings could be considering for that #2 pick in the first round.

For Yanetti’s thoughts on all that and more, check out...

LA Kings Have Two Players In Their Crosshairs For 2nd Overall Draft Pick

Click to read more...

 

[Bob1321]

Wow its a big news!!

 

[kevsh]

Yanetti seems to be a bit more impressed with Stutzle, suggesting Byfield isn't very strong for a big guy - yet, while Stutzle doesn't have any noteworthy flaws in his game at all.

While he also likes Drysdale (though notes he's under-sized right now) clearly, it's between Stutzle/Byfield for their pick.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Great read. I really don't know who they should pick @ 2. Stutzle and Byfield are both intriguing

 

[cyclones22]

I especially liked the bit about being able to allocate more time on the later picks in the draft. I guess that would work one of two ways. In recent times the Kings seem to be doing well in their later round selections. Does giving this staff even more time give them an even larger advantage than usual or does that even the playing field for the teams who weren't as good in later rounds now that they also have more time? I'm hoping it's the former!

 

[kevsh]

^ I don't think "more time" will help teams that don't seem to draft/develop well. They are just falling in their appraisal - kind of like giving me more time to fix an aircraft engine ... You could give me all night and day, it's not getting fixed.

However, if I'm heading the scouting department I'm encouraging the team and GM not to over-analyze players - the one thing I have a little concern L.A. will do with their #2 pick.

Unless something changes between now and mid-August with Stutzle or Byfield, or they get some can't-say-no trade offer I hope the Kings know by now who they are going with.

 

[cyclones22]

^ I don't think "more time" will help teams that don't seem to draft/develop well. They are just falling in their appraisal - kind of like giving me more time to fix an aircraft engine ... You could give me all night and day, it's not getting fixed.

However, if I'm heading the scouting department I'm encouraging the team and GM not to over-analyze players - the one thing I have a little concern L.A. will do with their #2 pick.

Unless something changes between now and mid-August with Stutzle or Byfield, or they get some can't-say-no trade offer I hope the Kings know by now who they are going with.

I think the only thing that could submarine their selection process for #2 overall pick is if one of those 2 kids has a terrible interview. I don't expect it, but crazier things have happened.

 

[Rorschach]

I especially liked the bit about being able to allocate more time on the later picks in the draft. I guess that would work one of two ways. In recent times the Kings seem to be doing well in their later round selections. Does giving this staff even more time give them an even larger advantage than usual or does that even the playing field for the teams who weren't as good in later rounds now that they also have more time? I'm hoping it's the former!

I think our staff has proven themselves elite in scouting/drafting in the second round with these last two drafts. Maybe if anything, give everyone LESS time because we're already so good at it, haha.

Just kidding...I think the staff thinks they would like more time to make deals when they see someone they like a lot fall a bit. Otherwise, what are all the extra picks for when our stockpile is already so loaded, right? It's to upgrade quality, imo.

 

[Rorschach]

I wonder if LA will hold private combines for their two possible choices.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

I wonder if LA will hold private combines for their two possible choices.

I’d recommend against that unless the league expressly authorizes it beforehand: NHL investigating Arizona Coyotes for allegedly 'fitness testing' draft-eligible prospects, per report

 

[King'sPawn]

I’d recommend against that unless the league expressly authorizes it beforehand: NHL investigating Arizona Coyotes for allegedly 'fitness testing' draft-eligible prospects, per report

In retrospect, I wonder if the penalties will be more severe since now Arizona is the ONLY team to do fitness testing.

 

[Rorschach]

I’d recommend against that unless the league expressly authorizes it beforehand: NHL investigating Arizona Coyotes for allegedly 'fitness testing' draft-eligible prospects, per report

It may have to be very private combines, not letting the kids hang out. Each of the two may have to do video conferencing interviews, maybe only one person conducting the physical stuff while staying 6 feet apart, sterilizing equipment before and after use, etc. And two full sessions on different days, one for each of the two prospects.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Great read. I really don't know who they should pick @ 2. Stutzle and Byfield are both intriguing

It will Byfield at 2...it might have been Strudel at 4 but it's definitely Byfield at 2 ,no question!!!

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Yanetti seems to be a bit more impressed with Stutzle, suggesting Byfield isn't very strong for a big guy - yet, while Stutzle doesn't have any noteworthy flaws in his game at all.

While he also likes Drysdale (though notes he's under-sized right now) clearly, it's between Stutzle/Byfield for their pick.

Are you sure about that? Didn't read that at all,I think maybe your wishing or imagining things?

 

[kevsh]

Maybe I'm dyslexic and don't know it ...

Quoting from the article:
Re: Byfield. "That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t strong. But at 6-4, and at his size, there are players who are a lot stronger."

Re: Stutzle. "There isn’t really a weakness in his game."

To be fair, Yanetti only points out that strength issue as a current concern for Byfield and does see incredible potential. I just read it as he has more questions about him that Stutzle. Some will clearly not see it that way, but "imagining things"? That's a stretch.

 

[cyclones22]

Maybe I'm dyslexic and don't know it ...

Quoting from the article:
Re: Byfield. "That doesn’t mean that he wasn’t strong. But at 6-4, and at his size, there are players who are a lot stronger."

Re: Stutzle. "There isn’t really a weakness in his game."

To be fair, Yanetti only points out that strength issue as a current concern for Byfield and does see incredible potential. I just read it as he has more questions about him that Stutzle. Some will clearly not see it that way, but "imagining things"? That's a stretch.

Did you totally miss the last paragraph where he talks about Byfield?

"When he’s all said and done, he’s going to be a force,” added Yanetti. “He’s going to have two power forward elements. If you’re talking straight-on speed, he’s as good a skater as anyone in the draft. He can score, put points on the board, play defense. There isn’t a real flaw in his game."

 

[Legionnaire]

I like his candor about playoff teams shouldn't be in the lottery.

 

[King'sPawn]

I like his candor about playoff teams shouldn't be in the lottery.

I disagreed at first, as I considered it a way to give teams a chance to "win" into the playoffs (like an end of season push).

But then I read that these play-in rounds will count towards playoff statistics.

So if these games count towards playoff statistics, then they are playoff games. If a team is playing a playoff game, then they are, in fact, a playoff team.

 

[Legionnaire]

Byfield has supposedly been working with Gary Roberts. I'm not worried about his strength.

 

[Chruceg]

I keep thinking about quotes from Mike Futa and Mark Yannetti that have come up over the past few years. Both gentlemen have talked about how the two most important "skills" a player can have are hockey sense and compete level. I went digging and found that the two agreed those were the top two but Futa gave the edge to compete level and Yannetti gave the edge to hockey sense. Now I fully realize that Futa is no longer with the organization and we don't know how Blake feels on these two ideas. But we do know how Yanetti feels. My personal preference is for Byfield but when I apply Yannetti's ideas to Byfield and Stutzle it makes me think they will lean towards Stutzle. I am very interested in how this will turn out.

Q&A WITH KINGS SCOUT MICHAEL FUTA

 

[Sleeping Dog]

In retrospect, I wonder if the penalties will be more severe since now Arizona is the ONLY team to do fitness testing.

Doubt this happens, but it would be interesting:

- Coyotes lose in the play in round
- But win the lottery for 1OA
- They lose that pick as punishment for their fitness testing debacle
- LA moves to #1 and we can stop having the Byfield/Stützle discussion.

I know this will never happen, but it so bored without hockey, my mind wanders a lot.​

 

[KingsHockey24]

Yanetti sounds higher on Stutzle if you ask me.

 

[psych3man]

As I think about this, wouldn't Yanetti be foolish for tipping his hand at all.....unless it's disinformation....

[now i don't know what to think...I'm so so confused!...Byfield/Stutzle...clues/disinformation...3+ months of this!!!]

 

[Schrute farms]

i got a slightly feeling from those comments that he preferred Stutzle. It's total tea leaf reading though. Plus, it could simply be that he's more famaliar with Stutzle due to thinking the past 1-6 months he'd be in our picking range and Byfield was less scouted (since he's a guaranteed top 3 pick). More likely none of us know and we're way overthinking this like a 15 year old girl about Johnny and if he likes her.

 

[BigKing]

Correct that he isn't going to tip his hand.

Saying that there are stronger players while mentioning Byfield's size is actually a plus as, again, it demonstrates his immense upside since he is already dominating the OHL at 17 while not being the physical force his body will allow him to eventually be.

He knows this is a weakness so he's working out with Gary Roberts to get stronger. He is one of the younger players in the draft and I am actually higher on him BECAUSE he isn't already 225 pounds and just bullying OHL'ers: he wins with elite skills v. just being bigger than everyone.

That's pretty much the case for him at #2. He's already elite without getting everything he can out of his size. Add man strength and the sky is the limit.

As for a preference, homeboy said there are no real flaws in his game which tells me they have zero concerns about his current strength level. You can't teach magic hands but you can have someone lift some weights.