Prospect Info: Linden Vey to Canucks for 2nd Round Pick #50; Kings select Defenseman Roland McKeown

[Peter James Bond]

Kings trade Linden Vey to Canucks for pick #50 and select Defenseman Roland McKeown!

Some had him rated as high as #18. Bob McKenzie had him at #25 overall, stating:
Skating is the foundation of his game and he uses well to close off plays defensively, transition the puck and then jump into the play offensively. Very confident player who plays with evenness. In control, steady and poised.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/19/2014-nhl-draft-profile-18-roland-mckeown/

Roland McKeown’s skating ability is at an elite level and features excellent speed and acceleration both forwards and backwards, great pivots, excellent lateral agility, and fantastic edgework. He is so smooth on his skates, its like he’s floating above the ice. The great skating gives him outstanding mobility allows McKeown to always be in position defensively, and to join the play offensively and still be able to recover back to his position. He covers a ton of ice, and it is very difficult to beat McKeown one-on-one because he is so good on his feet.

Click to read more...

 

[LastWordArmy]

http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/04/19/2014-nhl-draft-profile-18-roland-mckeown/

Absolute steal!

 

[Telos]

Great pick, great asset management with getting him just for Vey. Awesome.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

The cup is ours!

 

[LAKings88]

Stoked we got him. Future is bright on the back end.

 

[xavi4life]

I love how every year the Kings get "an absolute steal", "the pick of the draft", "the future is bright", etc. Gotta love the optimism here!

In all seriousness, if this McKeown kid can turn into Alec Martinez #2 I'd be stoked. Thinking anything more than that is a little much IMO.

 

[KopitarFAN]

I love how every year the Kings get "an absolute steal", "the pick of the draft", "the future is bright", etc. Gotta love the optimism here!

In all seriousness, if this McKeown kid can turn into Alec Martinez #2 I'd be stoked. Thinking anything more than that is a little much.

It's a joke that's said with every pick, you've been here longer than me and you haven't caught on?

 

[xavi4life]

It's a joke that's said with every pick, you've been here longer than me and you haven't caught on?

I think 80% of them are jokes, not so sure about the other 20%. Either way it was amusing enough for me to comment on.

I still think he's the Alec Martinez mold... the other Finn is probably the Matt Greene mold. DL has a secret formula.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I love how every year the Kings get "an absolute steal", "the pick of the draft", "the future is bright", etc. Gotta love the optimism here!

In all seriousness, if this McKeown kid can turn into Alec Martinez #2 I'd be stoked. Thinking anything more than that is a little much IMO.

If the Kings get any 2 players in this draft that end up playing anywhere on the roster, in any capacity, that's a hell of a draft.

 

[Peter James Bond]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=718277

wasn't he also Captain for one of Team Canada's teams?

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/roland-mckeown/

 

[LAKings88]

I think 80% of them are jokes, not so sure about the other 20%. Either way it was amusing enough for me to comment on.

I still think he's the Alec Martinez mold... the other Finn is probably the Matt Greene mold. DL has a secret formula.

McNabb
Forbort
Gravel
Ebert
McKeown

To name a few in the system. Prospects are what they are but I think all these players have a shot at being pros. LA has no rush but if these guys can fill roles down the line then I don't think it is a stretch to say that the Kings are planning for the future or that it is bright.

 

[LAKings88]

If the Kings get any 2 players in this draft that end up playing anywhere on the roster, in any capacity, that's a hell of a draft.

This, and most of these players wont be playing for a few years anyway.

 

[apadilla]

It's a joke that's said with every pick, you've been here longer than me and you haven't caught on?

aka "I couldn't believe he was still available!"

 

[Face Wash]

The cup is ours!

Well...yeah. We know.

I liked Vey, but he was never going to crack the top six and he's a top six skill player. As Telos said, excellent asset management. Another player falls to far for Deano to pass up on him.

 

[Peter James Bond]

Was hoping Linden Vey would get a shot, but just wasn't possible here.
No small feat, scoring more than a pt per game in the AHL.

Would say wish him the best, but if that means he becomes a 50+ point center
for the Canucks...then no! Then wishing him the best is that he becomes a 20 point
3rd liner there.

Should be interesting to see who becomes #2 center in Manch.
Nick Shore? Nic Dowd? And, this will be a test for Weal, who
becomes #1 center. Will give the Kings a better gauge just how
good he is.

 

[TruKingFan]

More importantly…he's a right hand shot. VV better shape up.

 

[HYORI 1963]

I think most of us knew that Vey wasn't in the kings future plan, so, it's another fantastic move. Love the pick!!!

 

[Jason Lewis]

Solid hockey trade. Vey was going to really struggle and was struggling to crack the lineup. Good opportunity in Vancouver. McKeown is going to be a solid D man as well.

 

[Malakian#13]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=718277

wasn't he also Captain for one of Team Canada's teams?

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/roland-mckeown/

There was a piece on the nhl network coverage during round 1 where the showed a picture of him captaining a junior team in Toronto that featured Connor McDavid, Sam Bennett and Josh Ho-Sang.

 

[Rorschach]

I bet this is one of the three guys that LA was targeting for the first round.

 

[xavi4life]

If the Kings get any 2 players in this draft that end up playing anywhere on the roster, in any capacity, that's a hell of a draft.

Settle down Charly, this isn't my first rodeo.

 

[Rorschach]

The Cup is ours...in 2019!

 

[Moses Doughty]

I wanted to move up to pick McKeown...in Round 1. Stoked we got him at 50

 

[Peter James Bond]

I wanted to move up to pick McKeown...in Round 1. Stoked we got him at 50

Truly!

ISS had Kempe #22 and McKeown #23 in their final rankings. Both of these kids have elite skating and have worn the 'C' or 'A' on their teams as well.

ISS Final Rankings:
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=114013

 

[Moses Doughty]

Truly!

ISS had Kempe #22 and McKeown #23 in their final rankings. Both of these kids have elite skating and have worn the 'C' or 'A' on their teams as well.

ISS Final Rankings:
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=114013

Definitely happy with the first 2 picks