The Los Angeles Kings had among the finest showings on the 2019 NHL Draft, making 4 picks within the top-50. The workforce benefited from some sturdy prospects sliding down the board and took benefit. General, the Kings made 9 picks on this 12 months’s draft and unfold the wealth fairly a bit, deciding on one goaltender, 4 forwards, and 4 defensemen.
Alex Turcotte – Ahead – fifth General
With such a robust draft class, it could’ve been arduous to make a stable alternative with a top-five decide, however Los Angeles nailed this one. Alex Turcotte was a consensus top-five prospect and will’ve simply gone third-overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. The 18-year-old heart was touted as the very best two-way ahead within the draft and he’s proved it at each degree up to now. Between exhibition and USHL motion, Turcotte tallied 27 targets and 62 factors in 37 contests final season.
Alex Turcotte (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers
The son of Alfie Turcotte, a first-round decide within the 1983 NHL Draft, Alex presently weighs in at 5-foot-11 and 185 kilos, giving him room to develop and fill out a bit. He’ll get that likelihood on the College of Wisconsin beginning subsequent season. Turcotte checks off almost each field however may stand to enhance his shot. If he develops a extra constant, arduous shot, he may turn into a reputable top-line ahead on the NHL degree.
Tobias Björnfot – Defenseman – 22nd General
The Kings acquired the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-round decide in January when the workforce despatched blueliner Jake Muzzin to the Japanese Convention. It’s solely pure that they used that decide to pick a brand new defenseman, the 18-year-old Tobias Björnfot. The 6-foot, 202-pound Swede totalled 17 targets and 44 factors in 81 video games during the last two seasons together with his junior membership, Djurgårdens of the SuperElit league.
Tobias Bjornfot (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
He made his Swedish Hockey League debut final season, being held with no level in seven video games. Björnfot additionally captained the gold-medal profitable Swedish U18 workforce within the World Juniors event. Whereas his superior skating and taking pictures skills give him some offensive upside, he’s extra valued for his defensive work. His large body will proceed to fill out, giving him the power he must be a future prime pairing blueliner.
Arthur Kaliyev – Ahead – 33rd General
The Kings might need ended up with the steal of the draft with Arthur Kaliyev early within the second spherical. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound winger will flip 18-years previous later this week however has already turned heads together with his electrifying efficiency within the Ontario Hockey League final season. In 67 video games for the Hamilton Bulldogs, Kaliyev terrorized opposing goaltenders on his approach to scoring 51 targets and 102 factors.
Arthur Kaliyev (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Many anticipated Kaliyev to be a top-20 decide together with his elite offensive upside and TSN’s Craig Button had him ranked 13th. Nevertheless, issues over his compete degree and defensive skills brought on him to slip into the second spherical. The Kings didn’t thoughts, although; when a participant with a deadly launch and robust skating abilities falls that far, he’s nicely definitely worth the danger.
Samuel Fagemo – Ahead – 50th General
With the Montreal Canadiens on the clock, Los Angeles traded away the 64th and 126th general picks to maneuver again into the top-50. The 19-year-old winger is coming off a 14-goal, 25-point marketing campaign with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. His membership additionally went on to win the league’s championship, the place Fagemo would tally one other six targets and 10 factors in 16 contests.
Samuel Fagemo (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The Swedish winger went undrafted final season however actually improved his recreation through the 2018-19 marketing campaign. At current, he has a really well-rounded skillset between his offensive IQ, taking pictures, and skating, even when none of these undertaking to be at an elite degree. Fagemo will get loads of alternatives across the web together with his driving play.
Lukas Parik – Goaltender – 87th General
Late within the third spherical, Los Angeles snagged Czech netminder Lukas Parik, the eighth goalie off the board in 2019. The 18-year-old was the third-ranked European goaltender in accordance with the NHL Central Scouting rankings. He spent most of final season taking part in within the Czech U19 league the place he posted a 2.85 goals-against common and .917 save proportion.
Parik moved up draft boards after his efficiency on the 2019 World Juniors Championship. His three.54 GAA and .924 save proportion aren’t too spectacular, however he needed to carry a fairly heavy load on a less-than-impressive Czech roster. At 6-foot-Four and 185 kilos, he covers the online nicely with sturdy lateral motion. Like Fagemo, Parik doesn’t have many top-tier abilities, however his general recreation seems to be pretty polished.
Jordan Spence – Defenseman – 95th General
After Parik, the Kings chosen three straight blueliners, beginning with the 2018-19 QMJHL Rookie of the 12 months winner, Jordan Spence. Coming in at 74th-overall in Bob McKenzie’s last draft rankings, the 18-year-old scored six targets and 49 factors in 68 video games throughout his award-winning season.
Spence was a member of Canada’s World Juniors roster, notching a objective and three factors in seven appearances. He’s actually undersized at simply 5-foot-10 and 165 kilos, however his offensive consciousness and playmaking skills assist decide up the slack. Spence could by no means be a shutdown defenseman, but when his skating continues to develop, he may very well be an everyday bottom-four blueliner on the NHL degree.
Kim Nousiainen – Defenseman – 119th General
Talking of undersized blueliners, the Kings added Kim Nousiainen to their draft class close to the top of the fourth spherical. The 18-year-old stands at simply 5-foot-10, 170 kilos however, like most small defensemen, he has a little bit of offensive upside. He notched eight targets and 28 factors in 32 video games within the junior ranks earlier than transferring as much as the Finnish Elite League. Nousiainen is a stable skater that positions himself nicely, however there are questions over general ice imaginative and prescient and physicality.
Braden Doyle – Defenseman – 157th General
Braden Doyle received’t flip 18 years previous till late August, making him one of many youngest prospects on this 12 months’s draft. Final 12 months, he obtained an award from the Boston Bruins for being the highest highschool/junior hockey participant in Japanese Massachusetts. The 6-foot, 168-pound defenseman will attend Boston College beginning in 2021.
It’s arduous to actually pin down Doyle’s potential as a result of he’s nonetheless such a uncooked prospect. He figures to have some offensive potential and can hopefully enhance his defensive positioning and power on the collegiate degree.
Andre Lee – Ahead – 188th General
With their last decide of the weekend, the Kings chosen a extremely intriguing ahead in Andre Lee. Already measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 205 kilos, the 18-year-old possesses an honest degree of talent for an enormous winger. He notched 20 targets and 35 factors through the common season for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. Lee added one other six targets and 11 factors en path to profitable the league’s Clark Cup.
It was his first 12 months taking part in North American hockey after coming over from Sweden’s junior-league circuit. Beginning subsequent season, he’ll attend the UMass-Lowell, a faculty that had produced a number of present NHL regulars akin to Ron Hainsey, Scott Wilson, and Christian Folin. If Lee can hone in on his skating abilities and general hockey IQ on the collegiate degree, he may very well be a steal as a seventh-rounder.
