For the first time since 2010, the NHL draft is in Los Angeles, at the Peacock Theater on Friday and Saturday.
Then, the host Kings will look to bolster their organizational ranks, beginning with Friday’s first round.
It’ll be the first decentralized draft – the prospects will be in L.A. but the executives will be in their home cities – and also the first draft for the Kings to be presided over by newly hired general manager Ken Holland.
“As we come towards the draft this weekend, I would anticipate, around the league, there’s going to be lots of trades,” Holland said Wednesday. “Are the L.A. Kings going to be a part of it? Possibly, possibly not, but I do know we’ve got $20 million in cap space, we’ve got some holes and we’ve got to make some decisions.”
What they need
The Kings have inverted their organizational depth from just a short while ago. Once overflowing with defensemen, especially the coveted right-handed-shooting variety, and barren between the pipes, the Kings now boast a solid stable of goalies and a relative wasteland on the blue line. Their forward group is headlined by last year’s first-rounder, Liam Greentree (No. 26 overall), but there are few if any other names on that same marquee.
They’ll pick 24th as it stands, and won’t pick again until No. 88, and could safely take the best-skater available approach. With no surefire impact prospects on the back end and arguably only Greentree up front, the Kings won’t be ignoring an organizational need no matter what route they take. They are also a win-now team with fast-aging figures in all the key spots – No. 1 center, No. 1 defenseman, No. 1 goalie and, now, general manager – so trading the pick would not come as a shock.
When Holland was asked about possibility of trading the pick for an established talent, he flatly replied, “Yeah,”
Recent draft hits
Liam Greentree: Not only did they snag a player who scored 29 more points in the same number of games year over year and produced at an even higher rate in the playoffs, they were able to trade back to do so and add additional assets. That included perhaps the strongest of their three notable goalie prospects, Carter George. It would be unsurprising to see them move down and restock their traded second-rounder this year, too.
Quinton Byfield: Although 2020’s second overall pick hasn’t developed into the force that No. 3 pick Tim Stützle has been in terms of offensive production since Day One, Byfield’s all-around has flourished over the past two seasons, with him and Adrian Kempe positioning themselves as likely faces of the franchises once Drew Doughty and Anže Kopitar diminish in prominence.
Brock Faber: The Kings moved up to snag Faber at No. 45 in 2020 and he’s more than justified that decision, albeit in green and red instead of black and silver. Before the Kings could reap the fruits of their scouting department’s labor, Faber was traded to the Minnesota Wild along with a first-round pick for Kevin Fiala. In 2023-24, Faber finished second in the Calder Trophy voting behind Connor Bedard and then signed a hefty eight-year, $68 million contract extension. Among players still with the Kings, defenseman Mikey Anderson proved a tremendous value from 2017’s fourth round.
Recent draft misses
Alex Turcotte: Drafted fifth overall in 2019, Turcotte soon found himself plummeting through an abyss of injuries, most prominently a pair of serious concussions. Before last season, he signed a three-year pact for the league minimum salary to reset his pro journey before posting 25 points in 68 games but seldom if ever showing the promise of a top-five pick.
Tobias Bjornfot: The since-waived defenseman was also part of the woefully underwhelming 2019 Kings class (22nd overall) that included Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev (lost to waivers), Samuel Fagemo (lost to waivers and reclaimed), Lukas Parik (never signed) and Kim Nousiainen (contract terminated). On the bright side, they grabbed Jordan Spence in Round 4.
Rasmus Kupari: Another first-round flop, Kupari was the 20th player taken in 2018. After being included in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade two years ago, Kupari failed to carve his niche with Winnipeg. He will play in Switzerland next season.
Possible first-round choices
A defenseman: Shutdown defender Blake Fiddler, the son of former NHLer Vernon Fiddler, kills plays and gets the puck going the other way. Logan Hensler, one of the youngest players in the NCAA last season, has a balanced, rangy and heady profile. Beijing-born Haoxi “Simon” Wang is raw but his uncommon mobility for his immense size makes him a possibility, particularly if the Kings trade back.
A center: There are some modest-sized pivots available but if 6-foot-4 Jack Nesbitt were on the board, the Kings might aim for him in their quest to get bigger and enrich their center depth for the future given the ages of Kopitar, 37, and Phillip Danault, 32. Mason West is another hulking centerman, with wheels to boot, and could be a stronger possibility should the Kings move back. Benjamin Kindel is more about brains than brawn, but his cerebral approach and ability to play all situations might get him a look.
A winger: Malcolm Spence may not have gaudy offensive totals or flashy skill, but there are few if any deficiencies in his game, including intangibles like persistence and the ability to raise his game to meet the stakes. Daniil Prokhorov is a big, raw power forward with a heavy shot and a wrecking-ball mentality, but may be gone by No. 24. Bill Zonnon’s compete level, hockey sense and versatility mean that even if he doesn’t stick in the middle six, there will probably be a home for him in the bottom six, making him a sound option if the Kings drop down.