2024-25 Season Thread

[PuckinUgly57]

Completely agree with all that. He was key for years here, but definitely not upon his return here.

I really hope they don't resign him at the end of the season although I'm sure he can still play a few more years (seen thia guy's body? Complete beast, lots of gym time), maybe he can sign in Anaheim if he wants to stay in the SoCal area and mentor their youth. All I know is he is not a legitimate NHL player anymore even in a B3 role and since he (and TOTM) returned from injury the offense has dried up. Coincidence? I don't believe in coincidences.

The Kings are down 1-0 to Edmonton tonight yet Jill has Lewis and TOTM out there late. Just why? These guys are not going to score you goals. Oh yeah, that's why, you gassed the forward corps going 11/7 the last 70 days or whatever.

Seeing some McLellan tendencies coming up here in Hiller.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Empty Netters on Instagram: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings"

2,207 likes, 28 comments - empty.netters on January 8, 2025: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings".

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Random Kempe interview. Kempe randomly getting tons of credit lately out of seemingly nowhere. Sean Avery was on a podcast recently and was saying he might be the best player in the league, and he specifically credited him with having an edge to his game.

"Might be the best player in the NHL": Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery reserves extremely high praise for $22,000,000 LA Kings forward

Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery recently praised Adrian Kempe and the LA Kings on Tuesday's episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast.

www.sportskeeda.com

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Empty Netters on Instagram: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings"

2,207 likes, 28 comments - empty.netters on January 8, 2025: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings".

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Random Kempe interview. Kempe randomly getting tons of credit lately out of seemingly nowhere. Sean Avery was on a podcast recently and was saying he might be the best player in the league, and he specifically credited him with having an edge to his game.

"Might be the best player in the NHL": Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery reserves extremely high praise for $22,000,000 LA Kings forward

Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery recently praised Adrian Kempe and the LA Kings on Tuesday's episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast.

www.sportskeeda.com

I think he has turned into the Kings' best player. That doesn't mean skilled, goal scorer, etc but generally all around. He is a steal at $5.5 million, he will exceed $8 million on his next deal. There was a time I thought damn, this dude will be a B6 winger for his career but he completely morphed into what he was supposed to be which gives me some hope for Buster.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

TA, ranking NHL pipelines. Kings come in at 26th:

The Kings’ pool is deep between the pipes and has a handful of interesting forwards, but it has really thinned out on defense. And after graduating their top three prospects from last year’s list (Brandt Clarke, Alex Turcotte, Alex Laferriere) and making just four selections in the 2024 NHL Draft (Rounds 1, 2, 6, 7), it has taken a predictable hit. They’re already without their second-rounder in 2025 as well.

Strong seasons from incoming first-rounder Liam Greentree and goalies Carter George, Hampton Slukynsky and Erik Portillo do help to offset the blow, though.

2024 prospect pool rank: No. 17 (change: -9)

1. Liam Greentree, RW, 19 (Windsor Spitfires)​

Greentree’s an interesting one because he was just OK for Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and played his way to a diminished role at last spring’s U18 worlds — after standing out pre-tournament, he seemed to struggle with the pace against the better teams — but he has been one of the most consistent game-to-game offensive players in the OHL the last two seasons. He scored 25 goals and was named to the league’s First All-Rookie Team at 16. Last year, he was named captain of the Spits in his draft year as they began a rebuild and led the team in scoring by a wide margin (his 90 points were 24 more than his nearest teammate) to prove he could drive offense himself.

But despite having a makeup (size, strength, shot, skill, on-and-off-ice habits, etc.) that would usually lend itself to being universally well-liked, and despite a strong showing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in which he scored, was robbed and had multiple looks against other top prospects, he had some skeptics. This season, he has silenced some of them and has at times led the OHL in scoring.

Greentree’s game is all about subtle soft skill/finesse for a big, strong kid. He finds his way onto pucks inside the offensive zone, can stay on them, can win battles and when he keeps his feet moving he plays an opportunistic style with above-average talent in multiple areas (shooting, handling, first touch for a player his size, etc.). He has skill and an NHL release; the puck comes off his stick hard and quickly and hits his spots. I haven’t seen a dynamic quality and his skating needs work (though his speed is decent when he gets going and it’s more through his first few steps), but he’s got pro size, a well-rounded toolkit offensively, individual skill and a growing statistical profile. He’s not ultra-competitive but he has played harder and with more pace this season. He’s not going to be a star but he looks like he’s got the makings of a solid NHL forward who can play up and down a lineup.

2. Hampton Slukynsky, G, 19 (Western Michigan University)​

Slukynsky has taken a unique path for a goalie through Minnesota’s high school circuit to the USHL and now Western Michigan, and along that path he’s played for virtually the best team at every level: Warroad, then USA Hockey, then Fargo, plus a strong Western Michigan team in a tandem as a freshman. A lot of that has to do with him — you don’t win every game you play by accident, even with a better team than the opposition. His numbers did take a hit at the World Junior A Challenge where USA wasn’t the clear-cut best team, but he performed well again with the USA jersey on at this year’s World Juniors, making 42 of 45 saves (.933) in games against Latvia and Switzerland. His track record stands on its own.

He’s a lean goalie but has grown from 6-foot-1 and 179 in his draft year to 6-foot-2 and 185 now. Slukynsky’s a very smart, anticipatory goalie with legitimate quickness and mobility in the net. He’s active and fast on his feet, athletic with good hands, sticks with shooters one-on-one, gets to his spots early and tracks well — most of the boxes you look for! He has become one of the top American goalies in the 2005 age group and I expect the Broncos’ net will be fully his after fifth-year Cameron Rowe graduates at the end of this season. Despite his glossy record over the years, I’ve also seen him steal a lot of games with his mobility and talent.

It’s worth noting, though, that I debated any order for the Kings’ three goalie prospects here.

3. Carter George, G, 18 (Owen Sound Attack)​

George is a goalie I have a lot of time for and I debated making him my top-ranked netminder in the 2024 draft before placing him second behind Russian Ilya Nabokov. He made more saves than any other goalie in the OHL last season, was consistently good across 56 games for Owen Sound, performed well as a 16-year-old in splits between the OHL and GOJHL two years ago, played well at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and was one of — if not the — biggest reasons Canada won gold at U18 worlds. This season, he has been good (better than his .906 save percentage, which is still good in the OHL these days) behind a bad Owen Sound team and was very good for Canada’s disappointing World Juniors team, stopping 102 of 109 shots across four games (.936) and surrendering just two of those seven goals at five-on-five. You get the picture. He’s just a good goalie.

George doesn’t have ideal size but he’s big enough (6-foot-1 and 190) and rarely seems to get frozen straight up with shooters because he’s got good hands. He knows when to stay on his feet and when to get down and pick pucks out, because he reads it so well off the blade and he’s patient. He’s very, very communicative and shows comfort playing pucks. He tracks pucks through traffic really well. He’s got quick feet and closes his five-hole fast, with mobility moving laterally and correcting.

George plays a positionally sound and calm game for his age that shows a lot of maturity. He’s not super explosive but he’s a smart, quick, competitive, consistent goalie who should have a long pro career and has the calm, studious demeanor you look for.

4. Erik Portillo, G, 24 (Ontario Reign/L.A. Kings)​

After waiting for his turn in the Wolverines net as a freshman, Portillo ran with it as a sophomore and junior, playing every night to good results — including some of the better ones in the country with a .926 save percentage in a rare 40-plus game season as a sophomore — and backstopping Michigan to a Frozen Four appearance. Though his numbers weren’t as glossy in his junior year, the team in front of him wasn’t as strong defensively either. He again performed well as an AHL rookie last season, playing 39 games to a .918 save percentage with the Reign. This season, he has been excellent of late after a bit of a slow start and his save percentage has climbed back to .910. He also made his NHL debut in a 2-1 win against the Ducks, stopping 28 of 29 shots (.966).

Portillo is massive, with a 6-foot-6 and 225-ish-pound frame. He uses that frame to play a poised, deep-in-his-net style, rarely overcommitting to shooters in an effort to play between his posts and avoid scrambles when things start to break down. At his best, Portillo takes away all of a shooter’s space and looks unbeatable. He’ll let the odd soft goal squeak through and his rebound control can sometimes disappoint him but he’s got impressive control, coordination, skill and mobility for a goalie his size. I also like how loud he is in the net. You can really hear him back there (a lot like Detroit’s Sebastian Cossa) and it’s clear he wants to command play with directions and his impressive ability to play the puck and start breakouts. He’s also an excellent goalie one-on-one with shooters on breakaways.

He’s not perfect and I’ve seen him play poorly over the years, but the highs are also high and there are legitimate tools to work with there. He’s going to age out of prospecthood soon and should be a No. 2/3, even without standout explosiveness and even with the odd moment of inconsistency or lapsed habits.

5. Koehn Ziemmer, RW, 20 (Prince George Cougars) ​

Ziemmer is a December 2004 who was selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 Bantam Draft and ranked No. 31 on my draft board in 2023 but fell to the third round due to concerns about his fitness level and skating/pace. Two years ago, he finished in the WHL’s top 10 in goals (41) and points (89), though he did regress a little after a hot start. Last season, he got off to an excellent start with 31 points in 20 games (a 105-point, 68-game pace), playing in a Cougars top six that had two of the hotter lines in the WHL simultaneously before suffering an ankle injury that came with a four-month timeline. This season, he again got off to one of the hotter starts in the WHL before hitting a wall in December.

He’s a strong, physically mature winger — some of which is a benefit of his 2004 birthday and real strength, some of which is him carrying a little too much weight — who likes to shoot the puck and shoot it hard, but he also regularly beats defenders and goalies one-on-one with a slick set of hands across his body so that they can’t plan for the shot. He has scored some highlight-reel goals in the WHL but he also excels at finding pockets of space off coverage and remaining involved on offense and defense. I wish his skating, pace and production were a little further along than they are at this point.

Though he has made some progress, he hasn’t made enough to get me excited. He might become a top-nine winger who can contribute offensively in a variety of ways and works hard to compensate. He can play a heavy game on pucks, operate in and out of give-and-gos and make skill plays for himself. But I’ve softened on his likelihood of hitting top-nine status as his progression has stagnated — in part, I’m sure, due to the injury and its lost time, but also because it’s starting to feel like he doesn’t have the athletic tools he’ll need to become an NHLer. I could see his game working in the AHL though, so I’ll be interested to see how he does with the Reign next year. The skill and shot are there.

<Con't>

 

[PuckinUgly57]

6. Francesco Pinelli, C, 21 (Ontario Reign)​

Pinelli’s a prospect with good tools but also some buts. He’s a fairly slick, fairly creative puckhandler and facilitator who manipulates set structures to create lanes for himself, slicing pucks through and around feet and sticks … but I’m not sure those assets are dynamic. He’s got good control of his inside and outside edges which allows him to open up and adjust to pressure points … but his feet can look a little heavy in straight lines. At the junior level, he was an entertaining, puck-dominant east-west player who thrived when he got a lot of touches. And while his decision-making with the puck can be a little suspect at times, he’s diligent without the puck and can hang at center because of it. I do worry a little bit about his lack of pace, but he was a force in Kitchener in his final season there, outproducing his nearest teammate by 31 points (!) in eight fewer games (!) and driving results at both ends as captain.

Pinelli has taken a step in the AHL this season after some predictable bumps as a 20-year-old rookie last year. He’ll become a good top-six player in the AHL. I’m not sure if he’s a complementary NHLer in the end, though. He’s got some talent, smarts and a pro build, but …

7. Jakub Dvorak, LHD, 19 (Ontario Reign)​

The story of Dvorak’s young career is one of a series of injuries that have cost him development time across multiple seasons. Still, Dvorak became a top D in his age group with Czechia’s national team and played up at Czechia’s pro level at an early age when healthy. Last season also didn’t see him take the steps I’m sure he was hoping for back home and resulted in a move to the WHL with Swift Current, where he was solid right away on the smaller ice and immediately became a counted-on two-way defender, but also showed some limitations. This season, his first in the AHL and at the World Juniors, has been fine.

He’s a 6-foot-5, steadying defenseman who can kill penalties, has played tough matchups internationally with his age group (though he was more just one piece of Czechia’s top six at the World Juniors than a go-to guy) and can really shoot it when he steps into his slap shot. His skating is a definite concern for me — I was surprised when the Kings called it a strength after the draft — and an impediment against the rush at times as he fairly frequently gets turned around and caught in his pivots. He was a second-rounder on the back of his physical tools and the belief that with good health and reps, he’ll become a solid shutdown defenseman at the next level. His stride and handling are both also a little stilted and I find he can really slap the puck around at higher paces, though. He’s going to need to make a lot of progress to get to the NHL and even if he does, it’ll be with a limited puck game, but there is a lot to like in his physical makeup.

8. Martin Chromiak, RW, 22 (Ontario Reign) ​

One of the more dangerous forwards in the OHL in his final season there, Chromiak stepped right into the AHL two years ago but hasn’t really taken another step these last two years. He’s an attacking winger off the flank who looks for his shots and uses his plus-level skating to cut to the interior or push wide. I like his drive. He’s got a multi-dimensional offensive-zone game, a dangerous mid-range wrister that he gets off quickly, a good one-timer and a real feel for the game and spacing. He’s also a competent defensive player who keeps his feet moving and positions himself well, even if that won’t be a strength up a level.

He’s more of a straight-line attacker than an east-to-west one, and there are some who question whether he’ll top out as a bit of a tweener. I liked the tools enough for a complementary third-line/PP2/secondary-scorer projection with the right development for a time, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s just that type in the AHL. This is the final year of his entry-level contract and you’d like to see a player get into the call-up conversation by the end of their three-year deal. He’s not there yet.

9. Otto Salin, RHD, 20 (TPS)​

Salin has been the most productive under-21 defenseman in Liiga this season and I’d be interested to see the Kings give him a shot in North America. He remains unsigned but I think he could quarterback an AHL power play and at least give you a depth call-up option who brings something a little different than a Dvorak if you need it, for example. He’s not a perfect player, but as a potential future No. 8/9 D with some puck-moving ability? Maybe.

Salin missed all of October, November and much of December in his draft year due to injury, leaving him with a smaller sample than most of his peers. But he was as good in his 11 junior games as any player at Finland’s top U20 level, dominating offensively while playing huge minutes to strong defensive results. He also performed well on a Finnish blue line that struggled at the World Juniors in Halifax in 2023 (even as the team’s youngest defenseman) and wore an “A” at the World Juniors in Gothenburg.

There’s a perception in the hockey world that he’s an all-offense player, but I think he’s more than that. Salin’s physically mature for his size (5-foot-11) and he uses it to play a tight-gapping style, which can burn when he makes mistakes on reads but has proven to be quite successful in stripping and knocking pucks loose to get back on offense.

With the puck, he takes space off the line and looks to attack into his shot (which he takes a lot), but Salin also has the ingenuity to surprise opposing structures with knifing passes. He’s fun to watch when he’s getting a lot of touches, leading the charge from the back end and his timing on close-outs is dialed in. His comfort level moving the puck down ice defines him. He sees the ice well, his head is always up and he pivots in and out of space nicely. He’s active skating pucks through neutral ice and an eager shooter from the blue line with a hard wrister, slap shot and balanced one-timer.

10. Ryan Conmy, RW, 20 (University of New Hampshire)​

He wasn’t in my top 100 but I liked the Kings’ selection of Conmy at No. 182 in the sixth round in 2023. It’s not easy to score 33 goals in the USHL in your draft year, let alone as a rookie, and he showed some real skill at that level two years ago. It has translated as a freshman and sophomore at UNH, too. He immediately became a point-per-game player and the Wildcats’ leading scorer. He has done it while managing good two-way results as well and as a leader on a pretty strong team this year.

He’s got a natural shooter’s shot, with an ability to get the puck off in motion and cleanly beat goalies from mid-range. He’s a good skater, maybe even a little better than good. He works hard on the ice (and by all accounts off it) to get to pucks. He gets to scoring areas with and without it. There are some pro qualities and they’ve come together pretty quickly here, with more runway to build momentum and get signed. I thought about ranking him a couple of spots higher, even, which is positive considering where he was picked and his size (5-foot-10 and an athletic 190).

11. Aatu Jamsen, LW, 22 (Ontario Reign)​

Jamsen progressed rapidly after the Kings selected him in the seventh round in 2020 after he spent his whole draft year at Finland’s under-18 level instead of its under-20 level, which is very rare. He quickly became one of the leading scorers at the U20 level and a pro shortly after that in Liiga, where he eventually earned an NHL contract and had two strong seasons. Now he’s a rookie in the AHL, with one year left after this one, and he was off to a respectable start to his career before an injury in mid-December sidelined him since.

Jamsen is a rangy 6-foot-2 winger who plays with intention, energy and speed and has enough skill to get off the perimeter and make some plays to the inside. He remains a bit of a long shot but it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to see him play some games at some point. He doesn’t lack confidence and has never shied away from getting after it. He may just be an AHLer, though.

12. Kenny Connors, C, 21 (UMass-Amherst)​

After getting drafted as an overager out of Dubuque three seasons ago after a 56-in-61 season as the Fighting Saints’ third-leading scorer, Connors has had three good seasons in college without really breaking out. He stepped right in as a teenage freshman to become the Minutemen’s top-scoring forward and earn a spot on Team USA at the 2023 World Juniors, but he has been more of a good player than a true star for them since.

Connors is a 6-foot-2, 207-pound center who plays a well-rounded two-way game built upon hard work, a drive to be involved, decent skating, applying pressure and then making quick decisions and reads with the puck to generate offense and sustain offensive-zone time. I’m not sure if he has true NHL skill, pace or upside, but some believe he might become a bottom-six option or good AHL depth and I could see that.

13. James Reeder, RW, 19 (University of Denver)​

The second of two Dubuque alums to finish the list, Reeder registered 60 points in 53 games in the USHL last season to get drafted in the seventh round. Now he’s a freshman under David Carle at Denver and has been a fine contributor who has played to good results, mostly on the wing of their third line. He was also an invitee to the World Junior Summer Showcase in August but didn’t ultimately make the team.

Reeder’s a smallish winger (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) who relies on his on-ice intellect to navigate the ice, play off his linemates, find pockets of space and distribute. He’s also a diligent off-puck mover who will forecheck and keep his feet moving for his linemates, but also track, support and play with energy defensively to help win pucks back. He’s got long odds to play NHL games but should become a smart NCAA forward. I could see him having a nice pro career in the AHL and felt he was worth a mention here.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

TA, top players and prospects under 23. TLDR, Stuetzle ranked 2nd in Tier 1, Buster ranked 19th in Tier 3.

Color me shocked.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Every NHL Team's Top Bargaining Chip to Use at the 2025 Trade Deadline

We are beyond the halfway point of the 2024-25 NHL season, and that means the NHL trade deadline is the next big target date on the schedule. It is rapidly…

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Actually decent read. For Kings, I actually think Brock Nelson from the NY Islanders would be a nice addition. He goes to the net and he's a big skilled dude that's scored some big goals in the playoffs.

I would take a look at Brandon Saad too. Maybe Grandlund of San Jose. All of those depend on price obviously, but I'd be open to some major tweaks still.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Interesting, the Kings don't have a 2nd round pick in 2025 (Jeannot deal) so moving the 1st has to count.

Nelson makes total sense for LA, 100% agreement. I'd also target Frederic of Boston but not for the 1st. He is big, physical, no nonsense and would be a legitimate B6 center come PO time. Has some offensive skills too along with the fists. Upgrade from Lewis, Helenius, Thomas, etc for certain.

My biggest fear is Bowlby makes yet another misjudged trade, moves the 1st and it's a non impact player.

 

[Kings4OT]

Empty Netters on Instagram: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings"

2,207 likes, 28 comments - empty.netters on January 8, 2025: "Somebody call the police #nhl #hockey #chillinatthefarblue #losangeleskings".

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Random Kempe interview. Kempe randomly getting tons of credit lately out of seemingly nowhere. Sean Avery was on a podcast recently and was saying he might be the best player in the league, and he specifically credited him with having an edge to his game.

"Might be the best player in the NHL": Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery reserves extremely high praise for $22,000,000 LA Kings forward

Ex-Rangers enforcer Sean Avery recently praised Adrian Kempe and the LA Kings on Tuesday's episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast.

www.sportskeeda.com

Far from best in the league, but best in LA for sure and worthy of the C when Kopistar retires. I remember crowning him cantplay from all the untapped hype he had.....and he turned the corner in a big way, I cant complain at all....as you all know thats incredible. Glad hes a King and hope he gets a team worthy of his play.

 

[Kings4OT]

TA, top players and prospects under 23. TLDR, Stuetzle ranked 2nd in Tier 1, Buster ranked 19th in Tier 3.

Color me shocked.

You will never convince me it is better to take a project over an NHL ready prospect with those t5 picks. No matter what you need, you take the sure thing.