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NHL farm system rankings: No. 10 Los Angeles Kings
By Corey Pronman Aug 20, 2018
74
Corey Pronman’s deep dive into the farm system of every NHL organization includes a ranking of all of the team’s prospects, broken into tiers based on their projection; the impact on the upcoming season and an overall ranking of all players under 23. Further explanation of Pronman’s system and the complete ranking of all 31 teams can be found here.
In terms of the most fascinating prospect pool out there, nobody beats the Kings in my view.
They have two very dynamic talents at the top of their system that fell into their laps due to various concerns. Gabe Vilardi is continuously hurt but a gamebreaker when healthy, and Rasmus Kupari barely played with his club team last season. Elsewhere they have some older college prospects who impressed me, a Russian who came over to North America once and who knows if he will again, another defected prospect whose prospect status has been debated in scouting circles, a mid-20s defenseman who some scouts still swear by, a goalie they got by college free agency and was an AHL All-Star, and another Russian who tore up the MHL. I could go on and on.
If anyone told you they conclusively felt like they had a grasp on how good the Kings system was, I’d call them a liar. I place them 10th with caution, but there’s so much talent here that it was hard to get them lower
Team’s 2017 ranking*: No. 17
Prospect Rankings
HIGH-END NHL PROSPECT
1. Gabriel Vilardi, C, Kingston-OHL
Vilardi is one of the better players outside the NHL. He has the unique combination of being a high-end playmaker and tough to handle physically. He’s big, strong and can make fantastic passes and dekes seem routine. When he returned from injury this season and was traded from Windsor to Kingston he dominated the OHL. He’s a below-average skater, which is a reasonable concern about his game, and the biggest reason why he may not end up a star, but I still believe a lot in his skill set. He’s such an advanced player physically that he could possibly make the Kings next season and be a good top-six forward for them soon. Staying healthy will be important for him and it’s something he has struggled to do.
2. Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat-Liiga
There are a lot of tools to like in Kupari’s game. He’s a very strong skater who explodes out of his first few strides and puts pressure on defenders using his speed. His stride is incredibly smooth, with so much power coming from every push off. Kupari also has high-end puck skills and can make skilled plays in tight and off the rush. I’ve seen flashes of good playmaking from him, but I don’t think he’s a high-end passer but he’s fine in that area. He also has an above-average shot. He needs time to round out his game, and to learn when to play quick and when to slow plays down.
LEGIT NHL PROSPECT
3. Kale Clague, D, Moose Jaw-WHL
Clague was the top defenseman in the WHL this season. He’s an excellent skater with the mobility to evade pressure and lead a rush. He’s skilled with the puck, but his offense comes more from his feet and his great vision as a puck-mover. He can make unique plays as a distributor and projects to be able to QB a power play at the NHL level. Clague can be decent defensively, but he’s not the biggest guy and can be prone to being exposed a little too much on the defensive side of the puck. He’s smart and mobile enough though to make enough stops to be reliable as a pro. Projecting him into the NHL, Kale will be part of any team’s healthy blueline.
4. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, C, Spokane-WHL
I went from being lukewarm on Anderson-Dolan last season to becoming a huge fan of his this season. Clague gets more of the press from the Kings system but for my money Anderson-Dolan is as good a prospect. He was one of the best players in the WHL this season. He has great speed, plays hard, but I was really impressed this season by the level of skill and playmaking he showed on top of his quality shot. He’s not like his teammate, Kailer Yamamoto, but he’s not miles off in terms of the quality of plays he makes. You add in the fact he’s a competent two-way center and the only issue with him is size. He was one of the youngest players in his draft and with added development we’re seeing a player who could make the Kings’ lineup shortly.
5. Daniel Brickley, D, Minnesota State-WCHA
I discussed Brickley in-depth here. The premier college free agent this season projects to be a regular for the Kings next season due to the size and puck-moving skills he brings, even if he’s not exceptionally quick.
6. Akil Thomas, C, Niagara-OHL
Thomas was the go-to guy for Niagara. He makes a ton of smart plays with the puck on his stick, gets a lot of controlled zone entries and shows high-level instincts in creating chances. Thomas’ skating has improved a lot to where it was a strength last season. Despite his speed, I don’t see him push the pace too much. I’ve seen the occasional good burst, but, in general, he prefers to play a slow game, especially with the puck on his stick. His two-way game has developed. He’s looked competent playing center at the OHL level, has some bite in his game and has killed penalties for Niagara.
7. Mikey Eyssimont, LW, St. Cloud State-NCHC
Eyssimont’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was one of my favorite players to watch in college the last two years in the unofficial L.A. Kings farm team, St. Cloud State University. He’s really, really skilled, a great playmaker and was on highlight reels more than once. He’s not small, but Eyssimont is physically underdeveloped and needs to become a better skater, but he certainly has the offensive upside to be a real player if he develops well the next few years.
HAVE A CHANCE
8. Paul LaDue, D, Ontario-AHL
I had an interesting conversation with a scout during the season about LaDue. He argued while LaDue is an older player at 25 years of age, he said physically when he turned pro he looked like a teenager. I get the case, and LaDue is intriguing due to his size, mobility and ability to handle the puck. I think that argument only goes so far though and LaDue will be 26 entering next season. If he’s a player, it will be time to show it already.
9. Nikolai Prokhorkin, LW, SKA-KHL
Prokhorkin was a member of the OAR team that won Olympic Gold. Kings fans have heard his name every year since 2012 and bringing up the 24-year-old likely rolls their eyes, but he still remains relevant! He’s skilled, he makes plays, and he’s a big-body forward. I don’t think he’s developed exceptionally. He’s not a game-breaker skill wise, and he’s not very quick, but I think he could still be a decent NHL player … if he ever crosses the pond. His KHL deal expires at the end of the 2018-19 season.
10. Dominik Kubalik, LW, Ambri-Piotta-NLA
Kubalik is one of the more interesting players in the prospect world. The intrigue is not due to his skill set, which is fine, but due to his rights. There have been NHL teams who have argued that Kubalik is a free agent, whereas the Kings believe he is their player. This controversy comes from the fact Switzerland, like Russia, does not have a transfer agreement with the NHL and players who go there are considered defected players. Kubalik’s rights were held by the Kings for four years, and he apparently left for Switzerland right before that timeframe ended. According to several NHL sources I trust, he is a Kings prospect, but it is not an unanimous opinion.
On his skill set, Kubalik is a big-body winger who won’t blow you away, but he has speed and skill in his game and has the work ethic to win back pucks using his frame. He was fantastic at the recent World Championships for the Czech Republic and could be a solid bottom-six forward.
11. Cal Petersen, G, Ontario-AHL:
Petersen’s performance was up and down this season as a rookie, but had dominant stretches. He’s a smart goalie, with economical movements and decent ability to get across the net. He’s not the biggest guy or the most explosive but he can make the difficult save and there were some moments during the season where he showed the ability to steal a game.
NHL farm system rankings: No. 10 Los Angeles Kings
By Corey Pronman Aug 20, 2018
Corey Pronman’s deep dive into the farm system of every NHL organization includes a ranking of all of the team’s prospects, broken into tiers based on their projection; the impact on the upcoming season and an overall ranking of all players under 23. Further explanation of Pronman’s system and the complete ranking of all 31 teams can be found here.
In terms of the most fascinating prospect pool out there, nobody beats the Kings in my view.
They have two very dynamic talents at the top of their system that fell into their laps due to various concerns. Gabe Vilardi is continuously hurt but a gamebreaker when healthy, and Rasmus Kupari barely played with his club team last season. Elsewhere they have some older college prospects who impressed me, a Russian who came over to North America once and who knows if he will again, another defected prospect whose prospect status has been debated in scouting circles, a mid-20s defenseman who some scouts still swear by, a goalie they got by college free agency and was an AHL All-Star, and another Russian who tore up the MHL. I could go on and on.
If anyone told you they conclusively felt like they had a grasp on how good the Kings system was, I’d call them a liar. I place them 10th with caution, but there’s so much talent here that it was hard to get them lower
Team’s 2017 ranking*: No. 17
Prospect Rankings
HIGH-END NHL PROSPECT
1. Gabriel Vilardi, C, Kingston-OHL
Vilardi is one of the better players outside the NHL. He has the unique combination of being a high-end playmaker and tough to handle physically. He’s big, strong and can make fantastic passes and dekes seem routine. When he returned from injury this season and was traded from Windsor to Kingston he dominated the OHL. He’s a below-average skater, which is a reasonable concern about his game, and the biggest reason why he may not end up a star, but I still believe a lot in his skill set. He’s such an advanced player physically that he could possibly make the Kings next season and be a good top-six forward for them soon. Staying healthy will be important for him and it’s something he has struggled to do.
2. Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat-Liiga
There are a lot of tools to like in Kupari’s game. He’s a very strong skater who explodes out of his first few strides and puts pressure on defenders using his speed. His stride is incredibly smooth, with so much power coming from every push off. Kupari also has high-end puck skills and can make skilled plays in tight and off the rush. I’ve seen flashes of good playmaking from him, but I don’t think he’s a high-end passer but he’s fine in that area. He also has an above-average shot. He needs time to round out his game, and to learn when to play quick and when to slow plays down.
LEGIT NHL PROSPECT
3. Kale Clague, D, Moose Jaw-WHL
Clague was the top defenseman in the WHL this season. He’s an excellent skater with the mobility to evade pressure and lead a rush. He’s skilled with the puck, but his offense comes more from his feet and his great vision as a puck-mover. He can make unique plays as a distributor and projects to be able to QB a power play at the NHL level. Clague can be decent defensively, but he’s not the biggest guy and can be prone to being exposed a little too much on the defensive side of the puck. He’s smart and mobile enough though to make enough stops to be reliable as a pro. Projecting him into the NHL, Kale will be part of any team’s healthy blueline.
4. Jaret Anderson-Dolan, C, Spokane-WHL
I went from being lukewarm on Anderson-Dolan last season to becoming a huge fan of his this season. Clague gets more of the press from the Kings system but for my money Anderson-Dolan is as good a prospect. He was one of the best players in the WHL this season. He has great speed, plays hard, but I was really impressed this season by the level of skill and playmaking he showed on top of his quality shot. He’s not like his teammate, Kailer Yamamoto, but he’s not miles off in terms of the quality of plays he makes. You add in the fact he’s a competent two-way center and the only issue with him is size. He was one of the youngest players in his draft and with added development we’re seeing a player who could make the Kings’ lineup shortly.
5. Daniel Brickley, D, Minnesota State-WCHA
I discussed Brickley in-depth here. The premier college free agent this season projects to be a regular for the Kings next season due to the size and puck-moving skills he brings, even if he’s not exceptionally quick.
6. Akil Thomas, C, Niagara-OHL
Thomas was the go-to guy for Niagara. He makes a ton of smart plays with the puck on his stick, gets a lot of controlled zone entries and shows high-level instincts in creating chances. Thomas’ skating has improved a lot to where it was a strength last season. Despite his speed, I don’t see him push the pace too much. I’ve seen the occasional good burst, but, in general, he prefers to play a slow game, especially with the puck on his stick. His two-way game has developed. He’s looked competent playing center at the OHL level, has some bite in his game and has killed penalties for Niagara.
7. Mikey Eyssimont, LW, St. Cloud State-NCHC
Eyssimont’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was one of my favorite players to watch in college the last two years in the unofficial L.A. Kings farm team, St. Cloud State University. He’s really, really skilled, a great playmaker and was on highlight reels more than once. He’s not small, but Eyssimont is physically underdeveloped and needs to become a better skater, but he certainly has the offensive upside to be a real player if he develops well the next few years.
HAVE A CHANCE
8. Paul LaDue, D, Ontario-AHL
I had an interesting conversation with a scout during the season about LaDue. He argued while LaDue is an older player at 25 years of age, he said physically when he turned pro he looked like a teenager. I get the case, and LaDue is intriguing due to his size, mobility and ability to handle the puck. I think that argument only goes so far though and LaDue will be 26 entering next season. If he’s a player, it will be time to show it already.
9. Nikolai Prokhorkin, LW, SKA-KHL
Prokhorkin was a member of the OAR team that won Olympic Gold. Kings fans have heard his name every year since 2012 and bringing up the 24-year-old likely rolls their eyes, but he still remains relevant! He’s skilled, he makes plays, and he’s a big-body forward. I don’t think he’s developed exceptionally. He’s not a game-breaker skill wise, and he’s not very quick, but I think he could still be a decent NHL player … if he ever crosses the pond. His KHL deal expires at the end of the 2018-19 season.
10. Dominik Kubalik, LW, Ambri-Piotta-NLA
Kubalik is one of the more interesting players in the prospect world. The intrigue is not due to his skill set, which is fine, but due to his rights. There have been NHL teams who have argued that Kubalik is a free agent, whereas the Kings believe he is their player. This controversy comes from the fact Switzerland, like Russia, does not have a transfer agreement with the NHL and players who go there are considered defected players. Kubalik’s rights were held by the Kings for four years, and he apparently left for Switzerland right before that timeframe ended. According to several NHL sources I trust, he is a Kings prospect, but it is not an unanimous opinion.
On his skill set, Kubalik is a big-body winger who won’t blow you away, but he has speed and skill in his game and has the work ethic to win back pucks using his frame. He was fantastic at the recent World Championships for the Czech Republic and could be a solid bottom-six forward.
11. Cal Petersen, G, Ontario-AHL:
Petersen’s performance was up and down this season as a rookie, but had dominant stretches. He’s a smart goalie, with economical movements and decent ability to get across the net. He’s not the biggest guy or the most explosive but he can make the difficult save and there were some moments during the season where he showed the ability to steal a game.
NHL farm system rankings: No. 10 Los Angeles Kings
