Aatu Jamsen – McKeen's Hockey

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #25 LOS ANGELES KINGS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Wed, 21 May 2025 19:47:45 +0000

PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Liam Greentree is drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)

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Los Angeles 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #21

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Josh Bell — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 18:00:21 +0000

_{PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 18: Los Angeles Kings Defenceman Brandt Clarke (92) passes the puck during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings on February 18, 2024, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 21st (Previous Rank - 15th)
GM: Rob Blake Hired: April 2017
COACH: Jim Hiller Hired: February 2024

Once considered one of the league’s premier pipelines, the Los Angeles Kings’ pool of young talent has gradually taken steps back. However, our fifth-ranked prospect, Brandt Clarke, continues to prop them up quite nicely. Fresh off his official rookie year in Ontario, Clarke fell just shy of contributing at a point-per-game clip with 46 points in 50 games. At 21, he’s poised to secure a permanent role on the Kings’ blueline, joining recent graduate Jordan Spence on the big club’s defence.

Goaltender Erik Portillo (140th) showed tremendous promise in his rookie AHL season, posting the fifth-best win total league wide with a 24-11-3 record. The addition of NHL veteran Darcy Kuemper and now 2024 second-rounder Carter George (236th) adds competition both in the short and long term, but the former Michigan Wolverine has unsurprisingly tracked well. Portillo recently signed a three-year contract with the Kings.

In the 2024 NHL Draft, the Kings managed to snag tremendous value at 26th overall, selecting the Windsor Spitfires’ captain Liam Greentree (87th). Coming off a 90-point OHL season, the Oshawa native tracks well to become a dual-threat contributor for the Kings. Considering the team had only four picks in 2024, they hit big on value with each of their two affirmed mentioned picks (Greentree and George)

While the remaining depth chart continues to offer substance with longstanding names like Alex Turcotte (182nd), Martin Chromiak, and Akil Thomas, the outlook is a distant cry from where it was just a few seasons ago. Then again, graduating names like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev (RFA) and trading away Gabe Vilardi will certainly have that type of impact.

Despite making just four picks in the 2024 NHL Draft—first, second, fifth, and sixth rounds—GM Rob Blake has retained most of the team’s future draft capital, except for a 2025 second rounder. The big question now is whether these assets will be used to keep Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty’s Stanley Cup dreams alive or if the team will take a step back to retool while awaiting the full emergence of the Byfield and Clarke era.

Los Angeles Kings Top-15 Prospects

1. Brandt Clarke

Bypassing the CHL for the AHL, Brandt Clarke's pro debut with the Ontario Reign was a learning experience. The offensively gifted defenceman (eighth overall pick in 2021) surprised many with his strong play, leading all AHL rookie defenders in assists (36 and 46 points in 50 games) and earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Clarke's offensive instincts and poise with the puck were on display, showcasing the offensive potential that had scouts buzzing pre-draft. However, questions about his defensive awareness and overall physicality remain. While he's not a liability, some consistency issues cropped up throughout the season. The Kings likely view Clarke's season as a success. He adapted well to the pro game and showed flashes of NHL-caliber ability. Another year in the AHL seems likely to refine his defensive game, but a late-season NHL call-up wouldn't be a shock. Clarke's future remains bright, and his offensive potential is undeniable. The key will be solidifying his defensive play and becoming a complete two-way force.

2. Liam Greentree

Greentree had been a standout for McKeen’s throughout his draft year, making an impact for a struggling Windsor Spitfires team despite limited skating skills. His potential draws a parallel with Dallas’ Jason Robertson, suggesting a similar upside if an NHL team remains patient with his development. Though his skating needs work, Greentree shows commitment and leadership as an OHL captain. His stride and posture are decent, but he struggles with speed, which could improve with better strength and conditioning. Offensively, Greentree’s puck skills are exceptional—he deftly avoids pressure and excels in battles along the wall, showcasing strong hands and a powerful wrist shot. His game sense is sharp, minimizing turnovers with quick decisions. However, his two-way play and physicality need improvement. Despite a less impressive U18 performance, Greentree remains a high-upside prospect with the potential to evolve into a top six NHL contributor.

3. Erik Portillo

Erik Portillo's arrival in the pros wasn't without its growing pains. Signed by the Kings after a stellar college career at Michigan, Portillo spent his season with the AHL's Ontario Reign. His AHL numbers (24 wins, 0.918 SV%) were solid, and continued to impress as he improved on his NCAA numbers from the year prior. There were flashes of the netminder who dominated college hockey, but consistency remained elusive. While Portillo's raw talent is undeniable, his pro adaptation has been a learning curve. Questions linger about his ability to handle the faster pace and increased workload of the NHL. The Kings likely view him as a long-term project, but another year in the AHL to refine his game seems like the most likely course. Patience will be key for both Portillo and the Kings organization and the netminder continues to develop and improve on his game.

4. Alex Turcotte

Alex Turcotte's 2023-24 campaign was a season of split results. The Kings' 2019 first rounder started with a brief NHL stint, notching four points in 20 games. While the production was decent, consistency remained elusive. Turcotte struggled to carve out a permanent role and found himself back in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. There, his offensive light shone brighter. He amassed 29 points in 35 games, showcasing his impressive skillset. However, questions about his defensive awareness and overall decision-making lingered. Turcotte's future hinges on ironing out these inconsistencies. The tools are there – his skating and offensive instincts are undeniable. But can he become a reliable two-way contributor? The Kings will be watching closely this season to see if Turcotte can take that next step. There is a risk that he may never reach the potential that was placed on him as a fifth-round pick though.

5. Carter George

Carter George had an impressive 2023-24 season marked by remarkable consistency. He led Canada to gold at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and was a key player for the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL, keeping them competitive in many games. He closed the year with another gold at the U18 World Championship, earning top goaltender honours. Although George lacks the high-end mobility and size that scouts often seek (standing at 6-foot-1), his play tracking and positioning are exceptional. He consistently covers his angles and shows excellent body control, improving his rebound control significantly over the season. An underrated strength is his puck handling; he operates confidently as a third defender, greatly aiding the transition game. His size is a concern, but his technical skills and puck management make him a standout prospect. With continued development, George has the potential to be the top goaltender coming from this draft class.

6. Francesco Pinelli

Francesco Pinelli is a dynamic and creative center with a high offensive ceiling. He boasts exceptional speed and agility, allowing him to dance around defenders and create scoring chances in tight spaces. His vision and anticipation are elite, consistently identifying soft spots in coverage and delivering precision passes to exploit them. His shot is accurate and heavy, making him a threat from anywhere on the ice. He is an impressively well-rounded and complete player, though his mental makeup stands out as his strongest quality. He's very focused and driven and maintains an even keel through the times where things get tougher. With continued development, Pinelli has the potential to become a top six forward and a key contributor on the Kings' power play. His upside as a playmaking center with a scoring touch makes him one of the most exciting prospects for the Kings.

7. Jakub Dvorak

Jakub Dvorak is a physical defenceman with a compelling combination of size, speed, and skill. Featuring a wide wingspan, he excels at shutting down opponents' attacks, using his quick feet and active stick to intercept passes and clear the zone. His vision and anticipation allow him to spark transition play, and his accurate shot makes him a threat from the point. He's also a physical presence, using his size and strength to win battles and protect his teammates. Looking like a future beast on the penalty kill, he eats up time and space with his long reach and affinity for board work. With continued development, he has the potential to become a top four defenceman and a key contributor on the Kings' blue line. His upside as a reliable, two-way defender should help him get there.

8. Samuel Fagemo

Samuel Fagemo's 2023-24 season was a tale of two leagues. In the AHL with the Ontario Reign, he was a force. Fagemo tore up the league, leading the Reign in goals (43) while showcasing his power play prowess (16 goals). His offensive dominance earned him a brief call-up to the NHL with both the Kings and Predators, where things were less rosy. Fagemo only managed one goal in eight combined NHL games, highlighting the gulf between AHL dominance and NHL success. While his skating and physical tools translate well, his decision-making needs refinement at the highest level. Fagemo's future hinges on translating his AHL success. Can he develop the hockey IQ to complement his offensive arsenal? Another strong AHL season could earn him a longer NHL look, but consistency and decision-making will be his biggest tests.

9. Koehn Ziemmer

Drafted 78th overall by the LA Kings in 2023, Koehn Ziemmer continued his development with the Prince George Cougars of the WHL. While a mid-season injury sidelined him for a stretch, Ziemmer put up an impressive 31 points in just 23 games. His scoring touch remains a strength, with a knack for finding the net (11 goals). However, consistency remains an area for improvement. There were stretches where he dominated offensively, followed by periods of quieter production. The Kings inked Ziemmer to a three-year entry-level contract in November, signaling their belief in his future. His skating, a past weakness, has shown improvement, but further refinement is needed for the NHL level. His defensive awareness is a work in progress as well. Overall, 2023-24 was a season of steady progress. He'll likely spend another year in the WHL to refine his all-around game. If he can improve his consistency and defensive play, Ziemmer could develop into a solid middle-six forward for the Kings.

10. Hampton Slukynsky

Hampton Slukynsky is a talented and athletic goaltender with a high ceiling. He boasts exceptional quickness and agility, allowing him to cover a lot of ground in the crease and make highlight-reel saves. His vision and anticipation are also impressive, as he consistently reads plays and positions himself to cut off shooting lanes. He has a penchant for the highlight reel save because of his play-reading ability and because he never quits on a save, always competing for sight lines and pushing to make those second/third chance saves. His glove hand is particularly strong, and he shows poise and confidence in his game. A classic butterfly netminder, he does have a tendency to scramble in his crease and can be taken out of position. With continued development, Slukynsky has the potential to become a backup goaltender in the NHL due to his upside as an athletic and agile netminder.

11. Akil Thomas

Akil Thomas is a dynamic forward with exceptional skating and playmaking skills. His sharp hockey sense and ability to create scoring opportunities make him a constant offensive threat. Thomas excels in transition and has a knack for finding open space. While he could improve his defensive game, his offensive creativity and vision highlight his potential as a future top six NHL forward.

12. Martin Chromiak

Martin Chromiak’s 2023-24 season was a solid but unspectacular progression for the Kings prospect. Drafted 128th overall in 2020, he recorded 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 70 games with the Ontario Reign, showing offensive versatility. While his powerful skating and scoring ability were evident, consistency and game awareness remain concerns. Chromiak’s future depends on improving his consistency and decision-making to potentially secure a spot in the Kings' bottom six. The 2023-24 season was a good start, but he needs to build on it with a more complete performance.

13. Aatu Jamsen

Aatu Jamsen is an intriguing forward with excellent offensive instincts and creativity. His impressive vision and playmaking skills allow him to set up scoring opportunities effectively. Jamsen’s skating is smooth, and he demonstrates a strong hockey IQ. While he could work on his defensive game and physicality, his offensive upside and potential make him a promising prospect for future NHL contributions.

14. Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes stands out with his exceptional skating and offensive creativity. His vision and playmaking abilities allow him to create scoring opportunities and drive the attack. While he needs to refine his defensive game and consistency, Hughes' high hockey IQ and dynamic skills make him a promising prospect with significant NHL potential.

15. Otto Salin

Otto Salin is an adept defenceman with impressive puck-moving skills and a keen offensive instinct. His smooth skating and agility allow him to transition play effectively and contribute to the power play. While his defensive positioning needs refinement, Salin’s vision and ability to generate offence from the blue line highlight his potential as a future NHL contributor.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #18

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 18:21:43 +0000

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 20: Los Angeles Kings Defenseman Brandt Clarke (92) moves the puck during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings on October 20, 2022, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Top 20 Los Angeles Kings Prospects

1. Brandt Clarke - D

If the Kings' plan all along was to give Clarke just a taste of the NHL before letting him go back to the OHL so that he would set the entire league on fire, then boy, mission accomplished. The growth in his game from 2021-22 to last season was meteoric, which really goes to show how much of a difference it can make to be around some of the best players in the world for a few weeks. His hockey sense in the offensive zone is almost spooky, as he loves to rove around and change position, and no matter where he goes or what he does the puck always seems to find him like a magnet. Opposing teams just have no answer for defending him when he activates like that. He will be given every opportunity to stay with Los Angeles for the entirety of this season.

2. Jordan Spence - D

Spence might have been ready to be a full-time NHLer last season considering the impressive audition that he gave in 2021-22, which even included some playoff games, but the Kings decided to not rush things and to let him marinate a little longer, and he's still young enough that it won't have hindered his ultimate upside in any way. There are few defensemen in his age range who think the sport as well as Spence does, and that goes a long way towards overcoming some of the limitations that he has between his size and mobility. He works very well on the power play, not necessarily as the one driving things through his stick, but more so by setting his teammates up to be more effective. Spence has a long NHL career ahead of him, though it's still a little murky to project how high up in a defence corps he will be able to play.

3. Alex Turcotte - C

Turcotte simply cannot catch a break when it comes to staying healthy. Ever since his draft year his career has been beleaguered by injuries and illnesses, from hip issues to mononucleosis to COVID to two concussions. Despite being the fifth overall pick in 2019, he has only played in 12 NHL games thus far and is still searching for his first NHL point. Even more concerning, the missed games have made it hard for him to fully find his game even down at the AHL level. When healthy and at his best he is a two-way possession specialist, always in the right position, and always making the right decisions with the puck. Where do things go for him from here? The Kings have been patient, but with his smaller stature, average footspeed, and lengthy injury history it's difficult to not worry about what the physicality of the NHL could do to him.

4. Samuel Fagemo - RW

Fagemo's name was one of the most surprising to not hear get called at the 2018 draft, his first year of eligibility. His natural knack for scoring goals was clearly evident even back then, but the rest of his game was still coming along. It didn't take him long to make every NHL team look foolish though, as he stormed out of the gate the very next season and hasn't stopped lighting the lamp at any level since. His shot is nasty, with a quick, hard release that he can both disguise and unload from difficult angles. His play without the puck is still very rough to watch at times, as he is easy to box out and he doesn't generate many scoring chances for himself or his teammates, but prospects who can find the back of the net with the frequency Fagemo can don't grow on trees.

5. Francesco Pinelli - C

The Kitchener Rangers badly underperformed as a team this season, but they did have one bright and shining constant: their captain, superstar Pinelli. He really came into his own last season as one of the best players in the entire league, crossing the 40-goal plateau and becoming a real three-zone, 200-foot force in a way that he hadn’t been before. He saved his very best hockey for the playoffs, helping the Rangers upset the heavily favoured Windsor Spitfires in the opening round. He is an impressively well-rounded and complete player, though his mental makeup stands out as his strongest quality. He's very focused and driven and maintains an even keel through the tougher times of the season. If Pinelli can continue improving his skating, which he will probably work tirelessly to accomplish, then he should be able to reach an even higher level.

6. Jakub Dvorak - D

One of the most enticing physical specimens of the 2023 draft, Dvorak spent last season solidifying himself as one of the top defensive options in his league at any age, leading to his 2nd round selection by the Kings. Looking surprisingly coordinated despite his considerable height, Dvorak spent this past season (as a 17-year-old) entirely with powerhouse Liberec in Czechia’s top men’s league. Featuring a wide wingspan, which he uses to good effect as a poke-checker, Dvorak has been a devastating physical force against his peers internationally, albeit a cage-wearing target playing pro back home. Always ready to apply himself physically, he has been nondescript in his work with the puck but is quite capable of making decent breakout passes and getting pucks to the net from the blueline. Czechia made heavy use of him at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and U18 Worlds last season, where he logged over 19 minutes of ice time per game in every outing. Looking like a future beast on the PK, Dvorak eats up time and space with his long reach and affinity for board work. He’s docked to spend the upcoming season gaining further experience and responsibility with Liberec in the Czech Extraliga.

7. Alex Laferriere - RW

Laferriere just keeps getting a little better and a little better year over year, and he's done it so many years in a row now that it would be foolish to expect anything else. His game is unassuming in a way, as he doesn't have a single tool that really jumps out at you, but he's seemingly always around the puck, and when you check the box scores he often has more points than you would have expected. He certainly helps advance Harvard's reputation for being a place that recruits and fosters smart prospects. Laferriere plays in a way that is simple yet effective, and safely projects as a 40-50 point-scorer in the show at his peak, even if he never plays higher than the second or third line and slots most comfortably in a supplementary role.

9. Aatu Jamsen - RW

There is no feeling as uniquely satisfying for a scout than vouching for a prospect in the seventh round who turns out to be a solid professional player and eventually becomes a regular NHLer. Jämsen has accomplished the former and is on a good trajectory for the latter, so the Kings scouts who facilitated that selection must be at least a little excited right now. He is a toolsy winger who has played for his hometown hockey organization, the Lahti Pelicans, from their youth programs up through every single level to Finland's highest league, the Liiga. And it was in the Liiga last season where he showed that his credibility as an offensive threat wasn't just confined to junior. Due to a lack of international exposure, Jämsen is currently one of the best-kept secrets in the prospect world.

10. Erik Portillo - RW

Portillo saw the writing on the wall in Buffalo, with the Sabres having fellow highly-touted young netminders in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi in their system, and made it clear that he didn't wish to sign his first NHL contract with them. The team eventually agreed and his rights were traded to the Kings, where his path to success is more clear. He's an enormous, fairly technically sound goalie who was a late bloomer and has since flashed tantalizing potential. He still needs to refine the details in his play. He put up some dazzling numbers with Michigan, but on the flip side, had the luxury of playing behind a team that usually had the puck. The AHL might be an eye-opening challenge for him, and how he responds could be indicative of just how good he really is — and how good he could still become.

11. Akil Thomas - G

Injuries, specifically a shoulder injury, have really derailed Thomas’ development, limiting him to only 13 games last season. The former Canadian WJC hero still has terrific offensive upside, but he just needs to find a way to stay healthy.

12. Tyler Madden - C

2022-23 was a step back for Madden as he saw his offensive production (on a point per game basis) decrease from the year prior. Time is running out for the once promising prospect as he is no longer exempt from waivers. The talent level is still high but he continues to have trouble with consistency and is prone to playing primarily on the perimeter.

13. Martin Chromiak - C

Chromiak’s first pro year had its ups and downs, but he showed enough promise to remain a highly thought of prospect in the system. The focus moving forward needs to be on getting both quicker and stronger.

14. Samuel Helenius - C

The massive center was a huge (no pun intended) disappointment in his first full pro season in North America, scoring all of two goals for AHL Ontario. It’s starting to look like his offensive upside may be pretty limited, but the physical tools nevertheless give him a chance to be a solid bottom six center.

15. Jack Hughes - C

A slippery offensive player, Hughes’ skill shines through as he looks to attack the offensive zone. Strength and speed deficits continue to prevent him from being a more consistent player and he’ll look to take a big step forward in his junior season with Northeastern this year.

16. Kasper Simontaival - RW

An undersized, but competitive winger, Simontaival continues to improve every year in Finland. Positive progression is a good thing and he is starting to look like a future middle six candidate for Los Angeles in the near future.

17. Kenny Connors - C

The big surprise of the Kings’ system last year, Connors adjusted to the NCAA game seamlessly with UMass and even earned a place on the American WJC team. A competitive, two-way center, he is altering the perception of his upside.

18. Otto Salin - D

A mobile, offensively oriented defender, Salin is coming off a strong rookie season in Liiga with HIFK. A potential powerplay quarterback, the Kings are looking for him to tighten up his decision making and play in his own end.

19. Kim Nousiainen - D

The smaller defender’s development appears to be headed in the wrong direction. Once thought to be a top defender in the system, his play in the AHL thus far has been uninspiring. This is likely a big year for his development, especially given LA’s depth.

20. Matthew Mania - D

It was pretty shocking for us to see Mania fall as far as he did on draft day, but the Kings may have gotten a good one here. Mania is an impressive mover on the back-end and he is still gaining confidence in how to use it to his advantage offensively. Defensively, he is a work in progress, but the upside is high.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #15 Los Angeles Kings

Derek Neumeier — Sat, 20 May 2023 12:46:52 +0000

Long heralded for one of the best prospect systems in the NHL, recent success with two successive playoff appearances and their best winning percent (0.634) since 1990-91 and the Wayne Gretzky era, has caused them to slip from 8^th ranked to the middle of the pack with graduations. They still boast #7 ranked Brandt Clarke on defense as the crown jewel of their prospect group and should join graduated prospects, Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, Tobias Bjornfot. Jordan Spence has continued to develop and looks ready for the NHL. Whether in LA or elsewhere in the NHL. Alex Turcotte has seen his rank diminish due to injury concerns, a slight build and average skating, whether his initial promise will be able to deliver in the pro rank. Samuel Fagemo remains a sniper, whose skills can’t be taught, but an adventure without the puck, and it remains to be seen if he can put it together.

GM Rob Blake, in the chair since 2017, has not been very active on the trade front, preferring to focus on the free agent market, acquiring Kevin Fiala, Philip Danault, Viktor Arvidsson, as key pieces in recent years. He did move his first and third round pick (plus Jonathan Quick – who was subsequently moved to Vegas) for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov at the deadline. That may signal a more aggressive push in coming seasons to move picks and prospects than he has been willing to do so far. Blake has his core and will work around it in pursuit of a championship.

Brandt Clarke

If the Kings' plan all along was to give Clarke just a taste of the NHL before letting him go back to the OHL so that he would set the entire league on fire, then boy, mission accomplished. The growth in his game from last year to this year was meteoric, which really goes to show how much of a difference it can make to be around some of the best players in the world for a few weeks. His hockey sense in the offensive zone is almost spooky, as he loves to rove around and change position, and no matter where he goes or what he does the puck always seems to find him like a magnet. Opposing teams just have no answer for defending him when he activates like that. He will be given every opportunity to stay with Los Angeles for the entirety of next season.

2. Jordan Spence

Spence might have been ready to be a full-time NHLer this season considering the impressive audition that he gave last year, which even included some playoff games, but the Kings decided to not rush things and to let him marinate a little longer, and he's still young enough that it won't have hindered his ultimate upside in any way. There are few defensemen in his age range who think the sport as well as he does, and that goes a long way towards overcoming some limitations that he has with size and mobility. Works very well on the powerplay, not necessarily as the one driving things through his stick, but moreso by managing it in a way that sets his teammates up to be more effective. Spence has a long NHL career ahead of him, though it's still a little murky to project how up in a defense corps he will be able to play.

3. Alex Turcotte

Turcotte simply cannot catch a break when it comes to staying healthy. Ever since his draft year his career has been beleaguered by injuries and illnesses, from hip issues to mononucleosis to COVID to two concussions. Despite being the 5^th overall pick in 2019 he has only played in 12 NHL games thus far and is still searching for his first NHL point. Even more concerning, the missed games have made it hard for him to fully find his game even down at the AHL level. When healthy and at his best he is a two-way possession specialist, always in the right position, and always making the right decisions with the puck. Where do things go for him from here? The Kings have been patient, but with his smaller stature, average footspeed and lengthy injury history it's difficult to not worry about what the physicality of the NHL could do to him.

4. Samuel Fagemo

Fagemo's name was one of the most surprising to not hear get called at the 2018 draft, his first year of eligibility. His natural knack for scoring goals was clearly evident even back then, but the rest of his game was still coming along. It didn't take him long to make every NHL team look foolish, though, as he stormed out of the gate the very next season and hasn't stopped lighting the lamp at any point since. His shot is nasty, with a quick, hard release that he can both disguise and unload from difficult angles. Sure, his play without the puck is very rough to watch at times, he is easy to box out and he doesn't generate many scoring chances for himself or his teammates, but prospects who can find the back of the net with the frequency he can don't grow on trees.

5. Helge Grans

Grans still has a lot of work left to do before he'll be ready to hack it at the NHL level, and his play thus far in the AHL hasn't lived up to expectations, but the long-term upside that he still possesses is undeniable. He checks off a lot of boxes that you want to see in a defenseman: athleticism, size, reach, mobility, puck movement. Heck, he even shoots right instead of left, which is always a perk. Unfortunately, he still struggles to blend all these tools together. There are fair questions about his hockey sense and processing speed, and for a blueliner with his profile he you'd like to see more sandpaper and a stronger willingness to work hard to win positioning and pucks. Grans could be the type of prospect who blows up in his mid 20s, or he might never become much more than he is right now.

6. Francesco Pinelli

The Kitchener Rangers badly underperformed as a team this season, but they did have one bright and shining constant: their superstar and captain Pinelli. He really came into his own this season as one of the best players in the entire league, crossing the 40-goal plateau and becoming a real three-zone, 200-foot force in a way that he wasn't before. He saved his very best hockey for the playoffs, though, helping his team upset the heavily favored Windsor Spitfires in the opening round. He is an impressively well-rounded and complete player, though his mental makeup stands out as his strongest quality. He's very focused and driven and maintains an even keel through the times where things get tougher. If Pinelli can keep improving his skating, which he will probably work tirelessly to accomplish, then he should be able to reach an even higher level than he's at right now.

7. Alex Laferriere

Laferriere just keeps getting a little better and a little better year over year, and he's done it so many years in a row now that it would be foolish to expect anything else from happening. His game is unassuming in a way, as he doesn't have a single tool that really jumps out at you, but he's seemingly always around the puck, and when you check the boxscores after a game he often has more points than you would have expected. He certainly helps advance Harvard's reputation for being a place that recruits and fosters smart prospects. Laferriere plays in a way that is simple yet effective, and safely projects as someone who could be a 40-50 point-scorer in the show at his peak, even if he never plays higher than the second or third line and slots most comfortably in a supplementary role.

8. Akil Thomas

Thomas's last few years have gone oddly, and unfortunately, similar to Turcotte's. Once seen as a top prospect who could generate offense in a top six center role and lead a dangerous powerplay, his transition to professional hockey has been marred by injuries, while also highlighting existing and unrealized limitations with his athleticism and skating. There are genuine differences between what works in junior and what works in the AHL or NHL, and some players have more trouble than others at transforming and elevating their game in the necessary ways. Thomas still has a lot of time left in his career to turn things around, and if Los Angeles eventually decides to part ways with him there will surely be other teams willing to give him an opportunity for redemption and reclamation in a new environment.

9. Erik Portillo

Portillo saw the writing on the wall in Buffalo, with the Sabres having fellow highly-touted young netminders in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi in their system, and made it clear that he didn't prefer to sign his first NHL contract with them. The team eventually agreed, and his rights were traded to the Kings, where his path to success is more apparent. He's an enormous, fairly technically sound goalie who was a late bloomer and has since flashes some tantalizing potential. Still needs to refine the details in his play. He put up some dazzling numbers with Michigan, but on the flip side, had the luxury of playing behind a team that usually had the puck. The AHL might be an eye-opening challenge for him, and how he responds could be indicative of just how good he really is — and how good he could still become.

10. Aatu Jamsen

There is no feeling as uniquely satisfying for a scout than vouching for a prospect in the 7^th round who turns out to be a solid professional player and eventually becomes a regular NHLer. Jämsen has accomplished the former and is on a good trajectory for the latter, so the Kings scouts who facilitated that selection must be at least a little excited right now. He is a toolsy winger who has played for his hometown hockey organization, the Lahti Pelicans, from their youth programs all the way up through every single level to Finland's highest league, the Liiga. And it was in the Liiga this season where he showed that his ability to be a credible offensive threat wasn't just confined to junior. Due to a lack of international exposure Jämsen is currently one of the best-kept secrets in the prospect world.