Mikey Anderson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – Team Preview

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:00:26 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 04: Los Angeles Kings right wing Quinton Byfield (55) skates during an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings on January 4, 2024 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)

The 2023-24 campaign was another season of solid, but not remarkable hockey for the Kings. They posted a 44-27-11 record on the strength of strong goaltending by Cam Talbot and David Rittich coupled with elite defensive work -- Los Angeles ranked sixth with a 2.82 xGA/60. However, the Kings’ offence was mediocre. Trevor Moore was the only member of the squad with over 30 goals, and even then, just barely (31). It also didn’t help that Pierre-Luc Dubois, who the Kings acquired in the summer of 2023 and made a massive eight-year, $68 million commitment to, proved to be underwhelming in Los Angeles (16 goals, 40 points). The Kings still made the playoffs, but they were then ousted in the first round for the third consecutive year.

WHAT’S CHANGED? The Kings abandoned the Dubois experiment, trading him to Washington for 34-year-old goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who struggled in 2023-24 with a 3.31 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 33 outings. Still, LA needed a goaltender because Talbot walked as an unrestricted free agent. The Kings also lost defenceman Matt Roy and forward Viktor Arvidsson to the free-agent market. On the plus side, the Kings signed middle-six forward Warren Foegele and acquired physical blueliner Kyle Burroughs from San Jose in exchange for fourth-liner Carl Grundstrom.

WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? At this point, LA needs to win a playoff round to be successful. The Kings figure to have an acceptable, but not exceptional offence, but weirdly it was goaltending that was the problem in the Kings’ first-round exit to Edmonton. For as good as Talbot and Rittich were in the regular season, they weren’t up to the task of stopping a world-class attack like the Oilers with the pressure on. Perhaps Kuemper will fare better. It’s true that the veteran goaltender is coming off a poor season, but the Kings’ excellent defence makes a comeback somewhat more likely, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Kuemper won the Cup with Colorado in 2022.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Kuemper isn’t the only Cup-winner on the Kings, of course, which brings us to one weird thing about this squad: the modern Kings are still dependent on two stars from Los Angeles’ glory days: Anze Kopitar, who is now 37, and Drew Doughty, who will turn 35 in December. The Kings made that big bet on Dubois in the first place because they were shopping for something of a Kopitar successor. That didn’t work out, which only increases Kopitar’s importance, even as he ages. Similarly, Doughty brings so much to the table that any decline on his part would be a big blow to LA. All of this could lead to the Kings regressing compared to 2023-24.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: The Kings don’t have another Doughty in their prospect pool, but they do have Brandt Clarke. While Clarke isn’t likely to match Doughty’s defensive capabilities, the 21-year-old has the potential to someday eclipse the veteran’s offensive heights. Clarke was outstanding in the AHL last season, providing 10 goals and 46 points in 50 regular-season contests. He also had six points (two goals) across 16 outings with LA despite averaging just 13:39 of ice time. He might be a mainstay of LA’s defence this year and serve on the second power-play unit.

Forwards

Anze Kopitar

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	23	41	64	0.80

It’s not easy being north of 35 years old in the NHL, but Anze Kopitar is making it look good ahead as he turns 37 headed into a new season. He posted 26 goals and 44 assists (70 points) in 81 games to rank third on the Kings, just five points behind team leader Adrian Kempe. Kopitar is the picture of consistent greatness. He continues to be an elite defensive forward as a two-time Selke Trophy winner (2016 and 2018) and he finished fifth in the vote last season. His offensive production is the kind of thing you can set a clock to. In 15 of his 18 seasons in the league he’s had 60-or-more points and two of those seasons were truncated (2012 lockout, the post-pandemic 2021 season). He’s a triple threat player in that he can beat you at five-on-five, on the power play or on the penalty kill. Given he’s on their top unit on both the man advantage and the kill, he’s virtually inescapable on the ice. Kopitar is an all-time great and a future Hall of Famer and that he’s continuing to play at this high of a level and playing a vital role in willing the Kings to the playoffs is beyond impressive. The only question now would seem to be how long he can keep it going. Good luck figuring that out because it’s been difficult to find evidence of it coming anytime soon.

Kevin Fiala

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	32	47	79	0.96

In Fiala’s second season with the Kings he continued to prove to fans why he was a great addition to the roster despite losing stud defenceman Brock Faber in the deal with Minnesota. He finished second on the team in points with 73. His 29 goals were second most on the team behind Trevor Moore and his 11 power play tallies were most on the team. Fiala’s offensive output in both goals and points were the second highest marks in his career and putting up 73 points a season after having 72 in 69 games highlighted what makes him a special player up front. The 28-year-old Swiss native has always been an offensive-minded player and that was something the Kings desperately needed in recent years to help Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. He’s been a seamless fit with the team and found a home with Moore and Philip Danault on the second line. Fiala providing the offensive spark for a line that features two players with strong defensive capabilities like Danault and Moore has helped to further encourage their offensive side. With the change up in the lower six of the forward group leaning into bringing younger players into the mix, having a consistent scorer like Fiala to bank on will allow L.A. to keep other teams honest. You can expect 25 – 30 goals and a point a game pace.

Adrian Kempe

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	35	48	83	1.04

Seeing Adrian Kempe evolve into one of the Kings most dangerous goal scorers the past few seasons has been exciting to watch unfold. Over his first five seasons while he worked to earn more ice time and capitalize on chances, it was difficult to get going with the veterans that held down the lines in front of him. But when he scored 35 goals almost out of nowhere in 2021-2022 his breakout signaled that he was here to stay. That he followed that up with 41 goals the following season set expectations for him sky-high last season. Even though he didn’t match that goal output and put up 28 goals, he set a career-high with 75 points and led the Kings in scoring in the process. The 47 assists he posted were also a career-high and 22 of those came on the power play. Kempe becoming a high-powered offensive weapon was a much-needed development for the team. Their post-Stanley Cup years saw goals dry up and the retirement of Dustin Brown and departure of contributors like Tyler Toffoli and Jeff Carter caused their offence to crater. Kempe’s evolution allowed the Kings to rebound and give Anze Kopitar necessary assistance in producing wins. It goes without saying they’ll need Kempe to keep the points flowing to keep pace the Western Conference.

Quinton Byfield

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	31	40	71	0.87

Kings fans waited patiently to see 2020 No. 2 overall pick Quinton Byfield find his way in the NHL and live up to the expectations set upon him by his draft position. Although it’s taken him a few seasons to find his way out of the AHL and then to acclimate to the pace of play in the NHL, the player everyone has waited to see is here. Last season, Byfield scored 20 goals with 35 assists (55 points) and the spot on the top line with Anze Kopitar he earned two seasons ago began to pay real offensive dividends. At 6-foot-five, 220 pounds along with good speed and skill, he’s a very difficult player to contain whether he has the puck or not. What’s helped make him more difficult to contain is how hard he works along the boards and in corners. With his size and reach it’s hard for opposing players to handle him. Byfield teaming up with Kopitar and Adrian Kempe gave the Kings a line that offered up three players with a wide array of skills. That combination makes it exceedingly tough for opposing teams to matchup with them, even more so now that Byfield has adapted to the NHL and maximized the use of his talents. At 22 years old, he’s just getting started and his future looks bright.

Phillip Danault

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	16	28	44	0.55

Even though Anze Kopitar is renowned for his outstanding two-way play as a great scorer and even better defender, Philip Danault’s game has evolved to the point where he’s cut from the same cloth. Danault has long been a great defensive forward dating back to his time with the Montreal Canadiens and even though his offensive abilities were apparent there, landing with the Kings, he’s flourished averaging more than 50 points per season in L.A. He posted 17 goals and 30 assists last season, his first one with the Kings in which he had fewer than 50 points, but the success his linemates, Trevor Moore (57 points) and Kevin Fiala (73 points), had in generating offence together meant he was doing a lot that didn’t wind up on the score sheet to help facilitate it. Danault’s ability to help control possession and the flow of play through generating more shot attempts than his opponents have been strong throughout his career and that has helped his linemates over the past few years, particularly Moore, to find more offensive success. With Fiala joining that line two seasons ago, it’s now a much more dangerous group to contain and overwhelmingly difficult to get the puck away from. With a skill mix like that, Danault can continue to lean into what makes him so good while also sending his wings up the ice and on their way to the net.

Trevor Moore

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	26	32	58	0.71

Why can’t the Toronto Maple Leafs find guys like Trevor Moore? Turns out they do, but they just trade them elsewhere anyway like they did with Trevor Moore. While Moore couldn’t crack his way into the Leafs lineup years ago, landing in Los Angeles as part of a trade that sent Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford to Toronto was what he needed to flourish. The Thousand Oaks, California native landed in his hometown and turned into an effective defensive forward that evolved into a two-way threat and goal scoring machine with the Kings last season. Moore scored a career-high 31 goals last season and set a new career-high in points with 57. Out of those 31 goals, 27 of them came at even strength and he also potted two more each on the power play and penalty kill. It’s remarkable to watch Moore become an extremely valuable second line winger in L.A. where he’s teamed up with Philip Danault to provide them with another capable scoring line behind Anze Kopitar’s first line. Moore’s aggressive play and pursuit of pucks allows him to force opponents into mistakes as well as being able to drive and crash the net to create scoring chances. That he plays in all situations highlights his importance to the team and they’ve been rewarded by seeing him evolve into an all-around threat. Now that he’s got confidence to shoot more often, both he and the Kings are reaping the benefits.

Warren Foegele

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	17	24	41	0.50

The Kings were able to replace Viktor Arvidsson, who signed with Edmonton as a free agent, by taking one of the Oilers’ free agents in Warren Foegele to replace him. What’s ironic is their production last season was eerily similar. With the Oilers, in a depth role on the third and fourth lines, Foegele scored 20 goals with 21 assists and averaged just under 14 minutes per game. Getting 20 goals out of someone that’s not playing in a prime offensive role is like getting bonus offence and while Edmonton and Los Angeles don’t play similar styles in any way, Foegele’s history as a 20-to-30-point scorer in his career with Carolina and Edmonton hints what’s a likelier outcome for his production. Foegele cashed in on his career year to net a three-year, $10.5 million deal from the Kings, but if his contract year was a sign of things to come and not an outlier, that deal is a steal. And even if it turns out to be a classic contract year, having a player capable of generating offence like that lower in the lineup helps the Kings’ depth immensely. Since he’ll likely wind up on the third line, they’ll be hoping he can pick up where he left off to give the team a necessary offensive lift in the bottom six.

Tanner Jeannot

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	8	13	21	0.28

When the Tampa Bay Lightning gave up a boatload of picks to acquire Tanner Jeannot and then re-signed him to a new deal, the thought was he would build off the big offensive output and physical play he showed in Nashville. That plan didn’t pan out and the Lightning, in sore need of getting their salary cap in order, dealt Jeannot to the Kings for a pair of draft picks. The 24-goal, 41-point season Jeannot posted with the Predators in 2021-2022 is a distant memory at this point, but the Kings acquired him not so much in hopes that maybe he can do it again with them but to be a physical presence in their bottom six and serve as a bit of an enforcer for what will be a relatively young bottom six forward group. Jeannot had seven goals and seven assists with Tampa Bay last season to go along with 75 penalty minutes. His 211 hits were the fewest he’s delivered during his three full NHL seasons, but when you consider he did that in only 55 games, it dictates exactly what he’s going to bring to the Kings lineup. Even though his hit total was tied for 25th most in the league, his 19.15 hits per 60 minutes played was seventh highest in the league among players with 45 or more games played. He may not specifically be an enforcer, but good luck to anyone in the Western Conference eager and willing to challenge him.

Arthur Kaliyev

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
58	12	13	25	0.43

The 23-year-old 2019 second-round pick of the Kings, Arthur Kaliyev, has had a frustrating career to this point in the NHL. Last season, he had the worst season of his three in the NHL with seven goals and eight assists in 51 games, a dramatic drop from the gains he made in the previous two seasons in which he had 27 and 28 points respectively. Kaliyev has been limited to playing fourth line minutes and as an offensively gifted player from his time in junior hockey, playing limited minutes on a line meant to eat tougher defensive assignments doesn’t lend itself to his strengths. What’s even tougher is he hasn’t played in the AHL since 2020-2021. Two seasons ago, he missed nearly two months of action because of injury, which limited him to 55 games. But playing in just 51 games last season in what was a tumultuous season with coach Todd McLellan getting fired and replaced by Jim Hiller is ominous. Kaliyev was a restricted free agent this summer and although the Kings tendered him a qualifying offer, where he fits into their plans moving ahead is unclear. Ideally, he should be playing with more skilled linemates, but that time isn’t easy to come by, especially when the performance doesn’t merit it.

Alex Laferriere

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	14	18	32	0.39

Alex Laferriere made the most of his rookie campaign in the NHL last season. In 81 games he scored 12 goals with 11 assists and played consistently in the Kings bottom six forward group. With stiff competition for ice time and games among that group, the consistency he showed when he played college hockey with Harvard two seasons ago proved to be of great benefit to him to be able to jump right into the NHL. Laferriere averaged just over 13 minutes of ice time per game and played on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois most of the time (705 minutes together at five-on-five). With Dubois traded to Washington this summer, where Laferriere slots into the lineup and with whom will be interesting to see. He played with a host of other players on the wing last season and none of them really offer any hints, but a spot on the third line would seem most likely because of his two-way ability. Even though Laferriere didn’t play a ton of minutes, he did find some time on the power play and scored two goals on the man advantage. If he can add to his offensive game, a regular spot on the second power play wouldn’t be out of the question. He’s just starting his career, but with how quickly he forced his way into the lineup, we’re likely to see much more from the New Jersey native this season.

DEFENCE

Drew Doughty

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	12	38	50	0.63

It was just a few seasons ago that injuries seemed to conspire to keep Drew Doughty out of the Kings lineup and cast doubt on how much longer he’d be able to play at a top level in the NHL. After the past two seasons and good health, even age isn’t slowing him down. Doughty was the Kings top offensive producer from the blue line with 15 goals and 35 assists, his second straight 50-point season (he had 52 points two years ago). It was the most goals he’s scored in a season since his second season in the league in 2009-2010 and seven of those tallies came on the power play. Doughty has scored 50-or-more points in a season five times in his career and that he’s done it in each of the past two seasons is incredible. This season, he turns 35 years old and as the unquestioned No. 1 defenceman in Los Angeles he’ll be counted on to lead the way on their top pair and top power play unit and their first penalty kill unit as well. Seeing the power in his shots from the blue line, his adept handling of the puck, and the confident swagger in his game again is wonderful to see in action and if he continues to play like this (and stays healthy), the Kings will be a difficult team to deal with in the West.

Michael Anderson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	4	22	26	0.33

What’s allowed the Kings top defence pair to work so well is having true counterparts working together as a unit. While Drew Doughty is the puck-moving, point-producing maven, Michael Anderson is the guy who does the dirty work in minding the defensive zone. Anderson’s excellent positional play and strong physical play at the blue line allows Doughty to have the freedom to play like he once did. While Anderson makes sure to always be the last man back, Doughty has the confidence to be able to jump into plays deeper in the offensive zone. Attacking as a five-man unit can take a few different forms and for the Kings that means Doughty joins the forwards and Anderson allows the rest of them to go for goals. It's not as if Anderson doesn’t get points, it’s just that’s not his priority. In 74 games last season he had two goals and 16 assists. What bears watching is whether his usage will change at all with Matt Roy gone to Washington in free agency. Roy was the top defensive defenceman for them the past few seasons, but with him gone it may be up to Anderson and Vladislav Gavrikov to pick up the slack there. New addition Joel Edmundson figures to be part of that rotation on the penalty kill as well, but his consistency will play a role in how that works.

Vladislav Gavrikov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	4	19	23	0.29

In Vladislav Gavrikov’s first full season with the Kings, he proved why the team made the right move when they traded for him at the deadline two seasons ago. Gavrikov played 77 games and had six goals and 17 assists. His 23 points were the second most he’s had in a season in his five seasons in the NHL. Those are virtually bonus points to get because his role is meant to be a stopper and not a scorer and he proved to be good at that, too. Gavrikov averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game and even though he wasn’t a heavy hitter, he was a key shot blocker with 114 of them, fourth most among defencemen and on the team. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Gavrikov is a strong presence on the ice and his ability to use his size to win board battles and get in front of shots makes him an ideal fit on any team, but he’s also solid with the puck as well and that’s what helps him out with the role he has. Gavrikov’s defence partner last season was Matt Roy and now that he’s gone, who he’ll pair up with is a big question to be answered during training camp. It’s a possibility the lefthanded shot will play in a counterpart role with either Brandt Clarke or Jordan Spence who are quicker, puck-moving right-shot defenders. Adopting that kind of role could mean Gavrikov blocks more shots and perhaps gets more physical as well.

GOAL

Darcy Kuemper

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
65	26	21	7	3	0.906	2.58

Pheonix Copley

The NHL doesn't often see starting goaltenders of note leave a team and head back years later unless they're looking to take a victory lap before retirement. That makes the two-year deal signed by Darcy Kuemper to rejoin the Los Angeles Kings this upcoming season more than a little intriguing. The injury-riddled Kuemper, fresh off the worst statistical season of his entire NHL career, will cost the Pacific Division club double what last year's starter Cam Talbot fetched in free agency with the Detroit Red Wings. But Kuemper, who brings an imposing presence in net and stellar depth control under the right coaching, brings two things to the Kings that Talbot can't - he's three years younger, and he has a Stanley Cup ring. Those two considerations may have been the driving force for the Kings when deciding to bring back a goaltender who once served as a brief member of the long list of backups for Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles sits in a unique position as a team that could enter one final, brief window for aging superstars Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, and Kuemper - who Director of Goaltending Bill Ranford knows well as a former student - could be the perfect add to keep the team competitive in a historically weak Pacific Division.

The Kings didn't bother letting go of either of their two backups from last season, despite middling numbers from Pheonix Copley and a likely desire to see more ice time from David Rittich. But given Kuemper's lengthy history of bumps and bruises, this is a smart play; there's no real standout between Rittich and Copley, but both can serviceably take the reins when (and if) needed.

2024 NHL Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Robert Howard — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:23:41 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 28: Edmonton Oilers Right Wing Zach Hyman (18) battlesLos Angeles Kings Defenceman Matt Roy (3) and Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Adrian Kempe (9) for the puck in the first period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Los Angeles Kings on March 28 2024, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Is it better to face the devil you know? The Oilers and Kings will find out when they meet for the third consecutive season in the playoffs. The Oilers prevailed in the first two meetings, producing a come from behind victory in a seven-game series in 2022, while requiring six-games to eliminate them in 2023. The Oilers won their head-to-head matchup in the season, winning three of four games with a relatively low scoring goal differential of 11 to 9. The Kings held the powerful Oilers to only 2.75 goals per game, and will carry anything they feel unresolved in two closely fought series, into this one with them. The Oilers are confident. The Kings will want revenge.

While the core players are deeply familiar with each other, both teams will have new leadership behind the bench. The Oilers made an early coaching change after stumbling out of the gate under Jay Woodcroft and replacing him with Kris Noblauch in November. The Kings hired Jim Hillier to replace Todd McLellan in February. Since the change, the Oilers produced the best record in the league (69GP-46W-18L-5OT) as McDavid returned to health and the offense surged. The Kings were ninth (35GP-21W-12L-1OT) under Hillier from February on and improved enough to secure a playoff spot. The biggest change he brought was in implementing a 1-3-1 defensive system, which tightened up a unit that seemed to struggle with consistency early, after a good start.

It is a classic battle between a potent offense and a stifling defense. Edmonton is one of the top offensive teams in the league, both at even strength (ranked 1^st with 3.2 xGF/60 at 5v5) and the powerplay (ranked 3^rd with 10.08 xGF/60 – 4^th at 26.3% overall). Los Angeles is one of the top defensive teams in the league and ranked fourth at both 5-on-5 (2.29 xGA/60) and the power play (2.29 xGA/60). It will feature two gifted scorers in centremen Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against two elite shutdown pivots in Anze Kopitar and Philip Danault.

Knoblauch had success separating Draisaitl and McDavid for much of the season allowing them to drive their own lines, something that has been a challenge for past coaches. Uniting on a devastating power play, they represent the best one-two punch in the league. The supporting cast up front was bolstered by late season additions in Adam Henrique, Corey Perry and Sam Carrick. They have provided depth, and Henrique was enjoying a good season with Anaheim, bringing with him versatility as an excellent faceoff man and complementary winger in the top six of in a shutdown role on the third line.

Hillier has spread out the scoring across all four lines, deploying Kevin Fiala and Pierre Luc Dubois in the bottom six. Dubois has had a disappointing season, perhaps earning his spot on the fourth line, but did show signs of turning it around later in the season. Quinton Byfield enjoyed a breakout season at 21 years old but faded down the stretch. They are both improved but may be asking a lot for them to be difference makers in the playoffs.

Both teams have improved but there is still a sizable offensive advantage for the Oilers up front.

However, on defense, the Kings own the advantage, but it is mitigated by an improved Oilers group. Mattias Ekholm has had an outstanding season and provided the stability they were looking for when acquired at the trade deadline last year. He has allowed Evan Bouchard to blossom into a premier offensive defenseman, while contributing 45 points of his own, including 26 points in his last 30 games. The Oilers defense has been a question mark in the past. The Kings may not match that offensive firepower, but their top two pairings of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty along with Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy are very effective defensively. As a foursome they are one of the more effective in the league at shutting the door when called upon. They will face tremendous pressure game in, game out in a long series against a hungry, lethal Oilers machine.

KEY MATCHUPS

McDavid and Draisaitl Vs. Danault and Kopitar – As discussed above, containing the dynamic duo, along with 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman will be critical to any hopes the Kings have. They have two of the best for the job.

The bottom six – LA has balanced their four lines with some scoring ability on each. Will the late season additions by the Oilers be enough to counter? Has Pierre Luc Dubois improved in the late season enough to be a factor in depth scoring? It could be a critical factor for the unsung crew to rise up on occasion if the Kings have success minimizing the damage up on the top two lines.

Cam Talbot Vs. Stuart Skinner – The sophomore versus the resurgent veteran. Cam Talbot has been a nice surprise in the net for the Kings. He is well supported by their strong system so only needs to be solid to be effective. Skinner and the Oilers goalies struggled early in the season, but he seemed to settle down after the coaching change and has been consistent, and reminiscent of his strong rookie season. Neither is expected to be the savior of their respective squad, but exceeding expectations for either of them would be a valuable boost.

X-FACTOR

Los Angeles - The ability of the Kings defensive system to slow the Oilers down in transition, clog up the neutral zone, and create turnovers. If they can frustrate the Oilers early and steal a game in Edmonton, the momentum along with experienced leadership with Stanley Cup rings in the room provide a path for the Kings.

Edmonton – How hungry is Connor McDavid for his first Stanley Cup ring? Now firmly settled in his prime and joined by the strongest supporting cast he has had yet; can he lead them home? He should answer affirmatively and, if possible, raise his game yet again, as the great ones do.

FANTASY PLAYERS TO TARGET

Edmonton – Outside of the big names, Warren Foegele has proven to be a staple on Leon Draisaitl right side and playing for a contract. He has shown consistent improvement and could be a surprise. Adam Henrique has not lit up the scoreboard in Edmonton like he did in Anaheim but is currently starting the series on Connor McDavid’s left wing. We have already mentioned Mattias Ekholm’s finish. It does not appear to be a fluke. He is playing that well.

Los Angeles – Looking at production since the coaching change Feb 2, Adriam Kempe has led the scoring with 32 points in 29 games followed by Kevin Fiala with 30 in 34 games, and Anze Kopitar finding his point a game ways again with 29 in 33 games. Quinton Byfield finished very quietly with nine points in 23 games. It might be asking a lot for a 21-year-old to be a difference maker with the stakes this high. Since March 1, Trevor Moore has 17 points in 23 games.

PREDICTION

This will be a hard-fought battle with familiarity likely to provide plenty of contempt. Edmonton’s offence will prove too much over the course of the series and should take it in six games.

All Stats courtesy of www.naturalstattrick.com

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 18:37:33 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Los Angeles Kings Left Wing Kevin Fiala (22) lines up for a faceoff during the NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild on October 15th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Kings’ old guard of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were combined in 2022-23 with a newer cast entering its prime to form a competitive squad. Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, Viktor Arvidsson, Phillip Danault and Doughty each exceeded the 50-point mark, giving Los Angeles a nice variety of offensive threats. The defense was top-notch too, allowing the third fewest five-on-five expected goals against (158.72). If only Los Angeles had adequate goaltending. Jonathan Quick entered the campaign at 36 and seemed to be running on empty, posting a 3.50 GAA and an .876 save percentage in 31 contests. Pheonix Copley was better, but still less than ideal with his 2.64 GAA and .903 save percentage in 37 games. It wasn’t until Los Angeles dealt Quick to Columbus in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo on March 1 that the Kings’ goaltending situation stabilized, though Los Angeles still lost to Edmonton in the first round after finishing the regular season with a 47-25-10 record.

What’s Changed? It cost the Kings forwards Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi, but they acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from Winnipeg, providing Los Angeles with a great second-line center today and a successor to Kopitar tomorrow. Korpisalo left as a free agent, so Los Angeles inked netminder Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

What would success look like? Throwing Dubois into what was already a strong offense could conceivably make Los Angeles one of the top-five scoring teams. The defense is also a good bet to remain among the league’s best, so what the Kings really need is a solid season out of Talbot. While he had a subpar 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage in 36 contests with Ottawa last season, Talbot’s goals saved above expected last season was just -0.7, which suggests that he was only slightly below average after factoring out the team in front of him. So, when you pair Talbot with a world-class defense, you might not get something magical, but you should get a solid performance.

What could go wrong? Then again, Talbot is 36 years old and Los Angeles just saw how rough things can get for a goaltender in the twilight of their career. At worst Los Angeles has another Quick situation on its hands. Similarly, who knows how much Kopitar, also 36, has left in the tank. The one-two punch of Kopitar and Dubois might not play out as well as hoped, especially given that Dubois might need some time to adjust to his new team, which could lead to him disappointing early on.

Top Breakout Candidate: Given enough time, the Kings might have had a successor for Kopitar even without Dubois in Quinton Byfield. As it is, Byfield should still make big strides this season after finishing 2022-23 with three goals and 22 points in 53 contests. While his natural position is center, the Kings’ current depth up the middle is likely to shift him to the wing, and there’s a good chance he secures a top-six spot in the process. With 99 NHL games now under his belt, the 2020 second overall pick is a solid bet to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Forwards

Anze Kopitar - RW

There’s an argument to be made that Anze Kopitar is one of the more underappreciated star players of this generation. He’s played nearly 1,300 games and has 1,141 points in 17 seasons with the Kings and as he heads into his 36-year-old season, he’s coming off leading the Kings in scoring last year with 74 points, including 28 goals and his second Lady Byng Trophy. He did this while he captained the Kings back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Kopitar continued to do all the little things that have made him an elite player for more than a decade. He had his 10th straight season with 50 or more points and his eighth season with 70-or-more points, his first one since 2017-2018 when he had 92. Overall, it was his best offensive season since 17-18 as he scored at nearly a point-per-game pace. While the offense was outstanding, he also faced many of the Kings’ toughest opposing players head-on and maintained steadily positive possession numbers against them while also putting up strong expected goal percentages. That he did this at 35 is impressive because this is usually when all players start slowing down. Kopitar will continue this season to be a mentor to Quinton Byfield, having him on his wing and looking to help guide him to being the next great center in L.A.

Adrian Kempe - RW

When it came to scoring goals for the Kings, no one did it as often or as efficiently as Adrian Kempe. He led Los Angeles with 41 goals which put him in the top-15 in the league (13th). Kempe excelled while on the wing with Anze Kopitar up the middle and took advantage of his outstanding playmaking abilities. He was also best on the team in power play goals with 11, one better than Viktor Arvidsson. Kempe wasn’t just an offensive weapon at 5-on-5 and the power play, however, he also scored three shorthanded goals to put a scare into opponents when he was on the ice killing penalties. Kempe proved to be a threat to score anytime he was on the ice as he also posted 27 goals at even strength. Being an all-around menace to opponents is a great quality to have when it comes to offense because it makes opponents uneasy. Kempe’s evolution into a big-time goal scorer the past two seasons (he scored 35 two years ago) has helped the Kings fill the void left by Dustin Brown’s retirement. Kempe’s style is much different, however, as he’s able to use his very good shot to score goals as opposed to mucking things up around the net. That he’s found a home alongside Kopitar puts him in position to score every shift of every game.

Quinton Byfield - LW

It feels like we’ve been waiting for some time for Quinton Byfield to explode offensively in the NHL and if last season was any indication, that breakout season might just be on the way. Byfield found a home on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe last season and played more than 500 minutes with them at 5-on-5. Their advanced numbers together were strong in terms of possession and expected goals. While Kopitar led the Kings in scoring and Kempe led the way in goals, Byfield’s stats were much more modest, yet still the best of his young NHL career. He had a career high 22 points in 53 games with three of those being goals. He saw some time on the power play and had a power play goal, but he hasn’t become a mainstay with the extra man. Byfield’s played 99 career games in the NHL, and he’s been very carefully eased into becoming a regular NHL player. If he can play a full 82 games and do so with Kopitar and Kempe often, it’s hard to see how that wouldn’t translate into more goals and points. Byfield is also 21 years old and had his development stunted because of the pandemic. He was the No. 2 pick in 2020 and given how he produced in junior hockey, it’s difficult to believe he won’t break out eventually.

Pierre-Luc Dubois - C

The Kings felt they had a need to add another center who could fill the net and make them a better team that can advance deeper into the postseason. They made a blockbuster trade with Winnipeg to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois to make it happen. They gave up picks and prospects to land the 25-year-old pivot and heir apparent to the No. 1 center spot and Dubois will give the Kings a much deeper attack at center in general. While Phillip Danault has been outstanding as the No. 2 center the past two seasons, putting Dubois in that spot with his more natural offensive instincts and abilities makes L.A. that much more dangerous offensively and it’ll help the Kings more because Danault can now shut down opponents from the third line and be able to produce more offense from that spot as well. Dubois has been a strong scorer throughout his career with Columbus and Winnipeg but is coming off his most productive season in which he had a career high 63 points with 27 goals. Like the Kings, the Jets were a playoff team and Dubois was vital to their success, but now that he’s joining L.A., he’s part of a roster that’s both deeper up front and on defense as well as having an abundance of scoring wingers. He signed an eight-year, $68 million extension as part of the sign-and-trade deal with the Kings and how he fits in will be more than worth watching.

Kevin Fiala - LW

No player on the Kings was as productive as Kevin Fiala last season. Fiala finished second on the team in points with 72 (Kopitar led the way with 74) but missed 13 games due to injury. He racked up a team-leading 49 assists to help pad out his point total, but his 23 goals tied him with Gabriel Vilardi for fourth most on the team. After coming over from Minnesota in a trade last summer, it was fascinating to see how Fiala was going to fit into what the Kings were doing offensively. As it turned out, they couldn’t have asked for a better player to fit into their scheme. Fiala spent part of the season working on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe but also played a host of 5-on-5 minutes with Blake Lizotte and Viktor Arvidsson, the latter of whom he was teammates in Nashville. The offensive numbers really popped with Kopitar and Kempe, as could be expected, but it’s the ability to play with anyone in the Kings lineup that helps immensely. Certainly, Fiala is not a player L.A. wants to be playing fewer minutes with less-offensively creative players, but if he can lift them up offensively, that’s good for everyone involved. With the addition of Pierre-Luc Dubois it will be interesting to see how coach Todd McLellan sets his lines and who Fiala joins up front.

Arthur Kaliyev - RW

While the Kings have a host of exciting veteran scorers, one of their more exciting and growing more consistent goal providers is Arthur Kaliyev. Last season in 56 games, Kaliyev had 13 goals and 28 points and nearly doubled his output from the previous year when he had 27 points in 80 games. Kaliyev was an offensive spark plug for L.A. He averaged 11:41 of ice time per game, essentially third line minutes, but his even strength goals for per 60 made him one of the more productive forwards on the team. A blocked shot led to a lower-body injury that cost him 26 games last season, but the 22-year-old 2019 second-round pick was able to return during the postseason and played two games against Edmonton. Kaliyev’s upside is tremendous and with the addition of Dubois to the lineup it should help allow Kaliyev more opportunity to grow as a goal scorer and all-around offensive threat. The hope for him this season is that last season’s injury didn’t stunt his growth as a player, and he’ll be able to take another step forward as a scorer. Whether he plays with Dubois or Phillip Danault on the second or third line, he’ll have an outstanding centerman to work with.

Phillip Danault - C

There are few two-way centermen in the NHL who are on the kind of level Phillip Danault does and one of them (Patrice Bergeron) just retired. Danault’s defensive work is at an elite level as a faceoff man (54.4 percent; 17th in the NHL among players with 1,000 or more faceoffs), as a player who can control possession (nearly 53 percent shots attempted at 5-on-5) and expected goals (54.1 percent). On top of that, Danault is also a very good offensive producer. He set a career high with 54 points last season with 18 goals. He’s posted 50-or-more points in back-to-back seasons with Los Angeles further leaning into a side of him that was apparent but not best used with Montreal. Danault is a perennial Selke Trophy contender but with Bergeron retired, he’ll be in consideration as a front-runner. He’s vital to the Kings’ success and with Dubois in the fold, he’ll be counted on even more heavily for defensive matchups. The question is how much, if at all, will it affect his offensive output. Ideally, L.A. will deploy their top three lines as groups that can score at will, but Danault’s line will be able to do that as well as shut down opponents.

Viktor Arvidsson - RW

Part of what makes the Kings such a dangerous team is their offensive depth and Viktor Arvidsson is a major contributor to that. Last season, Arvidsson was fourth on the team in scoring with 59 points and third in goals with 26 in 77 games. When the Kings signed Arvidsson as a free agent in 2022, the hope was he’d evolve further into the type of offensive contributor he showed to be with the Nashville Predators. In two seasons, he’s scored 46 goals and 108 points and that checks out compared to what he did in previous seasons. What’s come back to normal in a good way for Arvidsson is his shooting percentage. His final year with the Predators he had his worst shooting season at 6.6 percent and it rebounded in his first season with the Kings at 8.8 and last season he shot 11.4. That’s much more in line with what he did earlier in his career. Although shot percentage can be volatile, seeing Arvidsson’s stats return to being closer to what he’s had throughout his career is a great sign for the Kings. Arvidsson spent virtually all of his 5-on-5 time with Phillip Danault last season and there’s not much reason to think that will change now, especially given how well they performed together. A repeat performance would make the Kings an even more dangerous team in the West.

Trevor Moore - LW

The growth of Trevor Moore’s career since he joined the Kings in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs has been nothing short of incredible. Last season, Moore posted 29 points with 10 goals in 59 games. A pair of upper-body injuries kept him out of 23 games in the second half of the season, but he was able to return for the playoffs. Moore’s raw numbers were down because of injuries. The year before he had a career high 48 points and while Moore’s scoring rate dipped a little bit (0.59 points per game to 0.49) it was still the second-best rate of his career. But points are only part of the reason why Moore is valuable to Los Angeles. Among players with 500 or more minutes played at 5-on-5, he had the second highest puck possession and expected goal percentage numbers and was a strong player in all facets including both sides of the puck on special teams. He’s a dynamite all-around player and teamed up with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson to be part of one of the most consistent lines the Kings rolled out during the season. With better health, that trio should once again be reunited and help make opponents miserable throughout the season.

Defense

Drew Doughty - D

After injuries held Drew Doughty to 39 games two years ago, he was back to looking more like his old self last season with 52 points in 81 games. Doughty’s ability to control the Kings’ play in all facets of the game through his puck-carrying and passing showed why he was so desperately missed. He led Kings skaters in time on ice and average time on-ice per game. He averaged the most minutes played on the power play and on the penalty kill. Doughty was a force on the power play with four goals and 23 assists. He had more assists on the power play than he did at even strength (20) which highlighted his importance to the Kings power play which ranked fourth in the NHL (25.3 percent). By comparison, Los Angeles’ power play was 27th the year before with Doughty out of the lineup for most of the season. As Doughty goes, the Kings offense goes and while the defensive metrics aren’t top tier around the league, he’s not as bad as many want you to believe. Besides, if the points pile up his value will always be high. The Kings have young puck carriers and point producers on the way up with Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence, but this is Doughty’s team and his show to run.

Mikey Anderson - D

The value Mikey Anderson brings to the Los Angeles Kings goes well beyond the measure of goals and assists. He had five goals and 15 assists, but Anderson does the dirty work as Drew Doughty’s partner laying the body and driving opponents mad with his physical play along the boards and in front of the net. Anderson was also a stalwart on the Kings’ penalty kill with Doughty as their top defensive pair. Because Anderson was leaned on as the heavy, his possession numbers weren’t as strong as Doughty’s despite being seemingly attached at the hip. Although maintaining possession and generating shots is a vital part of being a defenseman in the modern NHL, Anderson’s throwback style comes with a different brand of value. He led the Kings in hits delivered with 162 and was third on the team in blocked shots (129). If there was a guy who would’ve been classically described as someone who “gets their uniform dirty” or “carries a lunchpail to work” it would be Anderson. More importantly, his dedication to doing all of that allows Doughty more freedom to help create and generate offense and that, for L.A., carries a lot of value alone. Look for him to continue playing that role to the hilt.

Vladislav Gavrikov - D

When the Kings acquired Vladislav Gavrikov from Columbus at the trade deadline, they knew they were adding a high-value defender capable of doing a lot of dirty work but also being a positive contributor on the offensive end as well. He put up 19 points between the Blue Jackets and Kings last season, but in L.A. he had nine points in 20 games and followed that up with one assist in six games against the Oilers in the postseason. Gavrikov also proved to be a strong defender when it came to puck possession with 54.1 shot attempt percentage with the Kings and a 58.9 expected goals-for percentage. Keeping the puck away from the opponent while also helping teammates generate quality chances are key reasons why the Kings re-signed Gavrikov for two years at $11.75 million. As far as auditions go, Gavrikov’s went sparkling for the Kings. He paired up with fellow defensive-minded blue liner Matt Roy for the majority of his time in L.A. but also played some with Drew Doughty, but it was with Roy he had his greatest success. It would be expected that they would pair up once again this season, but with Brandt Clarke likely being involved full-time next season, the pairs could shuffle a bit.

Matt Roy - D

Playing defense as a defenseman in the NHL these days is a quick way to not land in the limelight but an even faster way to earn the respect of teammates. By that measure, few would be more respected in the Kings locker room than Matt Roy. He was tops among defensemen in puck possession and expected goals but had 26 points over 82 games last season. He’s not tasked with being a top puck-carrier nor is he needed to quarterback the power play, but he was one of their top defenders on the penalty kill (third most minutes) and top defenders overall (third most 5-on-5 minutes played). While his defense is first and foremost for what makes him vital to the Kings, he also had a career year in scoring and his nine goals were five more than his previous career-high set in 2019-2020 and one of those was a shorthanded tally. The offensive contributions make for a great bonus out of a player who they depend on to shutdown opposing scorers and should he team up with Vladislav Gavrikov again this season, they’ll make a very formidable pair for opponents to try and deal with nightly.

Goaltending

Cam Talbot - G

It’s hard to believe it, but for the first time in over 15 years, Kings fans will start their season without Jonathan Quick as a part of their goaltending tandem. The last time the Southern California team kicked off a season without him on the roster was 2006 – to put that into perspective, the league’s best goaltender that year was Miikka Kiprusoff, Martin Brodeur was only halfway through his career with the Devils, and Henrik Lundqvist was just an exciting new young prospect for the New York Rangers fresh off his first year of North American hockey ever.

It’s almost anti-climactic for the Kings to end the Quick era with such a fizzle; after all, Cam Talbot is hardly a fresh young prospect set to take the reins from the team’s long-standing monarch and carry them through their next era. But in the scramble of the goaltending carousel over the last few years, the Kings largely sat things out – and now they’ll enter the 2023-24 season hoping that Talbot can bounce back from a mediocre season with the Ottawa Senators as they push to become perennial playoff contenders once again. Talbot, at first glance, had a fairly dismal campaign last season for Ottawa statistically. He posted an .898 unadjusted save percentage through 36 games played and fell short of his expected save percentage using advanced metrics, and he battled through a whopping three injuries over the course of the year. But there is room for optimism; he looked good to start the season once he returned from a fractured rib sustained in a pre-season practice and putting aside the way his numbers fizzled out around his back-to-back injuries at the end of the year, he was a slightly above-average league starter on a team that isn’t quite ready to

make the jump to being a playoff contender. He also plays a style that lends itself well to a team that can offer good structure, if inconsistency and a bit of inexperience; he’s content to play a patient game and feed off of what the defense is doing in front of him, and he lacks some of the unpredictability that could make it hard for younger Kings players to establish a good rhythm during the season. He’s not the long-term answer for L.A., but he’s not the riskiest move they could have made as they try to figure out what their post-Quick future looks like.

Projected starts: 45-50

Pheonix Copley - G

Last season, we said that it was finally Cal Petersen’s net to lose – and he did just that, getting usurped midway through the season by free agent signee Pheonix Copley of North Pole, Alaska. Copley has made a career of seemingly waiting in the wings (or in his case, specifically in the AHL) until the up-and-comers in the NHL faltered. He snuck in and took the backup gig for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19, then bode his time in the AHL for a few years before getting a chance to do it again in Los Angeles last year. Now, he’ll serve as one-half of a somewhat bizarre tandem for the Kings as they scramble to figure out their solution in net long-term – likely backing up Cam Talbot for the time being, but certainly not a clear-cut number two option by any stretch.

Copley does his best when he’s able to get a rhythm going in net, thriving on the ability to keep his feet moving and plenty of back-and-forth action up and down the ice. Where he struggles, though, is in sustained pressure on his own end or in sporadic hiccups by his defence; he’s shown difficulty maintaining his edges and holding his positioning within the crease over the course of his career, and he lacks some of the patience that his new tandem partner Talbot has made a cornerstone of his own game. Copley, in a way, plays a similar style to former Kings prospect Cal Petersen; he’s willing to chase down the play and take up a little extra space, but despite decent tracking ability he can struggle with keeping himself in the play when things start to go a little awry. He’s likely not the answer the Kings are looking for – but for now, he’s a decent stopgap until they figure out their next move.

Projected starts: 30-35

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: EDMONTON OILERS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS – Oilers firing on all cylinders heading into playoffs, McDavid hitting unmatched level

Corey Sznajder — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:26:56 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 30: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) skates past Los Angeles Kings Center Phillip Danault (24) in the first period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Los Angeles Kings on March 30, 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

The Setting

Despite winning 20 out of their last 25 games, the Oilers just missed the top seed in the Western Conference and are locked into a first-round rematch against the Los Angeles Kings. They took the Oilers to the brink last year but were outmatched in Game 7 after an all-world performance by Connor McDavid. They have an even more daunting task this time around as the league’s MVP is playing at an unmatched level this year, finding his way onto the scoresheet almost every night and finally surrounded by a capable supporting cast.

That said, the playoffs can be a tricky game and this Kings team doesn’t give up goals easily. A healthy Drew Doughty, the addition of Vladislav Gavrikov and another year of experience for players like Mikey Anderson, Matt Roy and Sean Durzi means they should be more prepared to handle the Oilers offense. They also improved their own offense with some off-season moves and some of their own players taking the next step. Los Angeles has a solid game-plan to slow down McDavid, but the difference this year is that the Oilers have improved to the point where they might not need their MVP to carry the team on his back.

The Matchup

The interesting thing about this series is that even though the Pacific Division standings have been fluid, both teams approached the last month like they were planning to see each other in the first round. Short two of their top goal-scorers (Fiala and Vilardi), defense has been where Los Angeles’ bread has been buttered lately. They added Vladislav Gavrikov at the deadline as a mobile, shutdown defender who can play a lot of minutes and they replaced their struggling franchise goaltender Jonathan Quick with Joonas Korpisalo. The trade was somewhat controversial, but they’ve been getting fantastic results out of him and Pheonix Copley, boasting the 3rd lowest goals against per 60 in the league over the past 25 games. Combine this with their tight defense and it’s a superstar’s worst nightmare as there isn’t going to be a lot of room to carry the puck.

The Oilers also buffed up their defense adding veteran Mattias Ekholm, adding a guy who can make retrieving the puck in the defensive zone less of an adventure will make it tough for the Kings to sustain a forecheck and his excellent mobility and stickwork is going to make rushes tough to come by if they try to counter. The addition of Nick Bjugstad also shores up some of the depth issues with Edmonton that will make it easier to win the 3^rd and 4^th line which have added up against them in the past. They only need someone to tread water in those minutes to keep McDavid fresh and they’ve been doing more than their share. The Kings 4^th liners are good enough to be some team’s top checking line, so improving the depth was very important for Edmonton heading into this series.

They even played eachother twice down the stretch, Edmonton taking both games with McDavid’s only point coming by way of a power play assist. The Kings tried to dictate the terms in both games, playing a disciplined, tight checking style and often lining up in a 1-3-1 forecheck in the neutral zone to force Edmonton’s stars to dump the puck in. Edmonton’s improved their offense by way of the forecheck and cycles, but Los Angeles is just as good at killing those plays, which means a lot of low shot games. This was especially true for the rematch in Los Angeles where Edmonton attempted only four shots at five-on-five for the entire period.

it’s easy to see how the early probing of the game went. Los Angeles didn’t want to make mistakes, kept the puck in front of them and their primary focus was not letting McDavid (or anyone else) get behind them. You can argue that it worked too because the score at five-on-five was only 1-1 between the two game and McDavid couldn’t get behind the Kings defense or create at will. The problem was Edmonton was willing to play this game without much issue. They dumped the puck in when they needed to and were patient with waiting for their chances.

An easy way to break the 1-3-1 is to prevent it from getting setup, which involves some risk with Edmonton staying out longer for their shifts, but it’s one you take everyday on offense if you have the advantage Edmonton does here. Los Angeles has improved their mobility on the back-end but they still don’t have a lot of players who can chase down McDavid if he gets a break. Hence why structure is going to be important for them to stay in this series and why the Oilers being content to play the checking game is catastrophic to their chances. Particulary when you factor in the Oilers advantage on the power play and how much of the post-season is five-on-five when the series gets beyond Game 3.

You can play as tight and as disciplined as you want, but eventually one team has to blink, and it was the Kings both times in the regular season. They tried to frustrate the Oilers at the expense of their own offense and while it worked, they couldn’t score on the power play while Edmonton struck on theirs, which put a wrench in their gameplan.

X-Factor

The difference makers for the Kings depends on who they get back from the injured list. They’ve been able to get by without Kevin Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi for most of the stretch run but against Edmonton, they were limited to a pop-gun offense. Part of playing the 1-3-1 is forcing turnovers and quick-striking the other way. They had no problem getting into the zone, but the offense was mostly one-and-done and their top line was stuck defending for most of their shifts. Edmonton was so quick on the back-check that it was tough for the Kings to create any east-west movement entering the zone and most of their passes off set breakouts were off-target or dead-on arrival.

Getting a structure breaker like Fiala could go a long way to solving this problem for the Kings and it’s a huge missing piece in their lineup. He can play anywhere from Kopitar’s line to leading a sheltered scoring line and gives LA someone who doesn’t need a lot of space to do damage. When you’re dealing with a team playing as disciplined as Edmonton was in these games, having someone who can make one check miss and draw coverage is the critical in getting the first domino to fall and opening the game up. Vilardi can bring a similar impact, but as a shooter and a power play option. Adrian Kempe and his straight-line speed is someone who can also do this, but the Oilers had a clampdown on him in the season series. He is dangerous though, as we saw in last year’s playoffs.

The other obvious X-Factor is Edmonton’s rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner, who is likely getting the nod after a disappointing season from free agent signing Jack Campbell. He has been reliable for the Oilers this year and was excellent in the season series, so there’s no reason for Edmonton to not have confidence in him going forward.

Prediction

The stars are aligning for Edmonton to have a long playoff run and the Kings have too many players currently injured to put a dent in it. The uncertainty in goal isn’t a small issue, but the Oilers are proving that they can be malleable with playoff hockey, and they can match up with any defensive roadblocks put in front of them.

NHL: Marshall – The art of Mikey Anderson’s aggressive gap control and shutdown defense

Jesse Marshall — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 17:10:11 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - DECEMBER 06: Los Angeles Kings Defenceman Mikey Anderson (44) before a face-off during second period National Hockey League action between the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators on December 6, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Mikey Anderson, a 2017 fourth-round pick for the Los Angeles Kings, made some news across the league this week when he signed an eight-year, $33 million extension with L.A. that will take him through the 2030-31 season.

At an average value per year of $4.125 million, the Kings have secured one of the best shutdown defensemen in the league at a young age for term and on an affordable contract.

Anderson's name isn't household, yet. It might never be. Let's be honest, in 2023 its offense that puts you on the front page of hockey Reddit and trending on Twitter. Being a defense-first defender is not a glamorous job. Even the clips we'll look at today are are extremely unlikely to end up on "NHL on the Fly" let alone Sportscenter's Top 10 list.

But while Anderson may lack the pizzaz and flash of some of his offensive-oriented peers, he's putting in a vacuous performance defensively. Its not easy to get the puck past Anderson as an opposing forward. If you try to carry it across the blue line with possession, you will probably get hit or meet Anderson's active poke-check. If you dump it in, you will likely be surprised by how fast Anderson is on the retrieval and how difficult it is to out-muscle him. You may also notice how far Anderson is willing to follow you to harass you off of the puck. Simply put: Anderson is of great annoyance to opposing forwards.

This bears out in the data as well as the video. Per the tracking work done up to this point by my colleague Corey Sznajder and the All Three Zones project, there are a handful of defensemen in the league preventing entries that lead to a scoring chance like Anderson is so far this year. This isn't a result of a lack of targets, Anderson has seen his fair share of battle and simply hasn't been easy to beat when targeted for a zone entry.

On video, we see this data bear out as a result of aggressive gap control. Gap control in hockey is the distance a defenseman keeps between themselves and the opposing forward as they skate backwards to defend their zone. The general rule of thumb is to use the defensive blue line as a last stand of resistance. By the time the opposing forward reaches the defensive blue line, your gap control as a defensemen should be less than a stick length. In other words, the blue line is the point that defensemen try to make contact with a forward or break the puck up with their stick.

This is where Anderson excels. He keeps an aggressive gap that is bolstered by his ability to be physical on the puck carrier or keep an active stick and break up the play via that route. Like we saw in the data, it's not common that Anderson gets beat clean on an an entry.

Consider the next clip as to one of the reasons why. Watch as the Predators attempt to find space in the face of Anderson, who stalks the defensive blue line keeping a tight gap. By removing time and space, Anderson is able to force the puck carrier wide and separate them from the puck with a check along the boards.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AndersonEntryDHit.mp4

Anderson isn't the greatest skating defenseman in the league, but as you can see from the clip, his legs are one of the things that enable him to be such a good defensive-defenseman. His speed in both directions, reverse-pivot, and able to quickly cut and change directions make him quite the mobile sentry unit on the blue line.

We don't see him use this mobility to move the puck a lot. Anderson does have the 2nd best carry-in percentage among the Kings' defensive group, but it's on the fifth-fewest total of entry attempts per hour per @ShutdownLine's data. When it comes to Anderson, and this will be a recurring theme here, you're paying for defensive prowess over everything else.

My argument is that Anderson is so good defensively that simply being competent everywhere else is still a win on his average annual value. In the next clip, I want you to again focus on the mobility in transition aspect of his game. He's going to follow his target through the neutral zone, locked in defensive assignment. When the play matriculates his way, he uses his body and active stick to shut things down along the wall. This is a perfectly executed sequence from beginning to end. If you enjoy good defense, this is right up your alley.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AndersonstrongentryD.mp4

What I love about these clips is how Anderson is a stick-first defenseman. He isn't taking risky pinches that are primarily driven by physical decisions. Although effective checking is a large part of his game, I would argue his stick work is where he is at his best.

Whether its lifting a stick in a net-front battle or leaning in to break up a pass with his long reach like we saw above, Anderson is nearly surgical with his ability to make a mess of plans by stirring the puck up with his stick. This isn't work that is limited to just zone entries. Anderson's active stick and aggressive body positioning enable him to walk away from situations with the puck on his stick all over the ice.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Andersonactivesteal.mp4

I want to shift back to the data for a second because this active stick and strong defensive presence has a major impact on the on-ice product and where opponents are able to shoot from against the Kings.

Courtesy of HockeyViz.com we can get a look at where shots are generated with Anderson on the ice at even-strength. This heat map will show areas of varying density in color. Blue is indicative of areas where opponents shoot fewer shots relative to league average. The darker the spot, the fewer the shots. The opposite is true for red.

Take a look at the area Anderson is slated to cover as a left defenseman.

Remember earlier when I referred to Anderson's presence as "vacuous?" This is what I mean. There is a verifiable void of offense on his side of the ice. Between the physicality, mobility, active stick, and gap control we've seen in the clips so far, this should not come as a surprise to anyone that has made it this far into the article. Anderson is really good defensively by any measure of effect you want to draw up.

I think Anderson has proven to be great on shadowing players in their zone entry. By mimicking their movement and staying hip to hip with them, he affords the important targets of critical breakout sequences zero time and space to make a decision. No matter how much steam a group picks up in a breakout, Anderson is right there to handle it as we see in the clip below.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AndersonHitTampaZoneD.mp4

Again, this is largely thank-less work. We're discussing a lot of nuance here, but it's important. These microtransactions within the game lead to the overall impacts we've seen throughout this discussion.

I mentioned earlier that Anderson is not afraid to travel to harass opposing forwards and I wanted to loop back to that for a moment. As we saw in the heat map from HockeyViz.com, Anderson's area of influence in the defensive zone is large. That is not by accident. In the net clip, Anderson's brains make all the difference. He makes a read as the play shifts from one side of the ice to the other and takes the initiative to correctly read the cycle and make a steal high in the defensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Andersonpeelstick.mp4

When some people think of "shutdown defenseman," they think of a player who is glued to his own crease and limited in area of influence. Anderson, as we see from this clip, has a lot of savvy and smart to his game. He will routinely follow a cycle as a defenseman, rotating into the fray of what the opposing team is doing, only to immediately get a stick on puck or break up a play.

Again, this ties directly back to the area of influence we discussed earlier. Anderson seeks out opportunities to peel into a play and cause all kinds of problems as a result. This is what gaining big returns throughout the entire left side of the ice looks like on video.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Andersonwallclearread.mp4

Defensemen can play passively or aggressively. It often reflects as such in the video and the results. These clips show what it looks like to be a driver of the play when the puck is in your defensive zone. Anderson doesn't solely react, he forces the opponents to consistently make decisions they aren't comfortable with.

In all of these clips, the theme is Anderson taking away the most precious commodities hockey has to offer: time and space. As a defenseman, that should be the primary focus coming into your own zone and defending it.

While Anderson might lack the offensive flash that makes the highlight reels, he's been solid as a rock defensively for the Kings and I only expect that trend to head upward. With an approach that screams future captain material, Anderson's recent signing has the potential to look like even more of a bargain than it does today if his defensive game continues to grow from where it is today.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:46:04 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 28: Los Angeles Kings center Adrian Kempe (9) waits for a face-off during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 28, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar

Time may roll on, but Anze Kopitar continues to find ways to make it irrelevant. The 35-year-old from Slovenia led the Kings in scoring with 19 goals 48 assists (67 points) while averaging 20:46 of ice time per game. He’s been the Kings’ top point-getter for the past five seasons and as team captain, it’s one of many crowns for him to wear. He remains a fixture on both the power play and shorthanded. His 22 power play points were tops on the team and he had second-most ice time killing penalties trailing only defenseman Matt Roy. While it could be troubling that a 35-year-old has been so prominent in the team’s success, in the Kings’ case it’s not because Kopitar has been so good and so consistent for so long. Other players around Kopitar’s age have been showing signs of coming back to the pack while he’s continued to excel, and he helped the Kings return to the postseason after missing it the previous three seasons. Although the roster around him gets younger, Kopitar remains as good as he’s ever been, and he'll be invaluable to their future helping show young players like Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte what it takes to be an elite player in the NHL.

Adrian Kempe

Although the 26-year-old Swede has been a fixture in the Kings lineup for a few seasons, 2021-2022 was a coming out party. His 35 goals led the Kings in that category, and he was second in points behind Kopitar. He’s become a terrific two-way player and is vital to their success on the power play and penalty kill. Of those 35 goals, six came with the man advantage and three while shorthanded. Kempe also isn’t gun shy either. He led L.A. with 247 shots and that he missed four games makes it even more impressive. Considering he shot 14.2 percent with that kind of shot volume, the more shots the better. After Dustin Brown’s recent retirement, Kempe is the heir apparent to his role as a physical power forward who can pile up points. Kempe was one of five Kings players with over 100 hits (111) last season and his overall play earned him the most ice time he’s had in his career, averaging 18:35 per game. When it comes to the advanced numbers Kempe’s were middle of the pack on the Kings, but on most other NHL rosters he would’ve had some of the best with CF% and xG% well above 50 percent. If L.A. Is going to continue to be a playoff team, they’ll need Kempe to continue to take charge like he did last season.

Alex Iafallo

One key to becoming an everyday NHL player is to play consistent game in and game out and be reliable and that’s how you could best describe Alex Iafallo. He’ll play around 18 minutes per game and contribute an outstanding two-way game when at 5-on-5. Iafallo can be counted on for 30-40 points per season and 15-20 goals. Last season he tied a career high with 17 goals and his 37 points was his second-best mark to 43 he had in 2019-2020. As he heads into his sixth NHL season, the nearly 29-year-old from Western New York is excellent in all situations. He’s a fixture on the top power play unit and helps that group maintain possession and make sure the puck movement flows. He’s also a mainstay on the penalty kill and can help turn a man-down situation into one where the attacking team must be aware they could get scored on themselves. Whether he’s asked to play on the top line or to anchor the second or third line, coach Todd McLellan knows what he’ll get from Iafallo and knows that his versatility will allow him to work well with his linemates. Iafallo helps maintain and drive possession on any line and most players he plays with have better CorsiFor percentage numbers than they do without him. What doesn’t show up in the raw stats for Iafallo is there in spades with the advanced numbers.

Kevin Fiala

After returning to the playoffs after a three-year dry spell, the Kings were able to better boil down what they needed to address in the offseason and the biggest one was adding goals. To solve that, the Kings added Kevin Fiala in a trade with the Minnesota Wild and locked him up to a seven-year, $55.125 million deal. What the 26-year-old from Switzerland adds is a potent goal scorer who blew up with 33 goals and 85 points last season. Fiala has been a 20-plus goal scorer the past three seasons, but the step he took last season made it impossible for the Wild to be able to afford him as a restricted free agent. A dynamic winger, Fiala will fit in well to the Kings puck possession game (52.3 CF% last season) and his ability to help improve scoring chances (56.2 xG%) will perk up L.A.’s offense regardless. Picture putting Fiala on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe and that’s a unit that will drive opposing teams mad because they can hang onto the puck and score by either crashing the net or using their skill to outmaneuver defenders. Fiala will have to maintain his scoring rate (0.8 points per game or better the past three seasons) but with the players they have and the younger players soon to make a jump of their own, Fiala is a perfect fit to help bring those generations together and keep the offense flowing.

Victor Arvidsson

When the Kings added Arvidsson from Nashville before last season, it was expected he would bring a spark to an L.A. offense that desperately needed it. Mission accomplished. In 66 games, Arvidsson had 20 goals and 29 assists making him one of three Kings to crack the 20-goal barrier. He wasn’t regularly on the top power play unit, but his eight power play points was fifth-best on the team. Like most of the Kings’ players, Arvidsson was strong on possession (56.4 CF% at 5-on-5) and contributed to creating better scoring chances while he was on the ice (56.7 xG% at 5-on-5). What makes Arvidsson different is that he doesn’t fit the prototypical build associated with the Kings. L.A. is always known for being a big team that uses physical play to soften up opponents and create space on the ice. Instead, Arvidsson–who stands at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds–takes advantage of the more physical play of his teammates and his maneuverability allows him to find space to create scoring chances. This season, Arvidsson will have a chance to reunite with former Nashville teammate Kevin Fiala to create goals. Deepening the team can allow for better matchups and for Arvidsson and his linemates that only serves to make the Kings that much more dangerous with the puck.

Phillip Danault

After so many years of flying under the radar as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, Philip Danault now gets proper recognition for it. What’s funny now is that perhaps his offensive abilities may have been underutilized as well. In his first season with the Kings, Danault was second on the team with 27 goals and third in points with 51. His 27 goals were a seasons-best by a long shot (his previous best was 13, done two times) and he proved himself to be a more than worthy No. 2 center behind Anze Kopitar. Added to the Kings because of his defensive prowess, that he became a serious offensive threat made life a lot easier for rookie Quinton Byfield. Danault popping goals meant Byfield wasn’t leaned on heavily to produce in his first season. Danault was a top-10 in voting for the Selke Trophy for league’s best defensive forward for the fourth straight year and he was outstanding of faceoffs once again winning nearly 54 percent of his draws. Although Kopitar is also an excellent defender up the middle, Danault’s presence cut down some of the pressure of handling penalty kills for Kopitar. Danault was third on the Kings in shorthanded ice time but had the best rate of power play goals against per 60 minutes played at 7.58 among those who played most time on the kill.

QuintOn Byfield

Being a rookie in the NHL is tough. Being the new guy, particularly when you were the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. It’s even more difficult with a broken ankle. Byfield broke his ankle in a preseason game before the start of last season and wound up missing the first three months. Trying to work off that and get caught up to a new way of hockey life was hard. He finished with five goals and five assists in 40 games and played depth minutes averaging 12:09 ice time per game. Learning the NHL on the fly as a rookie is hard enough without missing time to injury, but there’s little doubt Byfield will be relied upon more heavily and soon. With a healthy offseason and ideally a healthy training camp and preseason, Byfield is a leading candidate to have a breakout season. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and 20 years old he’s more than a handful on the ice. Center had been a weak spot for the Kings the previous few seasons, but now with Danault proving he can score as well as defend, Byfield’s time to shine is coming. The Kings’ added depth at forward and emergence of other young players, like Arthur Kaliyev, gives Byfield all the weapons he’ll need to have a strong season.

Trevor Moore

No one player came out of nowhere last season the way Trevor Moore did. Known mostly for being a solid third- or fourth-line player, Moore blew up with 48 points including 17 goals. He also tied for the league lead for most shorthanded goals with five. The 27-year-old’s play vaulted him up the line sheet to the second line next to Danault and Arvidsson and gave the Kings a second line that could both frustrate opponents defensively and generate plenty of offense. Moore’s ice time went up by more than a minute per game to 15:41, up from 14:32. Perhaps the most stunning of Moore’s statistics last season was how he became a shooter going from roughly 1.5 shots per game to 2.5. Moore’s emergence was something that got its roots in the truncated 2020-2021 season where he had 23 points in 56 games. That said, predicting Moore would’ve pushed for 20 goals and been fifth on the team in points would’ve been viewed as an optimistic hope more than a realistic happening. What’s more impressive is it may be repeatable. Moore shot 8.4 percent last season which is down from his career high mark of 11.4 last season and 10.0 the year before that.

Arthur Kaliyev

Kaliyev was able not just make the Kings roster as a rookie but became an invaluable part of the lineup because of his pure offensive abilities. In 80 games, Kaliyev had 14 goals and 13 assists and played 12:39 per game. It’s tough to make your mark with comparatively limited ice time, but Kaliyev made his mark as a weapon on the power play with six of his 14 goals coming with the man advantage, which tied him with Kempe and Kopitar for the team lead. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Kaliyev is decently sized, but it’s his shot that helps him stand out. Kaliyev can wire his shots and place them perfectly, a big reason why his output on the power play is so strong. If given any kind of space, he can make defenses pay for the lapse. When he was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2019, his two-way play was a point of concern and although he’s not exactly a candidate for penalty kill, he’s gotten a little better. That said, if he’s able to improve that part of his game more he’ll be a better fit for the top-two lines. For now, he’s an outstanding offensive threat deeper into the lineup and a unique weapon with the man advantage.

DEFENSE

Drew Doughty

It was a tough 2021-2022 season for the 2016 Norris Trophy winner. He missed weeks at the beginning of the season with a knee injury and a wrist injury in March knocked him out for the remainder of the season and playoffs. In 39 games, Doughty showed all his trademark abilities with 31 points including seven goals. He was a difference maker on the power play with four goals and 13 points total with the extra man. In all, he averaged 25:44 of ice time per game and was without a doubt their top defenseman. Although the Kings had a lot of success last season, it can’t be helped but to wonder how different it would’ve been with him in the lineup. Certainly, the seven-game exit to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs may have gone a bit different. What will be worth paying attention to this season is how Doughty bounces back at age 33 from his injury-marred season. He’s still an elite puck possession player as he led the team at 5-on-5 with 58.8 CF% and his 55.7 xG% was second to Alexander Edler among defensemen. Provided age and ill-effects from time missed with injury don’t have an impact, the Kings will be more than pleased to have Doughty running the show on the back end again.

Matt Roy

If there’s an unsung hero on the Kings roster, Matt Roy might be the most logical selection. After being pressed into duty in 2019-2020, Roy has turned into one of the steadiest defenders on the team and a key player when it comes to defending leads and shadowing the opponents’ top forwards. Roy had two goals and 17 assists last season, but he was tops in minutes played on the penalty kill with 138:24 and his 8.24 power play goals against per 60 was one of the best marks among regular penalty killers. Incredibly, Roy got 95.3 percent of his zone starts in his team’s end of the ice. Every defense needs a guy like that who puts their every effort into making life miserable for opponents and easier on their goaltenders and Roy is L.A.’s guy. If there was an award for best defensive defenseman, Roy would likely be in that conversation because of how he’s used and how his puck possession numbers are still outstanding (55.7 CF%). It’s not a glamorous role, but he’s vital to helping the Kings win and shut down opposing teams.

Sean Durzi

As a bolt from the blue, Sean Durzi arrived on the Kings blue line and became a high-impact offensive player for Los Angeles. At 23, Durzi finally broke into the NHL last season and played 64 games for the Kings racking up three goals and 24 assists. Durzi was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 and, after parts of three seasons in the AHL, established himself as a very capable player at 5-on-5 but also a strong quarterback on the power play. Durzi had two goals and 13 assists–more than half his points–with the man advantage. Equal parts having solid puck possession and a good shot made him an ideal player for the power play unit, particularly in Doughty’s absence. Durzi’s mobility with the puck also allowed him to fit in seamlessly to the Kings blue line. Durzi can help move the puck out of the zone against the league’s third and fourth lines and give the Kings attack a jump up the ice. After all, the Kings will have better depth up front which means skilled players get worked in deeper to the line mix. Of Kings defensemen with more than 500 minutes at 5-on-5, Durzi was sixth of seven with a 51.6 CF% and only his most common defense partner Tobias Bjornfot was lower. A healthy blue line and better matchups should make for improvements all around for Durzi.

Alexander Edler

When the Kings signed the longtime Vancouver Canucks defenseman last season it was seen as a dart in the dark that the 36-year-old Swede could give them a little something. Turns out he did that and more but was bitten by the injury bug. Edler was tops on the Kings with a 58.3 xG% and was fourth with a 56.9 CF% with three goals and 16 assists in 41 games. He missed more than three months of action from December to March with a broken ankle but returned in time for the end of the season and playoffs. Edler’s success was something else to see as he hadn’t put up advanced numbers like he had since the heyday of the Canucks from 2010 through 2015. His CF% was the best of his career and his xG% was his best by more than five percent. It’s usually said you know what you’re going to get when you add older players to the roster but expecting what Edler had been with Vancouver in his final few seasons there and instead getting a version of him more like what he was 10 years ago is the happiest kind of surprise. If Edler’s health can hold up and he returns to this brand of play, the Kings’ depth on the blue line will look even better than it does on paper.

GOALTENDING

Jonathan Quick

At long last, the Los Angeles Kings are in the final year of their seemingly endless deal signed for starter Jonathan Quick. It appeared as if the team was going to have to cut ties early – and at times it appeared as if the team had hamstrung itself by failing to do so – but as year ten gets underway, it certainly seems as if one of the league’s 2010’s crease giants may actually get to finish out his massive deal with the club that drafted him to begin with.

It certainly seems ill-advised to make any kind of prediction regarding Quick with more than a mild degree of confidence, given how the last handful of seasons have played out. Even when the now-36-year-old veteran struggled, the team doggedly left him as their number one – and just when it seemed as if he had truly hit a permanent technical decline, he made a miraculous bounce-back last year to edge up-and-comer Cal Petersen out as the team’s number one once again. Just when you think you know what Quick is going to be, he manages to mix things up once again. He’s no longer the league’s fastest-moving skater in net, nor is he still a sure bet for a handful of impossible-looking stops every night. That impressive ability to almost separate his upper body movements from his lower-body control, giving him a dangerously wide stance that could stop on a dime while making a flashy windmill glove save, has dulled as he’s logged 700 career games and continued to climb. He still has the ability to read an offensive approach at an elite level, but the execution is just a bit too muted to still consider him in the league’s top-tier at what he does. That being said, he seemed to catch a second wind last year. It might have been due to the über-competitive nature he’s so well known for, but whatever caused it kept the Kings from taking yet another backslide as their younger netminder hit a few road bumps in the season. That bodes well for both the Kings and Petersen this year if Quick is once again able to dig deep and pull out a few more of those league-topping games – but given the performances he gave in the three seasons leading up to last year, it’s hard to truly bet on him.

Projected starts: 30-35

Cal Petersen

It’s finally Cal Petersen’s net to lose. The only problem, of course, is that he did just that last season; just when it appeared the Kings were poised to tab him as their true number one, he started to struggle and opened the door for yet another year of the Jonathan Quick show. The good news is that every young goaltender goes through growing pains, so it’s hard to look at one rough year and discount the seasons that Petersen was LA’s most reliable option. The bad news, though, is that Jonathan Quick’s ten-year deal is set to finally expire this summer – and he both has a lot of mileage on his skates and a family that could influence whether or not he wants to continue on with the team as a veteran safety net in 2023.

Look for Petersen to shake off some stretches of bad reads this year if he hopes to put up the kind of numbers fans expected after his league debut. When he plays well, he’s got all the lower-body agility that Jonathan Quick possesses, but a little bit of a more aggressive initial positioning to his game and a bit of a stronger grasp on how to work his angles. He just needs to make sure he isn’t putting himself in a position where he has to rely on his dazzling saves every night; while it’s valuable that he’s capable of show-stopping pad reaches and glove saves, it shouldn’t be his go-to move.

Projected starts: 50-55

COREY SZNAJDER – NUMBERS AT WORK: 2022-23 Breakout Picks – Emerging Stars and Young Players Ready to Take the Next Step

Corey Sznajder — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 12:08:51 +0000

Breakout Picks:

Star Tier

Here we have players that have already made a name for themselves. Most of them are regarded as great players and just need that one special season to be considered one of the league’s elite. Sometimes all it takes is getting more ice-time or a change of scenery. For others, it’s just a matter of time. There are a lot of guys in the league in their early 20’s who already have a few great seasons under their belts. These are the guys that you would expect to leap into that coveted “superstar” tier, both by production and overall impact.

SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) carries the puck behind the Skarks net during the NHL hockey game between the San Jose Sharks and the Carolina Hurricanes on November 22nd, 2021 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina winger is a perfect example of a great player who can reach another level. He finally hit the elusive 30-goal mark last year but with his talent and goal-scoring up across the league you can make the case for him becoming a regular point-per-game player. Since taking the league by storm in 2018, Svechnikov has slowly gotten better every year and is an interesting case when you look at overall impact vs. point-production. In terms of driving offense and scoring chances, he is among the league’s elite but hasn’t had the huge point outburst you’d expect from someone who creates so many chances. There’s a cap on how much offense you can create in Carolina’s rigid system, but Svechnikov is one of those players who can break that mold with how effective he is at creating chances out of nothing, especially as a playmaker. He made great strides in becoming a better finisher last year, missing the net less often and adding more tools to his arsenal with creating off broken, loose plays around the net. He was able to get by on strength and power early in his career and generate chances that way. As players get older, they add more tricks to their bag and learn what it takes to beat NHL goaltenders. Svechnikov has slowly been improving there, both as a shooter and as a passer. We’ve all seen the lacrosse goals, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg with what he can do and it’s only a matter of time before more pucks start going in for him and his linemates. There is no reason why he can’t be Carolina’s best player next season.

Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars

The stars are aligning for Miro Heiskanen to become a Norris front-runner. It takes years for most defensemen to be as technically sound as he is in the defensive zone and most of them aren’t gifted with his skillset. Those who watch him know what he can do with the puck, so why have points been so hard to come by for him? Some of it goes back to the general environment in Dallas. It’s a tough place to produce offense unless you’re deployed with their top line and those minutes were reserved for mainstay John Klingberg. With him departing to Anaheim, Heiskanen is the one set to take over those high-profile minutes both at even strength and the power play. When we talk about defensemen taking that next step, it’s usually someone breaking into a top-four role from more sheltered offensive minutes. Heiskanen’s development curve has been the opposite because he was thrown into a more defensive role early in his career, mastered it and now it’s time to see if he can produce offense like the Roman Josis and Victor Hedmans of the league. His skillset along with the coaching change in Dallas puts the odds in his favor. Something common with Pete DeBoer teams is how much they revert to point shots and while that’s not always the most optimal strategy, it does mean that Heiskanen will take the reins a little more. Whether that’s through looking for rebounds, deflections or making his own shot more of a weapon, talented defensemen usually find a way to get on the scoresheet more under DeBoer and Heiskanen is in the right situation to have that career offensive season we have been waiting for.

Andre Burakovsky, Colorado Avalanche

Burakovsky was a player everyone expected to breakout even before Colorado traded for him in 2019. He did to some degree, establishing himself as a top-six player and posting career high numbers across the board last year. It’s fair to ask how much better he can get with eight NHL seasons under his belt, but this year in Seattle is a different situation for him. Burakovsky thrived as more of a complementary player in Colorado, and this is the first time where he is going to be heavily relied on for offense. He’s always been a high-percentage shooter and one of the best players in the league at creating chances off the rush, giving the Kraken an element they were missing. Someone who can score an easy goal and change the tide of the game in one shift. The challenge for Burakovsky is doing this while playing at the top of the lineup as the driver of his line. He could do this in spurts with the Avalanche but had the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog as insulation, which obviously isn’t going to be the case in Seattle. Some of the roster might meet him in the middle, most notably top prospect Matty Beniers and new addition Oliver Bjorkstrand. There is going to be more pressure on Burakovsky as “the guy” in Seattle and he has always had the talent to be one of the best wingers in the league. A guaranteed spot on a top line could be what unlocks that.

CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 21: Chicago Blackhawks Center Dylan Strome (17) and Minnesota Wild Left Wing Matt Boldy (12) skate in action during a game between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks on January 21, 2022 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild

The only thing keeping Matt Boldy out of Calder contention was that he wasn’t called up until January. There are some concerns about a sophomore slump with Kevin Fiala departing for Los Angeles, but it can also be viewed as an opportunity for Boldy to show that he wasn’t just a fluke. His chemistry with Fiala was more of a two-way street, as Fiala scored 64 of his 85 points after Boldy was called up and it’s not the first time two talented players fed off each other. Boldy also showed that he can be a versatile player in his rookie season, he didn’t always need to be the one with the puck to be effective but had the ability to create offense out of nothing if he needed to. Getting the puck off the wall and into a dangerous spot was one of his trademark moves and someone who can do that is welcome on any line. The only thing keeping him from a 60–70-point type of season is that it’s unlikely for him to unseat Mats Zuccarello on the top line or one of Greenway or Foligno on the Eriksson Ek checking line. That leaves him on a sheltered scoring line with Frederick Gaudreau, who he played well with last year and the talented but young Marco Rossi. Boldy is in store for a great season, but another top-level linemate could launch him into the star tier.

Tim Stutzle, Ottawa Senators

The one guy who should be the most excited about Ottawa’s off-season moves is their 2020 first round pick Tim Stutzle. He made a lot of strides last year in becoming less of a one-man show and becoming a threat on the power play, but his five-on-five production was still a work in progress. Relative to his ice-time, he was behind the likes of Connor Brown, Parker Kelly and Alex Formenton, which makes his 58 points in 79 games a little misleading. However, there are some signs that this won’t be a long-term problem. Stutzle’s best skill is his ability to gain the zone, making the defense back off or skating through checks to breakdown neutral zone traps. His controlled zone entry rate was one of the highest in the league last year and most players who rate highly in this stat go onto have productive careers, think Patrick Kane, Kevin Fiala or Brayden Point on the higher end or Troy Terry and Jesper Bratt as more recent examples. This is where Ottawa’s off-season additions come into play. Alex DeBrincat is a perfect running mate for him, as someone who can read off Stutzle in transition and finish off some of the plays he creates. They could also put him with Giroux as a guy who can spring him on stretch passes to get behind the defense. Either way, the Sens are in a great position to make life easier for their budding star and he is in for a productive season if their off-season additions gel together.

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Stars

Last year was a major stepping stone for Dahlin in terms of living up to his draft pedigree. The skill with the puck was always there but it was tough for him to dominate the NHL like he did in international tournaments. You saw a little bit of it in his rookie season and he returned to that form last year, showing that same fearlessness to create from the blue line in and taking control of the offense when he needed to. Stepping out of Rasmus Ristolainen’s shadow and being more of “the guy” on Buffalo’s defense helped ignite this and now it’s time to see if Dahlin can put himself in with the Quinn Hughes and Cale Makars of the world. He has a lot of similar qualities and while he might not have the vision of Quinn Hughes or the explosiveness of Cale Makar, his skating and ability to play more like a forward in transition gives him a dimension that other teams might have trouble preparing for, especially while Buffalo is rebuilding. The surrounding talent might keep Dahlin from having a Norris-type of season but his skill with the puck is something a lot of defensemen don’t have, and he could be one of highest scoring players at his position next season if he continues to grow.

Taking the Next Step

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) against the New York Rangers during Game 6 of round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs on May 28, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes

Jarvis was one of those players who looked the part when he debuted for the Hurricanes last October. Quickly ascending to the top of the lineup and doing the little things to stick in the top-nine, winning puck battles, going to the net, etc., he became one of their more consistent players throughout the year even if he wasn’t scoring goals. The playoffs were a real coming out party for him. He was arguably the team’s best forward and created most of their dangerous offense on the power play, both as the quarterback from the right circle and as a netfront presence. He’s versatile in how he creates offense, and his lower body strength makes him very effective as a forechecker, which is a great fit for Carolina’s system where sustained o-zone possessions are their preferred method. He is set for a top role heading into the season with Max Pacioretty on injured reserve and a need for goal-scoring across the lineup.

Mikey Anderson, Los Angeles Kings

Sometimes strong puck skill doesn’t always translate to points and LA’s Mikey Anderson is a great example of that. You could say that he has already broken out with two seasons as a top-four NHL defensemen under his belt, but there’s definitely another level he can reach. He’s been a great safety valve for Drew Doughty, using his great reach to negate zone entries and kill plays along the wall so Doughty can get up in the play. It’s not the path most expected him to take, being an undersized defenseman who was more of a point-producer at amateur levels. This changed in his first season in the AHL where he was pigeon-holed as more of a shutdown defenseman, and he’s translated those skills well at the NHL level. His chemistry with Doughty and the Kings improving forward talent make him an under-the-radar pick to have a points outburst this year. Anderson makes a good first pass out of the zone and those plays could result in more goals with Kevin Fiala on the receiving end of them. Sometimes it's a breakout season is about the improving talent around you and that could be the case for Anderson.

Alexis Lafreniere, New York Rangers

Not every first overall pick is going to produce right off the hop and that has been the case for Lafreniere. Some of it is just him learning the ropes in the NHL and not getting the prime offensive minutes that are reserved for veterans. He’s had to learn how to play more along the boards and in between checks than in open ice, as the Rangers depth lines have struggled to drive play in recent years. Still, he scored 19 goals despite no power play time and not really having a set spot. We saw snippets of what he could do in the playoffs, especially in the Carolina series where his line with Flip Chytil carried them to a couple wins. Not every young player needs to learn how to play in a checking role to develop, but sometimes it helps for a guy with a larger frame like Lafreniere and now that he’s set to play on the top line, he should be in for a great season. Whether that’s with Zibanejad or Panarin remains to be seen, but he has a lot of tools that will make him a great complementary piece at the very least. Both guys will create a lot of open ice for him to create on the wing and he can show some of the skill that made him such a highly regarded prospect.

Alex Newhook, Colorado Avalanche

Most players with any iota of offensive skill are in for a great season if they land in Colorado. Alex Newhook’s rookie season didn’t go like this, but he showed flashes of his elite playmaking skill and had a few big moments during their cup run. He wasn’t expected to set the world on fire and Nazem Kadri’s career season helped Colorado ease Newhook into their lineup. Playing more of a depth role with time on the second power play unit, Newhook had a lot of plays set on the table for him and all he needed to do was thread the needle to make the final pass or finish it off. It shined more when he got to play with the likes of Andre Burakovsky instead of Tyson Jost or Logan O’Connor. With Nazem Kadri leaving, Colorado might hand him the keys on the second line. He showed some high-level skill in his rookie year, creating chances at an above-average rate and doing a good job of creating in transition, albeit with a limited workload. Making the jump from playing 13-14 minutes a game to 15-17 is never easy, Newhook will have a strong supporting cast with Colorado’s depth on the wings. He will be put in a great situation to succeed this year and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him fill Colorado’s 2C void seamlessly.

Connor McMichael, Washington Capitals

A sluggish second half overshadowed what was a promising rookie season for the Caps 2019 first round pick. Injuries forced him into a top-six role early in the year and he ran with the opportunity, showing great chemistry with the likes of Lars Eller and Conor Sheary. He didn’t look out of place at the NHL level and while the production wasn’t as good as some of his underlying stats, showing the ability to create chances, setup teammates and drive play is a good sign when it’s your first year in the league. The signing of Dylan Strome and re-signing of Marcus Johansson will make it tough for him to ascend in Washington’s lineup, as there is a lot of veteran talent on that roster who have their lineup spots written in ink instead of pencil. This makes him more of a darkhorse pick than a sure thing, but McMichael brings a bit of a wild card element to the table because his ceiling could be a lot higher than the likes of Sheary or Johansson. Washington has a decent history of having a solid “next wave” of forward talent to supplement their aging roster and McMichael is exactly the type of player that gives the Caps roster a second wind when they desperately need it. He just needs to earn the ice-time to do so.

Ryan Merkley, San Jose Sharks

This is a boom-or-bust pick, but the Sharks have no offensive talent on their blue line except for Erik Karlsson, who is in his 30’s and played only 50 games last season. There’s also a lack of proven top-four talent with Marc-Edouard Vlasic in the twilight of his career and Radim Simek battling injuries. In a rebuilding year, San Jose should be evaluating what they have in Merkley. We saw this briefly last year in his 39-game stint. Merkley was one of the Sharks better players at leading breakouts, not only creating clean exits but helping spring San Jose’s almost non-existent transition game. Leading the rush and making the long stretch pass are his calling cards and while that leads to more costly turnovers at the NHL level, there’s some rewards to be had there if the Sharks forwards do a better job at finishing. The biggest thing Merkley has going for him is the Sharks need someone to replace the explosive Brent Burns. A healthy Karlsson is likely getting the top power play minutes before Merkley but expect the Sharks former first pick to at least be on the second unit all year and maybe make the jump to the top-four if he can handle the minutes.

Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets

When your OHL nickname is “Goal Perfetti,” you know expectations are high. Winnipeg gave Perfetti about a month’s worth of games last year and showed some great chemistry with the Jets top players. He rode shotgun with Pierre-luc Dubois and Kyle Connor, playing more of the third wheel on that line, doing most of the work off the puck in the neutral zone. He looked like he was more than ready for the NHL when the play was heading north, getting to the correct spots quickly, knowing where his linemates were without needing to look and having the skill to capitalize on defensive mistakes. It’s hard for even the best prospects to do this right off the hop, but Perfetti managed to in his brief NHL stint. The chemistry with Dubois and Connor will go a long way to him becoming a top player on the Jets, as that’s his key to staying in the top-six and he should be able to produce with either of those two. There’s a trend with goal-scoring forward prospects being more ready for the NHL at a younger age and Perfetti looks to be another one you can add to the list.

2022 NHL PLAYOFFS: EDMONTON VS. LOS ANGELES – Standoff down the middle between McDavid and Danault, Draisaitl and Kopitar

Corey Sznajder — Sun, 01 May 2022 18:30:43 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 07: Edmonton Oilers Goalie Mike Smith (41) makes a save as Edmonton Oilers Defenceman Darnell Nurse (25) and Los Angeles Kings Center Phillip Danault (24) look on during a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Edmonton Oilers on April 7, 2022, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles

The Edmonton Oilers enter the playoffs for the third year in a row looking for their first series win since 2017. Those five years have been filled with awful regular seasons and playoff disappointments, but they come into this year with more positive perspective. They’re on a nice 20-6-3 run since March and their five-on-five play has improved dramatically since Jay Woodcroft took over as head coach, supplementing an elite power play. On top of that, they are finally getting some solid contributions on the wings, meaning McDavid and Draisaitl can play on separate lines and McDavid playing some spectacular all-around hockey right now.

All of this speaks to them finally getting over the hump, right? Well, not necessarily. There were similar vibes going into last year’s playoffs where McDavid was running away with the Hart Trophy race only for his team to drop three straight overtime game to the Winnipeg Jets en route to a four-game sweep. Their opponent this year, the Los Angeles Kings, poses a similar challenge.

The Oilers are a better team than the Kings. They won their last three meetings, including a 4-3 win in LA just under a month ago. The Kings are also walking wounded into the playoffs, missing their star defensemen in Drew Doughty and needing to rely on youngsters like Sean Durzi or throw a truckload of minutes at 36-year-old Alex Edler, who has also battled injuries this year. There is a lot of patchwork on this Kings blue-line, and it should be a series the Oilers can win.

That’s just not how the game works, though. Hockey is often decided by the thinnest margin of errors and just one mistake or a bad matchup can throw an entire series out of whack. The Oilers know all about that from their series against the Jets and other teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs have been on the wrong end of this as well. One challenge the Kings pose to Edmonton is one that the Leafs and a few other teams had to deal with in last year’s playoffs, Phillip Danault.

The Danault/McDavid Matchup

Danault didn’t make much of an impact on the scoresheet last Spring, scoring only one goal in 23 playoff games and tallying only four total points. Keeping the other team off the scoreboard, however, is where he shined as he was on the ice for only six total five-on-five goals throughout the playoffs. Frustrating the likes of Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele and Mark Stone in the process. Los Angeles was impressed enough by this to sign Danault to a six-year contract and he has delivered on both ends. Scoring a career high 27 goals, his line with Viktor Arvidsson and Trevor Moore has been one of the best in the NHL from a shot volume standpoint. The trio have been excellent at tilting the ice for the Kings and provided some scoring punch to back it up.

It might not be the most dangerous collection of players, but they complement each other well. Danault has evolved into more of a Swiss-Army Knife type of center rather than a typical shutdown guy. Providing a strong presence in the defensive zone to create turnovers while the speed Arvidsson and Moore bring helps create rushes. Danault is also the master of always being in the right place and we’re seeing that more offensively. Watch some of his goals and you’ll notice most of them come from 5-10 feet around the net. Which complements the waterbug style of play of Arvidsson and Moore, who are going to throw anything and everything at the net if they get the chance. They exemplify why it’s never a bad idea to go to the net and Danault has the poise to convert on those rebound opportunities.

The elephant in the room with this matchup is that McDavid dominated it during the season series. Danault spent over 26 minutes of 5v5 time matched up against McDavid and the Kings were outscored 3-1 and struggled to contain McDavid from creating scoring chances, posting an Expected Goal Percentage of 27.5%. If McDavid “only” scores three goals against LA in a seven-game series and they win their other matchups, they might accept this, but you do not want one of your top two lines having to fight an uphill battle for most of their shifts, so they are hoping that line can play on offense a little more in this series.

An interesting note of the regular season matchup is that Woodcroft didn’t exactly shy away from playing his star against Danault when they played in Edmonton, a matchup that Kings coach Todd McLellan was more than happy to roll with. The two lines played at a stalemate, and you got a sense of how this matchup is going to tilt the series.

There are a few things to highlight. The first is how Danault’s line plays against McDavid in the defensive zone. They know the Oilers are a team that likes to take shots from the point and the wingers are very aggressive with shadowing the defenders to not give them any space. It’s a tough game because one misstep can lead to Evander Kane or McDavid wide open somewhere else in the zone, but what makes Danault such a good player on this line is that he is very good at reading where the play is going and covering up loose pucks. You can see that in this sequence after the Oilers won a faceoff.

Danault is already there to block the net shot and if he’s not there he’s in front of the net to clear the puck or start a breakout the other way. With the Kings defense being so beat up, you’ll often see them go back to protect the house while the forwards come down to retrieve most of the loose pucks. It’s a way to get some easier exits for a defense that’s inexperienced and has some slower players logging big minutes. The downside is that your coverage loosens up and are prone to breakdowns if the puck doesn’t get out, which is what happened on those last two Draisaitl chances.

The other end is how well McDavid’s line defended Danault. For all of their strengths, the way they create offense is a little predictable. They will go behind the goal line for most of their cycles, trying to draw the defense away from the front of the net in hopes of setting up a close-range chance. If it’s not open, Arvidsson or Moore will usually get a shot from the perimeter and try to loosen up the coverage that way. It’s not a bad strategy, as setting up shop from Gretzky’s Office will get you some decent scoring chances. It just didn’t yield many results for the Kings because the Oilers knew it was coming. Their defense didn’t chase or cheat when the Kings tried to setup from there and didn’t bother defending the points. You can see the Oilers had as many as three players patrolling the front of the net in some of these clips. Danault’s offense has come a long way, but this is where the lack of a game-breaker like Johnny Gaudreau could hurt the Kings.

The ”other” matchup

The matchup between Leon Draisaitl and Anze Kopitar isn’t short of narratives. Draisaitl just had his third 100+ point season in the past four years and is of a similar build to Kopitar in his prime. The difference being that Kopitar was one of the best two-way players in the league and Draisaitl is a one-way player in the most extreme sense of the word. Imagine having Kopitar’s size, vision and playmaking ability but you replaced all of his defensive awareness with an obscene one-timer and an even better wrist shot. That is Leon Draisaitl in a nutshell, and this is going to be a great matchup if they go head-to-head. Kopitar isn’t the offensive force he was during LA’s Cup runs, but he is still one of the best at slowing the game down, keeping the puck down low and creating space for his linemates. Adrian Kempe has benefited from this with a 30+ goal season and emerging as one of the Kings best players in transition.

Draisaitl’s line has made a living by outscoring their defensive shortcomings the past four years. It’s a tough thing to bank on, but Draisaitl rare combination of elite passing and shooting can be enough to at least win a matchup against a team that struggles to score like the Kings. You saw in the earlier clip how they got a couple of chances and a goal against Danault’s line during the season series from just retrieving and cycling the puck to death. Having two puck hounds like Zach Hyman and Kailer Yamamoto helps this cause. They’re at a slight speed disadvantage against defenders like Durzi or Jordan Spence, but it doesn’t matter as much when you have possession of the puck and the ability to get the puck through traffic like Draisaitl can. When the play is going to the other way in transition is where the issues arise but again, they’re banking on this line to outscore their problems, which they can do if the Kings can’t find someone else to create off the rush to help Kempe.

X-Factors: Breakouts and Mistakes

The word “patchwork” was used to describe the Kings defense and while that is true, the Oilers have their own roster shuffle going on there too. They’re similar to the Kings with how much their forwards help on breakouts and it’s going to be critical that they play a clean game exiting the zone. Sloppy puck retrievals are breakouts are usually how playoff series are decided because that’s where the foundation to both your offense and defensive play starts. A clean retrieval and exit leads to good offense while a turnover leads to offense for the other team and a chain reaction of you playing in your own zone until you can clear the puck.

This has been a sore spot for both the Oilers and Kings defense.

Both teams have similar but different issues. Edmonton’s defense doesn’t turn the puck over when retrieving the puck that often, but they have a devil of a time starting any breakouts when they have to start play from their own zone. This puts a lot of pressure on McDavid and their other forwards to help out and makes them expend a lot of energy with just getting up the ice. The Kings, on the other hand, are better at starting breakouts, but they also turn the puck over a lot, some of the main culprits being their stronger puck movers in Durzi, Troy Stecher and Jordan Spence. This is where not having Drew Doughty hurts, although they will be getting two of their more reliable defensemen back in Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy. How they dole out of the minutes without a true #1 to settle everything down remains to be seen.

That said, this issue goes both ways, as the Oilers defense has had a lot of issues handling forecheck pressure. Which is where they’re hoping the deadline acquisition of Brett Kulak pays off.

X-Factors Evan Bouchard and Quinton Byfield

Taking nothing away from Darnell Nurse, it would not be a surprise if Evan Bouchard ends up being the best defenseman in this series. The “second” year blue liner has been trusted with a full-time role alongside Duncan Keith and gives the Oilers an excellent complement to the McDavid line. He is one of Edmonton’s only defensemen who can beat a forecheck without making a mess of the puck and he returns the favor at the other end with how he intercepts other team’s breakouts. The Kings had a very tough time dealing with him in their last matchup and he can be a huge difference maker for the Oilers.

If there’s anything that can give LA a major leg up in this series, it’s a coming out party for their future star, Quinton Byfield. The youngster’s had a rough go of it to start his NHL career, starting the season on injured reserve and spending most of his shifts getting the puck out of the defensive zone and not showing the high-end skill that got him drafted. You see it in spurts, though and LA’s bottom-six isn’t the easiest place to put up points. That said, this series is a good chance for him to have a breakout. The skill is there, and Edmonton’s depth can be exposed. The Kings also have some good players to pair him with if everyone is healthy and the Danault line isn’t tinkered with. Byfield hasn’t gotten much time with Arthur Kaliyev or Alex Iafallo, who could make a great third line if LA wants to play the matchup game.

Prediction:

The Kings are a team on the rise and there’s a lot of hesitancy to pick Edmonton after so many years of disappointment. That said, this should be a series the Oilers win. There’s enough for things to go wrong, but they’ve been the better five-on-five team, have three of the top five players in the series and are currently healthier. The goaltending and foot speed issues on the blue line are going to be a problem deeper in the playoffs, but they should be able to conquer their first-round demons.

Edmonton in 6

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)