2020 NHL Draft: Los Angeles Kings draft prototypes

The suspension of the NHL season amid the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted hockey fans’ attention towards what is next. Part of “what is next” is the 2020 NHL draft. What should Los Angeles Kings fans expect?

The Los Angeles Kings, who are 29-35-6, is currently slotted in at the fourth overall spot by Tankathon. Their seven-game win streak to ultimately conclude the 2019-20 NHL regular season forced them to lose their 3rd overall positioning to the Senators, who own the Sharks pick. However, with how deep the 2020 NHL Draft is, sliding from third to fourth won’t hurt them or change how good their pick will be.

The Kings have quietly been building up their prospect pool in recent years, with the likes of Tobias Bjornfot, Gabriel Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Sam Fagemo, and Alex Turcotte leading the youth movement.

The 2020 NHL Draft, especially in their range of first seventh, will likely give the Kings their best prospect of the bunch. That’s not a knock on their prospects, it’s a testament to just how excellent the draft class truly is.

The Kings Protypes

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General Manager Rob Blake has been drafting prospects for the Kings since 2017, making this a very small sample size to choose from. However, he has shown several patterns that could point towards an LA Kings draft prototype.

Using this pattern, we can narrow down the list of top prospects to a select few that fit the mould of what Rob Blake wants a King to be. In his tenure, Blake has selected 23 players, including 12 forwards, seven defensemen and four goalies.

Forwards

Among those 12 forwards, four are Canadian, three are American, three are Swedish, one is Finnish, and one is Russian.

Also among those 12 forwards, seven of them have fallen between 5’11″ and 6’1″, and seven are between 185 and 196 pounds.

That said, a Kings draft prototype at forward would land somewhere between 5’11″ and 6’1″, and 185 to 196 pounds. It’s also clear he likes Swedish forwards if they’re available, and sticks to North American forwards if they aren’t.

Defensemen

As for Blake’s seven drafted defensemen, two are Canadian, three are American, one is Finnish and one is Swedish. As for size, five of them are at least 6’0″ and five of them are between 170 to 205 pounds.

It’s pretty clear that Blake likes defensemen who are 6’0″. Though the weight is a bit of a wide range, it eliminates the very big and very undersized defensemen in the class. He also shows a likeness for North American defensemen, above all else.

Goaltenders

Finally, of Blake’s four drafted goalies, two are Canadian, one is Czech, and one is Slovakian. Of those four goalies, three are at least 6’4″ and all four goalies are between 185 to 196 pounds. Though it is a small sample size, he likes Canadian goalies, but what’s even more clear is his preference for goalies around 6’4″ and in the 185 to 196 pounds range.

Draft Options

With all that said, I narrowed the Kings options down to three forwards, one defenseman, and one goalie. Those three forwards are Alexis Lafreniere, Lucas Raymond, and Alexander Holtz. The defenseman is Jamie Drysdale and the goalie is Yaroslav Askarov.

Of the three forwards, Lafreniere hits the mark on all Blake’s preferences, making him a great Kings prototype. However, of the three, he is the least likely to be drafted by them.

The Kings need to win 9.5% odds in the lottery for the first overall pick. If they do that, then Lafreniere will be locked in as a King, no questions asked. However, if they don’t win the lottery, which is likely, then they completely miss out on the Lafreniere sweepstakes.

Next is Lucas Raymond. To me, he is the most likely to become a King. For one, he is Swedish, so he checks that box. Two, though he is a bit small for Blake’s liking (5’10″, 165 pounds), he has the frame to grow into that range. Third, he realistically falls into the Kings range, and if they stay at fourth overall, there is a good chance he will still be around for them to select, unlike Lafreniere.

Raymond’s game lies within his speed. He can burn defenders wide, or he can quickly change pace by slowing down and cutting towards the slot for a scoring opportunity. He also has excellent hands and creativity to make him dangerous one-on-one.

He also possesses one of the best shots in this draft class, as he loves getting shots on net, and he has the power and accuracy to beat goalies consistently. Raymond is reliable in the defensive zone, but that area is still raw and needs some tuning before he can play at the NHL level.

The third and final forward is Alexander Holtz. Like Raymond, Holtz is Swedish. However, he better fits the mould of a Kings prototype, as he is 6’0, 183 pounds. He also falls into the Kings pick range, but some have him going outside the top-seven, which is understandable considering the strength of the class. I personally love his game and feel he’d be an excellent top-five selection.

Holtz isn’t a speedy skater by any means, but he is a powerful one, making him dangerous with his feet alone. He’s also one of the most positionally aware and has an extremely high hockey IQ. Holtz is an excellent passer, as he has great vision. He also has an incredible shot that features a quick release and lots of power.

As for defenseman, it’s the obvious number one blueliner in this class, Jamie Drysdale. Drysdale may be a bit short for Blake, as he is 5’11, but he can very easily grow an inch to fit the bill. He also fits the mark for weight, as he is 170 pounds. He’s also Canadian, and though Blake likes having American blueliners, he still takes his fair share from Canada.

Drysdale is an incredible puck-mover. He does an excellent job navigating through the neutral zone and finding teammates up ice. He can efficiently quarterback a powerplay as well. He doesn’t shy away from the physical game and holds his own in board battles and net-front battles. His defensive game is still a work in progress, but he has taken strides in that department this year. He would fit in quite well with the likes of Bjornfot, Drew Doughty and Sean Durzi in LA.

Finally, the top goalie in the draft, Yaroslav Askarov, isn’t far off from what Blake likes in goalies, at least for size. Askarov is just a little short, at 6’3″, and a little light at 176 pounds, but he can also very easily grow into Blake’s parameters. He’s also Russian, and Blake has never grabbed a Russian goalie in the draft and just one in total. Then again, it’s a small sample, and taking Askarov is a good place to start.

Askarov is beyond his years in the net. He is calm and collected and never seems to get fazed, at least not easily. He’s also very different than most other goalies, as he catches with his right hand, as opposed to the usual left-catching goalies.

He’s very smooth moving laterally, and very difficult to beat down low. He has a quick glove hand and an effective blocker. He’s a very polished netminder, that is only a couple years out from being NHL-ready. He’d also be their undisputed future star in LA, as they don’t have a true franchise goalie in the pipeline, yet.

Looking at all of the prototypes, as well as where the Kings currently stand with their ranking in the draft, I would put my money on Alexander Holtz. To me, Lucas Raymond will likely go a bit earlier than the Kings’ selection, while Holtz is almost certainly going to still be around. He’s an excellent fit in terms of Blake’s prototype’s, and he is a highly skilled prospect.

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But I wouldn’t be surprised if they added a bit more to their blueline with Drysdale, or took a chance on future franchise goalie in Askarov. But again, the most likely selection for the Kings would be Holtz.

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