Pavel Malyugin 
The LA Kings selected left-shot defenseman Angus Booth with their 116th overall pick in the 2022 NHL entry draft. After picking two different centermen, they finally jump on their most in-need position, and that is the left side of the defense.
Appearing in 42 QMJHL games with the Shawinigan Cataractes, Angus Booth tallied one goal and had 22 assists for a total of 23 points. The season before his draft class, Booth had 3 points and no goals in 33 QMJHL games.
Although it is a bit hard to judge Booth because of his lack of ice time and his mistreatment, he does have some slight upside within some of his areas.
What do I mean by mistreatment? Well ever since his first game in the 2021-22 QMJHL season, he’s been getting minimal minutes on a contending team despite having a slight offensive upper hand. It feels like Booth has been cursed ever since the start. He missed a few games at the start of the season, and because he was hurt at the start of the year, it set him back quite far.
Because Shawinigan was already set and they had constructed a winning team without Booth, they chose to play him in a smaller and less responsible role because they did not want to disturb the chemistry. Because of him playing a smaller role and not getting the right shot that he deserved, it set him back quite a bit.
The chances are, we haven’t seen Angus Booth at his best. He was never given the proper shot and you can’t help but to wonder where Booth would be if it wasn’t for his injury and his mistreatment. That means that next year is a make-or-break for Booth. He will be getting an elevated role within his junior team and if he does do well, it’ll mean he’s better than advertised.
Issue is, if Booth doesn’t work out to his expectations next year, he’ll likely never play in the NHL. Basically, the Kings are risking a lot with this selection. It is only a mere fourth round pick, but Booth has that type of feeling of boom or bust and it’s really hard to dictate which one it’ll be a year from now.
Angus Booth is a well-rounded player. His offensive and defensive skills are quite on par. He’s your basic two-way defenseman with a decent skating ability. Like a majority of the defensemen in the 2022 NHL entry draft, he isn’t a fast skater but the way he skates is really good. He’s super tight on his edges and he knows how to escape tight areas using leg power.
Other than that, he’s a very basic middle linebacker pace skater. You’ll never see him joining the rush and zooming past the defense, but you’ll never see him struggle to catch up to plays.
His defensive positioning is a plus. He’s a responsible defender and we’ve seen him get rewarded for that by playing on the penalty kill. His penalty killing isn’t a standout but the important part is that he gets the job done. A very basic yet constructed defender, he’s a boring player. You’ll never see him do something that makes him stand out but ok the big picture, it’s a good thing. He knows his role as a shutdown defender on Shawinigan, and he refuses to break that.
While he may not be a shutdown defender like his QMJHL team wants him to be, he’s slowly but surely learning how to perfect that type of play. It really makes you wonder if the Kings will want to see more of an offensive rise in him, or if they prefer him on the back end. Either way, he’s your static two-way defender.
Booth is quite dependable when he’s defending transitions and rushes. He can position himself well to make sure nobody attacks him by spreading himself closing gaps and making the attacker panic.
As for his offensive game, it’s nothing special or out of the ordinary. He’s never been a goal scorer in his life and it was proven last year as he only scored once despite getting a few power play opportunities.
Booth doesn’t have an elite shot and even when he uses it, it feels useless. Almost like a decoy for the goalies to make an easy save to lead to a rebound. Could that be a nice touch to him as we watch him suit up for another year in the QMJHL?
He isn’t big on the cycle and he doesn’t have that playmaking mentality. To me, it feels like he’s scared of having the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He really just wants to make a pass, and focus on his defensive play. He sits back and watches to make sure that the opposing team doesn’t get a step and gets a breakaway. In a way, that’s a really good aspect to Angus Booth’s game.
Although it is a bit of a risk and there are a few red flags with Angus Booth, with the prospect pool that the Kings have it may be worth taking the risk with him. A quiet yet mobile player, Angus Booth could turn into quite the defensive player if the Kings develop him properly.