Here we are again. Another season of LA Kings hockey is upon us, and fans are enthusiastic about what lies ahead. Much of that excitement stems from a few talented young prospects from the Kings’ pipeline starting to emerge in the NHL.
Quinton Byfield, and Arthur Kaliyev, players found in last year’s prospect rankings, played vital roles on the NHL roster during the regular season and into the playoffs for LA.
Now that a new campaign has begun, many will look for new prospects to keep their eyes on. And there are plenty to choose from.
Featured guests
Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
Scott Wheeler is one of the best in the business in terms of hockey scouting. His new book “On The Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL Draft” is now available on Amazon.
Steven Ellis The Daily Faceoff
Hockey prospect analyst and motorsport fan Steven Ellis joins me for the first time to help out with his takes on a few of the Kings’ young players. There aren’t many people who watch as much hockey as Steven. You can find his excellent coverage on The Daily Faceoff and also his Da Vinci-esque masterpieces he shares on Twitter.
Tony Ferrari The Hockey News
Back again to help with this year’s rankings is our favorite bald draft analysis, Tony Ferrari. Tony has appeared on the Hockey Royalty Podcast a few times, and you can catch him contributing to The Hockey News.
Rankings system
For this project, I only included players in the rankings that still maintained their “rookie” status. According to the NHL, to be considered a rookie, a player must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of age (by September 15th of that season) is not considered a rookie.