Ontario Reign: Four players who could join the team next season

For the Ontario Reign, we saw five players on the opening night roster turn pro or play their first full pro season this year.

Martin Chromiak turned pro this year while Taylor Ward, Samuel Helenius, Andre Lee, and Kim Nousiainen are playing their first full professional season. You may recall that Ward, Helenius, Lee, and Nousiainen all joined the Ontario Reign in the last month of last season.

Every year a player turns pro whether it be making the jump to the AHL or straight to the NHL. While there are very few spots on the NHL roster, incoming new players turning pro will most likely have to start the 2023-2024 season in Ontario. However, if someone impresses during training camp, things can change. So, which prospects could join the Ontario Reign next season? Let’s find out.

Francesco Pinelli

The 19-year-old captain of the Kitchener Rangers is having a fantastic season in the Ontario Hockey League. Pinelli has put up career-highs in goals (41), assists (49), and points (90). In all of his three seasons in the OHL, Pinelli has improved in all three of those categories. He has excellent hands and vision and I am very high on his skillset as it could help the Ontario Reign next season, who have had trouble generating offense this year.

His 1.50 points per game is 8th in the OHL. With the CHL/NHL transfer agreement not allowing players in juniors to play in the AHL until they are 20 or four years completed in Juniors, Pinelli is eligible to play for the Ontario Reign next season, and possibly once the Kitchener Rangers’ season ends, as he turns 20 on April 11th. While going from juniors to professionals is a huge difference, I am eager to see how Pinelli’s game can translate to the AHL. Perhaps he could be another second-round steal by the LA Kings?

Kaleb Lawrence

The 2022 seventh-round pick has had a surprising breakout season for the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL. When selected by the LA Kings, Lawrence only recorded eight points in 41 games in his two previous seasons and not much was expected from the 6’7″ forward. In 49 games this season, Lawrence has 37 points (16-21)—an unexpected breakout year for the 20-year-old.

Like Pinelli, Lawrence is 20 years of age and eligible to play for the Ontario Reign next season. Although he is still a work in progress, Lawrence would add size to a bottom-six group that already consists of Samuel Helenius and Andre Lee.

Erik Portillo

Recently acquired from Buffalo, the 22-year-old netminder gives the LA Kings’ goaltending pipeline stability. With the LA Kings goalie pipeline really thin and Erik Portillo not expected to sign with the Buffalo Sabres, the Kings acquired his rights for a third-round pick in this year’s draft. As you may recall, our fellow Hockey Royalty colleague, Pavel, was a big advocate for Portillo and explained why the Kings should acquire him.

Portillo will get a chance to compete for the starting job next season for the Ontario Reign, something he wouldn’t have gotten in Buffalo.

Alex Laferriere

There’s always one or two prospects who take a big step in their game. Alex Laferriere was one of those prospects this season.  The 21-year-old is enjoying a career year in his Junior year, being over a point-per-game player in 33 games (21-21=42). The 6’0″ forward can score and has some grit to his game. There’s a lot to like about him. At the State of the Franchise event in February, Nelson Emerson stated they loved his game and they would sit down and talk to him once his Junior season ends (click HERE to read more).

If the Kings sit down and talk with him once his season ends at Harvard, the decision will be up to Laferriere if he wants to forgo his senior year and turn pro. If he elects to turn pro he would be a good addition to the team.

On the bubble

Brandt Clarke

Brandt Clarke will be eligible to play in either the NHL or AHL next season. The reason why I put him on the bubble is because of the logjam the LA Kings have at the right-handed defenseman position. Drew Doughty is not going anywhere and Matt Roy is under contract for next season and a player the Kings should keep. That leaves Sean Durzi, who is playing on the left side this season, Sean Walker, Jordan Spence, and Brandt Clarke looking for a roster spot. Too many bodies with very few roster spots. Maybe one of them can play on their left side if the Kings are comfortable with it.

I had the privilege to attend a season ticket member lunch meet and greet with Luc Robitaille last Friday (March 17th) and asked him about the chance of Brandt Clarke making the 2023 opening night roster. He said, “We really like him but we’re not just going to hand him a spot in the starting lineup. He’s going to have to take it from someone else. It’ll be an important camp for him.” I personally believe Brandt Clarke will make the opening night roster for the Kings. It’ll be interesting to see what the roster looks like by September of this year. Competition always brings out the best in everyone.

Featured image: Harvard University

 

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1 thought on “Ontario Reign: Four players who could join the team next season”

  1. I think you need to have Clarke up on the main roster, playing on the third pair and running the second power play unit.

    The kid’s obviously the long-term PP QB and he needs to ensure chemistry with the guys he’ll hopefully be playing 10+ years with (esp. the other #55… Fiala as well), much like Doughty did when he was drafted. His game’s reasonably NHL-ready as it is, and I don’t know if he benefits from playing with guys in the AHL that he won’t necessarily see in the pros.

    He’s going to make mistakes (he’s still a bit sloppy – not as good in that regard as Doughty, but basically no one is) but that’s to be expected. Is that allowable for a team that should still be in contention for a #1 seed next year? I don’t know, but you have to still allow for long-term planning.

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