LA Kings: How Have the Rookies Done in Ontario?

Every year NHL teams have prospects turn pro or come to North America after playing professional overseas. The LA Kings had Francesco Pinelli, Brandt Clarke, and Erik Portillo turn pro and play their first full season in the AHL after playing in juniors (OHL) and college (NCAA) the year prior. For Clarke, it was his first full professional season after spending time in the NHL, AHL, and World Juniors before returning to the OHL to finish the 2022-23 season.

The Kings have four players on entry-level contracts (ELCs) making their professional or North American professional debuts with the Ontario Reign. With 33% of the season completed (24 out of 72 games) for the Reign, let’s talk about how the rookies have done so far.

Forwards

Aatu Jamsen

Stat line: 14 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, -1 rating

Aatu Jamsen is an intriguing prospect. The 22-year-old was drafted in the seventh round in 2020 but has a lot of skill. Jamsen got attention in the recent Rookie Faceoff tournaments before coming from Finland, where he spent the last two years with the Pelicans (Liiga), to North America. He even turned heads during training camp this past fall. He’s in year one of two of his entry-level contract, which he signed in May.

Jamsen has shown plenty of creativity with the puck. His best attributes are his skating and poise with the puck on his stick. Any time he has the puck he looks calm with it. While Jamsen has shown off his creativity, adjusting to the North American style of hockey will continue to be a big point of emphasis for him.

The ice sheets in Europe are wider than in North America and the game is not as physical. The wider ice sheet means more time and space with the puck. A full season in the AHL will help him learn that the space and timing are smaller and shorter than in Europe, and work on getting stronger. A natural winger, head coach Marco Sturm has used him at 4C lately, a position Sturm said he doesn’t mind having him there after the Reign’s shootout victory over the San Jose Barracuda a week ago. If he continues to play him there, having more puck touches will help him get acclimated to the limited space and timing. Sturm has also used him on the second power-play unit, where he has recorded one assist.

Jamsen has missed the last three games with an unknown injury. From what I was told from a source within the Reign before Saturday’s game was that the injury wasn’t related to his fight in the game he recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick. We’ll see how long the injury keeps him out of the lineup.

With his skill set, there is NHL potential in there.

Kaleb Lawrence:

Stat line: 7 games, 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points, +2 rating

Kaleb Lawrence is another seventh-round pick by the Kings on the Reign roster. Lawrence, standing at 6’7″, is a tall forward and split time with the Reign and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL). In seven games with the Reign, Lawrence has recorded four points in seven games. In eight games with the Swamp Rabbits, the 21-year-old has recorded six points. He hasn’t looked out of place when playing as the 4C in Ontario. The skating will need some work even though it isn’t that bad for a player his size.

Lawrence developed some chemistry with Jamsen when both were in the lineup playing on the fourth line. Maybe being seventh-round draft picks is the reason why. Lawrence doesn’t have the skill Jamsen has and has a long way to go if he wants to make it in the NHL. We’ll see whether he’ll spend more time in Greenville or back up in Ontario soon.

Defensemen

Jakub Dvořák

Stat line: 14 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 3 points, -3 rating

Jakub Dvořák is a big (6’5″) 19-year-old left-handed defenseman. One of Dvořák’s issues in the draft was his skating. Most scouting reports labeled it an issue while a few said ‘decent’ or ‘adequate.’ Watching Dvořák play with the Reign, I lean more toward it being an issue, especially on his lateral movement and turns.

However, I can see why the Kings selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft. The Kings like big left-handed defensemen and Dvořák fits that bill. Big and young, he is still raw and will take time to develop. If all goes well, depending on how much he improves his skating, Dvorak projects to be a physical, shutdown defenseman.

He’s mainly played on the second pairing with veteran Reilly Walsh. Due to his skating, and sometimes inability to move the puck, I’m not as high on him as I am for the next defenseman we’ll talk about.

He’ll be representing Czechia in the World Juniors, which starts tomorrow.

Angus Booth

Stat line: 24 games, 2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points, +6 rating

Angus Booth is the only rookie on an ELC (not counting ones on AHL contracts) to play every game for the Reign. I’m very high on him and think he’s underrated within the Kings’ system. Booth seems to make the right play more often than not. He has received praise dating back to the Rookie Faceoff and from Marco Sturm and his Reign teammates. After the Reign’s 8-4 win over Abbotsford on November 6th, Sturm mentioned the team voted for him as Player of the Month for October.

The praise has already earned the trust of Sturm. He’s played against the opposing team’s top players and seen penalty kill time. After some tweaks with the lines early on, Sturm has Booth on the third pair with Luke Rowe. What I like about Booth is he has good lateral mobility and gap control, can move the puck on breakouts, and, in his words, likes to keep his game ‘simple.’

“I think I keep my game simple. I’m not the flashiest player on the ice. I just try to make it simple. If you don’t see me in a game, it’s probably a good thing because I’m doing my job, and I try to play two way, maybe a little more defensive. But yeah, if you don’t see me on the ice, that’s a good game.”

– Booth explaining his style play after the Reign’s season-opening 5-0 loss to the San Jose Barracuda.

He won’t score a lot of points but has provided solid defensive play with the Reign. Like all the players on this list, there’s still plenty to learn. However, getting praise constantly from his teammates and Sturm is a good sign.

Featured image credit: Mike Zitek/Ontario Reign

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