DRAFT RECAP: LA Kings select 11 players in the 2026 draft

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft concluded yesterday, and the LA Kings added 11 new players to their prospect pool.

The Kings started the event with the 17th overall pick, but traded back two spots with the Utah Mammoth and acquired the 83rd pick as well. Day two was a busier one for the Kings. The organization made 10 selections, either with their original pick or trading up or back.

In total, the Kings took six forwards, four defensemen, and one goalie. Now that the math is done, let’s recap who the Kings selected in the 2026 draft!

Elton Hermansson (1st round, 19th overall)

Elton Hermansson, 18, was the Kings’ first-round selection. I project he’ll be a middle-six forward, but the Kings took a player with offensive upside with this pick. Hermansson has slick puck-handling abilities as if he has the puck on a string, a great shot, and strong skating abilities. He’s expected to play in Sweden with MoDo for the upcoming season.

Liam Lefebvre (2nd round, 46th overall)

Liam Lefebvre, 19, is an overager who had a decent year in the QMJHL. The young centerman had 59 points in 59 games with the Rimouski Océanic and Chicoutimi Saguenéens. From what I have been reading from draft experts, Lefebvre plays a hard, physical game and is known to agitate the opponent. Various draft experts had him ranked between 60 and 100, so the Kings took him earlier than expected. Despite that, the Kings add a 6-foot-3 center to their pipeline with a projection of a bottom-six NHL player.

He’s expected to play for the Cape Breton Eagles of the QMJHL before making his way to the University of Vermont in the fall of 2027.

Adam Goljer (2nd round, 49th overall)

Adam Goljer, 18, is a right-shot defenseman from Slovakia. The first thing that stood out to me when watching some quick reels of his was his skating and burst of speed. He isn’t afraid to join the rush, similar to current Kings prospect, Otto Salin. We’ll see how his offensive game rounds out this season. He could play in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs since he was drafted as a European import by the junior club.

Blake Zielinski (3rd round, 80th overall)

Blake Zielinski, 18, was the second centerman the Kings drafted within the first three rounds. In 53 games for the Des Moines Buccaneers (Alex Laferriere’s alma mater), Zielinski racked up 25 goals and 30 assists. I think Zielinski can be a sleeper pick and can play on the second or third line with his scoring touch, but only time will tell. He is committed to Providence College this upcoming season.

Also, he called his shot in predicting the Kings would draft him. Not a bad way to start your time in the Kings’ organization.

Yegor Rybkin (3rd round, 89th overall)

The Kings had the 83rd pick but traded back to 89 with the Minnesota Wild and also acquired the 153rd pick. With the 89th selection, the Kings selected an 18-year-old goalie from Russia, Yegor Rybkin. The Kings are going with the motto, ‘you can never have too many goalies.’ Already having Erik Portillo, Carter George, Hampton Slukynsky, and Petteri Rimpinen in the pipeline, the Kings added to that list with Rybkin.

Rybkin is far from a finished product, but with the goaltending position stacked, it doesn’t hurt to take a swing here. The 6-foot-7 netminder will return to Russia for this upcoming season.

Thomas Vandenberg (4th round, 103rd overall)

Thomas Vandenberg, 17, is a defensive-minded center who many projected to go in the second or third round; the Kings snagged him in the fourth round. In 59 games with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, Vandenberg recorded 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points. Vandenberg is projected to be a third-line center in the NHL. He will join Zielinski at Providence College this upcoming season.

Vertti Svensk (5th round, 145th overall)

Vertti Svensk, 18, is a left-shot defenseman in Liiga (Finland) with smooth skating. Playing for SaiPa’s U20 SM-sarja, Svensk recorded 31 points in 33 games, but also 1 point in 18 games with SaiPa (Liiga). From fifth-round picks onwards, teams will take players based on potential. He’s returning to Finland for this upcoming season as he continues to develop his game.

Giorgos Pantelas (5th round, 153rd overall)

Giorgos Pantelas is an 18-year-old right-handed defenseman with size and good skating agility. Pantelas recorded 37 points in 68 games with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. From reading notes on him, Pantelas is a shutdown defender, but he will need to continue to round out his offensive game. Not a bad pick here late in the fifth round.

Alex Kostov (6th round, 177th overall)

Alex Kostov is the eldest player of the 11 of the draft selections the Kings made. Kostov, 20, was teammates with current Kings prospect Jimmy Lombardi in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds. Kostov wore an ‘A’ for Flint and recorded 55 points in 47 games. He seems to be a long shot to make the NHL, but we’ll see how he overcomes the odds.

Tobias Krestan (7th round, 209th overall)

Tobias Krestan was the first of two seventh-round selections by the Kings. The 18-year-old forward played in Sweden for HV71 U18 and U20 teams. He even represented Germany in the U18 World Juniors. The chances of seventh-round draft picks making the roster are slim, so Krestan will certainly have the odds against him.

Lucas Ambrosio (7th overall, 223rd overall)

And with their final selection of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Kings selected 18-year-old left-handed defenseman Lucas Ambrosio. The Kings traded back into the seventh round to select Ambrosio, so they must have liked something about him to do so. In 64 games with the OHL-Erie Otters, Ambrosio recorded 20 points. He’ll need to get stronger.

Featured image credit: Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Tags:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *