2019 Entry Level Draft Thread

[King'sPawn]

Peyton Krebs
Team: Kootenay ICE (WHL)
DOB: 1/26/2001
Position: Center
Height: 5'11
Weight: 181 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/26805

Other Kings drafted by the Kootenay ICE (WHL):
None

Articles:

“As far as playing the game, the maturity to his game, I can’t see him not making it [to the NHL] because he’s willing to do anything it takes,” added Patrick. “As far as diet, as far as training, as far as workout habits, everything is so driven about making him better.

“He’s got an inner-drive, but he’s so focused on [his goals]. He’s good in school, he’s a respectful person.”

Patrick, a veteran of over 1,200 NHL games has continued to cultivate Krebs’ path to professional hockey. He added the two often talk about players in the NHL, what they did and why on a certain play to improve Peyton’s understanding of where he needs to make subtle improvements that’ll further make him a standout.

It’s not a surprise then that Hockey Canada has already come calling for him to represent them on the international stage. At the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge last season, Krebs captained Canada to a silver medal and then won gold at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup over the summer. In both tournaments, he averaged a point-per-game or better as his offensive game reached another level.

http://kootenayice.net/video/growing...t-peyton-krebs

Complete all-around center who last season was one of the WHL’s top rookies while skating on the wing for a Kootenay team that improved significantly from the previous campaign. Krebs produces results no matter what role he’s given, and plays with the kind of competitive spirit that can become infectious. He’s incredibly smart with or without the puck, and Krebs thrives under pressure, especially late in games. He’s a very good skater with excellent balance and agility, and his ability to turn quickly and react towards the right direction makes him an asset in all three zones. He plays with a nonstop motor and forces opposing defensemen into poor decisions with the puck. Krebs is a clever stickhandler who can weave through a crowded neutral zone; but making smart, crisp passes immediately thereafter is what separates from most of his draft-age peers. He can run a power play from the half wall, but also anchor a top penalty killing unit.

https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019...-peyton-krebs/

Watching him play: All I can say is "Wow!" After putting off watching him play for a few weeks, watching the game below made me wish I had taken the time to watch more of him sooner. He is all over the place, playing in all roles, and is basically the offensive catalyst for the third worst team in the WHL. He was named Captain a little over a week ago, and you can see how hard he works in trying to carry the team. He has elite vision and playmaking skills. My biggest criticism is he perhaps tries to do too much with the puck, leaving him in some unnecessary chasing situations. He centered a 5-on-3 penalty kill, he had a hand in all three of the goals scored by the ICE to take the game to Overtime. The video attached is 26+ minutes long, which suggests he played about 24-25 minutes, which is a LOT for a young forward.

Overall: He was the #1 overall pick in the Bantam draft back in 2016. His skillset and effort show that was a great pick for the ICE, who need talent. He leads the team in scoring as a 17 year-old, and I've heard people say if he had a better supporting cast, he'd be putting up Kirby Dach type numbers.

Considering Blake is trying to get more speed and skill into the lineup, the smaller size may not dissuade him from taking a chance on such a hard-working and talented player. I see this kid making a case for himself as being worth a top 5 pick.

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[King'sPawn]

Raphael Lavoie
Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
DOB: 9/25/2000
Position: Right Wing
Height: 6'4
Weight: 198 lbs
Shoots: Right

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/19752

Other Kings drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads (QMHL):
None

Articles:

"He has assets, there is no doubt. We enjoyed his performance this summer in Kamloops at the Summer Camp. Yes, he is 18 and it is often limited to one or two players in the Canadian team, but age is not a factor of selection. He has to play with his strength: he launches with great authority, he is physically involved, he goes to the net and he works hard, "said Marc-Andr? Dumont, assistant coach of ?CJ.

"Right now, Raphael is going through a small wave, but that's normal for a hockey player, especially with the caliber of the QMJHL. In the first period, he was perhaps a little intimidated or nervous, but we saw that it was more intense thereafter, "observed Tuesday night, a recruiter from an Eastern team in the NHL. Raphael Lavoie

"To use his strength, the puck must go to him. Since it was not happening, I would have liked to see him go and get a little more, he is more involved, "said one of his colleagues in the West.

https://www.rds.ca/hockey/lhjmq/lavo...ible-1.6461474 - Note, it's in French, so something like Google translate will be helpful

A puck-possessing machine with speed, size and excellent awareness in the offensive zone, Lavoie is a versatile forward who can wear many hats from start to finish. He owns an excellent shot, both for its quick release and also for its velocity, and Lavoie’s penchant for creating his own chances expands the ice for his linemates. By keeping his feet moving while operating with his head on a swivel, Lavoie keeps opponents guessing and rarely do you see him make a telegraphed play that eventually traps him well beyond the location of the puck. He is a controlled and patient stickhandler who looks to incorporate the rest of his teammates into every cycle, and his keen vision and pass accuracy in tight spaces or off the rush allow him to play the role of playmaker with aplomb.

https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019...aphael-lavoie/

Watching him play: He's less explosive and dynamic compared to other players featured in this thread. Mostly because he doesn't put it all together at once. He has his good size, and he has good skating for his size (much like Dylan Cozens); however, he's not as physically engaged. But, the puck seems to run through him a lot when he's on the ice. He is dangerous both as a quarterback or a prime shooter while on the powerplay. He's not as defensively adept as others, but he's also very young with room to grow.

Overall: One of the biggest draws to him is he's from an environment which has a history of developing very good players (Drouin, MacKinnon, Ehlers, etc). He's one of those players who will hover around the top ten, and any team who gets him will have a very good developmental environment. If the Kings start bringing themselves into the black hole, he is a highly skilled if slightly unheralded player who also boasts a lot of size.

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[King'sPawn]

Thank you roenick for bringing this guy to my attention!
Brett Leason
Team: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
DOB: 4/30/1999
Position: Center/Right Wing
Height: 6'4
Weight: 205 lbs
Shoots: Right

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/26670

Other Kings drafted by the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL):
Richard Seeley (1997)
Shayne Toporowski (1993) - offhand, he is the uncle of 2019 draft eligible prospect Luke Toporowski

Articles:

All it took from the Calgary native to get some recognition was a league-best 27 goals and 60 points on his current 27-game point streak to lead the Western Hockey League in both categories.

“I think he was a real standout in the Russia series, really impressed with his ability to work the puck on the boards, get the puck into his teammates hands, and also his skating,” said Canada head coach Tim Hunter. “I watched him play last year and his skating has really improved in the summer and this season and it’s a big reason he’s a leading scorer in the CHL.”

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...-world-junior/

"I've surpassed my own expectations," Leason (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) said. "I was nowhere near thinking about this or realizing it could happen. (Not getting drafted) motivated me a lot. It's a dream of mine to get drafted and I realized this is my last chance."

So what's changed? How did he not get invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase in July but now have a chance at a top-six role at the elite under-20 international tournament that will go from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia?

Leason said it's a combination of better skating, improved confidence and opportunity.

https://www.nhl.com/news/brett-leaso...rs/c-302923226

Watching him play: I didn't watch him at all in prior draft years, but watching him now, I definitely see a first round pick. He is used in all situations (powerplay, penalty kill, 4-on-4, etc). He plays a really strong power game, where he is tough to knock off the puck, and even when pressured, he has the vision and composure to feed the puck to his teammates with little error. What's more impressive is, even though the game below shows him getting 3 assists, he has a lethal wrist shot as well. Granted, he SHOULD stand out, as he's older than most of the opposition, but it's nice to see him take advantage of the gifts he has.

He's strong on his skates, and while he doesn't play a "punishing" power forward, there's a lot of Kopitar in his game.

His biggest weakness is, while he's dedicated defensively, he sometimes loses focus or fails to apply good backchecking pressure.

Overall: I know sometimes comparisons can be rather lazy, but there are a lot of similarities in his career trajectory as Tanner Pearson. He was passed over in the NHL draft twice. Then in his final year of draft eligibility, he just took himself to the next level. He has 64 points (28 G, 36 A) in 34 games; the only player who has scored more has one more point in 3 more games. He leads the league in shorthanded goals with 5 (next is 3). He leads the league in Game Winning Goals (7). What makes all of this even more impressive is it's not like he's feeding off the success of others; he is outscoring the 2nd leading scorer on his team by 21 points. He is dominating in a way that, like Pearson, it seems impossible to justify passing up on him at the end of the first round, even if he'll be 20 years old at the time of the draft.

In many ways, that age could work for the Kings (or any other team). He would be eligible for the AHL right away, or he could be sent down for an overage year. That flexibility knowing what you have may be appealing for a team wanting to have total control in his development. If the Kings can nab a late first, I would be thrilled to get him.

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[hokiecat]

I am curious to see Leason play at the WJC's. With the Kings already being so old, I would be VERY reluctant to draft him in the first round and would have to really think about it in the second round. Leason should be back from the hand injury by the start of the WJC's.

We've got some must-see hockey coming up over the next 2 weeks.

[emsomaso]

Watched Sweden-Finland in WJC and although being from Sweden I loved seeing the young finn Kaapo Kakko totaly dominate against 2 years older players. What a player he will be and I would love for Kings to draft him!

[King'sPawn]

Philip Broberg
Team: AIK (Allsvenskan)
DOB: 6/25/2001
Position: LD
Height: 6'3
Weight: 198 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: None

Other Kings drafted out of AIK (Sweden):
Thomas Ahlen (1983)
Ulf Isaksson (1982)
Mats Ullander (1982)

Articles:

"It didn't work out as planned with my last team so I changed teams and I went with AIK and it has worked really well," Broberg said. "My confidence is good and they believe in me, so it's better. I like it."

AIK certainly likes Broberg (6-foot-3, 199 pounds). Playing against men in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division, the 17-year-old has three assists in 13 games this season. He also received an A rating from NHL Central Scouting in its October players to watch list.

"He's an excellent skater for his size, with many different gears allowing him to control and set the tempo of the play with his skating, puck-moving game," said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting. "He's a highly competitive prospect who is smart, composed and quick in making plays, and also responsible, playing big minutes in all situations. Another high-end Swedish defenseman that is a complete NHL prospect package."

https://www.nhl.com/news/philip-brob...re/c-301249038

“Big and an impressive presence, Philip Broberg is a tall but super mobile defenceman,” said Dennis Schellenberg, Future Considerations’ European head scout. “His skating is above-average and it is a pure joy to watch the towering defenceman accelerate. His top speed is surprising and he can beat opposing players with only a few powerful strides. Because of his long reach and physical presence he is hard to pass by, especially on the boards, and he is good at keeping the puck carriers away from the crease.”

https://futureconsiderations.ca/five...linka-gretzky/

Watching him play: I'm not sure I completely agree with some of the assessments provided; then again, I watched different games. While I definitely think he skates well for his size, I saw a player who is learning to play within his means. His puck-moving ability and skating were definitely his strong points. Granted, he's playing against men (who are several years older than him). I just see a player who kept it simple as much as he could, which is what we'll likely see as he plays against men more. He didn't exhibit any gamebreaking abilities. This isn't a knock on him; he looks like he could be an NHL player in a couple years. It's just an issue of building on skills and confidence.

Overall: As stated above, he looks like he could be an NHL player. Maybe I need to see more of him against peers to get a better idea of his skills, but I more see him as an "even" player. He'll help defend well, and he'll move the puck well. But I just don't see him being a player who will change the pace or be a high impact player. I wouldn't want to take him as high as he's being projected, but if you want a likely NHL player with size and an assortment of skills to match, you'll love him.

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[Liz4LA]

Watched Sweden-Finland in WJC and although being from Sweden I loved seeing the young finn Kaapo Kakko totaly dominate against 2 years older players. What a player he will be and I would love for Kings to draft him!

Also watched that game and Kupari was a standout. Too bad the team didn’t wake up til the last minutes of the third. Kakko was dynamic. What fun players to watch.

[Catcherman]

Have you looked into Beecher yet? I saw him play in the SCSU vs. USTDP U-18 game last week. He caught my attention all game.

I've only seen him play that once, but he has great size, finishing ability and speed from what I saw.

[King'sPawn]

Have you looked into Beecher yet? I saw him play in the SCSU vs. USTDP U-18 game last week. He caught my attention all game.

I've only seen him play that once, but he has great size, finishing ability and speed from what I saw.

I haven't, actually, but you piqued my curiosity and I found video on him. I'll write up about him now! Thank you for the suggestion.

[King'sPawn]

John Beecher
Team: USNTDP U-18 Team (USDP)
DOB: 4/5/2001
Position: C
Height: 6'3
Weight: 201 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/27183

Other Kings drafted out of the USNTDP:
Hudson Fasching (2013)
Derek Forbort (2010)

Articles:

“The spring training is huge for us. It was hard to put on weight and gain strength during the season. Once the season was over, we could really focus on that as a team. We knew that we had tougher competition this year. We can already see the gains this season. It’s such a huge part of the program.”

The 6-foot-3, 204-pound forward has definitely seen his game grow over the course of this same span.

“I believe I have become a more complete player,” explained Beecher. “Since my U17 year, I have improved my game tremendously. The coaches and my teammates did a great job in helping me prepare, especially in the D zone and getting puck possession. I definitely learned how to make those adjustments to help my teammates.”

https://www.usahockeyntdp.com/news_article/show/957189

"He's such a valuable component of what we have as a team, because we have a lot of players that I think people are enamored with in regard to their skill level, and John's skill is power and tempo and it's one that I feel is a commodity that's going to become a little bit rarer as we progress here," Wroblewski said. "There's such an emphasis on individual skill development, and to have that big power forward that can play a 200-foot game and enjoy an abrasive style is huge.

"I think I would like to see him work on making plays in tight, being able to score in tight instead of just scoring on the rush and going hard to the net. ... I want to see him contribute more on the scoresheet. ...There's a lot of untapped areas in his game, and plenty of room for him to still grow."

Wroblewski points to New York Islanders forward Anders Lee and Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk as those who play similar roles to Beecher, who sees himself more like Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler.

https://www.nhl.com/news/john-beeche...ck/c-301028936

Watching him play: I saw comments about his size, and when I first saw him play, I didn't think he was that big. He just skated too well. Afterwards, I went to Eliteprospects and saw he was 6'3, 200+ lbs! So, that being said, I would have to say this kid is an incredible skater, especially for his size. What I also liked a lot about him was he was on the first penalty killing unit. He was also on the ice trying to defend the lead at the end of the game. The coach trusts him, and with his energy and willingness to disrupt the play, I can see him being a very good forechecker.

I don't know if it was just a bad game though, or what, but I saw him make one or two passes in total, and I don't think I saw him take a genuine shot. I saw a lot of him holding onto the puck and trying to do too much with it. It's nice to see that he has the willingness and ability to drive to the net, but he did not utilize his teammates well at all.

He has good size and speed, and he showed very good puck control while sacrificing very little speed along the way. This isn't intended to be a knock, but I see him more as a 3rd line defensive specialist.

Overall: He's a University of Michigan commit. He's going to have that long term flexibility of either letting him marinate in the NCAA for up to four years or signing him early so he can play in the AHL. The rankings are a bit hit and miss with him. He's currently in the top 30 in 3 of the 10 rankings. Someone may take him in the first, but I'd feel more comfortable trying to nab him with an early 2nd or, circumstances permit, early in the 3rd. I don't think he has enough upside or likeliness of hitting that upside, compared to other players I expect to be available.

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