2019 Entry Level Draft Thread

[King'sPawn]

Alex Newhook
Team: Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
DOB: 1/28/2001
Position: Center/Left Wing
Height: 5'11
Weight: 183 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: None

Other Kings drafted by the Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL):
Alec Dillon (2014)
Joel Lowry (2011)

Articles:

Newhook is a fast, determined skater with exceptional balance and agility. He can beat you inside or out, and you can count on him causing at least one defenseman per game to blow a tire. His combination of speed and puck control makes him lethal off the rush, but he also makes the right reads and is able to exploit an overloaded side or confusion in coverage. Newhook has super-soft hands and is a threat to score from just about anywhere, and his shots off the pass are either labeled or deny the chance for the goalie to control the rebound. He can also play physical and doesn’t get intimidated by bigger, stronger players. Newhook has superstar potential thanks to off-the-charts hockey sense with the sublime skill to match it.

https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019...-alex-newhook/

There's more than one path Newhook could have taken to pursue his NHL dreams, such as playing with a major juniors league like the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league.


Newhook moved to Ontario last year to play with the York Simcoe Express in the provincial triple-A league, and took the league scoring title with 82 points in 40 games. (Submitted)
Instead, he decided to go the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) route by accepting the Boston College scholarship, which will let him complete a university degree while developing his skills and reputation on the ice.

"I think the NCAA path, as opposed to the major junior path, is kind of a path where it gives you more time to develop before potentially going pro," he said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...oria-1.4238606

Watching him play: I am usually a little gun-shy of having interest in highly ranked BCHL players, simply because a lot of context needs to be taken into consideration when they put up good numbers; for example, he has 61 points in 34 games. That being said, though, he shows quite the arsenal in all aspects of the game. He plays in all situations, and has equal aptitude in his shot, puck handling, and his passing. His strongest skill, as you can imagine from the articles above, is his skating. He is extremely strong on his skates and shows high end speed. As the league (and the Kings) are trying to eye more speed, he can bring in a lot of attention.

Overall: One of the players I thought of, in terms of draft years, is Kyle Turris. He was an offensively gifted player in the BCHL, although Turris was a little more lanky. He went 3rd overall in the Patrick Kane draft. I think Newhook could top out to have a similar role; his commitment to BC to build his strength should also contribute to him having a stronger, more NHL ready body when he's set for the pros. Since he is keeping his NCAA eligibility, the drafting team will have a lot of flexibility to either try to sign him to the AHL, let him go to BC, or encourage him to go to Halifax of the QMJHL. Roster flexibility is always a huge plus for a player of this caliber.

He isn't as highly touted as some players in this draft, but the rankings are rather volatile. He is ranked as high as 4th and as low as 26th.

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[King'sPawn]

Ryan Suzuki
Team: Barrie Colts (OHL)
DOB: 5/28/2001
Position: Center
Height: 6'0
Weight: 172 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/27328

Other Kings drafted from the Barrie Colts (OHL):
Tanner Pearson (2012)
Kyle Clifford (2009)

Articles:

The Suzukis grew up in the London, Ont., area and played their minor hockey with the London Junior Knights, although never together. They didn’t even have a chance to play each other in competitive hockey until last season, when they met in an OHL pre-season game and took the opening faceoff against each other.

They went head-to-head five more times in the regular season. Nick had five points while Ryan was mostly held in check with one assist.

"I just remember looking across at him and having a big smile on my face," said Nick about their first encounter. "It was really cool to have all our family members in the stands watching us. Every time I get to play him is a lot of fun."

Nick is listed at six-foot and 183 pounds, putting him one inch shorter and 12 pounds heavier than Ryan. He says they both play a similar style of game as centremen with their on-ice awareness and play-making abilities being their bread and butter. The main difference is that Nick will sometimes play left wing and shoots right, while Ryan is a lefty.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juni...st-round-pick/

A dynamic offensive weapon with eyes in the back of his head and a top performer for both Barrie and Team Canada, Suzuki is the OHL’s top prospect for the 2019 NHL Draft. Blessed with blinding speed and acute hockey sense, the younger brother of 2017 first rounder Nick Suzuki is a bit more flashier and excitable with the puck, especially in open ice. He’s more of a playmaker than a shooter, but Ryan owns an excellent wrist shot and can score off his backhand. Still, he seems more comfortable and confident dictating play with the puck on his stick and treating every teammate as a scoring-chance possibility. Suzuki a season ago was one of the OHL’s top rookies, but he enters his draft year as one of the circuit’s best overall players and a candidate to challenge for the scoring crown.

https://www.thedraftanalyst.com/2019...c-ryan-suzuki/

Watching him play: I don't know if it was just a bad game, but Suzuki looked very mediocre. In my limited viewings of watching both of them during their draft year, I thought his older brother, Nick, was more impressive. That said, players have bad games, so I'm not going to say he's a bad player, but this is what I saw when I watched him play. What stood out the most in a negative way was his fitness level; he never seemed to have a good amount of energy (which likely affected his overall game). He was outraced to the puck many times. He took only one shot, and that was a) telegraphed and b) inaccurate. That being said, he showed some good, too; he finds the open spots on the ice, not just with his positioning, but with his passing. How he moves the puck is, without question, his strongest asset. Even if he doesn't directly connect with his teammates, the puck is still in a spot for a teammate to pick up. That said, he tried to be cute with a couple no-look passes which were lost opportunities.

Overall: I don't foresee him going higher than his brother (who went 13th overall in 2017). He has 41 points in 39 games, which is good, but not great. Keep in mind his brother, who went 13th overall, had 96 points in 65 games, and played a more gritty, higher skilled game. He may go high based off of his name, but I wouldn't chance more than a lower first round pick or a second round pick.

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[King'sPawn]

Connor McMichael
Team: London Knights (OHL)
DOB: 1/15/2001
Position: Center
Height: 6'0
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: Left

Metrics from Prospect-Stats: http://prospect-stats.com/player/27386

Other Kings drafted from the London Knights (OHL):
Paul Holden (1988)
Brad Thompson (1981)

Articles:

Connor is one of the top players in this year’s class. He is a skilled centre that is dangerous every time he is on the ice. He is deceivingly quick and has very good separation speed. His pucks skills are elite and he has great one-on-one moves.

https://ohlwriters.me/2019/01/11/con...layer-profile/

He excels at anticipating plays and putting himself in the right position to either force a turnover or make something happen for his linemates. Playing with poise, McMichael can be effective in almost any role.

http://theohlcollective.com/2019-nhl...-from-the-ohl/

Watching him play: I was honestly very excited when I've read about how much I missed out. Granted, I only saw one game, and I came away with mixed feelings. The most visible part of his game is his skating. I wouldn't call him a speedster like Austin Wagner, but he reaches his top speed very quickly and, as mentioned before, has very good separation speed. An understated part of his game is his ability and willingness to communicate and direct his teammates. On the negative side, I thought he was a bit soft on the puck. I don't expect him to be a wall buster, but he seemed to shy away from physical contact. The other issue I noticed is he seemed to have a lot of forced and unforced errors; he quickly distributes the puck away and turns it over to the opposition.

Overall: He's one of the risers, and with him scoring 49 points in 40 games (better than projected first rounder Ryan Suzuki's 41 points in 39 games), he's finding his way on people's radar. I wouldn't expect him to go past 25 in the draft. Anything after that would be a very good pick. Higher than 15 would arguably be a reach.

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[King'sPawn]

Well, the Kings now have 2 first round picks.

[HeadInjury]

It's nice to go to Capfriendly and see we still own all our future picks and have 9 picks in the upcoming draft, knowing that that number is going to go up too.

[roenick]

Well, the Kings now have 2 first round picks.

Need to make another move to get another first in 2020. Would love to see them get Brett Leason with that Toronto pick ...

[King'sPawn]

Need to make another move to get another first in 2020. Would love to see them get Brett Leason with that Toronto pick ...

Leason is definitely the one most likely to be available with the Toronto pick that I'd be happy they take. Of course, another player could fall.

[Myk13]

Well, the Kings now have 2 first round picks.

Any chance they wanted that first to package both to get the #1 if we don't win the lottery? Lose for Hughes!

[roenick]

Any chance they wanted that first to package both to get the #1 if we don't win the lottery? Lose for Hughes!

He's worth it and is the real deal. Would love to see the Kings get Hughes.

[fuzzerson]

It's nice to go to Capfriendly and see we still own all our future picks and have 9 picks in the upcoming draft, knowing that that number is going to go up too.

All are 3-4 years away, or will be, but it is better than what we had. Thanks Dean