2025 Draft lottery

Statue4Deano said:


Highly recommend listening to this interview with Shane Malloy of Hockey Prospects Radio. They go into the weeds about draft philosophy and who the Kings might be targeting at 24. Interview starts @ 26:33.
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Yeah, really good interview. Interesting that using the 200 games played stat, the Kings are at or near the top of the league in drafting players. Problem is that while QB and Clarke will likely pan out, Gabe and Turcotte were their only other top 10 picks in the last 10 or so years. Gabe will be a solid player...for Winnipeg. I'd like to say that the jury is still out on Turcs but he may be the big miss for them. A number 5 pick that could end up a 3rd/4th line guy isn't what you want there. Could have had Cozens (6th) or Caufield (8th). Both would have likely been upgrades over turcs
 
LAKingSteve said:
Yeah, really good interview. Interesting that using the 200 games played stat, the Kings are at or near the top of the league in drafting players. Problem is that while QB and Clarke will likely pan out, Gabe and Turcotte were their only other top 10 picks in the last 10 or so years. Gabe will be a solid player...for Winnipeg. I'd like to say that the jury is still out on Turcs but he may be the big miss for them. A number 5 pick that could end up a 3rd/4th line guy isn't what you want there. Could have had Cozens (6th) or Caufield (8th). Both would have likely been upgrades over turcs
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Rumor has it that Turcotte was Blake’s pick. That’s in line with what Hoven says in the interview about GMs using their influence on 1st round picks.
 
Would Turcotte have been different right now if it wasn't for the concussions/injuries. Hard to say. Was it Caufiled's size that was the issue? But yeah, Caufield was killing it with points compared to Turcotte pre-draft. So, why pick Turcs over Caufield?

But, it's up to an organization to put that player in a position to be successful. You don't draft a pure goal scorer and expect him to be a 200 ft player same as you don't draft a big stay at home d-man and expect him to play 1 line PP mins, etc, etc, etc ....
 
McSorleyFan said:
Would Turcotte have been different right now if it wasn't for the concussions/injuries. Hard to say. Was it Caufiled's size that was the issue? But yeah, Caufield was killing it with points compared to Turcotte pre-draft. So, why pick Turcs over Caufield?

But, it's up to an organization to put that player in a position to be successful. You don't draft a pure goal scorer and expect him to be a 200 ft player same as you don't draft a big stay at home d-man and expect him to play 1 line PP mins, etc, etc, etc ....
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I think size was an issue (see Stutzle) and Turcs fit the Kings desired style. He was also a high character, high hockey IQ guy if I remember correctly which fits their preferences. I do think the concussions have slowed his development so I'm hopeful he will catch up sooner than later. I've liked what I've seen at times, he works hard. Time will tell...unlike Akil who I think is on the outs.
 
McSorleyFan said:
Would Turcotte have been different right now if it wasn't for the concussions/injuries. Hard to say. Was it Caufiled's size that was the issue? But yeah, Caufield was killing it with points compared to Turcotte pre-draft. So, why pick Turcs over Caufield?

But, it's up to an organization to put that player in a position to be successful. You don't draft a pure goal scorer and expect him to be a 200 ft player same as you don't draft a big stay at home d-man and expect him to play 1 line PP mins, etc, etc, etc ....
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Sorry but I have to disagree with you when it comes to Turcotte - it is not hard to say that Turcotte would have had a much different career, to this point, without the concussions.

As to killing it, pre-draft, both Caufield and Turcotte were. Caufield had 100 points in 64 games (1.56 PPG) and Turcotte had 62 points in 37 games (1.67 PPG) going into the draft. Moreso, Turcotte did not play on a line with Jack Hughes but was able to seamlessly fill in for Hughes when Hughes was out with an injury. Turcotte had a far superiors 2-way game and a bit more size (though Caufield is built like a boulder). I was really hoping the Kings would trade up with their 2nd round pick to grab Caufield, but ohwell.

As to Zegras, I fully agree with you. He was strongly considered by the Kings, but it's hard to think he would have fit the style of play which the Kings demand. Zegras definitely had the skill, but lacked the maturity and discipline coming into the draft. He really does seem like a player with the ability to be a Sandstrom-type, though, which the Kings could really use.
 
20 of the other 1st rounders have played more games than Turcs. He's just at 100 now.
Compare him to the top 15 (1 is a goalie) in that draft he's 11th in Pts/game.
Perhaps the best is yet to come. He did get 68 games in this past season ... I'm hoping to see more of him, but he's going to have to earn his way back up onto the top 2 lines.

I'm hoping Kings get a decent centre in their #24 spot. Horcoff might be available but, hoping Reschny still is.
 
McSorleyFan said:
20 of the other 1st rounders have played more games than Turcs. He's just at 100 now.
Compare him to the top 15 (1 is a goalie) in that draft he's 11th in Pts/game.
Perhaps the best is yet to come. He did get 68 games in this past season ... I'm hoping to see more of him, but he's going to have to earn his way back up onto the top 2 lines.

I'm hoping Kings get a decent centre in their #24 spot. Horcoff might be available but, hoping Reschny still is.
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I'm a little surprised he is still playing after the number of concussions he has had. I really hope he can find a way to avoid any future concussions, and stay healthy as a whole, going forward. If so, I think we will see a special middle six player who can play any situation.
 
McSorleyFan said:
20 of the other 1st rounders have played more games than Turcs. He's just at 100 now.
Compare him to the top 15 (1 is a goalie) in that draft he's 11th in Pts/game.
Perhaps the best is yet to come. He did get 68 games in this past season ... I'm hoping to see more of him, but he's going to have to earn his way back up onto the top 2 lines.

I'm hoping Kings get a decent centre in their #24 spot. Horcoff might be available but, hoping Reschny still is.
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If Turcotte can stay healthy I think he’s going to be a fixture on the 3rd line. I’m fine with that considering his injury filled past. He’s just needs to get a bit stronger. He’s got excellent wheels and decent skill. I’m hoping for 75+ games next season.
 
LAKingSteve said:
Orrrrr, he could have ended up another prospect that never quite reached his potential. So hard to tell how anyone will perform in the kings style of play.
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I like to think Vilardi is the best example of a one dimensional forward who entered the Kings system as one type of player, put in the work to add attention to detail away from the puck and came out the end better for it.
 
LAKingSteve said:
Yeah, really good interview. Interesting that using the 200 games played stat, the Kings are at or near the top of the league in drafting players. Problem is that while QB and Clarke will likely pan out, Gabe and Turcotte were their only other top 10 picks in the last 10 or so years. Gabe will be a solid player...for Winnipeg. I'd like to say that the jury is still out on Turcs but he may be the big miss for them. A number 5 pick that could end up a 3rd/4th line guy isn't what you want there. Could have had Cozens (6th) or Caufield (8th). Both would have likely been upgrades over turcs
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Hindsight. Turcotte has intangibles, there was hope he develops into a Mike Richards type of player with similar level of skill and offensive capability.

Injuries and usual luck involved with draft picks f****d us over, though there's still time for him to elevate his game.

This team is ni closer to the Cup with Zegras or Caufield. We're debating whether or not Marner is enough to move the needle FFS, and the Kings achilles heel this year was lack of trust in the 4th line...
 
I'm maybe a little biased being 1/8th Chinese, but with the talk for the Kings' need for big skilled defenseman, especially with upside, I'm quite intrigued with Haoxi (Simon) Wang. He apparently also exhibited some physicality in his OHL playoff run.

He supposedly could be a late first-rounder, but that would look like a surprise pick. It seems more likely that he'll be a second-round pick. The kid is described as being devoted to hockey with a hunger and eagerness to do whatever it takes to be a full-time NHLer as he figures out what type of player he should be.

He sounds almost too good to be true, so there's obviously a lot of hype--warranted or not--to his feel-good story. However, I genuinely think he's a moldable piece of clay with a high ceiling that our developmental staff can do something with.

In any case, I say, "Give me the big Wang!".
Haoxi Wang left China for Canada as a 12-year-old with his hockey gear and a very rudimentary understanding of English.

Five years later, the 6-foot-6, 222-pound defenseman has grown into a potential first-round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft.

Wang, who also goes by Simon, began the season with 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 38 games for King in the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

But looking for tougher competition, he signed with Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League on Dec. 3. He had two assists in 32 regular-season games and three assists in 21 OHL playoff games to help Oshawa reach the league championship series.

The 17-year-old is No. 34 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"Simon is an interesting prospect," Central Scouting's Nick Smith said. "His skating, footwork, edges are remarkable for a player his size. He’s a late bloomer who really hasn’t played a lot of hockey so there was definitely an adjustment period entering the OHL.
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If Wang had issues adjusting to the pace of OHL play, his coaches didn't see it.

"For me, it was right away," said Brad Malone, Oshawa's coach last season. "You saw so many good intangibles as a hockey player, his skating, his size, his stick detail, his physicality, his confidence with the puck. Just the way he carried himself.
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"For me, you can't teach size, you can't teach his natural ability, his skating ability," Malone said. "When you put those two intangibles together, he makes a very exciting prospect. I think his hockey IQ, both with and without the puck, are very high. He makes a lot of good decisions, a lot of really good reads. He's a tough defender to beat. He understands the defensive side of the game, from a defensive standpoint and being a hard defender and taking on top matchups. I thought the way he distributed the puck and understood certain weak points in teams' forechecks, and then offensively, when to jump down and join the rush. He just did a lot of really good things consistently for us throughout his time with us."
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Wang Could Be Historic Selection at 2025 NHL Draft
 
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Statue4Deano said:


An hour with Yannetti. Must listen as always.
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Interesting take. A "log jam" of sorts for top minutes so they're looking more for players to fill a lesser role? I guess gone are the days where you pick they best player you can and then try and fit him in.
I guess if you're not picking in the top 4-5 you shouldn't really expect them to come in and make an impact right away. Who was the last player to do that for the Kings? Doughty?
 
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