Liam Greentree may play on the Kings in the near future

Surf Nutz

Surf Nutz

Prospect
Ontario Hockey League

Next Season maybe, or after his OHL this year.

The Windsor Spitfires Captain leads the OHL in overall points.

His team is atop the West Division with one of the best records in the league.

Ontario Hockey League

I would put him in the Do Not Trade No Matter What category.

After being eliminated from medal contention at the World Juniors, Team Canada looks extremely foolish for not including Liam on their roster.

This scout has him elevated to 8th best 2024 NHL Draftee from his 26th position.

Scout's Analysis: An updated look at how 2024 NHL Draft prospects are faring

The highest riser by far.
 
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He is an exciting prospect for sure. Could turn out to be somewhat of a steal even at 26 overall. A do-it-all power forward that's improving in his own end to go with his great shot, very good playmaking skills and puck protection skills. And a leader to boot. Foegele-Byfield-Greentree line as soon as next season? I have a couple of names: A Sizeable Line. Bulldozer line. Great wall of California. I could go on... :)
 
The only knock on him is his skating ability but that's just me. Everything else about him is good; power forwards are a type of player the Kings sorely need to offset the relative softness of the roster. Brown was the last player to truly grace the position for LA until his retirement a few years ago. Now the Kings are going to have to draft more players of Greentree's caliber, if they can find them well enough with their scouting department, and rely much less on wirey, skill-and-speed-only forwards who may potentially don't have the effective finishing touch and lack sandpaper (as I tend to be leery of them ever since I had the misfortune of seeing Austin Wagner play on the roster for the past few seasons). Not only that, but LA is also going to have to draft a puck-moving, two-way defenseman to eventually take Doughty's place if Doughty will retire in the future.
 
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JC6388LAKings said:
The only knock on him is his skating ability but that's just me. Everything else about him is good; power forwards are a type of player the Kings sorely need to offset the relative softness of the roster. Brown was the last player to truly grace the position for LA until his retirement a few years ago. Now the Kings are going to have to draft more players of Greentree's caliber, if they can find them well enough with their scouting department, and rely much less on wirey, skill-and-speed-only forwards who may potentially don't have the effective finishing touch and lack sandpaper (as I tend to be leery of them ever since I had the misfortune of seeing Austin Wagner play on the roster for the past few seasons). Not only that, but LA is also going to have to draft a puck-moving, two-way defenseman to eventually take Doughty's place if Doughty will retire in the future.
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Yeah, his skating is the only real knock, but apparently it's improving. But even if it doesn't improve significantly - Kaliyev for example had a 0,5 ppg season despite his very apparent lack of skating and basically everything else apart from his elite shot. Greentree is much more of a whole package type of a player that isn't a one trick PP pony.

Regarding the puck moving D-man, you seem to be forgetting the Kings have the heir apparent in Brandt Clarke on the roster who is so far doing just fine at the NHL level and should everything go well he's only going to improve. But I do agree the Kings need to make sure the prospect flow doesn't stop...

A while ago I opened a thread because I stumbled upon one unsigned prospect Mazden Leslie, who is an intruguing prospect that fills that mold and he's apparently improving quite rapidly. Now it says he's eligible for 2025 draft. What does that mean? That he's not free to sign anywhere anymore? Why would he willingly enter the draft again? To make sure the team that drafts him at least somewhat commitst to him? He's ranked at 196...probably worth a shot.
 
Bollocks said:
Yeah, his skating is the only real knock, but apparently it's improving. But even if it doesn't improve significantly - Kaliyev for example had a 0,5 ppg season despite his very apparent lack of skating and basically everything else apart from his elite shot. Greentree is much more of a whole package type of a player that isn't a one trick PP pony.

Regarding the puck moving D-man, you seem to be forgetting the Kings have the heir apparent in Brandt Clarke on the roster who is so far doing just fine at the NHL level and should everything go well he's only going to improve. But I do agree the Kings need to make sure the prospect flow doesn't stop...

A while ago I opened a thread because I stumbled upon one unsigned prospect Mazden Leslie, who is an intruguing prospect that fills that mold and he's apparently improving quite rapidly. Now it says he's eligible for 2025 draft. What does that mean? That he's not free to sign anywhere anymore? Why would he willingly enter the draft again? To make sure the team that drafts him at least somewhat commitst to him? He's ranked at 196...probably worth a shot.
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All players age 18 are draft eligible for 2 years. If they aren’t drafted in those 2 drafts then they’re free to sign anywhere after the 2nd draft.

Funny enough the Kings missed out on Radko Gudas in a situation where he was passed over for 2 drafts (08, 09), they invited him to camp in summer 2009, offered him a contract but the NHL voided it and ruled that he would be draft eligible again. He was drafted by the Lightning in 2010.
 
Statue4Deano said:
All players age 18 are draft eligible for 2 years. If they aren’t drafted in those 2 drafts then they’re free to sign anywhere after the 2nd draft.

Funny enough the Kings missed out on Radko Gudas in a situation where he was passed over for 2 drafts (08, 09), they invited him to camp in summer 2009, offered him a contract but the NHL voided it and ruled that he would be draft eligible again. He was drafted by the Lightning in 2010.
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Thank you for the explanation.

Wait, so why couldn't Gudas sign with the Kings if he was passed in two drafts already?
 
Is Greentree really a power forward? Maybe in the same way that Byfield is a ‘power forward’. I think he’s more of a slick stick handling perimeter guy with size, who will occasionally drive the net in a breakaway type situation, from the highlights I’ve watched. Guys his size who are average skaters tend to dominate in junior, but more often than not, that changes once they arrive at the pro ranks.

Alex Turcotte is more of a power forward, than either of the aforementioned players, in my opinion.
 
Bollocks said:
Thank you for the explanation.

Wait, so why couldn't Gudas sign with the Kings if he was passed in two drafts already?
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According to interviews I’ve heard the Kings are still not sure why the contract was voided. The speculation I’ve read is that because Gudas played his most recent draft season outside of North America and he’d never played in North America at any point he was ineligible to be signed as a free agent.

I’ve read the CBA and I don’t see anything written that would make me agree with that interpretation but whatever the league says goes.

lakingsinsider.com

From Development Camp to Tampa Bay - LA Kings Insider

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Radko Gudas certainly has the characteristics of a professional hockey player. The rugged defenseman renowned for his thunderous hits and supreme beard-growing ability has trimmed the bristles to a more manageable handlebar moustache in honor of Movember. He...
lakingsinsider.com lakingsinsider.com
 
Bollocks said:
A while ago I opened a thread because I stumbled upon one unsigned prospect Mazden Leslie, who is an intruguing prospect that fills that mold and he's apparently improving quite rapidly. Now it says he's eligible for 2025 draft. What does that mean? That he's not free to sign anywhere anymore? Why would he willingly enter the draft again? To make sure the team that drafts him at least somewhat commitst to him? He's ranked at 196...probably worth a shot.
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I'm not sure he was every eligible to be signed as a FA as he remained draft eligible. If he is not drafted, and ages out, per below, then he would be able to be signed as a FA.


To be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft, a player must:

- Be at least 18 years old by September 15 of the draft year

- Be younger than 20 years old by December 31 of the draft year
- Be a North American player, or a European or international player who is 18–21 years old

Players who don't meet these requirement enter the league as an unrestricted free agent.
 
DarkLeftHand said:
Is Greentree really a power forward? Maybe in the same way that Byfield is a ‘power forward’. I think he’s more of a slick stick handling perimeter guy with size, who will occasionally drive the net in a breakaway type situation, from the highlights I’ve watched. Guys his size who are average skaters tend to dominate in junior, but more often than not, that changes once they arrive at the pro ranks.

Alex Turcotte is more of a power forward, than either of the aforementioned players, in my opinion.
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Greentree does fit the profile of a power forward, while Byfield is less of a power forward than he is a playmaker with defensive upside.

Turcotte does not fit the profile of a power forward as he's more of a sniper. Well, early in his career he was a Mike Richards-type of player but those injuries he's sustained forced him to change his game so he's no longer legitimately a 'power forward.'
 
JC6388LAKings said:
Greentree does fit the profile of a power forward, while Byfield is less of a power forward than he is a playmaker with defensive upside.

Turcotte does not fit the profile of a power forward as he's more of a sniper. Well, early in his career he was a Mike Richards-type of player but those injuries he's sustained forced him to change his game so he's no longer legitimately a 'power forward.'
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Turcotte has always been a playmaker, and never was nor projected to be a power forward. Power Forwards are big, physical wrecking balls at their best. Tucotte's biggest weakness is that he is willing to make the play at the expense of leaving himself prone, and doesn't have the physical stature to adequately absorb the hits he is dealt in such a position. That has led to a good number of his concussions. He seems to have improved but still sets himself up to take hits into the board (often head first) that one does not want to see. He reminds me a lot of Martin Havlat, a serious talent who is consistently derailed with injuries over his career.

I agree with you on Greentree but Byfield is also a power forward at heart (similar to an Eric Lindros - though he will never put up the points of Lindros). Question is whether or not the Kings want him to play like one as such a role tends to come with higher chance of injury.
 
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