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https://theathletic.com/3101357/202...rospect-pool-rankings-no-2-los-angeles-kings/
After a number of graduations and some trades (Kaliyev, Bjornfot, Durzi, Anderson, Clague et al.) the Kings have slid from last year's No. 1 ranking to No. 2.
A couple I found interesting:
2. Brandt Clarke, RHD, 18 (Barrie Colts)
Clarke has offensive-zone skill that is extremely hard to find among defencemen. He’s just a roving, confident, attacking defender with an uncanny ability to beat opposing players side-to-side, find his way into dangerous areas and then execute NHL-level plays to drive offense. He’s got some oddities, too. His knees knock. He rides on his inside edges. He’s not a natural athlete (though he has worked very hard to build out his frame and strength). But I don’t think any of those things are prohibitive to his development and he’s actually a pretty darn good defender (the biggest misnomer about him tries to say otherwise) against the rush and inside his own zone as is. Different isn’t necessarily a negative and I think that’s the case with Clarke. All of his little quirks make him the weird, fascinating, gifted player that he is. And I expect his intricacies will make him a special player at the next level, just like they have at every level below it. Clarke’s east-west vision was impressive as ever. He does a great job changing sides. He has this way of getting into the spots to make something happen. I liked what I saw defensively, too. I’ve often referred to him as a bit of a unicorn. He looks, at all times, completely unbothered by the stage or the pressure of opposing players. I think there are times when that can result in him trying to do too much. But there are also times it results into little spin or flip passes that are rare. There are things about his game that may scare off the odd coach (which I’d argue has less to do with him than hockey’s misperceptions of what he is) but he can completely take over a game and I admire his gumption. I also expect him to make significant progress as he continues to get stronger and sturdier.
4. Gabe Vilardi, C, 22 (Ontario Reign/Los Angeles Kings)
Vilardi’s a player I’ve always had time for and one I’m surprised the Kings haven’t had more for truthfully. He’s 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but he’s more than just the puck-protection centre you’d expect at a glance of his listed height and weight. He’s not a power-forward type, preferring instead to calculate his way around the ice. The things that make him effective aren’t the attention-grabbing kind. He’s not an explosive skater. He’s not a natural scoring threat. He’s not the dynamic, creative, puck-on-a-string type. He’s just a well-rounded offensive player who understands how to use spacing to make plays in a variety of ways. He’s got impressive skill, with a threatening hashmarks shot and good hands one-on-one with goalies or in traffic, but he’s also able to take the puck off the wall and make plays to the interior with his puck control skill out wide to his body. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t have a star quality but impacts a game and produces just the same as players his age who do. I enjoy watching him navigate out there and I think he belongs in the NHL (which is supported by his results and his makeup). I wonder if because he’s not what you maybe imagine out of a player who looks like him, whether that has created conflict and frustrations with the coaching staff (which, again, I would likely argue has more to do with archetypes and bias than his merits as a player).
After a number of graduations and some trades (Kaliyev, Bjornfot, Durzi, Anderson, Clague et al.) the Kings have slid from last year's No. 1 ranking to No. 2.
A couple I found interesting:
2. Brandt Clarke, RHD, 18 (Barrie Colts)
Clarke has offensive-zone skill that is extremely hard to find among defencemen. He’s just a roving, confident, attacking defender with an uncanny ability to beat opposing players side-to-side, find his way into dangerous areas and then execute NHL-level plays to drive offense. He’s got some oddities, too. His knees knock. He rides on his inside edges. He’s not a natural athlete (though he has worked very hard to build out his frame and strength). But I don’t think any of those things are prohibitive to his development and he’s actually a pretty darn good defender (the biggest misnomer about him tries to say otherwise) against the rush and inside his own zone as is. Different isn’t necessarily a negative and I think that’s the case with Clarke. All of his little quirks make him the weird, fascinating, gifted player that he is. And I expect his intricacies will make him a special player at the next level, just like they have at every level below it. Clarke’s east-west vision was impressive as ever. He does a great job changing sides. He has this way of getting into the spots to make something happen. I liked what I saw defensively, too. I’ve often referred to him as a bit of a unicorn. He looks, at all times, completely unbothered by the stage or the pressure of opposing players. I think there are times when that can result in him trying to do too much. But there are also times it results into little spin or flip passes that are rare. There are things about his game that may scare off the odd coach (which I’d argue has less to do with him than hockey’s misperceptions of what he is) but he can completely take over a game and I admire his gumption. I also expect him to make significant progress as he continues to get stronger and sturdier.
4. Gabe Vilardi, C, 22 (Ontario Reign/Los Angeles Kings)
Vilardi’s a player I’ve always had time for and one I’m surprised the Kings haven’t had more for truthfully. He’s 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but he’s more than just the puck-protection centre you’d expect at a glance of his listed height and weight. He’s not a power-forward type, preferring instead to calculate his way around the ice. The things that make him effective aren’t the attention-grabbing kind. He’s not an explosive skater. He’s not a natural scoring threat. He’s not the dynamic, creative, puck-on-a-string type. He’s just a well-rounded offensive player who understands how to use spacing to make plays in a variety of ways. He’s got impressive skill, with a threatening hashmarks shot and good hands one-on-one with goalies or in traffic, but he’s also able to take the puck off the wall and make plays to the interior with his puck control skill out wide to his body. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t have a star quality but impacts a game and produces just the same as players his age who do. I enjoy watching him navigate out there and I think he belongs in the NHL (which is supported by his results and his makeup). I wonder if because he’s not what you maybe imagine out of a player who looks like him, whether that has created conflict and frustrations with the coaching staff (which, again, I would likely argue has more to do with archetypes and bias than his merits as a player).
