Prospect update

Over the coarse of the season you will be hearing me talk about L.A. Kings prospects. Who is playing well, who is dropping off the charts and so on. I think it is important to know who the future Kings are, especially since these players will likely be a key part off hopefully several long playoff runs.

This is my top 10 list
1. Jonathan Bernier G
2. Brayden Schenn C
3. Thomas Hickey D
4. Oscar Moller RW
5. Vyacheslav Voinov D
6. Andrei Loktionov C
7. Colten Teubert D
8. Trevor Lewis C
9. Martin Jones G
10. Linden Vey RW

It is a widely debated topic on who is the Kings top prospect especially between Bernier, Schenn and Hickey. All the choices are pretty good and it is a hard choice since all 3 play a different position. In my opinion Bernier has the edge. Goalies often take the longest to develop. Bernier is now 22 and he is the oldest of the top 3 prospects, his expierience in Manchester has really helped him adjust to the pro style of hockey and thus far with Manchester he has been stellar. Bernier looks like he is ready to take the next step. Unless Quick gets injured this year Bernier is likely stuck in Manchester. However next year if Quick doesn’t step up his game I would think Bernier will be Quicks back up next year and will push Quick for the number 1 spot.

The Kings have several defensive prospects coming up and both Hickey and Voinov are knocking on the NHL doorsteps. Hickey has struggled so far in Manchester but it is expected th struggle at times. Hickey is a leader and he can quarter back your powerplay and kill penalties. he is rarely ever out of position. the one thing I notice in Hickeys game is the fact that he tries to make a risky pass and more often than not the puck is turned over. Voinov has the edge so far to get called up. Voinov is in his second year with Manchester and is playing some solid hockey right now. He to can play on the powerplay and would be ok to play on the 2nd penalty killing unit. Teubert is developing into a solid big hitting defensive defenseman, but he is still a few years away. Overall I think Hickey has the biggest upside to become the best of these 3, although I think Voinov will get the first shot at the NHL.

On forward, Brayden Schenn and Andrei Loktionov will be in the NHL with in the next 2 years. Schenn was one of the last cuts this year. He is big, strong, fast and has a naturel goal scoring touch. while Loktionov is more of a 2-way playmaking centre who is enjoying a solid rookie start in Manchester. Oscar Moller is a small, speedy, smart hockey player who is getting his shot here and there and will likely be playing full time for the Kings next year. With Kopitar locked in over the next few years as the #1 centre, 1 of Schenn and Loktionov may have to shift to the wing. I believe it will be Loktionov, and if the Kings are unable to sign Frolov and wind up trading him. Loktionov could be just the player to take over for Frolov.

finally we have Trevor Lewis who struggled in his first few games as a King but he still has a bright future, he just needs a little more time to figure out how to use his skills at the NHL level. Martin Jones is another goalie in a long line of goalie prospects. Jones will take over for Bernier in Manchester in a year or 2 and may end up becoming Berniers backup in the NHL in a few years after L.A. parts ways with Quick. Eventually the Kings will have to use Quick as trade bait to help them in the future and with Bernier waiting in the wings it is only a matter of time before Quick will have to move on.

Last but not least, I want everyone to keep an eye on Linden Vey, he isn’t going to win the scoring title or even lead his team in scoring, but Linden Vey is going to be a heart and soul type of player, he will kill penalties, block shots, grind in the corners and do what ever it takes to help his team win. He is not on very many top 10 lists, he is not even on some top 20 Kings list, but for me he is my sleeper pick to become a real difference maker for the Kings in a few years.

This was a preview of some of my top 10 prospects for the Kings, and in the future I will go into more depth about each individual as the season goes on.

Luton