Prospect Watch: Kevin Raine
RinkRoyalty will be reviewing the progress of Los Angeles Kings prospects every Wednesday as the season continues into full swing.
This week’s edition of Prospect Watch takes a look at defensemen Kevin Raine.
Welcome to the club kid.
21-year-old Kevin Raine was invited to Kings training camp on a tryout basis. Raine’s solid play during the Kings 2014 rookie camp and then training camp earned him a spot with the Kings franchise on their American Hockey League affiliate the Manchester Monarchs roster. The 6’1, 208 pound, Raine is a native of Dryden, Ontario; he will join the Monarchs as an undrafted free-agent.
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Sep 25, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Andrew Cogliano (7) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kevin Raine (63) battle for the puck in the first period of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Raine played his junior hockey for the London Knights in the OHL for a season and a half before becoming a member of the Sudbury Wolves in the middle of the 2012-2013 season. Raine was named captain of the Wolves for the 2013-2014 season, playing in 57 games registering 4 goals and 21 points. Both were career highs. Raine’s performance earned him a tryout with the AHL Portland Pirates. In 5 games with the Pirates Raine registered 1 assist.
As a defensive defensemen Raine does not put up spectacular numbers in the stat columns; his contributions are elsewhere on the ice. In today’s NHL offensive defensemen are in demand; players like Ottawa Senators Erik Karlsson, Montreal Canadians P.K. Subban, Washington Capitals Mike Green. An emphasis on analytics has made statistics more and more influential. But it’s hard to see a player’s potential on the stat sheet alone. Raine is a solid defender, a good puck moving defensmen who excels in positioning and vision on the ice.
In today’s NHL it takes defensemen a longer period of time to develop. Speed and skill level of the game have incrementally increased over the years, as a result it takes top defensemen more time to adjust. Unless the player is a rare phenom, most defensemen enter their prime in their late 20’s. In comparison the legend Bobby Orr retired when he was 29.
Raine’s drastic improvement in numbers in his most recent season could be an indication that he’s becoming comfortable with his growing size. Every player has to be comfortable with their body size because the sport of hockey requires the intense skill of balancing on skates. To match an opponents speed, maintain balance and throw a proper body check, to knock an opponent off the puck demands a knowledge of one’s own limitations. This discovery is something all NHL players, defensemen especially, must undergo. It’s a learning process that’s different for every player, and the universal truth is: it takes time.
Raine demonstrated he’s learning fast. In his last game with the Kings, against the Anaheim Ducks, Raine stood out. Announcers mentioned his name frequently. Raine made himself noticed breaking up plays as the Ducks attempted to enter the Kings zone by throwing a hit or using his reach to pokecheck the puck away from an oncoming opponent.
Making the quick jump on the stat sheet and from Juniors to the AHL to the NHL, Raine is showing he’s expanding his knowledge of timing and limitations – identifying he’s increasing his potential as he continues to grow, like a plant that is regularly watered.
As one announcer alluded to during a Kings preseason game, he’s the only Raine that’s come to Southern California this summer.
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All jokes aside Raine has demonstrated that he’s learning fast. In his last game with the Kings, against the Anaheim Ducks, Raine stood out. Announcers mentioned his name frequently. Raine made himself noticed breaking up plays as the Ducks attempted to enter the Kings zone by throwing a hit or using his reach to pokecheck the puck away from an oncoming rusher.
Unfortunately, Raine’s situation falls in with a particular group of players. Possessing talent and the ability to play at a high level Raine is a solid defensemen and prospect. However, Raine doesn’t have the name recognition or pedigree as other prospects. Certainly this is what has caused Raine to go undrafted.
It’s not a lack of skill or work ethic on the players part, it’s a lack of awareness by NHL teams. After all, it’s a business at the end of the day as they usually say. And like all other forms of business it’s about getting your name out there, how you can get seen, and to some extent who you know.
General Manager Dean Lombardi, Head Coach Darryl Sutter and the Kings tremendous scouting staff have a history of discovering players in these types of passed-over situations. Acquisitions like Raine make a franchise great. Almost anyone can find a great player with a top three pick in the draft, but discovering a seventh round or undrafted raw-talented player, giving the kid direction, guidence, a method and an arena to refine his skills is an art in-and-of-itself. It’s a mechanism that adds value to a team without giving up a huge cost – a cost which is usually in the form of 1st or 2nd round draft pick.
This process has helped make the Kings the dominant, and near dynasty, team that they are today.
The other benefit, especially in this case, is for the individual player. Raine doesn’t have the pedigree or name recognition, so the Kings will want to try him out for a full year in the AHL and see how he plays and continues to evolve. This is an advantage for Raine: it gives him experience in the AHL, a level of hockey where he is under constant watchful eyes which is an opportunity to gain some name recognition. Adjusting to a long, professional schedule Raine can get used to the AHL grind and further his skills against some of those other top prospects that are trying to make their way into the NHL.
Raine has the potential to be an effective, regular at the NHL level. Resembling a style of play like the Kings own assistant captain Matt Greene – a defensive defensemen who can adequately move the puck out of the defensive zone and up ice.
The Monarchs training camp starts today, Wednesday October 1st. Manchester opens their regular season Sunday, October 12th against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.