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What The LA Kings Opening Night Roster Could Look Like

By Vincent D'Angelo

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Fans head to the entrance for opening night of the Los Angeles Kings 2017-2018 season against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center on October 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 05: Fans head to the entrance for opening night of the Los Angeles Kings 2017-2018 season against the Philadelphia Flyers at Staples Center on October 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 27: Los Angeles Kings Prospect Forward Gabe Vilardi (42) looks on during the Los Angeles Kings Development Camp on June 27, 2018 at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Joshua Lavallee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 27: Los Angeles Kings Prospect Forward Gabe Vilardi (42) looks on during the Los Angeles Kings Development Camp on June 27, 2018 at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Joshua Lavallee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

LA Kings 3rd Line:

17-18 Cammalleri Kempe Brodzinski
18-19 Lafallo Kempe Vilardi


Upgraded.

Without a doubt, Alex Lafallo is a more complete player than Michael Cammalleri. Iafallo simply does more with his game, he’s a takeaway monster, a strong presence on the forecheck.

Lafallo’s only struggle last season was his point scoring ability coming into question but lest we forget he played on a line with Anze Kopitar, he was being defended by the best defensemen in the world not named Drew Doughty!

Kempe is a more complete center than he was at the start of last season thanks to the Jeff Carter injury and spending most of his season on the LA Kings’ second line.

In a 3C role, he will no doubt be better and have more room to skate as he plays against the opposing teams 3rd and 4th lines more often.

Vilardi vs. Brodzinski is a tough battle to call but I’m going to hand it to Vilardi right now. I may be wrong, Vilardi has yet to play a game on NHL ice and we only have his Juniors statistics to go off of.

What sells Vilardi over Brodzinski to me is body size and how each of the players uses it. Gabriel Vilardi is 6’3 201 lbs and Jonny Brodzinski is 6’1 216 lbs.

Vilardi is known to utilize his size more than Brodzinski. Vilardi is a power forward playmaker hybrid (another comparison to Kopitar along with his #11 pick status) while Brodzinski is a sniper who has struggled to score in the NHL.

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