LA Kings: Three players who could sneak onto the Opening Night roster

Here are three players in the LA Kings prospect pool that could find themselves on the Opening Night roster.

Whenever the NHL sets the 2020-2021 season schedule, one of the more interesting items to follow in training camp will be the prospect battles at their respective positions. The LA Kings are fresh off selecting Quinton Byfield with the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

While he projects to have a bright future, the best bet is for him to continue developing at the lower levels.

Could we see Byfield for a few games this season? Absolutely. But in the same manner that Tobias Bjornfot played for the Kings last year. If he (Byfield) winds up making his NHL debut in the upcoming season, don’t expect the organization to begin the clock on his three-year entry-level deal.

That said, the Kings have arguably the best prospect pool in the league, and the projected Opening Night roster has a couple of spots that could go to a member in the pool. Let’s look at three players who could be playing in Game 1 of the 2020-2021 season for the Kings.

1. Arthur Kaliyev

How Kaliyev fell to the second round in the 2019 draft is a question that will be asked for years. He’s a legitimate scoring threat who can help the Kings with their scoring woes. The club finished fourth in Corsi-for percentage last year, but they couldn’t finish. Only the Red Wings had fewer goals.

Kaliyev presents a pure shooter with an NHL-ready shot. The 19-year-old tallied 95 goals over the last two seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL. He features excellent vision as well, as displayed by his 105 assists over that same span.

While most of the Kings’ media projects him beginning the year for the Ontario Reign, a solid training camp can propel Kaliyev into the third line with Blake Lizotte and Jeff Carter to begin the season.

3. Lias Andersson

One of the best decisions on draft night was the acquisition of Lias Andersson. The former seventh overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft went four spots ahead of Gabe Vilardi. His time with the New York Rangers did not go well, scoring a combined 3 goals with 6 assists in 66 games.

He left the club last winter, demanding a trade, and was loaned to HV71 of the SHL, where he scored 12 points in 15 games. He remains with the club and is currently finishing out a five-game suspension.

Through the first four games, Andersson has a goal and 3 assists for 4 points. Reports are conflicting on his plans for the 2020-2021 season, as I have seen that he’ll remain in Sweden for the whole year.

Elsewhere, I have seen the Kings want to bring him in for training camp. He could end up going back to Sweden if he fails to make the Kings roster out of training camp. But the scouting reports should have LA Kings’ fans licking their chops.

“Andersson is an excellent team player. Never takes a shift off. Also blessed with good hockey sense and plays a strong two-way game. Offensively, Andersson stands out with impressive puck skills, a good shot and fine speed. Has the tools to become a scoring line player, but could also become an excellent role player who always gives 100%.” – Elite Prospects

Players with that kind of character and physical abilities get people talking in training camp. Again, he would seem to fit on the third line’s left side should he make the team.

Can we get the season started already?