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.

2. Samuel Fagemo

Similar to Kaliyev, Fagemo could slot into the third line on Opening Night. But he might have a slight advantage over the former in that he can play at both the left and right-winger positions. The 20-year-old stands at 6-foot-0, 200 pounds.

He’s a big-bodied forward and has proven that he’s capable of creating his own shot. Guys like that stand out in training camp and earn themselves a roster spot. See Lizotte last year.

Fagemo might have the added edge of playing with a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked in the 2018 NHL Draft. He spent last season with Frolunda of the SHL, scoring 13 goals with 9 assists in 42 games.

He’s off to a fast start this year. The Göteborg, Sweden native is currently loaned to Södertälje of the HockeyAllsvenskan, is tied for third in the league with 5 points (2G, 3A).