Which prospects should get the next look with the LA Kings?
In a season where the LA Kings should find out what they have in their prospects, which ones should get the next look?
The 2021 season is one the LA Kings are looking to start transitioning from a rebuilding team to a playoff contender. The core players like Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, Jonathan Quick, and Jeff Carter are still key pieces of the roster – but they are beginning to age and will sooner than later need help carrying the team.
With that in mind, Kings management is starting to phase in the younger players that have been waiting for their opportunity.
Dismantling a championship team is never easy to do, but the LA Kings needed to move forward as a franchise. A major step in this direction was the January 2019 trade of Jake Muzzin to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In return for the veteran defenseman, the Kings received Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi, and a 2019 first-round draft pick that would become Tobias Bjornfot.
The following season, the LA Kings said goodbye to fan-favorite Kyle Clifford, along with Jack Campbell and Derek Forbort trades. This offseason, the man who was consistently considered to be the team’s “unsung hero” signed with the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings were changing the team’s identity, but who will the new faces be?
In moving on from veteran players, the team created open spots on the roster. The process of assimilating the young players into the team, as Mikey Anderson, Kale Clague, Trevor Moore, and Gabe Vilardi are all getting regular playing time. There are several more coming through the LA’s vaunted prospect pool. Which players should be getting the next looks?
Number one: Jaret Andreson-Dolan
Drafted in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Jaret Anderson-Dolan is a hard-working two-way center. Playing his junior hockey for the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League, some thought Anderson-Dolan might be a potential second-line center.
While that is most likely a bit of an overly ambitious projection given the Kings depth at center, he could still serve the team well as a bottom-six forward with a scorer’s touch.
Jaret-Anderson Dolan is currently on the Kings taxi squad. He spent last season with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He played in 53 games, posting 8 goals and 20 assists. Although he was a -3 overall, the Reign overall was a work in progress defensively.
Then Ontario coach Mike Stothers trusted the young center in all situations, and he has been especially recognized for his leadership qualities. Anderson-Dolan had brief stints with the Kings in 2018-19 and 2019-20, but the time has come for him to be given a prolonged chance to prove he belongs on the team.
Number two: Samuel Fagemo
The LA Kings are loaded with high-end prospects at forward, with names like Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Tyler Madden, Akil Thomas, Arthur Kalyiev, and Rasmus Kupari leading the way.
All these players can be expected to make the Kings at some point. Still, of the players on this list, only two of them have professional experience playing in men’s leagues – Kupari in the Finnish Liiga and Samuel Fagemo in Sweden’s SHL. Kupari is working his way back from major knee surgery, and a season in the AHL will be needed to properly get his development back on track.
Fagemo, however, has no such problems.
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The 20-year-old winger is known for his work ethic and scoring touch. The organization is very high on Fagemo after trading up in the second round of the 2019 draft to get him. Playing against men in Europe may have accelerated his development, which may be why the Kings chose to start his season on their taxi squad rather than send him to Reign training camp.
The LA forwards seem to be playing well right now, but it should only be a matter of time before we see Fagemo wearing the silver and black.
Number three: Tobias Bjornfot
Like Samuel Fagemo, Tobias Bjornfot is a Swede. Unlike Fagemo, Bjornfot is a defenseman.
Drafted in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft with the pick acquired from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin trade, there is little doubt within the Kings organization Bjornfot will play in the NHL – the question is when? He had an exceptional training camp last season, drawing lavish praise from Drew Doughty.
That performance earned him three games with the Kings before being sent down to Ontario for more development – and presumably to avoid using the first year on his entry-level contract. Bjornfot has a solid first season with the Reign, contributing 19 points to go along with a +13.
Bjornfot can be expected to join the Kings at some point this season. The team reportedly wants to get playing time in LA for both him and Kale Clague – as they are the team’s top two defensive prospects. Whether that will be at the same time or not remains to be seen, as the Kings might be averse to having too many first and second-year defensemen in the lineup at the same time.
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What is for sure is that Tobias Bjornfot has the potential to be on the LA Kings blueline for a long time, and this would be a great season to start the journey.