LA Kings: Mid-season organization’s prospect rankings 10-6
Brock Faber – 18 y/o – D – 2020 Round 2 #45 overall
NCAA – Univ. of Minnesota – 25GP-1G-6A-7P
I might be higher on Brock Faber when it comes to ranking the Kings’ stellar pool of prospects than most other hockey evaluators around, but during the 2021 WJC, Faber was excellent. As the youngest defenseman on the US roster for the U-20 tournament, the agile skater out of Maple Grove, MN, showed a ton of poise. The confidence that Faber brought to the table was immediately noticed by the US coaching staff, and Faber catapulted his way up the depth chart skating on the first pair alongside Captain Cam York (PHI).
Brock Faber’s defensive IQ was very impressive during the 2021 WJC. He was strong along the boards, and he showed great ability to make that important first pass out of the defensive zone to start the breakout. He’s continued that splendid poise playing top minutes for the #4 ranked Minnesota Gophers, earning himself All-Freshman B1G Honors.
HockeyProspecting.com Player Comparison
While most defenders use their strength to knock players off the puck while in the defensive zone, Faber uses his great defensive awareness to position himself well and use his stick to disrupt play. Think Alec Martinez, not a ton of flash, not large, but effective.
#WJC: Clean stretch pass from RHD Brock Faber (LAK 2nd/2020) springs a 2-on-1 for C Matt Beniers (2021/2002) and LW Matt Boldy (MIN 1st/2019), with Boldy finishing. It's 6-0 Team USA over Austria with a 46-6 shot advantage for the Americans.#2021NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/0FLyZCBnnR
— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) December 27, 2020
Faber is well on his way to becoming a good shut-down defensive in the NHL. Look for him to continue his development with the Gophers in Minnesota heading into his sophomore season next year, and if he is able to gain more strength, he might make a push to be on the Kings roster after the college season is over.