LA Kings: Mid-season organization’s prospect rankings 10-6

First, I just want to say a BIG THANKS to @theTonyFerrari of DobberProspects.com and @ByronMBader of HockeyProspecting.com for helping out with my rankings. They both do great work for their respective websites, and every hockey fan should look into their awesome content.

Bright Future

I’m sure you have all heard this before, but the future of the LA Kings franchise looks REALLY good.

Rob Blake and the rest of the Kings’ scouting department have drafted extremely well and have, what it seems like, all the pieces to build a consistent cup-contender in the near future. The consensus around the hockey community is that the Kings have one of the best, if not the best group of upcoming young talent in the NHL.

The Rankings

Any player with at least 10GP in the NHL has been left off this list. For example, players like Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Tobias Bjornfot, Mikey Anderson, and Gabe Vilardi, while all still considered rookies, have been moved to ‘graduated’ status in my rankings.

HockeyProspecting.com

For these rankings, we were fortunate enough to get help from Byron Bader over at HockeyProspecting.com. His visual player comparison cards are a great way to illustrate a prospect’s development trajectory compared to other current or former NHL players.

DobberProspects.com

Tony Ferrari, the Head of Scouting at DobberProspects.com, also helped out with some great insights into some of the players as well. Here’s his take on a prospect for LA, Kasper Simontaival, who just missed the cut for my top ten.

The LA Kings took a swing on Simontaival at the top of the third round, banking on the young Finns raw talent and scoring ability. He is on the smaller side but he’s put up big numbers at the junior level and looked comfortable in the Mestis this season when he was there. He needs to fill out and get stronger but the talent is obvious. It may be a longer development path but Simonatival has the luxury of a loaded Kings system that can give him that time.

This was tough, but here are my top ten rankings for the Los Angles Kings’ prospects, beginning with numbers ten through six.

Martin Chromiak – 18 y/o – RW – 2020 Round 5 #128 overall

Tipos Extraliga – HK Dukla Trencin (Loan) – 31 GP-7G-12A-19P

Martin Chromiak has all the attributes to be a quality top-six winger in the NHL. Chromiak’s top traits include good to great top-end speed and agility with an excellent wrist shot. During the 2021 WJC, Chromiak was given the opportunity to showcase that shot as Team Slovakia made the young winger the focal point of their power play, setting him up for one-timers from the circle.

HockeyProspecting.com Player Comparison

Tony Ferrari Scouting Report

Showing that he can be a key cog on a high-impact line with wonderkid Shane Wright in Kingston last season, Chromiak should be a good complimentary player at the next level. He projects as a top-nine forward who can do a bit of everything offensively. If he’s the best player on a line, the line may struggle but if he is the second or third best player, alongside a true play driver, he is going to find the scoresheet and put up respectable point totals.

Chromiak, along with a plethora of other young players, has been waiting for the OHL to return to play. Until then, he has been on loan, playing for HK Dukla Trencin in the Slovakian men’s league, and has impressed.

When the OHL returns, look for Chromiak to make his way back to the Kingston Fronteacs, playing alongside 2022 top draft prospect Shayne Wright. The two players have developed some great chemistry for Kingston.

While Chromiak has all the traits to be a great scorer in the NHL, he will need to develop more on his defensive game, as he tends to lose his man in the d-zone. Not uncommon for a young player like Chromiak, and the move to the smaller North American rinks has helped him in his development.

Rasmus Kupari – 20 y/o – C – 2018 Round 1 #20 overall

AHL – Ontario Reign -11GP-3G-9A-12P

If not for a season-ending injury during the 2020 WJC, Rasmus Kupari was well on his way to making a potential NHL debut with the Kings later that year.  Unfortunately, losing a year in development for a player like Kupari can be detrimental. However, Kupari has bounced back and looks to be very much the player he was prior to the severe injury.

Kupari’s speed has always been his best quality. Players always seem to be a step behind the young Finn, and that speed helps him create enough space for Rasmus to utilize his playmaking ability to set up his linemates.

HockeyProspecting.com Player Comparison

Kupari’s comeback season has been off to a great start. Playing for the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, he has shown great chemistry with fellow Kings’ prospects Tyler Madden and Arthur Kaliyev, scoring at just over a point per game. Kings management took notice of Kupari’s great play and rewarded the young center with a call up to the big club.

During his three-game callup, Kupari looked a bit timid on the ice, hesitating with the puck on his stick. With the number of centers currently in the Kings system, it will be interesting to see what they do with Kupari.

I believe a move to the wing would be beneficial for the smooth-skating forward and give him the freedom and opportunity to use his speed more to his advantage without having to worry about the defensive responsibilities given to the center position.

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.

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.

Tyler Madden – 21 y/o – LW – 2019 Round 3 #68 overall

AHL – Ontario Reign – 12GP-1G-3A-4P

Turn away Canucks fans. This player is a good one. Tyler Madden has all the makings to follow his father John’s footsteps. Just like his dad, Madden has a very high hockey IQ without the puck. Though, unlike his father, with the puck, Madden is able to display more creativity.

Acquired from the Canucks in the Tyler Toffoli deal at the 2020 trade deadline, Tyler Madden has produced some highlight-reel plays with the Ontario Reign.

During the AHL preseason, he scored five goals in five games, with each goal more impressive than the last. However, much like the rest of the Reign team, he has struggled at the start of his professional career scoring only one goal in his first 12 games.

HockeyProspecting.com Player Comparison

As mentioned earlier, Madden’s creativity with the puck on his stick makes him a very entertaining player to watch. It seems every game he plays, he tries some sort of dangle that many other young players wouldn’t dare try, but that is Tyler. The enthusiasm he has for the game of hockey is very much noticeable when he steps on the ice, and his emotions are displayed in plain view.

If Tyler Madden continues his entertaining play and is able to hone in his offensive capabilities and grow the defensive side of his game. He will very much so follow his dad’s footsteps and make for a quality, versatile NHL forward much like his father, with more skill.