LA Kings: Three-round mock draft with emphasis on scoring

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While the LA Kings will learn their draft position on June 2, we have the team adding more offensive players in this mock draft.

Next Wednesday, the LA Kings and the other clubs who did not qualify for the playoffs will learn their spot in the draft order via lottery selection. Last season, the Kings were guaranteed a top-five pick and had a 9.5% chance to land the top pick in the draft.

They came away with the second overall pick. The selection would later be Quinton Byfield, who gave the organization yet another center in the prospect pool.

This year, the Kings have a 5.8% chance to land the first overall selection. While nothing is out of the realm of possibility, I suppose, Los Angeles is probably looking at a pick just outside the top five, given their 49.4% odds to come away with the eighth overall pick.

The great thing about this year’s draft is there really isn’t a consensus number one pick like in years past. The prospect pool could use a true bluechip defensive prospect to hang their hat on, but whoever the team selects, they likely won’t be ready for a season or two.

As a quick reminder before we dive into the mock draft, the LA Kings have five picks in the first three rounds.

1st Round: 1 pick
2nd Round: 2 picks
3rd Round: 2 picks

Using FC Hockey’s Mock Draft Simulator, we targeted more scoring for a Kings club that finished with the fifth-fewest goals scored in the NHL. Let’s begin.

LA Kings Draft (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

Round 1: Dylan Guenther, RW

The Kings haven’t taken a player from the WHL since Jaret Anderson-Dolan was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Before that, Kale Clague was plucked from the Brandon Wheat Kings in the second round of the 2016 Draft.

Dylan Guenther just wrapped up playing for Team Canada in the U18s in Frisco, Texas, tallying four goals and three assists en route to the Gold Medal. Before that, he was in his second full season with the Edmonton Oil Kings in an abbreviated 24-game season, tallying 12 goals and 12 assists.

Six of his points came on the man advantage, another area the LA Kings have struggled with as of late. The 2019-2020 WHL Rookie of the Year profiles a Nikita Kucherov-type player, and he’s, rightfully so, projected to be a top-six winger when he reaches his full potential.

Dylan Guenther 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile. light. Related Story

The shot remains an explosive goal-scoring tool, enhanced by his top-of-the-class off-puck timing and instincts around the net. – EPRinkside

Dylan Duke, LW

If anything, Dylan Duke might have the coolest name in the draft. He’s a player that developed under Reign head coach John Wroblewski at the USNDTP, so there is already some level of familiarity with Duke here.

Diving into the numbers, the Strongsville, Ohio native is a talented winger who can score in bunches.

This past season, Duke put up 10 goals and seven assists in USHL play and added 29 goals and 49 points in 50 games for the US National U18 Team, second-most points among U18 skaters. If there’s one thing to know about Duke, it’s that he loves to shoot the puck. He recorded an absurd 18.6% shot rate, aiding him to collect nine goals on the powerplay.

He’s committed to the University of Michigan next season, a program that will likely see three players taken within the top ten of the 2021 NHL Draft. Duke also wrapped up play in the U18s, scoring three goals and four points for Team USA, and was named a top-three player of the tournament by his peers.

Duke has a knack for finding soft areas around the net and making himself an option for the easy goal – EPRinkside

Jack Peart, D

You didn’t expect us to completely ignore the defense, did you? Especially when a player like Jack Peart is available in the second round, he’ll be tough to pass up. No relation to the late Rush drummer Neil, Jack Peart is committed to Frozen Four runner-up St. Cloud State next year.

He split this past season between Grand Rapids High School of the USHS, where he collected 11 goals and 24 assists in just 18 games. Peart’s time in the USHS was sandwiched with the Fargo Force of the USHL, tallying a goal and 14 assists in 24 games while helping the team reach the Clark Cup Finals against the Chicago Steel.

Which, by the way, Peart shined, scoring two goals and seven points in nine games.

His impact on Fargo was noticeable. So much that the Force were a .500 team without him (16-14). Once he returned, Fargo went 11-5 to close out the year.

For his efforts, Peart was named the USHL’s Rookie of the Year and the USHS Minnesota Mr. Hockey (Best Minnesota High School Player).

Matthew Knies, LW

The Pheonix, Arizona native is committed to playing collegiate hockey with Brock Faber at the University of Minnesota next season. The Gophers figure to contend for the B1G Title again next season, and Matthew Knies will be a great addition to that team. Despite being just 18 years of age, Knies stands at a towering 6’3″ and weighs 205 lbs.

He’s demonstrated the ability to put up some points over the last two seasons with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, tallying a combined 31 goals and 56 assists while wearing a letter this past year. In his first full season with Tri-City, Knies was named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Team.

His skating is considered to be average thus far in his development. That said, he’s shown that he can win a foot race to retrieve pucks in open ice.

One particular shift against Omaha stood out to me this season.

Knies retrieved a loose puck in the Storm’s attacking zone before absorbing a huge hit against the end boards. He then skated his way back with the puck heading the other way and established his position in the defensive zone.

Once he spotted the Omaha defenseman struggling to contain a pass along the blue line, Knies skated full speed and pushed him out of the defensive zone, breaking up any potential scoring chance.

The above can be seen in the first 37 seconds or so of this clip.

Red Savage, C

Perhaps we spoke too soon on Dylan Duke having the coolest name in this draft. His teammate at the USNTDP, Red Savage, outdid him in that department. Another player from Arizona, Savage migrated to Plymouth, Michigan, under Wroblewski at the USNTDP.

The 18-year-old is committed to Miami University (Ohio) to play for head coach Chris Bergeron. Savage tallied 18 goals this past season and 42 points in 46 games for the US National U18 Team and 10 goals and 20 points in USHL play.

Like Duke, Savage loves to fire the puck on net, logging a 25.0% shot rate this year. He had just one goal on the man advantage, but he’s so crafty on the penalty kill, scoring three shorthanded goals.

He captained the Team USA U18 team and had just one goal in Frisco, Texas. He’s a 200-foot player with a wicked wrist shot. If the LA Kings can get him in the third round, it would be the equivalent of finding an Alex Laferriere.

A problem for opponents on the forecheck and an absolute beast on the penalty kill – EPRinkside

Final Results

Source: FC Hockey

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