The LA Kings will be picking 8th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, and history reveals the organization can get a high-impact player.
In what was generally an uneventful NHL Draft Lottery, the LA Kings came away with the eighth overall selection. Entering the lottery, Los Angeles had a 49.4% chance to land the eighth pick, and that’s exactly what happened. Other than a shakeup within the top three, the draft order closely resembled the draft odds.
With some certainty to the pick now, the LA Kings front office can begin planning their big board for the first round of the NHL Draft. We’ll dive more into a few players that would be good fits for the team with the selection, but history proves that the Kings can get a high-impact player in this slot.
2020: Jack Quinn (BUF)
With no OHL schedule this year, the versatile winger played for the Rochester Americans of the AHL, scoring two goals with seven assists in just 15 games. He also represented Team Canada in the U18s and tallied five points in seven games en route to a gold medal.
Time Until NHL Debut: N/A
2019: Philip Broberg (EDM)
Broberg is is a gifted two-way defenseman and was loaned to Skellefteå AIK of the SHL last year playing against grown men. There, he scored three goals with 10 assists in 44 games. The 19-year-old also captained Team Sweden at the World Juniors, accumulating three assists in four games.
Time Until NHL Debut: N/A
2018: Adam Boqvist (CHI)
Boqvist had a challenging year in Chicago, recording a -7 in 35 games while scoring two goals with 14 assists. He made his debut against the LA Kings on November 2, 2019, 17 months after being selected in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Time Until NHL Debut: 17 months
2017: Casey Mittelstadt (BUF)
The former Minnesota Golden Gopher made his debut for the Sabres at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, scoring his first NHL goal in the second to last game. He’s primarily played second- and third-line minutes for Buffalo and tallied 10 goals and 22 points in 41 games this past year.
Time Until NHL Debut: 9 months
2016: Alexander Nylander (BUF)
Another Buffalo pick. Alex Nylander made his debut against his brother and the Maple Leafs in April 2017 and logged 14:28 TOI. He sustained a couple of injuries that prevented him from seeing the ice and was traded to the Blackhawks in July 2019. He looked like he was gaining traction, scoring 10 goals and 26 points in 65 games before injuring his knee in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, causing him to miss the entire 2021 season.
Time Until NHL Debut: 10 months
2015: Zach Werenski (CBJ)
Werenski has been one of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL since entering the league. He played a full season in 2016-17, tallying 47 points in 78 games, and has consistently been in the Norris Trophy conversation.
Time Until NHL Debut: 16 months
2014: William Nylander (TOR)
The elder Nylander finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting in the 2016-17 season after tallying 61 points in 81 games. He made his debut on February 29, 2016, scoring his first goal in his fourth game. Nylander has consistently been one of the more prominent goal-scorers for the Leafs since entering the league.
Time Until NHL Debut: 20 months
2013: Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF)
Another Buffalo pick? Ristolainen played in 34 games during the 2013-14 season, tallying two goals and four points. Now 26, he’s developed into one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league. He had a bit of a down year in 2021, but who didn’t on that Sabres team? At his best, Ristolainen is a 40-point D man.
Time Until NHL Debut: 4 months
2012: Derrick Pouliot (PIT)
Not every pick can be a hit, but Pouliot made an immediate impact, scoring on his first shot in his first game in December 2014. After a trade to Vancouver and eventually being non-tendered, Pouliot spent all of the 2021 season with the Flyers’ AHL outfit.
Time Until NHL Debut: 18 months
2011: Sean Couturier (PHI)
Couturier made the Flyers opening-night roster for the 2011-12 season, tallying 13 goals and 14 assists in 77 games. He posted back-to-back 76-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and was nearly a point-per-game player in the shortened 2021 campaign.
Time Until NHL Debut: 4 months
Based on the last 10 No. 8 draft picks, the LA Kings can likely expect their pick to make his debut anywhere between on the opening night of his draft year to a year-and-a-half after being selected.