The Los Angeles Kings and head coach Jim Hiller are going into the final full week of training camp and the preseason this fall starting this week on Monday afternoon (Sep. 29). Starting on Sep. 30, the Kings have three preseason games and five more full days of training camp remaining until the regular season opener next week (Oct. 7) on the road against the Colorado Avalanche.
Which Los Angeles Kings forward has the inside track to make the opening-night roster for the regular season next week?
Hiller and the Kings' staff and front office are expected to further trim down the projected roster for this upcoming season in the final week of training camp this fall in the next five days or so.
The Kings assigned three forwards to the AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on Sep. 28 (Jacob Doty, Jack Hughes, and Kenta Isogai). More players are expected to return to the AHL with the Reign with training camp starting this week in Ontario at the Toyota Sports Performance Center on Monday.
Many Kings' players have made strong cases to the coaching staff and the front office this fall in training camp and the preseason to make the opening-night roster on the forward lines for this upcoming regular season.
Here are three big winners for the Kings' from training camp and the preseason in the past couple of weeks this fall.
Carter George, G
Hiller and the Kings got spectacular goaltending from three or four different netminders this preseason and in training camp this fall. Carter George was tremendous in his preseason debut for the Kings this past week, stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced against the Anaheim Ducks in the Empire Classic in the preseason opener.
"You just have confidence when he’s in net, that’s the bottom line, it just looks like he’s going to save it, it never looks like he’s in a lot of danger. I don’t know what more to say about him, but when he makes the coach confident, that’s usually a pretty good thing if you’re the goalie."Jim Hiller on Carter George
After stopping over 95 percent of the shots he faced in goal in his preseason debut win over the Ducks a couple of weekends ago (Sep. 21), George left an impression on the coaching staff and Hiller this fall. He was assigned to the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack this past week.
George and the Sound Attack won their first two games that he started in net for Owen this regular season in the past week or so. He shined in his first start this fall for the Sound Attack in a close 2-1 win over the Barrie Colts this past week, stopping 24 out of 25 shots on goal in net.
He also won his second start of the regular season for the Sound Attack in the OHL, stopping over 90 percent of the shots he faced in a quality start in a convincing 5-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers this past weekend (Sep. 27).
Taylor Ward, F
Kings' forward Taylor Ward has scored two goals in as many games in the past five days for Hiller and LA this fall. Ward has impressed the coaching staff and Hiller with his performance in training camp and the preseason this fall. He's not only scored multiple important goals that decided games for the Kings in the preseason in the past week or so, but he's also gained attention from the staff in camp in the on-ice skates this month.
Ward should be considered among the group of forwards competing for the opening-night roster spot for this upcoming regular season for Hiller and the Kings in early October next month. He's right in there with Akil Thomas and Samuel Helenius in the competition for the opening-night roster spot coming out of training camp and the preseason.
Jeff Malott, F
No Kings' forward is hotter scoring the puck in the past week in training camp and the preseason this fall than winger Jeff Malott. I don't think there's any other Kings' player who has been more of a sleeper riser in training camp and the preseason this fall to get the final roster spot on the opening-night roster for Hiller and LA.
Malott has really impressed the coaching staff with his play this preseason in the past week. He's scored multiple nice goals and had a nice assist on an insurance goal in the Kings' convincing 3-0 shutout win over the Ducks this past Wednesday (Sep. 24).
"Yeah, he’s played well. Obviously, we liked him at the end of last year; we played him a fair amount. I think he put on – I talked to him a little bit about it – he’s really a fit guy, but he put on about seven or eight pounds of muscle. I think I’m noticing some of that. I think he’s a strong guy to begin with. I think he’s a little stronger out there, a lot of confidence, and yeah, playing really well."Jim Hiller on Jeff Malott
Hiller said earlier this fall in the preseason after the win over the Ducks last week in the back end of back-to-back games at the Honda Center that Malott looked like an "NHL player".
Malott has been a consistent producer offensively in the AHL with the Reign in the past couple of years. He also played a dozen regular season games and a half dozen games in the postseason this past year for the Kings and Hiller in the playoffs.
If I had to put my money on a Kings' player who could get the final roster spot on the forward lines for the opening-night roster next week, Malott would not be a bad pick in the slightest.