Grading every LA Kings pick from the 2026 NHL Draft

Round 6, Pick 177: Alex Kostov, W

Flint Firebirds OHL winger Alex Kostov was a multi-year re-entry into the draft. After being passed over in this past couple of years in the draft, the Kings took a flier out on Kostov in the sixth round (177th overall).

The Kings are betting on Kostov's length and long-term scoring development in the offensive zone to be able to get value out of this pick. While he's more of a long-term project than some of the other Kings' picks in this draft class, the offensive tools and physical frame make Kostov a worthwhile risk this late in the draft.

Grade: B

Round 7, Pick 209: Tobias Krestan, W

The Kings did a nice job of getting really good value and a potential oversight from other teams' scouts by selecting HV71 Jr. winger Tobias Krestan in the seventh round. Krestan has a quick release, good vision on the ice, and a quality handle on the puck.

If Krestan can improve as a skater in the next couple of years, he could find his way into the NHL one day for the Kings.

Grade: A-

Round 7, Pick 223: Lucas Ambrosio, D

By the later rounds in the draft, teams are mostly looking for prospects who have a trait or two that really stands out that could give them a path to carve out to the NHL one day.

Lucas Ambrosio is a bit of a different archetype of a prospect. In what is a pretty deep draft class on defense, Ambrosio is pretty well-rounded but doesn't necessarily have one part of his skill set that really catches scouts' attention. He's a good skater, reliable defender, and a decent puck mover.

Grade: B+

In this draft class, the Kings did a good job of balancing depth and quantity across multiple position groups while getting good quality prospects in key areas of the roster that needed to be bolstered over the long term. The Kings took multiple centers to strengthen that position of need, found several potential hidden gems on the blue line, and took fliers out on a few high upside playmakers offensively.

This draft class could take a few years to truly be assessed, but this group should really improve the franchise's prospect pool depth.

Overall Grade: A-

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