LA Kings add blue-line depth by selecting Adam Goljer in the second round

On Day 2 of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Los Angeles Kings continued to build organizational depth in the prospect pipeline by selecting HK Dukla Trencin defenseman Adam Goljer 49th overall in the second round.

This is the third pick of the Kings' draft after the team selected Swedish winger Elton Hermansson (first round, 19th overall) and Chicoutimi center Liam Lefebvre (second round, 46th overall) earlier this weekend. In Goljer, the Kings are adding a young defenseman with intriguing upside on the blue line to its prospect system.

In this past year, the big and physical 6-foot-3 and 195-pound Goljer received top-pairing minutes on the blue line on defense in Slovakia's top league. The Slovak defenseman played hockey in his hometown of Trencin this past season, where he showed off his reliability, shut down defense, and above-average mobility and agility on the blue line for HK Dukla Trencin.

While Goljer isn't necessarily viewed as an offensive defenseman, he showed flashes of joining the rush and creating offense in transition. His shot from the point also gives him more room to develop offensively in the zone.

Speed and skating ability aren't the major concerns regarding Goljer's ability to contribute offensively. He needs to get more exposure and continue to develop his offensive skill set in the zone, but he's already shown flashes at times of working on a potent shot from the point.

If he can continue to build out his frame and develop his offensive skill set, Goljer has the potential to become a second or third-pairing defenseman on an NHL blue line in a few years. His combination of physical tools, length, and skating ability makes Goljer someone who has the necessary skill set to make it to the league one day and be a regular contributor on the blue line.

Like many young defenseman in this draft class, Goljer will need some additional time to improve and develop before challenging for an NHL roster spot with the Kings. Working on his puck movement and offensive consistency and confidence will help elevate Goljer's game in the years ahead.

With their first three picks in the 2026 draft, general manager Ken Holland and the Kings addressed roster needs and added talent and depth at center, winger, and defenseman. Goljer isn't the flashiest pick of the draft for the Kings, but he gives the organization another promising talent on the blue line with the physical tools and overall upside to be a future NHL contributor.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow