The Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland traded up 10 spots to select Ottawa 67s OHL center Thomas Vandenberg with the 113th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
In this past season, Vandenberg made the leap from the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders to the OHL with the 67s. He made an immediate impact on the 67s after arriving in Ottawa this past year offensively, doubling his point total and improving his goal output year-over-year while boosting his draft stock in this class.
The LA Kings select Ottawa center Thomas Vandenberg with the 103rd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
— Rink Royalty (@RinkRoyalty) June 27, 2026
2025-26 (59 GP):
-25 goals
-25 assists
-50 points pic.twitter.com/OSgiFMjNiV
Vandenberg's offensive game is the highlight of his skill set. But he has many other tools that make him an intriguing center prospect in the next couple of years for the Kings. While he stands at just 6-foot and 180 pounds, Vandenberg still plays with a physical confidence in his game that makes him not afraid to go into the dirtier areas on the boards and to win those tough 50-50 puck battles in the defensive zone and forechecking in the offensive zone to help generate turnovers.
In the offensive zone, Vandenberg shows high energy and compete level on the forecheck. He's made a name for himself in the USHL and the OHL with the 67s with his aggressive forecheck and ability to turn the puck over and help create scoring chances in the offensive zone for his teammates and himself.
When the puck is on his stick, Vandenberg does an excellent job with puck protection and decision-making. He's got excellent vision and hockey IQ, which allows him to find the softer areas of the ice and find open teammates for scoring opportunities in the offensive zone.
Versatility is another major strength to Vandenberg's game. He has a good two-way game, using his instincts and hockey IQ to position himself well and match up one-on-one in the defensive zone. Vandenberg can also win critical faceoffs in the circle, proving him to be a well-rounded and underrated center prospect in this draft class.
Vandenberg became the third center picked by the Kings in this draft, joining Liam Lefebvre (46th overall, second round) and Blake Zielinski (80th overall, third round). This trend highlights the Kings' emphasis on rebuilding the long-term depth and talent in the middle of the roster lineup, and Vandenberg's combination of playmaking, compete level, and two-way versatility makes him another intriguing addition to the organization's prospect pipeline at the position.
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