The Los Angeles Kings need more dynamic playmakers among their forwards, players who could create chances whether for themselves or their teammates. Benjamin Kindel does that well and could end up being the Kings' pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Benjamin Kindel Stats
Benjamin Kindel has played the past two seasons for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL and has shown significant improvements over the two seasons. In his first season with the Hitmen, he played in 68 games and had 15 goals and 45 assists.
This past season though he almost had 100 points with 35 goals and 64 assists with an impressive +/- of +39. Recently, he also played for Team Canada in the IIHF U18 World Championships and had seven points in five games.
Benjamin Kindel's NHL Comparison
The scouting report on Neutral Zone drew an interesting comparison to the Minnesota Wild's Marco Rossi and wrote this about Kindel:
"Marco Rossi: Kindel mirrors Rossi’s blend of speed, skill, and determination. Both players excel at creating offense despite being undersized, using their hockey sense and quickness to consistently make an impact in all situations."
Benjamin Kindel Highlights
Why the Los Angeles Kings would draft Benjamin Kindel in the 2025 NHL Draft
Benjamin Kindel isn't the biggest player at only 5'10" and doesn't align with what the Los Angeles Kings have tried to do the past few years in terms of finding more physical forwards that can win in the blue paint. However, there is no denying the offensive skill set and the Kings need forwards like that as well.
He has a lot of quickness that could work well alongside some of these bigger forwards. Kindel's passing and playmaking could be of value in a few years alongside players like Adrian Kempe or Quinton Byfield.
As noted in the scouting report, decision-making will be a concern for teams going into the NHL Draft, but if the Kings believe this is something that can be improved through coaching, then this is a pick that would make a lot of sense for them.