Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Los Angeles Kings.

At one point, the Los Angeles Kings had one of the best prospect pools in hockey.

Just flash back to January of 2020. Quinton Byfield, Gabe Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, Tobias Bjornfot, Rasmus Kupari, Akil Thomas, Cal Petersen and Jordan Spence were just part of a pipeline that had serious depth at every position. Fast forward about four years later, and Byfield is becoming a star, Kaliyev and Spence are still finding their way, and the rest have either changed teams or struggled to find relevance outside of the American Hockey League.

The Kings, as a whole, have been a borderline playoff team for a few years now. They continue to fall short against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round and need to find that extra step if they’re going to be a serious contender. Maybe they need a fresh face on the GM side; maybe a coaching change is enough.

Either way, the Kings need to start figuring things out if they’re going to be competitive in the long run. They’ve got some good prospects on the way, most notably defenseman Brandt Clarke. Turcotte will hopefully take a big step forward and become a full-time NHLer, while recent picks Liam Greentree and Koehn Ziemmer could give the team some nice middle-six depth one day.

The Kings’ pipeline isn’t among the best anymore, but there’s still a decent chance most of the top 10 below will play at least a handful of games in the show one day:

Biggest Strengths

Very few teams can say goaltending – but the Kings can. They have three legitimate goaltending prospects who, for the most part, might project to be backups at best. But having that type of depth at a position where depth can be complex to come by is huge. All they need is one of them to hit, and two gives them options. Three? Massive. Erik Portillo has the current edge, but recent draft picks Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky are both solid options on their own, albeit a few years away. The Kings have struggled to develop goaltenders for a long time – Jonathan Bernier (2006) and Jonathan Quick (2005) are the last two to play more than 25 games with the Kings after getting drafted. That might finally change soon.

Biggest Weakness

Once Clarke moves on to full-time duty, there are many questions surrounding the future of the back end. Jakub Dvořák is a decent defender but far from being NHL-caliber at this point. The same goes for Otto Salin, Jared Woolley and just about everyone else. Promoting Jordan Spence to full-time duty was a win for the development team last year, but they’re going to need some serious help on the blueline because there just isn’t a ton of help on the way.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Rob Blake
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Mark Yannetti
Dir. of Player Development: Glen Murray
AHL Affiliate: Ontario Reign
ECHL Affiliate: Greenville Swamp Rabbits

*Liam Greentree (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Brandt Clarke, RHD, 21 (Los Angeles Kings)

Acquired: Drafted eighth overall, first round in 2021

Clarke is one of my favorite prospects in hockey, and it’s hard to not love his progression to date. After putting on one of the most dominant runs I’ve ever seen by an OHL defenseman in 2022-23, Clarke registered 10 goals and 46 points in 50 games as a rookie with the Reign. He also had six points in 16 games with Los Angeles while looking increasingly comfortable the more he skated in the NHL. Named to the AHL’s second all-star team, there isn’t much more for Clarke to gain in the minors beyond just adding more defensive awareness to his game. But for the most part, I think Clarke is ready to challenge for a top-four spot while showing why he’s one of the most exciting young defenders in the game.

2. Liam Greentree, RW, 18 (Windsor, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 26th overall, first round in 2024

Greentree spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, collecting 36 goals and 54 assists for 90 points in 64 games. Windsor posted just 18 wins in 68 games and allowed 360 goals against, the highest in the OHL. Greentree’s 36 goals led the Spitfires, with the winger quickly becoming the team’s top player. He plays a power forward game, using his 6-foot-2, 198-pound frame to power past opponents and winning puck battles on a consistent basis. He saw a nice scoring uptick this year, and he knows how to put pucks in the net. There’s an argument that he’s an even better playmaker, but we’ll see if that comes to fruition with better linemates.

3. Alex Turcotte, C, 23 (Los Angeles Kings)

Acquired: Drafted fifth overall, first round in 2019

*Alex Turcotte (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)*

Turcotte hasn’t lived up to expectations after being selected fifth overall back in 2019, but this past season was a positive step forward. He split time between the NHL and AHL, with his 29 points in 35 games in Ontario being his best production to date. He also scored a goal and four points in 20 NHL games, marking the biggest game output of his career. Better yet, he played more than 40 regular season games for the first time since he split the 2017-18 season with USA Hockey’s two National Team Development Program squads. In all, it was a big year for a prospect who needed it, and I hope to see him take another step forward in 2024-25.

4. Erik Portillo, G, 24 (Ontario, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by the Buffalo Sabres in 2023

The Kings meant business when they acquired Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. Portillo wasn’t going to sign in Buffalo with the logjam they had, but he had a good chance to make an impression with a Kings organization lacking a notable goaltender prospect. His first year of pro was impressive, posting a 24-11-3 record with two shutouts and a .918 save percentage – better numbers than his final year of college. Portillo then had some solid performances in the playoffs before Ontario was ultimately shunted. At the time of writing this, he’s still seeking a new contract as an RFA, but I do think Portillo is part of Los Angeles’ long-term plans. He’s 6-foot-6, athletic and very calm, so there’s a lot to like here.

5. Koehn Ziemmer, RW, 19 (Ontario, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 78th overall, third round in 2023

An ankle injury limited Ziemmer to just 23 regular season games with the Prince George Cougars, but he still scored 11 goals and 31 points. That was a big result for someone who had some question marks regarding his skating and overall fitness, resulting in the hard-hitting, skilled forward falling to 78th overall last year. Now headed to Ontario, it’s all about getting back on track and showing some consistency against older competition. I still think he needs to add another level with his speed and overall footwork, but there’s some serious talent there for Ziemmer to be an impact player in the NHL one day.

6. Carter George, G, 18 (Owen Sound, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 57th overall, second round in 2024

*Carter George (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

George’s game is built around just keeping things steady and relaxed in the crease, and that’s why he was listed as one of the top goaltenders all year long. At 6-foot-1, George is also on the smaller side, but he’s as confident as they come in this year’s class. Let in a bad goal? He’s going to rob you on your next chance. Nothing seems to bother him, and he also sees through traffic well for a smaller keeper. I thought George was great at the U-18s, especially in the medal round, even if the stats might not fully reflect it. From a skill perspective, he’s clean, and I think he’s got a real chance of being an NHL goaltender one day.

7. Hampton Slukynsky, G, 19 (Western Michigan University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 118th overall, fourth round in 2023

Another goalie? Holy moly. Slukynsky is smaller at 6-foot-1 but he’s an incredible battler and was just named USHL goaltender of the year after leading the league with a .923 save percentage. Slukynsky was also a big part of Fargo’s championship run and won bronze with USA at the World Junior A Challenge, so he’s already had to play in some significant games early in his career. His lack of size won’t help him, but I think he has a chance to be a workhorse for Western Michigan while showing his trademark quickness and ability to read shooters in 1-on-1 scenarios.

8. Francesco Pinelli, C, 21 (Ontario, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 42nd overall, second round in 2021

Pinelli had a bit of a quiet first year in the AHL with 13 goals and 20 points – but he proved he can still shoot the puck as well as he did with Kitchener in the OHL. Pinelli has good puck control and uses it to set up his teammates easily while also making it hard to take the puck off him. Pinelli is also quite smart, allowing himself to win 1-on-1 battles against faster, stronger opponents. I want to see him get more engaged at both ends next season as he looks to bump his output while giving the Kings more of a reason to believe he’s versatile enough for the next level.

9. Jakub Dvořák, LHD, 19 (Swift Current, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 54th overall, second round in 2023

Dvořák started the year playing against men in the top Czech league but joined the Broncos in January. I thought he adjusted quickly to the smaller ice, showing some good speed and his big 6-foot-5 frame that makes him so difficult to beat. I think he’s mobile for his frame and he also kills penalties well for his age. Dvořák will be a shutdown defenseman if he makes the NHL, which I think is still a bit of a long shot until he develops more offensive upside, which begins with better decision-making with the puck. But I think we’re at a point in his development where the Kings should be pleased for now.

10. Martin Chromiak, RW, 21 (Ontario, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 128th overall, fifth round in 2020)

*Martin Chromiak (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)*

Chromiak saw a production increase in his second year with Ontario, although he scored at a similar rate despite playing more games. He has 30 goals through two seasons, which isn’t bad as a potential depth scorer in the NHL. But I do wonder if he has everything needed to take the next step forward in his game to be more productive in pro. He does like to attack the puck from just about anywhere and I think he’s not easily predictable, either. The one thing I wanted to see Chromiak become better at in the AHL was to be more defensively responsible and it feels like that’s truly the biggest area he has improved on over the past 18 months or so. As long as he keeps rounding his two-way play out, while also becoming more prevalent as a playmaker, I think he’ll be fine.

Other notables: James Reeder, RW (18), Aatu Jamsen, RW (22), Kaleb Lawrence, RW (21), Samuel Helenius, C (21), Andre Lee, LW (23), Ryan Conmy, RW (19), Kenny Connors, C (21), Jack Hughes, C (20), Jared Wright, RW (21), Angus Booth, LHD (20), Jared Woolley, RHD (19), Matthew Mania, RHD (19), Otto Salin, RHD (20), Jack Sparkes, RHD (20), Kirill Kirsanov, LHD (21), Braden Doyle, LHD (22)

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