Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third 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 (Ivan Ivan, for example, spent more time in the NHL than AHL last year, making him ineligilble for this list). Players over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re breaking down the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings spent many years with an above-average prospect pool.

They hit on some – Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke look set to become huge contributors for years to come. Others like Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte never really reached their potential. So, the Reign of Terror many expected from the Kings might not come to fruition, but there are plenty of other notable young guns in the system looking for the right opportunities.

Clarke and Turcotte are the graduates from the top 10 a year ago. I don’t expect any notable prospects to make the NHL on a full-time basis in 2025-26, but that should change the following year. It’s not a deep pool by any means, but there’s enough to like to still feel optimistic about L.A.’s future. At the very least, they’ve got trade chips to work with.

Biggest Strength

The only team that could even come close to L.A.’s goaltending depth is the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings have three goalies in the top five of this list, with two of them – Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky – being among the top netminders in their respective leagues this past season. Even Petteri Rimpinen, who wasn’t on this list, had an outstanding year after earning top goalie honors at the World Juniors. Erik Portillo is the only goaltender over 6-foot-2, so size is a bit of a concern there. But in terms of pure, raw talent, the Kings’ crease looks to be in good (glove) hands.

Biggest Weakness

The Kings have so little center depth to work with. Francesco Pinelli is the best in the system, and he’s coming off a disappointing AHL campaign. Kenny Connor, Martin Chromiak, Jimmy Lombardi and Jan Chovan have some potential, but all are long shots to ever make the big club. Jack Hughes turned out to be a disappointment – I don’t expect him to be more than an AHL player moving forward, assuming the team even signs him this summer. The Kings have plenty of wing depth but not much happening down the middle.

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

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Liam Greentree (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

1. Liam Greentree, RW, 19 (Windsor Spitfires, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 26th overall, first round in 2024

It was a bit shocking not to see Greentree invited to Canada’s World Junior camp last winter. Greentree knows a thing or two about putting pucks in the net. He had 49 goals and 119 points when the season was said and done, sitting near the top of the scoring race throughout the season (and earning a spot on the OHL’s first all-star team). His best 10-game stretch came from Dec. 12 – Jan. 5, when he had 21 points – signaling that maybe Canada made a big mistake. Greentree was given so much credit for doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Windsor in a rebuilding season two years ago. Windsor took big steps forward this past year, and Greentree was a huge reason why. Greentree would be a perfect candidate to go straight to the AHL this season had the new CBA coming in 2026 been enacted a year early. There’s just nothing left for him to prove from a production standpoint in the OHL.

2. Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, 18 (London Knights, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 31st overall, first round in 2025

I felt like the Kings left some talent on the table when they took Brzustewicz, but he feels like a very, very safe bet to become an NHL defenseman. And sometimes, that’s the absolute best route to go. Brzustewicz is an all-around defender who may not be the most refined right now, but he doesn’t have many notable flaws. He had a solid year in London, which finished with a Memorial Cup championship. He’s a two-way defender who can shoot the puck, skate well and is willing to join in on the rush any time he can. The more he played, the better he played, too. I could see him becoming a second-pairing defenseman, but I’d like to see him take further steps in his own-zone play. Look for a big season in London as his expectations and responsibilities begin to rise.

3. Carter George, G, 19 (Owen Sound Attack, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 57th overall, second round in 2024

It was one heck of a season for George, who assumed Canada’s starting gig at the World Juniors in Ottawa. It didn’t go to plan as a team, but George was one of the best goaltenders in the tournament – no question about it. He’ll have a chance to regain the crease for 2026 in Minnesota, a tournament Canada already looks like a favorite to win. George was a monster for Owen Sound, finishing as the runner-up for the OHL goaltender of the year award despite registering a losing record. He then finished the season with a shutout in his AHL debut before winning his next start in an equally impressive effort. George was so good no matter who he played against last year and should have a bright future, despite being a bit smaller at 6-foot-1.

4. Hampton Slukynsky, G, 20 (Western Michigan University, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 118th overall, fourth round in 2023

Between the World Junior gold (as a backup) and the NCAA national title (as a starter), it was quite the season for Slukynsky. It felt like he was always underrated – partly because he was playing high school hockey in his draft year and then dominated the USHL in his draft year plus one, when most other top prospects had already gone to the NCAA. But throughout it all, Sluknysky has been an absolute star, and he was a huge reason why Western Michigan won the national title this year. He was downright dominant at times down the stretch, and he did a tremendous job of staying calm, cool and collected whenever he needed to be. Like George, Slukynsky isn’t big at 6-foot-1, but he makes up for it with his speed and control in the crease. He would have been the USA’s No. 1 goalie last year if he hadn’t had to go up against the wildly successful Trey Augustine.

5. Erik Portillo, G, 24 (Ontario Reign, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by the Buffalo Sabres in 2023

Geez, another goalie? Portillo is on the verge of aging out, but we’ll hopefully see some more NHL duty from him this year. He was excellent in his debut back in November, stopping 28 of 29 shots against the Anaheim Ducks. Portillo then returned to Ontario, where he posted a great record, but his stats were… not as stunning. He primarily served as a backup to Pheonix Copley, who is back for another season – which could continue to hurt Portillo’s opportunities. I think he still has potential as a backup goaltender – and it doesn’t hurt that he’s 6-foot-6. I just wonder if he’ll need to find an opportunity elsewhere, especially once George turns pro on a full-time basis.

6. Jakub Dvořák, LHD, 20 (Ontario Reign, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 54th overall, second round in 2023

*Czechia Jakub Dvorak (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Dvořák had some growing pains in 2024-25, but that’s to be expected out of a 19-year-old playing in the second-best league in North America. Dvořák had just four assists in 46 games, but his game has never been about producing high-quality chances. Instead, it’s about using his mobility and big 6-foot-5 frame to take space away and shut things down defensively. I liked him at the World Juniors, showing how defensively sound he could be. Dvořák has always projected as more of a No. 5-6 shutdown defender, and I think he’ll live up to those expectations. But he’s still at least another 2-3 years away from moving up, and that’s OK. Maybe he can work on refining his puck game in the meantime.

7. Kristian Epperson, LW, 19 (University of Denver, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 88th overall, third round in 2025

Epperson was the top re-entry prospect in the 2025 draft from a skill perspective. The winger was passed over in 2024 after falling out of favor with the USNTDP U-18 team and was ultimately loaned to the U-17 team to finish his two-year tenure there. He shifted gears to Saginaw, where he became an 80-point scorer in the team’s top six. He’s a great distributor who plays a smart off-puck game. The University of Denver commit has received criticisms about his attitude but, overall, the skill might be worth it here. He’s going to a top-flight program with a top-flight coach in David Carle, so I have a ton of faith in Epperson.

8. Vojtech Čihař, LW, 18 (Karlovy Vary, Czechia)

Acquired: Drafted 59th overall, second round in 2025

Čihař was drafted before Epperson, but I had Epperson one spot higher in my draft rankings, so that’s why they’re reflected this way here. The Czech-born forward seems to find teammates with high-danger chances often. He’s quick, crafty and took very little time to adjust to playing against men in the top Czech league this year. I like how hard he works along the boards, although I wish he committed himself in the same way defensively. Still, we’ve seen enough from him, both internationally and domestically, to be excited about his overall package – Čihař is always moving and looking to impact every shift. I’m interested to see if he can up his production in the Czech league next season.

9. Koehn Ziemmer, RW, 20 (Ontario Reign, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 78th overall, third round in 2023

Ziemmer had to play plenty of catch-up after missing more than half of 2023-24 due to an ankle injury. He bounced back with a 71-point campaign and was great in the playoffs before Prince George was prematurely bounced. Ziemmer didn’t produce anything in his three-game AHL stint, but he showed some of the pro traits that made him intriguing. He plays with a ton of power, hits hard and is always battling. His skating has never been a strength, but it didn’t seem too impacted from his injury. I can see him becoming a solid support player who’ll focus more on stealing pucks than generating quality chances – and you definitely need guys like that in your bottom-six.

10. Francesco Pinelli, C, 22 (Ontario Reign, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 42nd overall, second round in 2021

I was hoping for a more productive season in the AHL – Pinelli was excellent in the OHL. But with just a nine-point bump, it was a lot more muted than most expected. For a guy who loves to shoot the puck, it felt like he didn’t do enough of it. He still has solid speed and can be difficult to beat in 1-on-1 situations. He just needs a bit more consistency in his game. I do appreciate how much more physically engaged Pinelli was this year, though. However, I’m starting to lose faith in Pinelli as an NHL prospect at the moment. We’ll see if he can finally find his groove in Ontario this year. If not, I’m afraid he’s going to be stuck in the AHL for good.

The rest: Kenny Connors, C (22), Jared Wright, RW (22), Aatu Jamsen, RW (22), Kaleb Lawrence, C (22), Martin Chromiak, C (22), Jimmy Lombardi, C (18), Jan Chovan, C (18), Brendan McMorrow, LW (19), James Reeder, RW (19), Ryan Conmy, RW (20), Jack Hughes, C (21), Jack Sparkes, RHD (21), Caeden Herrington, RHD (19), Will Sharpe, LHD (18), Jared Woolley, LHD (19), Kirill Kirsanov, LHD (22), Otto Salin, RHD (21), Angus Booth, LHD (21), Petteri Rimpinen, G (19)

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