The NHL draft will unfold this week at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, but the Kings appear to be destined to sit out Round 1 on Wednesday.

They project to be essentially full participants Thursday, when Rounds 2 through 7 will be selected.

The Kings traded their first-round draft pick as part of a package for defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and free-agent goalie Joonas Korpisalo (it was traded to Columbus, who later sent it to Philadelphia in a three-way deal that also involved the Kings). Unless the Kings deal back into Wednesday’s first round, they will patiently watch the 32-man procession to the podium, which will begin with the Chicago Blackhawks’ selection of phenom Connor Bedard.

“We don’t stop scouting on the first round, because you just never know what could happen,” Kings scouting director Mark Yannetti told Jack Jablonski of L.A. Kings Insider. “I mean, is it likely we’ll have a first-round pick this year? No, it’s extraordinarily unlikely, but you want to be prepared.”

As of now, their first selection will be in the second round Thursday, 54th overall, followed by No. 78 overall in the third round, a pick they acquired from the Penguins when they sent forward Jeff Carter to Pittsburgh in 2021. Barring some consolidation of picks or the much less likely trade of a roster-eligible player for some additional selection, the Kings own one selection in Rounds 2-6, and none in Round 7.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

After a period of healthy competition in the last decade, the Kings’ situation in goal festered over time. The organization has been loath to invest significant draft capital in goaltending, partly because of what Yannetti and others have described as a higher risk involved than with skaters.

A prospect they signed without the use of a draft pick, former Notre Dame standout Cal Petersen, was tabbed to be their future starter by way of a $15 million contract extension. Mere weeks after it kicked in, Petersen was relegated to the minors for the remainder of the season, then foisted upon Philadelphia in a cost-cutting maneuver that unlocked numerous offseason possibilities for the Kings.

While the goaltending pool remains diluted throughout the organization, including at the top level, the acquisition of Michigan standout Erik Portillo via trade ameliorated the problem somewhat and the Kings are guaranteed to add a roster goalie before the upcoming season begins.

But after doing a bit of hoarding to shore up a bare cupboard from the all-in years under Dean Lombardi, general manager Rob Blake has mobilized assets at various levels of the organization. They could stand to restock forwards, mostly as a result of promotions, and have traded away five defenseman in the past calendar year (Sean Durzi, Helge Grans, Sean Walker, Frederic Allard and Brock Faber).

That could leave the Kings with a best-player-available outlook above all, but with an eye toward certain emphases. In recent years, they’ve focused on skill in the higher rounds, with selections like Brandt Clarke and Francesco Pinelli (whose brother Luca is draft-eligible this year) in 2021. They also selected Samuel Helenius that year and a couple other towering teenagers in Caleb Lawrence and Jack Sparkes last year, suggesting that Blake and Yannetti have heeded the calls to add size to their group.

POTENTIAL TARGETS

Koehn Zimmer, winger

Zimmer made significant strides in his draft year increasing his production to 41 goals and 89 points in the Western Hockey League, where his 200-plus-pound frame also stood out among his peers. Soft hands, a hard shot and a physical maturity give him a high floor, but he’ll have to commit defensively and improve his acceleration to reach his ceiling as a power forward.

Lukas Dragicevic, defenseman

The WHL competitor has been prolific but has raised questions about his skating and defensive ability. There are few doubts about his puck skills or vision though. Though he’s a right-shot who thinks offense first, he would be something of a project with potential alluring enough to invest a Day 2 pick if he remains on the board.

Caden Price, defenseman

Price, also a WHL prospect, would give the Kings a mobile, two-way defenseman on the left side. While it’s hard to find a prospect who checks all the boxes emphatically in the middle to late rounds, Price would cross most items off the list and deepen a thin area from top-to-bottom for the Kings’ organization. Another WHL defender, Luca Cagnoni, could also be an option for the Kings with more offensive sparkle.

Michael Hrabal, goalie

Hrabal, who played in the US development system last year, is generally considered to be the top goalie in the draft, albeit likely to be taken higher than 54th overall. If he slides down or the Kings are in a position to move up, they’d at least have to ponder the potential.  A number of goalies are projected to go in the second round, including Michigan State commit Trey Augustine.

Adam Gajan, goalie

Another USHL product and a Slovak national, Gajan has the type of tools that could be molded into a legitimate NHL goalie. The top goalie at the World Junior Championships last season could be an option at No. 54, No. 78 or somewhere in between.

Ethan Miedema, winger

Despite an underwhelming draft year split between two clubs following being traded for Seattle blue-chip forward Shane Wright, Miedema brings power-forward size, bottom-six tenacity and a respectable shot that hints at top-six potential.

Noel Nordh, winger

Another formidably sized player, Nordh can play either wing, kill penalties and wreak havoc on the forecheck while already exhibiting strong defensive instincts and an indefatigable motor, albeit without high-end offense.

2023 SCHEDULE

While the overwhelming majority of players selected this week likely won’t make an impact this year at the top level, the NHL released its regular-season schedule Tuesday.

The Kings will open the season Oct. 11 at home against the Colorado Avalanche. They’ll welcome the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 28, renew their budding rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers twice at home on Dec. 30 and Feb. 10 and host two freeway faceoffs against the Ducks on Feb. 24 and April 13).

They’ll also be visited by star-studded clubs from the east like Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 9 and Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals on Nov. 29.

Related Articles