Kings' Prospects Grab-Bag

Time For LA Kings Defense Prospect Colten Teubert To Take A Big Step Forward " Frozen Royalty

Speaking of training camp, Teubert expects to be ready to go by the time the Kings open their 2010 training camp on September 18, 2010.

"I’m not sure what’s going to happen," said Teubert. "I just saw the doctor today and I’ll have [a cast] on for a bit longer. As long as I do the right things, I think it’ll give me a good opportunity to be healthy for training camp."

"I’m just hoping I can come into camp in tip-top shape and get an opportunity to show what I can and move into the pro ranks," added Teubert.

However, since this article was written, we got the update from Lombardi (via Oilers' Lunch) that Teubert will be out at least till November.

Tyler Toffoli Interview. | HockeyProspect.com
Ottawa 67's F Tyler Toffoli is one of the bright spots on a team struggling out of the gate so far in the young OHL season. A versatile, highly skilled playmaker with a strong shot, Toffoli has the potential to be a first round NHL pick. He chats with us about his game and his experiences thus far in his career.

Follow the link above for audio clips. Always nice to hear your second round pick could have been a 1st rounder.

[BUT THAT'S NOT ALL...]

Crowning Kings' Doughty as NHL's Best Defenseman - Versus
1. Drew Doughty, L.A. Kings - [...] last season the 20-year-old showed what made him a can't-miss kid coming out of Guelph of the OHL. [...] He showed everyone at the Olympics what a leader looks like, and if he hadn't hurt a wrist in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs against Vancouver, the Kings might have easily won that series. [...] He was the youngest player to get a Norris Trophy finalist nomination in league history, other than Orr. Now you know why the Kings didn't give away the store to Ilya Kovalchuk, because Doughty's deal is up after next season.

Agreed, but I just hope there isn't a Versus jinx like the Sports Illustrated cover jinx. Especially because of this other prediction:

Calder Candidates: 6 to Watch This Season - Versus
Jonathan Bernier (G, Los Angeles Kings): I will make a fearless prediction and say that Bernier will displace Jonathan Quick as the Kings' starter at some point this season. First of all, I think Quick got exposed a bit in the last few months of the regular season and the playoffs. The more I see of Quick, the more I think he will eventually go the way of past young Kings goaltenders such as Jamie Storr and Byron Dafoe. Both Storr and Dafoe enjoyed early success in their careers but did not stand the test of time as NHL starters. Bernier, on the other hand, seems more like the real deal. The 22-year-old Bernier has the pedigree and talent to be a franchise NHL goaltender, and I think he could easily match or surpass the accomplishments of 2009-10 Calder finalist Jimmy Howard.

Last but not least, we've got a potential new Kings prospect:

Zemlak nets tryout with Kings - Hockey - Sports - The Prince Albert Daily Herald
He left just five months ago, but Garrett Zemlak didn’t devalue his return to the Art Hauser Centre this week. [...] Zemlak’s MVP season with the Raiders last winter was the foundation for his graduation to pro hockey. After a stint with the New York Rangers’ ECHL affiliate in Charlotte, N.C., last spring, he’s now in the Los Angeles Kings’ system. Zemlak has signed with the Kings’ ECHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign of California, and has been invited to the NHL team’s training camp, which begins Sept. 12. He hopes to earn a contract with L.A. or its AHL farm team, the Manchester Monarchs of New Hampshire.

"I think that’s what’s going to end up happening — sign with Manchester," said Zemlak, 21. "I hope, because I want to get up there, eventually."[...]  Last month, he attended the Kings’ development camp in Los Angeles and made a strong first impression. "I found out I was invited about eight or nine days before the camp, so it was a good thing I was staying in shape," Zemlak said. "I ended up having a really good camp. It was a really long and strenuous camp." [...] Zemlak [...] believes Jonathan Bernier is poised to make a run for NHL duty with Jonathan Quick. That would put Jones, the Calgary Hitmen overager, and Monarchs incumbent Jeff Zatkoff in contention for Manchester jobs. "I think they want Jones to come in (to the AHL), but I saw both Jones and Zatkoff at (the summer) camp and I think I can compete with them," Zemlak said. [...]

I thought this detail was interesting:

"[T]his camp [training camp] is under the NHL rules now, so it’s only three hours a day. The summer development camp wasn’t (under such restrictions), so they could keep us there as long as they wanted, without breaking any rules. It was a really long week — from 6:45 (a.m.) till 4 (p.m.) pretty much every day."