As the 2019 NHL Entry Draft approaches, the Los Angeles Kings have their work cut out for them, including making decisions on two first-round picks: the fifth pick and a pick somewhere in the early 20s, thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs. From now until the draft, the staff of Jewels from the Crown will be taking a look at some draft-eligible players to help introduce some young men who could very possibly be future Kings.
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“With the fifth pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Los Angeles Kings select, from the University of Wisconsin, Cole Caufield.”
It’s said that Cole Caufield can pull you out of your seat with his dynamic presence. He is being compared to Alex DeBrincat and Johnny Gaudreau—but is drafting him at five too high? Before we get into the strengths and weaknesses, let’s get the basics out of the way…
HOCKEY CARD STATS
Born: January 2, 2001 (Age 18)
Place of Birth: Stevens Point, WI, USA
2019-20 Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
Position: C/RW
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 163 lbs.
Shoots: Right
RANKINGS
#8—NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (North American Skaters)
#13—ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
#13—MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
#16—FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
#16—ISS HOCKEY
#18—TSN/McKenzie
#26—HOCKEYPROSPECT.COM
STRENGTHS
Cole Caufield is a game-breaking goal scorer who flourishes under pressure and is someone that you can’t stop and can only hope to contain. His silky smooth skating thrives in all three zones. Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Operations for USA Hockey John Vanbiesbrouck says that his primary asset is a sizzling shot with a quick release:
“There are very few players like him. You put to the puck on his stick and he releases it immediately. He’s the consummate catch-and-release player. “
As you might expect from a smaller forward, he has an incredible knack for creating and finding space. He gets to rebounds quickly, making others seem a step slow, and had no trouble keeping up with the best skater in the draft in recent tournament, showcasing his acceleration and agility. Caufield’s arsenal of shots is like few other prospects in recent years. His snapshot, wrister, and one-timer are all incredibly accurate and powerful with a quick release which often tricks goaltenders. Caufield also has a very good one-timer. He should be a high ranker in Corsi as he controls the puck well even at top speed.
Elite Prospects reports that, “Caufield is an electrifying goal-scoring machine that makes some of the most otherworldly plays look like child’s play.“
WEAKNESSES
Did I mention he’s small? Like real small. He makes Patrick Kane look like Zdeno Chara. While the Modern NHL supports a massive offensive upside for smaller forwards, it created a bigger hole on team defense. Thus far, he doesn’t really do well in his down low defensive cycle role as he has a difficult time containing larger adversaries. That being said, his anticipation skills help makeup for things on the defensive end. He’s has a special talent at creating turnovers and intercepting passes making him an effective penalty killer and a severe short-handed threat.
As he’s shown in the USNTDP (USA Hockey National Team Development Program), size doesn’t matter. But many teams still struggle with size. Will the Kings be one of the teams that fight the urge to move away from the prototypical NHL prospects? We will know soon enough.
INTANGIBLES
“When things are going right, the world is your oyster. Right now, Cole Caufield is out there shucking ’em and tossing them back at will. He can do no wrong. At the writing of this update, the 5’6 winger has already set a new goal-scoring record for American players at the World U18 tournament with 11 tallies through four games. For reference, the all-time mark is held by Alex Ovechkin when he recorded 14 goals in eight games as a 16-year-old. Caufield has now recorded 69 goals in 61 games this season and has more than solidified his spot as the most lethal finisher in the class. Once considered a likely pick for the back-half of the first round, his play has many talking about a seat at the top-10 table this June. If his skating was high-end, there’d be little reason to keep him out of the top-five conversation.”– Cam Robinson/DobberProspects.com
WHY THE KINGS SHOULD TAKE A CHANCE
Yvan Cournoyer and Theo Fluery are the gold standards for 5’7” forwards. Could Caufield join them in the coming years? I mean, who wouldn’t want the next evolution of the Roadrunner and Fleury?
As we gush over Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko and wish the Kings hadn’t dropped to fifth in the draft, sit down and read this fact: With 106 goals in two seasons, Caufield has more goals than anyone who has played at the USNTDP. “Meh, what’s 106 goals?”, you say? Well, that total ranks higher that the totals of Phil Kessel, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Dylan Larkin.
In the new NHL, smaller forwards are succeeding more and more and Caufield’s enormous offensive upsize will translate very well at this level as he develops into a top-line sniper.
All this being said, number five is clearly too high to draft Caufield, so if the Kings have him this high on their draft board, it would be a good time for Rob Blake to get creative and trade down a bit.