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The Los Angeles are scheduled to pick seven times in Rounds 2-4 of the 2020 NHL Draft. General manager Rob Blake holds three second-round selections, and two picks in the third and fourth rounds.
LA held the second overall pick on Day 1 and used it on center Quinton Byfield of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.
Blake’s rebuild of the roster continues with this important draft. The Kings need to hit on some of their early-to-late round picks to help with the high-end talent already in the system.
Here’s a list of all of the Kings picks:
2020 LA Kings Draft
| ROUND | PICK | PLAYER | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROUND | PICK | PLAYER | NOTES |
| 1 | 2 | C - Quinton Byfield | |
| 2 | 35 | D - Helge Grans | |
| 2 | 45 | D - Brock Faber | *via Red Wings |
| 3 | 66 | RW - Kasper Simontaival | |
| 3 | 83 | RW - Alex Laferriere | *via Maple Leafs |
| 4 | 112 | G - Juho Markkanen | *via Flames |
| 5 | 128 | RW - Martin Chromiak | |
| 5 | 140 | D - Ben Meehan | *via Hurricanes |
| 7 | 190 | RW - Aatu Jamsen |
PICK 35: D Helge Grans
Team: Malmö Redhawks (SHL) | Nationality: Swedish | Age: 18 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 192 lb | Shoots: R | TSN Ranking: 35 | Stats: 27 GP, 4 G, 23 A
“Steady, two-way defenceman who can play in all situations. Reads plays well, both defensively and offensively and plays with an efficiency that is not flashy but highly effective.”
Dan Marr of NHL Central Scouting says:
“He’s got the good size/strength package. He moves really well for his size. What is good about his game is a real strong transitional game. When he gets the puck he can make those good moves where he transitions to offense very fast. For GMs, they love a guy who can make a really good first pass over the zone and that’s his game. Defensively, he understands positioning and understands coverage. Just the confidence he showed in the second half was good because his hockey sense is good when he has the puck. He has good vision and knows how to make the plays. He just goes out and gets the job done.”
TRADE
To Los Angeles: no. 45 pick
To Detroit: no. 51 pick, no. 97 pick
PICK 45: D Brock Faber
Team: University of Minnesota (NCAA) | Nationality: American | Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 194 lb | Shoots: R | TSN Ranking: 102 | Stats with USA U18 (NTDP): 48 GP, 3 G, 9 A, +7 Rating
He’s a great skater who uses weight shifts well while gliding to avoid getting knocked over on the rush. There are some defenders who defend the blue line violently; others are more calculated. Faber suffocates the opposition, guiding them with his stick to the outside and enveloping them.
TRADE
To Los Angeles: F Lias Andersson
To New York: no. 60 pick
PICK 66: RW Kasper Simontaival
Team: Tappara (Liiga) | Nationality: American | Age: 18 | Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 172 lb | Shoots: R | TSN Ranking: 69 | Stats: 48 GP, 25 G, 32 A, +11 Rating
“He’s a true dual-threat winger with two-way upside, a sturdy frame, and the type of competitiveness necessary to hang in there as a vertically-challenged forward. The 5-foot-9 winger has a lethal release that can beat goalies from tough angles and long distances. He wields the best shot out of Finland in this year’s draft.”
PICK 83: RW Alex Laferriere
Team: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | Nationality: American | Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 179 lb | Shoots: R | TSN Ranking: 101 | Stats: 42 GP, 19 G, 26 A
“Alex Laferriere, not to be confused with Alexis Lafrenière, is a dangerous player off the rush. He gains the line and creates room for himself to make plays. Alex is a true dual-threat scorer and likes to play a real power game, even at a modest 6-feet-even and 179 pounds. Think a scoring forward with some grit, not the second coming of Cam Neely.”
“Perceived skating issues have held the New Jersey native back in some circles, but this season he’s been able to muffle those concerns for the time being. His passing is strong and his shot is really high-end, making him a dangerous offensive threat. He works well off the rush, feeding off of his teammates and deceiving the goaltender with excellent puck skills. He does a good job of changing his stick angle of the shot, altering the angle, opening up a new hole the goalie doesn’t expect to have to cover.”
PICK 112: G Juho Markkanen
Team: SaiPa (Liiga) | Nationality: Finnish | Age: 18 | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 146 lb | Catches: L | NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 6 (EU Goalies) | Stats (SaiPa U20): 18 GP, .881 SV%
Bill Plazcek of DraftSite says:
“Second generation goaltender whose father played parts of four NHL seasons, is very athletic with quick reflexes. Displays good rebound control and and tracks the puck nicely. Played with a weak junior team and then was elevated to the Finnish Natural team as the February Five Nations Tourney approached. He won both games he started there. At this point is a lightweight who cannot anchor as well as he would like.”