With the 29th overall pick, the Los Angeles Kings selected Adrian Kempe. The 17-year-old Kempe is a 6’2″, 187 lb. left wing who plays for Modo of the Swedish Hockey League. Kempe was ranked 22nd overall by ISS, 29th by the Hockey News, and 6th among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting services.
From TSN:
Excellent skater with speed and quickness and he uses it to get to openings and to back off defenders. Excellent sense for the game and what is necessary and with his multitude of talents, he can deliver. A team player through and through.
From NHL.com:
He’s a big, strong, bullish forward who can play center or wing. He likes to drive hard for the net, using his strength and skating to his advantage. He plays the body and is aggressive when forechecking. He has a good defensive game for a player with his offensive skills; mobile, solid and strong. He’s a power forward, strong along the boards with smooth hands and is a very speedy skater. He’s a solid two-way forward.
So, it looks like we were in the right direction with our mock draft pick: a big-bodied forward, playing in Europe, already playing at the highest level in his country, and willing to play at both ends of the ice. At the very least, he should fit in quite nicely with the Kings’ organization.
Oh, and his favorite player? Marian Gaborik.
We’ll have more on this pick to come.