So what about Portillo? Are we high about him as a starter or is he more just a back up?High hope for Cohen Ziemmer. I’m aware it’s silly to get too attached to a prospect that young, but he has all the makings of an impact player.
On the topic of goaltending, Slukynsky is putting up the best numbers in the USHL in years. Watch him during college. He might be something special.
View attachment 9187
Hopefully future starter. He's played well for a first year pro. He was really hot until about 2 weeks ago.So what about Portillo? Are we high about him as a starter or is he more just a back up?
~ArkyKingsFan~
He had a good year in the AHL, 9th best in both GAA and SV%. We’re all still hoping he’s a decent NHL’r, just too early still. Given the emphasis this offseason is reportedly in goal, appears the plan with Portillo is play his way up to backup and take it from there. Guessing back up for the 25-26 season.So what about Portillo? Are we high about him as a starter or is he more just a back up?
~ArkyKingsFan~
I think it’s funny that halfway through this season we suddenly saw a wave of social media chatter about how the Kings have no prospects left after Byfield and Clarke and how their prospect rankings the last few years were overblown.He had a good year in the AHL, 9th best in both GAA and SV%. We’re all still hoping he’s a decent NHL’r, just too early still. Given the emphasis this offseason is reportedly in goal, appears the plan with Portillo is play his way up to backup and take it from there. Guessing back up for the 25-26 season.
But he’s got years on Slukynsky anyway, who, if he does turn out to be the real deal, is taking the net when you’ve got prime Byfield, Clarke, Thomas, and Turcotte and hopefully Pinelli, Helenius, Ziemmer, and Dvorak.
All is not lost by any means with the Kings prospects.
The Kings have some sleepers left in the pipeline beyond Thomas and Turcotte (who were more injury plagued than sleepers) but the overall pipeline is still below average. Much of this was caused by trading away 1st round picks plus not clearing out the bottleneck.I think it’s funny that halfway through this season we suddenly saw a wave of social media chatter about how the Kings have no prospects left after Byfield and Clarke and how their prospect rankings the last few years were overblown.
Cut to Turcotte and Thomas actually getting a real look at the NHL and you can plainly see those two young guys are legitimate NHLers. And Moverare looks like a guy who can hold his own on the 3rd pairing with more experience.
So the Kings pipeline is flowing just fine. These kids just need to stay healthy and the big club has to give them a chance. I personally wouldn’t mind holding onto Kaliyev and giving him a blank slate with Hiller or whoever the next head coach is. Where’s the harm? His trade value is already shot. He doesn’t even turn 23 until June. He’s still very much young. Get on the same page with him and let him know the minutes will be there if he does X, Y & Z.
I guess I would need a definition of below average. If the goal is to turn draft picks into NHL players I think the pipeline is flowing on par with the rest of the league at worst.The Kings have some sleepers left in the pipeline beyond Thomas and Turcotte (who were more injury plagued than sleepers) but the overall pipeline is still below average. Much of this was caused by trading away 1st round picks plus not clearing out the bottleneck.
Some of the names you mentioned are who I was referring to as sleepers, especially Pinelli. I considered Pinelli as steal when we drafted him and still have very high hopes for him despite his slow AHL start. That said, what we lack are game changes, projected top 6 forwards or projected top 4 defensemen. Sure we have a few who could potentially fall into that category, but our odds are great. What we have are players who realistically project to make it to the NHL, but in bottom roles. Goaltending also is still a big question mark for us, despite Portillo playing well his first season in the AHL.I guess I would need a definition of below average. If the goal is to turn draft picks into NHL players I think the pipeline is flowing on par with the rest of the league at worst.
Graduating Spence and Laferriere into full time NHLers this season, Turcotte and Thomas as part time, Clarke due for a break through next year, the NHL roster is going to be filled with former prospects all making an impact at the NHL level.
Pinelli and Chromiak are just 21 years old and both have shown flashes of what they could be as pros. They still need lots of work but that’s the norm for the vast majority of 21 year olds. Same can be said for Helenius. And there’s the Aatu Jamsen wild card. Really hope we can get him onto the Reign to see if his game translates. There’s also a very interesting stable of prospects yet to turn pro.
What the Kings don’t have are sure fire 1st liners coming behind Byfield. Not ideal but again how many teams have 21 year old can’t miss 1st liners in their prospect pools? It’s certainly not half the league.
I noticed that you didn't mention Fagemo. Where do you see him slotting in with the Kings?I guess I would need a definition of below average. If the goal is to turn draft picks into NHL players I think the pipeline is flowing on par with the rest of the league at worst.
Graduating Spence and Laferriere into full time NHLers this season, Turcotte and Thomas as part time, Clarke due for a break through next year, the NHL roster is going to be filled with former prospects all making an impact at the NHL level.
Pinelli and Chromiak are just 21 years old and both have shown flashes of what they could be as pros. They still need lots of work but that’s the norm for the vast majority of 21 year olds. Same can be said for Helenius. And there’s the Aatu Jamsen wild card. Really hope we can get him onto the Reign to see if his game translates. There’s also a very interesting stable of prospects yet to turn pro.
What the Kings don’t have are sure fire 1st liners coming behind Byfield. Not ideal but again how many teams have 21 year old can’t miss 1st liners in their prospect pools? It’s certainly not half the league.
I guess I would need a definition of below average. If the goal is to turn draft picks into NHL players I think the pipeline is flowing on par with the rest of the league at worst.
Graduating Spence and Laferriere into full time NHLers this season, Turcotte and Thomas as part time, Clarke due for a break through next year, the NHL roster is going to be filled with former prospects all making an impact at the NHL level.
Pinelli and Chromiak are just 21 years old and both have shown flashes of what they could be as pros. They still need lots of work but that’s the norm for the vast majority of 21 year olds. Same can be said for Helenius. And there’s the Aatu Jamsen wild card. Really hope we can get him onto the Reign to see if his game translates. There’s also a very interesting stable of prospects yet to turn pro.
What the Kings don’t have are sure fire 1st liners coming behind Byfield. Not ideal but again how many teams have 21 year old can’t miss 1st liners in their prospect pools? It’s certainly not half the league.
Akil has been an impact player in all games he played this season, so I’d use him as a baseline provided he continues this trajectory next season. Probably still a third line talent at best, but if he can kill penalties and put up around 40 pts a year that’s an impact 3rd line winger on a competitive team. I think ideally Kings look at a third line of Thomas-Turcotte-Laf. Not high end scoring skill, but smarts, physicality, heart, and can provide depth scoring. They’d be good next year I believe while enduring growing pains and really start hitting their stride 25-26.Define "impact at the NHL level". Are we talking about guys playing games or guys being meaningful in the NHL. The Kings pipeline is average to below average. That is pretty much a consensus opinion from all ranking services. It is also highly dependent upon Clarke being an impact player (i.e. top pairing or top 4 at worst). He alone drags the Kings out of being ranked in the 20s with the teams with depleted pools.
You've grossly oversimplified what other teams have coming up. Very few teams have sure first 1st liners coming up. But the top squads have multiple scratch-off tickets with a decent chance of being winning tickets. Dry King pretty much said everything I would say and more eloquently-- with the exception that losing Bjornfot doesn't bother me (I will note that if a franchise can rehab him then it is probably Florida based upon their work on guys like OEL).
Talbot stole a number of games in the first 25 games of the season. Folks seem to forget that. The team played better early on, but Talbot was very, very good at times. Also very lucky. The entire team was lucky. You know what they say about luck, luck runs out.Have either goalie stole a game this season?
No.