How are some of the Kings’ 2010 draft picks doing? To start, Alessandro Seren Rosso of RussianProspect.com passed along this item about Maxim Kitsyn’s first pro hat trick yesterday. Here’s a look at how the picks are doing…
Derek Forbort (defenseman, University of North Dakota): 6 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 4 penalty minutes.
Tyler Toffoli (center, Ottawa, OHL): 14 games, 8 goals, 7 assists, 17 penalty minutes.
Jordan Weal (center, Regina, WHL): 14 games, 7 goals, 15 assists, penalty minutes.
Kevin Gravel (defenseman, St. Cloud State University): 6 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 0 penalty minutes.
Maxim Kitsyn (winger, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, KHL): 8 games, 3 goals, 1 assist, 2 penalty minutes.
Maybe Maxim Kitsyn will satisfy the desire for a sniper.
“The Kings’ draftee had all the time in the world to aim and fire the puck right below the crossbar for a true sniper goal.”
Cheaper than Kovalchuck as well.
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Glad to see Jordan Weal doing well. He was my “charge” at the draft in June. Very pleasant young man…
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Neil Ellis Shafton Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 2:51 pm
@Alma, Jordan is weally weally doing weally well!
Wabbit season, Duck season, Wabbit season, Duck season.
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What is Frankenstein doing in a Kings uniform?
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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Rich, is Linden Vey not Kings property anymore?
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Quisp Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 1:42 pm
@AK47,
He is. This is just the 2010 picks. In addition to those named, Vey, Berube, Czarnik and Deslauriers are in juniors, Dowd, Turnbull and Roe are NCAA, and Fransson and Mikus are KHL. And there’s another handful of Europeans who are technically Kings property but are not likely ever to play in North America (e.g. Melyakov, Shefer, Lyubushin…).
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 6:36 pm
@Quisp, Love Niclas Deslauriers, I think his hockey sense for a 19 year old is vey good. IMO, he will thrive in the NHL sooner then a lot of our other prospects.
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AK47 Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 11:08 pm
@Quisp,
Hahaha yeeah, I knew that bro, I guess I just read over Rich’s post real quickly and didn’t notice the 2010 thing
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and on the Kovalchuk front in response to being booed at staples:
“The Kings are one of the teams that tried to sign me, and the (recruiting) trip here was more for my wife, because she’d never been in L.A., and she wanted to go see it. So we went.”
It gets better. From Jamie Langenbrunner:
“He wants to win and that’s why he stayed here.”
Last night was just the beginning. We’ll be waving hello from the playoffs.
Punks.
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Quisp Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 1:43 pm
@Matt George,
Isn’t that an old quote? That’s not from last night, is it?
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Matt George Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 1:45 pm
@Quisp,
That’s from last night according to the AP. Read it from Wyshinski’s site.
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David Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 2:19 pm
@Quisp, It was before the game.
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Kingsfanone Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 6:38 pm
@Quisp,
I believe he said almost the same thing right after signing in NJ. I seem to recall it as an old quote as well though.
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jdm1977 Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 8:19 pm
@Matt George,
Even if the Devils suck, Kovalchuk will have the beautiful NJ winters for 15 years. Ha, in your face Los Angeles!
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ALSO NOTE THAT THESE QUOTES WERE FOLLOWED BY THIS:
…Martin Brodeur made 18 saves for the Devils (3-8-1), who are off to the worst start in franchise history.
Yes I know it’s early … but take THAT you (insert lots of foul language here directed eastward) ! ! !
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what an all around solid game for the kings last night. the devils got a lot of shots but our D allowed quick space and time to see the puck.
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Rich your info (at least on Toffoli) is a little outdated,
he scored 2 goals and 2 assists yesterday, so he’s now
,according to http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/stats/show, 15 games, 19 points – 10 goals and 9 assists
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 6:40 pm
@Rock, Absolutely love Forbert, Weal, and Toffoli. I think Dean has also done a great job getting quality scouts. As long as AEG lets Dean run this thing it should be good and consistent for a long time.
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54FIGHTING Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 8:37 pm
@puck73,
I too am getting excited about Forbort. I was hoping for Tarasenko but expect great things from Derek.
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I think at any other time in franchise history Zaktoff & Jones would be goalie prospects and are now practically after-thoughts.
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I guess it really doesn’t matter what you write, if people aren’t either able to read it, or don’t understand what you mean by “2010 Draft Picks”
Zatkoff and Jones were not drafted in 2010, so I don’t understand why someone is questioning why they aren’t being mentioned.
Same thing can be said of people who post about a prospect or players ability, when they have never seen them play, and are only going off something they read or heard from someone else.
Thanks for the update on the players who were 2010 Draft Picks of the Los Angeles Kings Rich.
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I’m disappointed to see Kitsyn isn’t playing in Canadian Juniors, which is what was reported as his first choice when drafted last summer, as the move could have been a huge boost to his growth.
If he has to play in the KHL, or the U20 team, I hope he gets plenty of ice time to continue to grow and improve.
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puck73 Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 6:43 pm
@Bickleton Wigglesworth III, Totally agre. I think playing over here is essential for his growth. But hey, dont take my word for it, ask Johann Fransson.
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Quisp Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 9:14 pm
@puck73,
Fransson, who is playing in the KHL now?
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Bickleton Wigglesworth III Reply:
October 31st, 2010 at 11:06 pm
@Quisp,
Yeah, the KHL not the NHL which is maybe where he would be right now if he’d found a North American style for his game, like say, in the CHL.
Crown Royal Reply:
November 1st, 2010 at 5:43 am
@puck73,
Fransson started out as a bandy player in Sweden then converted to hockey. Bandy is a popular game in Northern Europe with pro leagues in Russia (it’s called hockey ball there), Sweden, Finland,and Norway.
Bandy is more of a skating game and the top players in Russia (where the best league is located) would blow most NHL’ers away in a skating race. This accounts for Fransson’s skating ability. He probably started too late to have made another transition to North America to play junior hockey.
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Lars H Reply:
November 1st, 2010 at 9:29 am
@Crown Royal, Wo, Bandy! I had no idea such a thing existed. Thanks!
For any other un-initiates out there, here’s a wikipedia article on the game: Bandy. Short version: Bandy is hockey played with a ball instead of a puck on a rink the size of a soccer pitch, 11 players to a side.
jet Reply:
November 1st, 2010 at 11:17 am
@Bickleton Wigglesworth III, The Majors selected a left wing with their first pick in the import draft. Kitsyn would likely be a second or third liner. Also, his KHL coach will have more pressure to play him after he scored 3 goals in 12 minutes.
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LOVE that Kitsyn is coming across the pond to play for the U20 team. Its unfortunate that team Russia usually gets Spanked at this event by Team OHL, Team WHL and Team QMJHL. It will be cool to watch him play and compare him to the Canadian Juniors though.
I wonder if the games will be on tv?
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