Kozun talks about development camp

Ever since the day the Kings drafted him in the sixth round in 2009, Brandon Kozun has been an intriguing prospect, a small, tenacious winger who has drawn comparisons to…well, pretty much every small, tenacious winger who has thrived in the NHL. Can Kozun reach that level? After consecutive 100-point seasons in the WHL, Kozun turned pro last season and totaled 23 goals and 25 assists in 73 AHL games with Manchester. That’s a solid start for the 21-year-old winger. Can he take another step forward? After today’s development-camp sessions, Kozun — a native of the San Fernando Valley — talked about his progress…

Question: What’s different about you as a player now, as opposed to last year?

KOZUN: “I think I’m a better pro. That’s something that you need to learn. As a rookie, you come in and it’s kind of tough. You don’t really know what to expect and you kind of get thrown into it. There’s a lot of things in pro (hockey) that you learn. I learned a lot this year and I think I’m a better player because of it.”

Question: What did you learn?

KOZUN: “A lot of the play away from the puck is important. It’s taking care of the puck. It’s playing in your own end. Defense leads to offense. The biggest thing for me was, I could get away with a few things in junior and I could force some plays and get it by some guys. Before, I could do that. I feel like I went to pro and I paid my dues and I got better at that and I took care of the puck, and at the end of the year, I think you could tell a huge difference.”

Question: What kind of things are you working on this summer, to get ready for training camp?

KOZUN: “It’s just back to the grindstone. I’ve been working hard all summer. You’ve got to be in great shape to come in and try to crack the big club, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Question: Have you been working out with any players in particular?

KOZUN: “A couple guys. TJ Galiardi, out of Colorado, and Paul Postma, who played a couple games for Atlanta. Just those two guys.”

Question: You probably hear about your size all the time. After a while, does it become sort of a backhand compliment?

KOZUN: “I’ve heard every kind of (backhand) compliment you can come up with. It doesn’t effect me. I’ve heard every small joke. `You can’t play here, you can’t play there.’ I just don’t even listen to it anymore.”

Question: What was the transition like, junior to the AHL?

KOZUN: “It was different. I think it was a humbling experience for me. When I came in, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was always playing a ton. I double-shifted all the time in junior and I got all the opportunity in the world. Even if I made a mistake, I’d get thrown right back out there. Coming to pro, there are a lot of guys already there, and I kind of had to compete with them. You kind of have to pay your dues first, before you can get those opportunities. I learned to take care of the puck, not force plays and play well in my own zone. After that, the offense came. I’ve always been an offensive player. As soon as I started playing a well-rounded game, I think everything started to click for me.”

Question: Are there parts of your game you’d still like to see improvement in?

KOZUN: “I think you can always improve at it, but I think I’ve taken a huge awareness in it and I think I’ve improved a lot at it. I’m trying to continue to improve, but I think I’m getting to that point where I’m good enough to play at that next level. Hopefully I can get a chance.”

Question: Did the Kings tell you they’d like to see you improve at anything in particular?

KOZUN: “Well, (Manchester coach) Mark Morris would tell me that kind of stuff, just taking care of the puck and making sure I don’t force plays. I think, like I said, I’ve gotten a lot better at it. I’ve had a knack to try to force plays, cross ice, coming out of the corner and trying to hit the far D. I think now you’ll see me, instead of trying to hit that far D, I’ll tight-turn back to the corner and have a little bit more low play.”

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