History by 2017 NHL Draft position; news links

As it currently stands, the Los Angeles Kings have seven selections at the upcoming NHL Draft, which will be held June 23-24 at the United Center in Chicago. Those selections are the 11th, 41st, 72nd, 103rd, 134th, 165th and 169th picks. Though it’s not particularly important, it is interesting in some reflexive context. What have Los Angeles and other teams done with those draft slots in the past?

(stick tap to hockey-reference.com’s draft tool; all stats and selections are from 1963-2017)

PICK #11
2004 – Lauri Tukonen / 5 GP, 0-0=0
2005 – Anze Kopitar / 840 GP, 255-481=736
2006 – Jonathan Bernier / 252 GP, 109-95-27, 2.65, .915
Number of players selected 11th overall to play in the NHL: 46
Most GP by player selected 11th overall: Jarome Iginla, 1,554
Most points by player selected 11th overall: Iginla, 625-675=1,300
Notable players selected 11th overall: Ivan Boldirev, Brian Rolston, Scott Young, Jeff Carter, Dave Manson, Sylvain Cote, Mike Ramsey, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Ellis, Jack Campbell

PICK # 41
The Kings have never selected 41st overall.
Number of players selected 41st overall to play in the NHL: 29
Most GP by player selected 41st overall: Dale Hunter, 1,407
Most points by player selected 41st overall: Hunter, 323-697=1,020
Notable players selected 41st overall: Peter Zezel, Bryan Bickell, Ondrej Pavelec, Kevin Weekes, Jean Hamel

PICK #72
1985 – Perry Florio / No NHL stats
2005 – Jonathan Quick / 492 GP, 260-167-53, 2.26, .916
Number of players selected 72nd overall to play in the NHL: 21
Most GP by player selected 72nd overall: Chris Drury, 892
Most points by player selected 72nd overall: Drury, 255-360=615
Notable players selected 72nd overall: John Vanbiesbrouck, Cal Clutterbuck, Marek Malik, Jim Craig

PICK #103
1971 – Lorne Stamler / 116 GP, 14-11=25
1976 – Larry McRae / No NHL stats
1977 – Randy Rudnyk / No NHL stats
1989 – Thomas Newman / No NHL stats
1998 – Kip Brennan / 61 GP, 1-1=2
Number of players selected 103rd overall to play in the NHL: 16
Most GP by player selected 103rd overall: Keith Acton, 1,023
Most points by player selected 103rd overall: Thomas Steen, 264-553=857
Notable players selected 103rd overall: Bill Lindsay, Shawn Bates

PICK #134
1981 – Craig Hurley / No NHL stats
2006 – David Meckler / No NHL stats
2015 – Matt Schmalz / No NHL stats
Number of players selected 134th overall to play in the NHL: 12
Most GP by player selected 134th overall: Doug Gilmour, 1,474
Most points by player selected 134th overall: Gilmour, 450-964=1,414
Notable players selected 134th overall: Rob Scuderi, Kris Versteeg, Christian Ruuttu, Cliff Ronning, Kyle Wellwood

PICK #165
1981 – Dan Brennan / 8 GP, 0-1=1
1989 – Sean Whyte / 21 GP, 0-2=2
Number of players selected 165th overall to play in the NHL: 9
Most GP by player selected 165th overall: Byron Ritchie, 324
Most points by player selected 165th overall: Ritchie, 25-33=58
Notable players selected 165th overall: Michael Leighton

PICK #169
1974 – Derrick Emerson / No NHL stats
Number of players selected 169th overall to play in the NHL: 9
Most GP by player selected 169th overall: Ben Smith, 237
Most points by player selected 169th overall: Smith, 29-25=54
Notable players selected 169th overall: Corey Hirsch

In other words, it’s like virtually any other NHL Draft. You pick 11th overall, you’re probably going to find a useful player. Of the Kings’ other 13 selections, there’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion who will eventually have his jersey retired by the team, and quite a few tumbleweeds elsewhere.

Elsewhere: It’s Spencer Watson, Jacob Moverare and Mississauga against Alex DeBrincat, Ryan Strome and Erie duking it out for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, following the Steelheads’ four-game sweep of the Peterborough Petes and the Otters’ six-game series win over the Owen Sound Attack. Watson has 14 goals, 22 points and a plus-16 rating in 15 games as a forward, while Moverare has two goals, seven points and a plus-17 rating in 15 games as a defenseman. That series gets underway Thursday in Erie. | Battling for the Ed Chynoweth Cup will be Regina and Seattle. The Pats’ Austin Wagner has 14 goals – including three shorthanders and two game-winners – 18 points and a +15 rating in 16 playoff games. This should be an awfully good exhibition of talent, given Regina’s offensive bent, which is also generated by Toronto draft pick and master string-puller Adam Brooks (who is dealing with a knee injury) and Anaheim first rounder Sam Steel in addition to Wagner, and Seattle’s balance and experience, led by New York Islanders first rounder Matthew Barzal, Edmonton-inked defenseman Ethan Bear, and Head Coach Steve Konowalchuk. The Pats are making their first trip to the Final since 1984, while the Thunderbirds were defeated in five games by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Final last spring. | More Seattle hockey news: NHL and NBA executives favor a KeyArena renovation, and AEG is among the companies to submit a bid to do so. There’s quite a bit of detail on AEG’s plans, as reported by Chris Daniels of KING-5. KeyArena last hosted hockey in the first half of the 2008-09 season, following the Thunderbirds’ run of over 20 years in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, but the current sight lines in the arena, which was last renovated heavily in 1995, are designed specifically for basketball. | L.A. received the second-fewest goals from players on their entry-level contracts, as Dimitri Filipovic noted. | The Kings donated $150,000 towards the construction of an El Segundo aquatics center that is expected to be completed next year. Bailey was there. | Capsules on those being considered for Buffalo’s open GM position, which includes Los Angeles AGM Michael Futa.