Camp To Camp – Erik Portillo

Between now and training camp, we’ll share the stories of several young prospects, who attended development camp in the summer and are approaching training camp in the fall with a variety of goals. This week’s story is about Erik Portillo, who joined the Kings organization at the trade deadline and will begin his professional career in the fall. Off a standout career at the University of Michigan, Portillo has a lot of the tools you look for in a goaltender. An interesting player to watch as he makes the transition to the professional ranks.

Goaltenders are perhaps the most difficult position to evaluate during a development camp setting. Likely just as much in main camp. It’s nearly impossible to replicate game-like situations in the sessions with skaters, so judging a goaltender off of those drills is difficult. Goaltender specific drills often dive into the more technical aspects of a goaltender’s game, making them less effective in that area as well. Scrimmage settings, while certainly the closest thing, are much less structured than a real game, so it can almost be equally difficult.

“I think for all of the goalies that were here [at development camp], it’s hard, they’re getting pucks fired at them left and right, between the sessions and the games, and no one’s really playing defense,” Glen Murray, LA Kings Director, Player Development, said.

Murray admitted first and foremost that he isn’t the goaltending expert in the organization. Far from it.

Still, when you look at prospect Erik Portillo, it’s hard not to notice him.

First things first, he’s a massive presence in the net with athleticism to match. Standing at 6-6, Portillo stands out immediately simply because of his stature. Murray also picked up on a competitiveness in his game, which he felt shined through in drills that are almost always stacked against a goaltender. Good traits to see and a good impression to make from a first time attending an organized Kings camp.

“He’s a big guy, a competitive guy, I watched him closely a few times and he doesn’t give up on the 2-on-1’s or the drills when the forwards get to fire pucks,” Murray added. “He’s competitive and that’s a good trait to have.”

Also in his corner is the fact that while it was Portillo’s first development camp with the Kings, it wasn’t his first development camp. 12 months ago, he was putting on a show alongside Devon Levi at Buffalo Sabres development camp, skating with the organization that drafted him. The two, high-caliber collegiate netminders were the story from that camp, though Portillo has now moved on to the Kings.

A lot of times, you hear about nerves or tentativeness from first-time attendees. Everyone on the ice is a star player with their respective team, but everyone is also at a different stage in the process. Portillo is an older prospect though, about to begin his first professional season at 22-years-old and has experience from Buffalo to look back on. That certainly helped his cause.

“It’s basically the same concept with the development camp [between the Sabres and Kings], obviously everything is new with the facilities and people so there’s a lot of new stuff, but the concept is the same,” Portillo said. “It was great to meet all of the coaches and players around the LA organization.”

Now, with a Frozen Four and an entry-level contract under his belt, a new NHL logo on his chest and a fresh opportunity, Portillo has his sights on making an impact.

Though he had two seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining, he was four years removed from his draft year and became eligible for unrestricted free agency come July 1. His trade from Buffalo to Los Angeles preceded his eventual entry-level contract, as it became clear that the right move forward was to forego his remaining collegiate years in pursuit of a professional career.

“School has always been very important for me, so for me to finish three out of four years felt really good at Michigan,” he said. “I know that I can come back and finish that year whenever I want to, but I just felt like hockey-wise and school-wise, this was the best timing for me.”

That’s not to say he wasn’t tested on the ice at Michigan, though.

Matty Beiners, Kent Johnson, Owen Power were collegiate teammates who spent all of last season in the NHL. Adam Fantilli, the third-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft was a teammate this year, as was Luke Hughes, who played for New Jersey in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the last few seasons, Michigan has become one of the top destinations for highly-touted, incoming freshmen, which has bolstered the level of competition internally.

“It was fantastic playing against the guys on my team in practice every day, it really helped me raise my skill level,” Portillo said. “You see Beiners, Kent Johnson, Owen Power, all these guys, they’re all doing really well in NHL right now, so their skill is obviously up there. To be able to fight against those guys in practice and compete against them is awesome.”

Now, success at development camp or in college hockey is one thing, but he’ll be trading 40 goal forwards from the CHL during prospect skates for 40-goal forwards in the NHL come September.

Looking at the organization’s goaltending situation, Portillo is likely slotted to begin the season at the AHL level with the Ontario Reign. You never know exactly what might happen, but the Kings have three veterans signed with NHL experience, and only four goaltenders signed in total, so it stands to reason.

Regardless of how the NHL situation plays out in net, Portillo should expect to tandem alongside a veteran, which is how the Kings have historically preferred to shepherd their prospects along at the AHL level over the years. Like Jack Campbell and Cal Petersen before him, he should expect to have a veteran to work alongside, though he’s coming in with some professional learning of his own already under his belt.

Portillo had the opportunity to practice at the professional level last season, first with the Ontario Reign and then with the LA Kings black aces once Ontario’s season officially ended. Similar to how Alex Laferriere described it, that experience was valuable for Portillo heading into his first full season as a pro.

“I got the experience of being around those guys, especially around playoff time, it was very interesting to see everything that goes into it,” he said. “Just seeing what happens around the team during the times when the games get more important, it was a big help.”

Now trending towards a full season as a professional, Portillo has areas that require growth but also the timeframe in which to do it. The Kings goaltending pipeline is set at the NHL level for this season, but beyond that, none of their four goaltenders currently under contract are signed for 2024-25. It’s an opportunity for Portillo to grow, develop and hopefully impress, with the Kings investing a draft pick to acquire a goaltender they believe can be part of the future.

The future for Portillo begins in six-weeks time, when he hits the ice once again in a Kings jersey. This time, though, it’s the real deal for main camp in the fall. Expect the Swedish Bull to be ready to go when the time comes.