Kings select defenseman Lucas Ambrosio (Round 7, Pick 223)

The LA Kings have selected defenseman Lucas Ambrosio with the 223rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The Kings acquired this selection earlier in the day, in exchange for their own 2027 seventh-round selection.

The Vitals
Name: Lucas Ambrosio
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
DOB: January 6, 2008
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 91 (North American Skaters)

Stats (Erie, OHL): 63 GP, 1 G, 19 A, 20 PTS, 63 PIM

Expert Opinions
Elite Prospects
Every draft class has a handful of Lucas Ambrosios: Big, mobile defensemen who play big minutes in junior hockey but are still developing an identity. Simply put, they’re development projections. Whichever team drafts Ambrosio will hope to shape him into a shutdown stalwart.

With a combination of mobility and reach, Ambrosio has an expansive defensive range. Even against faster opponents, he has no issues keeping pace. His tools afford him corrective ability, pivoting for reacharound pokes and making up ground by skating forward. He’s willing to block shots and get in lanes, but his ability to tip away passes and shots is where he shines the most. Ambrosio isn’t a puck-mover in the traditional sense, but he has the patience to let forecheckers overshoot and pass behind them. Plus, he’s fairly active from the point. It’s mostly simple plays, but he walks in for chances when given space.

To transform into a true shutdown defender, Ambrosio will have to improve his pace and off-puck habits. He idles inside space, and he’s generally a passive defender overall. He’s not especially good at angling rushes or closing out on puck carriers. Adding overt physicality to his game remains a work in progress, though he showed some flashes later in the season.

Inside The Rink
Lucas Ambrosio is another defensive defenceman that teams could covet in the mid rounds. With good size at 6’4”, Ambrosio is a physical defender who can lay the boom. His defensive results have been a mixed bag for the Otters this season, but it is hard to blame him with the league’s weakest roster. He has the tools to be a plus defender with his size and skating, but he will likely be a bit of a project developmentally.

Quick Take – The Kings round out their draft-day haul with defenseman Lucas Ambrosio. The profile here is easy to see, as the above scouting report details. Ambrosio feels to be like a player who, if he went undrafted, could get picked higher next year in his second time of asking. Or maybe even the year after. He has the profile but didn’t really put it all together just yet to determine exactly who he could be at the next level. Another example in the later round of looking at tools. The Kings see some here and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops going forward and which path he might be able to take.