Kings top 20 prospects

[Danny Darko]

Here's a good article on our youngin's rankings. Thanks to Spicoli for the link.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/10524/kings_top20_prospects_fall2008/

1. (NR) Drew Doughty, D

Fresh from the 2008 Entry Draft, Doughty makes his debut on the Kings Top 20 in the first overall position. After great deliberation, the Kings selected Doughty second overall in the draft with the expectation that he will be the cornerstone piece on the blueline for the next decade.

There is little that Doughty lacks. Intelligent and highly skilled with leadership qualities, he will attend training camp in Los Angeles with a strong opportunity to win a roster spot, if not fulltime, then for the first nine games permitted before being optioned back to his junior squad. Regardless of what training camp ultimately holds for Doughty, it is more a matter of when, not if, he will make significant contributions to Los Angeles. With the most upside of any prospect in the Kings organization, and playing at a position that is in desperate need by Los Angeles, Doughty is the team's future No. 1 defenseman and is the offensive counterpart to the physical, steady play of blue-chipper Jack Johnson.

2. (1) Jonathan Bernier, G

Stepping aside to make room for Doughty at the top of this list, but with no less expectation or excitement, is Jonathan Bernier. The margin between the two prospects is slim, but whereas Bernier is on track to be a very good NHL goaltender, Doughty can be the very best at his position. But Bernier is just as important to the future of the Los Angeles Kings.

In camp, Bernier will have a strong opportunity to make the opening night roster. But Bernier will need to beat out other goaltenders with more NHL experience to win a spot. As it will be better for his development to play a full season in the AHL than backup duty in the NHL, Bernier might be spending most of his time as the clear No. 1 goaltender for Manchester in the upcoming season. If the handful of AHL regular season games that Bernier played in at the end of last season are any indication, he might prove to already be too good for the league and find himself in Los Angeles soon enough as the best candidate to be the first homegrown starter for Los Angeles in franchise history. But the Kings should be smart with his development and not rush him into situations he is not yet prepared for, even when the clamor of the fans for his return to Los Angeles become deafening.

3. (2) Thomas Hickey, D

While Doughty and Bernier are clearly the top two prospects for the Kings, Thomas Hickey is the strong leader of the second tier of prospects, comprising those with high NHL potential but not at an elite level. Hickey was drafted as an offensive defenseman, but has recently shown a bit of grittiness to his game that will help him adapt to, and compete at, the NHL level if he can add a few more pounds of muscle to a relatively slight frame. He has already signed an entry-level contract with the Kings, but still has junior eligibility left, leaving an option to return to Seattle of the WHL should he not make the Kings roster in camp. With no less than four prospects from this Top 20 list battling for the final defensive roster spot on the Kings, it is likely that Hickey will return to the WHL for the upcoming season. Doughty and Johnson are penciled in as the future top defensive pairing for Los Angeles, but the offensive skills of Hickey match up perfectly with the physical aggression of Teubert to form a potent future second pairing.

[spicoli76]

I am most excited for two of the Kings "Under the Radar" forward proscpects: Wayne Simmons & Oscar Moeller. Wayne Simmons projects to be a big, fast power forward in the same mold as Rick Nash, Jerome Iginla, or Nathan Horton. And when Dean-O stole Oscar Moeller in the second round of the 2007, he made all the GM's take notice and realize that this current rebuilding phase of the Los Angeles Kings is for real, and dividends will begin to get paid, soon enough!