Per Jon Rosen over at LA Kings Insider, training camp rosters and schedules have been released!
Who is ready for hockey?
Be sure to check out the article above to see the exact dates and times. As far as the rosters go, take a look. (Reload if it doesn't show the first time)
A lot of the guys that made our HF Top 20 prospects group will be in attendance at camp.
Few notables who aren't in attendance include 2014 first round selection Adrian Kempe, as well as another highly rated Euro prospect Nikolay Prokhorkin. Both players have returned to Europe where their seasons have already begun. Along with the European players, the NCAA players like Steven Johnson and Paul LaDue will also not be in attendance as they have already made their way to their respective universities.
There are a few noteworthy camp invitees also which are always interesting players to check out. Former Oilers and Ducks goaltender Jeff Deslauriers will be in attendance. A familair face amongst the Guelph boys, former alternate captain Ryan Horvat (No relation to Bo) will also be in attendance. He was recently signed by the Monarchs on a minor league contract.
If the name Brandon Maxwell seems familiar, it's probably because you remember it from the 2007-08 U18 World Juniors where he was fantastic for Team USA. He is a former draft choice of the Colorado Avalanche (6th round, 2009) and has been playing over in Europe for the last several seasons.
If you've got nothing to do starting on Friday, head on down to TSC to check out some practices. They will also be moved to Staples after the weekend. As always the Kings will do a split squad game against Arizona next week. I'll be posting when cuts are made certainly.
Just a few players I am excited to get a look at?
This year's 2nd round selection Roland McKeown, who by all accounts was a massive steal for the Kings.
Zachary Leslie and Nick Ebert are two other defenseman I am really looking forward to seeing, as the organization seems quite high on both of them. Ebert is coming off a huge year in the CHL, as is Leslie. Both play an up-tempo puck-movers game, with Ebert being the more aggressive offensively of the two. Both project as fairly solid top-4 guys.
Vincent LoVerde is a fun guy to root for, as his march from ECHL to an NHL contract has been a feel good story.
Maxim Kitsyn, who was very well regarded before his foray into Europe seemed to dent his confidence and game a little bit. He is certainly hitting a tipping point in his career.
Andreoff and McNabb are also two players to keep an eye on, as both are no longer waiver exempt and will really need to have a good camp to get off on the right foot with the team. For McNabb it seems fairly certain he will stay with the big club considering what the team gave up to get him, but Andreoff might be a different story. The Kings have lost players to waiver claims before whom were originally penciled into the NHL lineup (Thomas Hickey, Marc-Andre Cliche).
Oh, and that guy Kevin Gravel will be there too.
In case you missed the whole shpeel with that, it appears that the Kings have a grasp on the defenseman based on what I can only venture is an unwritten rule amongst NHL GM's to not poach players from minor league teams. Even after pouring over the legalese of the CBA and thinking I had found something in it, I hadn't. At this point I am just going to wait until I meet these so-called "CBA experts" and ask them what the deal on this one was.
Either way, Gravel is still Kings property and that's a good thing. Say what you will though about what the Kings must have thought of his game to let it get to this point.
Hockey season is getting close folks. I can almost smell it in the air. That may just be the pumpkin scented candle and this delicious beer from Ommegang I am drinking that is making me feel hockey season though. In reality it's 1000 degrees outside and awful in California.
Who needs seasons right?
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