A couple days ago,
Corey Pronman released his
annual NHL farm system rankings.
Pronman tapped Los Angeles at 17th, a significant bump for a beleaguered pipeline which has been a cellar-dweller in similar rankings in recent years. In fact, the Kings made the second-biggest jump in these rankings from last summer, moving 12 spots up from 29th. Only St. Louis, which rocketed from 23rd to 8th, rose more in the ESPN writer's eyes.
Because Pronman's piece is subscriber content, I won't give away the whole thing. He's one of the most respected prospect gurus in the industry, so please support him. But a couple of his Kings tidbits stood out.
According to Pronman, Gabriel Vilardi "salvages this system's previously thin ranks." He had previously listed Vilardi as the 2017 Draft's third-best prospect. The ESPN writer also thinks of Kale Clague as "top-end talent."
In addition, Pronman was pleased with Rob Blake's draft class,
giving it an A-. Only New Jersey, Philadephia, and Vegas earned same or higher grades.
Besides the organization's latest, perhaps Austin Wagner's breakout campaign was noticed? Pronman was also impressed by Mikey Eyssimont's performance:
Did Jonny Brodzinski, Paul LaDue, and Michael Amadio catch his eye?
For what it's worth, Pronman also just released his
Top 100 Prospects list. Three Kings were crowned: Vilardi was anointed #9, Clague #46, and Adrian Kempe #74. He followed with
top-10 lists for each NHL team. More on the ESPN writer's takes on Los Angeles later.
Anyway, a thing about rankings: Don't take them too seriously, even if they're from a pro like Pronman. Personally, I question if LA's system has improved
that greatly because of Vilardi and Clague. But if they hit and say a Spencer Watson really surprises, suddenly, you're in the money. We can agree anyway that the pipeline looks spiffier today than it did last summer.
Another thing about rankings: Don't disregard them completely either, especially if they're from a pro like Pronman. For years, the Kings' farm system has been regarded as a bottom-feeder. And while a number of these kids have shown legitimate promise, nobody -- since Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli -- has played a significant role on a top-heavy squad which has been desperate for quality depth.
Save Derek Forbort, I suppose. No offense to the surprising Forbort, but he shouldn't be
the gem from three years of prospecting.
The pundits, in their way, were sounding a warning. If they had been wrong, Dean Lombardi would still have his job.
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