The Los Angeles Kings are set to kick off rookie camp next week, and with only four preseason games on the schedule this fall, the pressure is on for prospects to make every rep count.
The Kings open camp with an open practice at the Toyota Sports Performance Center on Sept. 11, then head to Northern California for the Rookie Faceoff. That event begins on Sept. 12 and includes three games against the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Utah Mammoth on Sept. 15.
Three names stand out as players worth keeping an eye on.
Jared Wright is the most familiar of the group. The winger spent time with the Kings late last regular season, made his NHL debut in March at home against the Colorado Avalanche, and then appeared in all four playoff games in the first round against Colorado.
After carving out a regular role in the bottom six last spring, Wright now has a chance to show he belongs above the rookie camp level. A strong week could help him push for an opening night spot, especially with veteran depth available in the Kings’ bottom six.
Kenny Connors is another forward who already has a taste of the NHL. He played two games in early March against the Avalanche and New York Islanders, and he backed that up with a strong AHL season for the Ontario Reign, putting up 15 goals and 41 points in 65 games.
That production helped put him on the radar as one of the more intriguing forwards in the Kings’ prospect pool. Next week is a chance for Connors to back up that buzz and show he can force his way into the conversation for NHL ice time this season.
Then there’s Henry Brzustewicz, who arrives with the biggest spotlight of all. NHL.com ranked the defenseman as the No. 1 prospect in the Kings’ organization this offseason, and he’s coming off a standout year with the London Knights in the OHL, where he scored 19 goals and totaled 54 points in 59 games.
He later got into five games with the Ontario Reign, and he’s expected to be a major piece on the Reign blue line this season. For Brzustewicz, rookie camp is about confirming that the momentum is real.
The Kings’ coaching and development staff have already been encouraged by his progression, skating ability, and offensive instincts over the past six months or so.
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Alex Laferriere Could Change Everything About The Kings Third Line
The Kings projected third line has a chance to look a lot different depending on how Alex Laferriere fits into it. Alongside Scott Laughton and Trevor Moore, Laferriere gives Los Angeles a younger, more dynamic option in a group that could tilt the lineup in a useful direction if he keeps taking steps forward. Laughton is expected to bring a steadier two-way presence, while Moore remains the kind of middle-six scorer the Kings can lean on for secondary offense.
Laferriere is the swing piece in all of it. He could end up in a second-line role, but if he settles in on the third line and becomes the main driver there, that would give Los Angeles a far more dangerous depth look than it had before. The Kings have been looking for more balance through the middle of the lineup, and a productive Laferriere would give them a way to get offense without sacrificing the kind of structure they want behind their top scorers. [Read more 🡒]