The Los Angeles Kings closed out development camp on Thursday afternoon with the Black-and-White scrimmage at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, and a few names kept popping up all week.
With 11 new draft picks in the mix, plus several camp invitees and college free agents, there was plenty for fans and media to track. Three players in particular made a strong impression in practices and scrimmages: Liam Lefebvre, Vojtech Cihar and Daniel Walters.
Lefebvre, the Kings’ new second-round pick at center, was one of the most talked-about prospects in camp. He made noise early and kept it going, reportedly beating multiple top Kings goalie prospects, including Carter George and third-round pick Yegor Rybkin. He also found the net in Thursday’s Black-and-White scrimmage, adding to a week that showcased his offensive touch.
What stood out with Lefebvre was the way he created those chances. He showed strong stick handling and puck protection on multiple goals during the scrimmages, including the one he scored on Rybkin in the final scrimmage. For a young forward trying to make an impression, that kind of consistent scoring and ability to hold onto the puck goes a long way.
Cihar’s week had a very different kind of headline attached to it. The forward was taken to the medical center on Monday after taking a stick up high, and he said, "They knocked, like, three teeth out. But right now I’ve got all of them back."
Even with that scare, Cihar was back on the ice and moving at full speed over the next few days. He continued to look like one of the fastest and most skilled forwards in camp, and he followed up the injury with a solid showing in practice and the scrimmage on Day 2.
Walters, meanwhile, brought a little bit of everything. The Halifax Mooseheads forward drew notice for his effort and physical play throughout the week, and he backed that up with multiple goals in the scrimmages. He also got into a scuffle with Kings camp invitee and defenseman Nate Corbet on Monday, then answered quickly on Tuesday by scoring one of the scrimmage’s first goals.
That combination of edge, energy and production made Walters hard to miss. He was physical in both practice and scrimmage settings, and his work around the net gave him another way to stand out.
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