Did you miss the 2020 NHL Draft and want to learn what the Kings did with their 11 picks? Look no further! This is an overview of what the draft looked like from the Kings’ perspective.

Round 1, 2nd Overall Pick

Ladies and gentlemen, this was the big one. The Kings ended the Byfield vs Stützle debate by selecting Quinton Byfield with their 2nd overall pick, proving my calculation correct! This pick made history as Byfield is now the highest drafted Black player in NHL history. Stay tuned for a full article on Byfield coming soon! Let’s just say that Kings fans are excited about this one!

Round 2, 35th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Helge Grans with this pick. Grans is an eighteen-year-old right-shot defenseman that brings size and skating ability to the table. As a point-per-game player, Grans has been an offensive menace at the junior level; however, he did struggle offensively once he was called up to the SHL’s Malmö Redhawks during the 2019-2020 campaign. Nevertheless, he still projects to be a solid NHL defenseman.

We have a Trade!

The Kings traded their round 2, 51st overall and round 4, 97th overall picks to the Detroit Red Wings in order to move up to the 45th overall pick. With this pick, the Kings selected right-shot defenseman Brock Faber. Faber has shown his skating ability on the United States National Team Development Program and should continue to build upon that at the University of Minnesota next season.

We have Another Trade!

It seems as if the phone was ringing a lot during the draft as the Kings made their second move in the second round. The Kings traded their 60th overall pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for former 2017 7th overall draft pick Lias Andersson. Things never really worked out for Andersson with the Rangers and, as a result of that, he was developed improperly. Hopefully, a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles will allow him to reach his full potential in the league.

Round 3, 66th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Finnish right-winger Kasper Simontaival. Simontaival is an interesting prospect given that he does have a very high ceiling but his young career has been marred by injuries. In the 2019-2020 campaign, Simontaival posted solid offensive numbers, scoring 57 points (25+32=57) in 48 games played, for the junior affiliate for Liiga’s Tappara team. He is known to have a strong hockey sense; however, whether or not he will be able to stay healthy enough to crack the NHL remains to be seen.

Round 3, 83rd Overall Pick

The Kings selected Alex Laferriere (not to be confused with 1st overall pick, Alexis Lafreniere). Laferriere is a a lethal offensive play-maker who specializes in the power play. In the 2019-2020 season, he averaged just over a point-per-game with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. He is clearly quite smart as well as he committed to play NCAA hockey at Harvard University next season.

Round 4, 112th Overall Pick

At last, we have a goaltender! The Kings selected goalie Juho Markkanen with the 112th overall pick. Markkanen spent the majority of the 2019-2020 campaign with the SaiPa U20 juniors team, posting a .881 save percentage in 18 games played. He is known for his athleticism; however, he needs to fill out his frame to be of a competitive size. Projecting his ability to crack the NHL is difficult because, oftentimes, goaltenders need more time to develop to their full potential. For the time being, expect him to play in Finland.

Round 5, 128th Overall Pick

The Kings selected Slovak left-winger Martin Chromiak. Last season he split time between the Slovakian HK Dukla Trencin team and the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs where he showed off his skills in two continents. With the HK Dukla Trencin, he only managed to post 6 points (5+1=6) in 32 games played; however, it is important to note that he was a seventeen-year-old playing in a men’s league. Once he switched to the Frontenacs, his offensive numbers improved: he posted 33 points (11+22=33) in 28 games played. Many scouts attributed part of this offensive jump to playing on a line with Shane Wright, a top prospect who will be eligible for the 2022 NHL draft. Nevertheless, he may prove to be one of the steals in this year’s draft.

One Last Trade!

The Los Angeles Kings traded the 2020 6th round, 159th overall pick and their 2021 7th round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2020 5th round, 140th overall pick. With this pick, the Kings selected Ben Meehan, an offensive, left-shot defenseman. Meehan is set to play NCAA hockey at UMass-Lowell where he can continue to work on his defensive game.

Round 7, 190th Overall Pick

The Kings used their last pick of the 2020 NHL draft to select Aatu Jamsen. Jamsen, a native of Finland, is a right-winger for the Pelicans of the U18 SM-sarja league. Last season, he was just short of a two point-per-game player; however, the SM-sarja league is not traditionally looked at for NHL scouting. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see where Aatu Jamsen’s career takes him, especially now that he is set to play on the U20 team.

Final Thoughts

Scouts and NHL experts alike are saying that this was a very successful draft for the Kings. The team has added several solid prospects and a potential superstar in Quinton Byfield to an already stacked prospect pool. This draft is the continuation of the team’s attempt to poise themselves to be very successful in the near future. Watching these prospects develop and eventually matriculate onto the Kings and Reign will be very interesting and I will be here to cover it every step of the way.

Main photo via @LAKings on twitter