Ontario Reign | GO KINGS GO

Prospect Report: Kale Clague

June 16, 2020June 17, 2020
by KT Nash

Today is the final day of 10 prospects in 10 days. I decided to cover a prospect that is oftentimes overlooked by Kings fans. Kale Clague, a defenseman, was drafted by the Kings in the second round, 51st overall in the 2016 NHL draft.

Clague had a very successful draft year with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, posting strong offensive and defensive numbers. He scored 43 points (6+37=43) in 71 games played, whilst maintaining a plus/minus of +25. Clague was just as successful in the 2016 WHL playoffs, where the Wheat Kings won the WHL championship, posting 14 points (6+8=14) in 21 games played with a plus/minus of +5. Internationally, representing his native Canada, Clague won the Hlinka Memorial Gold Medal.

Going into the draft, scouts and experts placed Clague at the beginning of the second round. He was complimented on his offensive ability, but criticized for a lack of a solid defensive game. Many questioned how well he would adjust to the more defensively focused professional game from the offensively focused major juniors. Nevertheless, the Kings chose him with their 51st overall pick.

Clague spent his next two seasons in the WHL, continuing to demonstrate his offensive ability, while leaving room for improvement in his defensive game. In the 2016-2017 season, serving as the Wheat Kings’ alternate captain, he posted 40 points (5+35=40) in 48 games with a plus/minus of -8. Although his plus/minus was not ideal, he was named to the WHL East’s First All-Star Team. Internationally, he made his IIHF World Juniors debut representing Canada. Clague has 6 assists, the most by any defenseman in the tournament, in 7 games with a plus/minus of +6. Canada went on to win the Silver Medal.

In the 2017-2018 season, Clague improved his defense from his lackluster plus/minus in the prior season. He split the season with the Wheat Kings and the Moose Jaw Warriors. With the Wheat Kings, serving as their alternate captain once again, Clague posted 47 points (10+37=47) in 28 games. He had an impressive plus/minus of +31. With the Warriors, he scored 24 points (1+23=24) in 25 games played, while boasting a plus/minus of +11. His play earned him the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL’s Top Defenseman, was named the the WHL’s East First All-Star Team, and had the most assists by a defenseman with 60.

He was also named to Canada’s IIHF World Juniors team for the second consecutive season. Canada also took notice of his leadership capability, naming him one of their alternate captains. He scored 2 assists in 6 games en route to a Gold Medal.

Clague began his professional career with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign in the 2018-2019 season. This was the true test to see how well he defends at the professional level. He posted 29 points (7+22=29) in 52 games played and he had a plus/minus of -20. His season was cut short due to a broken foot. He clearly had trouble adjusting to the AHL game, but he was still a promising prospect for the Kings.

Prior to the 2019-2020 season, many believed that Clague would make the Kings roster. However, the team thought that it was best that he started his season developing with the Reign. He did eventually earn a recall to the Kings, going scoreless in 4 games with a plus/minus of -3 on a Kings team that was not playing well. With the Reign, he posted 25 points (8+17=25) in 49 games played. His plus/minus also improved significantly on a Reign team that was poised to make the playoffs. He had a plus/minus of -14, which is still not great, but acceptable.

Clague should make the Kings’ roster at the start of the season next year. He is extremely promising, especially offensively. If he is paired with a more defensive partner, his offensive capability will be able to flourish while he has the opportunity to improve his defense with a mentor. He should be a strong defenseman in the Kings’ future, probably playing on the second pairing and the Power Play. He is one of the Kings’ most promising defensive prospects, especially when taking into account that he fits well into the modern game as an offensive defenseman.

Ontario Reign

Prospect Report: Jaret Anderson-Dolan

June 14, 2020June 15, 2020
by KT Nash

Day eight of 10 prospects in 10 days is Jaret Anderson-Dolan, the Kings’ second round, 41st over draft pick of the 2017 NHL draft.

Anderson-Dolan, or JAD for the sake of simplifying his long name, is a center who is simply a leader on an off the ice. After being drafted 14th overall by the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs in 2014, JAD emerged as a mainstay in their lineup during the 2015-2016 season. He had a solid, but not amazing, rookie season posting 26 points (14+12=26) in 65 games played.

JAD first proved his true potential in the 2016-2017 season, also his draft year. He was named the alternate captain of the Chiefs and his production reflected his role on the team. He scored 76 points (39+37=76) in 72 games played. Team Canada took notice of his leadership and playing abilities and named him the captain of their under 18 team that played in the 2017 IIHF U-18 World Juniors tournament. JAD went scoreless in 5 games played and Canada was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Although he did not play well in the World Juniors Tournament, his performance with Spokane earned him high rankings going into the NHL draft. At only 17, JAD was one of the youngest players at the draft; yet, he was consistently ranked to be chosen in the first round. However, he slipped to the second round and the Los Angeles Kings selected him with their second round pick, 41st overall.

In the 2017-2018 season, JAD demonstrated that his offensive leap in the prior season was not simply a fluke. He posted 91 points (40+51=91) in 70 games played. He lead his team to the playoffs, where he scored 9 points (2+7=9) in 7 games played. His ability was noted when he was named to the WHL’s First All-Star Team due to his great season. After this campaign, JAD became viewed as one of the Kings most promising prospects. He was still 18, but he demonstrated the poise and leadership of someone who was much older.

JAD began his career with the Kings much sooner than expected. The Kings sustained several injuries during training camp prior to the 2018-2019 season and, because of his exceptional training camp, JAD earned the opportunity to play 5 games for the team, scoring his first career point, an assist. While he played well and did not look lost amongst seasoned NHL players, the Kings virtually self-imploded and it was not advantageous to use a year of a promising prospect’s contract on a team that simply could not win. JAD was sent back to Spokane where he was named their captain. However, a wrist injury drastically shortened his season.

Despite missing about half of the season due to his stint with the Kings and his injury, JAD still managed to post strong offensive numbers. He scored 43 points (20+23=43) in only 32 games played. He was also able to represent Canada at the IIHF World Juniors Tournament, serving as their alternate captain. He scored one goal in 5 games before Canada was eliminated.

The 2019-2020 season was JAD’s first full professional season. He began the season with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, before earning a brief recall to the Kings. With the Kings, he played 4 games, going scoreless. However, he had a very successful rookie campaign with the Reign, posting 28 points (8+20=28) in 53 games played. While this may appear as a poor season offensively when compared to his statistics with the Chiefs, it is important to understand exactly how different the AHL is from major juniors; major juniors is a significantly more offensive league as the players are younger, smaller, and less defensively inclined.

JAD will be searching for an opening night roster spot with the Kings next season and it is likely that he will receive it; he is a hard worker that has already proved that he can compete at the NHL level. Young, unestablished Kings centers need to look out for JAD because he might be taking their job next season. If he does not make the roster out of training camp, he will likely split time between the Kings and the Reign before becoming a Kings regular in the 2020-2021 season and beyond.

Ignoring his statistics, JAD is a good person and a team player. He has faced unfair discrimination due to his parents. He is the son of two moms and, because of this, he has slipped in not one, but two drafts. He was consistently ranked in the top 5 prospects for his WHL draft, where he slipped to 14 and he slipped from the first to the second round in his NHL draft. Despite this, he has reacted with nothing but poise and maturity. He is very young, yet he continues to prove that he is a leader on and off the ice. Just look at the way he talks about his life in the first interview he gave after he was drafted. He was only 17.

His billet parents best articulate his dedication to the game. He was consistently focused on eating well, sleeping properly, school, and training off the ice. He is going to be a leader and, potentially, the next captain for the Los Angeles Kings. He was already an excellent mentor to younger players in Spokane and this is likely to continue when he plays for an increasingly younger Los Angeles Kings team.

JAD’s two-way ability, combined with his pass first mentality will compliment other Kings prospects, including Arthur Kaliyev, well in the future. However, one of his biggest strengths is his versatility; he can play virtually any situation depending on need. He will likely begin his career on the third or fourth line, eventually working his way up to a top 6 spot on a competitive Kings team.

JAD is a strong skater who has a scoring touch and leadership capability. He is simply an all-around excellent prospect with few weak spots. Personally, he is my favorite Kings prospect and I look forward to seeing what he can do at the NHL level in the near future.

Ontario Reign

Prospect Report: Rasmus Kupari

June 11, 2020June 12, 2020
by KT Nash

Day five of 10 prospects in 10 days is Rasmus Kupari, the Kings’ first round, 20th overall draft pick in the 2018 NHL draft.

Kupari is a forward who plays with tenacity. He had an excellent draft year, earning him high rankings. He spent the majority of the season playing for Kärpät of Liiga, Finland’s premier men’s league. Taking into consideration that he was a seventeen year-old playing in a men’s league, he had solid offensive numbers. He posted 14 points (6+8=14) in 39 games played en route to a league championship.

Kupari also played for Kärpät’s junior team posting 7 points (3+4=7) in 11 games in the 2017-2018 season. Representing Finland, he played in the IIHF under-18 World Juniors Tournament and the under-20 World Juniors Tournament. In the under-18 tournament, he helped lead Finland to the gold medal, scoring 3 points (2+1=3) in 4 games and he went scoreless with the under-20 team.

Due to his evident offensive capability, NHL experts and scouts placed him in the middle of the first round of the 2018 NHL draft. He slipped a little bit, going 20th overall with the Kings.

After completing development camp with the Kings, Kupari signed a three-year, entry-level deal. He was then loaned back to Kärpät for the 2018-2019 season. He had another solid offensive season, posting 33 points (12+21=33) in 43 games played. He also represented Finland in the IIHF World Juniors Tournament for the second straight year. He scored 5 points (1+4=5) in 7 games, helping Finland win the gold medal.

Entering the 2019-2020 season, Kupari was ready to play in North America. He began the season with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate, and quickly demonstrated his offensive ability. He posted 8 points (6+2=8) in 27 games played before he represented Finland in his third consecutive IIHF World Juniors Tournament. Sadly, in the first game of the tournament, he tore his ACL, requiring surgery that ended his season.

Losing the majority of his season due to this injury was a hinderance to his development; however, he is still an extremely promising prospect for the Kings. Next season, he will likely split time between the Kings and the Reign. I presume that he will start with the Reign in order to continue recovering from his injury.

Looking further into the future, Kupari will be a mainstay with the Kings. He brings something that the Kings clearly lack: speed. He is a wonderful skater with a complementing shot. He should be extremely valuable at the NHL level as soon as next season.

Ontario Reign

Prospect Report: Alex Turcotte

June 8, 2020June 9, 2020
by KT Nash

Day two of my 10 prospects in 10 days brings us to Alex Turcotte, the Kings first round, fifth overall pick of the 2019 NHL draft.

Many Kings fans, myself included, were disappointed when the Kings slipped to the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft. However, their fortunes were reversed when Alex Turcotte was still available for the Kings. The majority of NHL experts concluded that Turcotte would be taken with the third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks. Turcotte, originally from Illinois, would have been the “hometown kid” in Chicago. However, the Blackhawks chose to go with Kirby Dach with their pick instead.

When comparing their draft year numbers, Turcotte was more productive; however, they did play in completely different systems. Turcotte, playing for the United States National Team Development program and the United States National Under 18 program, scored 96 points (39+57=96) in 53 combined games between the two programs. Dach played for the Saskatoon Blades, scoring 73 points (25+48=73) in 62 games. While the United States development program is different from major juniors, these numbers demonstrate that Turcotte had a better season offensively than Dach.

The draft-year statistics explain why many people were surprised that the Blackhawks chose Dach over Turcotte because Turcotte has more potential to become a strong two-way first line center at the NHL level. Chicago’s loss is Los Angeles’ gain as they now have one of the most touted center prospects in their development system.

Before being drafted, Turcotte had already committed to play NCAA hockey with the University of Wisconsin. In his freshman year, he had a decent, albeit not wonderful, season. He faced multiple bouts of illness and a knee injury en route to 26 points (9+17=26) in 29 games. He also represented the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Juniors tournament scoring 2 points, both assists in 5 games. It is important to note that NCAA hockey better replicates the NHL style of play over major juniors, as it is harder to produce offensively and it is a more physical style of play. These factors, when combined, demonstrate that Turcotte had a solid season. He has proved that he was ready to play at the professional level.

On March 11, the Kings signed Turcotte to a three-year entry level contract. This ended his NCAA career as he is no longer eligible play in that league. He was supposed to report directly to the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. However, things did not go as planned as the NHL and AHL both postponed their seasons on March 12, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As the AHL has cancelled the remainder of their season and the Kings are not included in the NHL’s return to play plan, Turcotte’s season is over and he can set his sights on next season. Kings fans cannot seem to agree on if he will play in the NHL or the AHL next year. It is simply too early to tell where he will play, as lot depends on Jeff Carter’s future with the Kings. The Kings also have many young centers who are striving for roles at the NHL level. In all likelihood, Turcotte will split time, in some capacity, with the Kings and Reign.

His true potential exists in his future, beyond his first year in professional hockey. He is a two-way center with an extreme upside; he could potentially assume the role of either the first or second line center on a team that has many options for center. His role will become more apparent when he earns some playing time at the NHL level.