The Los Angeles Kings have been building an excellent farm system in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Ontario Reign in recent seasons. Lately, they have signed some solid, talented players who came from the AHL and may be looking at a full-time NHL spot for the upcoming season. There are a handful of prospects who will probably play several games in the NHL for the Kings this season while spending the majority of the time down in the AHL. However, there is a small group of them who will likely have a lot of games to look forward to in the NHL.
Projected Full-Time Roster Players
Akil Thomas
The most significant prospect on this list would have to be Akil Thomas, who was recently extended by the Kings in June. He had a tremendously successful 2023-24 season for the Reign and Kings as the 24-year-old had his first look on the Kings’ roster. On April 1, 2024, he played in his first NHL game against the Winnipeg Jets at Winnipeg. The center’s first exposure to the league only sparked his passion to make a name for himself. In his second game, on April 4 against the San Jose Sharks, he tallied his first career point from a goal. Afterwards, he played five more games for the Kings, notching two goals and an assist for three goals in a total of seven games.
Once his seven-game appearance with the Kings concluded on April 15, Thomas was sent back down to the Reign to finish the AHL regular season and play in the Calder Cup Playoffs. He finished out the regular season by playing three games for the Reign before playing eight games in the playoffs. In his first game back from his NHL callup, he played against the Bakersfield Condors where he recorded an assist; he also added two assists in his second against the Colorado Eagles. In the Calder Cup Playoffs, Thomas recorded two goals and three assists.
The center of Ontario, Canada was originally drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The majority of his professional career has been spent in the AHL with the Reign, where he has played for the past four seasons. Prior to his recent NHL callup, he had participated in 61 games for the Reign during the 2023-24 season, accumulating an impressive 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. During that season, he notably had solid performances on Dec. 31 against the Henderson Silver Knights and on Jan. 21 against the Tucson Road Runners when he scored a goal and two assists per game.
During the previous season, he participated in a brief 13-game stint, contributing five goals and three assists. His final appearance was on Nov. 19, where he did not record any points. In the 2021-22 season, his second professional season with the Reign, he played in 40 games and accumulated 13 points, consisting of eight goals and five assists. Additionally, he participated in four games during the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs, where he achieved a personal playoff best of four goals.
Thomas is expected to make the Kings’ roster, as his recently-signed contract was labeled one-way. However, he could be sent down periodically during the season so he can adequately adjust and acclimate to the NHL. With his skill and youthful ambition, he’ll likely get way more NHL exposure this season and be far away from the Reign’s roster.
Brandt Clarke
Just like Thomas, another young prospect who will also likely get a full-time gig this season is defender Brandt Clarke. He played in 16 games for the Kings last season, posting two goals and four assists. The 21-year-old spent the majority of the season with the Reign, where he played a total of 50 games with 46 points accumulated (10 goals, 36 assists). He was also an AHL All-Star.
On Jan. 7, 2024, Clarke got his second callup to the NHL to play for the Kings. He would get sent back down to Ontario in February to play just two games before getting called back up to appear in 10 games. His final game with the team during his callup was on March 7 against the Ottawa Senators, where he recorded no points. After that, he got sent back down to Ontario to finish out the regular season by playing 18 games (two goals, 11 assists). He also played eight games during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, accumulating six assists.
Clarke, a first-round draft pick (eighth overall) by the Kings in 2021, gained valuable exposure to the NHL and AHL during the 2022-23 season. While primarily playing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he made his NHL debut on Oct. 13 against the Seattle Kraken, logging over 15 minutes of ice time without recording any points. He continued to play for the Kings until Nov. 1, against the Dallas Stars in Dallas. Overall, his initial NHL season was commendable as he contributed two assists and maintained a disciplined record with only six penalty minutes in nine games. Subsequently, he was assigned to the Reign for his first AHL experience. During his brief five-game campaign, he showcased his offensive capabilities as a defenseman by recording a goal and an assist, notably in a game against the San Jose Barracuda.
After five games with the Reign, Clarke went back to the Barrie Colts to finish his final OHL season, where he played 31 games and recorded 23 goals and 61 points. But that wasn’t it for Clarke, however, as he would get the opportunity to play in the 2023 U20 World Junior Championship for Team Canada, where he scored two goals and eight points in seven games.
Clarke is a 6-foot-2 right-handed defenseman from Ottawa, Ontario who is incredibly talented for his age. The Kings need younger defenders on their full-time roster to work alongside veterans Drew Doughty, Kyle Burroughs, Joel Edmundson, Andreas Englund, and Vladislav Gavrikov. So far they have younger depth in Jordan Spence, Jacob Moverare and Mikey Anderson. Although it’s doubtful Clarke will get a full 82-game season slate, I still think he will play more games for the Kings, and likely not be sent down much.
Uncertain Roster Spots
Alex Turcotte
Unlike the two aforementioned players, Alex Turcotte has been associated with the Kings organization for an extended period of time. Initially selected as the fifth-overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he transitioned to professional hockey in 2020 under the Kings’ franchise. At the age of 23, hailing from Erik Grove, Illinois, he began his professional career with the Reign during the 2020-21 season. Over the course of 32 games, he contributed six goals and 15 assists, accumulating a total of 21 points. Following this initial professional exposure, he represented Team USA at the World Juniors, participating in seven games and recording three goals and five assists. Before that, he completed his final season with the University of Wisconsin, where he played 29 games and generated nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points. Additionally, he participated in his first U20 World Juniors for Team USA, contributing five assists in five games.
In his second season of professional hockey, 2021-22, Turcotte made his NHL debut for the Kings on Dec. 28, 2021 in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights. He participated in a total of eight games, with his final appearance occurring on Jan. 18 in Tampa Bay against the Lightning. During that season, he primarily played for the Reign, participating in 27 games and accumulating 18 points from six goals and 12 assists. He also played three games during the Calder Cup Playoffs, earning just two assists. In the following season, the center played fewer games for the Kings, with all four being on the road, and he recorded no points.
Similar to the previous season, Turcotte played the majority of the season with the Reign but did not play in more than 32 games, as he accumulated six goals and 11 assists. He also played two games during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs against Colorado, recording one assist. Due to sustaining injuries throughout the season, Turcotte had less time to play in the NHL and AHL compared to his fellow prospects.
The young center finally got a much greater opportunity to play in the NHL last season as he played 20 games for the Kings. His first callup was on Jan. 28 when he played in St. Louis against the Blues. While on the road in the Central Division, Turcotte finally put up numbers that impressed the team tremendously. In his second game of the season at Nashville against the Predators, the center posted his first NHL career goal and assist, and became a plus-3 after it. Turcotte would then get deprived of scoring another goal for the remainder of the season, but he continued to record assists during his callups. In 20 games played, he tallied a goal and three assists, and was a plus-5.
In addition, Turcotte contributed to the Reign’s success during that season by participating in 35 games, where he scored 10 goals and provided 19 assists. Furthermore, he played in all eight games during the Calder Cup Playoffs, where he contributed two goals and two assists.
Turcotte’s stats may be lower compared to the other two prospects mentioned, but the young center has incredible potential to be a future full-time King. The Kings confirmed that during the offseason break, as on June 22, they extended him for three more years on a deal that carries a $775,000 average annual value (AAV). He has the opportunity to be a viable producer on the bottom line for the upcoming seasons, but I doubt he’ll play more in the NHL than in the AHL this season. With his injuries coming into account from the last few seasons, it’s unclear if he can stay healthy. But if he can, he will undoubtedly get more opportunities to develop in the AHL and NHL and have better chances at stacking up his record.
Samuel Fagemo
Another AHL prospect who will likely see more ice time this season for the Kings is Swedish forward Samuel Fagemo. Similar to Turcotte, he was first exposed to the Kings’ AHL system during the 2020-21 season, after he finished 18 games during his final season in Sweden for Södertälje SK (six goals, five assists). After completing professional hockey in his home country of Sweden, the two-way winger flew over to Ontario, California to play North American professional hockey with the Reign. His initial experience in the AHL was positive. At the age of 21, he demonstrated his capabilities by accumulating 10 goals and eight assists in 32 games, and he contributed an assist in his inaugural playoff appearance of just one game.
In the following season, 2021-22, Fagemo continued playing for the Reign while getting his first NHL exposure with the Kings. On Jan. 13, he got called up to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and later played three more NHL games, earning no points. During that season, he played in 63 games for the Reign, recording 27 goals and 17 assists for 44 points, and played in five playoff games by contributing three goals. For the 2022-23 season, he played in nine Kings’ games. During his first game of the season against the Arizona Coyotes, Fagemo recorded his first-career point from an assist. In his second game against the Carolina Hurricanes, he scored his first career goal. After nine games for the Kings, he notched two goals and one assist. For his third season with the Reign, Fagemo played in 56 games, recording 23 goals and 32 points, and suited up for one game in the playoffs.
The 2023-24 season was an interesting one for Fagemo, as he would get picked up by the Nashville Predators off a waiver claim on Oct. 2, 2023. The Kings waived Fagemo to send him down to the Reign prior to the start of the regular season, as they did not have enough room for more than 21 players. However, there’s always a chance a waived player will get snatched by another team. During his short campaign with the Predators, Fagemo participated in five games, scoring just a goal, before getting reclaimed by the Kings in November.
As if he never left, the young winger went back to the Kings’ system. Due to the roster capacity being tight, Fagemo had to be sent down to the Reign, but returned to the Kings roster from Jan. 20-26, as he played just four games. Over the course of his latest season in the AHL for the Reign, he played in 50 games and accumulated a career-high 43 goals and 19 assists. He also played in all eight playoff games, contributing two goals and three assists.
Fagemo has the best AHL stats out of any of the prospects reviewed, with the most goals scored for the Reign. He is a high-scoring forward who can play on either wing, and I believe that is an essential building block for the Kings’ younger depth. Just like his fellow prospects, the 6-foot forward has potential for this season, and will see more games, as he recently signed a standard AAV contract for one year on June 24.
Jeff Malott
A new face is coming to the Kings’ organization is Jeff Malott. He was recently brought into the franchise when he signed a one-year NHL deal at a standard AAV of $775,000. He has mainly been an AHL player for the last three seasons for the Manitoba Moose. In the previous season of 2023-24, the winger played in 70 games, achieving 22 goals and 30 assists. During the 2021-22 season, he played in one game for the Winnipeg Jets without recording any points. He is currently listed as a Reign player, but this may change after the completion of training camp. Considering the competition with other prospects, however, it is unlikely that he will have significant NHL time in the upcoming season. Nevertheless, training camp presents an opportunity for him to demonstrate his skills and potentially surpass his competitors.
Part-Time, First NHL Look
Erik Portillo
While the Kings already have three goalies on their active roster, the likelihood of them having another making a shot at the roster is highly unlikely. However, Erik Portillo demonstrates goaltending strengths the team has to look at this season. He will likely see his first Kings’ exposure if he stays in the organization. But why would he get an opportunity,? Well, during the previous season, Portillo experienced highs within the minors for the Reign, putting up a solid 2.50 goals-against average (GAA) and a .918 save percentage (SV%) with a 24-11-3 record from 39 games.
During the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, Portillo played all eight games, posting a 2.16 GAA and .916 SV% with 185 saves. He worked alongside Aaron Dell and Jacob Ingham during last season, and was mainly active when David Rittich got called up to the Kings when Pheonix Copley got injured on Dec. 15, 2023.
Portillo was drafted 67th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2019 Draft. The 6-foot-6, 24-year-old from Gothenburg, Sweden, started playing professionally for the Reign last season after completing his third season for the University of Michigan. During his final season in Michigan, Portillo was under a two-year entry-level contract with the Kings.
Although he has competition with Darcy Kuemper, Rittich, and Pheonix Copley, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got one or more game with the Kings this season to propel his professional career. However, he has yet to re-sign with the Kings as his two-year contract expired after last season.
The Kings have a good-looking roster of minor league prospects for this season. As training camp is slowly approaching, the players mentioned have a great opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities prior to the regular season, which begins on Oct. 10 against the Sabres.
