The 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings, had quite the run in the 2010s. Each season they were one of the most formidable teams in the league with a roster built from within. Since their 2014 Stanley Cup win, they have yet to win a playoff series. Today, the patience with their youth is beginning to pay off.
Quinton Byfield
The 2019-20 NHL season was hectic, with the league coming to an abrupt halt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through all of the chaos and confusion, the Kings ended up with the second overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. While the top of the draft had a consensus, with Alexis Lafreniere being the unanimous first-overall prospect for years, the rest of the draft class had a lot to play for in the final few months of their seasons. Because of this, there was a lot of uncertainty in each prospect.
While the consensus second-overall prospect, Quinton Byfield, did not have many concerns surrounding his game, he, too, suffered a setback in his development during the pandemic. The Kings prioritized his development after the draft, playing him primarily in the American Hockey League (AHL) as an 18-year-old before transitioning him to the NHL over the next few seasons. Now, he is a full-time NHLer playing over 15 minutes a night. He has 17 goals and 40 points in 51 games and has established himself as a permanent member of the top six. His time in the AHL has paid off, and being just 21 years old, he is set up well to have a long, successful career.
Alex Turcotte
For 2019 fifth-overall pick, Alex Turcotte, his development has not progressed as well as Byfield but it is still going well. Out of the draft, there was a lot of excitement for Turcotte. He scored 39 goals and 96 points as a member of the United States Developmental Program in his draft year and was part of a draft class that had many exciting American prospects such as Jack Hughes, Trevor Zegras, Cole Caufield, and Matt Boldy.
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In his first season after the draft, he suited up for the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA where he had nine goals and 26 points in 29 games before the pandemic. His college tenure was cut short the following season where he was rushed to professional hockey with the Ontario Reign to ensure he would get reps. Now three years and multiple concussions and lower-body injuries later, he is set to establish himself on the NHL roster.
Brandt Clarke
Brandt Clarke is a name fans of all teams are familiar with. He is a former eighth-overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft and made the AHL All-Star Game in his rookie season. The 6-foot-2, right-handed defenseman has dominated in the AHL this season, having eight goals and 33 points in 32 games with the Reign. Now in the NHL, he has had a sheltered role. Moving forward, he is poised to become a key contributor to the defense and rise in the ranks, aiming to earn a spot in the top four as well as special teams in the final stretch of the season.
The outlook on Clarke is more than just this season. With both Matt Roy and Jordan Spence due for new contracts this summer, there is uncertainty on the right side. Roy is a pending unrestricted free agent, but Spence is restricted, meaning Los Angeles does not need to worry about losing him to another team in free agency. That said, Spence plays a similar style of hockey to Clarke and could be used in a trade to upgrade other parts of the roster this summer. Any experience Clarke gains this season is just a bonus as he is expected to become a major part of the defense next season.
While these three former high draft picks are the most notable in the Kings organization, other youngsters Alex Laferriere, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Arthur Kaliyev, and Michael Anderson have formed the current core in Los Angeles. As well, the team has Koehn Ziemmer, Martin Chromiak, Jakub Dvorak, and Erik Portillo in the system. With the cap-tight roster likely being forced to rely on their youth as we head into the trade deadline, it will be exciting to watch these former top prospects carry the load for the playoff-likely team. While filling the shoes of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty is quite a tall ask, this batch of young prospects and players is sure to find similar success soon.
