Re: 2015 Dobber Forum Mock Draft - Picks Only
Sorry guys, in Germany this summer, was asleep.
With the 13th overall pick, the LA Kings will select, from the Kingston Frontenacs, Lawson Crouse.
To me, although I don't watch the Kings as much these days (I'm out east), the Kings needed a LW. While they could use more D and goal as well, that will have to come later, because there isn't a D I wanted this high, and goalies in this draft will have to wait for the later rounds. Crouse, who I won't likely go near in a fantasy draft, is a good fit for the Kings here, as his size and drive will help them keep up with their down-the-road rivals in Anaheim. Their LW prospect pool is very shallow, with Mistele, Joel Lowry and 2010 draftee Maxim Kitsyn promising very little. They aren't exactly loaded on center, either, so the odds of them converting a top-6 center to the wing are iffy. The Kings do have Gaborik and Pearson on LW, but with Gaborik's injury history and the inconsistency Pearson showed last season after a hot start, it seems a good idea to add another piece to the system. Not to mention that while Trevor Lewis and Dwight King are useful players, neither of them seems like a fit on the top line. Plus, King is a UFA next year, and Lewis the year after.
Looking at the last few Kings drafts, it seems a bit of a deviation, but they also haven't drafted inside the top half of the first round since Schenn in 2009. They have clearly attempted to address their LW shortage in recent years, selecting three in 2011 (Mersch, Lowry, Schumacher), two in 2012 (Pearson & Prokhorkin), Zykov and Kubalik in 2013. But the highest pick they have had to spare for a LW in recent years was Pearson at 30th overall. Other than Pearson, you have to go all the way back to Frolov at 20th in 2000 to find the Kings drafting a projectable top-6 LW. So, while they may seem to shy away from LWs at this stage in the draft, I think this year they recognize the need and pull the trigger. The 2 inches and 30 pounds Crouse has over the next best LW candidate, plus the rounded, two-way Kings game, is why they take him here over the other LW/C on their list.
20-Team Keeper League
PTS: G=1, A=1, W=2, SO=3
Starting roster: 6F, 3D, 1G, *Keep 12 + 2 on farm
F: Kucherov, Scheifele, Eichel, Tarasenko, Rakell, Schwartz, Dadonov
D: Doughty, Josi, Ekman-Larsson, Keith
G: Hellebuyck
Farm: Tolvanen, Kaprizov
16-Team Keeper League
PTS: G=1, A=1, W=2, SO=3
Starting roster: 6F, 4D, 1G, *Keep 12 + 4 on farm
F: P Kane, Kessel, Pastrnak, Keller, Marchessault, B Schenn, Fiala, Kase,
D: Weber, Karlsson, Pietrangelo, Parayko
G: Rask
Farm: Kravtsov, A Boqvist, Necas, I Samsonov