Adding Strength Is The Priority For LA Kings Defenseman Prospect Zach Leslie

July 19, 2014 by 16 Comments

LA KINGS PROSPECT WATCH: Throughout the summer, Frozen Royalty will be taking a look at several of the Los Angeles Kings’ young prospects. In this installment the focus is on 2013 sixth round selection Zach Leslie. An audio interview with Leslie is also included.

Defenseman prospect Zach Leslie, was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round (178th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.
(click above to view larger image)
Photo: Gann Matsuda/FrozenRoyalty.met

EL SEGUNDO, CA — Back in June 2013, defenseman Zachary (Zach) Leslie was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round (178th overall) of the 2013 National Hockey League Draft and about one week later, he found himself on the ice at the team’s 2013 Development Camp, facing several of the Kings’ older prospects, many of whom had experience at the American Hockey League level.

Going up against players with a lot more experience was quite the challenge.

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Polished Off The Ice, LA Kings’ Defenseman Prospect Roland McKeown Is Working To Be Equally Polished On It

July 17, 2014 by 15 Comments

LA KINGS PROSPECT WATCH: Throughout the summer, Frozen Royalty will be taking a look at several of the Los Angeles Kings’ young prospects. In this installment, the focus is on 2014 second round selection Roland McKeown. An audio interview with McKeown is also included.

Los Angeles Kings 2014 second round pick defenseman Roland McKeown
during the team’s 2014 Development Camp on July 8, 2014,
at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California.
(click above to view larger image)
Photo: David Sheehan/FrozenRoyalty.net

EL SEGUNDO, CA — The first thing that strikes you about defenseman Roland McKeown, who was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (50th overall) of the 2014 National Hockey League Draft, is that with his dashing good looks and his articulate, polished way of handling media interviews, he should be able to land a television broadcasting job without much effort after his playing days are over.

But his more immediate concern is making it to NHL ice as soon as possible and one step towards that end was participating in the Kings’ 2014 Development Camp, July 7-11.

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Granting A Request and Getting Their Man Were Key Factors In LA Kings Trading Linden Vey To Vancouver

June 29, 2014 by 6 Comments

2014 LA KINGS DRAFT WRAP-UP: Confused about why the Los Angeles Kings traded away forward Linden Vey, one of their finest prospects? Here’s the answer…

LA Kings 2014 NHL Draft second round pick (50th overall)
defenseman Roland McKeown.

 

LOS ANGELES — A little over two weeks has passed since the Los Angeles Kings hoisted the Stanley Cup for the second time in the last three seasons and while the team, the entire organization, and their fans continue to celebrate, the hard part of winning a championship has already hit the Kings front office…

…keeping the team that just won hockey’s Holy Grail together.

Days earlier, the Kings confirmed that they will not be able to sign veteran defenseman Willie Mitchell to a new contract due to salary cap constraints and with the cap for the 2014-15 season coming in at $69 million, about $2 million less than what most expected, teams like the Kings, who were already very close to the cap ceiling, are facing even greater challenges in terms of keeping their rosters intact.

With just $3.66 million of available cap space, the Kings do not have much wiggle room at all, and that fact is now reverberating in the minds of players throughout their system whose contracts expire on June 30, not just that of President/General Manager Dean Lombardi and his front office staff.

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Skating, Quickness Are Obstacles In LA Kings Prospect Andy Andreoff’s Path To The NHL

November 28, 2013 by 4 Comments

Los Angeles Kings forward prospect Andy Andreoff, shown here with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
(click above to view larger image)
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES — Early on during the Los Angeles Kings’ 2013 Training Camp, there was more than just a murmur or two that rugged forward prospect Andy Andreoff had a legitimate chance to make the big club’s roster to start the 2013-14 National Hockey League season.

Despite that, the 22-year-old, 6-1, 217-pound native of Pickering, Ontario was assigned back to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League in the second round of training camp cuts on September 21, 2013.

“There were a couple of rumors saying that I had a pretty good chance, but I guess they wanted the same team as last year, and [stay] with older, more experienced guys,” said Andreoff. “If there’s injuries, I’m sure I’ll get the call up, eventually. But so far, Manchester’s been playing really well, so I’m just taking that day-by-day.”

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LA Kings Defenseman Prospect Colin Miller Is Dealing With “Tough Love”

November 20, 2013 by 1 Comment

Los Angeles Kings defenseman prospect
Colin Miller, shown here with the Manchester
Monarchs of the American Hockey League.
(click above to view larger image)
Photo: Steve Babineau/Manchester Monarchs

LOS ANGELES — While forwards Tanner Pearson, Tyler Toffoli and Linden Vey are with the Los Angeles Kings, filling in for injured veterans, including Jeff Carter and Kyle Clifford, other Kings prospects remain with their respective teams, working to make it to the National Hockey League someday.

Although Pearson, Toffoli and Vey have not likely made it to the NHL to stay, they have made it there faster than the vast majority of young players who often toil in the minors for several years before getting their chance, if they get the chance at all.

One player who seems to be on a more normal timetable is defenseman Colin Miller, who was selected by the Kings in the fifth round (151st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

The 21-year-old, 6-1, 195-pound native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario performed well during the Kings’ rookie camp and rookie tournament, not to mention their training camp. But with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League this season, he has struggled.

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