Los Angeles Kings are No. 27 in Scott Wheeler’s 2026 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2026 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations on nearly 500 prospects, runs from March 9 to April 8.

The Kings have a glaring hole down the middle in their pool and lack a star prospect. But they do have three solid defense prospects (including two giants) and two solid goalie prospects.

2025 prospect pool rank: No. 26 (change: -1)

Tier 1

1. Carter George, G, 19, Soo (No. 57, 2024)

George is a goalie I have a lot of time for, and I debated making him my top-ranked netminder in the 2024 draft before placing him second behind Ilya Nabokov.

George made more saves than any other goalie in the OHL two seasons ago, was consistently good across 56 games for Owen Sound, performed well as a 16-year-old between the OHL and GOJHL three years ago, played well at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and was one of — if not the — biggest reasons Canada won gold at U18 worlds. Last season, he was good (better than his .909 save percentage, which is still good in the OHL these days) behind a bad Owen Sound team, was very good for Canada’s disappointing World Juniors team, stopping 102 of 109 shots across four games (.936) and surrendering just two of those seven goals at five-on-five, and was really solid in his first two pro games in the AHL with the Ontario Reign (pitching a shutout in his debut and surrendering just one in his second start). His numbers regressed behind an Owen Sound team that struggled in front of him at times this year, and he was just OK as a returnee at the World Juniors, losing the net to Jack Ivankovic, but he has been good since a trade to the Soo.

George doesn’t have ideal size, but he’s big enough (6 feet, 1 inch and 190-or-so pounds) and rarely seems to get frozen straight up with shooters because he has good hands and hockey IQ as a goalie. He knows when to stay on his feet and when to get down and pick pucks out, because he reads it so well off the blade, and he’s patient. He’s very communicative and shows comfort playing pucks. He tracks pucks through traffic really well. He has quick feet and closes his five-hole fast, with mobility moving laterally and correcting. He can make post-to-post saves when he has to, but he isn’t an elite athlete and doesn’t rely on his athleticism.

George plays a positionally sound and calm game for his age that shows a lot of maturity. He’s a smart, quick, competitive, consistent goalie who should have a long pro career and has the calm, studious demeanor you look for. I project him as a future NHL goalie, though he probably tops out as a 1B-3 and not a 1-1A.

2. Hampton Slukynsky, G, 20, Western Michigan (No. 118, 2023)

Slukynsky has taken a unique path for a goalie through Minnesota’s high school circuit to the USHL and then Western Michigan, and along that path he’s played for virtually the best team at every level: Warroad, then USA Hockey, then Fargo, then a natty-winning Western Michigan team in a tandem as a freshman last year before emerging as the starter into the conference tournament and the Frozen Four. A lot of that has to do with him, though, too — you don’t win every game you play by accident, even with a better team than the opposition.

His numbers did take a hit at the World Junior A Challenge, where the U.S. wasn’t the clear-cut best team, but he performed well again with the USA jersey on at last year’s World Juniors, making 42 of 45 saves (.933) in games against Latvia and Switzerland, and finished his freshman year in the NCAA with a .922 save percentage. He was also the goalie named to the All-Tournament Team at the Frozen Four in St. Louis. And while his numbers have dipped a little this year (they’ve hovered around .910 instead of .920) on a weaker Broncos team, his track record remains strong.

Slukynsky is a lean goalie but has grown from 6-1 and 179 pounds in his draft year to 6-2 and about 185 pounds now. He’s a very smart, anticipatory goalie with legitimate quickness and mobility in the net. He stays square to shots and hits his spots early. He’s active and fast on his feet, athletic with good hands, sticks with shooters one-on-one, gets to his spots early and tracks well — most of the boxes you look for! He needs to get stronger to hold the crease better on jam plays, but that’s been my only criticism of his game.

Despite his glossy record over the years, I’ve also seen him steal games with his mobility and talent. As he gets stronger and works on becoming more and more controlled in the crease, I think he’s going to be a decent NHL goalie. For me, he and George are very close.

3. Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, 19, London (No. 31, 2025)

After playing a limited role in his rookie season with London (which is the standard), Brzustewicz played more than 20 minutes per game in the regular season last year (though that dropped into the 16-19 minute range in the playoffs and the Memorial Cup, he finished strong at the Mem Cup) and was relied upon at times by the Knights in all situations. This season, after the Knights lost basically the entire core of their blue line save Bruztsewicz and Jared Woolley (who has now been dealt), his expanded role has proven to be a lot for him.

Brzustewicz skates well moving forward (though he can look a little choppy and is stocky) but also opens up and adjusts and uses his feet to get open off the puck, play in and out of give-and-gos, create zone exits and step up and close gaps defensively, with a willingness to play physically, compete and a desire to snuff out and end plays (or pinch in the offensive zone). He has shown some confidence with the puck and assertiveness without it, even if he won’t be an offensive type up levels. He can break up plays with his stick as well as the body. He’s a decent skater (NHL average) and strong athlete with a sturdy pro build and a balanced, wide posture (too wide at times, which can limit quickness even if he’s strong). He has a good stick. But he can also sometimes overskate pucks or be a little rushed under pressure. There’s definitely the odd mistake/misread with the puck, but I think part of that is just him adjusting to all of the touches/decisions he now has to make over the course of a game in his minutes. He just needs to settle down a little at times. I’ve also watched him struggle with the pace of better teams. He was more of a late-second than a late-first for me pre-draft, and I do think he tops out as a two-way depth NHL D.

4. Jakub Dvořák, LHD, 20, Ontario (No. 54, 2024)

The story of Dvořák’s young career was one of a series of injuries that cost him development time across multiple seasons. Still, Dvořák became a top D in his age group with Czechia’s national team and played up at Czechia’s pro level at an early age when healthy. He didn’t take the steps I’m sure he was hoping for back home and made the move to WHL Swift Current, where he was solid right away on the smaller ice and immediately became a counted-on two-way defender, but also showed some limitations. Last season, his first in the AHL, was fine given his age — as was his World Juniors. This season, he has played to solid defensive results in about 17 minutes per game as a 20-year-old D in the league.

He’s a 6-5, steadying defenseman who can kill penalties, has played tough matchups internationally with his age group (though he was more just one piece of Czechia’s top six at the World Juniors than a go-to guy) and can really shoot it when he steps into his slap shot. His skating from a standstill is a bit of a concern for me — I was surprised when the Kings called it a strength after the draft — and an impediment against the rush at times, as he can get turned around and caught in his pivots. He was a second-rounder on the back of his physical tools and the belief that with good health and reps, he would become a solid shutdown defenseman at the next level. His stride and handling are both a little stilted, and I find he can really slap the puck around at higher paces, so he’s never going to provide much offense beyond getting shots through. But there is a lot to like in his physical makeup, and this season has been a positive step.

He projects as a defensive third-pairing/PK2 D with continued development.

5. Vojtěch Čihař, LW, 19, Kelowna (No. 59, 2025)

Čihař played the entirety of last season at Czechia’s top pro rung and was an effective player at both five-on-five and in the bumper on the power play (a role he has also played successfully for Czechia’s U18 and U20 national teams). He was also a part of Czechia’s bronze medal-winning team at last year’s World Juniors in a depth role and then won a silver medal with them as a first-line player and top performer at this year’s tournament (he was on my media all-star ballot). After joining the Memorial Cup hosts in Kelowna post-tournament, he has immediately looked like a top player at the WHL level. I think his game works better on the smaller North American sheet, too.

Čihař is a well-rounded winger and a strong skater. He has a quick release, can play through contact, keeps his feet moving, has good instincts offensively and defensively and is willing to go to the net and finish off plays around the crease. He’ll compete and has a knack for making a play in a big moment. He has typically played to strong on-ice results and looks like he has played pro in junior. He also has a good one-touch shot that serves him well in that bumper role. Add in room to get stronger (that’ll be important), and he looks like he has a chance to have a long pro career. I do wonder if he tops out as an AHL second-liner, but I could see him playing games and becoming something like Alex Laferriere for the Kings.

Tier 2

6. Jared Woolley, LHD, 19, Kitchener (No. 164, 2024)

Woolley has been an interesting evaluation over the years. He wasn’t on my list in his draft year, but he was this massive defenseman who’d become the latest London Knights player to go the Jr. B-to-OHL route with them, and became a third-pairing guy and played into the playoffs and the Memorial Cup, even if his minutes with the OHL champs were limited in the bigger games. Then he took the big post-draft step that Knights players tend to take and played a top-four role in a return to the OHL championship and the Mem Cup, winning both. After a strong camp with the Kings, he got into his first NHL preseason game this year and registered an assist in it, too. In his final year in the OHL, he was averaging 23 minutes per game for the Knights before being dealt as a top trade deadline target to Kitchener, where he has made an immediate impact.

Woolley is a big (6-5), heavy (210-220 pounds) left-shot defenseman who can really lean on guys in front of the net and along the wall to eliminate his man from the puck at the junior level. He actually has some sneaky offense as well and isn’t just the big man who throws pucks on net. He’s not a playmaker, but he’ll take time and space off the offensive line to attack, and he has comfortable hands one-on-one with opposing players and goalies and a big shot. He’s also a really smooth skater for how heavy he is. I think he has a real chance. He has turned a lot of folks into believers over the last couple of years. I thought about ranking him higher here.

7. Kenny Connors, C, 22, Ontario (No. 103, 2022)

After getting drafted as an overager out of Dubuque following a season with 56 points in 61 games as the Fighting Saints’ third-leading scorer, Connors had three good seasons in college without really breaking out. As a freshman, he stepped right in as a teenager to become UMass’ top-scoring forward and earn a spot on Team USA at the 2023 World Juniors, and he remained a go-to guy for the Minutemen as a sophomore and junior, registering 29 points in 40 games last year before turning pro.

Connors is a 6-2, 207-pound center who plays a well-rounded two-way game built upon hard work, a drive to be involved, decent skating, applying pressure and making quick decisions and reads with the puck to generate offense and sustain offensive-zone time. This season, as a rookie in the AHL, he has played 17 minutes per game in all situations for the Reign and has had a respectable year. I’m not sure if he has true NHL skill, pace or upside, but some believe he might become a bottom-six option, and he looks like good AHL depth at minimum.

8. Petteri Rimpinen, G, 19, Kiekko-Espoo (No. 152, 2025)

Rimpinen had a great year last year, winning the directorate award as the top goalie at the World Juniors, leading Finland to a silver medal, playing 40 games in Liiga, and then, after not starting Game 1 of Kiekko-Espoo’s first-round series, taking it in Game 2 and holding it through to the second round. He finished with a .912 regular-season save percentage in Liiga and a .920 playoff one to go with his .933 at the World Juniors, and finished the year as NHL Central Scouting’s eighth-ranked European goalie despite being only 6 feet tall. This year has come with some ups and downs, both for Kiekko-Espoo and as a returnee with the Finns at the World Juniors, but he’s a relevant prospect.

Rimpinen is really good laterally and decently athletic. He can move a lot in the net but will battle for pucks on second and third chances with his mobility and competitiveness. He has good hands up high. He tracks the puck and the play really well. He’ll give up the odd softie, but when his movement and control are dialed, he can look really solid.

Tier 3

9. Francesco Pinelli, C, 22, Ontario (No. 42, 2021)

Pinelli is a prospect with good tools but also some “buts.” He’s a fairly slick, fairly creative puckhandler and facilitator who manipulates set structures to create lanes for himself, slicing pucks through and around feet and sticks … but I’m not sure those assets are dynamic. He has good control of his inside and outside edges, which allows him to open up and adjust to pressure points … but his feet can look a little heavy in straight lines.

At the junior level, he was an entertaining, puck-dominant east-west player who thrived when he got a lot of touches. And while his decision-making with the puck can be a little suspect at times, he’s diligent without the puck and can hang at center because of it. I do worry a little bit about his lack of pace, but he was a force in Kitchener in his final season there, outproducing his nearest teammate by 31 points (!) in eight fewer games (!) and driving results at both ends as captain, and he’s now a solid AHL player in his third season with the Reign. The challenge is that the clock is now ticking, and he hasn’t yet taken that important final step into call-up territory. He has some talent and smarts, but …

10. Koehn Ziemmer, RW, 21, Ontario (No. 78, 2023)

Ziemmer is a December 2004 who was selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2019 WHL bantam draft, but lasted until the third round in his NHL Draft year due to concerns about his fitness level and skating/pace. Three years ago, he finished in the WHL’s top 10 in goals (41) and points (89), though he did regress a little after a hot start. Two seasons ago, he got off to an excellent start with 31 points in 20 games (a 105-point, 68-game pace) playing in Prince George’s top six that had two of the hottest lines in the WHL before suffering an ankle injury that came with a four-month recovery timeline. Last season, he again got off to one of the hottest starts in the WHL before hitting a bit of a wall in December. This year has also been an adjustment for him as a rookie at the AHL level, where he has averaged about 11 minutes per game.

He’s a strong, physically mature winger — some of which is a benefit of his 2004 birthday and real strength, some of which is him carrying a little too much weight — who likes to shoot the puck and shoots it hard. He can beat defenders and goalies one-on-one with a slick set of hands across his body so that they can’t plan for the shot. He has scored some highlight-reel goals in the WHL and also found pockets of space off coverage. I wish his skating, pace and production were a little further along than they are at this point, though, which limits his projection and could prevent him from becoming more than an AHL scorer.

Though he has made some progress, he hasn’t made enough. He does work hard to compensate and he can play a heavy game on pucks, operate in and out of give-and-gos and make skill plays for himself, but he might just be what he is — in part, I’m sure, due to the injuries and some lost development time, but also because it’s starting to feel like he doesn’t have the athletic tools needed to become an NHLer. The skill and shot are there. Some other important pieces aren’t right now, though, and I did think about slotting him one or two spots lower here.

11. Kristian Epperson, LW, 20, Denver (No. 88, 2025)

Epperson was viewed as a legit talent coming out of Shattuck and into the NTDP, and then had a decent U17 season at the program from a production standpoint, but has also had some up-and-down years. This season has been an up-and-down one for him as a freshman with the Pioneers, too.

He has some tools and identity to his game and was productive in the OHL as an 18-year-old, registering 30 goals and 84 points in 63 combined regular-season and playoff games with Saginaw. Some point to him playing with OHL Most Outstanding Player Michael Misa and Sharks top prospect Igor Chernyshov in the second half, though, as well. Epperson can play a competitive, pesky style off the puck, forechecks effectively, plays a bit of a power forward game, is strong for his size and can play in the dirty areas and show some skill and hockey sense when he’s on. He should become a gritty and skilled college player as an upperclassman, which should give him a chance at getting signed. I don’t know if he’ll be an NHLer.

12. Jimmy Lombardi, C, 19, Flint (No. 125, 2025)

Lombardi is a smart, competitive, diligent 200-foot center who has played in all situations for the Firebirds over the last two seasons, playing 20 minutes per game in his draft year last year and nearly 24 (as a forward!) this year, playing an important role on a top team in all situations.

His game is about reads, support and making good decisions all over the ice. He plays off his linemates well, can play with anyone and operates within structure. He has to get stronger if he wants to become a fourth-line center at the next level, he has work to do in the faceoff circle and he doesn’t score much for a 6-foot forward who plays as much as he does. Smarts and a defensive conscience can only carry you so far when you have average strength, skating and skill.

He’ll probably go further than his skill because of how coachable he is, though. And even if he becomes a really solid third-line AHLer, that’s a fine outcome for a late-fourth round pick.

13. Otto Salin, RHD, 21, Ontario (No. 148, 2022)

Salin was the most productive under-21 defenseman in Liiga last season, registering 28 points in 56 games as a 20-year-old D, but Ontario hasn’t used him on its PP as a rookie, and his role on the team has been in question as a rookie as a result. I think he could quarterback an AHL power play and at least give you a depth call-up option who brings something a little different than Dvořák if you need it in time, but he’s not a perfect player, and there’s no guarantee he plays his way into becoming a future No. 8/9 D with some puck-moving ability.

Salin missed all of October, November and much of December in his draft year due to injury, leaving him with a smaller sample than most of his peers. But he was as good in his 11 junior games as any player at Finland’s top U20 level, dominating offensively while playing huge minutes to strong defensive results. He also performed well on a Finnish blue line that struggled at the World Juniors in Halifax in 2023 (even as the team’s youngest defenseman) and wore an “A” at the World Juniors in Gothenburg.

There’s a perception that he’s an all-offense player, but I think he’s a little more than that. Salin’s physically mature for his size (5-11), and he uses it to play a tight-gapping style, which can burn when he makes mistakes on reads but has proven to be quite successful in stripping and knocking pucks loose to get back on offense.

With the puck, he takes space off the line and looks to attack into his shot (which he takes a lot), but he can also surprise opposing structures with knifing passes. He’s fun to watch when he’s getting a lot of touches, leading the charge from the back end and his timing on close-outs is dialed in, but he looked to me like this year has hurt his confidence when I reviewed his tape for this project. His comfort level moving the puck down ice defines him. He sees the ice well, his head is always up and he pivots in and out of space nicely. He’s active skating pucks through neutral ice and an eager shooter from the blue line with a hard wrister, slap shot and balanced one-timer. But things will need to align better for him in order for him to progress.

14. James Reeder, RW, 20, Denver (No. 198, 2024)

Another Pioneer, Reeder registered 60 points in 53 games in the USHL to get drafted in the seventh round and is now a sophomore under David Carle at Denver. He’s having a respectable season and playing 17-18 minutes per game for them. He was also an invitee to the World Junior Summer Showcase two Augusts ago but didn’t ultimately make the team.

Reeder is a small winger (5-10, 175 pounds) who relies on his on-ice intellect to navigate the ice, play off his linemates, find pockets of space and distribute. He’s also a diligent off-puck mover who will forecheck and keep his feet moving for his linemates, but also track, support, block shots and play with energy defensively to help win pucks back. He tied for second among Denver forwards with a plus-17 rating last year and has always played to positive on-ice impact, even if he’s not flashy for his size. He has long odds to play NHL games, but I could see him having a nice pro career in the AHL and felt he was worth a mention here.