Kings crown local boy on draft day

LOS ANGELES, Ca. – Finally!   For the first time in Los Angeles Kings history, the team with the funky looking uniforms made up of purple and gold can proclaim themselves the Stanley Cup Champions.   It will also be the first time in team history that the Kings will have the 30^th pick, and last pick, in the first round of the NHL Entry draft. Oh, the team has drafted 30^th overall before, just not because it was their own pick.
In 2001 the Kings drafted left winger Jens Karlsson (who?) 18^th overall and center Dave Steckel with the 30^th pick overall. They have also had the 30^th overall pick but that was in 1996 and it was in the second round, not the first round when the league had only 26 teams.   In 1996 the Kings selected center Josh Green. Before that you’d have to go back to 1985 and 1979. In both of those years it was the team’s third pick and was also in the second round.
The Columbus Blue Jackets would have had the Kings first pick this year as part of the Jeff Carter trade, but since the Kings made the playoffs Columbus will take the Kings first round pick next season.   Still, when you’re the Stanley Cup champions the needs are few and the talent usually falls into the lap of the champion who quietly sits back and waits for quality players to fall when General Mangers become too smart for their own good and take a reach ahead of them.
General Manager Dean Lombardi has made a living of building a team through the draft.   Just ask the Kings and the San Jose Sharks.   Just because the Kings sit at #30 doesn’t mean he will sit on his laurels and car any less about this year’s draft than in any other draft.
The Kings were a struggling team offensively until the Carter trade and will look to add offense somewhere in the draft.   Los Angeles finished the regular season 29^th in offense, 2^nd on defense, 17^th on the power play, 4^th on the penalty kill, and 7^th in face-offs.
The Kings had four players with 20 or more goals, and only two other players with 10 or more. None of the Kings left wingers had more than 7 goals.   Look for the team to address the situation not only through the draft but via trade as well (Can you say James Van Riemsdyk?).
Defensively LA would love to add more depth on the blueline. Fortunately for the Kings they have no free agents on the blue line to worry about.   Still, adding depth at defense will be a priority.
In net Jonathan Quick has taken over for Jonathan Bernier which could make Bernier, a former first round pick in 2006 with a bright future ahead of him. Don’t be surprised if a Bernier/ Van Riemsdyk swap happen, along with swapping first rounder’s with a defensemen or two becoming part of the equation.
If the Kings go for a forward, according to PHN’s mock draft the list isn’t that bad considering that it is a defensive laden draft. If they decide to go for a center they could have Colton Sissions, Andreas Athansiou, and Mike Winther, but if winger is the top priority then they could go for Nicolas Kerdiles, Phillip Di Giuseppe, and Tomas Hyka.
If they decide to go for a goaltender Oscar Dansk is sitting there for the taking, especially if they decide to move Bernier and don’t get a goaltender back in return.   Dansk would be a perfect bit but one gets the feeling that the Kings will do something special this draft.
With the influx of players from California making their way into the NHL these days, the Kings could make someone’s day very special. Kerdiles is a 6’ 2” left winger from nearby Irvine, California in Orange County near Anaheim. You can bet if the Kings don’t make his day special in the first round, the Ducks just might early in the second.
He is a quality scorer and would be very tough to pass up if you’re the Kings. That is why in our humble opinion the Kings will make the following announcement come draft day.
“With the 30^th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings are proud to select, from the USA developmental program, Nicolas Kerdiles.”
To learn more about Nicolas Kerdiles click here .
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com