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LA Kings Prospect Tracker, Week Ending September 5, 2021

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Welcome back Kings fans! Hockey season is here and it is time once again to kick off the yearly prospect tracker. Since most leagues around the globe are still in pre-season or haven’t started yet, this first tracker of the 2021-22 campaign will include recaps of prospect activities since the conclusion of last season, as well as some additional information regarding a handful of players.

AHL Ontario Reign

This season will will continue to feature a select group of Ontario Reign players based upon the performances of the week.  Rookie camp is set to begin September 15, followed by the 2021 Rookie Faceoff tournament in Arizona. For a preview of Ontario’s 2021-22 projected opening night roster click here.

Juniors-OHL

Martin Chromiak, Kingston Frontenacs, Left Wing (128th overall in 2020)

Chromiak will return to North American ice this season and play in juniors with Kingston after playing professionally in Slovakia. Over the summer, he had a monster seven-point performance against Denmark at the U20 Summer Challenge in Germany. He would go on to have a development camp with the Kings that had media going nuts and will be at the 2021 Rookie Faceoff.

Francesco Pinelli, Kitchener Rangers, Center (42nd overall in 2021)

Pinelli will also return to juniors after playing professionally abroad in Slovenia during the cancellation of the OHL season. He participated in development camp and will be at the 2021 Rookie Faceoff.

Brandt Clarke, Barrie Colts, RH Defenseman (8th overall in 2021)

Another player who found ice time abroad during the cancellation of the OHL season, Clarke comes back to juniors after playing a season professionally in Slovakia. He participated in development camp and will be at the 2021 Rookie Faceoff.

Europe

Samuel Helenius, LIIGA-JYP, Center (59th overall in 2021)

Saying Helenius has had a big summer is a bit of an understatement. He was drafted and signed to his ELC by the Kings, played and scored in the 2021 World Junior Summer Showcase for Team Finland.  His play at the tournament had scouts and coaches raving, and then was assigned as an alternate captain for JYP as an 18-year-old. On top of that he’s scored two goals in pre-season play while mostly playing third line minutes. JYP begins their regular season on September 10th against IFK Helinski.

Aatu Jämsen, LIIGA-Pelicans, Right Wing (190th overall in 2020)

Jamsen played in multiple exhibition games for Finland over the summer and was invited to their World Junior camp. He skated in several pre-season matches with the Pelicans, even winning a game for them in the shootout. Recently, he was injured in an exhibition game and is said to be day-to-day. The Pelicans season starts on September 11th and if Jamsen plays with them, it will be the start of his first professional season.

Kasper Simontaival, LIIGA-KalPa, Center (66th overall in 2020)

Simontaival ended last season with a trade to the more youth focused KalPa. He has since played in several exhibition games including the 2021 World Junior Summer Showcase, posting a goal and an assist. He wasted no time making an impact with KalPa, scoring on a tip in from close range after his man lost coverage, allowing him to sneak in on the net. He also has two primary assists during friendly play. KalPa will begin regular season play on September 10th against Jukurit.

Kim Nousiainen, LIIGA-KalPa, LH Defenseman (119th overall in 2019)

The 20-year-old wowed in KalPa’s first game of the preseason when he took a drop pass in the offensive zone, quickly darted left and glided around coverage before shooting a bullet past the netminder. A few games later, Nousiainen suffered a high ankle sprain after two other players fell on him in the corner, which will see him out for the next three months. His play was so impressive last season that he earned a spot of Finland’s World Championship roster and was their youngest player. He scored in his first game with a hard wrist shot after receiving a pass when he jumped into the slot on an offensive drive. He would go on to add an assist and come home with a silver medal.

https://twitter.com/IIHFHockey/status/1401616184785596416

Kirill Kirsanov, KHL-SKA St. Petersburg, LH Defenseman (84th overall in 2021)

2021-2022 Stats: 0 Goals, 1 assists, even +/-, 2 PIM in 2 games played

Kirsanov played the majority of the St.Petersburg’s preseason on the top D-pairing but would find himself as the seventh defenseman come season opener against Cherepovits. He would make the most of it though, with 14:35 of ice time and picking up a shorthanded assist when his clearing attempt from behind the net would spring an offensive attack. Next game, he would record a blocked shot against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, a 4-3 win.

https://twitter.com/GriffingDylan/status/1433488289957355523

Juho Markkanen, LIIGA-SaiPa, Goalie (112th overall in 2020)

Markkanen played for several clubs last season, but ended his campaign playing professionally in LIIGA for SaiPa. Finnish hockey operations took notice and sent him an invite to their World Juniors training camp. He has since started in one LIIGA pre-season game and came out with the win. SaiPa opens their season against KooKoo on September 10th.

NCAA College Hockey

Alex Laferriere, Harvard Univ., Right Wing (83rd overall in 2020)

The Des Moines Buccaneers leading scorer from last season will make his NCAA debut with Harvard University on October 16th against the University of Ottawa.

Andre Lee, UMass-Lowell, LW/C (188th overall in 2019)

Lee played a crucial role in the River Hawks Cinderella run to the Hockey East Championship and will return for his junior season. He participated in the Kings development camp and will begin his season on October 2nd against Arizona State.

Braden Doyle, Boston University, LH Defenseman (157th overall in 2019)

Doyle will make his NCAA debut with Boston University, which opens play against UConn on October 8th. He participated in the Kings development camp.

Brock Faber, Univ. of Minnesota, RH Defenseman (45th overall in 2020)

After a highly successful rookie season with the Gophers, Faber is expected to be one of the best blueliners in the NCAA this season. The Gophers begin play on October 2nd against the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He also played for Team USA in the 2021 Summer Showcase.

Ben Meehan, UMass-Lowell, LH Defenseman (140th overall in 2020)

After participating in the Kings development camp, Meehan will return to the River Hawks for his sophomore season.

David Hrenak, St. Cloud State, Goalie (144th overall in 2018)

Hrenak will begin his 5th NCAA season with the Huskies in pursuit of a NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship and a Frozen Four Championship, feats that have eluded him thus far during his impressive collegiate career.

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  1. Bulat Shafigullin (2018 round 3 #82 overall) has played two games. Neftekhimik won both games and Shafigullin has played a lot (vs. Kunlun 19:20, 3 SOG and vs. Jokerit 20:59, 4 SOG). So far his only point is an assist against Kunlun, but if he gets as much ice-time in future, he will score a lot more.

    I saw Neftekhimik – Jokerit -game and Shafigullin was 1st line LW and played even-strenght, PP, SH and 4vs.4, so obviously he is a coach’s favorite.