LA Kings Select Blake Zielinski No. 80 – What You Need to Know

With pick No. 80 of Round 3, the LA Kings have selected forward Blake Zielinski from the United States. Throughout the evening, we’ll have more information and continued coverage from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. For now, here’s what you need to know about the newest Kings selection…

Blake Zielinski

KEY NUMBERS AND NOTES

Vitals
Date of Birth: March 5, 2008
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 187 lbs
Shoots: Right
Team: Des Moines Buccaneers
League: USHL
Position: Forward

Statistics for 2025-26 Season
USHL (regular season): 53 GP, 25 G, 30 A, 55 P

Awards for 2025-26 Season
Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal
WJAC-19 Gold Medal
USHL Third All-Star Team
USHL Gaudreau Award

Blake Zielinski | LA Kings RD3#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/aHlRlbBOGE

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) June 27, 2026

Connecting with scouts on Kings pick Blake Zielinski…

Thick-framed winger, very skilled, has a goal scorer’s touch. Creative offensive player with a history of production. Learned how to use heaviness to win battles and get to the scoring areas. High character kid, won the…

— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) June 27, 2026

SCOUTING REPORTS

From Elite Prospects:

A pacey linear attacker, Zielinski is most commonly found battling for pucks along the wall or winning net-front battles. After freeing possession, he finds teammates inside the slot with quick passes or drives to the slot himself. With some of the best hand-eye coordination in the draft class, he tips down point shots from tricky positions for goals, and he’s always there to follow up the play. Powerful in-stride wristers and one-timers complete Zielinski’s scoring skill set, and he’s also a valuable defensive player through his motor, stick work, and willingness to engage physically. In particular, he patrols the walls, coming back down from the point to clamp down on sticks or pickpocket opponents.

From McKeen’s:

Zielinski is one of the lesser known commodities in the public scouting sphere, as he hasn’t garnered a ton of recognition, nor high rankings. But he is a very reliable player for Des Moines who should be on more radars. His production this season wasn’t eye-popping, with 55 points across 53 contests. But when he was invited to represent the USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, he was exceptional, scoring nine points in five games, en route to a gold medal. He also helped USA to a gold medal at the U19 World Junior A Challenge, scoring four points in five contests. Zielinski plays a very intelligent game, keeping the puck moving in the right direction and extending offensive possessions for his team. His ability to find open space in the offensive zone off the puck also allowed him to generate opportunities for himself. He would get into solid positions to allow for teammates to find him consistently. Plus, on the power play, there were times where he would be the focal point, thanks to his strong one-timer. His defensive game was also solid, with a good defensive stick to keep plays to the outside and clog up scoring areas.

From Ryan Ma:

Zielinski’s value is built around a great shot and strong off-puck instincts, allowing him to consistently find dangerous scoring areas and capitalize on opportunities without needing to dominate possession. While he’s generally a smart passer who supports play well and showed improved effort later in the season, he can be overly scripted with the puck, lacks consistent engagement in battles, and tends to default to perimeter shooting when plays break down, making him more of a complementary finisher that doesn’t have the impressive physical tools or athleticism that other players of his ilk have.

HIGHLIGHTS

We’ll update this article throughout the day with additional information.

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