This is the one you’ve been waiting for. Having worked our way through the Honorable Mentions and players No. 6-15 in this year’s Prospect Rankings, we’re now ready to announce the top five.
As noted previously, this list was finalized in May. Thus, it doesn’t include any emergency adds or changes to include any prospect just selected at the recent NHL Draft. Although they’re part of LA’s overall prospect pool now, we’ll watch and evaluate them over the coming months and eventually insert them into the next published rankings — currently scheduled for the December/January time frame.
If you missed it, here are links to Parts I, II, and III from the series thus far:
LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings – Honorable Mentions
LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings: Players No. 11-15
LA Kings 2026 Prospect Rankings: Players No. 6-10
And now for the final group of players, including this year’s No. 1, we’ll begin the countdown at No. 5…
2026 Prospect Rankings:
5. Vojtech Cihar – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2nd round pick in 2025
Forward – left shot
2025-26 Stats [Czech]: 4 goals, 4 assists, minus-2, 8 PIM in 27 games played
2025-26 Stats [WHL]: 12 goals, 19 assists, plus-18, 14 PIM in 31 games played
Where you start isn’t always where you finish, and where you last played may not always be an indication of your next stop either. What’s the riddle here? Cihar wasn’t getting the minutes he needed back home in Czechia. So, a trade was worked out in the WHL with Kelowna and Lethbridge, the team that originally selected him in the CHL Import Draft. The rest is history, as they say.
Fresh off of capturing MVP honors at this year’s World Juniors, the 18-year-old arrived in Kelowna and didn’t just jump into the deep end, he cannonballed in with style. Cihar even topped his point-per-game pace in the regular season by putting up 13 points (6G, 7A) in nine playoff games. This was after posting 12 points in seven games with his home country en route to their silver medal performance at the WJC.
On Draft day in 2025, scouts told us Cihar was a good skater, reliable, smart, competes, and they saw him as a potential two-way third-line NHL winger. Now, people are wondering if there’s possibly a higher ceiling.
Kings Development Coach Jarret Stoll has been encouraged by what he’s seen over the last 12 months, while still being cautious about raising expectations.
“He was a second-rounder, very uncomfortable at his first Dev Camp [last year]; just uptight and you could tell he was very nervous,” said the Stanley Cup winning center a few weeks ago. “Then, it was great of Kenny to get him over here, get him to Kelowna. Get in the playoffs. He became a big part of that team as the season went on, playing with [Tij] Iginla. And then when you watch him play — he just does the little things right. He makes the right play. He makes the smart play. He’s a great 200-foot player already. … I think he needs to have another good full season and develop his game — develop that 200-foot game. I’m not going to say go back and get 110 points. That’d be great, but just keep developing the way he is.”
If nothing else, we now know how to say his name correctly.
Oh, and what about next season? Well, because he was drafted out of Europe, all options are on the table. He is eligible to play overseas, in the WHL, or even the AHL. Although tempting, we think the latter is just a bit out of reach at the moment. As Stoll said, go back and continue to develop in junior hockey and things should be just fine.
4. Kenny Connors – Ontario Reign (AHL)
4th round pick in 2022
Forward – left shot
2025-26 Stats: 15 goals, 26 assists, plus-18, 30 PIM in 65 games played
Other than being a Miami Dolphins fan, we might not have learned anything about Connors this year that we didn’t know already.
Forward: Jared Wright. Don’t sleep on him.
Defense: Angus Booth was knocking on the door pre-injury.
In the right scenario, my wild card is clear… Kenny Connors. https://t.co/rtxIW1VTNd
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) September 26, 2025
Going back to his days at UMass, we’ve been trying to tell people that Connors is the real deal. He’s just a hockey player through and through. So smart, so gifted, and solid in every scenario. The Pennsylvania native was either first or second in nearly every category among Reign rookies last season — including games played, goals, points, plus-minus, penalty minutes, shots, and points-per-game.
“He’s a pro, a complete player,” said Mark Yannetti during a recent visit to Kings Of The Podcast. “I love guys that have hockey sense. I think he’s going to be — I’d love to see him be a higher-level third-line center, and that’s his potential. But if he falls anywhere between third or even fourth, the way he plays, he’s a playoff-contender center at some point in his career. Whether it’s a C3 or C4 — obviously I prefer C3 — but he’s going to help us win at some point.”
At some point, we’re going to get Reign coach Andrew Lord to admit Connors is his favorite player. Until then, we’ll settle for these comments from Ontario’s bench boss during his own KOTP appearance:
“He just jumped off the page during Rookie Camp, and he’s balanced throughout his game,” said Lord. “He’s solid, he does everything the right way, he’s coachable. His grit is improving. I think he has a little offensive upside, as well. Obviously, the PK is great. He’s been a real driver for us. It was great that he got a couple games up [with the Kings]. I know he wants more.”
He’ll get more NHL games too. There’s just going to have to be some patience involved. Although we see him as NHL ready, with the additions of a few veteran forwards signed by the Kings on July 1, it will likely be a challenge for him to earn a spot during training camp. Like last year, though, we have no doubt the versatile 6-foot-1 forward will see NHL action in 2026-27, either on the wing or at center.
And about that grit comment… Connors had a Gordie Howe Hat Trick as a rookie in the AHL this past season. He’s doing alright.
3. Jared Woolley – Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
6th round pick in 2025
Defenseman – left shot
2025-26 Stats: 12 goals, 24 assists, plus-32, 74 PIM in 66 games played
It isn’t often, if ever, when a sixth-round selection lands in our Top 5. Even at 6-foot-5, 215 lbs., that isn’t enough to just slot in among the Kings elite prospects. A player has to bring significant tools to the table, and Woolley does just that.
Simply put, he’s a bully — and we mean that in the most complimentary way possible. After having already won an OHL Championship, along with two trips to the Memorial Cup, he was traded at the OHL Deadline in January to finish out his junior career with Kitchener. There’s a reason so many teams were trying to get him too, he’s unique. Size, smarts, and compete, they’re all woven into the foundation of Woolley’s game.
Looking back, it took all of one scrimmage at Dev Camp for Woolley to impress Sean O’Donnell.
Sean O’Donnell on new Kings prospect Jared Woolley… pic.twitter.com/rwzvqllDTp
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) July 3, 2024
This coming season, Woolley will be in AHL Ontario, and he already looks the part of a pro hockey player. Seeing him against a step up in competition should provide a better gauge of just how far he’s come in his development over the past two seasons. For now, sky’s the limit.
2b. Carter George – Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
2nd round pick in 2024
Goaltender
2025-26 Stats: 23-17-0, .907 save percentage, 2.73 goals against average in 46 games played
Scoring goalie goals, playing for Team Canada at the World Juniors, and putting another OHL team on his back and carrying them into the playoffs for a second straight year. George just does it all, including posting a shutout in his AHL debut.
So, yes, we’re cheating a bit by having George tied for second in our rankings. From almost the second he was drafted, people have wanted to know if he’s the No. 1 or 2 ranked goalie in the Kings pipeline. Depending on who you speak with will determine the answer to that question. We’ve consistently had one other netminder ahead of him, which is in no way a slight on George’s capabilities. In any other prospect pool, he’d be the top goalie listed and people would be clamoring for him to reach the NHL as soon as possible.
He’s a lifelong Kings fan and if you don’t know much about him already, fix that ASAP.
Carter George: Lifelong Kings Fan Ready for Probable AHL Debut This Weekend
2a. Hampton Slukynsky – Western Michigan (NCAA)
4th round pick in 2023
Goaltender
2025-26 Stats: 27-11-0, .915 save percentage, 2.30 goals against average in 39 games played
Minnesota High School Hockey, the USHL, and NCAA: Slukynsky was named Goaltender of the Year at all three levels. A multi-time champion. All he does is win, period.
Much like George, absorbing everything there is to learn about this future Kings netminder is well worth your time:
Goalie Hampton Slukynsky is Hammering His Way Into Kings Prospect Pool
Continuing the similarities to his Canadian counterpart, Slukynsky also saw time at the World Juniors — suiting up for Team USA in two games at the 2025 event, winning both while posting a .933 SV%.
On top of his college stats line above, Hammer started two AHL games for Ontario after turning pro back in April. He won both contests and posted a combined .957 SV%.
Heading into 2026-27 there is an interesting situation quietly percolating. Both Slukynsky and George are expected to be in AHL Ontario to start the season. Unlike other years, where one goalie would be sent to the ECHL to get more playing time, that allegedly isn’t the case here. From what we’ve heard, LA plans to go with a heavy rotation of their top two prospects once the Reign regular season gets going. May the best man win out.
1. Henry Brzustewicz – London Knights (OHL)
1st round pick in 2025
Defenseman – right shot
2025-26 Stats: 19 goals, 35 assists, minus-15, 57 PIM in 59 games played
When the Kings traded down from No. 24 to 31 at the 2025 NHL Draft, they knew exactly what they were doing. Not only did they add a second-round selection (used on Cihar) in the process, but they also snagged the guy they had in mind all along: Brzustewicz.
Despite what mock drafts and various experts have tried to spin a tale around, it was Brzustewicz they coveted — as told in detail here.
Now, some 12 months later, to borrow a phrase from the music world, Brzustewicz is No. 1 with a bullet. He’s the team’s top prospect and still quickly rising.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, there was plenty of talk about Brzustewicz and Woolley — best friends off the ice — being put together as a defensive pair in London. It certainly made sense, as their styles seemed to complement each other well. Then, a few things happened along the way. Most notable was Woolley’s trade at the OHL Deadline, effectively ending the pair… for now.
Statistically speaking, it was the transformation in Brzustewicz’s game that should be cause for further consideration. He went from being a defenseman who chips in goals to an absolute offensive juggernaut, performing just shy of a point-per-game pace (54 points in 59 games). He was seventh-best in points by a defenseman and tied for the third-most goals (19). He also led all OHL rearguards with 231 shots on goal and finishing tied for second in power-play goals (9).
He became an offensive machine, if that hasn’t been clear enough. Which has also created a bit of a quandary. Conventional wisdom says he’ll graduate to the AHL next season. He already made his pro debut a few months ago and even played significant minutes for Ontario in the Calder Cup Playoffs. However, with a deep roster of defensemen already, could LA management opt to send him back for one more year of junior hockey, where he’d have a far better opportunity to run a power play and further develop his offensive skills? It’s possible.
His potential inclusion on Team USA for the upcoming World Juniors could also potentially impact any decision. Brzustewicz was among the final cuts from the team last December and has already been invited back to this summer’s evaluation camp for the 2027 team, which — should he make it — would ultimately tie him up for about four weeks from mid-December to the second week in January.
Either way, the most likely scenario has Brzustewicz starting the season in Ontario with Woolley. If so, it will be the first time a pair of defensemen will form a sort of peanut butter and jelly tandem of Kings hopefuls. It’s reminiscent of Toffoli and Pearson at forward. They were inseparable on and off the ice. While some might try to say it’s similar to King and Nolan too, that wasn’t really a thing — other than Darryl Sutter making the trip to Manchester and wanting to call them up at the same time. Toffoli and Pearson were linked and pushed each other for years. The same thing could be coming from Bruce and the Wolf.
If that reference is lost on you, Brzustewicz explains it all here.
With that, we’re closing up shop on this year’s Prospect Rankings. That’s a wrap!
Images by Megan Sanders
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Great breakdown of the Kings’ top prospects! I really appreciate the detailed analysis and the insight into each player’s potential. It’ll be exciting to see how these rankings look a year from now. Great work!