Things are looking up for Turcotte now. He's finally healthy, coming off a strong training camp in Los Angeles and he's started the season in Ontario well.
When the Los Angeles Kings committed to rebuilding in 2019, they used their first top-five pick in 10 years to draft USNTDP forward Alex Turcotte.
Thanks to his 200-foot game and high-end playmaking skills, Turcotte was viewed as a surefire NHLer. But, four years post-draft, Turcotte has played just 12 NHL games and registered zero points.
Injuries have played a major factor in Turcotte's struggles. He hasn't played a full season since he was drafted and dealt with serious concussion problems over the last few seasons.
However, things are looking up for Turcotte now. He's finally healthy, coming off a strong training camp in Los Angeles and he's started the season in Ontario well.
His 10 points in 12 games place him third on the team, while his +3 rating is tied for the team lead.
He looks more like the player he was drafted to become right now. A responsible two-way center who can create a high number of chances for his linemates.
Despite the strong start, Turcotte feels his best is yet to come.
"I honestly don't even think I've played the best I could have at this point," said Turcotte. "I think I've been doing a lot of really good things and making a lot of good plays. But there are also some blunders I've had where I want to clean up. Some turnovers and just being in the right position, and sometimes that happens, it's not a big shift in my game. It's just little details that I think I can be sharper on and that will lead to even more offense and more production. It's still really early and I think I can get a lot better."
A big reason Turcotte has started strong is health. Rob Blake was asked about Turcotte after the team returned from Australia and he said this was the first time in four years Turcotte has been healthy for an extended time.
He was able to train this summer without restriction and it shows. Turcotte is noticeably bigger physically and is in a better spot mentally too.
"It was really nice, I wasn't stressed out," said Turcotte on having a healthy summer. "Being hurt a lot takes a toll mentally. It was a pretty awful couple of years if I'm being honest, you know, not being able to play and be healthy and be at my best. So, I was able to put a lot of muscle on, which was a goal of mine, I haven't been able to do that. It was nice and I feel a lot stronger out there and faster and, definitely, sturdier."
Turcotte had a camp that warranted a spot on the NHL roster, but the Kings decided to start him in Ontario to make sure he could put together a healthy stretch of play.
When asked if Turcotte is still a big part of this organization's future, Blake gave an emphatic yes, and their conversations with Turcotte after camp reinforce that.
"It was a lot of good things, they told me they were really happy with my play and I had a really good camp," said Turcotte on what Blake and McLellan told him when sending him down. "Obviously, I wanted to make the team, that was my goal, it's tough hearing that I had to start down here. But, we have great coaches here and great players. I think the thing for me is just playing a lot of minutes and staying healthy. So, that's kind of what they relayed to me, and I understand, I have to put a good stretch of games together and that's my goal right now. If I can prove I can do that, I know I'll be up in a matter of time. It's just kind of sticking with it every day and keep building on my game."
If the plan is to call Turcotte up after a stretch of games, there's a natural fit for him in the Kings' lineup. Alex Laferriere started the season great — and still looks good — but his play has slowed down recently and swapping Turcotte for Laferriere could make sense.
Laferriere would benefit from some time in Ontario and Turcotte needs NHL games.
I still look back to Turcotte's role for Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championships as a model for how the Kings should use him.
Turcotte played with an elite shooter in Arthur Kaliyev and a creator in Trevor Zegras and was the spark plug that made that line successful.
He provided the dirty work for them and cleaned up their mistakes in the defensive zone.
If you called him up tomorrow, I think he'd find a lot of success with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kaliyev on the third line.
I would even experiment with Turcotte centering that line and Dubois on the wing.
Either way, I wouldn't be surprised to see Turcotte called up in the next month or so. When he is called up, he has an opportunity to establish himself in the NHL and become a permanent part of the King's roster.
It's unlikely he ever fulfills his draft position, but Turcotte is working toward becoming an impactful NHLer and we might see that impact soon.