Kings Should Target a Pair of Norwegians in Round One

The Los Angeles Kings have their first-round pick for the first time in three years and need to hit. 

Their prospect pool has significantly diminished in the last few seasons and need to capitalize on the opportunity to replenish said pool. 

At 21, they'll have several options to upgrade the prospect pipeline. 

They should even be willing to trade up if necessary, and two targets they should have an eye on are a pair of Norwegians. 

Defensemen Stian Solberg and forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. 

Solberg is one of the biggest risers in the draft over the last few months and has shot up from a fringe first rounder to a potential top-15 pick. 

He's a big defensemen with exceptional athletic traits, physicality and compete. 

Solberg was a standout performer at the most recent World Championships and proved he can be physically dominant against men. 

He isn't just a physical specimen either, he's a high-end skater with a good reach who can kill plays quickly and get the puck going the other way. 

His offensive upside is the big question mark, some scouts are more sold on his puck play than others, but most think it will be at least average in the NHL. 

It isn't a perfect comparison, but a bigger, more physical Mikey Anderson is how I would describe Solberg's ceiling right now. 

The offense might develop more than Anderson, but that's probably the floor. 

There are some concerns about Solberg spending most of his draft year in the Norwegian pro league, a weaker league, but his play at the World Championships eased some of the concerns. 

Like Solberg, Nygard is an exceptional competitor. 

He plays a physical, in your face style of game that should translate well to the NHL. 

Nygard's main offensive weapon is a heavy shot that can beat goalies from range. He's a good enough passer and has good vision but isn't an elite playmaker. 

The offensive tools aren't elite, you aren't getting a future 40-goal, point-per-game player, but you would be getting a player that every team needs to win. 

There's still offense with Nygard too. He's a potential top-six, complementary forward who plays a highly competitive game. 

Solberg and Nygard are both projected to go before 21 which would create complications for the Kings, however, they should be willing to trade up for one of the two. 

If they get to the 16,17,18 range, the Kings should be working the phones to grab one of them.