
Before the Olympic break, the Los Angeles Kings traded away what was arguably their top prospect, Liam Greentree.
He was sent to the New York Rangers in a deal that saw the Kings acquire superstar left winger Artemi Panarin.
So, GM Ken Holland's prospect pool has been shaken up slightly. With that change, who is Los Angeles' top prospect?
There are a handful of names that come from the junior ranks, and also in the AHL with the Ontario Reign. Let's see who sits at the top.
Carter George is likely the next Kings prospect at the top of the list after Greentree's departure. George has represented Team Canada at the last two World Junior Championships, not losing a single game at the tournament in four appearances.
In addition, he's been excellent at the club level in the OHL. He was traded ahead of the OHL trade deadline from the Owen Sound Attack to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and has been lights out.
In 11 games with the Greyhounds this far, he's put up a 7-2-2 record, as well as a 1.81 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage and three shutouts.
The 19-year-old netminder was drafted by Los Angeles in 2024 and was selected 57th overall in the second round.
Henry Brzustewicz has been having an impressive season with the London Knights in his third year of junior hockey.
The 19-year-old defenseman has the second-most points on the team with 15 goals and 37 points in 44 appearances. Brzustewicz also ranks 10th in the OHL in points among defensemen, and fourth in goals from the back end.
Brzustewicz has two OHL championships under his belt and won the Memorial Cup last year with the Knights.
The 6-foot-2 right-handed D-man was selected 31st overall in the 2025 draft and has been one of the best prospects in the Kings' organization.
Henry Brzustewicz ( Luke Durda/OHL Images)Vojtech Cihar really made a name for himself at the 2026 World Junior Championship with Czechia.
In fact, he was named the tournament's MVP after scoring four goals and 12 points in seven contests. He led his team in scoring, and Czechia went on to win silver in a respectable campaign.
Following that competition, he transferred to North American hockey and joined the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL.
Since then, he's made 15 appearances, scoring two goals and 12 points. Furthermore, he scored an incredible penalty shot on Wednesday that went viral on social media.
Cihar was selected 59th overall by the Kings in the second round of the 2025 draft, and what a talent he is emerging to be.
Outside of my top three Kings prospects, other players deserve some credit for where they stand.
One of those players is Jimmy Lombardi of the Flint Firebirds in the OHL. He is actually the highest scorer among all prospects in Los Angeles' organization.
Turning 19 on Monday, Lombardi has 29 goals and 59 points in 51 contests with the Firebirds, averaging 1.16 points per game. He's second on his team in points and is tied for eighth in the league in goals.
Another promising youngster is goaltender Hampton Slukynsky. Slukynsky plays for Western Michigan University in the NCAA and has a sparkling 20-8-0 record. Additionally, he's posted a .910 SP and 2.40 GAA in 28 games.
Furthermore, he was Team USA's backup goalie at the 2025 world juniors and was on his country's roster for the World Championship in the same year, sitting behind Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman and Seattle Kraken's Joey Daccord.
In terms of talent in the AHL, there are a few relatively young players in the pipeline. Martin Chromiak, Kenny Connors and Jared Wright are among those names.
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