On Sunday the Los Angeles Kings announced their roster for the 2024 development camp.
Not the start-studded event it's been in the past, there are still quite a few names to keep an eye on.
Forwards:
Francesco Pinelli:
With his first season of professional hockey under his belt, Francesco Pinelli should be the best player at development camp this year.
A 2021 second-round pick, he's one of the older and more experienced players at the camp.
I'm guessing LA expects Pinelli to take a big leadership role on and off the ice. They know who he is as a player and we won't learn much here, but he can show off some leadership qualities over the next few days.
Liam Greentree:
It's always exciting to see a recent first-round pick at development camp. For many, this will be the first live viewing of Liam Greentree and everyone can get a sense of what he can bring.
There will be a big focus on his skating, as that is one of his biggest weaknesses, and on his high-end skill. Can he stand out even as one of the youngest players at development camp?
Jack Hughes and Koehn Ziemmer:
I've bunched Jack Hughes and Koehn Ziemmer together because they're both interesting for the same reason. We get to see where they're at in their physical development.
You want to see opposite developments from them. Hughes you'd hope to see with significantly more muscle and Ziemmer you want to see with a better "body composition" as Mark Yannetti put it.
Ziemmer's skill popped last year at development camp and I'd expect the same this year.
Hughes was probably the most disappointing player at development camp last year so a bounce-back here would be nice to see. There wasn't much high-end puck skill, which was supposed to be a calling card for him, on display. He needs to show some this year.
Jared Wright and Kenny Connors:
Two college forwards Yannetti recently stated he's very confident will play NHL games, it will be good to get another look at Jared Wright and Kenny Connors.
They should both be standout players here as 21-year-olds and it will be particularly interesting to see Wright's high-end speed.
Defensemen:
Jakub Dvorak:
Jakub Dvorak might be the most interesting player at development camp for me. Getting to see how his skating has come along and if his puck play has improved will be very interesting.
If there are noticeable improvements in both areas will excite Kings personnel and should excite fans.
The tools are so legitimate with this player, if he can get those two areas to an NHL level the Kings could have a very solid defenseman on their hands.
Kirill Kirsanov:
Although he isn't expected to skate, seeing Kirill Kirsanov in LA for the first time will be huge. It's a good sign he could be coming over to North America after next season in the KHL.
Otto Salin:
Otto Salin was a surprise standout at development camp last year and it will be good to see his progress after another season in Liiga.
He's an extremely smooth skater and seeing how he's grown physically will be interesting.
There's a lot of work for Salin as a sub-6-foot defenseman, but he's got the feet to make it work.
Jared Woolley:
Like Greentree, Jared Woolley is a 2024 draft pick and this will be the first live viewing for most.
His puck play and skating will be the main focus for most people.
Goaltenders:
Hampton Slukynsky:
After a monster season in the USHL, it will be very interesting to see Hampton Slukynsky at development camp and compare him to Carter George.
It's tough to really evaluate goalies without being a goalie coach, but if he's stopping a lot of pucks that will be a good sign.
Carter George:
Another 2024 pick, like Slukynsky, I won't pretend to have a great way to evaluate George from a technical standpoint.
The main focus will be on his athletic tools. It's very difficult to make it in the NHL as a 6-foot-1 goalie without elite athleticism so getting a live look at George will be nice.