LA KINGS OUTSIDER 2.0

So the 2010 NHL Draft came and went this weekend.  I went on Friday for the first round.  Here's some highlights: - Pictures with a couple  prospects - Kings draft ANOTHER defenseman - NHL Draft Nacho Hunt 2010 - Big winner at the Kings Care Foundation Raffle

Kabanov's Worth The Risk I'm running out of time here.  So here's some quick videos and quotes on the remaining draft prospects...

EMERSON ETEM Position: Center Shoots: Left Height: 6'0 Weight: 190 Born: June 16, 1992 in Long Beach, CA 2009-10 Team: Medicine Hat (WHL) 2009-10 Stats: 72 GP, 37 G, 65 PTS

EVGENY KUZNETSOV Position: Center Shoots: Left Height: 6'0 Weight: 172 Born: May 19, 1992 in Chelyabinsk, RUS 2009-10 Team: Traktor (KHL) 2009-10 Stats: 35 GP, 2 G, 9 PTS RANKINGS ISS: 19 Central Scouting: 3(Europe Skaters) TSN: 24 THN: 18

The Kings are selecting #19 on Friday evening.  After Tyler and Taylor; it's anyone's guess who will be drafted.  There's plenty of deep Russian talent but many people are scared of by the 'Russian Factor' that looms over many of these prospects. I spent a good hour today online, trying to compile the most comprehensive list of mock drafts available online.  I found twelve total.  Check them out after the jump...

In case you missed the Bobby Ryan/Ryan Getzlaf Skit...

Just sat down in time for the Calder Trophy...let's see how this goes...

Unlike their blueline and center positions; the Kings are missing that first-line franchise winger or blue-chip prospect. Their decision to move Michael Cammalleri was the right decision at the time but the Kings have been unable to find a consistent goal-scoring threat from the wing since his departure. The Kings have a nice collection of second and third line talent on the wings. Dustin Brown and Wayne Simmonds are among the best young power forwards in the league. While veterans Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams were nice additions to their top six but injuries have become an issue for both over the past few seasons. The Kings may let their most talented winger Alexander Frolov walk on July 1st, leaving another hole for the Kings to plug this off-season. Read the player profiles after the jump...

Former Kings defenseman Rob Flake is announcing his retirement Friday .  Yawn. The Kings signed 25-year old defenseman Johan Fransson to a one-year contract .  Looks like the Kings may have a diamond in the rough here with Fransson.  A former first-round pick of the Dallas Stars; Fransson's rights were acquired when the Kings dealt Mattias Norstrom in 2007. I'm not going to act like I know who this Fransson kid but I did a bit of research and here's what I found.  Read it after the jump.

So the Hawks eliminated the Flyers in six games to win the Cup.  I can't say I watched an entire game all the way through but it sounded like a great series.  The NHL season ended for me on April 25th.  I actually predicted the Hawks to make it to the Finals but had the Penguins winning because of the 'Hossa-Effect.'   I guess the third time was the charm for Marian . The Blackhawks went all-in this season and got the job done but the chances of seeing this roster together again are probably slim-to-none .  The Hawks have over $18 million dedicated to their top-three of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith next season.  Expect names like Brian Campbell, Cristobal Huet, Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg to all be discussed as changing teams this off-season. Now, I was at the Dodgers-Cardinals game on Wednesday so I missed the game but I did get a text from my buddy saying, "Jeremy Roenick is crying like a little girl." Of course, I had to 'Youtube

Anze Kopitar Is Among The Best Centers In The NHL The Kings have a franchise center in Anze Kopitar.  Michal Handzus is the ideal checking line center.  And Brad Richardson is the high-energy type that slots perfectly in the bottom-six.  The Kings have a huge gap to fill at the center position on the second-line.  Jarret Stoll has been far too inconsistent for him to be the #2 center on a Kings team that many think are on the brink of being in serious contention for a Cup run.  With that said, prospects like Brayden Schenn and Andrei Loktionov both made their NHL-debuts this season and could be NHL-regulars as early as 2010-11.  Read the profiles after the jump...

Did The NHL Really Outdraw Nascar Did Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals really outdraw Nascar and the Indy 500 ?  I find this really hard to believe. NBC's Philadelphia Flyers-Chicago Blackhawks NHL Stanley Cup Final Game 2 on Monday night drew a 4.1 overnight, which translates into 4.1% of TV households in 56 urban TV markets — the best Game 2 Cup Final overnight ever. That's also up 21% from last year's Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins Game 2. Considering there's no Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin playing in this finals; this improvement is quite impressive.  But keep in mind that the NHL's 4.1 rating is still miniscule compared to other major sports.  Compare 4.1 to last year's NBA Finals (8.4) and the World Series (11.7); the NHL is still way behind. While we're talking about the Finals.  I can't stand the broadcast team.  Read more after the jump...