31 Teams in 31 Days - Los Angeles Kings

A very strong group of OHL players for Los Angeles, which shouldn't surprise you given how strong their system is overall.

1. Arthur Kaliyev - Hamilton Bulldogs
Honestly, at this point, you either believe Kaliyev's game is going to translate to the NHL level or you don't. There's not much else he can do to make you a believer. After a terrific draft eligible season, he followed it up with a strong draft +1 year that included a solid performance for the U.S. at the World Juniors (in a rather sheltered role). The shot and scoring instincts are NHL quality. His playmaking and vision are massively underrated. His skating is also over criticized IMO. I believe this stems from the fact that he appears to move better and quicker when he's in possession of the puck, as opposed to when he's gliding around without it. He's not likely to win a Selke any time soon, but I actually think his play in the defensive end has improved, especially his positioning and stick awareness. My main concern remains his lack of intensity without the puck when he's in the offensive end. He is not someone you see consistently engaging to challenge opposing players for possession. It's just not part of his make up or game. I doubt it ever will be, to be honest. So the question is, can Kaliyev bring enough worth to Los Angeles with his play with the puck, and his ability to set up and hunt down scoring opportunities without it. Los Angeles will have to find the right kind of linemates for Kaliyev; ideally a top notch playmaker who also plays with a high intensity level. I do think that there is a place for Kaliyev and I do think that he will succeed. But I also believe it will be in the same capacity that a guy like Thomas Vanek does (or did). I actually think that LA could give Kaliyev a look next year, rather than return him to Hamilton. They're rebuilding and they could shelter his responsibilities. He could play on the first powerplay, but have his zone starts limited mostly to the OZ at even strength. Additionally, they could work with him to improve his play away from the puck and challenge him in a way that he is not (at times) at the OHL level. If Kaliyev was part of an organization that was aiming to be a playoff team, I would say that he'd be back in the OHL. However, I do believe it to be a toss up.

2. Akil Thomas - Peterborough Petes
Splitting the season between Niagara and Peterborough, Thomas' year will forever be remembered for that fantastic, clutch goal to propel Canada to gold at the WJC's. Production wise, it was a fairly lateral year for Thomas, but I do think that he worked hard to improve some of the areas that he needed to. The first would be his overall engagement level without the puck and his commitment to playing through traffic. We really saw Thomas make more of a consistent effort to play through the middle of the ice and drive the net, giving his offensive game another layer. With defenses knowing that he was a more willing combatant this year, they knew that they could not just give him time and space on the outside. And as defenders tried to play him a little more closely, he was able to take advantage by being a better facilitator, using that good vision and his precision passing ability to set up scoring chances. I believe he still operates best near the half wall (something that may see him shift to the wing at the pro level), but I do believe that there is a possibility he sticks down the middle (something that I wouldn't have said a year ago). Thomas also really improved his play in his own end, forcing turnovers by taking away space and passing lanes and being fully committed to the backcheck. This is where adding strength will be critical for him, as at times, he has difficulty sustaining defensive pressure or maintaining possession following takeaways. So where does that put Thomas' potential moving forward? I do still believe that he profiles best as a middle six playmaker. I think there is some concern that his skill set (and lack of dynamic physical qualities) could make him more of a tweener. But he's also an extremely hard worker who I believe can be adaptable depending on how the offensive side of his game translates. At the AHL level next year, I'd look for Thomas to be in the 35-40 point range as he adjusts.

3. Jacob Ingham - Kitchener Rangers 
The Rangers started the year extremely poorly. Then they made a coaching chance and they got Jacob Ingham back. Voila, they became winners. Needless to say, Ingham was fantastic this season and really progressed well as a netminder and a NHL prospect. He faced the most shots of any goalie in the league this year, yet he posted the league's second best save percentage at .915. In previous years, mental resiliency has been the biggest issue with Ingham and it led to those consistency issues. Poor positioning or reads would result in bad goals, which would then spiral into a poor performance. But, I didn't see any of that this season in Kitchener. Another area of his game that I think really improved was his rebound control. We didn't see him fighting the puck as much, especially when challenged by traffic and his pad control was much better. And Ingham still has that wonderful glove hand. There are certainly a lot of tools to work with here, as he possesses the size, athleticism, and make-up to be a NHL goaltender. One area that I think will need to be worked on at the pro level is his blocker side. I've noticed that this is the area that he can still be beaten cleanly or from not covering his angles properly short side. Depending on how he looks at camp (and depending on LA making any depth signings), Ingham could start next season splitting time with OHL alumni Matt Villalta at the AHL level. However, there's always a chance that he ends up starting at the ECHL level too. I think he'll perform well. 

4. Aidan Dudas - Owen Sound Attack
Look, Dudas didn't exactly have the kind of offensive season that I expected from him. But that doesn't mean that he can't be an NHL player eventually. As we saw from his Canadian WJC performance, he does so many other things well and that profiles him as a future checking line player who can kill penalties for the Kings one day. I still believe that Dudas has a good shot with good velocity, however the scoring instincts and release just never developed to make him that high end goal scorer (although a serious hand injury may have hampered that slightly this year). One part of his game that did improve a lot is his speed. I think his skating has improved considerably since he was drafted and it has really allowed him to blossom as a forechecker, defensive player, and penalty killer. The effort is always 100% and the positioning in the defensive end is very high end. Dudas forces a ton of turnovers. Ultimately, the key for him is going to be getting stronger and continuing to improve his skating. For the type of role that he will end up playing at the NHL level, and considering his smaller stature, injuries could be an issue if he's not physically prepared. Moving to the AHL level next season, expect Dudas to play a checking line role and put up rather modest numbers. But in the long term, I think he's an NHL player in some capacity.

5. Markus Phillips - London Knights
Struggling in his first professional season, the Kings decided to send Phillips back to the OHL about half way through the year; when he was subsequently dealt to the London Knights. In London, he paired mostly with Alec Regula down the stretch, allowing Regula to use his skating ability to activate offensively. At the OHL level, Phillips is an elite player in his own end. The positioning, the gap control, the decision making. It's all high end. His mobility is a major asset as a defender, even if it never made him a strong offensive presence. As a pro, Phillips is going to need to become a little more aggressive of a defender, as this passiveness is what gave him troubles to start the year (from what I have been told). Additionally, as a defender who relies on the breakout pass to exit the zone, he will need to learn to trust his mobility more to create space for him to execute in the face of a forecheck. The Kings are rebuilding and that means their AHL team will be pretty stacked next year. Phillips will be battling guys Cole Hults for third pairing ice time. I would imagine that he spends the year in the ECHL where he can play a bigger role and get up to speed.