Kings Draft Liam Greentree at 26; Get a Big-Upside Power Forward
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After trading back to 26, the Los Angeles Kings made a first-round selection for the first time in two years and they took a big swing.
The Kings drafted 6-foot-2, 207-pound winger Liam Greentree.
There is a lot of upside with this pick. Greentree posted 36 goals and 90 points in 64 games as captain of the Windsor Spitfires.
He led his team in goals and points and was second among draft-eligible forwards in points in the OHL.
Offensively, Greentree is a quality shooter who excels at changing the angle of his shot as he releases the puck. He routinely beats goaltenders from range in the OHL with his heavy shot.
He's a very good one-on-one player and is one of the best players in the draft at utilizing his backhand.
He also has a power element and can get to the home plate area of the ice to generate offense.
Greentree has some playmaking and displays solid vision and the ability to pass through seams. I'd expect him to be more of a scorer than a passer though.
One thing that allows some scouts to dream is how poor his Spitfires team was. He didn't have much help and was able to still produce at a high level.
He wasn't great when playing with Team Canada which did worry some scouts.
Greentree's compete also isn't consistent enough for some scouts. He can play with a physical edge at times but doesn't do it consistently.
His defensive game is also a work in progress. Greentree has a good top speed but lacks first-step quickness.
If Greentree hits there's a potential 25-goal power winger who's a power-play threat with his shot.
Some scouts have drawn parallels to Arthur Kaliyev, but Greentree doesn't live on extremes like Kaliyev.
The compete and defensive game of Greentree is better but the shot isn't the same quality. He's also a better one-on-one player.
The Kings' prospect pool is lacking high-end talent right now and Greentree adds that.
The Kings can't develop Greentree like Kaliyev though. He wouldn't do well playing a bottom-six grinder role and needs a few years of development before he's NHL-ready.
Greentree's tool-kit is fantastic and if he continues to develop he could provide excellent value at 26.