Development Camp 101: Need to Know

With five new players now drafted by the Kings from this year's 2023 NHL Draft, we now turn our attention to the upcoming 2023 Development Camp. Hosted at the Kings HQ at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, we sit days away from the showcase. Being held from July 6-10, the top Kings prospects will be on display for all to see as they look to make a positive impression amongst their peers and the Kings Hockey Operations staff.

Unlike the NBA and NFL, it is extremely unlikely for newly drafted players to make an appearance in the NHL the following season.

Regardless if you were drafted in the first round or the seventh round in last week's NHL Draft, all but a selective few around the NHL will continue on their respective paths in an effort to one day step on the ice with the NHL jersey that they pulled over their head when they heard their name called during the draft. Putting it in perspective, just five 2022 NHL Draft picks of the 225 selected appeared in the NHL last season. Of those five, they averaged 10.6 games played.

Going back further, two years removed from being drafted, only 18 of the 224 players in the 2021 NHL Draft have appeared in an NHL game. Moral of the story - draft picks take time.

That is why every team's annual Development Camp is so vital. It brings the team's recent draft picks to the same place for an organization to assess their newest selections and the growth of previous draftees. While every draft pick attending Development Camp in El Segundo this coming week is on their own projected timeline for growth and improvement, the Kings will have an extraordinary opportunity to see how every player stands up against players around their age. Camp attendees this week will range anywhere from the age of 18 years and four days old to 24 years old.

This year's camp will feature numerous prospects pushing for an opportunity in the NHL this coming season, headlined by 2021 first-round draft pick Brandt Clarke. Clarke, who made his NHL debut last season, appeared in nine games for the Kings and is expected to push to be a regular with the big club this coming season. For Clarke and every other camp attendee, Development Camp is the first time to make an impression in front of the Kings staff for the coming season.

As a veteran of the camp, Clarke will be there this week with the expectation that he serves as a leader for others who are in attendance, especially those who might be in town for their first development camp.

Other notable attendees include 2021 second-round selections Francesco Pinelli and Samuel Helenius, in addition to 2022 second-round selection Jack Hughes. Forward Alex Laferriere, defenseman Cole Krygier and goaltender Erik Portillo are also expected to be in El Segundo, after the trio signed their entry-level contracts back in April. All three players are expected to begin their first professional seasons this fall, with Portillo attending a Kings development camp for the first time after he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Buffalo Sabres.

Excitement also surrounds the five incoming 2023 draft picks. It will the first in-person look at Jakub Dvorak (D), Koehn Ziemmer (F), Hampton Slukynsky (G), Matthew Mania (D) and Ryan Conmy (F), all of whom will be on the ice at Toyota Sports Performance Center.

In total, Kings prospects ranging from the 2019-23 drafts will be in attendance, consisting of 17 forwards, 14 defensemen and 3 goalies.

From July 6-10, the Kings will hold multiple morning sessions and an afternoon scrimmage session before a final scrimmage on Monday, July 11th at 9 AM.

You can see the Kings' full 2023 Development Camp roster here. We'll take a deeper look into that roster on Wednesday, with a breakdown of the who, what and where this roster comes from, with a look at who to look out for on the ice this week in El Segundo.

Who: LA Kings prospects and camp invitees

What: LA 2023 Development Camp

When: July 6-11

Where: Toyota Sports Performance Center - El Segundo, CA