Seven LA Kings Prospects Shine at World Junior Summer Showcase
Samuel Fagemo, Alex Turcotte and Arthur Kaliyev each ranked in the top 15 scorers in the tournament
by Robyn Dutton @LAKings / LAKings.com
The World Junior Summer Showcase has come to end, but lucky for us, we got to watch seven LA Kings prospects compete in the week-long tournament.
"It's just cool to see all these familiar faces," Alex Turcotte said about competing against other Kings draft picks. "Even though they're on a different team, it still kind of eases you into it in a way. It's weird but nice to see they're all having success, too."
Samuel Fagemo finished the tournament with four goals in four games for Team Sweden, including a hat trick in the team's final game against Finland. The No. 50 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft ranked second in scoring and made the NHL's honorable mentions list as one of the top players in the tournament.
Tobias Bjornfot, the Kings No. 22 pick in 2019, had two assists in five games and six shots on goal while anchoring the blueline for Team Sweden.
Video: LA Kings prospects shined at the Summer Showcase
Akil Thomas had three points - one goal and two assists - in three games for Team Canada. He became more comfortable as the tournament went on, drawing several penalties and blocking shots.
"I can take faceoffs, I can play center, I can play wing, I can be a power forward, I can be a playmaker," the No. 51 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft said to TSN. "I want to be a guy that the team can depend on in situations like that, score a big goal, just play whatever the coach needs."
Aidan Dudas, who also represented Team Canada, had three assists in Team USA's game against Sweden on August 2.
Turcotte, the No. 5 pick overall in 2019, recorded four points - three assists and one goal - in five games for Team USA. He stood out when he centered the top line for Team USA, proving he's a smart two-way player who seems to make everyone he's on the ice with better.
Oh, and did we mention he also did this:
Arthur Kaliyev ranked fifth overall in scoring in the tournament with five points - four goals and one assist - in five games. The No. 33 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft had two goals and an assist in Team USA's 6-0 win over Team Sweden.
"He probably has one of the best shots in the draft and is one of the best goal-scorers in the draft," Turcotte said. "A guy like him, he was slated to go in the first round, and lucky enough for us he dropped to the second. And it was definitely a steal, for sure. I mean, I think there are going to be some teams that regret not taking him."
Kim Nousiainen played in Finland's first defensive pairing and played a solid stay-at-home defenseman role. He didn't pick up any points in the tournament, but finished with four shots on goal while logging big minutes for Finland.
Later this year, the best U-20 players will be selected to play in the 2020 World Junior Championship, which will be held in the Czech Republic from December 26 through January 5.