In Randy Holt’s article on Rant Sports, he discusses which Kings prospects he believes may get some playing time this season. It’s no surprise he’s picking Tyler Toffoli for his offensive potential, while giving Andrei Loktionov a good chance as well…
Unlike Toffoli, we’ve already seen Loktionov at the NHL level. he appeared in 39 games for the Kings last season, getting his callup when the Kings were starved for some offense in the middle of the season. He’s a solid two-way player with a very accurate shot and strong playmaking skills. Of the young ones, he’s likely going to get the first crack at the roster.
Toffoli is going to be the guy who many folks are going to be watching, though. He’s been an offensive juggernaut for the past few seasons in the OHL with two 50-goal campaigns in his last three years and more than 100 points in less than 70 games last season. With an offensive skill set like that, it’s very likely that we’re going to see him at some point this season.
The LA Kings have plenty of depth up front, but it’s not all offensive depth. A lot of what they have on the forward ranks are gritty guys who are great on the forecheck, but won’t score a lot of goals. For that reason, I’d expect Loktionov and Toffoli to get their shot to stick in this lineup sooner, rather than later.
There’s more in the article on Rant here, however, I am not a fan of their autoplay videos upon visiting their site. Forewarned is forearmed.
Thanks, -PA