Liam Greentree, other Kings prospects show promise in development camp
EL SEGUNDO — The Kings’ three-day developmental camp ended on Wednesday, giving the team a chance to see first-round draft pick Liam Greentree and dozens of other prospects in action at the Toyota Performance Center.
Greentree, 18, is the Kings’ first selection in the first round of the NHL draft since 2021, when the team selected Brandt Clarke eighth overall. Greentree, the 26th pick last week, had 36 goals and 24 assists in 64 games for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League last season.
His talent was on display during the second scrimmage of this week’s camp, when he created several looks for himself at the goal but couldn’t convert.
“He’s a big body. He has a great shot,” Kings director of player development Glen Murray said. “I think he’s got an NHL-type shot and is still young. He can skate and is hard to handle.”
Murray also noted his ability to protect the puck even as a bigger player at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds.
The camp roster, comprised mostly of Kings prospects from the prior three years (2021-2023) and the current year’s draftees, didn’t feature many forwards, which meant Greentree had to play more shifts.
“I thought I got faster and played with more pace,” he said after the final scrimmage.
Despite the expectations that come with being a first-round pick, Greentree said he sees himself no differently from the rest of the aspiring prospects in the camp.
“My goal is to just get better,” Greentree said. “I’m here like everybody else to earn a spot.”
Overall, the organization’s goal with the camp is to build relationships between players and the development staff, since the staff had never seen some of them in person before.
“The players who are going to be turning pro we will have our hands on, but for the kids that are going back to college, we can put a name to the face,” Murray said.
One of those players the team is building a relationship with is goalie Carter George. George was the Kings’ second-round pick (No. 57 overall). The 18-year-old was a member of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL last season.
In the 2023-2024 season, George made 1,744 saves and had a goals against average of 3.3 per game.
Growing up in Ontario, Canada, George said he was a Kings fan.
“It was pretty cool to come here and see the facility room, see the dressing room and everything,” George said. “Being able to put on a jersey that has that logo on it means the world to me.”
George added that it showed him his “dreams can really come true when you’re putting the work in.”
Other camp standouts
Murray pointed to forward Jared Wright as a player who had a good camp. Wright – who currently plays for the University of Denver – was a sixth-round pick of the Kings (No. 169) in 2022. Last season, Wright had 15 goals and 10 assists for the national champion Pioneers.
“He’s got tenacity,” Murray said. “He’s on top of the puck. He’s got a big tank. He can go 45 seconds to a minute hard.”
Murray also added Jack Hughes, a second-round pick in 2022 (No. 51 overall) as a player who has developed over the past year. Hughes was drafted out of Northeastern University but played last season at Boston University, where he scored seven goals and had 12 assists.
Ryan Conmoy from the University of New Hampshire was another played Murray mentioned, praising his tenacity around the puck and strong shot as clear strengths.
“We love the progression with him too,” Murray said. “He’s got a couple years of college left, but we’re looking forward to getting him in here and working with them more in the offseason.”
The Kings will continue to look for younger players to bring into the fold with new head coach Jim Hiller, who took over on Feb. 2 for Todd McLellan then had the interim tag removed from his title following their first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.