AHL: L.A. Kings Prospect Report

McKeen's reviews several prospects from the Manchester Monarchs.

Konstantin Pushkarev (Dal), RW, Manchester

Ultra-talented Russian was traded at the deadline to the Dallas Stars .. a finesse player whose main strength is outstanding skating ability .. his speed, quickness, and acceleration create space for teammates forcing defenders off the line .. will try to make something of nothing at times over committing in the offensive zone, and is the last forward back .. would utilize his speed if he came back and helped the defenseman more and build speed in the transition game .. always keeps his head up and distributes the puck well, but lacks the hockey sense of where to go afterward .. despite his size, he willingly engages in battles and is no stranger to the front of the net albeit not for extended periods, but is rather effective in a pest-like role .. tendency to take low percentage shots and goals have not been as plentiful this season .. could be forcing the issue and will need to rethink his approach if he wants to become a fulltime NHLer (traded to Dallas on Feb 27).

Lauri Tukonen (LA), RW, Manchester

The first-round Finnish sensation has always been capable of playing with older competition .. only 20 years old, he is one of the youngest players in the AHL and already has over 100 pro games under his belt .. an extremely smart player with outstanding hockey sense .. has an NHL-type approach to his game thanks to his quick decision making abilities.. skating is deceptive and uses his leg strength to pursue the puckcarrier relentlessly and coupled with his keen anticipation, he knows where to position himself .. plays both special teams and excels with open ice defending effectively with an active stick .. sees the ice well and his strong checking game allows him to pounce on loose pucks and make a quick pass to an open teammate .. is dangerous down low and around the half boards as most of his shots are from that area of the ice .. still needs to work on his consistency from shift to shift .. has a decent snapshot, but is not a scorer by any means .. will most likely be employed in a third-line checking role, but 15 goals is not out of the question once he makes the NHL and gets familiar with the pace.

Noah Clarke (LA), LW, Manchester

The diminutive Californian enters his fifth AHL season .. displays good speed as his stride and acceleration allow him to pull away from defenders .. plays on the PK due to his ability to be active in the neutral zone creating healthy turnovers .. has good hands and takes the puck off the boards and handles it well, but cannot stickhandle at top speeds .. his size and strength are big concerns as he is muscled off the puck easily .. has a hard shot, a great release, and really gets behind it and shoots with accuracy .. lacks creativity with the puck .. slowly becoming accustomed to the pro game and has saw time with the Kings, however other prospects will pass him on the depth chart.

Petr Kanko (LA), LW, Manchester

The third round selection (2002) has failed to build on point totals from last year where he enjoyed his best statistical season .. has not been playing his bang and crash game that he displayed last year as confidence and desire seemed to have waned .. skates well, and for his size he is very strong and has a thick body .. had too many inconsistent shifts, as he would play hard along the boards only to surrender it with ease the next .. his offensive totals and ice time have suffered and he will have to turn his game around to be part of the rebuilding Kings organization.

Peter Harrold (LA), D, Manchester

Playing his first season in the AHL after signing a two-year contract with the Kings in the off-season .. like a fine wine, he matures with age .. continues to develop and make positive strides in his game .. is the second leading scorer amongst defenseman on the team .. maintains a safe approach to the game as his puck movement in the defensive zone is very calculated and repeatedly spots the open man for the first pass .. has decent offensive abilities shooting often and always keeps it nice and low for deflections in front .. lacks some toughness and jam losing battles in front and in the corner to players who seemed hungrier and more determined .. skating is not fancy but gets the job done .. while he is not overly agile, his mobility and lateral movement serve him well to keep up with most forwards at this level .. a comparable fifth or sixth defender in the NHL.