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NHL Draft Rankings: Top 5 Prospects in the Pacific Division

By Lucas Burrell

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 22: Signage visible on the light posts near the venue during the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 22: Signage visible on the light posts near the venue during the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 22, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 27: Alex Turcotte #39 looks on during the Los Angeles Kings SoCal Gas In The Pipeline Scrimmage on June 27, 2019 at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 27: Alex Turcotte #39 looks on during the Los Angeles Kings SoCal Gas In The Pipeline Scrimmage on June 27, 2019 at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo California. (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Alex Turcotte

Drafted – 2019 5th Overall, LA Kings

Position – C

Attributes – L, 5’11, 185 lbs

Los Angeles desperately needed some depth up the middle inside their organization, so drafting Alex Turcotte at number 5 in the 2019 NHL Draft made perfect sense for the lowly Kings of southern California. The 18-year-old’s superior hockey sense with flashy scoring touch should translate nicely into today’s NHL.

The native of Illinois spent the last two seasons in US National Team Developmental Program logging huge minutes with some of the country’s top talent. Known for his stellar two-way game, Turcotte is what “hockey men” would like to refer to as a “200 foot player”. However he has also shown a knack for making plays and producing offense at a consistent level.

Throughout his time skating for the U18 group Alex Turcotte compiled 30 goals and 58 helpers in 56 games, per eliteprospects. Playing against a variety of International, NCAA, and Junior level competition.

Turcotte hasn’t just exhibited an ability to play in all situations, skate alongside elite talent, and produce at a consistent level the future Badger showed that he can perform in big moments. Like at the WJC-18 where he put up 9 points in 7 games during a tournament where the U.S. placed 3rd.

We likely won’t get to see Turcotte next year at the NHL level considering his commitment to the University of Wisconsin next season. Nevertheless Kings fans   can be relieved to know that they have a two-way center inside their farm system capable of clocking big minutes in the NHL.

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