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Corey Pronman details what to expect from the Los Angeles Kings’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system. This page will be updated throughout the 2024 NHL Draft.
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2024 Draft Grade: C+
Liam Greentree is a very good prospect who has a chance to score in the NHL and be a legit middle-six winger. Carter George is a small goalie, but he had a very strong season in the OHL and at the U18s for Canada. It looks like he has a real chance to make it despite his frame.
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Draft Class
26. Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
January 1, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 214 pounds
Tier: Middle of the lineup player
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Dominik Kubalik
Analysis: Greentree was a top-scoring winger in the OHL this season although his play for Team Canada at two tournaments wasn’t that impressive. The appeal of his game is that he’s a large winger with legit offensive skills. He makes difficult plays often with the puck as a handler and passer and possesses high-end creativity. He competes well enough and can use his size to get to the net although I don’t think he’s the type who is going to run people over. He can score at the net and is able to finish from the faceoff dots. The main concern on Greentree is his skating. He lacks NHL footspeed and he will need to prove the rest of his game is good enough to overcome those issues. Given his size/skill combo, I think he will, and he has a chance to be a top-nine wing who can help a power play.
Pick grade: B
Thoughts on the pick: Greentree is a talented, big winger with a lot of skill and natural goal-scoring ability. I actually mocked him to the Kings when they had the No. 21 pick, as I thought he was a fit for the kind of player they like, adding some size/skill to their forward group.
57. Carter George, G, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
May 20, 2006 | 6′ 1″ | 194 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Analysis: George was Canada’s starting goaltender at the Hlinka Gretzky and U18s and has been very good in the OHL. He is a very quick goaltender with a twitch in his lower half to easily get across the crease. He often reads the play very well and squares up a lot of pucks. I like a lot of things about his game, but as a barely 6-foot-1 goalie, I wish I was blown away by one aspect of his game. I don’t think his hockey sense or athleticism are high-end and despite his junior success, I have skepticism on how his game will translate to the pros, although there is backup goalie potential.
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164. Jared Woolley, LHD, London Knights (OHL)
February 27, 2006 | 6′ 4″ | 207 pounds
Analysis: Woolley joined the London Knights after spending the first half of the season in the GOJHL. He is a big defenseman who can make a decent first pass and the ocassional tough play. I wouldn’t call his puck play great, though, and his skating is an issue, although it’s OK for his size.
198. James Reeder, RW, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
October 6, 2005 | 5′ 10″ | 168 pounds
Analysis: Reeder was an important part of a top USHL team in Dubuque and was very good at the World Jr. A Challenge. Reeder is a high-skill type who makes a lot of plays. What scouts like about him is that despite not being the tallest, he creates in the hard areas. He gives a good nightly effort and has shown he can PK in junior, too. Reeder’s issue comes down to his feet. He lacks NHL footspeed, which is suboptimal for his size.
Beat writer’s analysis
The Kings wound up where they started when it came to total draft capital as they made only four selections. But they used a fourth-round pick to acquire rugged winger Tanner Jeannot from Tampa Bay and made other moves to maximize what they could do with their limited picks.
Liam Greentree isn’t going to win a bunch of races and readily said that skating is something he’ll continue to work on, but he’s got a power forward’s frame and was the clear top offensive force for a struggling Windsor Spitfires team after leading all OHL rookies in goal scoring in 2022-23. Kings scouting head Mark Yannetti loves that Greentree, who had 36 goals in 64 games this season, has “a wicked shot” and will drive hard to the net.
Moving down five spots to No. 26 allowed them to get into the second round and draft Owen Sound Attack goalie Carter George. It will help appease those who feel the Kings don’t prioritize finding long-term homegrown solutions, although they’ve now added George to the pipeline with current heir apparent Erik Portillo, Jacob Ingham and Hampton Slukynsky.
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Jacob Woolley, who emerged on defense with the OHL’s London Knights, was a target as the Kings moved up in the sixth round by swapping picks with the Ducks. James Reeder is a smallish forward with a high-paced competitive game that will attend NCAA power Denver next season.
If Greentree can emerge down the line as a top-six winger who can be a solid offensive option capable of 20-25 goals and makes plays down low in the attacking zone, the Kings will do well with this first pick in the opening round since Brandt Clarke in 2021. — Eric Stephens
(Photo of Liam Greentree: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
