The Kings were high on their first-round pick last month, winger Elton Hermansson, and on Wednesday they put pen to paper on his three-year, entry-level contract.
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Hermansson, 18, was the 19th overall selection in this year’s NHL draft, one that the Kings traded back from No. 17 to acquire along with a third-round pick from the Utah Mammoth.
He ranked No. 51 on The Athletic’s top 100 prospects earlier this week. While Hermansson is far from a finished product, his long-term upside is that of a top-six forward who can contribute on the power play.
The Kings’ internal evaluations were strong on Hermansson, as they initially considered him at 17th overall and then took him without hesitation at No. 19.
“In terms of Europeans, there were two guys that (European scout Christian) Ruuttu wanted, and (Hermansson) was one of them, and the other guy was long gone,” Kings scouting director Mark Yannetti said.
Hermansson, the son of a former Swedish pro and coach, was one of a record seven Swedes drafted in the first round this season.
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“It’s great seeing all the guys from Sweden getting drafted, best wishes to them,” Hermansson said at the draft in Buffalo, where he called the Kings “a great team with a great history.”
REIGN HIRE ASSISTANT
With Chris Hajt being promoted to the Kings as an assistant coach under new bench boss Peter Laviolette, the Ontario Reign looked to round out their coaching staff, bringing in Mike Haviland on Wednesday.
Haviland, 58, is a veteran of the American Hockey League, collegiate level and the NHL as an assistant coach. He served as an assistant for the Chicago Blackhawks and spent the past two years on the Columbus Blue Jackets staff.
The Reign made the playoffs last season, Andrew Lord’s first as head coach, before being eliminated by the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
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