Campbell scouting report
Don did a great job of getting a scouting report on Kings third-round selection Andrew Campbell, courtesy of Ben Leeson, a reporter for the Sault Star who covered Campbell's junior team in Sault Ste. Marie. On a related note, I've received several emails since the draft from people in Canada who have seen Campbell play and are excited about him. Lombardi described him as a Wayne Simmonds-type prospect, in terms of being a late bloomer, and there's growing evidence of that. Here's Ben Leeson's scouting report...
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``Campbell is a come-from-behind prospect and made some very big strides in 2007-08.
He plays a solid positional game at both ends of the ice, is a solid penalty killer and won himself power-play time down the stretch this past season.
He's tough for forward to beat because of his big wingspan and willingness to finish checks.
He's not known as a tough guy, but we'll drop the gloves and hold his own when need be.
He has a nice wrist shot that he gets off quickly.
He had success playing with slapshot artist Josh Godfrey on the power play last year. With Godfrey covered, Campbell often took a pass and snuck in deep and beat the goaltender.
While he's deceptively strong, he could probably pack on a few pounds of muscle to handle the big boys in the professional game. And he's not a bad skater, but getting quicker would help.''
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And here's a video of Campbell (in the dark jersey) in action...
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About Rich Hammond
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Since Campbell is an overager at 20 in some ways I am more excited about having him b/c he can go right into the AHL (I think). I like how the announcer said the guy that hit Campbell's captain had to answer for it.
Thanks for that info. The guy looks just like what the Kings need.
There's something cool about a guy whose only online video is of a fight...
I'm glad Lombardi and the coaching staff made picks like this, shows me that they really are doing their homework and looking for the 'right' players. Also that they are willing to take on projects is good. Detroit takes nothing but projects, and lets them mature into stable NHL'ers.
Obviously we have to wait and see with Lombardi's picks, but I'm feeling optimistic about the Kings for the first time since just before the brilliant Allison-Deadmarsh-Palffy got broken up forever because of injuries. Since then I've only been a hopeful fan, not really basing those hopes off of anything the team was doing, but just because of my burning desire to see the Kings succeed. Now I feel my optimism is really grounded in something.
^^^ dangit... forgot to sign in again.
And yeah Bob, from what I understand, 20 is the age you need to be to go the AHL.
Does anyone know if that is just an AHL rule or if it depends on what league they are coming from?
the age limit thing is base on what league the player from. if the player is from CHL than they have to be 20 yrs old to play in AHL or go back to their junior club but if they are from europe than they could send to AHL.
The AHL has no minimum age requirement. You just have to be of legal age 18+ to play in the league.
Now, the CHL and NHL have an "agreement" that anyone drafted by a CHL team will either play in the CHL or NHL. Once the player has 4 years or hits 20 in the CHL then the player can go to another league - ECHL, AHL, etc.
Because the AHL isn't a party to this "agreement" any 18+ kid not playing in the CHL can play in the AHL whether they are from north america or europe.
BringBackKingston,
Thanks for the clarification. One of the things I love most about this site that doesn't include the words 'God' and 'Rich' is all the informed fans. I've learned more in about hockey and the Kings in the 6 months I've been visiting this site than in the 16 years I've been a fan. Thanks again Rich, and thanks to everyone who posts here!
A couple points of clarification on the CHL-NHL agreement-
1: junior players that are 19 can play in the AHL, ECHL, wherever as long as they turn 20 on or before December 31st of the current season; players that turn 20 after the 31st have to finish out the season in juniors- they can not go to another league when they turn 20. However, regardless of age/junior eligibility, upon completion of their junior team's season, players are free to join AHL/ECHL for the remainder of the current season.
2: the agreement applies to all players drafted OUT of the CHL, (not all players that are drafted by a CHL team as previously stated)- players that are drafted by an NHL team and subsequently head to the CHL (possibly the case with Voinov and Loktionov) are not bound by the agreement.
I am excited about the fact he's 20 and can go to Manchester next year too. Defenceman is such a tough postion to learn and there are so many late bloomers, 18 really isn't a fair age to make or break these guys as prospects. There will always be overage guys like Campbell & Martinez to draft just like Lilja, Kaberle & Visnovsky in previous years.
Thank you very much, -J. I've been looking for that answer (#2).
Hey, JDM (or, anonymous?) touched on a good point. I, too, was extremely hopeful during the post-Blake period when we had the Allison-Deadmarsh-Palffy line and Potvin. We all know that injuries decimated the Kings line-up from that point out. But what has not really been discussed is that the King's system had NO ONE to fill in for them. In case anyone missed it, the Kings played their best hockey this year during that east coast swing where they had guys like Boyle, Moulson and Purcell in the line up. Imagine what the Kings could have been back then if they actually had a PROSPECT PIPELINE?!?!?
Well, now they do. So for all those ney-sayers, watch the Kings rise this year. And then dominate for years to come.
Makes me want to break out my old Pat Benatar Cds.
Here's a clip of a breakaway goal by the center we got from Colorado - Brad Richardson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpM8tITAqVM
The only other clip found of him he's given a cheap shot to the dome by Ryan Smyth. After watching that clip I HAD to watch the one of Jack Johnson nearly decapitating Smyth in Colorado. Dig it!
Jimmy Crack Corn: oh yeah, i dug it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcQyGF5hqk&feature=related