We're back for another overview of LA’s top prospects, building on what we shared in last month's debut article from this year's "In The Pipeline" series. Over the six weeks or so that have passed since our previous update, a pair of these NHL hopefuls earned medals at the World Junior Championships, while several others have heated up on the scoresheets in their respective leagues. Unfortunately, we also have an injury to report, so let's get into it.
As a reminder, we’ve grouped guys by position, as that’s typically how we tend to think of them. And always keep in mind that any commentary about their futures is purely speculative based upon current information available. It's all subject to change based upon a player's ongoing performance and/or future organizational needs.
GOALTENDING
Carter George - Perhaps no other player listed below had more of a roller coaster month. George went from earning the No. 1 goalie job with Team Canada at the World Juniors, to pitching back-to-back shutouts in his first two starts, only to see Canada get eliminated by Czechia in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. While many questions have come out of their collective performance, nobody is pointing the finger at George. In fact, he was named one of their three best players over the tournament. His stats line shows a 2-2 record in the four games he started, with losses to Team USA on New Year's Eve and the aforementioned QF game; yet George posted a .936 save percentage at the tournament. Since returning to the OHL earlier this month, the 18-year-old netminder has only won two of his six starts (somewhat expected given the young team in front of him), however he's also had four games with a sub-.890 save percentage. We'll check back in on him next month to see if he's found his rhythm again coming off the typical WJC hangover.
Erik Portillo - We did a feature video on all three goalies included here as part of last month's "In the Pipeline" article. If you missed it, be sure to check it out HERE as it's packed with some good nuggets -- especially on Portillo. LA's nearly ready-for-the-NHL netminder has quietly just been going about his business all year long. Over his past 10 games played, the 6-foot-6 Swede has posted a .933 save percentage and remains coach Marco Sturm's No. 1 option for the Ontario Reign. It's not a matter of if Portillo graduates to the Kings, but simply when.
Hampton Slukynsky - While most of the World Juniors hype was reserved for George (and rightfully so, as he was Canada's top goalie), don't sleep on what Slukynsky did at the tournament. Serving as Team USA's backup, 'Hammer' went 2-0 in his two starts, including a quarterfinal win. En route to earning a gold medal, he posted a 1.50 goals-against average along with a .933 save percentage. For anybody suggesting he perhaps did it against lesser competition, take a quick peek at his college stats. Joining a Western Michigan program currently ranked No. 3 in the country, the 19-year-old Minnesota native is now 5-3-1 with a 1.55 GAA and eye-popping .946 SV%. He also just posted his first shutout of the season last weekend.