HOCKEY: New Reign goalie? Plus draft picks, Lewis extension – Press-Enterprise
The Kings made a move Saturday morning that might have given the Ontario Reign its starting goaltender in 2016-17, or at least created a competition for the position.
During the second and final day of the NHL Entry Draft, L.A. traded defenseman Nick Ebert to the Dallas Stars for goaltender Jack Campbell, who split last season between the Texas Stars of the AHL and Idaho of the ECHL. The move seems based on the assumption that Peter Budaj, who was the AHL’s top goalie last season with Ontario, will be Jonathan Quick’s backup at Staples Center in the fall.
Campbell, 24, has played one NHL game, making 41 saves in a 6-3 loss to the Ducks in the 2013-14 season. He’s a former first round pick (Dallas in 2010) who has appeared in 122 regular season games with Texas, but played just 19 games last season with a 7-7-5 record, 3.65 goals-against average and .884 save percentage. In 20 games with Idaho he was 14-5-1 with a 1.68 goals-against and .944 save percentage.
Ebert, a 6-foot, 203-pound defenseman, played 44 games for the Reign during the regular season, with two goals, 10 assists and a plus-12. He appeared in four of the team’s 13 playoff games.
Goaltending depth would figure to be an area of concern in the Kings organization, but L.A. did not draft a goalie with its four picks Saturday. Michael Houser, 23, was Budaj’s backup this past season but played in only six games for Ontario (1-4-0, 2.43, .903) and 16 more for Manchester of the ECHL (10-4-2, 2.68, 9.12), while playing on an AHL contract.
Patrik Bartosak, who was suspended by the Kings organization last fall after a domestic violence incident in Manchester, returned to the Czech Republic to play the rest of the 2015-16 season, and does not appear to be in the team’s future plans.
The only other goalie prospect currently under the Kings’ control is Alec Dillon, 20, a fifth-round pick in 2014 who played just seven games in juniors for Edmonton of the WHL (2-2-1, 3.81, .871) before suffering a lower body injury in late October that put him out for the season. Dillon is likely to return to juniors next season.
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The Kings, who didn’t have a first-round pick Friday, invested heavily on defense in today’s second round. Their picks:
— Defenseman Kale Clague, who played for a WHL championship team with Brandon, in the second round (51st overall);
— Defenseman Jacob Moverare, who played for the HV 71 junior club in Sweden, in the fourth round (112th overall);
— Center Michael Eyssimont, who had 14 goals in 19 assists in 40 games at St. Cloud (Minn.) State, in the fifth round (142nd overall);
— Defenseman Jacob Friend, from Owen Sound in the Ontario Hockey League, in the seventh round (202nd overall).
Additionally, the Kings announced Saturday they’ve reached agreement with forward Trevor Lewis on a four-year contract extension for a reported $8 million.
The Ducks, who selected left wing Max Jones and center Sam Steel in Friday’s first round, picked:
— Defenseman Joshua Mahura of Red Deer of the WHL in the third round (85th overall);
— Left wing Jack Kopacka, who had 20 goals and 23 assists in 67 games with Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL, in the fourth round (93rd overall);
— Center Alex Dostie, who had 25 goals and 48 assists in 54 games with Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior League, with another fourth round pick (115th overall);
— Center Tyler Soy, who had 46 goals and 39 assists for Victoria of the WHL, in the seventh round (205th overall)
