As the 2024 NHL Entry Draft approaches, General Managers across the league are meeting with their scouting staffs to review various scenarios and finalize their draft lists. Instead of checking off who’s naughty or nice, hockey executives are debating who’s right and wrong.
The Los Angeles Kings interviewed 55 players during the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month, according to Mark Yannetti during his recent visit to Kings Of The Podcast.
For those unfamiliar, the Combine is organized by the league’s Central Scouting Services (CSS). It invites top-ranked players to showcase their physical capabilities and have extended meetings with NHL member clubs. Although most scouts and GMs have had multiple interactions with dozens of players throughout the year, the Combine provides a final opportunity to tie up loose ends regarding the players they’re most interested in.
While we don’t have a full list of every prospect the Kings spoke to, there’s good reason to believe one of those players was Cole Beaudoin. We consider him to be among the small handful of names they’ll be targeting at pick No. 21, as explained below.
Cole Beaudoin: Vitals
- Date of Birth: April 24, 2006
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 201 lbs
- Shoots: Left
- Position: Center
2023-24 Season
Beaudoin spent the entire season playing for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Barrie Colts. In 67 games, he tallied 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists).
Golden Boy
The Kanata, Ontario native bookended his draft year with two gold medals. He won gold at both the Hlinka Gretzky tournament (August) and the U-18 World Junior Championship (May) while representing Team Canada.
Kings Connection
Avid readers should recognize the Barrie team name, as top Kings prospect Brandt Clarke is an alum. Clarke is actually a former teammate of Beaudoin, as they played together during the 2022-23 campaign. As a fun connection, the hard-working center assisted on two of Clarke’s goals towards the regular season’s tail end. In postseason play, both of Beaudoin’s assists also involved Clarke.
Combine Performance
Beaudoin attended the Combine and stood out in several physical fitness tests:
- Aerobic Fitness Test Duration: 13:45 (1st)
- Aerobic Fitness (ml/kg/min) VO2 Max: 62.0 (6th)
- Juhasz % Body Fat: 7.47 (t-11th)
- Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches): 20.75 (25th)
- Force Plate: Squat Jump (inches): 16.51 (t-21st)
- Force Plate: No Asm Jump (inches): 18.26 (24th)
- Bench Press 50% Body Weight – Power (watts/kg): 8.71 (1st)
- Left Hand Grip (lbs): 156 (t-7th)
- Right Hand Grip (lbs): 158 (t-9th)
- Consecutive Pull-Ups (max #): 13 (t-3rd)
- Horizontal Jump (inches): 109.8 (18th)
Rankings by Independent Scouting Services
- North American Independent Central Scouting (NACS): Beaudoin moved from No. 58 in their preseason rankings to No. 17 in their final rankings. They praised his tireless work ethic and ability to improve his skating, projecting him as a strong NHL player.
- Future Considerations: Ranked No. 58. They highlighted his gritty two-way play, effective puck protection, and aggressive checking, although noting areas for improvement in his agility.
- Hockey Prospect: Ranked No. 21. They emphasized his physicality, forechecking prowess, and willingness to take hits to make plays.
- Elite Prospects: Ranked No. 29. They lauded his strength, puck protection, and ability to create chaos around the net.
Analysis
Without watching Beaudoin extensively, readers might initially view him as a projected bottom-six player and a ‘safe’ pick. While selecting a projected third-liner with a top-25 pick may not seem exciting, Beaudoin offers numerous desirable traits. He possesses decent size at 6-foot-2, enough skill to produce points, and a solid work ethic, making him a valuable prospect.
Watching Beaudoin reveals his excellent offensive and defensive reads, as well as his emotional intelligence. He knows when to ramp up his intensity, similar to former Kings player Justin Williams. Beaudoin engages in board battles and creates dangerous situations without overhandling the puck. While his shot isn’t powerful, he consistently positions himself well to support his teammates.
Conclusion
Beaudoin isn’t perfect, and his NHL Combine results suggest room for improvement in lower-body strength and skating. However, his willingness to improve and work hard make him a promising prospect. Depth at center is always essential for any organization, and Beaudoin checks many boxes the Kings need. Selecting him would be a wise choice, provided expectations are initially tempered.
