The 2024 NHL Entry Draft noticed the Los Angeles Kings choose a complete of 4 gamers throughout the two-day occasion from The Sphere in Las Vegas. The gamers Los Angeles added to their pool of prospects are for essentially the most half junior-level gamers who stay dedicated to their respective golf equipment for the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Though the 2024 Draft class was undoubtedly highlighted by the Kings’ first spherical decide ahead Liam Greentree, the Kings additionally added a goaltender, blueliner, and ahead.
The Kings’ fourth and last decide throughout the Draft got here within the seventh spherical after they chosen James Reeder, a right-shot ahead, 198th general. A star participant with the Dubuque Combating Saints of the USA Hockey League (USHL), he’s set to make his school hockey debut this fall. A local of Glenview, Illinois, the 5-foot-10, 168-pounder will be part of the NCAA Division I defending champion College of Denver for the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Reeder will bolster a Pioneers’ roster that options a number of different NHL prospects.
Reeder’s Time With Dubuque Combating Saints
Reeder performed two seasons within the USHL with the Combating Saints. An alternate captain with the membership throughout his second marketing campaign, the 2023-24 season, the two-way ahead compiled 60 factors (20 targets and 40 assists) and a plus-11 ranking in 53 video games. This was a big statistics bounce from the earlier season, when the right-winger had 34 factors in 61 video games. Final season, he had 20 multi-point video games for Dubuque, together with a hat trick on Dec. 2, 2023 in opposition to the Lincoln Stars.
Throughout each seasons with the Combating Saints, Reeder appeared within the playoffs. Through the 2022-23 marketing campaign he appeared in 5 postseason video games, recording one purpose. In 11 playoff video games final season, Reeder scored one purpose and tallied 4 assists. Dubuque completed the common season in first place within the USHL’s Jap Convention with a document of 41-13-3-5. The staff cruised by two postseason collection in opposition to the Youngstown Phantoms (3-1) and the Muskegon Lumberjacks (3-0), earlier than finally assembly their match in opposition to the Fargo Pressure (3-1) within the Clark Cup Championship collection. Reeder recorded one help within the deciding Sport 4 of the Remaining. Fargo had completed the common season atop the USHL’s Western Convention and captured the franchise’s second Clark Cup with the victory over Dubuque.
Reeder’s Worldwide Expertise
Reeder’s robust playmaking abilities had been on full show on the worldwide stage this previous season. The ahead appeared in six video games for Group USA throughout the 2023 World Junior A Problem on the Rath Eastlink Group Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia from Dec. 10 to 17, 2023. This worldwide ice hockey match included under-19 gamers from participant international locations. This five-team match featured groups from Canada East, Canada West, Slovakia, Sweden, and the USA. Reeder and the USA squad captured the bronze medal within the match with an 8-5 victory over Sweden. He appeared in six video games throughout the match, racking up a powerful 10 factors (eight targets and two assists). His greatest efficiency got here in a 6-1 victory over Slovakia on Dec. 10, when the fitting wing recorded a hat trick.
Becoming a member of The College of Denver
With the 2024-25 season looming, the College of Denver presently has 13 gamers on their roster who had been drafted by NHL golf equipment lately. Led by head coach David Carle, Denver will look to defend their 2024 NCAA Division I crown this marketing campaign. The Pioneers ended the season with an spectacular document of 32-9-3, defeating Boston School (2-0) within the Frozen 4 Nationwide Championship Sport. Reeder will be part of fellow Kings’ prospect ahead Jared Wright (sixth spherical, 2022) who will return to Denver this fall for his junior marketing campaign. Wright performed very nicely final season, recording 25 factors in 44 appearances for the Pioneers.
Associated: Kings Prospects Report: Conmy, Hughes, Wright, Connors, & Extra
Denver will open the 2024-25 marketing campaign away on the College of Alaska Anchorage on Oct. 5. Their house opener is scheduled for Oct. 18 in opposition to Northeastern College. A member of the Nationwide Collegiate Hockey Convention (NCHC), the Pioneers will face off in opposition to powerful convention opponents such because the College of North Dakota, the College of Nebraska Omaha, Western Michigan College, Colorado School, St. Cloud State College, and Arizona State College all through the season. The entire aforementioned groups had been ranked within the prime 20 of NCAA Division I school hockey throughout the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
Reeder’s Path to the NHL
This fall, Reeder will be part of one of many prime, if not one of the best, applications within the ranks of faculty hockey. The 18-year-old ahead has quite a few constructive parts to his sport, however nonetheless has loads of room to develop if he hopes to have a shot on the NHL in coming years. Essentially the most obvious areas for growth embrace growing his measurement, energy, and the general physicality of his sport. He should additionally try to be extra constant together with his stage of play. One of many observations made by quite a few scouts throughout his time within the juniors was that Reeder would play extraordinarily nicely one sport after which not be a consider his following look. All of that being said, he’s a proficient participant who may have loads of alternatives to develop and enhance his sport at Denver beneath the watchful eye of coach Carle.
