Ranking the Defensemen Prospects

8) Jack Sparkes (21 years old, drafted in 2022; 6th round)

Jack Sparkes is a big dude. Standing 6-foot-8, Sharpe is easily the tallest defenseman in the Kings’ system. Sparkes currently plays at Clarkson University (NCAA) and may feature as the team’s second or third pairing right-shot defensemen, like last year. Sparkes has a heavy shot, but a long way to go up the depth chart.

7) Jakub Dvořák (20 years old, drafted in 2023; 2nd round)

Patience is a virtue when it comes to Jakub Dvořák. Entering his sophomore season as a professional in North America, Dvořák has bounced around, playing in Czechia, the WHL, and the AHL before the age of 20.

Dvořák’s development will require patience, as the raw product when drafted will have many items on his to-do list to work on; his skating is among them. His offensive ceiling is limited, but if his development progresses well and his skating improves, he can become a big, solid defenseman that the organization is hoping he can be.

6) Caeden Harrington (19 years old, drafted in 2025; 4th round)

Caeden Herrington is another prospect in college (University of Vermont). Drafted as an overager, Herrington is an offensive-minded defenseman. His offensive-first mindset is exactly the type of player the Kings have drafted when it comes to right-shot defensemen. I’ll be keeping an eye on plenty of University of Vermont games.

5) Otto Salin (21 years old, drafted in 2022; 5th round)

While on the smaller end of the spectrum for a defenseman, no defenseman in the Kings’ pipeline saw an increase in offensive production the way Otto Salin did in 2024-25. Salin’s 28 points in 56 games were the highest point mark during his time in Liiga.

His mobility makes him a threat to lead the rush or jump into it, and his shot could see him run one of Ontario’s power-play units when in the lineup. His first full season in North America will likely see some struggles, mainly due to adjusting to the smaller ice sheets, which can impact timing and physicality.

4) Jared Woolley (19 years old, drafted in 2024; 6th round)

Jared Woolley has quickly turned heads in King’s land. Skyrocketing through the pipeline, Woolley is my fourth-ranked defensive prospect in the Kings’ system due to his defensive and physicality traits.

Watching both of the London Knights’ games, Woolley scored three times, but what stood out was his ability to find space and a shooting lane to get the puck through. He is currently on the first defensive pairing for London and is eligible to join the Ontario Reign or the Kings whenever London’s season ends, if both of their seasons are still going.

3) Kirill Kirsanov (23 years old, drafted in 2021; 3rd round)

It took a while before we saw him come over from Russia to California, but Kirill Kirsanov is finally in North America. Kirsanov has been in the Kings’ system since 2021, but a three-year contract extension prevented him from coming over earlier than people probably had hoped.

He’s here now, but his ability to defend in his end and the instincts he has have him ranked third for me. I’m eager to see how his development goes throughout the year in his first year in North America.

2) Angus Booth (21 years old, drafted in 2022; 4th round)

Okay, I might be biased on this ranking, but I like Angus Booth‘s game. A quick-rising prospect within the system, I refer to Booth’s game as quiet. You don’t notice him much because he isn’t spectacular or flashy, but he makes the simple plays that are effective.

His gap control, mobility, ability to transport the puck up the ice, and responsibility in his own end helped him climb the ladder of trust with former Reign head coach Marco Sturm. Unfortunately, an injury during a scrimmage in training camp has him on the shelf to start the year.

1) Henry Brzustewicz (18 years old, drafted in 2025; 1st round)

This one was a no-brainer. Henry Brzustewicz, despite being drafted three months ago, is currently my highest-ranked defensive prospect inside the Kings’ pipeline. Brzustewicz, 18, is a mobile two-way defenseman with smooth skating and is a confident player, knowing when to join the rush or pinch when the opportunity arises.

Brzustewicz had an increase in offensive production in his draft year (42 points in 67 games) and is playing on the OHL-London Knights’ first defensive pairing with fellow Kings prospect, Jared Woolley. Having an impact role this year on a new-look London team will be beneficial for the first-round pick to continue to grow his game.