Los Angeles Kings to sign Alex Laferriere to entry-level contract

Laferrière, 21, recently completed his second campaign at Harvard. He has 73 points in 69 games, including 21 goals and 42 points in 34 games this year. It was good for second place behind Montreal’s Sean Farrell for the team lead, and six points ahead of recently signed Calgary Flames prospect Matt Coronato. He worked well on the front line at Harvard, being one of the most dangerous scoring units in ECAC. Laferriere was a big part of the team’s championship efforts last year in a season that saw him win ECAC Rookie of the Year.

Drafted 83rd overall by Los Angeles in 2020, Laferriere previously spent three seasons with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. He had a career-high 50 points in 49 games in 2020-21, but it wasn’t until he reached the college ranks that he really started to show his potential.

His skating has improved a lot in recent years and he has a lot more impact in his own zone than when he was drafted. Laferriere is a competitive forward who fights hard for every puck, has great shooting and can be deceptive as a scoring winger.

With Laferriere set to join the Kings immediately, he could play a role in the team’s pursuit of the top spot in the Pacific. They entered Sunday four points behind Vegas on an 8-0-2 streak. Laferriere could become the second Kings prospect in the 2020 Draft to play in the NHL behind Quinton Byfield, who the team selected with the No. 2 pick that year. The Kings have a solid prospect pool and Laferriere is giving them some extra scoring depth in the meantime.