LA Kings: Brock Faber is high character guy team looks for

Ranked as the 44th best prospect in this draft class, Brock Faber could be an interesting option for the LA Kings in the second round.

Originally committed to the University of Notre Dame, Brock Faber decided to stay home and attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. The Maple Grove, Minnesota native is sure to garner plenty of attention in the second round as a potential solution to prospective NHL team’s defensive lines. For the LA Kings, they are expected to go heavy on defensemen beyond the first round, and Faber already has ties to the team.

The 18-year-old played for new Ontario Reign head coach John Wroblewski for the USNTDP. For the U17 team, Faber tallied three goals with 12 assists in a 56-game sample size during the 2018-2019 season. The following year, he scored three goals with nine assists for 12 points in a COVID-19 shortened 46-game season.

At the World Juniors, the defenseman scored a goal with eight assists for nine points. He stands at 6-foot-0, 194 pounds, and he considers himself as a guy who can play both ways.

“I would label myself a two-way defenseman, but I’m obviously not the most flashy offensive player,” he said, via NHL.com. “I feel like I have a lot of upside in that part of my game so I’m really working on it.”

Faber is an excellent skater who can carry the puck through the neutral zone. If there’s any area of his game that remains a work, it’s his passing abilities. He’s much better at shorter, concise passes than across ice, but should improve as his offensive game does as well.

Defensively, Faber is among the best, and he has a knack for reading the offense, intercepting passes, and taking the puck the other way.

“Brock is an elite puck-moving defenseman who has worked to become one of the best defenders in the world in his birth year,” Seth Appert, coach of the USNTP, said, via GopherSports. “He comes from a great family and brings a high-level work ethic and character along with his skill package.”

He’s not at a point where he’ll dump the puck in and continue to chase it, but that could potentially be part of his game as the offensive side develops. That said, he has a nice shot from the point that should only get stronger as he physically matures.

Faber has gone on record stating that he models his game after Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, which if that is true, give me a defenseman who can deliver jarring hits while chipping in 30+ points a year.