EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The first round of the 2019 NHL Draft is proving to be a solid class. Most of the players selected have become everyday regulars. No. 1 pick Jack Hughes is a star, and others like Moritz Seider, Matt Boldy and Cole Caufield are also foundational players for their clubs.
The list of quality young twentysomethings is a lengthy one. Bowen Byram, Trevor Zegras, Dylan Cozens, Thomas Harley and Cam York now have proven track records. Philip Broberg, Connor McMichael and Simon Holmstrom are emerging as key players in their respective lineups. Dig deeper into succeeding rounds and you will find Shane Pinto, Nils Höglander, Pavel Dorofeyev and Matias Maccelli as unearthed gems. (Never mind Dustin Wolf, the No. 214 choice — that’s seventh round, folks — now flourishing in net for Calgary).
As much as teams pour their scouting resources into the draft and build their profiles on players, it isn’t a foolproof exercise. Two other first-round picks, Victor Söderström and Lassi Thomson, are back playing in Europe. Others like Jakob Pelletier, Samuel Poulin and Brayden Tracey haven’t graduated from the AHL.
Alex Turcotte was the No. 5 pick in 2019. Only Hughes (New Jersey), Kaapo Kakko (N.Y. Rangers), Kirby Dach (Chicago) and Byram (Colorado) were called before the Los Angeles Kings made Turcotte their top selection. A standout with the United States national under-18 team, the son of former NHL player Alfie Turcotte was bound to star for the University of Wisconsin and was pegged to be an important player for the Kings in years to come.
In a banner draft for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Turcotte saw how former teammates Hughes, Zegras, Boldy and Caufield didn’t take long to put their mark on the league. And it weighed on him when he, saddled with one injury after another, didn’t — or, more accurately, couldn’t.
“I think the first couple of years were really hard,” Turcotte said. “I’m friends with a lot of those guys. At the same time, I was really happy for them. It was definitely tough to not be able to do the same things as them and I was always comparing stuff. After the last two years — not this summer, but the summer before — I think I started to not worry about any of that anymore and just focus on myself. Just accept the situation I was in and just try to move forward and do the best I can with it.
“I think that’s really helped me grow a lot mentally as a player and I think that’s also a big part of the reason why I feel really good right now. I’ve kind of just stopped worrying about all the outside stuff.”
‘Now’ couldn’t carry any more meaning for Turcotte. Five years after the historic draft with his NTDP brethren, the 23-year-old is finally starting to carve out his NHL path. For the first time, he is playing every night for the Kings. His start to the 2024-25 season has been so effective that head coach Jim Hiller recently moved him up to center the third line with Alex Laferriere and Warren Foegele as his wingers.
The bumpy road to becoming a regular presence with the Kings has given Turcotte perspective when there are rough nights at the office. An injury and illness history dating back to those NTDP days has routinely thwarted the progress he’d make in his development. The issues ran the gamut. Hip. Back. Mononucleosis. Appendicitis. And that doesn’t account for other unspecified lower-body issues that have kept him out of games here and there.
Chunks of the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons spent mostly with the AHL’s Ontario Reign were also lost to concussions. An elbow to his head during a game against the Bakersfield Condors last December knocked him out for three weeks. It came after he had 19 points in his first 22 games for the Reign.
That had been the story with Turcotte: Just as he would gain traction and flourish, there would be another new setback.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Turcotte said. “I think the hardest part was mentally. When I was hurt with the concussions and stuff, maybe it can get in your head. You know what I mean? When you don’t feel better for a certain amount of time, you just start to overthink. And that probably doesn’t make it any better.
“But I think in a way when I go through adversity or there’s ups and downs in a season, it’s really nothing compared to that. It’s actually going to help me moving forward. How to deal with ups and downs. Make me feel more comfortable in those situations and it’s going to feel like nothing.”
Alex Turcotte is finally carving out a regular role at the NHL level. (Claus Andersen / Getty Images)
In the summer of 2023, Turcotte felt he had gained some lasting momentum to build on. It was the first offseason in some time in which he not only could do his normal training but could add weight and get stronger. And while the head injury last season was a setback, it proved a mere hurdle to clear. The Kings called him up last January and he scored his first goal four days later in a win over Nashville.
An apparent shoulder injury suffered in a March 19 game against Chicago had Turcotte once again in recovery mode. But he was back on the ice with the Reign in April and carried a late-season hat trick into the Calder Cup playoffs where he’d help lead Ontario to the third round. It also led to another summer in which he could position himself for a full-time NHL role.
The Kings made changes to their forward group heading into this season, including moving on from Blake Lizotte as their fourth-line center. Turcotte sealed his spot with a strong training camp and hasn’t looked back. Looking to change his lineup after a 6-2 loss to Toronto on their season-opening road trip, Hiller bumped Turcotte up and shifted Quinton Byfield back to left wing with former linemates Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe.
Instilled in the 3C role, Turcotte’s ice time reflects the more responsibility he’s been given. While his four-game point streak ended in Tuesday’s loss at Vegas, his 15 minutes and 23 seconds are the most yet this season. His hockey sense is at the forefront in most of his shifts; he makes the right play, often leading to offensive opportunities.
“The concern was that Turc had done so well in his role and that (when) you get more, sometimes you try to do a little bit too much,” Hiller said. “He didn’t. I give him full marks. He played the game (in Montreal) like he had been playing in the four-hole. Played it in the three-hole and was really good. High marks for him and that whole line really was dangerous.”
Those who’ve been around him while he persevered through his many injuries knew he would help the Kings when he was healthy and able.
“He’s just back to himself honestly,” Byfield said. “When we came into the league during COVID and playing with Ontario, this is how he was always playing. He was confident with the puck. Making plays and skating.
“He had a lot of injury setbacks, so it was tough to do that. Very happy to see him come back to himself and playing really good hockey.”
Akil Thomas commiserated with Turcotte during their days with the Reign. A second-round pick in 2018, Thomas has had to come back from multiple shoulder surgeries to earn a roster spot with the Kings this season after making his debut at the end of 2023-24. The two often lent support to each other when they were inactive.
“I know what he can do,” Thomas said. “I know how good he is. For him to kind of get more of an opportunity is something I was kind of looking forward to. He’s doing really well right now and it’s fun to watch. I think he’s been probably our most consistent player in terms of just showing up every night and doing the right thing. I’m a big fan of Alex Turcotte right now.”
Being healthy has allowed Turcotte to play freely. He isn’t thinking about another injury occurring. It’s not reflected in his modest point totals, though it must be noted his goal and three assists in L.A.’s seven games already match what he did in 20 games with the club last year.
The advanced metrics show someone who could be an impactful player for a Kings team determined to remain a playoff participant. Per Natural Stat Trick, Turcotte’s 62.04 Corsi For rating in five-on-five play is second only to Vladislav Gavrikov. The young center has been on the ice for six goals and just two against. Scoring chances and high-danger chances are skewed decidedly in his favor.
While his even-strength ice time is still low among Kings forwards and other players are currently being used on the penalty kill, Turcotte is getting power-play time along with his new increased role. He’s healthy and happy and making his mark finally, just like his friends have.
“It’s great to be out there more,” he said. “I’m not satisfied, and I want more. But I know you’ve got to earn it and you got to work hard. Be reliable. Be consistent. It’s exciting. Just building more confidence for myself and knowing I can make a difference out there.”
(Top photo: Melissa Majchrzak / NHLI via Getty Images)
