It’s light on Canadians, heavy on undrafted free agents and has been hard on the Edmonton Oilers in this first\u002Dround playoff series.
Canadians accounted for 42% of NHL roster spots on opening day last fall, but of the 34 players who dressed for at least one game with the Kings this year, only nine were Canadian; that’s 26%. The current 20-man L.A. lineup for the playoffs has featured between five and seven Canadians. By way of contrast, the Oilers’ 20-man lineup on Friday in L.A. boasted 12 Canadians and only one undrafted free agent, Derek Ryan.
If killing penalties, blocking shots and moving up and down the lineup sounds like something every NHL player should be able to do, it’s simply not the case. Not every bottom-six player has the bona fides for a spot on the power play. Not every top-six sharp-shooter is responsible enough defensively to kill penalties.Article content
Iafallo worked diligently for many years to round out his skill set, attending several summer development camps, in part because he wasn’t drafted and had to transform his game into one that would grab the attention of an NHL employer.
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