Los Angeles Kings‘ 2nd year defenseman Kevin Gravel(4) was signed to a 2-year entry level deal on the opening day of free agency after a successful rookie outing with then affiliate Manchester Monarchs.
He posted 6 goals and 9 assists with a +15 rating in 59 AHL games, then added another 5 assists in 19 postseason match-ups on the way to winning the 2015 Calder Cup Championship.
The big blue liner showed a steadiness, an ability to play a shut down style and some offensive upside, which definitely got him noticed.
Heading into his sophomore season with a new contract, he continued his strong play adding to his totals with new career high marks of 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points.
He earned his 1st NHL recall, skating his 5 games with no points but was kept around on the Stanley Cup Playoff roster before being return to help new farm team Ontario Reign defend their title.
At 24-years old he’s still young but will definitely have to keep pushing and add even more might to his game to stay put in the big league.
Kevin Gravel(57) Manchester Monarchs
Los Angeles Kings‘ 5th round pick in the 2010 draft (#148 overall) defenseman Kevin Gravel(57) will start his rookie season under a one-year minor league contract, executed by the parent club, with Manchester Monarchs.
He signed an ato to join the team at the conclusion of his four-year stint at St. Cloud University, where in 5 AHL games he registered no points but got some necessary early experience.
At 6’4″ 200 lbs. he’s a large presence on the blue line and plays a relatively sturdy, stay at home style, although he has shown an ability to move the puck around for scoring opportunities as he did in his final pair of college hockey campaigns.
The 22-year old could definitely add another dimension to his game with some coaching to fire the puck on net with more frequency.
It remains to be seen if that will develop but for now he’ll continue to work on his strong, shut down play.