Waiver Draft Won’t Hurt the Team

One good thing about the Kings’ youth is that the team will have no problem compiling a list of protected players for this season’s waiver draft.

The Kings will submit a list of 18 skaters and two goalies to the league Wednesday but they have 17 players exempt because they do not have enough professional experience.

Among those are defenseman Aki Berg, center Olli Jokinen and goaltender Jamie Storr.

“We’re OK with the waiver draft,” King General Manager Dave Taylor said. “We have a lot of exempt players.”

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Donald MacLean, a 20-year-old center picked in the second round of the 1995 draft, has been one of the highlights of training camp but knows he still may not make the regular-season roster.

“This is my third camp [with the Kings] and I worked hard over the summer to be ready,” said MacLean, who has scored in each of the exhibitions he has played. “I came into camp to earn a spot. . . . I hope to make it, but I know that the [coaches] have the final say.”

Last season, MacLean had 34 goals and 81 points playing for Hull of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

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The Kings cut their roster by five, sending winger Sean O’Brien and defenseman Jaroslav Modry to the Utah Grizzlies of the International Hockey League, goaltender Brad Guzda to the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL, and left wing Jeff Shevalier and center Jason Morgan to the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. . . . The Kings will shoot for their fourth consecutive exhibition victory tonight when they play the Vancouver Canucks at the Tacoma Dome.