Defenseman Derek Forbort will finally make his NHL debut for Kings
When the Kings chose gangling defenseman Derek Forbort with the 15th pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, they had depth on defense and time to allow the Duluth, Minn., native to develop from an ambitious project into a finished product.
More than five years and two Stanley Cup championships later, the Kings aren’t so deep on defense anymore. That makes this an ideal time for a brawnier, more confident Forbort to make his NHL debut Friday against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center, the site of the 2010 draft.
The 6-foot-5, 216-pound Forbort will replace Matt Greene, who has an injury the Kings would not specify. He didn’t practice with the team Thursday.
Forbort will be the final player chosen in the first round of the 2010 entry draft to appear in an NHL game. And if Kings fans feel they’ve waited a long time, it feels longer to Forbort, who was playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program when the Kings claimed him. He then spent three seasons at the University of North Dakota and parts of three seasons with Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League and was part of the Monarchs’ Calder Cup triumph last spring.
“It’s been a while,” said Forbort, who was paired with Christian Ehrhoff in Thursday’s lengthy practice. “I think I always knew if I stayed the course and kept working hard and kept working on my game and developing, it would eventually come.
“It’s definitely been a lot of hard work to get to where I am and I owe a lot of that to the development staff here, [development coach] Mike O’Connell and guys at North Dakota for developing me into the player I am now.”
He’s not going to lead end-to-end rushes or pile up points. Asked if his game resembles that of any established NHL player, he cited Tampa Bay’s Braydon Coburn, who’s also 6-5 and is known for his long reach and ability to use his stick well to defend. “He isn’t overly physical in open ice but down low is harder to play against,” Forbort said.
The Kings (0-3-0) would be delighted if Forbort can do those things for them after they’ve given up 12 goals and scored only two. No Kings team has started 0-4.
Coach Darryl Sutter said he has seen Forbort make strong progress over the past few seasons. “He’s a more assertive player than he was,” Sutter said. “I think there’s a little more attention to detail. One mistake is not going to define your career. Just don’t do it over. That’s what you try to get out of all young players’ games, is the mental error, the bad decision, that sort of thing. He has a pretty good grasp on that, so the next part is obviously playing at this level, see if he can.”
And so Forbort will get a chance to help reverse what has been a dismal beginning. “I think everyone’s kind of surprised how the season has started,” he said, “but there’s a lot of hard-working guys and a lot of good leaders in this room so we’re confident we’ll be able to turn it around.”
KINGS VS. MINNESOTA
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.
On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790.
Etc.: Sutter was in a surprisingly good mood Thursday given the Kings’ record. “If I was fresh and new it would be different but I’ve been through it enough that I know you stick together and circle it and don’t point fingers,” he said. “Don’t point fingers and stick together, work your way through it. It’s the best way, always.” The Wild was 2-0 before facing the Coyotes on Thursday at Arizona. Zach Parise had four goals in those two games. The Kings were 2-1 against the Wild last season.
Twitter: @helenenothelen
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