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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – The Kings have reached their final two exhibitions on their preseason slate, and they’ve slashed their training camp roster to 28 players. Just a few more cuts are to be made. Tuesday’s win over Anaheim featured what could be their lineup for next week’s season opener against Colorado.

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The reality is, this roster was largely set when the club left for Australia, with the only real jobs up for grabs being on the third defensive pair. There are more than 12 forwards with NHL experience, and this cap-strapped club may often be able to carry just one extra player.

In a nutshell, there isn’t room for a player like Alex Laferriere. But the 21-year-old forward was sitting in the Kings’ dressing room on Wednesday after a practice session alongside the players expected to power Los Angeles this season. Laferriere, the No. 5 prospect in Scott Wheeler’s 2023 ranking of the Kings’ pool, has impressed coach Todd McLellan enough to warrant four looks, in which he has scored three times and assisted on another goal.

“We’ve been around him a little bit now,” McLellan said. “We were talking about his maturity level. There are 18-, 19-year-olds that come to training camp and they’re trying to make the team. And then there’s some college players. Alex is a little bit older and you can tell. He’s got that going for him.

“The games that he’s played and the practices he’s been involved in, he’s got a pretty good speed element. Anticipates well. So that together with good skating skills gets him into plays and spots that he needs to be in. He always seemed to be able to get a shot off in the exhibition season. Good releases. He’s around the net. As a result, he’s scored some goals. Getting him more experience with the NHL group right now.”

A third-round pick in the 2020 draft, Laferriere initially came up through the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers before playing two years at Harvard, where he had 14 goals and 17 assists as a freshman and improved as sophomore with 21 goals and 21 assists in 34 contests for an NCAA tournament team.

On March 31, Laferriere made his pro debut and scored on a breakaway in his third of four games played with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. He signed a three-year entry-level contract in August, and while it’s highly likely that he’ll be ticketed to be with the Reign this season, he could have a big role with that club after top goal-scorer Samuel Fagemo was claimed off waivers by Nashville. (A short-term NHL opening may have been created Thursday when Arthur Kaliyev was handed a four-game suspension by NHL Player Safety for kneeing Anaheim’s Chase De Leo, which will keep Kaliyev from the first two games of the regular season.)

The Athletic caught up with Laferriere, who is undeniably one of the Kings’ top prospects and someone who will be on their radar all year.

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How would you describe yourself on the ice? The strengths and the things you need to improve on.

I definitely like to shoot the puck. I think that’s something I focus on a lot. But I also think I’m a very tenacious player. I like to get in on pucks and win puck battles. I’ve focused a lot on wall play recently, so I think that’s kind of becoming one of the strengths of my games as well. Just like a 200-foot player who likes to shoot the puck and score goals.

You’re still here in the final week of camp. What kind of case do you feel you’ve made to this point?

It’s definitely a tough lineup to crack. But I think just being able to put my best foot forward and kind of show what I can do. I definitely lucked out with the guys going to Australia and getting to play a little bit more in those first couple preseason games and showing what I can do. But it’s just doing what I can do and kind of showcasing what I can do. That’s all I can control so that’s what I’ve been trying to do.

Since the team had extra preseason games this year, did you lock in on those as an opportunity to capture the attention of the coaching staff?

We didn’t have our top players and we’re playing against their top guys. Playing against Vegas, you’re playing against (Jack) Eichel. Playing against San Jose, you’re playing against (Tomas) Hertl and those guys. Any chance you get to kind of go up against those guys is pretty special. It’s almost like playing your first real NHL game. I think Marco (Sturm) and the coaching staff did a great job of just letting us know that it’s OK to make mistakes and just try and go out there and play your best and show what you can do.

What did you learn from Ted Donato, your head coach at Harvard?

I learned a lot. He played a bunch of years in the NHL and I think he used his experience there to kind of guide us. We had a pretty special team last year. I think just being able to practice every day with those guys and Ted pushing us every day definitely got us ready for the next step.

Players attend Harvard for its hockey program, but there’s a difference going there, compared to other colleges and universities. Are you just focused solely on hockey at this stage, or are you looking to move toward getting a degree as you go along?

Specifically, right now, I’m kind of just focused on hockey. The school did a great job of guiding us with our classes and that situation. I only have four classes left in order to get my degree. I’ll be able to take two next summer and then two the summer after that. Once I’m done with that, I’ll graduate.

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What are you majoring in?

Psychology. My sister went to Ohio State and she was a psychology major and sports industry major. Worked a lot in children’s hospitals as a mental health specialist. Just learned a lot from her and she kind of guided me along with that. And it’s kind of the least amount of math.

You were born and raised in New Jersey. What team were you a fan of growing up?

The Bruins, actually. My dad is from New Bedford, Mass. Kind of grew up an all-Boston sports fan. I know I get a little bit of heat because they were so good during my childhood. Yeah, it was definitely pretty easy rooting for the Boston teams back then.

That’s interesting. You’re close to the Newark area so I initially thought you might be a Devils fan. Or a Flyers fan.

In the summers, I skate at the Prudential Center where the Devils play. I’m kind of around that organization a little bit. But, yeah, I’ve always been a Bruins fan.

Players often had a guy they were a big fan of on their favorite team. Who was your guy?

(Patrice) Bergeron. Growing up, just always watched him. Loved how he played. He played the game right. I try to model my game after him a little bit just being able to play a 200-foot game. He’s a pretty special player and he had a great career.

You play right wing. Are there any other players that your style reflects that are currently in the NHL?

I know Eichel plays center too, but him, and Tage Thompson and (Adrian) Kempe, too. Those guys are kind of bigger. Like to shoot the puck a lot. I think those guys have been people I’ve tried to watch as much as I can and kind of learn something from.

As you said, you like to shoot the puck. How many shots you take during the offseason? Or in a given day?

As many as I can. You can’t score goals without shooting the puck. I like to score goals. Whenever I have the opportunity, I shoot.

You got your first taste of pro hockey with the Reign after coming out of college. What was that like for you and how did that help you coming into this camp? Just getting that taste.

I think it helped a lot. Not only being able to be around the organization, around the guys and learning new names and everything, I think it helped being on the ice with them. Learning what you have to kind of get better at. Especially going into the offseason. What you have to work on and that stuff. But then again, you just get to be around the guys and see how they handle themselves around the rink. Not just on the ice but off the ice. It was really good to be around everybody.

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Do you feel like you’re close to the NHL?

Yeah. I’m just trying to do whatever I can. When my opportunity comes, I’m going to be ready for it. That’s all I’m focused on right now.

(Photo of Alex Laferriere: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)

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