Kings' Matt Villalta: Excellent numbers prove scouts wrong

Villalta was drafted 72nd overall by the Kings at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.

The Kings went off the board to pick Villalta, who didn't get a lot of love from Central Scouting this season. He was ranked 14th among North American goalies at the midterm rankings and fell to 16th by draft day despite posting a 25-3-0-0 record, 2.41 GAA and .918 save percentage with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Villalta entered the season undrafted, so perhaps that was part of the issue. He also lost the starter's job in the playoffs after laying a stinker in Game 2 of the Soo's first-round series against Flint. Villalta is a tall, calm goalie who needs a lot of reps to grow his game.