The Kings gave me the unique opportunity today to sit in for a while as Dean Lombardi and his staff continued the process of evaluating prospects for next month’s entry draft.

It’s a fascinating process, the scope of which is hugely complicated but yet somehow seems very orderly and organized. As part of the agreement to let me sit in, I agreed to not reveal certain details, such as specifics about how players are evaluated and which players are being discussed. That certainly made sense to me, as I can understand why the Kings wouldn’t want to reveal their tactics and thought process to other teams.

But in general, I’ll do my best to give you a picture of how it went…

By the time I arrived, the group had already been at work for a few hours in the morning, seated around a table in a big conference room, evaluating prospects. During the time I sat in, they were discussing players who are considered later-round prospects. In particular, they were discussing two junior-level forwards. One player was discussed, his merits and weaknesses listed and debated, then the same for the other player. Then the two players were compared head-to-head and a determination was made about where to rank each of them. The “draft list” is an ever-evolving process.

While Lombardi is clearly the leader of the group, there’s a good amount of debate and give-and-take between everyone in room. Involved in the discussions were Lombardi, special assistant to the general manager Jack Ferreira, co-directors of amateur scouting Mark Yannetti and Michael Futa, amateur scouts Brent McEwen, Tony Gasparini, Pertti Hasanen and Denis Fugere and scouting coordinator Lee Callans.

The discussions seemed loose and open but productive, and even the most meticulous details of the players’ games were discussed and debated. Lombardi’s staff clearly respects him but also isn’t afraid to speak up and even, at times, offer contrary opinions. A player’s work ethic and attitude are two areas that seem to get significant attention.

After the player evaluation, I got a chance to sit down for 45 minutes with Yannetti and Futa for a great, wide-ranging discussion about their jobs, the upcoming draft, what it’s like to work for Lombardi and the progress they believe the franchise is making. This weekend, I’ll start the process of posting all those quotes, which I think you’ll find enlightening and interesting. My thanks to Lombardi and the Kings for the ability to observe a fascinating process and get a better insight into the organization.