Kings trade three picks, move up and select left wing Valentin Zykov

The Kings dealt their first three picks in the NHL Draft on Sunday afternoon to the Edmonton Oilers to move up to No. 37 and select Russian left wing Valentin Zykov of Baie-Comeau of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the second round. Edmonton received picks in the second (57th), third (88th) and fourth rounds (96th).

Zykov, the Canadian junior-level rookie of the year, was top scorer among rookies in the QMJHL this past season with 75 points and 40 goals in 67 games. Overall, he was 10th in the league in goals and was the team’s second-leading scorer.

He told a reporter for the Kings’ website he idolized Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings while growing up in Russia. His style is not like Datsyuk, however. He described himself as more of a power forward than a skater with a lot of smooth moves with the puck. “I didn’t expect that L.A. would draft me,” he said. “I was really, really happy.”

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