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When longtime defensive stalwart Robyn Regehr announced his retirement it created a void on the Los Angeles Kings‘ blue line that would be tough to almost impossible to fill given the implications of the team’s salary cap situation. Luckily for the Kings, there are some options that won’t break the bank in terms of cap room that will allow the team to maintain size and tenacity on the blue line. The most intriguing of those options is 23-year-old Derek Forbort.
I’m not saying for one second that the former University of North Dakota defenseman will be able to replicate what Regehr brought to the team. It’s almost impossible for a young player to replicate the on-ice contributions of a seasoned veteran and out of the question for them to fill a veteran’s leadership void, especially with someone as respected around the league as Regehr. Having said that, Forbort has paid his minor league dues and at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he has ideal size for an NHL defenseman.
It’s worth noting that in the two years since Forbort turned pro, his only NHL experience has been in a few call-ups where he skated at practice and was the team’s seventh defenseman without playing a game. Having said that, the nearly 150 minor league games he’s played should have him ready to be eased into the lineup at the start of the year while taking on a bigger role as the season goes on — just like Brayden McNabb this past season.
Forbort was a high pick — No. 15 overall in 2010 — so it’s understandable given the players he was taken ahead of — Charlie Coyle and Nick Bjugstad to name a few — that fans would like to see more from him. With the Kings being one of the deepest teams in the league in recent years, it’s been a tough go of it for young players to crack the lineup. I really believe next season, given Regehr’s retirement and Andrej Sekera yet to be re-signed, Forbort will make the team and contribute adeptly in a depth role. He may not go on to be superstar, but Forbort definitely has what it takes to play in the NHL and help the Kings win games.
