Kings select Giorgos Pantelas No. 153 overall at the 2026 NHL Draft

The Los Angeles Kings have selected defenseman Giorgos Pantelas with the No. 153 overall selection of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Pantelas was projected to be selected around 56th overall on average across all of the main draft rankings, going as high as 30th and as low as 80th. He was also ranked 46th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis projected him to go slightly above consensus at 51st overall.

Ellis had this to say about Pantelas in his most recent draft rankings:

“Pantelas was one of the WHL’s most electric defenders earlier in the season but ultimately quieted down with just two assists in his final 15 games between the regular season and the playoffs. At one point, a 50-point pace looked possible, but he only finished with 37. Still, there’s enough to like as a second-round pick. I like how Pantelas never stops moving, has incredible confidence with the puck and sacrifices his body for a play. Pantelas is the type of player who won’t let you down defensively and will continue to improve offensively. He’s a project, by all accounts, but one worth taking a chance on.”

Pantelas spent the entirety of his 2025-26 season with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League. In 68 games with the team, he had six goals and 31 assists for 37 points as the Wheat Kings finished fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-26-2-0 record. He finished ninth on the team in scoring, second among defensemen behind Grayson Burzynski. With Burzynski being 21 years old, the Laval, Quebec product was first among defensemen 18 years old or younger on Brandon.

Pantelas also went pointless in four playoff games, as the Wheat Kings were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Calgary Hitmen.