2016-2017 Kings Roster Talk Part IV

[AlphaBravo]

I know its a small sample size, but I just don't see Kempe or Brodzinski being difference makers on this team. They appear similar to Dowd and Shore where they had an energized and noticeable first two games when they were called up, and then just disappear in the background. It might be because of Sutter's system or the simple fact that we don't have top tier prospects.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Dear Les Canadiens :
Sorry about Dwight King.
Thanks for the conditional 2018 4th rounder. What are the conditions?
I hope that it is not "he must score 1 or more points" ...cuz that ain't happenin.
The Dwight King first point watch is still ongoing, a month after the deal:

NHL 13 0 0 0 2 -2

 

[BigKing]

I know its a small sample size, but I just don't see Kempe or Brodzinski being difference makers on this team. They appear similar to Dowd and Shore where they had an energized and noticeable first two games when they were called up, and then just disappear in the background. It might be because of Sutter's system or the simple fact that we don't have top tier prospects.

I don't think that Brodz has disappeared but you are correct that it is highly likely that neither turns in to a "difference maker", although on this team, scoring 15 goals is a difference maker so hard to fully say that with confidence.

Still, this just underscores why so many of us were down on the team heading into the year. They showed that they had a razor thin margin of error when it came to injuries last season when Martinez went down. Depth was lacking and then they lose Lucic from the team and don't replace him.

So, the entire season was based off of:

-All key players stay healthy
-Key players have zero regression
-The belief that certain players will continue to get better or bounce back
-Dowd and other rookies will produce at a high level or at least better than what they were replacing

What did we get?

-Gaborik out before the season starts. Quick out for months after Game 1. Toffoli out for a good stretch.
-Kopitar/Muzzin/Martinez/Toffoli/Gaborik...Doughty to an extent. All regressed.
-Pearson took a jump. Bounce back for Brown but still not huge numbers. Career year for Lewis but that doesn't mean much. Carter was crushing it but his final numbers are going to be very much in line with the past two seasons so, in the end, he only did what is expected out of him.
-None of the rookies scored. Sure, we can be excited about Forbort, LaDue, Kempe and Brodz but none of them are jumping in here and taking over.

So everything had to go right and, even then, they are probably a WC team or 3rd in the Pacific. Knew it wouldn't take much to upset the apple cart and we got a lot more than just "much" in that regard.

The answer was never as easy as "Call up so and so from Ontario. Profit!" which some on here seem to think the answer is every season. This year had disaster written all over it once July 1st came and went.

Very interesting off-season ahead. They kept the status quo heading in to this 50th season BS but there is no way they can have an off-season like the last one and then try to sell that **** to us.

Kings extended the deadline for renewing seats at this years prices so, obviously, not a good renewal rate. You can see McDavid tomorrow for under $10 on StubHub.

Someone is taking the fall. Will be interesting to see who it is.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I know its a small sample size, but I just don't see Kempe or Brodzinski being difference makers on this team. They appear similar to Dowd and Shore where they had an energized and noticeable first two games when they were called up, and then just disappear in the background. It might be because of Sutter's system or the simple fact that we don't have top tier prospects.

Kopitar/Carter/Toffoli/Pearson at 100 combined goals. Gaborik/Brown do their 20-30 combined goals. No reason Kempe and Brodzinski couldn't get 20-25 combined goals. None of that is outrageous, even if Sutter is back. Damn near exactly what they did last year in 15-16, just a little differently. That kind of offense, with a hopefully younger and better all around defense, again, that shouldn't be outrageous.

 

[HeadInjury]

In his first three NHL seasons, Tanner Pearson scored 3, 12 and 15 goals, respectively.

Way too early to reach any judgment on Kempe and Brodzinski.

 

[BigKing]

In his first three NHL seasons, Tanner Pearson scored 3, 12 and 15 goals, respectively.

Way too early to reach any judgment on Kempe and Brodzinski.

Agree, although Pearson played a big part on a Cup winner and then you have to factor injuries into the equation.

 

[Kingsfan1]

I think we will be fine and make the playoffs next year with a full year of the young blood in the lineup and having Toffoli and Quick healthy will make big difference. Kopitar having a bounce back year too hopefully. Yeah we will be fine

 

[KingsFan7824]

Agree, although Pearson played a big part on a Cup winner and then you have to factor injuries into the equation.

Pearson was also 21 when the 13-14 season started. Kempe was barely 20 when this season started. Pearson had better AHL stats too.

 

[BigKing]

Pearson was also 21 when the 13-14 season started. Kempe was barely 20 when this season started. Pearson had better AHL stats too.

I will be stoked if Kempe is as good as Pearson.

I've like Brodz's game. Smart player.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I will be stoked if Kempe is as good as Pearson.

I've like Brodz's game. Smart player.

Yeah, and Brodzinski was a 5th round pick. If they get anything from him it's a plus, but it would help a lot.

 

[KingTrouty]

Yeah, and Brodzinski was a 5th round pick. If they get anything from him it's a plus, but it would help a lot.

Brodz might be a gem. A throw back to the big dudes with a lovely shot. But too many of our fans are pencilling him into a top 6 slot for next season.

I have faith, yet tempered.

 

[kings11]

Brodz might be a gem. A throw back to the big dudes with a lovely shot. But too many of our fans are pencilling him into a top 6 slot for next season.

I have faith, yet tempered.

I don't think its an expectation that his skills/play are top 6 worthy yet but rather the fact that this team needs a jolt and sometimes the energy, zeal and hunger of a younger guy can actual be a positive on a vet and of course it also put the kid in the best position to succeed...

When I inserted Brodz into the 70s line and moved Toffoli with Kopitar it was hoping for a win-win(in our hypothetical 2018 lineups).. what i mean by that is, Kopitar gets his much needed sniper while Brodz gets to play with 2 studs and when you add in his shot which is sniper quality, his size (6-1,205) and the fact that he's a better skater than TT on that line... well, you've put him in a great position to take advantage of his best attributes while losing nothing other than demoting Gaborik to the 3rd line..

 

[KingTrouty]

I don't think its an expectation that his skills/play are top 6 worthy yet but rather the fact that this team needs a jolt and sometimes the energy, zeal and hunger of a younger guy can actual be a positive on a vet and of course it also put the kid in the best position to succeed...

When I inserted Brodz into the 70s line and moved Toffoli with Kopitar it was hoping for a win-win(in our hypothetical 2018 lineups).. what i mean by that is, Kopitar gets his much needed sniper while Brodz gets to play with 2 studs and when you add in his shot which is sniper quality, his size (6-1,205) and the fact that he's a better skater than TT on that line... well, you've put him in a great position to take advantage of his best attributes while losing nothing other than demoting Gaborik to the 3rd line..

For sure, yet Toffoli shouldn't be the measuring stick of one's skating.

My post was more in reference to the "dump Iggy, he's blocking Brodz" posters, 11. I think Brodz would be better suited to a bottom-6 role next year unless he flashes. I have no problem moving him up if he does.

I really like Brodz, am excited for his 17-18 season, 11.

 

[kings11]

For sure, yet Toffoli shouldn't be the measuring stick of one's skating.

My post was more in reference to the "dump Iggy, he's blocking Brodz" posters, 11. I think Brodz would be better suited to a bottom-6 role next year unless he flashes. I have no problem moving him up if he does.

I really like Brodz, am excited for his 17-18 season, 11.

for sure, Iggy has been a true professional in his short stint with us and as I've said previously I would welcome him back with open arms. With that said, Yes ideally Brodz should earn his role/spot through the bottom lines but with both Brownie and Gabo dropping off play wise, I'd take the chance that a kid with his skill set could really seize that opportunity and shine...

Micheal Mersch is another I think we'll see next season and while many have compared him to Dwight King minus the defense, Ive seen enough of him in Ontario to say he's a better offense player. Heck, he's exactly what we nee right now, a big booty to park in front of the net and get those garbage goals!! And just like Brodzinski he has an uncanny ability of being at the right place for scoring opportunities..

Adrian Kempe, is going to have to learn on the fly because his skill set is NHL level ready while his Brain is still in the AHL play. As soon as he stops reacting and waiting and starts doing and initiating he's going to be a real threat! oh and oh course he's only 20 so the odds are he's going to gain another 15lbs to his frame...

Michael Amadio to me is our gem, the kids oozes leader like qualities from his work ethic to his play on the ice. Ive said it before and got lambasted but he is a Bigger, Faster, Stronger Mike Richards with that same drive, intensity and will to give it all on that ice..

Hopefully those four guys can translate their AHL play to the NHL and help our team get back in the playoffs or at the very least be good enough to pressure other guys into playing with more urgency.

 

[KingTrouty]

for sure, Iggy has been a true professional in his short stint with us and as I've said previously I would welcome him back with open arms. With that said, Yes ideally Brodz should earn his role/spot through the bottom lines but with both Brownie and Gabo dropping off play wise, I'd take the chance that a kid with his skill set could really seize that opportunity and shine...

Micheal Mersch is another I think we'll see next season and while many have compared him to Dwight King minus the defense, Ive seen enough of him in Ontario to say he's a better offense player. Heck, he's exactly what we nee right now, a big booty to park in front of the net and get those garbage goals!! And just like Brodzinski he has an uncanny ability of being at the right place for scoring opportunities..

Adrian Kempe, is going to have to learn on the fly because his skill set is NHL level ready while his Brain is still in the AHL play. As soon as he stops reacting and waiting and starts doing and initiating he's going to be a real threat! oh and oh course he's only 20 so the odds are he's going to gain another 15lbs to his frame...

Michael Amadio to me is our gem, the kids oozes leader like qualities from his work ethic to his play on the ice. Ive said it before and got lambasted but he is a Bigger, Faster, Stronger Mike Richards with that same drive, intensity and will to give it all on that ice..

Hopefully those four guys can translate their AHL play to the NHL and help our team get back in the playoffs or at the very least be good enough to pressure other guys into playing with more urgency.

Hell of a post, 11. Thanks for the feedback, especially considering you've seen these kids in action, live.

Amadio is most certainly our fwd gem, no doubt about it. I like Mersch, too. And Kempe has such a high ceiling, he just needs to work it out (as you more eloquently alluded to).

Gonna be a fun 17-18 season, me thinks, 11!

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Only, what, 4 games left. I guess no call-up for Mersch this year.

 

[scramble91]

Only, what, 4 games left. I guess no call-up for Mersch this year.

that is strange considering we are out. But he had a knee injury and the dude couldn't keep a NHL pace while healthy. Might not want to destroy his confidence.

I still think he is a fringe NHL player. Guy has a heart of a lion but don't think he has the speed to keep up.

People keep talking about how slow the Kings are but want guys like Mersch on the roster.

I think part of the Kings problem is the park and ride mentality. This seems to have sucked the raw emotion out of the game. I know it's the normal hockey cliches but damn they don't even hit or play heavy anymore. I think it's a severe identity crisis right now. Just my opinion of course.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Once the Kings lost Lucic the 3rd line should have been an energy line with younger players on it instead of the redundant bottom 6 grinders. Lewis, Shore and Dowd-all the same player, move 2 then move on. Nolan and Clifford, Nolan brings much more energy, move Clifford. That clears up 3 roster spots right there and we all saw what happened once King was moved yet he was playing up to 15 minutes a night under Sutter's protection. This is no longer a heavy team, this is not a physical team, this needs to be a faster team and with Brown and Gaborik most likely stuck to the Kings the only way that can happen is by giving the youth those 3rd line minutes with the ability to jump into the top 6 if there is an injury or a player not producing. Brodzinski-Kempe-Brown would be an interesting 3rd line. Lewis, Nolan and whoever on the 4th line with much more limited minutes for Lewis. He is vastly over played under Sutter and cannot produce offense at the NHL level. That shot he had against Arizona shows you why, he cut to the middle of the ice, wide open and managed a mediocre, wobbly wrist shot that didn't go higher than the goalies shoulder who was down in the butterfly-just DOES NOT have the hands to score in the NHL. 4th liner, anything more than that and you're in trouble.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Once the Kings lost Lucic the 3rd line should have been an energy line with younger players on it instead of the redundant bottom 6 grinders. Lewis, Shore and Dowd-all the same player, move 2 then move on. Nolan and Clifford, Nolan brings much more energy, move Clifford. That clears up 3 roster spots right there and we all saw what happened once King was moved yet he was playing up to 15 minutes a night under Sutter's protection. This is no longer a heavy team, this is not a physical team, this needs to be a faster team and with Brown and Gaborik most likely stuck to the Kings the only way that can happen is by giving the youth those 3rd line minutes with the ability to jump into the top 6 if there is an injury or a player not producing. Brodzinski-Kempe-Brown would be an interesting 3rd line. Lewis, Nolan and whoever on the 4th line with much more limited minutes for Lewis. He is vastly over played under Sutter and cannot produce offense at the NHL level. That shot he had against Arizona shows you why, he cut to the middle of the ice, wide open and managed a mediocre, wobbly wrist shot that didn't go higher than the goalies shoulder who was down in the butterfly-just DOES NOT have the hands to score in the NHL. 4th liner, anything more than that and you're in trouble.

The issue is that Lewis is still 4th on the team in ES goals. Ahead of 3 of the 4 highest paid forwards on the team. He's not the problem. He doesn't play too many minutes when other guys are getting the job done. Lewis is 10th on the team at forward in ES ice time on average, although that does include Iginla and Brodzinski in a handful of games, so really 8th I guess. He's 4th in total ES minutes up front, but if Toffoli and Gaborik hadn't been hurt, he wouldn't be. Pearson was suspended for a couple games, and Pearson plays 170 more minutes on the PP than Lewis too. He was 7th in total ES minutes last year, but again Gaborik was out for most of the 2nd half of the season.

Lewis just isn't vastly overplayed by Sutter. He's 9th in average shifts per game for forwards, which also includes Iginla.

 

[Voodoozz]

Why because he lit up the Czech league? That's like lighting up the ECHL.

Not really. More like lighting up the AHL. Sure, Czech hockey has regressed a lot, but Extaliga is still one of the better leagues in Europe, probably top5 right behind Liiga. IMO it's tough to compare the player points/goals across different leagues.
Some Czechs played in Extraliga then went away to the KHL and had even better numbers there, same with the AHL. It really depends on the player. I think Kings are gonna watch Kubalik very closely at WC where he should play a top6/top9 role.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/kings/la-sp-kings-eliminated-elliott-20170403-story.html

“We're out. We knew it would be pretty difficult for us to get in anyway,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We left it too late. That's just the bottom line. We weren’t good enough the entire season and we don't deserve really to be in playoffs.”

They will be out for the second time in three seasons, a first-round exit last spring wedged between. They’ve won one playoff game since their 2014 Stanley Cup championship, the price they’ve paid for remaining a rumbling dinosaur in a league that favors speed and skill over pure brawn.

Their last two acquisitions exemplify the stubbornness of General Manager Dean Lombardi, who has a year left on his contract. When his team urgently needed scoring he acquired goaltender Ben Bishop, apparently hoping the Kings would win a lot of 2-1 games. When his team needed speed, Lombardi added revered but limited 39-year-old winger Jarome Iginla, whose flashes of combativeness put many of his teammates to shame.

 

[theMajor]

I think we will be fine and make the playoffs next year with a full year of the young blood in the lineup and having Toffoli and Quick healthy will make big difference. Kopitar having a bounce back year too hopefully. Yeah we will be fine

one thing I noticed in the Kopi interview after the Kings were eliminated from the playoffs is that hes STILL wearing a big brace on his arm. not a total excuse for his performance this season but definitely food for thought

 

[KingsFan7824]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/kings/la-sp-kings-eliminated-elliott-20170403-story.html

Their last two acquisitions exemplify the stubbornness of General Manager Dean Lombardi, who has a year left on his contract. When his team urgently needed scoring he acquired goaltender Ben Bishop, apparently hoping the Kings would win a lot of 2-1 games. When his team needed speed, Lombardi added revered but limited 39-year-old winger Jarome Iginla, whose flashes of combativeness put many of his teammates to shame.

What scorer was worth making an urgent deal for at the deadline?

Lombardi gave up next to nothing for Iginla and Bishop. It was an attempt at a shot in the arm, and the team didn't respond. He actually traded King for an actual pick, no matter what happens with King and Montreal.

If Lombardi did anything more at the deadline than what he did, I'm sure the press and fans would be ripping that deal too, just like Lucic and Sekera, because why would you do more when Quick was just coming back, and Kopitar has had a career worst season? Lombardi did the right thing this time, unlike the last 2 seasons, and he still gets ripped.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Should've probably gotten more for a former 2nd round draft selection that they were so high on at one point.

Bishop has appeared in 6 games here. Was it really necessary to acquire him when Budaj could have been just as good as an option as a backup goalie? Was it really that much of a need given that goaltending was the least of their problems?

Patrick Eaves hit 30 goals. He was dealt for a conditional pick, which is probably just as good as former 2nd round draft pick, Erik Cernak.

I don't disagree with Helene at all as Lombardi failed to address the biggest concerns heading into this season, which was the team offense. Look at the number of games this team has been shutout or held to one goal. Kopitar, Toffoli, Gaborik, etc. all performing well below expectations hurt a lot, and this team had virtually no depth at all to replenish that offense.

And it will continue to be a problem next season.

 

[BigKing]

I think she was hitting the nail on the head RE: being stubborn at the deadline but her reasoning is off: he was stubborn because he once again gave up an asset for the future in Cernak to try and help an obviously flawed team.

Iginla was free as far as assets go and was a good move. I understand the reasoning for the Bishop trade but I stand by the belief that moving another 2nd round prospect for a rental was stupid: especially this season.

Another deadline, another young prospect or pick headed out the door for a few games of some ******* that does zero to move the needle on this team.