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2016 LA Kings Offseason GDT V: Free Agent Frenzy

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Omni Owl said:
I don't want to hear about the refs, I know they made some idiotic calls but its ultimately up to the team to pull through and overcome the awful officiating. Its a cop out to blame the refs. The Shark's top guys absolutely manhandled our guys, who played some of the most uninspired/lackluster hockey I've ever seen.

I'm actually starting to believe McNabb can turn things around despite how much I constantly **** on the guy. If not, there's always Gravel's emergence to look forward to.
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I'm not blaming the refs for why they loss but it doesn't change the fact that I expect the playoffs to be called differently.

They've neutered the game enough that calling the playoffs like they do the regular season means a ****** playoffs, like the one we just watched (if you were able to watch it since it was boring hockey).
 
HookKing said:
Karlsson didn't play in the playoffs not to mention he doesn't have to give a crap about what happens behind him. What other top D guys have to carry washed up plugs like Scuderi on their back?

Doughty playing fewer minutes this year is pure fantasy and you know it. Sutter ran Doughty, Kopitar and Quick into the ground foolishly trying to win the division and that's why they had nothing left for the playoffs.
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Because his mantra was "Playoffs are what matter, not division titles" . He said this just about every time a reporter brought this up during a presser. Then we make the playoffs, everyone stops playing and coaching for two weeks, which then leads Sutter to have to push those guys to get the team back on track. The entire team, coaches included, lost focus the moment we clinched a playoff spot.
 
anyone have any updates on Vesey? Could LA have a shot at him? Not even sure LA could fit him in as far as contracts and cap space go
 
kingsfan28 said:
Because his mantra was "Playoffs are what matter, not division titles" . He said this just about every time a reporter brought this up during a presser. Then we make the playoffs, everyone stops playing and coaching for two weeks, which then leads Sutter to have to push those guys to get the team back on track. The entire team, coaches included, lost focus the moment we clinched a playoff spot.
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And it backfired big time. Doughty lost focus? Sure. When have you ever seen that?
 
kingsfan28 said:
Because his mantra was "Playoffs are what matter, not division titles" . He said this just about every time a reporter brought this up during a presser. Then we make the playoffs, everyone stops playing and coaching for two weeks, which then leads Sutter to have to push those guys to get the team back on track. The entire team, coaches included, lost focus the moment we clinched a playoff spot.
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Yup. This is why I get a little frustrated with the Sutter hero worship around here sometimes. Last year was a major top down coaching error. You can't expect the players to prepare down the stretch when you yourself put your feet up after clinching.

One of Sutter's biggest blunders for sure.

But of course, it's the players who play the game, yada yada yada.
 
SettlementRichie10 said:
Yup. This is why I get a little frustrated with the Sutter hero worship around here sometimes. Last year was a major top down coaching error. You can't expect the players to prepare down the stretch when you yourself put your feet up after clinching.

One of Sutter's biggest blunders for sure.

But of course, it's the players who play the game, yada yada yada.
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He won a playoff game this year! What more do you want?


:laugh:
 
YP44 said:
anyone have any updates on Vesey? Could LA have a shot at him? Not even sure LA could fit him in as far as contracts and cap space go
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Well cap space wouldn't be an issue as he's only eligible for an ELC. Bonuses could be taken into account though. But everything that I have seen regarding Vesey is that he seems pretty sure he wants to stay in the East Coast.
 
kingsboy11 said:
Well cap space wouldn't be an issue as he's only eligible for an ELC. Bonuses could be taken into account though. But everything that I have seen regarding Vesey is that he seems pretty sure he wants to stay in the East Coast.
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I thought that he is becoming a UFA so the ELC thing would not apply. Didn't Schultz get a few million out of Edmonton as a comparable?

Too bad about the East Coast, I had heard that he wanted a major city out east a few months ago, was hoping one of those two things changed.

My guess is Boston then.
 
YP44 said:
I thought that he is becoming a UFA so the ELC thing would not apply. Didn't Schultz get a few million out of Edmonton as a comparable?
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ELC is based on age. For North Americans, you have to sign one as your first contract as long as you're under 25 years old (27 for Euros). Schultz got the max ELC (3.775 mil), but only 925K was guaranteed and the rest was performance bonuses.

CBA also defines mandatory contract lengthy by age as well. Vesey's deal will be a two year (two way) ELC, no more, no less. Vesey will probably be looking for a situation where he'll be able to hit those performance bonuses while being on a competitive team.

Last year, Panarin turned down a "bigger" deal from Montreal and opted to sign with Chicago. Part of his rationale was that he'd be more likely to hit the performance bonus thresholds with the Blackhawks.
 
So this is the lineup I have projected so far, the usual line shuffling still applies:

Gaborik-Kopitar-Toffoli
Pearson-Carter-Purcell
King-Lewis-Brown
Clifford-Dowd-Andrehoff
(Nolan, Latta, Shore, Mersch)

McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Gravel-Gilbert
(Greene, Trotman, Forbort)

Quick
Zatkoff

Its hard to say who'll make it because someone might come into camp and outplay someone else for a spot. You've gotta think Gravel and Dowd make it, but I'm less sure about Shore being able to make the jump after last year. Mersch is another player that could make it, but there's just not much room. Its going to at least make for a competitive camp...
 
I'd rather see Lewis on Kopitar's right side than at C on any line. In a pinch, ok, but he's not a center.

The pairings on defense could basically be almost anything. 10 guys with a name in the hat, 4 of them right handed, and 3 of those right handed guys are a question mark. Martinez and Gravel could play on the right side. Not really exactly sure where, how, or if Gilbert, Greene, or Scuderi fit.

We're all used to Sutter's line blender, but it'll get a workout this season, up front and on defense. I wouldn't mind a King-Carter-Purcell line. King mucks it up, Purcell is a playmaker more than goal scorer, and Carter might have the best shot on the team. Maybe Gaborik on 3rd line to help get some scoring down there. Or the possible threat of scoring. Kopitar and Pearson worked pretty well together last year.

It might be frustrating, but won't be boring.
 
Reaper45 said:
I'm still scratching my head why King and Clifford weren't moved...
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I would say because Lombardi is still Lombardi. He hasn't traded anyone that played any sort of role on either Cup team, other than backup goalies that weren't going to sign because they knew they had no chance of being #1 with the Kings. He's let guys walk as free agents, but no trades.
 
Reaper45 said:
I'm still scratching my head why King and Clifford weren't moved...
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He has no reason to move them yet. The point of moving King and Clifford would be to free up cap space to acquire another better player. But at this point, there are no better options available for him to open up cap space. Also, considering that training camp has not even started yet, none of the younger players have yet demonstrated that they should take the spot of King or Clifford. Although King/Clifford are not great players, they have shown the ability to be serviceable bottom 6 (and with King, sometimes top 6) players. Why trade them for the sake of trading them?

With all of that said, Rosen has mentioned on a number of occasions that we should expect to see trades after training camp. There wont be a blockbuster at this stage of the offseason, but I am sure Lombardi will trade one or two of the bottom 6 forwards we have for picks to avoid losing players to waivers (e.g., trading Shore if Dowd or Latta stand out etc).
 
In the Cap world with Vegas looming who wants players like Clifford or King? I'd like to see them both gone too cause there is no upside to their game but bottom 6 players are a dime a dozen.
 
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