Rumor: 2018-19 Kings News/Rumors/Tidbits

[KingsFan7824]

The only question with Kovalchuk is the age(same question as most of the most important players on the team). You can work as hard as you want, be as competitive as you want, but you never know when age is going to get to you. Selanne was scoring 50 goals and 90 points at 36. Take it game by game, and wait and see what Kovalchuk has left. Not many guys out there that take a 5 year break from NHL hockey and come back at 35. There's not really an example to compare to. Jagr came back, but that was at 39.

If age isn't an issue, he's going to score.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I like that 31 in 31. Hradek is usually relentlessly positive re: the Kings so I can take his criticism when he offers it (unlike, say, Button). But he's totally right, there's not enough of a buffer/room for missteps or major injuries. We're a quintessential bubble team in the Pacific on paper, couple of slumps or injuries and it's likely over. Gonna be a dogfight between 6-7 teams imo, no one is good enough to pull away bigtime the way Vegas did this year.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Wouldn't it be nice if Gabe Vilardi came in and played like the potential top 3 pick many people had him out to be.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Wouldn't it be nice if Gabe Vilardi came in and played like the potential top 3 pick many people had him out to be.

The last time a Kings rookie stepped in and made an immediate impact was Drew Doughty 10 years ago.

The last time a Kings drafted forward was able to do that was Kopitar in 2005.

He'll have to post some incredible numbers to achieve that kind of performance.

 

[Fishhead]

The last time a Kings rookie stepped in and made an immediate impact was Drew Doughty 10 years ago.

The last time a Kings drafted forward was able to do that was Kopitar in 2005.

He'll have to post some incredible numbers to achieve that kind of performance.

Yea I would say 50+ points would be very impressive. Doughty and Kopitar came into a crappy team, so they got prime ice time. Vilardi won't get that on this roster at least to start the season.

If Vilardi plays like a top draft pick this team will be well above the bubble. for sure.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[kingsfan28]

I hope as of today Dave Taylor believes an MRI machine is not sorcery and/or black magic.

Yeah, like when he traded for Randy Jones who had a broken kneecap and didn't believe it.

 

[kingsfan28]

If we go by the national TV broadcast schedule, the NHL is back to being a 6-team league, and it only consists of Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, and Washington.

Like the Winter Classic.


And not one of those teams has a future superstar to market.

 

[kingsfan28]

Five Kings games to appear on NBCSN in 2018-19 - LA Kings Insider

Don't appear on national TV until January 15th (game #47) and none of those 5 games are against SJ.

That's great ! At least we'll have fewer games for Milbury to crap on after a win.

 

[Reaper45]

That's great ! At least we'll have fewer games for Milbury to crap on after a win.

Anytime we can avoid Roenick and Milbury the better.

 

[KopitarFAN]

Like the Winter Classic.


And not one of those teams has a future superstar to market.

Chicago has Alex DeBrincat, maybe not a superstar, but a very good young player.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

They will also need Carter to remain healthy and for Toffoli and Pearson to be more consistent. Kempe and Iafallo also need to take the next step and be productive players and average around 15 or so minutes.

I know people have been conservative in estimating the numbers Kovalchuk could produce, but this is a guy who takes great pride in still being a highly proficient player and he also takes great care of himself. I think he's going to do everything possible to prove that he is still a deadly threat in the NHL and he's going to surprise a lot of people.

People seem to gloss over his compete level, and I think some fans will be pleasantly surprised to see just how fierce of a competitor Kovalchuk is.

I don’t doubt his productiveness. I doubt his ability to stay healthy beyond 60 games. A 35 year old body is still a 35 year old body, and the KHL have shorter seasons.

But there’s no doubt that if he’s healthy, he will produce.

 

[Sol]

I'm not trying to be unreasonably optimistic. But if Kovalchuk and Vilardi do good what more do the Kings need besides a little bit more from the bottom 6 and carter? That's not asking for too much....

A bubble team with those additions is an underestimateling both players imo. We can take the division if all goes well. Every team is a bubble team with injuries to top players. Don't know many teams who will be fine with injuries to their best players.

Kings on paper are a much better team this year with both Vilardi and Kovalchuk in the line up. If they play to potential of course. That will significantly balance the line up and naturally allow other players to play with better players down the line up. If our defense isn't ass and Quick has a consistently good season. Playoff lock imo and cup chances are there.

Hope I'm not out to lunch though. I saw glimpses of brilliance with this team until the offense fell apart with Carter being gone and being bad when he returned. A healthy Carter Kovalchuk and Vilardi should really be a dangerous addition.

 

[YP44]

I'm not trying to be unreasonably optimistic. But if Kovalchuk and Vilardi do good what more do the Kings need besides a little bit more from the bottom 6 and carter? That's not asking for too much....

A bubble team with those additions is an underestimateling both players imo. We can take the division if all goes well. Every team is a bubble team with injuries to top players. Don't know many teams who will be fine with injuries to their best players.

Kings on paper are a much better team this year with both Vilardi and Kovalchuk in the line up. If they play to potential of course. That will significantly balance the line up and naturally allow other players to play with better players down the line up. If our defense isn't ass and Quick has a consistently good season. Playoff lock imo and cup chances are there.

Hope I'm not out to lunch though. I saw glimpses of brilliance with this team until the offense fell apart with Carter being gone and being bad when he returned. A healthy Carter Kovalchuk and Vilardi should really be a dangerous addition.

It will be interesting for sure. I am optimistic and would be bummed if LA misses the playoffs so I think they are more than a bubble team but not a contender.

My hesitation is I think the division is a lot harder. I think Calgary has got a lot better, Edmonton was better after McDavid seemed to get over whatever injury he had, San Jose still looks good and who knows what Thornton has left in the tank, Anaheim still will be a hard out with their depth at d, and Arizona got a lot better. Vegas will be worse but I really do not know how bad, and Vancouver will be terrible .

 

[lumbergh]

I'm not trying to be unreasonably optimistic. But if Kovalchuk and Vilardi do good what more do the Kings need besides a little bit more from the bottom 6 and carter? That's not asking for too much....

A bubble team with those additions is an underestimateling both players imo. We can take the division if all goes well. Every team is a bubble team with injuries to top players. Don't know many teams who will be fine with injuries to their best players.

Kings on paper are a much better team this year with both Vilardi and Kovalchuk in the line up. If they play to potential of course. That will significantly balance the line up and naturally allow other players to play with better players down the line up. If our defense isn't ass and Quick has a consistently good season. Playoff lock imo and cup chances are there.

Hope I'm not out to lunch though. I saw glimpses of brilliance with this team until the offense fell apart with Carter being gone and being bad when he returned. A healthy Carter Kovalchuk and Vilardi should really be a dangerous addition.

I think the last part is almost always the key to any good season. If the Kings make it through the season healthy, they're in the playoffs. They're deep on defense and will almost certainly be in the top 10 for goals against again. The problem is that, despite being deep on paper, they don't have another wave of young guys knocking at the door. If everyone's healthy, you have three very good lines and a solid fourth line with Amadio centering Lewis and Clifford. If any of the top nine go down for extended time though, it'll be a struggle just like last year. Bubble team. Has been for almost a decade.

Of course, in the end it's all about how deep the Kings go in the playoffs. If the Kings are in the playoff hunt come February, I fully expect Blake to trade for a scorer for the playoffs. They still seem to be missing something that puts them over the hump into contender status.

 

[member 88115]

For me, my biggest question mark is coach Stevens. Im not sure if he is the right guy for the team. I felt he let the team play coach Sutter hockey to the end of the season and into the playoffs. Seeing Carter board battle (when it was obvious he was still hurt) because Rieder and Toffoli getting killed on the boards was frustrating. Pearson is more able and ready, but was stuck on the 3rd line. Playing Folin over LaDue towards the end of playoffs, when it really obvious we were getting out skated was another. See Kopitar play for like ever at the end of Game 3 and being down by a goal, and Kopi being completely gassed with 20-30 seconds left.

 

[johnjm22]

Chicago has Alex DeBrincat, maybe not a superstar, but a very good young player.

DeBrincat is a hell of a goal scorer. I think he pots 35+ this coming season. They also have Schmaltz who's only 21 and coming off a solid rookie campaign.

 

[YP44]

DeBrincat is a hell of a goal scorer. I think he pots 35+ this coming season. They also have Schmaltz who's only 21 and coming off a solid rookie campaign.

35 goals by a d-man...Bold ; )

 

[Sol]

It will be interesting for sure. I am optimistic and would be bummed if LA misses the playoffs so I think they are more than a bubble team but not a contender.

My hesitation is I think the division is a lot harder. I think Calgary has got a lot better, Edmonton was better after McDavid seemed to get over whatever injury he had, San Jose still looks good and who knows what Thornton has left in the tank, Anaheim still will be a hard out with their depth at d, and Arizona got a lot better. Vegas will be worse but I really do not know how bad, and Vancouver will be terrible .

Very good points about our division, but I do think the Kings got what they needed the most this off season so I think they can easily compete with the best of them.

I think the last part is almost always the key to any good season. If the Kings make it through the season healthy, they're in the playoffs. They're deep on defense and will almost certainly be in the top 10 for goals against again. The problem is that, despite being deep on paper, they don't have another wave of young guys knocking at the door. If everyone's healthy, you have three very good lines and a solid fourth line with Amadio centering Lewis and Clifford. If any of the top nine go down for extended time though, it'll be a struggle just like last year. Bubble team. Has been for almost a decade.

Of course, in the end it's all about how deep the Kings go in the playoffs. If the Kings are in the playoff hunt come February, I fully expect Blake to trade for a scorer for the playoffs. They still seem to be missing something that puts them over the hump into contender status.

If Vilardi and Kovalchuk do well do you honestly think we're missing a scorer still? Three very good lines and a solid fourth line? That's contender status.

For me, my biggest question mark is coach Stevens. Im not sure if he is the right guy for the team. I felt he let the team play coach Sutter hockey to the end of the season and into the playoffs. Seeing Carter board battle (when it was obvious he was still hurt) because Rieder and Toffoli getting killed on the boards was frustrating. Pearson is more able and ready, but was stuck on the 3rd line. Playing Folin over LaDue towards the end of playoffs, when it really obvious we were getting out skated was another. See Kopitar play for like ever at the end of Game 3 and being down by a goal, and Kopi being completely gassed with 20-30 seconds left.

This is the biggest issue the Kings have. The Kings or Stevens, reverted back into Sutter hockey towards the end of the season. If that's a coaching problem, then Stevens can probably sink the team with poor coaching.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

35 goals by a d-man...Bold ; )

DeBrincat is actually a RW. Would be pretty scary if he were a defenseman considering the fact that he's listed at 5'7" and 165 lbs.

 

[BigKing]

I wouldn't say the Kings reverted back to Sutter Hockey at the end of the season. Just because they couldn't score against Vegas doesn't mean they went back to Sutter Hockey.

Stevens isn't adept at in-game adjustments, has issues with usage rates and needs to do a better job of having the team ready to play at 7:30 as opposed to 10:00, although the latter probably falls more on the players.

I do think he was the perfect coach for this team following Sutter since the players liked him and, let's be honest, the organization wasn't looking to burn this thing down culture wise but rather continue on what DL built while embracing a different type of player--skill set wise--moving forward. It also can't be ignored that Doughty supposedly loves the guy and the contract issue was something to really think about when choosing a new coach. That being said, the Kings will have to overcome being outcoached if they are going to win a Cup with Stevens at the helm. I kind of feel he is a bridge coach and these guys will need more of a hard-ass at some point with the aforementioned shitty 1st periods supporting this theory.

The Kings don't have great depth with this being magnified in 2016 and last year with the late-season injuries to Martinez and Muzzin/Forbort, respectively. That was the big issue in the Vegas series with the Doughty suspension practically dooming them to lose that game. Quick was amazing but the defense couldn't get any transition going. I don't think it was reverting to Sutter Hockey but rather the fact that inserting guys like Fantenberg and Gravel into playoff games is a crusher compared to 2014 when you could still pull off a series win with Schultz out there.

I'm optimistic about Kovalchuk because it has a positive trickle-down effect, hopefully pushing Iafallo to the 3rd line where he, Kempe and Lewis can form a real solid 3rd line that can spend time in the offensive zone. If he can produce like Lucic did in his one year here, it will do wonders for this team.

 

[YP44]

DeBrincat is actually a RW. Would be pretty scary if he were a defenseman considering the fact that he's listed at 5'7" and 165 lbs.

haha...who the Frick was I thinking of.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The departure of Rieder is good for like 5 spots in the standings.

My god was that guy trash. 3 moments of brilliance, hundreds of minutes of human turnover and defensive liability.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think the last part is almost always the key to any good season. If the Kings make it through the season healthy, they're in the playoffs. They're deep on defense and will almost certainly be in the top 10 for goals against again. The problem is that, despite being deep on paper, they don't have another wave of young guys knocking at the door. If everyone's healthy, you have three very good lines and a solid fourth line with Amadio centering Lewis and Clifford. If any of the top nine go down for extended time though, it'll be a struggle just like last year. Bubble team. Has been for almost a decade.

Of course, in the end it's all about how deep the Kings go in the playoffs. If the Kings are in the playoff hunt come February, I fully expect Blake to trade for a scorer for the playoffs. They still seem to be missing something that puts them over the hump into contender status.

I feel like they don't need one right this moment. This is the year guys like Kempe and Amadio need to jump forward and guys like Pearson and Toffoli need to fully assert themselves. Vilardi busting his way in like the Kool-Aid man would be a phenomenal boon, but the 'young guys' we had last year are likely the ones to carry their weight this year. I mean, I think that's what you're saying anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure there's a kid we're expecting to break in this year beyond vilardi, and if one of the youngsters goes down, we get to see someone like Wagner or others get some seasoning--in other words, there ARE options, and one COULD surprise. Those guys aren't 'knocking at the door' (NHL ready anyway) like you say, but the system's got more depth this year than last, and there is some half-decent skill in the AHL squad.

 

[AlphaBravo]

To echo what others said, being healthy is the key to success for this team. I think if everyone is healthy and play more or less to their average potential (not career records, but just to their expected potential), we will compete for number one in the division. First of all, we do have depth because of guys like Kempe, Vilardi, and Iafallo giving us skill on the third line. The first two lines are more or less set and a legit top 6 (Kovy, Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Toffoli, Pearson). You can't expect top scorers on the fourth line in the cap era, so having, at a minimum, Lewis on the fourth line (a guy who has some offensive upside, and a solid two-way forward), makes us competitive in the league.

What will determine whether we are cup contenders or not is health and if players actually play at or above career numbers. I have no doubt that Kovy will at least get 20 goals. I don't consider him a question mark with respect to the 20 goals. If he gets to 30+ that will be crazy, but we don't even need that (I am also not holding my breath for that). What we do need is for Vilardi, Kempe, and Iafallo to give us legit depth scoring on the third line (15-20 goals a piece for Kempe and Vilardi, while I am hoping 10+ for Iafallo). I anticipate that Pearson and Toffoli will have a bounce back year.