2019-20 Kings News/Rumors

[KingsFan7824]

Did you know that in the last calendar year:

Clifford is 8th on the team in goals, 9th on the team in assists, and 8th on the team in points. 8th on the team in ES goals. 6th on the team in ES points, tied with Kempe, and only 2 points away from 4th.

Kopitar is 6th in shots on net.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Did you know that in the last calendar year:

Clifford is 8th on the team in goals, 9th on the team in assists, and 8th on the team in points. 8th on the team in ES goals. 6th on the team in ES points, tied with Kempe, and only 2 points away from 4th.

Kopitar is 6th in shots on net.

I defend Kopitar a lot but that last stat is pretty unforgivable, even with some of the shot-volume lunatics we employ.

 

[KINGS17]

Did you know that in the last calendar year:

Clifford is 8th on the team in goals, 9th on the team in assists, and 8th on the team in points. 8th on the team in ES goals. 6th on the team in ES points, tied with Kempe, and only 2 points away from 4th.

Kopitar is 6th in shots on net.

The Kings need to trade Clifford, he will garner the biggest return. I say that somewhat tongue in cheek, but it might be true.

This team sucks, and the players who are supposed to be leading the way don't seem to care.

 

[KINGS17]

I defend Kopitar a lot but that last stat is pretty unforgivable, even with some of the shot-volume lunatics we employ.

I think it @bland or @BigKing who posted it, but shot volume tells you a lot about the kind of season Kopitar is having in any particular season.

 

[lumbergh]

Last night's lack of effort aside, I don't know if they quit on Stevens anymore. I can't get the with/without Kovalchuk record out of my head. They were 7-7-4 with WD as the coach when Kovalchuk didn't play. By no means is that a good record, but the players didn't respect WD, and were still .500 when one specific guy didn't play, in an otherwise atrocious season. Only 18 out of 82 games, but so far it's the same this year too.

We'll never know, but if Kovalchuk isn't signed, is Stevens still the coach today? The team wasn't all that different from the one that finished 17-18 on the day he was fired, other than 1 guy. While they got torched by Vegas, they didn't quit in the series. An argument can be made that the players lost all confidence in Stevens after that series, and couldn't play for him again. That's the one I've gone with when last year started. Since benching Kovalchuk this year, without Muzzin, with a handful of younger guys sprinkled around, they're 6th in GA again. They finished 1st overall 17-18. Again, maybe they respect TM, but if that's the case, where was that respect in the first 17 games of the year, when they were worse than they currently are, and were fighting for 31st in GA with Detroit? Maybe it took exactly that long for system to kick in, for the younger guys to feel more comfortable, etc. Maybe after 17 games, the players finally knew their season and reputation was on the line, so they started trying harder then.

I'm no longer sold that Stevens isn't still here today if Kovalchuk isn't brought in. Even if they just keep the same team that ended the 17-18 season.

125 games since Oct 18-19:

29-46-6 with Kovalchuk (65 points per 82 games)
193 GF (2.38)
271 GA (3.35)

19-18-7 without Kovalchuk (84 points per 82 games)
116 GF (2.64)
123 GA (2.80)

Smaller sample size without him. Get an even better picture when this season is over. Maybe things get closer.

The Kings suck either way. Kovalchuk was awful as a King, but that doesn't paper over the fact that Stevens wasn't good. Moving on.

 

[Statto]

Last night's lack of effort aside, I don't know if they quit on Stevens anymore. I can't get the with/without Kovalchuk record out of my head. They were 7-7-4 with WD as the coach when Kovalchuk didn't play. By no means is that a good record, but the players didn't respect WD, and were still .500 when one specific guy didn't play, in an otherwise atrocious season. Only 18 out of 82 games, but so far it's the same this year too.

We'll never know, but if Kovalchuk isn't signed, is Stevens still the coach today? The team wasn't all that different from the one that finished 17-18 on the day he was fired, other than 1 guy. While they got torched by Vegas, they didn't quit in the series. An argument can be made that the players lost all confidence in Stevens after that series, and couldn't play for him again. That's the one I've gone with when last year started. Since benching Kovalchuk this year, without Muzzin, with a handful of younger guys sprinkled around, they're 6th in GA again. They finished 1st overall 17-18. Again, maybe they respect TM, but if that's the case, where was that respect in the first 17 games of the year, when they were worse than they currently are, and were fighting for 31st in GA with Detroit? Maybe it took exactly that long for system to kick in, for the younger guys to feel more comfortable, etc. Maybe after 17 games, the players finally knew their season and reputation was on the line, so they started trying harder then.

I'm no longer sold that Stevens isn't still here today if Kovalchuk isn't brought in. Even if they just keep the same team that ended the 17-18 season.

125 games since Oct 18-19:

29-46-6 with Kovalchuk (65 points per 82 games)
193 GF (2.38)
271 GA (3.35)

19-18-7 without Kovalchuk (84 points per 82 games)
116 GF (2.64)
123 GA (2.80)

Smaller sample size without him. Get an even better picture when this season is over. Maybe things get closer.

sorry but you’re badly over thinking it. There was plenty going wrong when Kovi wasn’t on the ice.

 

[damacles1156]

I think this teams biggest problem is they still don't have an identity. Blake/TM saying they want speed/skill is like a coach saying "Defenders need to block shots". What is this team, what values do the prospects need to have coming up, what is "Kings Hockey"?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think this teams biggest problem is they still don't have an identity. Blake/TM saying they want speed/skill is like a coach saying "Defenders need to block shots". What is this team, what values do the prospects need to have coming up, what is "Kings Hockey"?

I agree. We've gotten smaller, faster, and more skilled....but still can't score and our calling card is still 'system' and 'defense' (or tries, anyway). This is exactly what DL was warning about with his flavor of the month comment. What's being built towards?

I like that the last draft added high-skill character guys and it seems like TM wants to play an up-tempo game but I'm not sure what the endgame is here. There was never a doubt what the Sutter Kings were, for better or for worse.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Losing the lottery (again) got us Turcotte.

In an average world, we would have picked #1 or 2.

Agree with you that we got screwed by the lottery results, but I was just trying to say those moves helped get us into the top five at the draft.

 

[YP44]

The Kings need to trade Clifford, he will garner the biggest return. I say that somewhat tongue in cheek, but it might be true.

This team sucks, and the players who are supposed to be leading the way don't seem to care.

Players who play like clifford does will always be in demand come playoff time. Especially after a physical team in the blues just won it.

I agree Clifford would get a great return, but it sure sounds like LA does not have an appetite to pull the trigger. I want them to if the return is greater than or equal to a 2nd round pick (which it damn well should be), and then I would welcome LA signing him as a UFA on July 1.

 

[kilowatt]

I think LA could trade Clifford if he 1. wants to go and 2. agrees to re-sign in the off-season.

 

[fivehole32]

And sometimes, that's what it takes.

I appreciate Pearson and I believe he would have eventually figured it out here too, but like Toffoli, his age just doesn't really fit the group, and he's not 'good enough' to be a leadership guy, so why have him? But sometimes, you have a Brian Boyle situation, where a guy is just stuck in the mud and being traded is a career wake-up call. Not sure which one Pearson is, but I'd like to think it's the first, but he's a good dude with history here, so I'm rooting for him, even if it's elsewhere.

I watched a Canucks broadcast the other day and they said Pearson felt it was a wake up call being traded twice in one season. He felt he was on his way out of the NHL so he hired a skating coach this last off season and it made a huge difference in his game.

 

[YP44]

I think LA could trade Clifford if he 1. wants to go and 2. agrees to re-sign in the off-season.

I don't think they can formally negotiate this. But a behind the scene wink wink nudge nudge thing definitely.

 

[Mats26]

I don't think they can formally negotiate this. But a behind the scene wink wink nudge nudge thing definitely.

Same back scene deal can happen to Iafallo. He is a UFA during the Seattle expansion draft. Kings can keep him as UFA(don't protect him) during the expansion draft with a verbal agreement that he will sign with the Kings after the draft. Allows the Kings to protect an extra forward.

 

[lumbergh]

I think LA could trade Clifford if he 1. wants to go and 2. agrees to re-sign in the off-season.

Not gonna happen. Clifford would never go and tell Blake he wants out.

It's Blake's decision whether to trade Clifford. From every article out there, the entire organization is head over heels in love with Clifford. I just don't see it.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

If they are going to continue to have young players added to the roster, they are going to want someone around that can stick up for them. I'd be surprised if Clifford was traded or not re-signed.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

I actually could see Clifford being traded IF Blake went to him and said something like " look Kyle its in the best interest of the kings if we can trade u for a couple of picks and you can get another playoff run and we will resign u in July "

 

[Choralone]

Jordan Samuels-Thomas with another excellent article on the Athletic: Analytics show why the Kings are better than their record. I'd like to quote the whole thing, but that's not kosher and violates HF rules anyway.

He looks at the Kings' performance for the first half of the season, especially in terms of "expected goals percentage" - both on the team level and for a slew of players individually. The numbers come from Sean Tierney and are explained thusly:

Expected goal for percentage (xGF%) is a good indicator of which team is controlling the flow of shot quality at 5-on-5. Every shot taken and allowed is given a value based on the likelihood that the shot would be a goal — factors include shot distance, angle, type, whether or not the shot was a rebound or rush shot, and east-west pre-shot movement. All of the shot quality generated by the team is compared to all the shot quality allowed by the team. If your team is above 50 percent, they’re controlling the flow of quality. Over time, teams with a positive quality share will outscore their opponents.

Sameuls-Thomas' conclusion?

From this chart, it is painfully obvious that the Kings — who currently sit second to last in the Western Conference — deserve better results than they’ve gotten this season.

The Kings got off to a hot start in regard to shot quality and game control before going through a bit of a slump in late October/early November. Since Nov. 20, they’ve recaptured their shot quality and overall game by routinely securing the lion’s share of quality chances.

 

[YP44]

Wonder what a Toffli trade offer from the Avalanche would look like

 

[redcard]

Jordan Samuels-Thomas with another excellent article on the Athletic: Analytics show why the Kings are better than their record. I'd like to quote the whole thing, but that's not kosher and violates HF rules anyway.

He looks at the Kings' performance for the first half of the season, especially in terms of "expected goals percentage" - both on the team level and for a slew of players individually. The numbers come from Sean Tierney and are explained thusly:

Sameuls-Thomas' conclusion?

I don't really agree with his conclusion that they "deserve better results than they’ve gotten this season." It seems as if he's saying we're getting quality chances but are just unlucky that we're not converting and that over time it'll even out. But I think most of us will agree that we have good possession players but poor shooters. We need to be above the line in quality chances generated because we are the worst team in the league at converting those chances.

 

[Choralone]

I don't really agree with his conclusion that they "deserve better results than they’ve gotten this season." It seems as if he's saying we're getting quality chances but are just unlucky that we're not converting and that over time it'll even out. But I think most of us will agree that we have good possession players but poor shooters. We need to be above the line in quality chances generated because we are the worst team in the league at converting those chances.

Yeah, he goes into the need for better finishers, goaltending issues, and crap special teams as three standout issues, so he doesn't leave it at that - but like I said I didn't want to just quote the whole damn thing so I'm not doing his larger argument justice.

 

[regulate]

Frk has been sent back to the Reign this morning, and Kupari (injured) and Bjornfot have also been added to the Reign roster.

 

[Statto]

I agree. We've gotten smaller, faster, and more skilled....but still can't score and our calling card is still 'system' and 'defense' (or tries, anyway). This is exactly what DL was warning about with his flavor of the month comment. What's being built towards?

I like that the last draft added high-skill character guys and it seems like TM wants to play an up-tempo game but I'm not sure what the endgame is here. There was never a doubt what the Sutter Kings were, for better or for worse.

I don’t see forging an identity as all that realistic right now. Given we are anticipating significant roster churn before the TDL and likely more in the summer it won’t start developing properly until camp at the earliest IMO.

Our new identity will need to be built around and installed into the youth movement. The system is the focus and when the young guys start graduating en masse they’ll bring those extra ingredients that will identify the Kings going forward. The vets we keep will be pivotal and play key roles, but the kids will define us. That’s how I see it anyway.

 

[head eyes]

Frk has been sent back to the Reign this morning, and Kupari (injured) and Bjornfot have also been added to the Reign roster.

That's a shame. Frk was great up and down the ice. Considering he had to play with Carter made his play even more impressive.

 

[Mats26]

Jacob Ingham: OHL player of the week.

OHL ‘On the Run’ Player of the Week: Jacob Ingham – Ontario Hockey League