Speculation: 2019-20 News/Rumors,Roster thread Post Deadline

[Piston]

Under.

Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Iafallo, Kempe, Lizotte, Moore, Wagner, Amadio, Frk, that's 10. Does Prokhorkin stick around?

Doughty, Walker, Roy, MacD.

Quick, Petersen.

That's anywhere from 5-7 open spots. You figure another couple Frk/Ryan types will be signed, if for no other reason than basically every team signs a couple Frk/Ryan types every summer.

There are a lot of guys currently playing auditioning for roles next year. Don't think Amadio has proven he belongs, and Wagner is on the bubble. Will Carter get the Kovy treatment to open up a spot?

 

[Brodeur]

From the previous thread:

Awesome, hopefully this gave enough time for their parents to make the flight. It'd be great if the coaches arranged it for them to have both brothers be on the opening draw. Joey's been pretty solid for the Devils since being called up, hopefully Mikey has a strong showing for the Kings.

Coaches having the 2 players on the ice for the opening draw for the parents would be border line offensive. It’s the NHL not a pee wee tournament. There is no place for that sort of sentimentality, if they happen to get on the ice at the same time then great but arranging it cheapens the whole thing for me.

I actually understand where you're coming from. When I read that the Devils traded for a pick in 2013 so Marty Brodeur could draft his kid, I was immediately annoyed. But when I saw the video, it's just a moment that's hard to recreate.

I missed the start of warmups, but apparently the teams had the Andersons take a lap by themselves. They were both on the opening draw (and also for the 2nd period if I recall correctly). I understand how that could be considered hokey, but it's a small gesture that can mean a lot. Hopefully we have a couple dozen more Anderson Brother matchups down the road and I wouldn't expect the coaches to do these sort of things again.

 

[KINGS17]

Agreed. Like a lot of people I’ve felt he’s a 3LW that has been playing out of position. However the stretch of form he’s been showing recently does make me question that assessment. If he could consistently be a 50pt guy, with someone more prolific on the other wing then I wouldn’t mind him playing with Kopi (ignoring possibilities from the draft). However he needs to consistently bring the more assertive offensive game he’s been showing recently. There’s definitely been a change in his approach recently, no doubt in my mind that TMac or someone has had a word.

In terms of depth Iafallo, Kempe and Grundström give us 3/4 of a solid port side for next year. We just need a genuine 1 LW from somewhere .... hmmm....

I think as Brown is phased out of that line over time, Iafallo can replace his net front presence. The other wing is going to have to be a player who is good along the boards and can cycle the puck. People say Kopitar needs a sniper or a big time scorer on his wing, but history suggests it doesn't work well. It's just the way Kopitar plays. When he gets a sniper, he almost never shoots the puck.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I've been as big an Amadio supporter as anyone but he's totally lost his game in the 2nd half of the season.

I've fought for him as he's a slow burn, late developer at every level and was making incremental gains pretty much since he turned pro, but he's really "just a guy" right now. As far as I'm concerned, he's currently lost his spot and needs to re-earn it.

 

[Fat Elvis]

I've been as big an Amadio supporter as anyone but he's totally lost his game in the 2nd half of the season.

I've fought for him as he's a slow burn, late developer at every level and was making incremental gains pretty much since he turned pro, but he's really "just a guy" right now. As far as I'm concerned, he's currently lost his spot and needs to re-earn it.

I have a weird Matt Moulson fear about Amadio. The moment they give up on him, he'll go all Matt Moulson with 3 consecutive 30 goal seasons.. I say it in jest, but there's still some fear there that it could happen.
But, LA has given Amadio 144 games to show us little glimpses of what may be there. He makes a play and we all think "there it is!!" Then he goes MIA for months. Dude is an enigma. Confidence has to play a part. Something just isn't right with him. He's been given a chance.

 

[kings11]

I think as Brown is phased out of that line over time, Iafallo can replace his net front presence. The other wing is going to have to be a player who is good along the boards and can cycle the puck. People say Kopitar needs a sniper or a big time scorer on his wing, but history suggests it doesn't work well. It's just the way Kopitar plays. When he gets a sniper, he almost never shoots the puck.

I agree, although if you really analyze the way Kopi plays is he tends to adjust to the play of his wingers.
The years he hasnt shot as much, his wingers werent scoring and he tried to force feed them opportunities.. To a fault, Kopitar is the ultimate teammate!

 

[kings11]

I've been as big an Amadio supporter as anyone but he's totally lost his game in the 2nd half of the season.

I've fought for him as he's a slow burn, late developer at every level and was making incremental gains pretty much since he turned pro, but he's really "just a guy" right now. As far as I'm concerned, he's currently lost his spot and needs to re-earn it.

That makes two of us.. He seems to have lost his confidence and needs to get his shit together asap if he wants to continue to be an LA King

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I have a weird Matt Moulson fear about Amadio. The moment they give up on him, he'll go all Matt Moulson with 3 consecutive 30 goal seasons.. I say it in jest, but there's still some fear there that it could happen.
But, LA has given Amadio 144 games to show us little glimpses of what may be there. He makes a play and we all think "there it is!!" Then he goes MIA for months. Dude is an enigma. Confidence has to play a part. Something just isn't right with him. He's been given a chance.

I don't think they should give up on him. But I agree something isn't right, and I know he'll be a decent NHLer somewhere. Some fun facts:

He's getting steadily more--and harder--minutes and 'performing' better, but like many of the old guard, he's not finishing.

His faceoff % has improved from just over 43% to 49%.

His CF% has improved from year to year (48 to 51 to 55%) despite harder starts: his ozone starts have gone from 68% to 60% to 50% while his dzone starts have gone from 33 to 41 to 50. And I'm not a big fan of xG stuff, but even THAT has improved.

So, this is a guy who is steadily taking on more defensive responsibility and performing well in possession, faceoffs, shot suppression, but are we turning him into Nick Shore? It's like they've given up on his offensive development, removing him from the PP. Obviously we have more and better weapons now too, but it's a chicken-and-egg thing too--he's gotta earn it, but when can he show it?

But the real conondrum is the offense--while his points per game have stayed mostly the same, his goal production has cratered due to his shooting percentage dropping from 14% and 16% his first two years to 6% this year. That's a Toffoli-esque issue.

Basically, he's getting more and harder minutes and 'playing' better but it's not resulting in goals. Confidence? Not crashing the net hard enough? Hard to say. Regardless we need more.

 

[YP44]

I've been as big an Amadio supporter as anyone but he's totally lost his game in the 2nd half of the season.

I've fought for him as he's a slow burn, late developer at every level and was making incremental gains pretty much since he turned pro, but he's really "just a guy" right now. As far as I'm concerned, he's currently lost his spot and needs to re-earn it.

he sure looked good to start the season that is for sure. I was pumped about him, now I am just meh.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There are a lot of guys currently playing auditioning for roles next year. Don't think Amadio has proven he belongs, and Wagner is on the bubble. Will Carter get the Kovy treatment to open up a spot?

I just figure since Amadio has a 1 way deal next year, he'll be on the roster, barring a trade. I can see Wagner getting a 1 or 2 year deal. They have to fill the roster for at least another year, might as well let him keep trying.

I didn't think they'd buy Phaneuf out, and I never would've thought they would tell Kovalchuk to just not bother for a month(even after the week off they gave him last year), so who knows with Carter. He doesn't mean as little to the franchise as Phaneuf or Kovalchuk did though, which may or may not make a difference at this point. Keep him, buy him out, either way. They can keep him, expose him for Seattle, and then buy him out, right? The timing on the would work?

 

[YP44]

Isn't Carter actually injured? Not like he is getting the just stay at home treatment.

I wan Carter here next year, and wish he was playing alongside Frk and Vilardi right now.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[Statto]

From the previous thread:





I actually understand where you're coming from. When I read that the Devils traded for a pick in 2013 so Marty Brodeur could draft his kid, I was immediately annoyed. But when I saw the video, it's just a moment that's hard to recreate.

I missed the start of warmups, but apparently the teams had the Andersons take a lap by themselves. They were both on the opening draw (and also for the 2nd period if I recall correctly). I understand how that could be considered hokey, but it's a small gesture that can mean a lot. Hopefully we have a couple dozen more Anderson Brother matchups down the road and I wouldn't expect the coaches to do these sort of things again.

I have no issue with the lap, that seems perfectly reasonable.

 

[Lt Dan]

View attachment 329981

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I love Lewis for his contributions. Always will.

But if he's not retiring, he shouldn't be back.

I'm all for removing any level of comfort Doughty has left.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Are you kidding? I have seen every King since 1973 and Lewis may be the first, in which I am counting down days to his final King game..I didn't even wish that for Randy Jones.
BFD he scores 2 NHL level goals the last week....If Blake resigns him, he should be fired. If a Grundstrom, JAD, or ? is not ready, please sign a free agent / bridge player or trade a #3 pick for
an NHL player, that is between 23-28 years of age. Lewis has been below NHL level player for 2 years now.

Remember: He was offered up to 30 teams....and no takers.

(T) TREVOR MINUS 32 DAYS.

 

[Schmooley]

Are you kidding? I have seen every King since 1973 and Lewis may be the first, in which I am counting down days to his final King game..I didn't even wish that for Randy Jones.
BFD he scores 2 NHL level goals the last week....If Blake resigns him, he should be fired. If a Grundstrom, JAD, or ? is not ready, please sign a free agent / bridge player or trade a #3 pick for
an NHL player, that is between 23-28 years of age. Lewis has been below NHL level player for 2 years now.

(T) TREVOR MINUS 32 DAYS.

The only reason I can see for bringing back lewis would be as a 13th forward. Otherwise i just dont understand

 

[Telos]

Lewis needs to go. Brown, on the other hand, needs to stay imo. Unless we somehow find ourselves in cap hell, there is no one on the team I want the kids listening to more than Brown. Moreso than Doughty or Kopitar...

 

[Statto]

Lewis needs to go. Brown, on the other hand, needs to stay imo. Unless we somehow find ourselves in cap hell, there is no one on the team I want the kids listening to more than Brown. Moreso than Doughty or Kopitar...

Completely agree. Removing the C from Brown was a huge mistake not only should he retire a King, it should have been as Captain.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There's nothing over the last year and a half that suggests Lewis is coming back. However, a 1 year deal just to get through next year, whatever. If nobody is excited for Luff, then, ok. Other than change for the sake of change, if the next warm body UFA brought in is another Lewis, then keeping Lewis for another year is a 6/half dozen situation.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Too many of you are minimizing the value that guys like Lewis bring to the locker room. I could care less if Lewis stays or goes, but to suggest signing a UFA to "replace him" doesn't make sense. Lewis was a part of 2 Cup winning teams, at the BARE MINIMUM, he can show kids like Vilardi, Walker, Roy, Kempe, Prokhorkin etc, what it takes to win in the NHL, how to be a professional in the NHL, etc. Too many are discounting that.....there is not a lot of players left over from those years, Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Quick, Doughty.....

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Too many of you are minimizing the value that guys like Lewis bring to the locker room. I could care less if Lewis stays or goes, but to suggest signing a UFA to "replace him" doesn't make sense. Lewis was a part of 2 Cup winning teams, at the BARE MINIMUM, he can show kids like Vilardi, Walker, Roy, Kempe, Prokhorkin etc, what it takes to win in the NHL, how to be a professional in the NHL, etc. Too many are discounting that.....there is not a lot of players left over from those years, Kopitar, Brown, Carter, Quick, Doughty.....

I don't really disagree, but I think he should be removed, not replaced. And 5 leftovers is plenty given those guys were the ultimate core, if they can't take ownership, we're screwed anyway. 5 guys--covering every position. That's an entire forward line, an all situations d-man, and a goalie, covering almost a quarter of the current roster. Don't need more than that imo.

I won't be super mad if he's signed for a year or anything and I'd probably prefer that over a UFA (though gimme Clifford over Lewis pls) but we've got enough 'locker room leadership.' If anything, we need a vet dman badly, not a depth forward.

 

[AzKing]

I think the Kings envision Lewis as a guy who could eventually move right into coaching or some form of employment within the organization. It could be that they just want the guy to remain a King for life and be a presence in the locker room to help the younger kids develop mentally.

 

[verbalkint47]

I can see it now.. Trevor Lewis.. shooting coach..

 

[Reaper45]

I can see it now.. Trevor Lewis.. shooting coach..

Isnt that Craig Johnson's job?