Speculation: 2020-21 LA Kings News/Roster/Rumors Discussion Part VI

[SFKingshomer]

Problem is that Blake has to make that call this summer. He won't find a competent 2c once the season starts and it's apparent that Byfield and Vilardi aren't ready. The Kings have developed him the right way this year; throwing him into the NHL next year on a full-time basis is a super risky strategy. Better for Blake to go get a 2c and then give Byfield 9 games to see where he fits. If Byfield is ready then alternate him between 3c/4c and the pp where he can be somewhat sheltered. If he isn't ready then send him back to junior. But at least the 2c slot won't be a disaster for like the 4th or 5th year in a row.

It’s apparent after 2 games? Go find a potential #2 that a team can afford to trade. There’s a reason teams like Nashville, Minnesota, Columbus, etc. have mediocre centers. You get 2 top 6 centers and you hold onto them.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Here’s a player who is 35 years old doing something nobody on the Kings is willing to do, which is to stand up for a teammate.

 

[tomd]

It’s apparent after 2 games? Go find a potential #2 that a team can afford to trade. There’s a reason teams like Nashville, Minnesota, Columbus, etc. have mediocre centers. You get 2 top 6 centers and you hold onto them.

Reading comprehension. I said it would be tough to find a 2c after the season starts and it BECOMES apparent that Byfield wasn't ready. Can you say right now that Byfield is ready to be given the 2c spot next year? Blake has the rest of this year (2 NHL games and a handful of AHL games to determine if Byfield is ready). Not much time.

And BTW, Florida picked up a 2c in Sam Bennett pretty cheaply. Best TDL trade of the year. The players are out there and a good GM will find them. Just keep giving Blake a pass on getting anything done and you'll be rewarded with nothing getting done.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Reading comprehension. I said it would be tough to find a 2c after the season starts and it BECOMES apparent that Byfield wasn't ready. Can you say right now that Byfield is ready to be given the 2c spot next year? Blake has the rest of this year (2 NHL games and a handful of AHL games to determine if Byfield is ready). Not much time.

And BTW, Florida picked up a 2c in Sam Bennett pretty cheaply. Best TDL trade of the year. The players are out there and a good GM will find them. Just keep giving Blake a pass on getting anything done and you'll be rewarded with nothing getting done.

Do you think the Flames would have traded him to LA for anything short of a 1st? They got a good prospect and a 2nd from an East coast team. Many said Florida overpayed for a bottom 6 player. He would not be a top 6 center in LA, not with their wingers.

 

[Gjwrams]

Check out the scoring leaders on the Kings in the last 10 games:

NHL Stats

Kopitar and Trevor Moore lead the team with 4 goals, followed by Brown and Athanasiou with 2 goals, then a bunch of players with 1 or less goals, including Iafallo, Kempe, Vilardi, Doughty, etc.

That type of production isn't going to win you very many hockey games.

On the other hand, Quick's numbers have been stellar in the past 10 games with a .924 save percentage and 2.15 GAA. However, Petersen has been putrid, sporting a .885 save percentage and 3.78 GAA.

Yes! Petersen's play has been piss poor. Granted some of it is the play in front of him, but he for sure has been bad. For a guy that has the opportunity to seize the #1 spot, that is not the way to do it.

 

[tomd]

Do you think the Flames would have traded him to LA for anything short of a 1st? They got a good prospect and a 2nd from an East coast team. Many said Florida overpayed for a bottom 6 player. He would not be a top 6 center in LA, not with their wingers.

That's the type of attitude that forced Vilardi into the 2c slot this year that resulted in pretty total failure. Now you want to take a 19 year-old and put him in the same spot with no backup plan. Sounds great to me.

 

[SFKingshomer]

That's the type of attitude that forced Vilardi into the 2c slot this year that resulted in pretty total failure. Now you want to take a 19 year-old and put him in the same spot with no backup plan. Sounds great to me.

I have yet to see your plan. The guys you mention were likely not available to LA. How often do teams trade their young guys to division rivals? It’s really not as easy as you make it seem. Hence why there are a bunch of teams with worse center depth than LA. You’re arguing a guy many viewed as a bust or at least a major disappointment and 1 that isn’t any better than Vilardi at this point. Their numbers are pretty similar and Vilardi hasn’t had the luxury of playing with 1 of the best players in the game.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Reading comprehension. I said it would be tough to find a 2c after the season starts and it BECOMES apparent that Byfield wasn't ready. Can you say right now that Byfield is ready to be given the 2c spot next year? Blake has the rest of this year (2 NHL games and a handful of AHL games to determine if Byfield is ready). Not much time.

And BTW, Florida picked up a 2c in Sam Bennett pretty cheaply. Best TDL trade of the year. The players are out there and a good GM will find them. Just keep giving Blake a pass on getting anything done and you'll be rewarded with nothing getting done.

Florida picked up a center pretty cheaply. He's never been close to being as productive as he's been in his short time on FLA. This is Chandler Stephenson again.

Blake cannot bring in a Stephenson or Bennett this summer as a 2C if he's serious about a playoff spot.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Florida picked up a center pretty cheaply. He's never been close to being as productive as he's been in his short time on FLA. This is Chandler Stephenson again.

Blake cannot bring in a Stephenson or Bennett this summer as a 2C if he's serious about a playoff spot.

Yea Stephenson the guy who was brought in for a 4th line role and only ended up centering 2 of the best wingers in the game due to Glass not being ready and Stastny being traded. These are not moves for a top 6 center, the team and player for lucky and fell into the slot. No team thought “let’s bring in Chandler Stephenson to be a top 6 center”

 

[SFKingshomer]

Danault would be great but he’s going to get seriously overpaid. He’s more like a Stoll type that can play 2nd line but is better suited for a 3rd line.

 

[tomd]

I have yet to see your plan. The guys you mention were likely not available to LA. How often do teams trade their young guys to division rivals? It’s really not as easy as you make it seem. Hence why there are a bunch of teams with worse center depth than LA. You’re arguing a guy many viewed as a bust or at least a major disappointment and 1 that isn’t any better than Vilardi at this point. Their numbers are pretty similar and Vilardi hasn’t had the luxury of playing with 1 of the best players in the game.

It's the job of the pro scouts to find the next Bennett or Stephenson. If they can't do that or if Blake can't pull the trigger on a trade for a player they've identified then one or both need to go. It amazes me how other GM's can make trades but somehow Blake is incapable and fans like you give him a pass. Right now Vilardi is a bust at 2c. Maybe he can come back next year and be better but what if he can't? What if Byfield isn't ready at 19? You just refuse to answer those questions.

 

[SFKingshomer]

It's the job of the pro scouts to find the next Bennett or Stephenson. If they can't do that or if Blake can't pull the trigger on a trade for a player they've identified then one or both need to go. It amazes me how other GM's can make trades but somehow Blake is incapable and fans like you give him a pass. Right now Vilardi is a bust at 2c. Maybe he can come back next year and be better but what if he can't? What if Byfield isn't ready at 19? You just refuse to answer those questions.

Vegas did not bring in Stephenson to play a top 6 role. That is what you can’t get through your head. It was by pure luck that he found chemistry with their best wingers after their top prospect didn’t work out and they traded Stastny. I’ve heard the story from their own coach on Wild live. Vilardis numbers aren’t far off your boy Bennett and he doesn’t play with Huberdeau...

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's the job of the pro scouts to find the next Bennett or Stephenson. If they can't do that or if Blake can't pull the trigger on a trade for a player they've identified then one or both need to go. It amazes me how other GM's can make trades but somehow Blake is incapable and fans like you give him a pass. Right now Vilardi is a bust at 2c. Maybe he can come back next year and be better but what if he can't? What if Byfield isn't ready at 19? You just refuse to answer those questions.

So who is your suggestion?

I'd be all for a 'good 2C' but neither of the guys you mention are that actual guy, they just have crazy chemistry. But in a perfect world, even if Byfield kills it as 2C, having another guy able to play that role is gravy (gives you strength down the middle instead of just hope).

 

[KingsFan7824]

If Blake dumpster dives for a warm body at 2C, this team will suck again.

 

[Bandit]

It amazes me how other GM's can make trades

It "amazes you" that in a field of 31 GMs you can name a few that have made good trades? Careful what you wish for. For every "good trade" you can name there's a Milbury or a Chiarelli waiting in the wings. Welcome to life.

 

[SFKingshomer]

So who is your suggestion?

I'd be all for a 'good 2C' but neither of the guys you mention are that actual guy, they just have crazy chemistry. But in a perfect world, even if Byfield kills it as 2C, having another guy able to play that role is gravy (gives you strength down the middle instead of just hope).

In before “it’s not my job to find that guy” and he brings up some random 4th liner like Stephenson.

 

[Mats26]

Don't underestimate the loss of Futa. There are good players to be had, who is leading our Pro scouting ? How do you not pay pennies for Haydn Fluery. Even getting Ghost for free to flip him in 2 years. I don't get the sleep walking we are doing through this rebuild.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Don't underestimate the loss of Futa. There are good players to be had, who is leading our Pro scouting ? How do you not pay pennies for Hayden Fluery. Even getting Ghost for free to flip him in 2 years. I don't get the sleep walking we are doing through this rebuild.

Expansion draft.

 

[tny760]

i do think the expansion draft is a bigger deal here than is immediately apparent

at least i f***in hope so..

 

[Mats26]

Expansion draft.

So it means 2 of Clague, Fluery or Ghost will be on this team next year, for a 6th rd pick. lol

 

[SFKingshomer]

So it means 2 of Clague, Fluery or Ghost will be on this team next year, for a 6th rd pick. lol

Are Fleury or Gost even an upgrade? Also, is AEG ok with taking on a project with a big salary when they have so much dead money going out to Phaneuf, Richards, etc.? It’s not always the GM...just playing the other side.

 

[unicornpig]

ghost? nobody want him now for free so how would we flip him in two years.

 

[Mats26]

Are Fleury or Gost even an upgrade? Also, is AEG ok with taking on a project with a big salary when they have so much dead money going out to Phaneuf, Richards, etc.? It’s not always the GM...just playing the other side.

Upgrade over who? We have no LD that can play on the PP, we have no LD man that can move or pass the puck out of our zone. We need a Clague type of d man and we are going to lose him. We got no LD ready to step up and provide some offense after him. If it is a money issue then let's forget the big name UFAs and 10 million$ center from the Sabres as well.

 

[Mats26]

ghost? nobody want him now for free so how would we flip him in two years.

Cap space and term. We could of managed that. He is what Clague will turn out to be in Seattle.

 

[apadilla]

Here’s a player who is 35 years old doing something nobody on the Kings is willing to do, which is to stand up for a teammate.

Yup! I remember when the Kings had Gudas in camp and could of given him his first pro contract. But for some reason the Kings didn't think he was worth a contract. Then the following season Hextall leaves the Kings, takes over in Philly, and one of the first transactions he makes is to sign Gudas. It was a weird outcome. He definitely would of been a fan favorite here.