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

[No Name The Nameless]

Sure! I get the concerns everyone had prior to him becoming a pro, but he's given nobody any reason since that point to think that is previous back issues are still an ongoing concern.

How many hockey players have had long NHL career with "chronic" back issues? Blake says that Gabe requires "constant maintenance"and that Gabe will need to take care of his back "all of the time".

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Jr C. 80-81.

Ok, way back in the day, for me it was 93-94 or 94-95, can't remember not at South Coast though...

 

[BigKing]

I would go harder after Matt Tkachuk than I would for Eichel.

I would go harder too. I'd be harder than I have been since 2014 if they actually got him.

Looking at Calgary's roster...I think I prefer the Kings position. They only have $900k of available cap space and not a lot coming off the books next season. Tkachuk's QO after next season has to be $9MM, I believe. Little Johnny is a UFA at the same time. Tkachuk is their best young asset though so it would be hard for them to move him. That said, I'd love to try. I'll take Lucic back as well for the next two seasons: gladly.

Assume we draft 8th. Send them 8OA and Turcotte as the main pieces. Figure it out from there.

That $9MM QO is pretty steep though. Here are the wingers that have a higher or equal cap hit:

Panarin
Marner
Kane
Kucherov
Benn
Stone
Rantanen
Skinner

Outside of Skinner and Benn, not so sure he is in that league. Even if it was dumb though, I'd do almost anything just for the entertainment value.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I would go harder too. I'd be harder than I have been since 2014 if they actually got him.

Looking at Calgary's roster...I think I prefer the Kings position. They only have $900k of available cap space and not a lot coming off the books next season. Tkachuk's QO after next season has to be $9MM, I believe. Little Johnny is a UFA at the same time. Tkachuk is their best young asset though so it would be hard for them to move him. That said, I'd love to try. I'll take Lucic back as well for the next two seasons: gladly.

Assume we draft 8th. Send them 8OA and Turcotte as the main pieces. Figure it out from there.

That $9MM QO is pretty steep though. Here are the wingers that have a higher or equal cap hit:

Panarin
Marner
Kane
Kucherov
Benn
Stone
Rantanen
Skinner

Outside of Skinner and Benn, not so sure he is in that league. Even if it was dumb though, I'd do almost anything just for the entertainment value.

He is, he's one of the few "game changing" wings...not necessarily with his goal scoring, but just how he plays the game....

Turcotte and 8OA won't do it......

Turcotte, 8OA, 2022 1st, and a Walker/Clague/Strand D....probably would and I would do that in a heartbeat and twice on Sundays....which tells me CGY wouldn't.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Sure! I get the concerns everyone had prior to him becoming a pro, but he's given nobody any reason since that point to think that is previous back issues are still an ongoing concern.

Yeah, considering he's been crushed--including from behind with crosschecks in the small of his back--a number of times this season and popped back up, I'm pretty sure the major worries are behind him.

How many hockey players have had long NHL career with "chronic" back issues? Blake says that Gabe requires "constant maintenance"and that Gabe will need to take care of his back "all of the time".

Jake Muzzin was pretty good, remember him?

I think at this stage it's unfair to consider Vilardi an "injury concern" any more than anyone else.

 

[BigKing]

He is, he's one of the few "game changing" wings...not necessarily with his goal scoring, but just how he plays the game....

Turcotte and 8OA won't do it......

Turcotte, 8OA, 2022 1st, and a Walker/Clague/Strand D....probably would and I would do that in a heartbeat and twice on Sundays....which tells me CGY wouldn't.

Yeah. Turcotte/8OA and then more. No problem. Maybe get a discount if they want to ditch Lucic.

I'm not rational on this though since Keith is my favorite player on top of just loving how both the Tkachuk boys play the game.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Yeah, considering he's been crushed--including from behind with crosschecks in the small of his back--a number of times this season and popped back up, I'm pretty sure the major worries are behind him.




Jake Muzzin was pretty good, remember him?

I think at this stage it's unfair to consider Vilardi an "injury concern" any more than anyone else.

Was Muzzin ever diagnosed with " chronic back " problems? When your own front office says that he has chronic back issues and that he will need constant maintenance and will always have to take care of his back that means it is not going away. Chronic, constant, always. That is three descriptions directly from Blake and Luc.

 

[legitarita19]

Target Sanheim in Philly or potentially Jake Bean in Carolina on the cheap.
For the real deal on defense, I'm asking Columbus what they want for Werenski. That's a bonafide PP specialist, big body and solid in his own end.
Werenski can play 2nd pair minutes with Roy and first line PP with Doughty (meaning they would have to restructure Kempe onto the 2nd unit).

An offensive minded solid D man is what the priority should be.

I'd trade 8th overall, Kupari/Turcotte and a B Level prospect for Werenski. For Sanheim or Bean, it's an A level prospect.

Offense is going to be more difficult. I still think they can continue to develop the kids for that part since we are flush with talent there. Kaliyev could get a longer look. Akil Thomas deserves a look. Turcotte is probably a little farther away.

If you want to go for a big fish on offense, chances are Vilardi is going to be moved. If not, let the kids see what they can do.

Worst case scenario, you bring in a UFA on a short term deal that times out with Kopitar's contract running out.

 

[SFKingshomer]

There's really no point in trading for Eichel if you aren't prepared to go all in the next couple of seasons.

 

[KINGS17]

I think Blake is incompetent but even I don't think he's incompetent enough to trade for an injured player. If Eichel isn't healthy then they'll make a signficant trade for someone else (cough *Laine* cough).

One of these things is not like the other.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

There's really no point in trading for Eichel if you aren't prepared to go all in the next couple of seasons.

I keep hearing this but I still have not gotten a good explanation as to why. Again, Eichel is 24 and signed to term. It's like in business. My dad taught me that when the opportunity presents itself, it's not a matter of if, it's how. You need to have assets available and flexibility to invest. The King's have that

 

[SFKingshomer]

I keep hearing this but I still have not gotten a good explanation as to why. Again, Eichel is 24 and signed to term.

To capitalize on his prime production years while Doughty is still good. You get Eichel to load up for the next 2-3 years before Doughty declines.

 

[KINGS17]

TB already tried to dump Johnson for nothing and couldn't do it, not sure that's become easier now. They were only saved by Kucharev's "injury".

With Seattle coming into the NHL there is going to be a deal to be made for some of these bad contracts on cap-strapped contending teams.

I hope Blake has already called Julien BriseBois about taking Johnson or Killorn off his hands this off season.

 

[SFKingshomer]

With Seattle coming into the NHL there is going to be a deal to be made for some of these bad contracts on cap-strapped contending teams.

I hope Blake has already called Julien BriseBois about taking Johnson or Killorn off his hands this off season.

He probably hasn't because he's trying to improve next years roster and I don't see TB offering a good ELC player to move Johnson or Killorn.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

One of these things is not like the other.

Maybe not, but I'd trade Vilardi, #8OA and a D like Walker/Clague/Strand etc, for Laine.....

 

[No Name The Nameless]

To capitalize on his prime production years while Doughty is still good. You get Eichel to load up for the next 2-3 years before Doughty declines.

I hear ya, but it's not one or the other. Eichel is long term. It still allows the rebuild while giving everyone an opportunity to see how the kids work with real skill. You trade some very good prospects for a young, sure fire superstar (assuming the due dil on the neck is done). It eliminates some of the redundant prospects and doesn't force the kids.

Eichel is today, tomorrow and the post Kopitar phase. He's an ace that you know is in your hand

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Maybe not, but I'd trade Vilardi, #8OA and a D like Walker/Clague/Strand etc, for Laine.....

I'm okay with trading some kids but only if it's for an ace on the hole. Laine is not that guy....imo.

 

[KINGS17]

He probably hasn't because he's trying to improve next years roster and I don't see TB offering a good ELC player to move Johnson or Killorn.

You are likely to get a 1st round pick, but Blake should push for more. At least a 1st, say in 2023 when TB is likely to be lower in the standings, a 2nd in 2023, and Alex f'ing Barre-Boulet just because I feel like it.

I wouldn't necessarily use the picks to draft players. The picks could come in handy in swinging a bigger deal in 2022.

 

[KINGS17]

He probably hasn't because he's trying to improve next years roster and I don't see TB offering a good ELC player to move Johnson or Killorn.

Blake should let next year take care of next year, and if that means Doughty wants out, so be it.

 

[Steve Zissou]

I would go harder after Matt Tkachuk than I would for Eichel.

Talk about the perfect winger for Byfield! Just the type we need for him - skilled, aggressive, and mean.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Blake should let next year take care of next year, and if that means Doughty wants out, so be it.

I think you and I know better than that. He’s going to try to load up to make Doughty and some fans happy while mortgaging the future.

 

[Sol]

So you want to pick 8th to 16th the next 3 years and never have enough elite high end talent to win a SC?

Or are you on board with trading Doughty and starting over?

If the Kings hypothetically traded Vilaridi, Turcotte and this years #1 for Eichel it would leave the Kings with Eichel (24), Byfield (18), Kaliyev (20), Kupari (21), Bjornfot (20), JAD (22), Faber (18), Anderson (21), Fagemo (21), Madden (22), Thomas (21), Andersson (22), Grans (18).

How on Earth is that "not being able to furnish or fix up" around your 2 young star centers (assuming QB hits)?

So much of this depends on Eichel being healthy and producing at the pace he has in the past over the next 5 years that it concerns me. I am not dead set against this kind of deal, but the Kings medical staff better do their homework. The homework better include not just Eichel's current status, but a projection of what his future status will be including the likelihood of another injury over the next 5 years.

What is Buffalo going to want in a trade for Eichel? Also, unknown. The hypothetical trade you mention seems pretty thin on assets the Kings would be giving up, unless Buffalo is thinking Eichel's injury in career threatening.

What I'm proposing is using less assets and building a deeper team like Vegas than a team relying only on Kopitar and Eichel for scoring. This would be a better bet for competing for a cup than the Kopitar/Eichel set up for the next 5+ years. Eichel would eat up half of the Kings remaining cap space limiting the ability to aquire quality depth at wing and d.

Agree and disagree with some of the points here. Herby is right, Kings need a game breaking player. Eichel will easily be that player. Eichel, health aside, is not a player I'm concerned with if his game will be as good in LA. That's ridiculous, it insinuates that it's the team that makes Eichel and not the other way around. Just watch him play and those kind of concerns will go away.

Yes Vegas is a deep team with no top end talent, I agree. But how many teams are actually built that way and succeed? Vegas is a very good team, but they're a rarity. Top end talent edges out in playoffs 90% of the time. Do you want to build around the 10%?

The health concerns I can't comment on but logically the logic in that kind of hopeful thinking is fitting a camel through the eye of a needle. It just doesn't happen that way. Like what the Blues were one of the rare ones? After how many blue balling?

 

[Rusty Batch]

There's really no point in trading for Eichel if you aren't prepared to go all in the next couple of seasons.

I disagree. For most of this current pool of prospects they will have 3 more years of ELC cap hits. During that three year period of time our team will be getting progressively better due to the development of the prospects. By the third year they should be pretty close to their prime and still on ELC deals. Some of that will be offset by a decline in Kopi and Doughty but I would imagine the progression of our roster as a whole will more than offset that.

I think it is much like the Toronto situation where you had Toronto scrambling to take advantage of the final year of ELCs on Marner, Matthews, Nylander by throwing a massive contract at an older John Tavares. (Except in our situation Eichel would be younger and building chemistry prior to that third year) That first Tavares year was a great opportunity for them to win but their cup window did not end there. It's still alive and not looking to dissapears anytime soon.

We could create a longer cup window if we pulled the trigger on Eichel now. With our prospect pool initially acting as the cheap elc players that allowed us to compliment them with expensive vets (Kopi/Doughty/Eichel,etc...) And then much like Tavares Eichel would move into more of a impact vet role for the next couple years. With the added benefit that Eichel would only have a couple more high priced years left as opposed to Tavares retirement contract.

 

[Sol]

Or we can do something less drastic by sending Kopitar to prison for the offseason so he can stop being soft as shit.

 

[KINGS17]

I think you and I know better than that. He’s going to try to load up to make Doughty and some fans happy while mortgaging the future.

It could happen that way. In which case the Kings will be good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to win it all for a number of years.