GDT: 2020-21 season Game #2 LA Kings vs Minnesota Wild @6:00pm 1/16/21

[kilowatt]

Just out of interest, there were really people arguing like that?
The only thing i noticed is that people call him Michael "AHL" Amadio since a long time.
And i would agree with that. As soon as Amadio has the puck he turns it over to the opponent.
He just looks brutal out there on offense and defense.

Amadio looked good for a while, but that promise has faded. It might have been a symptom of a really depleted prospect cupboard, but there were hopes that he could step into a second- or third-line center role. I don't remember him ever being excluded from proposals for good players, but I've been wrong before.

 

[DoktorJeep]

The ice time Kopitar and Iafallo are logging on the PK are taking minutes away from guys like Luff and Amadio at even strength.

The questions I have are why can’t Luff and Amadio kill penalties and how can we get more minutes to Vilardi, Kempe, Wagner and AA?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I do remember at a certain point in time some thought Amadio could at least be a 3rd line center(Myself included), but I wonder if that was mostly because we literally had no one else good in the system. He's very similar to how Nick Shore was being treated when he was with the team full time.

I definitely thought he had at least third line potential. It's not just random. He was a 50-goal-scoring captain in junior who had the Mark Stone puck thief trait and looked like he could fill out some more. He was never a banger but he was insanely strong on the boards and was good at using his teammates despite a mediocre team. He was a third round pick, so he was always a longshot in the statistics, but it also wasn't that crazy that the Kings could turn out another one, especially with our JAG factory. I'd argue they did, it's unfortunate that thus far he's looking more like Nick Shore than late-career Jarret Stoll but I don't think anyone should 'feel bad' or whatever for suggesting there was some promise there, it just didn't translate or hasn't yet or whatever.

And I DEFINITELY don't remember defending him in proposals.

 

[Kurrilino]

The ice time Kopitar and Iafallo are logging on the PK are taking minutes away from guys like Luff and Amadio at even strength.

The questions I have are why can’t Luff and Amadio kill penalties and how can we get more minutes to Vilardi, Kempe, Wagner and AA?

I kinda disagree here. Kopitar is on the PK because of his 2 way game and how he reads the flow.

We also have to start asking something from a player and not giving roster spots for free.
Wagner and Luff getting worse and worse by the game. They shouldn't have made the roster out of camp.
Kempe is in the same boat put he gets a point here and there.
Lizotte is not a NHL top line center. He is always forced to the boards and then removed from the puck.
He is fast but not fast enough to make up for the rest of his game.
Iafallo will never be anything else than a 3rd liner. He lacks vision and creativity and hockey sense.
He is already 27 playing constantly with Kopitar and never cracked the 20 goal mark.

All those players have in common that they show either zero or negative progress.

We have now a big prospect pool. It's time to see which of the youngsters really want it

 

[Choralone]

I kinda disagree here. Kopitar is on the PK because of his 2 way game and how he reads the flow.

We also have to start asking something from a player and not giving roster spots for free.
Wagner and Luff getting worse and worse by the game. They shouldn't have made the roster out of camp.
Kempe is in the same boat put he gets a point here and there.
Lizotte is not a NHL top line center. He is always forced to the boards and then removed from the puck.
He is fast but not fast enough to make up for the rest of his game.
Iafallo will never be anything else than a 3rd liner. He lacks vision and creativity and hockey sense.
He is already 27 playing constantly with Kopitar and never cracked the 20 goal mark.

All those players have in common that they show either zero or negative progress.

We have now a big prospect pool. It's time to see which of the youngsters really want it

Alex Iafallo Career Stats

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPP	SHG	SHP	GWG	OTG	S	S%	FO%
2017-2018	LAK	75	9	16	25	10	12	0	2	0	0	1	0	129	6.98	46.67
2018-2019	LAK	82	15	18	33	-17	22	2	6	0	0	2	0	148	10.14	29.17
2019-2020	LAK	70	17	26	43	1	14	6	9	0	0	3	2	142	12	47.83

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Iafallo with zero or negative progress.... Does not compute.

 

[head eyes]

I kinda disagree here. Kopitar is on the PK because of his 2 way game and how he reads the flow.

We also have to start asking something from a player and not giving roster spots for free.
Wagner and Luff getting worse and worse by the game. They shouldn't have made the roster out of camp.
Kempe is in the same boat put he gets a point here and there.
Lizotte is not a NHL top line center. He is always forced to the boards and then removed from the puck.
He is fast but not fast enough to make up for the rest of his game.
Iafallo will never be anything else than a 3rd liner. He lacks vision and creativity and hockey sense.
He is already 27 playing constantly with Kopitar and never cracked the 20 goal mark.

All those players have in common that they show either zero or negative progress.

We have now a big prospect pool. It's time to see which of the youngsters really want it

I agree with everything but your take on Iafallo. You're right that playing on the 1st line and only netting 17 G and 26 A isn't anything to write home about, but he did take some leaps last season and set a lot of new career highs. His neutral zone and defensive zone smarts are some of the best since Toffoli. I would like to see him lower down the lineup so that he can take advantage of playing against weaker opponents. Him on Vilardi's wing would be interesting.

 

[Kurrilino]

Alex Iafallo Career Stats

Season	Team	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	PPP	SHG	SHP	GWG	OTG	S	S%	FO%
2017-2018	LAK	75	9	16	25	10	12	0	2	0	0	1	0	129	6.98	46.67
2018-2019	LAK	82	15	18	33	-17	22	2	6	0	0	2	0	148	10.14	29.17
2019-2020	LAK	70	17	26	43	1	14	6	9	0	0	3	2	142	12	47.83

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Iafallo with zero or negative progress.... Does not compute.

A winger in his prime playing beside an elite center, not cracking 20 goals is zero or negative progress. At his age, Brown had 30 goal seasons under his belt, playing with Kopitar

 

[Kurrilino]

I agree with everything but your take on Iafallo. You're right that playing on the 1st line and only netting 17 G and 26 A isn't anything to write home about, but he did take some leaps last season and set a lot of new career highs. His neutral zone and defensive zone smarts are some of the best since Toffoli. I would like to see him lower down the lineup so that he can take advantage of playing against weaker opponents. Him on Vilardi's wing would be interesting.

I would rather see Villardi centering the 2nd line.
He is a pure playmaker and Carter and AA would benefit from that.
Right now, Lizotte looks detached from that line

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

A winger in his prime playing beside an elite center, not cracking 20 goals is zero or negative progress.

He was on pace for 20. Did you forget last season was shortened? He also put up 10 more points in 12 less games...he's literally the only player that's improved year over year for these three awful years.

Regardless a 20 goal 50 point pace is about what complementary top six wingers put up, did you forget Justin Williams?

Iafallo is FAR from this team's problem. Find me anyone that's gonna put up 50 points and not be a liability and exhibit some chemistry with Kopitar and we can put him on the third line where he can dominate like Killorn with TBL.

 

[KINGS17]

I do remember at a certain point in time some thought Amadio could at least be a 3rd line center(Myself included), but I wonder if that was mostly because we literally had no one else good in the system. He's very similar to how Nick Shore was being treated when he was with the team full time.

It's literally because the Kings had nothing else in the system.

 

[kilowatt]

I still think it's time to shove Brown down the lineup. He honestly might bring a bit of poise to the third line.

Iafallo - Kopitar - Kempe
AA - Vilardi - Carter
Wagner - Lizotte - Brown

 

[Fat Elvis]

I still think it's time to shove Brown down the lineup. He honestly might bring a bit of poise to the third line.

Iafallo - Kopitar - Kempe
AA - Vilardi - Carter
Wagner - Lizotte - Brown

Definitely worth a try, but that 3rd line would be a bad pass turnover machine. I'd give LiasA a look soon.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's literally because the Kings had nothing else in the system.

If it were JUST that, and we were totally overrating him, everyone would have been penciling him in as 2C or a top winger.

That's definitely not the case. I remember sticking up for him while a few posters vociferously defended that he'd never be an NHLer. There were more than a handful of people angry at DL at that point and vocally invested in Amadio's failure.

This is one of those "lol LA wouldn't trade Ladue for Landeskog" memes where when you go back and look at the evidence you realize it was just one hypothetical post that got carried into a bullshit memory that didn't happen.

It's a bummer Amadio appears to end up as just a guy, but this isn't and never was a Pavel Rosa/Petr Kanko thing.

 

[kilowatt]

Definitely worth a try, but that 3rd line would be a bad pass turnover machine. I'd give LiasA a look soon.

I'd love to shake up the fourth line a bit as well. Drop Wagner and Lizotte to the fourth line to be with Moore, bring in Grundstrom and Andersson to have a real chippy third line with the veteran Brown, and see if we can't make some noise there.

Iafallo - Kopitar - Vilardi
Kempe - Carter - Athanasiou
Grundstrom - Andersson - Brown
Wagner - Lizotte - Moore

See what happens. I know Vilardi is shaping up to be a top six center, but I'd rather him play with Kopitar and excel on the wing this year and gain confidence than try to drag Kempe and Wagner kicking and screaming. I could see Amadio in instead of Grundstrom I suppose, but I just don't see a future in which Matt Luff helps this team win a game.

 

[Fat Elvis]

I'd love to shake up the fourth line a bit as well. Drop Wagner and Lizotte to the fourth line to be with Moore, bring in Grundstrom and Andersson to have a real chippy third line with the veteran Brown, and see if we can't make some noise there.

Iafallo - Kopitar - Vilardi
Kempe - Carter - Athanasiou
Grundstrom - Andersson - Brown
Wagner - Lizotte - Moore

See what happens. I know Vilardi is shaping up to be a top six center, but I'd rather him play with Kopitar and excel on the wing this year and gain confidence than try to drag Kempe and Wagner kicking and screaming. I could see Amadio in instead of Grundstrom I suppose, but I just don't see a future in which Matt Luff helps this team win a game.

I’m liking Carter on wing. Not a fan of GV moving to wing, he’ll be fine at C.
When Frk is ready, add him to Kempe and GV

 

[Kurrilino]

He was on pace for 20. Did you forget last season was shortened? He also put up 10 more points in 12 less games...he's literally the only player that's improved year over year for these three awful years.

Regardless a 20 goal 50 point pace is about what complementary top six wingers put up, did you forget Justin Williams?

Iafallo is FAR from this team's problem. Find me anyone that's gonna put up 50 points and not be a liability and exhibit some chemistry with Kopitar and we can put him on the third line where he can dominate like Killorn with TBL.

I would agree with everything but complementary winger.
Iafallo is playing top minutes plus PP.
And yes, Iafallo as your top line winger scoring 17-20 goals is a problem

 

[Kurrilino]

I'd love to shake up the fourth line a bit as well. Drop Wagner and Lizotte to the fourth line to be with Moore, bring in Grundstrom and Andersson to have a real chippy third line with the veteran Brown, and see if we can't make some noise there.

Iafallo - Kopitar - Vilardi
Kempe - Carter - Athanasiou
Grundstrom - Andersson - Brown
Wagner - Lizotte - Moore

See what happens. I know Vilardi is shaping up to be a top six center, but I'd rather him play with Kopitar and excel on the wing this year and gain confidence than try to drag Kempe and Wagner kicking and screaming. I could see Amadio in instead of Grundstrom I suppose, but I just don't see a future in which Matt Luff helps this team win a game.

I would say Villardi needs to play 2nd center and Lizotte 4th if he can handle the physical part.
AA - Villardi - Carter is a hell of mentoring.
Either Wagner shows up a couple of times during a game or he needs to be removed. Only fast seems not to work
I would also love to see Kaliev beside Kopitar for a couple of games.

 

[Token]

I would agree with everything but complementary winger.
Iafallo is playing top minutes plus PP.
And yes, Iafallo as your top line winger scoring 17-20 goals is a problem

Lucky for us, we did win a couple cups and have some data. Let’s check it out!

2012

Brown and Williams with 22 goals followed by an army of guys with 7 or fewer goals on wing.

2014

Williams with 19
Brown and the legendary Dwight King with 15
Tofolli and Nolan next with single digits.

History seems to suggest one can win a cup or two with 20G wingers on the top line, don’t you find?

 

[Crownroyal21]

I think you are forgetting Kopitar and Richards 2012. 2014 Kopitar, Carter, and Toffoli.

 

[Token]

I think you are forgetting Kopitar and Richards 2012. 2014 Kopitar, Carter, and Toffoli.

No, we talking wingers.

Let’s even play with Richards in the mix.

In 2012 - 18 goals and you could argue he was on Carter’s wing.

2014 - 11 goals and the doghouse fourth line center most of the season.

Point is; Vowels potting 20 per season at LW1 is not what’s dogging this team. The next winger up not braking into the teens is the problem.

 

[Butch 19]

I think you are forgetting Kopitar and Richards 2012. 2014 Kopitar, Carter, and Toffoli.

Yes, magic struck twice.

As I sit here watching the Kings suck out of the gate yet again, I have no idea how they won 2 Cups. Every star was in alignment.

 

[The Butcher]

Yes, magic struck twice.

As I sit here watching the Kings suck out of the gate yet again, I have no idea how they won 2 Cups. Every star was in alignment.

They won two cups because they had great coaching, goaltending and played for each other as a team. "Magic" had nothing to do with it, those championships were a direct result of hard work from the GM down through Jordan Nolan.

 

[Lt Dan]

Yes, magic struck twice.

As I sit here watching the Kings suck out of the gate yet again, I have no idea how they won 2 Cups. Every star was in alignment.

 

[The Butcher]

Every team that has ever won a championship has had some luck on their side.

 

[KINGS17]

Right now, the Kings are good against remotes. Good against the living; that's something else.