Speculation: 2021-21 LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster discussion part V

[LAKings88]

Sam Steel averaged 14:58 his rookie season
Troy Terry averaged 13:57 his rookie season
Sonny Milano averaged 11:39 his first full rookie season... with Columbus.
Lundestrom averaged 13:02 his rookie season

Kaliyev is averaging 12:37. So he's getting a minute more than Milano, with another organization who has trouble developing skill forwards. A late season trade + a full season in Anaheim's system and he's an impact player.

They were put into bigger roles than Kaliyev, except for the one who was mishandled by an org who also hasn't shown a history of developing top end forwards in their pipeline.

This is getting pedantic. Kaliyev is being developed fine. I think they don’t want to move him off a line that is working more than anything. He is on average close to the minutes of the Ducks players. He is finally getting those top pp minutes which I wanted to see. Many lines seem to be in flux right now. With Lemieux out, it wouldn’t surprise me if Arty is up. He isn’t a burner so he he needs to be set up for success by his line mates. Smart player tho and has decent passing skills. I still see him as a Toffoli type. Toffoli was also good on the boards, Arty isn’t quite there yet. I don’t think he will be a career 4th liner, not the end plan for him.

 

[LAKings88]

The Kings have what is pretty universally considered the best prospect pool in the league, with most of them being forwards, and quite a few needing to be getting their cup of coffee (or will be soon). If the mindset is like you describe, and along the lines of "we can't put any of these prospect forwards which are stacking up in a position to succeed because we are paying other players", than that's an organizational failure. The future of the Kings as a legitimate contender rests on the development of these kids, not a declining Arvidsson, a should be retired Brown, or a one trick pony who's about to be on his fifth team Athanasiou

I think the Kings delayed it a year honestly. The more prospects add up in the pipe the better for competition. Hopefully the cream rises but trades will have to be made to shed some excess. Maybe even trades that hurt a little to bring in better talent at needed spots. They need to make shrewd decisions and weaponize their talent in the AHL.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Are you seriously saying that Kaliyev has out-performed Arvidsson?

I don't know how you could be displeased with Kaliyev's play. He has come a long way in 1 year. 2 years ago, he was in junior and was not working
hard or had a long way to go defensively.

He worked hard with his trainer in Hamilton and was building core strength and worked on his athleticism. He worked on his skating as well.
He came to LA and worked with Matt Price 2 summers ago and when he came back to Hamilton, his trainer there was blown away by how much
muscle he put on...he had a good year, last yr at Hamilton and improved in all areas...last year, some say he may have been the best player on the Reign,
at 19 years old. His defensive and board play improved. Sure, he does not win all his battles, but he's not failing at anything. He's 20.
He's been very smart with the puck and is creating chances. He will never have great speed, but he's not that slow. That breakaway last game, the
defense caught him, but he was smart enough to curl around and make a play. He's making smart plays with the puck every game...the wraparound
attempt a few games ago; instead of trying to jam it in (most goalies stop every one of those, unless way across other side) he came around and
spun and got a great shot off...how many posts has he hit this year? 2 or 3, I think.

No, he's not burying some of the chances he may should have, but he could also have 6 or 7 easily. If you measure where he was 2 years ago'
and where he's at now, there's no way you cannot be happy how far he's come. He never has a bad shift or is giving the puck away.

I'd be more worried about Trevor Moore and his 1 goal and 1 assist in 20 games!!! Or Brown and his 0 goals and 2 assists in 16 games.
Todd is now shuffling him around on many lines, trying to hide him or see if anyone can get anything out of him.
Arthur is not even on the radar from miles away, from being any player to call out or be worried about.
He'll be scoring 20 goals by next season.

 

[LAKings88]

I don't know how you could be displeased with Kaliyev's play. He has come a long way in 1 year. 2 years ago, he was in junior and was not working
hard or had a long way to go defensively.

He worked hard with his trainer in Hamilton and was building core strength and worked on his athleticism. He worked on his skating as well.
He came to LA and worked with Matt Price 2 summers ago and when he came back to Hamilton, his trainer there was blown away by how much
muscle he put on...he had a good year, last yr at Hamilton and improved in all areas...last year, some say he may have been the best player on the Reign,
at 19 years old. His defensive and board play improved. Sure, he does not win all his battles, but he's not failing at anything. He's 20.
He's been very smart with the puck and is creating chances. He will never have great speed, but he's not that slow. That breakaway last game, the
defense caught him, but he was smart enough to curl around and make a play. He's making smart plays with the puck every game...the wraparound
attempt a few games ago; instead of trying to jam it in (most goalies stop every one of those, unless way across other side) he came around and
spun and got a great shot off...how many posts has he hit this year? 2 or 3, I think.

No, he's not burying some of the chances he may should have, but he could also have 6 or 7 easily. If you measure where he was 2 years ago'
and where he's at now, there's no way you cannot be happy how far he's come. He never has a bad shift or is giving the puck away.

I'd be more worried about Trevor Moore and his 1 goal and 1 assist in 20 games!!! Or Brown and his 0 goals and 2 assists in 16 games.
Todd is now shuffling him around on many lines, trying to hide him or see if anyone can get anything out of him.
Arthur is not even on the radar from miles away, from being any player to call out or be worried about.
He'll be scoring 20 goals by next season.

Well said, I don’t think he is a liability at all. I think that’s why he stuck this year. He’s a good young player. Kings are lucky to have got him in round 2. Even saw some Ottawa fans wishing they took him.

 

[Schmooley]

I don't know how you could be displeased with Kaliyev's play. He has come a long way in 1 year. 2 years ago, he was in junior and was not working
hard or had a long way to go defensively.

He worked hard with his trainer in Hamilton and was building core strength and worked on his athleticism. He worked on his skating as well.
He came to LA and worked with Matt Price 2 summers ago and when he came back to Hamilton, his trainer there was blown away by how much
muscle he put on...he had a good year, last yr at Hamilton and improved in all areas...last year, some say he may have been the best player on the Reign,
at 19 years old. His defensive and board play improved. Sure, he does not win all his battles, but he's not failing at anything. He's 20.
He's been very smart with the puck and is creating chances. He will never have great speed, but he's not that slow. That breakaway last game, the
defense caught him, but he was smart enough to curl around and make a play. He's making smart plays with the puck every game...the wraparound
attempt a few games ago; instead of trying to jam it in (most goalies stop every one of those, unless way across other side) he came around and
spun and got a great shot off...how many posts has he hit this year? 2 or 3, I think.

No, he's not burying some of the chances he may should have, but he could also have 6 or 7 easily. If you measure where he was 2 years ago'
and where he's at now, there's no way you cannot be happy how far he's come. He never has a bad shift or is giving the puck away.

I'd be more worried about Trevor Moore and his 1 goal and 1 assist in 20 games!!! Or Brown and his 0 goals and 2 assists in 16 games.
Todd is now shuffling him around on many lines, trying to hide him or see if anyone can get anything out of him.
Arthur is not even on the radar from miles away, from being any player to call out or be worried about.
He'll be scoring 20 goals by next season.

Heard some senator fans saying kaliyev looks great and wish they had taken him over pinto and their first round selection.

 

[King'sPawn]

I think that is the point. Many would rather see the youth play over vets and think they shouldn’t have been brought in.

That's not what we said.

People have said to varying degrees (not all are my opinion):
- the current core won't win another cup at the helm, so leaning on them and other vets to win the cup is a mistake
- the vets brought in will make integrating youth more challenging, but it's possible if done right
- the Kings do not have a history of developing top line forwards. So if things continue as is, there is a risk of the veterans aging out and the young players not developed properly to take over, nullifying the years of rebuilding.
- it is currently not done right. Vets are being the focal point of scoring and talented young players are thrown in grinding roles
- Brown, who has sunk every line, has been thrown on Kupari's line. When that line struggled, Kupari was demoted.
- Maatta, despite sinking each pairing, stays in while better performing young players get the bench. So, literally, the moment a young player is not up to some nebulous level of performance, he gets benched. Vets who are clearly playing below par get moved up and down to get carried.
- there are enough vets for at least one young player to move up and get the opportunity, by virtue of earning it.
- the Kings have a major gap in leadership between the current core and the next wave of leaders who will be taking ownership of the team.
- people are less likely to take that ownership if you don't give them more responsibility.

There is a reality that more vets would make things harder for youth to be integrated. But it WAS and IS doable. Very few people belaboring this point have actually said "don't sign vets". Nobody has said, to play the youth over vets unquestioningly. They just don't want unqualified vets to take a spot from a young player to even try, given the role they are meant to play.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I think that is the point. Many would rather see the youth play over vets and think they shouldn’t have been brought in.

Which is fine, and hopefully they were saying that when the Kings were getting these guys.

The Kings have what is pretty universally considered the best prospect pool in the league, with most of them being forwards, and quite a few needing to be getting their cup of coffee (or will be soon). If the mindset is like you describe, and along the lines of "we can't put any of these prospect forwards which are stacking up in a position to succeed because we are paying other players", than that's an organizational failure. The future of the Kings as a legitimate contender rests on the development of these kids, not a declining Arvidsson, a should be retired Brown, or a one trick pony who's about to be on his fifth team Athanasiou

And how do you develop players? Do you hand them top line NHL minutes? Put them on 4th line NHL minutes? All the time in the world in the AHL? Insulate them in the AHL with a few more veteran minor league depth guys? Is there one way of doing it correctly? Ottawa has a bunch of young guys playing, and they suck. Is it good that they're getting minutes, or is it bad that they're in a losing environment? Detroit is playing some young guys, but they're not awful as a team. They're not good, they're surviving on some OT wins right now, but they're not as bad as they've been in recent years.

 

[LAKings88]

That's not what we said.

People have said to varying degrees (not all are my opinion):
- the current core won't win another cup at the helm, so leaning on them and other vets to win the cup is a mistake
- the vets brought in will make integrating youth more challenging, but it's possible if done right
- the Kings do not have a history of developing top line forwards. So if things continue as is, there is a risk of the veterans aging out and the young players not developed properly to take over, nullifying the years of rebuilding.
- it is currently not done right. Vets are being the focal point of scoring and talented young players are thrown in grinding roles
- Brown, who has sunk every line, has been thrown on Kupari's line. When that line struggled, Kupari was demoted.
- Maatta, despite sinking each pairing, stays in while better performing young players get the bench. So, literally, the moment a young player is not up to some nebulous level of performance, he gets benched. Vets who are clearly playing below par get moved up and down to get carried.
- there are enough vets for at least one young player to move up and get the opportunity, by virtue of earning it.
- the Kings have a major gap in leadership between the current core and the next wave of leaders who will be taking ownership of the team.
- people are less likely to take that ownership if you don't give them more responsibility.

There is a reality that more vets would make things harder for youth to be integrated. But it WAS and IS doable. Very few people belaboring this point have actually said "don't sign vets". Nobody has said, to play the youth over vets unquestioningly. They just don't want unqualified vets to take a spot from a young player to even try, given the role they are meant to play.

So the issue isn’t with Danault and Arvidsson? I’ve heard opposite of that on here. I think LA tried to improve the team this year and for next year.

The vets are there to insulate players but the team also clearly wants playoffs.

I don’t get TMacs love for Maata. He is a lefty in a predominantly righty group. A bit more reliable than Durzi and Clague on defense maybe.

I don’t know what the issue with Clague is but he signed the rest of the year and then I’m guessing is let go. I don’t know if he is the next Hickey or LaDue. I’d rather see him over Maatta and I get the grip.

Brown is a delicate matter discussed before. That too seems to be a process.

 

[deaderhead28]

Not a big fan of Arvidsson.Hoping Blake trades him at the deadline if Kings are not in playoff contention.

 

[KingsFan7824]

- the current core won't win another cup at the helm, so leaning on them and other vets to win the cup is a mistake

Win the Cup? Who is leaning on vets to win the Cup?

- the Kings do not have a history of developing top line forwards. So if things continue as is, there is a risk of the veterans aging out and the young players not developed properly to take over, nullifying the years of rebuilding.

- it is currently not done right. Vets are being the focal point of scoring and talented young players are thrown in grinding roles

Nobody knows if it's being done right or not. We'll only know after the fact. And even then, maybe the prospects weren't good enough to begin with. Obviously, they're all not going to be great. Nature of the beast. They're all not going to be true difference makers. Most of them, at best, will be decent role guys, no matter what you do with them early on.

- Brown, who has sunk every line, has been thrown on Kupari's line. When that line struggled, Kupari was demoted.

Because they brought in or kept so many vets, Kupari likely isn't going to be on the team as it gets healthier. Just like Vilardi, and Tkachev, in the eyes of the staff, Kupari was playing himself off the team. Kaliyev is still in there. Now, maybe the coaching/management staff has no idea what they're doing, but Brown isn't going to be sent to the AHL, he's not being traded, and he's not going to be retired by the team to sit in the press box. Kovalchuk was an exception. That just doesn't normally happen.

- the Kings have a major gap in leadership between the current core and the next wave of leaders who will be taking ownership of the team.

- people are less likely to take that ownership if you don't give them more responsibility.

Yeah, and most of that next wave isn't even on the team right now. And weren't going to be this year.

They just don't want unqualified vets to take a spot from a young player to even try, given the role they are meant to play.

If you want to make the case with Danault, Arvidsson, AA, and Lizotte, that none of them should be here, that was possible. Brown was going to be here anyway though. On defense, the Kings currently have 3 guys that have yet to play a full NHL season's worth of games in their careers. 4 that haven't played 2 season's worth. Yes, Maatta sucks. He has no idea what he's doing out there, and when he tries to do something, he does it as weakly as possible, but he's got close to 500 games under his belt.

If there's one place on this roster that you can't criticize for a lack of youth and/or inexperience, it's on defense. That a coach isn't throwing out 5 defensemen out there every game that have barely played in the league, that's not shocking. It's tough to think of many coaches that would. There aren't that many defensive units around the league as young and/or inexperienced on defense as the Kings, and that's even including Doughty.

It would be much more fun if they had even more youth on defense. It would be better had they not signed Edler to take minutes away from guys. Without Edler, Clague would be in there every night right now.

However, for the season, Maatta is still averaging the fewest minutes per game on defense. Since losing both Doughty and Walker, Maatta is averaging the fewest minutes per game on defense. Since the start of Nov, he's averaging the fewest minutes per game on defense. Last night, had the fewest minutes per game on defense. So, the question then is, why play him at all? The only thing I can think of, is that they're already going with 67% of the defense with fewer than 2 years of experience, and one of the other two remaining defensemen is 35 years old.

I just don't see how the Kings are doing something uniquely awful.
- the Kings have a major gap in leadership between the current core and the next wave of leaders who will be taking ownership of the team.
- people are less likely to take that ownership if you don't give them more responsibility.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Not a big fan of Arvidsson.Hoping Blake trades him at the deadline if Kings are not in playoff contention.

He's got 2 years after this one. Nobody is taking that at the deadline.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I just don't see how the Kings are doing something uniquely awful.
.

How many times does it need to be said? I'm sick of saying it because it comes off as whining when I have to repeat myself, but--

--Vilardi was placed in a 4th line situation with Tkachev while the team was losing and was given harder minutes than any C on the team. Why do we have Danault and Kopitar again? Then both were subsequently banished.
--Brown is the great anchor and has dragged down every line he's been on this entire year. He was moved to Kupari's line--and Kupari was subsequently benched for it.
--Kaliyev placed into a 4th line winger role which worked only because TM stumbled into an excellent combination and was FORCED to play them more.
--The incredible dicking around of Kale Clague which is going on year what, 3? 4?
--Kopitar getting 24 minutes and Kupari getting 8 is emblematic of the usage.
--Grundstrom benched after his best 3 games in a Kings sweater 'not his fault', just because.


The usage of all these guys is slowly changing--Brown and Mattaa's minutes, Kaliyev and Durzi finally getting more time on the PP. Hell I don't even care if the 4th line is ALL the youth if they're getting 14-15 minutes a game nightly and being used in offensive situations rather than as defensive stoppers.

What the Kings have been doing uniquely awfully is setting guys up to fail; keeping vets and not playing youth next to them, and instead playing all the youth together in tough situations but NOT letting them make mistakes and benching them for 'failure'; ZERO accountability for vets vs. youth when Kupari gets to watch Brown not even be able to skate out of the neutral zone on the shift while he goes all 200 feet and gets benched, or Grundstrom gets benched after the three best games of his career just because. It took this many injuries and covid protocols to even get Clague et. al. in the lineup.

The Kings don't know how to handle elite offensive talent. They treat it like every other two way forward and want to roll four lines without any thought to deployment. Out of touch with the modern NHL and their benchings/demotions show it. Only a matter of a couple of games before Durzi goes back down, then what does our PP look like?

Blues have no problem playing Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou on higher lines next to the likes of Ryan O'Reilly et. al. Seth Jarvis playing next to Aho. Raymond. Zegras. Dawson Mercer. The Sharks with Jonathan Dahlen and earlier Eklund. Need I go on? The Kings are just about the only team that are trying to quarantine all their skilled first rounders onto the 3rd/4th lines and make them checkers. I can't make it any clearer than that.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Kaliyev: On if it was rewarding to start the play and then finish with the goal
I try to play hard all around, defensively, in the neutral zone and that’s where the scoring chances and more shots come from I think so I’m glad.

Do you want to hear something like that from a young scoring prospect? Or does that just mean that he's finally accepted his fate as a boring Kings forward?

 

[DoktorJeep]

When it comes to kids vs vets, the only thing that stands out to me over this season and the two previous abbreviated ones, is that whenever the Kings have put together more than two wins in a row, it came from a lineup composed of kids with notable vets out.

 

[KingsFan7824]

How many times does it need to be said? I'm sick of saying it because it comes off as whining when I have to repeat myself, but--

Tell me about it. I keep saying the same things I've said over and over again, and it comes off as I have no opinion of my own. Kupari wasn't benched because Brown sucks though. He got benched because Andersson came back, and the coach has some reason that he thinks Kupari shouldn't be in the lineup. Why does Brown keep getting chances? A stronger coach would sit him in the press box, and we'd never see him again, but the Kings don't have that coach, so Brown is going to play until he doesn't.

I certainly thought that getting Danault would mean Kopitar's time would be decreased, but obviously that hasn't happened yet. For the year, Lizotte is playing less at ES than he did last year, and the 4th center on the roster has been a constant juggling act. Kopitar is playing 4 more ES seconds per game than last year, but his PK time is down, and PP time is up. So really, Danault has cut into everyone but Kopitar's ice time. At least at ES. Kopitar still leads the team in PK time, but it's less than last year.

If they had a 2nd C that was scoring, then maybe Danault could take more of the defensive assignments, but Danault has been creating too much offense, at least in comparison to the other C's on the roster. Plus we don't even want Vilardi at C anymore anyway. Maybe when Byfield gets back, he can help, but of course, that won't happen while TM is the coach.

I just know that if a team isn't winning, a coach's decisions will always be questioned. Especially, if young guys aren't playing more. That one always seems to be the big one. Anywhere you go. Nobody likes the coach's favorite player. Nobody likes the same old vet. I'm sure Det fans were kind of sick of a completely respected Zetterberg by the end. They keep playing though.

 

[KingsFan7824]

When it comes to kids vs vets, the only thing that stands out to me over this season and the two previous abbreviated ones, is that whenever the Kings have put together more than two wins in a row, it came from a lineup composed of kids with notable vets out.

Why does the roster keep going back the other way then? Why were vets both retained and added over the summer? Does upper management and the coaching staff want to lose? Or are they both just so incompetent that they don't know what they're doing, despite results being clear as day on the ice?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Tell me about it. I keep saying the same things I've said over and over again, and it comes off as I have no opinion of my own. Kupari wasn't benched because Brown sucks though. He got benched because Andersson came back, and the coach has some reason that he thinks Kupari shouldn't be in the lineup. Why does Brown keep getting chances? A stronger coach would sit him in the press box, and we'd never see him again, but the Kings don't have that coach, so Brown is going to play until he doesn't.

I certainly thought that getting Danault would mean Kopitar's time would be decreased, but obviously that hasn't happened yet. For the year, Lizotte is playing less at ES than he did last year, and the 4th center on the roster has been a constant juggling act. Kopitar is playing 4 more ES seconds per game than last year, but his PK time is down, and PP time is up. So really, Danault has cut into everyone but Kopitar's ice time. At least at ES. Kopitar still leads the team in PK time, but it's less than last year.

If they had a 2nd C that was scoring, then maybe Danault could take more of the defensive assignments, but Danault has been creating too much offense, at least in comparison to the other C's on the roster. Plus we don't even want Vilardi at C anymore anyway. Maybe when Byfield gets back, he can help, but of course, that won't happen while TM is the coach.

I just know that if a team isn't winning, a coach's decisions will always be questioned. Especially, if young guys aren't playing more. That one always seems to be the big one. Anywhere you go. Nobody likes the coach's favorite player. Nobody likes the same old vet. I'm sure Det fans were kind of sick of a completely respected Zetterberg by the end. They keep playing though.

I think what differs here is that a few others and I were doing this through the winning streak, as well, to emphasize that it's not okay just because 'today's results' obscure the near-ish future's vision.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Why does the roster keep going back the other way then? Why were vets both retained and added over the summer? Does upper management and the coaching staff want to lose? Or are they both just so incompetent that they don't know what they're doing, despite results being clear as day on the ice?

They’re incompetent.

 

[FSL KINGS]

He would be an upgrade on the ice.


Alright, just joking. @ 50% retained is it worth it?

The young guys are earning ice time. It's a process. Make them work & elevate their games.

Take Durzi for instance. Saw him get a D-zone start in the 3rd in a close game. That is big for him.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I think what differs here is that a few others and I were doing this through the winning streak, as well, to emphasize that it's not okay just because 'today's results' obscure the near-ish future's vision.

Regardless of results though, and this is not specifically a Kings thing, rosters are pretty much set in the summer. I know, Moreau and what's his name were sent to Manchester in 2012. They were both bottom of the payroll types though. Young guys that didn't have spots before the year, will likely be the first ones to go once a roster gets healthy. Unless they light the league on fire.

It was unlikely that the Kings were going to Kovalchuk Kovalchuk, so it's as unlikely that Brown won't continue to play in every game. That he ends up with Kopitar is not necessarily praise for the way Brown is playing. It's that Kopitar might be the only C on the team that has a chance to carry Brown.

If the Kings still had Sutter, Brown may have retired a long time ago. But they don't.

 

[tny760]

it's genuinely impressive how kane destroyed his own career

what a fall

 

[FSL KINGS]

Danault & Arvidsson, the other route where you don't add skill to the roster leads to the Oilers & Leafs type rebuilds. The Kings would have to wait for Byfield, Clarke, Turcotte to become dominant NHL'ers in a few years. If they are lucky.

 

[apocalypse]

How many times does it need to be said? I'm sick of saying it because it comes off as whining when I have to repeat myself, but--

--Vilardi was placed in a 4th line situation with Tkachev while the team was losing and was given harder minutes than any C on the team. Why do we have Danault and Kopitar again? Then both were subsequently banished.
--Brown is the great anchor and has dragged down every line he's been on this entire year. He was moved to Kupari's line--and Kupari was subsequently benched for it.
--Kaliyev placed into a 4th line winger role which worked only because TM stumbled into an excellent combination and was FORCED to play them more.
--The incredible dicking around of Kale Clague which is going on year what, 3? 4?
--Kopitar getting 24 minutes and Kupari getting 8 is emblematic of the usage.
--Grundstrom benched after his best 3 games in a Kings sweater 'not his fault', just because.


The usage of all these guys is slowly changing--Brown and Mattaa's minutes, Kaliyev and Durzi finally getting more time on the PP. Hell I don't even care if the 4th line is ALL the youth if they're getting 14-15 minutes a game nightly and being used in offensive situations rather than as defensive stoppers.

What the Kings have been doing uniquely awfully is setting guys up to fail; keeping vets and not playing youth next to them, and instead playing all the youth together in tough situations but NOT letting them make mistakes and benching them for 'failure'; ZERO accountability for vets vs. youth when Kupari gets to watch Brown not even be able to skate out of the neutral zone on the shift while he goes all 200 feet and gets benched, or Grundstrom gets benched after the three best games of his career just because. It took this many injuries and covid protocols to even get Clague et. al. in the lineup.

The Kings don't know how to handle elite offensive talent. They treat it like every other two way forward and want to roll four lines without any thought to deployment. Out of touch with the modern NHL and their benchings/demotions show it. Only a matter of a couple of games before Durzi goes back down, then what does our PP look like?

Blues have no problem playing Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou on higher lines next to the likes of Ryan O'Reilly et. al. Seth Jarvis playing next to Aho. Raymond. Zegras. Dawson Mercer. The Sharks with Jonathan Dahlen and earlier Eklund. Need I go on? The Kings are just about the only team that are trying to quarantine all their skilled first rounders onto the 3rd/4th lines and make them checkers. I can't make it any clearer than that.

Some of the young guys are liabilities and you can see that in their play. Vilardi was a huge liability as he didn't do anything. I don't see Kupari and Kaliyev as making that big of an impact on the ice, unless it's in the o zone or on a power play. Give them another season and they should be more acclimated to game play.

 

[apocalypse]

Man I do love Durzi's give and go plays. Every time he has it at the point on the power play it's give and go. Love to see that. Just gotta see some finish on that.

 

[kingsholygrail]

When it comes to kids vs vets, the only thing that stands out to me over this season and the two previous abbreviated ones, is that whenever the Kings have put together more than two wins in a row, it came from a lineup composed of kids with notable vets out.

So you'd keep Drew Doughty benched?