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

[DoktorJeep]

So you'd keep Drew Doughty benched?

I wouldn’t bench Durzi or Clague in favor of Maata when Doughty is healthy.

 

[kingsholygrail]

I wouldn’t bench Durzi or Clague in favor of Maata when Doughty is healthy.

Hopefully Maatta is the one that sits.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

WOW. I only wish that one of them was LHD. But not complaining.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

 

[tny760]

...crazy

did we pick up the knights' PED doc or something here? guys are coming back real quick

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I think if the linesman does not intervene, nothing like this happens. When there are 2 power forwards like 215 lbs each, let them go at it. No way can 1 linesman hold both off.
Result can only be bad...he may be able to contain 1 or the other and possibly get between, but if the 2 are able to reach the other, the one that is least restrained, will pop off
shots in punches, or possible face gouging - pulling helmet off - any kind of aggression they can do.

If they were allowed to go mano y mano, they settle it. No problems. The linesman trying to stop 2 power forwards can't happen. Unless they stop it, before anything happens.

 

[LAKings88]

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.

My main bone to pick in your choice of comparisons is that most of those guys are elite top prospects in their organizations. Majority don’t have skating deficiencies. The Kings have chosen a slower burn and AHL stacked route. Injuries also came into play. Our top prospects aren’t even on the team yet.

Clague may be better than Maatta but I’m not sure what career he will have away from LA.

Kupari, where else can you play him outside of 3c? They said he didn’t take to wing.

Kaliyev deserves a shot as you say, especially if they are still adjusting lines anyway, but again, I think they wanted that line together given their recent run. I don’t think they are trying to punish him.

 

[Omni Owl]

Its kind of a log jam at forward with the prospects. Turcotte hasn't even had a sniff yet and I'm starting to wonder if he'll ever get a chance.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Kings need to move on from Brown - the lines look a lot better and opens up more options next season without him....Grundstrom is basically Brown light.

Kempe-Kopitar-Grundstrom
Iafallo-Danault-Arviddson
Moore-Andersson-AA (assume he re-signs)
Lemieux-Lizotte-Kayilev

Even icing this line-up, without Brown leaves no room for Kupari or Byfield. Forget about Turcotte.

 

[TwzKing]

...crazy

did we pick up the knights' PED doc or something here? guys are coming back real quick

Really I thought that was right on schedule. I was always under the assumption that he would be back before DD

 

[LAKings88]

Kings need to move on from Brown - the lines look a lot better and opens up more options next season without him....Grundstrom is basically Brown light.

Kempe-Kopitar-Grundstrom
Iafallo-Danault-Arviddson
Moore-Andersson-AA (assume he re-signs)
Lemieux-Lizotte-Kayilev

Even icing this line-up, without Brown leaves no room for Kupari or Byfield. Forget about Turcotte.

AA won’t be back.

No guarantees on Kempe, Lizotte, Moore, Andersson, Grundstrom, or even Lemieux.

 

[LAKings88]

*** Kopitar Kaliyev
Kempe Byfield Vilardi
Iaffalo Danault Turcotte
*** JAD ***
***
I expect a trade to move some prospects out too. Not sure what order the rws will be in but this is my initial expectation for next year.

 

[cyclones22]

I love what Brown brought to the organization, but the Kings owe him nothing at this point. He's 37 freaking years old. He's essentially dead man walking out there. Brown needs to be benched just like any other player who is playing as bad as he is. It's not like he can bounce back at this point because there is no bounce back at his age.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

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.

That's exactly my point, though. Other organizations don't have a problem using their offensive prospects in offensive situations.

My main bone to pick in your choice of comparisons is that most of those guys are elite top prospects in their organizations. Majority don’t have skating deficiencies. The Kings have chosen a slower burn and AHL stacked route. Injuries also came into play. Our top prospects aren’t even on the team yet.

Clague may be better than Maatta but I’m not sure what career he will have away from LA.

Kupari, where else can you play him outside of 3c? They said he didn’t take to wing.

Kaliyev deserves a shot as you say, especially if they are still adjusting lines anyway, but again, I think they wanted that line together given their recent run. I don’t think they are trying to punish him.

Yeah, its not the top of the top prospects necessarily, but each org is putting guys in situations befitting their strengths. I don't think Ducks fans would call Sam Steel a top prospect. We shouldn't have to wish so hard for Arty to be on the PP, for example.

Clague is establishing himself as a Martinez-lite, he'd have a role on damn near every team in the NHL, and is showing to be at least a good #4-#5 option and #2 PP guy. Yet the org had him behind Wolanin and Mattaa, still does.

Kupari...I frankly don't really care to fight his fight because I've never been that high on him but it appears they're content with him in a Trevor Lewis role after he led the AHL squad in scoring.

Kaliyev will be interesting to see over the next stretch with Pepe undoubtedly suspended.

I'm also VERY curious to see what becomes of Byfield as well as Turcotte (who should get SOME NHL games).

 

[tny760]

Really I thought that was right on schedule. I was always under the assumption that he would be back before DD

i dunno i figured he'd be a number of months, seemed like a given he wasn't seeing ice in the calendar year. i guess there's degrees to an ankle fracture so maybe his wasn't that bad comparatively. back to practice in what, a month and change seems pretty incredible to me

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I still imagine he won't be seeing game action until after Christmas , but this is a great, slightly earlier step

I also always forget people in their 20s actually heal, unlike when I sneeze after thanksgiving dinner and go on the IR

 

[Schrute farms]

I still imagine he won't be seeing game action until after Christmas , but this is a great, slightly earlier step

I also always forget people in their 20s actually heal, unlike when I sneeze after thanksgiving dinner and go on the IR

20s? 19 year olds heal WAAAAY faster dude

 

[respD]

So let's say Lemieux gets suspended for several games. Who gets the call from Ontario? It seems like it would be a good chance to get Turcotte into a few games. Plug him in on the 4th line, let him do his relentless puck pursuit thing with no real pressure to produce, but with Arty over on the other side to finish if they manage to have some good O-zone shifts. Could be fun!

 

[FSL KINGS]

So let's say Lemieux gets suspended for several games. Who gets the call from Ontario? It seems like it would be a good chance to get Turcotte into a few games. Plug him in on the 4th line, let him do his relentless puck pursuit thing with no real pressure to produce, but with Arty over on the other side to finish if they manage to have some good O-zone shifts. Could be fun!

Doty is my vote!

He on an AHL contract?

 

[KingsHockey24]

If Sean Avery wasn't locker room cancer I'd love to have someone like that on this roster.

99 points and 667 penalty minutes in just 218 games with us.

That's better production than more than half our roster.

 

[LAKings88]

TMac on Kaliyev:
(LA Kings Insider)

On the goal by Kaliyev and his development
He’s developing a full game. And he was really frustrated with himself missing the empty net. That’s in his wheelhouse, that’s in his prime spot, and he mis-shot it. But he didn’t let it rattle himself. You can see him maturing. We really appreciate all the little things that Arty is doing right now. When you compare him in his one game last year against Anaheim to his 15-20 games that he’s played this year, it’s significantly different. Just defending, the confidence to play in certain situations, using his body…he’s going to score, he’s going to shoot the puck, he’s going play on the power play, we’re trying to train him for the full 20 minutes that he could eventually end up playing and he’s getting it.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Going to be interesting when Doughty and Byfield are back. Plus Lemieux developing into a pest for us is going to be fun to watch.

 

[Ghetty Green]

When Doughty is back I would try

Doughty - Anderson
Clague - Roy
Edler - Durzi

Till Durzi goes down

Yeah I know I left out Bjornfot he can rotate in, I don't expect Durzi around long unfortunately, and I'm worried they'll waive Clague to keep Maatta.

Lol

 

[ibleedkings]

TMac on Kaliyev:
(LA Kings Insider)

On the goal by Kaliyev and his development
He’s developing a full game. And he was really frustrated with himself missing the empty net. That’s in his wheelhouse, that’s in his prime spot, and he mis-shot it. But he didn’t let it rattle himself. You can see him maturing. We really appreciate all the little things that Arty is doing right now. When you compare him in his one game last year against Anaheim to his 15-20 games that he’s played this year, it’s significantly different. Just defending, the confidence to play in certain situations, using his body…he’s going to score, he’s going to shoot the puck, he’s going play on the power play, we’re trying to train him for the full 20 minutes that he could eventually end up playing and he’s getting it.

This is what I want to hear from TM. I've criticized him a lot how he's using Artie and a few other things too but this should give RJ, KingsPawn and myself a few less gray hair.

 

[ibleedkings]

*double post