Speculation: 2021-22 LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster discussion part III

[King'sPawn]

It’s funny to hear all the internet experts rag on DeAngelo (not directed at anyone on our board). Quite frankly I think they’re all full of shit.

I’ve heard Mike Rupp say on a few occasions that he was loved in the room and there were a few guys on that team he talked to that were very irritated he was canned. But I’m sure the internet experts know more than Mike Rupp, an actual NHL player who played for both the Devils and Rangers and knows both teams inside and out.

This isn’t an endorsement or me saying we should sign him, I’m just tired of seeing people pile on this guy and act like they are in the room every game.

Well, no team would trade for him. And the Rangers would prefer to buy him out.

While he was not on the Rangers roster, he made a burner account and shit on the Rangers and some of his teammates.

While it's true the media aren't in the room. But the teams wouldn't avoid him based on clueless media folk.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It’s funny to hear all the internet experts rag on DeAngelo (not directed at anyone on our board). Quite frankly I think they’re all full of shit.

I’ve heard Mike Rupp say on a few occasions that he was loved in the room and there were a few guys on that team he talked to that were very irritated he was canned. But I’m sure the internet experts know more than Mike Rupp, an actual NHL player who played for both the Devils and Rangers and knows both teams inside and out.

This isn’t an endorsement or me saying we should sign him, I’m just tired of seeing people pile on this guy and act like they are in the room every game.

I just see a guy who has burned through a team in a similar situation as the Kings, a Stanley Cup Contender, and a perennial basement dweller, and watch him get passed through waivers and bought out, and say why could the Kings fix any of that when all of the previous franchises couldn't?

I don't think you even need to speculate on the behind-the-scenes stuff to worry about the above.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I don’t want him because whether I believe a lot of this stuff or not there’s definitely baggage. More than anything it just shocked me to hear Mike Rupp, someone I really respect and enjoy listening to, completely nuke the mainstream narrative on him. I hope the kid gets his act together regardless, he’s very talented and will regret it the rest of his life.

 

[kilowatt]

All we need now is Shane Wright to complete the greatest prospect pool ever assembled.

Turcotte - Wright - Vilardi
Pinelli - Byfield - Kaliyev
Fagemo - Helenius - Kupari
JAD - Thomas - Madden
Andersson, Grundstrom, Simontaival, Chromiak, Jamsen, Laferriere

Bjornfot - Clarke
Anderson - Faber
Kirsanov - Grans
Clague, Durzi, Spence, Nousiainen

 

[Reclamation Project]

It’s not whether they’ll win the Cup but rather HOW MANY!!!

 

[MBH]

Well, no team would trade for him. And the Rangers would prefer to buy him out.

While he was not on the Rangers roster, he made a burner account and shit on the Rangers and some of his teammates.

While it's true the media aren't in the room. But the teams wouldn't avoid him based on clueless media folk.

The Twitter burner thing?
Fiction.

 

[FSL KINGS]

I just see a guy who has burned through a team in a similar situation as the Kings, a Stanley Cup Contender, and a perennial basement dweller, and watch him get passed through waivers and bought out, and say why could the Kings fix any of that when all of the previous franchises couldn't?

I don't think you even need to speculate on the behind-the-scenes stuff to worry about the above.

Why are you worried about fixing him? Just train him to focus the crazy on VGK & SJ.

 

[Jason Squirties]

I don’t want him because whether I believe a lot of this stuff or not there’s definitely baggage. More than anything it just shocked me to hear Mike Rupp, someone I really respect and enjoy listening to, completely nuke the mainstream narrative on him. I hope the kid gets his act together regardless, he’s very talented and will regret it the rest of his life.

I think with anything like this, it's usually partial truth from both sides and probably falls in the middle. If Kyle Larson can have the comeback he's had than so can DeAngelo. We'll see I suppose, there's a lot more unknown/behind the curtain with DeAngelo's stuff rather than a well known incident.

 

[Cook24]

What’s the most we can offer a player for a 1 year deal?

let’s throw a 1 year 15 mil deal at ovechkin haha

 

[KingsFan7824]

What’s the most we can offer a player for a 1 year deal?

let’s throw a 1 year 15 mil deal at ovechkin haha

Last rumor I saw was he's going to sign a multi-year contract, and it likely won't be for league minimum, so he'll make more than $15m with the Caps. You want to do a big 1 year deal, you have to do that with someone like Hoffman. The kind of guy that isn't going to get a 6 or 7 year deal for $50m or whatever. The guy that's going to get $20m over 4 or 5 years, he might take the 1 year/$15m deal.

 

[Cook24]

Elliott Friedman’s podcast just uploaded mentions the Kings and Danault. Don’t see that one happening, doesn’t make sense, which he points out the Kings abundance of centers…

 

[Reclamation Project]

He's never scored more than 13 goals in a season, he'd definitely be a great fit on this team!

 

[Peter James Bond III]

He's never scored more than 13 goals in a season, he'd definitely be a great fit on this team!

And since the formula for goals / points for NHL players coming to the Kings is: goals x .8 = goals/ pts on Kings, Danault would top out at 10.4 goals.
The formula is getting worse over the years, especially for players leaving the Kings. Carter had 8 goals in 40 games with the Kings and then had 9 goals in 14
games with the Pens. Given that data, every GM should be clamoring for Kempe, knowing his 14 goals on the Kings would be at least 26 on their team.
Plus the 2 million contract is peanuts for 26+ goals. Also factor in they would be trading less asset(s) for a 14 goal scorer and getting a 26+ goal scorer.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Elliott Friedman’s podcast just uploaded mentions the Kings and Danault. Don’t see that one happening, doesn’t make sense, which he points out the Kings abundance of centers…

Don't know what Friedman said but a few of us agree on Danault.

Kopitar is getting paid 10m to do everything; getting Danault, who is an elite defensive presence, increases Kopitar's offensive deployment and vastly decreases his defensive deployment. As he ages we REALLY need to peel Anze back from playing #1 dman minutes; the only forwards who even get NEAR his icetime dont' touch defensive minutes/PK time literally at all. If you need to score late in a game you can roll Kopitar/Byfield/Vilardi etc, if you need to lock it down, you can deploy Danault and Kopitar, both of whom are erasers.

The logic is sound even if people don't agree because of his scoring numbers, which I understand. And I defintiely wouldn't give him the Hayes contract that he may get.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I think player salaries are tiered in the league.

$10M+ tier
$6-9M
$3-5M
<$2M

Danault is said to be looking for more than $5M. It feels like most agents think the $6M line is the floor for a #2C. But most guys who are at the category are .5+ ppg scorers. I guess you could go back to a defensive identity as a franchise, but that doesn’t line up with the roster building approach as a whole.

So committing around $30M to a guy who is 29 years old in February seems risky.

 

[King'sPawn]

Doubt the Kings go for Danault. He wants term and money. The Kings have cap space, but they will need to re-sign the likes of Byfield, Vilardi, Bjornfot, Anderson, within the next 3 years. With the cap potentially stagnant, they won't overspend on cap and/or term.

 

[Piston]

Doubt the Kings go for Danault. He wants term and money. The Kings have cap space, but they will need to re-sign the likes of Byfield, Vilardi, Bjornfot, Anderson, within the next 3 years. With the cap potentially stagnant, they won't overspend on cap and/or term.

Interesting perspective, but I think Danault should be our main target in the UFA market. Not only does he take a huge amount of pressure off of Kopitar both in terms of the PK and defensive zone starts, he allows us to use one or two of Turcotte, Kupari or Vilardi in a trade for the LD we desperately need. Plus, the guy oozes character and responsibility.

 

[johnjm22]

Don't know what Friedman said but a few of us agree on Danault.

Kopitar is getting paid 10m to do everything; getting Danault, who is an elite defensive presence, increases Kopitar's offensive deployment and vastly decreases his defensive deployment. As he ages we REALLY need to peel Anze back from playing #1 dman minutes; the only forwards who even get NEAR his icetime dont' touch defensive minutes/PK time literally at all. If you need to score late in a game you can roll Kopitar/Byfield/Vilardi etc, if you need to lock it down, you can deploy Danault and Kopitar, both of whom are erasers.

The logic is sound even if people don't agree because of his scoring numbers, which I understand. And I defintiely wouldn't give him the Hayes contract that he may get.

But the Kings actually have to choose to change their player utilization philosophy.

I don't think you necessarily need to go out sign a name UFA in order to do it.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Interesting perspective, but I think Danault should be our main target in the UFA market. Not only does he take a huge amount of pressure off of Kopitar both in terms of the PK and defensive zone starts, he allows us to use one or two of Turcotte, Kupari or Vilardi in a trade for the LD we desperately need. Plus, the guy oozes character and responsibility.

It’s a weak strategy to pin your hopes on Danault to unlock Kopitar’s production and a LD acquisition. If either Kopitar or Danault is injured and/or ineffective, now where do you get that from down the middle if you’ve traded your nhl ready (or closest to it) depth there?

You can’t shape Danault into the lineup like play doh at the cost he’s going to command. Better bet is to get help on the wing.

 

[unicornpig]

if kings are in on danault, turcotte or vilardi are on there way out.

 

[BigKing]

if kings are in on danault, turcotte or vilardi are on there way out.

Or the move to wing takes place

 

[Kingspiracy]

if kings are in on danault, turcotte or vilardi are on there way out.

If they are on their way out, perhaps Eich should be considered instead of danault, then kopitar focusses even more on the defensive side

 

[kilowatt]

I think Turcotte and Vilardi as 1LW and 1RW would be pretty neat.

 

[The Lukeman]

As of how the roster stands today, the 2022 LA Kings have $35 million in cap space. Notable UFA/RFAs are Kempe, Peterson, Vilardi, Anderson. Only Kempe is Arbitration eligible.

2023, only notable RFA is Bjornfot.

2024 is when LA needs to spend money on the kids, but Kopitar's 10 million is off the books (I assume he will sign for less than 10).

It is okay to spend money right now. Take advantage of the flat cap while we can.

 

[regulate]

if kings are in on danault, turcotte or vilardi are on there way out.

Why? Vilardi and Danault scored almost the exact same amount of points in nearly the exact same number of games. This was Vilardi's rookie season (21 years old), and he struggled with his conditioning and will only get better. He's got a lot of offensive talent. Danault got a lot of kudos for shutting down Stone in the Vegas series. Danault had a grand total of 1 goal and 4 pts in 22 playoff games. Turcotte is also a high end offensive talent. I don't see how the two are intertwined, plus Vilardi and Turcotte can also play the wing.