Speculation: 2021-22 LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster discussion part IV Playoffs? I Danault

[Ziggy Stardust]

Calgary lost their best defenseman, and they’re going to get to 99 points? Yeah, right.

 

[LAKings88]

I forgot Sutter was coaching Calgary again.

I think it’s a crap shoot as always for LA. Playoffs aren’t a lock. Will heads roll if we have a lotto pick again?

 

[Peter James Bond III]

I think the Kings make the playoffs...and get their first post season win in years! But probably round 1 exit.
I think 'the room' will get better, with Danault, Arvidsson and Edler...and they also even inspire (to a degree) Kopi and Doughty.
Arvidsson should score 20 and Danault 10+. Danault will make 2nd linemates better, as he is a playmaker and will steady the line defensively
and on faceoffs.

I would expect a few to have better seasons, because entering 2nd full years: Vilardi, Moore (really 2nd full year) Bjornfot, Anderson and Andersson.
Iafallo, Kempe and AA may exceed their season over last. Petersen really also 2nd year as starter and coming off winning goalie of Worlds Tournament.

PK should be better, with Danault and Edler (Edler, needed size and top shot blocker. Led Van in blocked shots and would have led Kings too)
Keep Kopi off PK and use his minutes better suited to team.

Can match up against ALL teams better, with Danault 2nd center and shutting down Stone, McDavid, etc. Kopi can play against lesser line.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I forgot Sutter was coaching Calgary again.

He's coaching so much in Calgary that they signed Lewis.

I think it’s a crap shoot as always for LA. Playoffs aren’t a lock. Will heads roll if we have a lotto pick again?

I guess it would depend on how bad they are, but they're at the cap, and have invested $15.95m in cap space, and $14.45m in salary, into the team. I would think there are at least some expectations this year.

Brown might be a lost cause, and I don't know what Quick has left in him, but Kopitar and especially Doughty have to bring it.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I forgot Sutter was coaching Calgary again.

I think it’s a crap shoot as always for LA. Playoffs aren’t a lock. Will heads roll if we have a lotto pick again?

Yes and no. As long as they are in the hunt for a playoff spot at the end of the season, that will be improvement. If we are in the last 10 games hoping we lose more in order to get a better pick, Blake should probably be replaced.

 

[Reclamation Project]

I forgot Sutter was coaching Calgary again.

I think it’s a crap shoot as always for LA. Playoffs aren’t a lock. Will heads roll if we have a lotto pick again?

Calgary is going nowhere with him. Sam Bennett was immediately better after the trade and threw him under the bus. He basically said - "It's great to be part of a team that has a coach and GM believe in me."

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Calgary is going nowhere with him. Sam Bennett was immediately better after the trade and threw him under the bus. He basically said - "It's great to be part of a team that has a coach and GM believe in me."

The Flames managed to play worse after Sutter stepped in. Not that I think it's entirely his fault, but that Calgary locker room seems fractured, and they just lost their captain and best defenseman.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Seattle will finish below us. They're no Vegas 2.0

They sure look like a BAD team in paper

 

[TheBannermen]

‎The Bannermen: LA Kings Podcast on Apple Podcasts

I wanted to share a link to my favorite Kings podcast. I appreciate their logic and enjoy it over a bunch of other good ones. It’s is stripped down. I’ve only started to listen since this most recent season. And they haven’t had any guests afaik. And they don’t have any ads so far.

Just want to say how much we appreciate this. We’re fans just like everyone here and truly love taking a time out from life to talk about something we love for a little while. Love getting feedback, positive or negative, so thank you to everyone who takes any amount of time to listen!

 

[DapperDan]

They sure look like a BAD team in paper

I'll play devil's advocate and say the defense and goaltending look decent on paper. That offense though...oof. Maybe Francis is hoping for a lot of that William Karlsson effect for a few guys like Tanev and McCann. Bubble team in my eyes.

 

[Sol]

The Flames managed to play worse after Sutter stepped in. Not that I think it's entirely his fault, but that Calgary locker room seems fractured, and they just lost their captain and best defenseman.

True. I also think it is Sutter's fault to an extent. He was a bad coach for a couple years before the Kings fired him. I think Sutter was more of the type of coach who lit a fire under your ass but also wasn't very formulaic in his approach to the game. It was evident when he made many bad coaching decisions. I think Sutter is also archaic in his approach to the game. A team like Calgary with a coach like Sutter isn't going to win. Sutter is a crappy coach and Calgary is a nutless team.

 

[KingsFan7824]

They sure look like a BAD team in paper

I might not go that far. No stars obviously, but a decent amount of good enough secondary players, who will likely play like they have something to prove. Not a team of kids. Some decent playoff experience as individuals.

Based on last year, and obviously it's hardly a perfect math equation, but they have 170 GF on the roster. That's tied with Winnipeg for 12th overall.

 

[AlphaBravo]

True. I also think it is Sutter's fault to an extent. He was a bad coach for a couple years before the Kings fired him. I think Sutter was more of the type of coach who lit a fire under your ass but also wasn't very formulaic in his approach to the game. It was evident when he made many bad coaching decisions. I think Sutter is also archaic in his approach to the game. A team like Calgary with a coach like Sutter isn't going to win. Sutter is a crappy coach and Calgary is a nutless team.

Sutter definitely has a formula for how he approaches the game. His style is superior for the playoffs, but tough to make the playoffs with that style, unless you have good talent. He is only effectively temporarily on teams, as his style and message get old. For example, if the 2015 Kings team managed to make the playoffs, I think they would have gone deep. It was the drama and injuries that prevented us from a potential repeat and third cup.

 

[Sol]

Sutter definitely has a formula for how he approaches the game. His style is superior for the playoffs, but tough to make the playoffs with that style, unless you have good talent. He is only effectively temporarily on teams, as his style and message get old. For example, if the 2015 Kings team managed to make the playoffs, I think they would have gone deep. It was the drama and injuries that prevented us from a potential repeat and third cup.

I disagree. He doesn't seem like he's very formulaic and heavily strategic. But not like we can prove it. So agree to disagree bby.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Sutter definitely has a formula for how he approaches the game. His style is superior for the playoffs, but tough to make the playoffs with that style, unless you have good talent. He is only effectively temporarily on teams, as his style and message get old. For example, if the 2015 Kings team managed to make the playoffs, I think they would have gone deep. It was the drama and injuries that prevented us from a potential repeat and third cup.

Those were rather significant losses they had in 2015, and they only had one overtime win and lost 15 games either in OT/SO. That’s a lot of extra points to give up, and it cost them dearly.

Don’t know what makes you think they were going to win a third Cup, because they didn’t play like a team that was going to win a third Cup. They had difficulty closing out games and throttling opponents, and lost some rather significant games down the stretch that cost them a playoff spot.

That season was more of an indicator that the Cup window was closing on them.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[Reclamation Project]

Chromiak is a national league name!

 

[AlphaBravo]

Those were rather significant losses they had in 2015, and they only had one overtime win and lost 15 games either in OT/SO. That’s a lot of extra points to give up, and it cost them dearly.

Don’t know what makes you think they were going to win a third Cup, because they didn’t play like a team that was going to win a third Cup. They had difficulty closing out games and throttling opponents, and lost some rather significant games down the stretch that cost them a playoff spot.

That season was more of an indicator that the Cup window was closing on them.

The Kings were still playing strong puck possession hockey. I recall in those games where they lost, they were dominating in the offensive zone, but couldn't get those one or two goals to win the game (with opposing team cashing in on their limited opportunities). Of course, good teams need to do that, but when you are talking about playoff hockey, being a puck possession beast carries the day. Not saying it was guaranteed that they would win a third cup, but I am confident they would have gone deep, especially considering Sekera was expecting back by playoffs.

 

[Choralone]

I think we fans forget what a physical and mental toll it takes on players to go so deep in the playoffs for three years straight - not to mention how many friggin' playoff games they had in 2014 alone - and overthink things like personnel decisions, leadership, etc. as the issue. And you can only go to the whip so many times, like Sutter was wont to do, before you're just flogging a dead horse that's going to lock you out of a team meeting with a trashcan. Hell, the team might have been better off trading a lot of peeps after 2014 just to add fresh legs.

 

[BringTheReign]

The public sphere analysts with predictive models seem to do pretty well for themselves betting-wise. There’s error bars in everything and there are big misses, but I don’t think it’s off that we’re rated so low.

Breakout candidates (like all young players) can’t be accounted for accurately in a model like this for one thing. The same thing happened with Canucks two years and with the Leafs before that where they were projected bottom dwellers and then all the sudden they exploded due to rookies popping.

There’s also the fact that our 5v5 goal rate was atrocious last season, and 1 of 2 major additions upfront is also coming off a down season where his priors are low (Arvidsson). Danault on the other hand drives play and does put up points at even strength, but he’s not a goal scorer.

 

[wetcoast]

I really like the potential of analytics and measurement of past performances. But a raw predictive application does it a disservice, in my opinion.

Seattle second in the Pacific sums it up.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The Kings were still playing strong puck possession hockey. I recall in those games where they lost, they were dominating in the offensive zone, but couldn't get those one or two goals to win the game (with opposing team cashing in on their limited opportunities). Of course, good teams need to do that, but when you are talking about playoff hockey, being a puck possession beast carries the day. Not saying it was guaranteed that they would win a third cup, but I am confident they would have gone deep, especially considering Sekera was expecting back by playoffs.

Was Pearson supposed to be back? If he was out, plus nothing at 4C(which was an issue in the 2014 playoffs, but Richards at least had a couple decent shifts left in him then), I'm not sure how far that team goes. They were able to scratch and claw through a lack of goals from Kopitar in 2013, but by 2015, I don't know that they were hungry enough to overcome Kopitar's first career worst season. A battle tested roster should've been able to beat a pre-McDavid Oilers team in the last week in a must win game, and they didn't.

I think we fans forget what a physical and mental toll it takes on players to go so deep in the playoffs for three years straight - not to mention how many friggin' playoff games they had in 2014 alone - and overthink things like personnel decisions, leadership, etc. as the issue. And you can only go to the whip so many times, like Sutter was wont to do, before you're just flogging a dead horse that's going to lock you out of a team meeting with a trashcan. Hell, the team might have been better off trading a lot of peeps after 2014 just to add fresh legs.

TB has been to at least the 3rd rd in 5 of the last 7 years. 3 Finals, 2 Cups. In 18-19, they were great, and by all accounts should've made that 6 of 7 years.

Pittsburgh, they've gone out in the 1st for many years now, but they're always there. They come back every year, and put themselves in the conversation. Washington, same thing. Even SJ, and people rip them, rightfully so, but I'll stand firm in my belief that what they were able to do for 15 years or so was pretty damn impressive, even without the Cup.

The Kings just didn't have an elite roster. Or, maybe they did, but between Voynov, Richards, and Brown, it broke down real quick, and they were not able to replace them. Other than Carter(luckily he was available in 2012 and already here in 13-14) stepping in for Richards, but the cost paid for Richards was high for about 1.5 to 2 years of good hockey.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[KopitarFAN]

I'll play devil's advocate and say the defense and goaltending look decent on paper. That offense though...oof. Maybe Francis is hoping for a lot of that William Karlsson effect for a few guys like Tanev and McCann. Bubble team in my eyes.

Same. Their blue line is mid-tier, lacking a top end guy, but doesn't have a #7 that they'll be running out there every night. 3 Goaltenders that you'd at least profile as a "solid backup".

They'll be in games.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I really like the potential of analytics and measurement of past performances. But a raw predictive application does it a disservice, in my opinion.

Interesting forecast with respect to the point totals more than the teams. The cut off line for the #8 seed in both conferences is 96 points. Which feels accurate. But I think they’ve given too many points to the bottom teams and not enough to the top teams.

The bottom three teams should be Arizona, Buffalo and Columbus; all in the 65-70 point range. At the top end VGK and Tampa should be closer to 120 points than where they are. I also think Caroline get 105+ points and wins the Metro.

Everyone has an opinion on the teams based on current rosters. Looking at the Kings division, I think they overrated Seattle and underrated Calgary and Vancouver. If I was betting today, I’d wager on the standings end up looking something like …

Vegas 114 points - clear division leader with no goalie distractions
Calgary 99 points - Markstrom #2 goalie in the division and Sutter rubs off on Monahan and Gaudreau
Vancouver 97 points - Deepest top six forwards
Edmonton 96 points - Ken Holland keeps his job one more year
Seattle 86 points - they’ve got goaltending and defense to play Islanders style hockey if everything goes right
LA 86 points - Improvements at F and D aren’t enough to overcome injuries and a lack of finishing
SJ 76 points - Cutting Kane loose is the highlight of the season before a game is played
Ducks 71 points - Zegras and Comtois turn into full time top line players