Speculation: 2021-22 LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster Thread Part VI

[All The Kings Men]

The things I don't like could change overnight, we've just seen no evidence it's heading that way quite yet.

All I can really say about this is that I never properly appreciated just how complex these franchises are until I started getting just a peak behind the curtain on some pretty mundane stuff. These clubs really are like cruise ships. Things can appear change over night on occasion (see Boudreau and the Canucks) but it's usually a fairly slow process. I think expectations are elevated because when you're navigating something as complex as an NHL team through a process like "rebuilding" you get to the stage the Kings are currently in where the time for patient asset hoarding is dramatically slowed if not complete and as soon as someone says "that part is over" everybody wants it to be time for the end of the next phase... but it's just the beginning (or middle possibly) of that stage.

The consensus from outside observers (myself included) seems to be that if all players are healthy and available, they have too many. So... can they choose the right guys?

I think we all hope so.

Except andys. Nobody knows what he's thinking.

EDIT: all of that isn't to say that I don't sometimes look at the lineup of both the Kings and Reign, shake my head and say "I don't get that decision right there"

 

[Sol]

Sounds like excuses honestly. No offense to you and your work, but there is legitimate problems with this organization. I get the whole "cruise" ship explanantion however Blake, Luc, and Todd have done a poor job executing their roles as leaders, direction, and coaching, This team has some bad eggs on it Im sure however there is some massive issues that isn't being addressed so its not "behind the curtains " issues as you think,.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't doubt there's PLENTY going on behind the scenes.

I don't think you were on that thread @All The Kings Men but I think the general consensus here is we can only criticize what we can see, unfortunately, while giving some credit to the idea that there's plenty we're not privy to...yet, when there are patterns of behavior, we have to believe what we are shown, not told.

It's easy for me to be an asshole though because I don't have to speak to any of these people directly except when I see them at LA Live

 

[tbrown33]

Iaffalo and Turcotte to COVID. For Turcotte it was only a matter of time

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Iaffalo and Turcotte to COVID. For Turcotte it was only a matter of time

FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID, NOT ENOUGH GUYS

Apparently Brown and Maatta back though.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Sounds like excuses honestly. No offense to you and your work, but there is legitimate problems with this organization. I get the whole "cruise" ship explanantion however Blake, Luc, and Todd have done a poor job executing their roles as leaders, direction, and coaching, This team has some bad eggs on it Im sure however there is some massive issues that isn't being addressed so its not "behind the curtains " issues as you think,.

If the wheels had fallen off the season and both teams we're massively underperforming I would agree that it sounded like excuses.

Both teams are exceeding my personal expectations even if specific decisions aren't. I think there's massive room for improvement and some of the stuff I read on here I'm fully on board with. A lot of it I'm not. I try and pick and choose where to dip my toe in without compromising myself.

So all I really felt like saying today was sometimes you guys are clearly right, sometimes you guys are massively wrong and sometimes there's no such thing as right or wrong.

There wasn't that helpful?

 

[Choralone]

No, you see, if one of us has a preconceived notion and have posted about it, God himself couldn't dissuade us from it.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

If the wheels had fallen off the season and both teams we're massively underperforming I would agree that it sounded like excuses.

Both teams are exceeding my personal expectations even if specific decisions aren't. I think there's massive room for improvement and some of the stuff I read on here I'm fully on board with. A lot of it I'm not. I try and pick and choose where to dip my toe in without compromising myself.

So all I really felt like saying today was sometimes you guys are clearly right, sometimes you guys are massively wrong and sometimes there's no such thing as right or wrong.

There wasn't that helpful?

Dude.....just ask everyone here, I'm right all the time......always.....without fail.....that's the general perception of what I think....apparently

 

[All The Kings Men]

I don't doubt there's PLENTY going on behind the scenes.

I don't think you were on that thread @All The Kings Men but I think the general consensus here is we can only criticize what we can see, unfortunately, while giving some credit to the idea that there's plenty we're not privy to...yet, when there are patterns of behavior, we have to believe what we are shown, not told.

It's easy for me to be an asshole though because I don't have to speak to any of these people directly except when I see them at LA Live

Sometimes the eye test is enough to let you know what's happening or should be happening. Sometimes it's not. Unfortunately there's usually no way to tell which is which.

I should probably just stop since I'm not really saying anything useful at this point...

 

[Statto]

… I'm not really saying anything useful at this point

Just like the rest of us then.

I always appreciate your insights and I think most of us understand that you need to be considered in what you post - as you rightly say so as not to compromise yourself. So please keep posting as you see fit!

 

[kilowatt]

I think it's hard to delineate which posts are off-the-cuff ideas, which posts are in-the-moment complaints, and which posts are real, concrete ideas that people have spent time really thinking about. Then multiply that by each poster doing that for every post and this forum is just a clusterf*** of incomplete and complete ideas all at the same time.

There's obviously a lot that goes into running a franchise. I believe that everyone on here genuinely wants the Kings to win and are just expressing their opinions on how to best accomplish that.

 

[kilowatt]

All of that to say, I love all of you

 

[kilowatt]

So I mentioned a bit ago that the Kings, outside of Doughty, have only scored 4 goals on defense. I was wondering what it looked like for other teams so I put it in a table. This is sorted by the number of goals scored per team by defensemen, excluding that team's top-scoring defender. So for example, Cale Makar has scored 13 goals on the season (!) while the rest of the Colorado defense has scored 16 goals combined. That's a lot coming from Makar for sure, but 16 goals from "secondary" scoring by Colorado is more than most teams' primary scoring! I don't have anything to correlate or any big connections besides "more scoring, more better", I just wanted to point out how pathetic LA's defensive offense has been this year.

 

[redcard]

I imagine Brown takes Iafallo's spot, maybe Byfield comes up to reclaim his spot from Turcotte. That or Vilardi gets unbanished from the shadow realm.

 

[Little Psycho]

I didn't notice that Brown was missing until recently. He just needs to hang them up.

 

[bmr]

I think that's where he shot himself in the foot--in a vacuum, the Reign adds were good. However, it's the training camp roster spillover that's hurting. Frk, Tkachev, JAD...I mean we pushed what, 5-6 guys down to begin with before injuries?

Then I look at the injuries we've had and it's almost worked out, the optimist in me says Blake was hedging against Covid, the pessimist in me says it was in case the kids didn't take a step (Vilardi last year, etc.). It's probably in the middle, it's just so many bodies.

I'm in the camp that thinks it was good to add guys like Tynan to give better reinforcement to the rookies about what is expected and the work ethic that goes into this league, even though it's the AHL. Ontario was a hot mess last year, but to their credit did get better toward the end of the season. I don't think it necessarily pushes back the development on these guys. It just makes it more competitive and shows them what they need to do to make the big club. Durzi is the perfect example of perseverance and reward.

 

[kilowatt]

 

[DoktorJeep]

Kings need some size to help match up better. Lawson Crouse is a guy who might be available and could go head to head against guys like Marcus Foligno. He’s 24 yo, 6’4”, 220lbs and has 8g / 15 pts this season. He’s a real good 3rd liner who is an RFA with a $1.5M cap hit.

A fair trade may be a B+ prospect, a 2nd round pick and some salary going back. I’d do Kupari, 2nd and Wagner for Crouse.

Throw Chycrun in the mix, and things get better, but, doesn’t mean a deep run is likely anytime soon.

 

[The Lukeman]

I imagine Brown takes Iafallo's spot, maybe Byfield comes up to reclaim his spot from Turcotte. That or Vilardi gets unbanished from the shadow realm.

I think Gabe has proven enough in the AHL. He has been lighting it up. Let him go again as the 3C, properly this time. No more of this 2C or 4C crap

 

[Peter James Bond II]

How did Brown and Maatta get off there so fast? I was beginning to like the current roster. Can they keep giving them tests, until they get a positive?

 

[The Lukeman]

How did Brown and Maatta get off there so fast? I was beginning to like the current roster. Can they keep giving them tests, until they get a positive?

New Covid protocol set by the CDC and NHL only require 5 day quarantine if there are no symptoms with a negative test. Previously was 10 days and negative test.

 

[kilowatt]

I think Gabe has proven enough in the AHL. He has been lighting it up. Let him go again as the 3C, properly this time. No more of this 2C or 4C crap

I think at this point Gabe should be considered a RW prospect, not a center. They're playing him at right wing as much as they can in Ontario. Hopefully he develops chemistry with Byfield.

 

[King'sPawn]

Pinelli has at least another season, so Kitchener can try to hold on for one more season if they think they can compete next season.

Chromiak is difficult by sheer nature of being an import, and there are only so many teams can have.

 

[AlphaBravo]

I didn't notice that Brown was missing until recently. He just needs to hang them up.

I completely understand vet loyalty and that Brown is important to the franchise for the work he did, but we need to trade him at the deadline or scratch him. This team is better without him, and we need roster spots for the young players knocking on the door. There is just no reason to keep him at this point. At a minimum, I hope they have the sense not to resign him.

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

Vilardi HAS to improve in the circle. His offensive prowess is wasted if he can't win the faceoff. What is his % in the AHL this season? Honest question. He's a -4 overall.