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

[Raccoon Jesus]

How many games have the Kings won against the sharks since Tmac took the helm ? I think we’ve lost a majority of them easily right ?

3-9. Awful.

This year 7-10-4 vs. the west, 13-4-1 vs. the east.

If you need any more proof TM doesn't adjust.

 

[cyclones22]

That's been his story at every level--just exponential growth almost nonstop. It's really crazy. That's what makes his ceiling so uncertain. I was sure he'd run into a wall vs. pros/men but it just hasn't happened.

Next thing you know, he's Brian Rafalski.

 

[Sol]

3-9. Awful.

This year 7-10-4 vs. the west, 13-4-1 vs. the east.

If you need any more proof TM doesn't adjust.

He needs to figure himself out or he needs to be fire. I think the second one.

these winning streaks are pointless if you can’t win in your division

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Hoping to see a lineup change tonight -- I think Turcotte needs more time in the A...and haven't seen much from Kupari either. Would like see Byfield in for either of those two....

 

[FSL KINGS]

Hoping to see a lineup change tonight -- I think Turcotte needs more time in the A...and haven't seen much from Kupari either. Would like see Byfield in for either of those two....

Didn't Byfield just do 3 games in 4 nights? Maybe recall later in week if his recovery from games goes well.

 

[kings11]

Didn't Byfield just do 3 games in 4 nights? Maybe recall later in week if his recovery from games goes well.

Yup, and I’m done with the Kupari at C bit… he needs to be in the wing in Ontario because he’s stalling and needs more tip 6 min

 

[kingsfan28]

Yup, and I’m done with the Kupari at C bit… he needs to be in the wing in Ontario because he’s stalling and needs more tip 6 min

Yeah, he just doesn't use the tools he has enough. You keep expecting him to use his speed and hard shot, yet he either pulls up or passes behind someone. I just don't see any future here as a center, probably somewhere else.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Hoping to see a lineup change tonight -- I think Turcotte needs more time in the A...and haven't seen much from Kupari either. Would like see Byfield in for either of those two....

I'd like to see Turcotte with anyone but Nick Shore I mean Rasmus Kupari and Dustin Brown before he gets sent down for the rest of the year.

He's skating hard, checking well, causing turnovers, generating chances. The other two? Well...

 

[bland]

I'd like to see Turcotte with anyone but Nick Shore I mean Rasmus Kupari and Dustin Brown before he gets sent down for the rest of the year.

He's skating hard, checking well, causing turnovers, generating chances. The other two? Well...

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason to send Turcotte down.

Kupari either for that matter, this is who he is and he needs the reps. If you want to recall Byfield, sure, but please not for the sake of activating Athanasiou.

Funny how the same folks who want to send the kids down are largely the same who want to package them to bring in other vets. I get it, they want the Kings to win now, but its short-sighted because the best path to a successful Kings run comes from acclimating the key kids. They don't need to be ready to go right away, they just need to keep showing progress.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Yeah, there is absolutely no reason to send Turcotte down.

Kupari either for that matter, this is who he is and he needs the reps. If you want to recall Byfield, sure, but please not for the sake of activating Athanasiou.

Funny how the same folks who want to send the kids down are largely the same who want to package them to bring in other vets. I get it, they want the Kings to win now, but its short-sighted because the best path to a successful Kings run comes from acclimating the key kids. They don't need to be ready to go right away, they just need to keep showing progress.

Even TM seems to see Turcotte's value and is rewarding him for the checking as evidenced by his icetime, he played 16:39 the other night. Sure part of it was the game situation being out of hand but even early on before it got blown wide open he was 2nd only to Kopitar. I just want him to get some offensive situations too since for all intents and purposes that line is basically the 4th line for now--just responsible checking and Turcotte had the hardest zone starts outside the Danault line.

Edit: Yet despite those hard minutes and starts Turcotte had the best CF% on the team outside the Lizotte line and was the ONLY forward NOT on the ice for a single goal against.

 

[Schmooley]

Even TM seems to see Turcotte's value and is rewarding him for the checking as evidenced by his icetime, he played 16:39 the other night. Sure part of it was the game situation being out of hand but even early on before it got blown wide open he was 2nd only to Kopitar. I just want him to get some offensive situations too since for all intents and purposes that line is basically the 4th line for now--just responsible checking and Turcotte had the hardest zone starts outside the Danault line.

Edit: Yet despite those hard minutes and starts Turcotte had the best CF% on the team outside the Lizotte line and was the ONLY forward NOT on the ice for a single goal against.

Yea you can tell TMac is starting to like him. Hes a dream for a coach. Plays both ends of the ice with 100% effort. Turcotte naturally plays the right way and already does the things they have to teach a guy like Kaliyev. Once he gets some chemistry with some players itll be great. I think he is a center though.

 

[lumbergh]

I'd like to see Turcotte with anyone but Nick Shore I mean Rasmus Kupari and Dustin Brown before he gets sent down for the rest of the year.

He's skating hard, checking well, causing turnovers, generating chances. The other two? Well...

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

No one on line 3 should be scrutinized for offensive production. Most games, they are getting 9 minutes and often go 8+ minutes of getting a shift. One proof is Trevor Moore, who had 1 goal and 1 assist in 20
games on that line and then moves to Danault's line and has 16 points in 19 games. Perhaps Moore had a few on line 3, before moving, but that line gets the least time and is often just trying to keep pucks
deep and cycling. If you watch them, 2 of the 3 are on the boards and / or doing puck support and the 3 are not so much making scoring plays. They may get one play per shift, where they are putting pucks
on the net or making a play. Many of their shifts, they don't even make a scoring chance. No NHL player would score 20 points in a year, playing on this line and playing this way. Maybe McJesus would...and only by saying F this cycle and grind and go to the net and doing it himself and maybe get 30 points a year.

 

[DISAVOWED]

Yeah, he just doesn't use the tools he has enough. You keep expecting him to use his speed and hard shot, yet he either pulls up or passes behind someone. I just don't see any future here as a center, probably somewhere else.

Shades of a young Kempe

 

[AbsentMojo]

Kupari does remind me of Kempe and looks like a wing to me.. has speed but not a ton of play making ability (so far).. and his faceoff ability is very suspect (43% last i checked). Id rather see Kupari doing reps on the wing either in the A or here and make a spot for Byfield - who already looks ready to contribute after a little stint in the A (4 straight games w a goal, and some PP goals and assists)

 

[Herby]

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

His development has been so bizarre, right up to the present moment. What is the expectation of this organization with this player? Has any of the media bothered to ask Blake? If it's to be a 3rd line energy winger they might as well keep him up, he can be effective playing that role right now, but if there is still an offensive expectation then as you said he needs to go back down to the AHL and try and discover an offensive game at a level above the USHL, something the Kings have yet to allow him to do since drafting him. It's pretty damn tough to learn how to score at the NHL level at 20/21 when your last time producing at a high level was as a 17 year old in the USHL .

 

[funky]

Like to see see Turcotte on a line with Danault and Arvidsson once that line cools off.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

Why not? Kupari does.

And it sounds like you're agreeing with me, he needs some 'scoring line' time.

 

[redcard]

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

So 2 goals against in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength? He's a 20 year old learning the NHL game and not costing the team, its not taking up space if the experience is valuable.

 

[Herby]

So 2 goals against in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength? He's a 20 year old learning the NHL game and not costing the team, its not taking up space if the experience is valuable.

Learning what in the NHL?

He is a former Top 5 pick who projected to be a 1st or 2nd line center 2.5 years ago who is playing 4th line LW in the NHL. What is the benefit to this if you are the Kings?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Learning what in the NHL?

He is a former Top 5 pick who projected to be a 1st or 2nd line center 2.5 years ago who is playing 4th line LW in the NHL. What is the benefit to this if you are the Kings?

There's not a ton, he really should be playing up the lineup or not at all, but they've been botching him left and right so see: not getting PP1 time in ontario either

But you can make the case it's good NHL experience for him to understand the speed of the game and what to work on before he inevitably gets sent down in the numbers/waivers game.

I just want to see him play with some top-sixers before they do so. He's fed Kupari some grade-AAA passes and to be fair has whiffed on a couple himself. But Brown is an absolute anchor, he barely even makes it to the zone in time with them.

It's pretty clear, at the very least, that he has a high level understanding of NHL defensive play and his physicality is surprisingly more effective than I thought especially considering we've played soem big teams lately. That's a good sign.

 

[bland]

His development has been so bizarre, right up to the present moment. What is the expectation of this organization with this player? Has any of the media bothered to ask Blake? If it's to be a 3rd line energy winger they might as well keep him up, he can be effective playing that role right now, but if there is still an offensive expectation then as you said he needs to go back down to the AHL and try and discover an offensive game at a level above the USHL, something the Kings have yet to allow him to do since drafting him. It's pretty damn tough to learn how to score at the NHL level at 20/21 when your last time producing at a high level was as a 17 year old in the USHL .

Completely disagree. Turcotte's brand of hockey is about high speed, aggressive connectivity. His offense will come from familiarity with the speed of the NHL, learning what he can and cannot do, reading defensive structures, then applying the effort in the right direction.

He needs to learn that in the NHL, returning to the AHL only postpones that process. This isn't a pure skill player, its an effort player with a good modicum of puck skill who has produced via intelligent decision making and the volume of opportunities those smart decisions create.

I don't see any reason to send him back while his game is on the rise. If he plateaus, sure, but that just isn't the case right now. These are vital minutes for growth and he is getting them out of the way now.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

For those advocating to send Turcotte back,

What do you expect him to learn in the AHL that he can not learn or has not learned, playing and practicing with NHLers?

 

[bmr]

Right now Alex Turcotte IS Nick Shore. No points and -1 in 7 games. 1 goal in 76 minutes when he's on the ice at even strength.

Alex Turcotte needs to go back to the A and get minutes on a top line. He needs to learn how to contribute on the scoresheet, not just with hustle. He can't just take up space indefinitely.

Still too early to tell with Turcotte. Gut tells me he will end up better than Nick Shore. I think everyone agrees that Zegras looks like the gem of his draft, but he has some shortcomings in his game also. Turcotte will give you a 200 ft game and not take a shift off. Team identity, right? We don't need 10 guys who do the exact same thing.

I think there's a lot less pressure for some of the new guys when you see how well Danault has worked out. That 3C position is ripe for the taking.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Completely disagree. Turcotte's brand of hockey is about high speed, aggressive connectivity. His offense will come from familiarity with the speed of the NHL, learning what he can and cannot do, reading defensive structures, then applying the effort in the right direction.

He needs to learn that in the NHL, returning to the AHL only postpones that process. This isn't a pure skill player, its an effort player with a good modicum of puck skill who has produced via intelligent decision making and the volume of opportunities those smart decisions create.

I don't see any reason to send him back while his game is on the rise. If he plateaus, sure, but that just isn't the case right now. These are vital minutes for growth and he is getting them out of the way now.

Yea,,,we finally agree on something.....I don't see the positive in sending him back right now....he will play behind Byfield and Tynan, probably....it doesn't make sense, does he need better linemates, would love to see him, Kupari and Fagemo play, learn together etc, I'm not nearly as down on Kupari as everyone here......he's shown some flashes, he needs the time to develop the consistency