GDT: 2021-22 season game 70 LA Kings vs Calgary Flames @6:00pm 3/31/22

[Raccoon Jesus]

Again, I’m not saying AA is anything great. But even without Danault he is providing more offense from the bottom six than anyone else that is currently down there. And if bottom six goals is a good indicator of the Kings winning games why wouldn’t you put him in there? It also lets Kupari move back to his natural position.

He's not, though. Danault or Moore has the assist on almost every one of his goals and vice versa for his assists. The only 'bottom six' assist he has is on Byfield's first goal. He also has an OT goal and a couple of empty netters. He's NOT generating from the third or fourth line. That's exactly the problem. You spent so much time raking rookies that you ignored AA's role, remember?

 

[kingsholygrail]

He's not, though. Danault or Moore has the assist on almost every one of his goals and vice versa for his assists. The only 'bottom six' assist he has is on Byfield's first goal. He also has an OT goal and a couple of empty netters. He's NOT generating from the third or fourth line. That's exactly the problem. You spent so much time raking rookies that you ignored AA's role, remember?

He's a goal scorer. Why would he have the assists?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

He's a goal scorer. Why would he have the assists?

If you want to look at just goals, then he does not have one single goal away from Danault except an OT goal.

So if the purpose is to put him in the lineup for 'depth scoring,' reality doesn't line up with that. You get all of the drawback, precious little of the benefit.

Edit: now here's the other thing--I DO agree with Herby that depth scoring is a huge boon and I'm sure our record in games where that's working is very strong (though at this point it might be more in games Kopitar is a "+" but that's a different conversation anyway)...my argument earlier this season was this is a roster who is insanely strong in possession top to bottom, when fully healthy they were near 60% CF%. THAT is a roster that can sustain a specialist--my argument was more of pulling a PP guy like Frk or Tkachev, I could see an argument for AA even though I disagree. But even then on a roster that can't figure out how to use Kaliyev half the time and only used Frk's onetimer once all season, we may as well have a 'roll four lines' roster since TM...you know the rest.

 

[kingsholygrail]

If you want to look at just goals, then he does not have one single goal away from Danault except an OT goal.

So if the purpose is to put him in the lineup for 'depth scoring,' reality doesn't line up with that. You get all of the drawback, precious little of the benefit.

Edit: now here's the other thing--I DO agree with Herby that depth scoring is a huge boon and I'm sure our record in games where that's working is very strong (though at this point it might be more in games Kopitar is a "+" but that's a different conversation anyway)...my argument earlier this season was this is a roster who is insanely strong in possession top to bottom, when fully healthy they were near 60% CF%. THAT is a roster that can sustain a specialist--my argument was more of pulling a PP guy like Frk or Tkachev, I could see an argument for AA even though I disagree. But even then on a roster that can't figure out how to use Kaliyev half the time and only used Frk's onetimer once all season, we may as well have a 'roll four lines' roster since TM...you know the rest.

Yeah, it all ultimately comes down to deployment and we've seen what they do with that. lol