Nasti
Registered User
Again, I’m happy with this result. I’ve seen enough to see what this group is made of. Even a playoff birth won’t be that exciting. Bad roster makeup. Let alone the coach.
GDT: 2023-24 season game 41 LA Kings vs Dallas Stars @5:00pm 1/16/24
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johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
- 21,372
- 18,728
You have to wonder if Blake is going to make a Parrish/Sopel type trade to try and salvage his job.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
Spence and Kaliyev for Zucker and Dumba.
Herby
How could Blake have known?
SherVaughn30
Registered User
mysterman2
Registered User
and nick and daryl mentioned his FO% the last 3 games was abysmal and then speculated of a hand/wrist injury. I said the same thing a week ago seeing him bungle the puck multiple times.
Begs the question- if the coach knows about this....why have him taking critical late game faceoffs? Why have your 36 year old center on the PK at all much less if he is injured.
Trash Panda
Registered User
- May 12, 2021
- 2,588
- 4,669
Because our supposedly lauded center depth has dwindled into an injured Kopitar and Danault.
And Philly can’t do it all on his own. To me it seems high time to let Q try his hand at center, since PL has panned out like a turd in the punch bowl.
The problem is if they put Byfield back at center then McLellan simply won't play that line since QB isn't experienced enough.
Kopitar signed a $7mill contract that implies that he is a top center.
He is not innocent here.
The next 2 years can get really ugly for him
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
7 million is 2c/3c money these days
not his fault he's getting ridden like prime mcdavid
The whole point of getting PLD was to take pressure of Kopitar and eventually turn over the top center to him since Byfield is a wing, Vilardi is a wing on another team, Turcotte is in the AHL, Kupari is a 4C on another team and Jack Hughes is at his second college.
$7mill is not 3C money and he never fulfilled the $10 mill position.
Getting paid more what he is worth is his trademark
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Blake's failure in a nutshell
draft infinity centers, trade them or play them at W, end up with basically none
Maybe its a little his fault. Him and Doughty have a lot of pull on the team. Would any coach be able to come in and put him on a second or 3rd line and move Doughty off the powerplay without backlash?
bland
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2004
- 8,194
- 12,550
Its already happening with the vaunted RHD depth.
Faber, Durzi, Walker already gone. Re-signing Roy would be a terrible mistake (which I fully expect them to make, along with a desperation Spence deal at the deadline).
PLD has been horrible on the draws, he’s not a center either.
If Turcotte can hold on and not brake for a few games I can see him getting the call up.
If Turcotte can hold on and not brake for a few games I can see him getting the call up.
Rick Knickleback
Registered User
Agreed. Hand him the keys to his own line and see what happens. If he pops, that would solve a problem or two.
bland
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2004
- 8,194
- 12,550
That's the problem, but not for that reason.
Kopitar rightfully should be in the last year of his career. He has conserved his own energy for so long that he was able to buy a few extra seasons of high level play before running relatively dry. And he is still putting up good numbers, but his influence on the game is much, much lower than before.
The real question, and oh boy does this piss off Kopitar fans, is that wouldn't it have been better for the Kings if he hadn't played as conservatively for so long and really gone balls to the wall about 5-7 years ago?
6 years at 80% output versus 3 years at maximum levels of energy before hitting the wall. Its speculation for debate of course, but perhaps those teams after Lombardi left could have really used a catalyst instead of a captain who oozes "settle down". Kopitar went hard in 2016 and that was easily the best regular season hockey of his career, but he was a total non-factor in that first round loss. Not an easy question to answer.
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
- 21,372
- 18,728
JAD is probably a better option at center than PLD and Lewis (at his age).
As far as faceoffs go, JAD was 58% and 56% in each of the previous two seasons. He's a solid hockey player if people would just give him a chance. He needs time to settle in.
Might have to also consider moving QB back to center since Dubois can't handle it and Lizotte is out.
Desperate times call for desperate measures:
Moore-Danault-Fiala
Kaliyev-Byfield-Kempe
Dubois-Kopitar-Laf
Grundstrom-JAD-Lewis
As far as faceoffs go, JAD was 58% and 56% in each of the previous two seasons. He's a solid hockey player if people would just give him a chance. He needs time to settle in.
Might have to also consider moving QB back to center since Dubois can't handle it and Lizotte is out.
Desperate times call for desperate measures:
Moore-Danault-Fiala
Kaliyev-Byfield-Kempe
Dubois-Kopitar-Laf
Grundstrom-JAD-Lewis
Sol
Smile
- Jun 30, 2017
- 25,052
- 21,320
Not one person thinks Kopitar is bad. Kopitar to start the season was very good. There’s no mistaking that the reason for that was because the season was fresh and so was he. Kopitar is only playing bad right now because we have a dumb f*** as a coach who is playing him like a 24 year old center. It’s so painfully obvious that he’s exhausted that it’s crazy that Todd hasn’t done something to change that.
I was a little shocked they gave Kopitar two more years at 7 million. I was expecting a one year at 5 million.
Master Yoda
LA Legends
Most of us were hoping for that type of an extension.
Let's hope the last few games aren't a start of a trend. What a disaster of a contract that would be.
Think most knew Talbot would not keep this up. Team needs to outscore their goaltending right now, and right now the offense is broken
I love this extension still.
I do no think $7M is a top center anymore. More #2 money.
Was wondering this same thing more with Drew than Kopitar. I wonder if a new voice could come in an shift time on ice and usage.
King'sPawn
Enjoy the chaos
- Jul 1, 2003
- 23,144
- 23,996
Not gonna lie - as big a Kopitar fan that I am, I wouldn't have advised discussing an extension till the season's end, precisely because of how he has been overplayed in the years.
Frankly, with how he has been playing lately, I was thinking he should consider retiring after this season... but because it's a 35+ contract, it would still count against the cap.
Blake just can't help himself with these trap contracts.
Brown wasn't a rallying captain either. But Lombardi identified that and brought in the right supplemental leadership to bring the Kings to a championship.
Blake's biggest failure with Kopitar, in my opinion, is failing to recognize what he is and is not, and the core has been given the golden cow treatment.
This is where I think you misunderstand me - I don't think Kopitar is a player you just trade away. But he's also not a player who is above reproach and getting challenged/lesser ice time. The issue has been how the org made it seem like reducing his minutes or addressing his flaws in leadership is sacrilege.
If gunning for another cup was the goal, Blake should have identified the Richards and Williams-like players. Like a Mark Stone.
But frankly, the Kings should have tried to rebuild years ago and let the Doughtys and Kopitars take a lesser role while they prepare the next generation of Kings players.
