GDT: 2024-25 season game 51 LA Kings vs Montreal Canadiens @7:30pm 2/5/25

[Raccoon Jesus]

I know I'm in a shrinking minority but I'm still a big believer that there's a 90+ point player coming.



The biggest issues Q has at this point are probably both belief related--his shot and his physical game.

I think the real bully physical game comes when he has his full man strength in a couple of years. He'll probably never be a total asshole unfortunately, but I do think he stops getting pushed around. Nichuskin had the same issues and now no one can do anything about him.

The shot...you see that a lot when guys lose space from juniors to pros. He's got to figure out how to get it off quicker and more accurately. He seems to be trying the first part and losing accuracy in doing so. Give him a summer with Kempe, that part I have faith in. The 'touch' issues seem related, like he's thinking faster than his body is working.

But I don't know how people don't see a 200-foot playmaker already, he's clearly digging in on the two-way game right now and he finally has some chemistry with some linemates not named Kopitar to enable some production while he grows. Good grief, there are a limited number of players in the world who can make the entire defense shit their pants like he did busting up the middle full speed in the video above before dishing it off to Laf.

 

[Lt Dan]

I know I'm in a shrinking

RJ be like

 

[AbsentMojo]

I know I'm in a shrinking minority but I'm still a big believer that there's a 90+ point player coming.



The biggest issues Q has at this point are probably both belief related--his shot and his physical game.

I think the real bully physical game comes when he has his full man strength in a couple of years. He'll probably never be a total asshole unfortunately, but I do think he stops getting pushed around. Nichuskin had the same issues and now no one can do anything about him.

The shot...you see that a lot when guys lose space from juniors to pros. He's got to figure out how to get it off quicker and more accurately. He seems to be trying the first part and losing accuracy in doing so. Give him a summer with Kempe, that part I have faith in. The 'touch' issues seem related, like he's thinking faster than his body is working.

But I don't know how people don't see a 200-foot playmaker already, he's clearly digging in on the two-way game right now and he finally has some chemistry with some linemates not named Kopitar to enable some production while he grows. Good grief, there are a limited number of players in the world who can make the entire defense shit their pants like he did busting up the middle full speed in the video above before dishing it off to Laf.

I remember thinking Kempe was a bust and for good cause - he was 24 and never looked like he'd put it all together.. esp as I recall he started his breakout season taking his usual Fiala-esque o-zone penalties - then boom the spigot opened up and he was flying down the wing and rifling pucks in the net. The thing about Q is his confidence on offense which is really low right now - and has been for most of his career... I think part of it also the team ethics is to be defense first and he wants to fit in there and avoid the under 25 1 mistake and ride pine scenario. I also recall recently he tried some fancy moves and lost the puck, and got called out in the Hiller post game presser. Playing w Fiala and Laf - finally has some wingers, so he can feed them pucks and picks up apples like he did last night.

 

[21Dog]

RJ be like

It shrinks?

 

[Herby]

I remember thinking Kempe was a bust and for good cause - he was 24 and never looked like he'd put it all together.. esp as I recall he started his breakout season taking his usual Fiala-esque o-zone penalties - then boom the spigot opened up and he was flying down the wing and rifling pucks in the net. The thing about Q is his confidence on offense which is really low right now - and has been for most of his career... I think part of it also the team ethics is to be defense first and he wants to fit in there and avoid the under 25 1 mistake and ride pine scenario. I also recall recently he tried some fancy moves and lost the puck, and got called out in the Hiller post game presser. Playing w Fiala and Laf - finally has some wingers, so he can feed them pucks and picks up apples like he did last night.

Kempe was frustrating, but I always held out hope for him because the combination of speed and shot is something not many guys have. I found more glimmer of hope to his offensive game than I did for Vilardi (wrong), Turcotte (right)

I think the biggest thing for Kempe was that he started to find himself in more high scoring areas than he did earlier in his career. He used to have that speed but with no purpose thing in the offensive zone, and he didn’t just let the play (and offensive chances) come to him enough. He played like a bottom six guy but he had top line skill.

I think being put with Kopitar also helped him gain offensive confidence to take him to the next level.

 

[KingsOfCali25]

I know I'm in a shrinking minority but I'm still a big believer that there's a 90+ point player coming.



The biggest issues Q has at this point are probably both belief related--his shot and his physical game.

I think the real bully physical game comes when he has his full man strength in a couple of years. He'll probably never be a total asshole unfortunately, but I do think he stops getting pushed around. Nichuskin had the same issues and now no one can do anything about him.

The shot...you see that a lot when guys lose space from juniors to pros. He's got to figure out how to get it off quicker and more accurately. He seems to be trying the first part and losing accuracy in doing so. Give him a summer with Kempe, that part I have faith in. The 'touch' issues seem related, like he's thinking faster than his body is working.

But I don't know how people don't see a 200-foot playmaker already, he's clearly digging in on the two-way game right now and he finally has some chemistry with some linemates not named Kopitar to enable some production while he grows. Good grief, there are a limited number of players in the world who can make the entire defense shit their pants like he did busting up the middle full speed in the video above before dishing it off to Laf.

The only way we have another 90 point player is if they change the whole system to a more aggressive offensive style

 

[Herby]

But I don't know how people don't see a 200-foot playmaker already, he's clearly digging in on the two-way game right now and he finally has some chemistry with some linemates not named Kopitar to enable some production while he grows. Good grief, there are a limited number of players in the world who can make the entire defense shit their pants like he did busting up the middle full speed in the video above before dishing it off to Laf.

I think this is what people do see in him, and that would be completely fine if he is a 60-65 point two-way center, assuming you actually had another young C that generates more offense and is more suited as the game-breaking 1C. Which the Kings obviously don't have.

And this easily could have been the case if Rob Blake had been more patient in his rebuild, you could very easily have had a situation where you paired Byfield with Cooley, Bedard, Fantilli, Smith, Celebrini and you are totally fine up the middle.

But they were more concerned with finding players to help out 11 and 8.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Kempe was frustrating, but I always held out hope for him because the combination of speed and shot is something not many guys have. I found more glimmer of hope to his offensive game than I did for Vilardi (wrong), Turcotte (right)

I think the biggest thing for Kempe was that he started to find himself in more high scoring areas than he did earlier in his career. He used to have that speed but with no purpose thing in the offensive zone, and he didn’t just let the play (and offensive chances) come to him enough. He played like a bottom six guy but he had top line skill.

I think being put with Kopitar also helped him gain offensive confidence to take him to the next level.

I think was it 2 seasons at center? That didnt help his development.