Speculation: 2025 TDL Discussion

[KopitarGOAT420]

Yah, I’m sure Fiala would be happy to waive his NMC to go to Buffalo! lol, you guys are hilarious.

Just relax man it's not that serious.... I forgot about Fiala's NMC when typing this up.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Just relax man it's not that serious.... I forgot about Fiala's NMC when typing this up.

Nothing on this board is 'that serious' -- however, the ongoing current trend narrative that Fiala = shit player, is pretty f***ing stupid.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Nothing on this board is 'that serious' -- however, the ongoing current trend narrative that Fiala = shit player, is pretty f***ing stupid.

I never said he was a shit player..... And the vast majority of other posters aren't saying he's a shit player either.

All I did was entertain the idea of trading him (along with other assets as part of a trade package) for a different winger that would be an upgrade for the Kings forward group.

I love Fiala. He's insanely skilled and really fun to watch and it would hurt to see him go.

But you can't argue he doesn't take stupid, selfish penalties at times. You also can't ignore the fact that usually 1-2 times a game, he'll cough up an egregiously bad turnover that often leads to a scoring chance against. You also can't ignore the fact that he's really struggled this year. He's literally on pace for 48 points..... That's DRASTICALLY below expectations for Fiala - even he would admit he hasn't had a great season so far.

It's OK to criticize players. And it's OK to entertain the idea of trading certain players, especially if it would mean upgrading the current roster. Now, to your point Fiala does have a NMC and seems to be really well liked in the locker room so trading him may not actually be the best / most practical idea but we're just discussing ideas here. That's part of the fun.

 

[Reaper45]

Tuch is from upstate NY. They’re not going to trade a local boy for anything less than a huge overpayment.

 

[johnjm22]

Josh Anderson at 33% retained for Spence plus a B prospect like Chromiak or Pinelli. He’s big and a RW. And guess who signed him to his last deal.

Is this something you want to happen? Or are you predicting Blake's next f*** up?

 

[lumbergh]

Chris Kreider with retention makes some sense. New York's season is unsalvageable at this point. Rangers will be shipping out veterans for futures. If they're willing to shave a big chunk of Kreider's $6.5 million cap hit, Kreider could be the big bodied goal-scoring forward teams crave for the playoffs.

Kreider has a history of scoring goals in the playoffs. 24 goals in his last 43 playoff games over the past three seasons. Age and health are big concerns, though.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Tuch is from upstate NY. They’re not going to trade a local boy for anything less than a huge overpayment.

Sad. Yeah that idea is seeming more and more like a pipe dream the more I think about it.

It's actually pretty crazy how few right shot scoring wingers are out there. The few that are legitimately good are in situations where they're absolutely not being traded (guys like Panarin, Reinhart, etc).

I wonder if Giroux could actually be an option (with retention of course). I know he's old but he would be a pure rental unless he fits in amazingly and wants to stay on a short term, fairly cheap deal (similar to how things worked for Pavelski in Dallas). And I imagine Giroux has to be prettttttttttttty desperate for a chance to play more playoff hockey.

Would be a way to add some more veteran leadership for the playoffs while addressing the need for a right shot scoring winger that can help on the PP. The price also probably wouldn't be too high given his age and cap hit.

Maybe you could get it done for something like Trevor Moore and a 3rd round pick for Giroux (50% retained)? Could add in an 'okay' prospect or additional late-round pick if needed?

 

[Statto]

Nothing on this board is 'that serious' -- however, the ongoing current trend narrative that Fiala = shit player, is pretty f***ing stupid.

I think it’s fair to say he’s not playing his best hockey currently either offensively or defensively. He’s had spells where he’s been great offensively and fairly responsible defensively.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I think it’s fair to say he’s not playing his best hockey currently either offensively or defensively. He’s had spells where he’s been great offensively and fairly responsible defensively.

I have no problem with that, but the fact that he's scored 230 points in last 3 seasons should allow him the benifit of the doubt to get back on track.

 

[johnjm22]

Chris Kreider with retention makes some sense. New York's season is unsalvageable at this point. Rangers will be shipping out veterans for futures. If they're willing to shave a big chunk of Kreider's $6.5 million cap hit, Kreider could be the big bodied goal-scoring forward teams crave for the playoffs.

Kreider has a history of scoring goals in the playoffs. 24 goals in his last 43 playoff games over the past three seasons. Age and health are big concerns, though.

4 points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. 18 regulation wins.

They ain't selling yet.

 

[Schrute farms]

I have no problem with that, but the fact that he's scored 230 points in last 3 seasons should allow him the benifit of the doubt to get back on track.

Points scored by themselves is only part of the story. It's a two-way game. So what are you giving up while scoring is what's most important. I don't know what the real analytics say for Fiala. But in taking his +/- (flawed as it is) and his bad penalties, it doesn't tell a good story in his favor. Goals scored don't mean that much if you cost the team MORE goals against. Again, i'm not saying Fiala does that -- just pointing out that points / goals scored alone as a stat to pump him up can be somewhat meaningless without the whole picture.

 

[lumbergh]

4 points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. 18 regulation wins.

They ain't selling yet.

3-7 in their last 10. The boat is listing and sinking fast. They’re closer to last place in the conference than they are to a playoff spot. This team healthy scratched Kreider for a game last month. If they sell, you have to think Kreider is near the top of the list.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Man, there really aren't a ton of right shot scoring wingers out there that would be worth targeting for the Kings. I'm taking a look at right shot wingers now and the list of potential trade targets is pretty bleak. Many of the guys on this list are even a bit of a stretch / likely won't be available. I tried to leave out players who CLEARLY won't be available as well as players who wouldn't really be an upgrade to the Kings' top 6.

Alex Tuch: likely unavailable but would be a perfect fit. Price is probably quite high.

Claude Giroux: Old but could be a decent add. Veteran/leader. Obviously can still score in this league.

Jordan Eberle: Probably not available but could be decent if he is.

Owen Tippet: Probably not available. Pretty high cap hit for what he's shown so far / cap would be tough to figure out. But a young-ish player with good offensive skills and plays hard.

Travis Konecny: From all reports I've seen, he's not available and the price would be insanely high if he is.

Andrei Kuzmenko: Insanely risky even if the Flames agree to retain. Likely just a rental. Probably not a fit for the Kings system based on what I've seen. But scores like crazy when he's hot.

Josh Anderson: Big body but not much offensive upside at all. Doesn't really fit the 'need' - Kings need someone who can score consistently and help the PP. Wouldn't be an upgrade to the top 6.

Oliver Bjorkstrand: Could be half decent but does he really move the needle much? Probably not.

Kyle Palmeri: Would be a pretty underwhelming add IMO.

Drake Batherson: Probably not available but if he is, could be a really nice target. 26 years old. 6'3. Multiple 20 goal, 60+ point seasons. Price is probably pretty insane.

Dawson Mercer: Almost certainly not available but could also be a nice target if he is. Young player with proven ability to score. Price is probably quite high given some additional upside there.

Conor Garland: Undersized and may not be available. A bit underwhelming IMO but could help boost scoring & improve PP. Bothers me that his first name only has one 'n'.

Might be tough to find exactly what the Kings are looking for...

 

[johnjm22]

3-7 in their last 10. The boat is listing and sinking fast. They’re closer to last place in the conference than they are to a playoff spot. This team healthy scratched Kreider for a game last month. If they sell, you have to think Kreider is near the top of the list.

I would think they'd make a coaching change first.

Win the Presidents Trophy. Get fired the next year. Seems about right.

As for Kreider, I'm not sure. We have a lot of forwards. It's kind of a middling move IMO. IF they do something it should be really big, or really small / low risk. Nothing in between.

 

[Statto]

I’d be fine with doing nothing.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

IF they do something it should be really big, or really small / low risk. Nothing in between.

This is starting to look like the clear/smart approach to take.

Either go BIG and add a huge name that really seriously upgrades the forward group or just add a depth piece or two and keep trucking.

This team seems to have great chemistry and they're already set to get Doughty back in a couple weeks or so. Byfield finding his game is massive. Fiala could still turn it around which would also be massive.

 

[johnjm22]

Man, there really aren't a ton of right shot scoring wingers out there that would be worth targeting for the Kings. I'm taking a look at right shot wingers now and the list of potential trade targets is pretty bleak. Many of the guys on this list are even a bit of a stretch / likely won't be available. I tried to leave out players who CLEARLY won't be available as well as players who wouldn't really be an upgrade to the Kings' top 6.

Alex Tuch: likely unavailable but would be a perfect fit. Price is probably quite high.

Claude Giroux: Old but could be a decent add. Veteran/leader. Obviously can still score in this league.

Jordan Eberle: Probably not available but could be decent if he is.

Owen Tippet: Probably not available. Pretty high cap hit for what he's shown so far / cap would be tough to figure out. But a young-ish player with good offensive skills and plays hard.

Travis Konecny: From all reports I've seen, he's not available and the price would be insanely high if he is.

Andrei Kuzmenko: Insanely risky even if the Flames agree to retain. Likely just a rental. Probably not a fit for the Kings system based on what I've seen. But scores like crazy when he's hot.

Josh Anderson: Big body but not much offensive upside at all. Doesn't really fit the 'need' - Kings need someone who can score consistently and help the PP. Wouldn't be an upgrade to the top 6.

Oliver Bjorkstrand: Could be half decent but does he really move the needle much? Probably not.

Kyle Palmeri: Would be a pretty underwhelming add IMO.

Drake Batherson: Probably not available but if he is, could be a really nice target. 26 years old. 6'3. Multiple 20 goal, 60+ point seasons. Price is probably pretty insane.

Dawson Mercer: Almost certainly not available but could also be a nice target if he is. Young player with proven ability to score. Price is probably quite high given some additional upside there.

Conor Garland: Undersized and may not be available. A bit underwhelming IMO but could help boost scoring & improve PP. Bothers me that his first name only has one 'n'.

Might be tough to find exactly what the Kings are looking for...

Cozens is a right shot. Buffalo wants roster players back. They'd ask for Spence.

This is starting to look like the clear/smart approach to take.

Either go BIG and add a huge name that really seriously upgrades the forward group or just add a depth piece or two and keep trucking.

This team seems to have great chemistry and they're already set to get Doughty back in a couple weeks or so. Byfield finding his game is massive. Fiala could still turn it around which would also be massive.

Ultimately, what's holding LA back from true contention is not having an elite player. Mackinnon, Draisaitl, Hughes, Rantanen ect.

You don't get those players at the TDL, so it's hard to imagine a trade that gets LA over the hump.

 

[riznat]

Drew Doughty, joking aside, will be good to get him back but i won't be surprised if they are ultimately worse with him.

 

[King'sPawn]

I’d be fine with doing nothing.

I'm fine with this or a low-risk move, like Kyle Palmeiri. Right shot, contract ends this season, not a huge acquisition. Will play more of a depth role and shouldn't cost much.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Points scored by themselves is only part of the story. It's a two-way game. So what are you giving up while scoring is what's most important. I don't know what the real analytics say for Fiala. But in taking his +/- (flawed as it is) and his bad penalties, it doesn't tell a good story in his favor. Goals scored don't mean that much if you cost the team MORE goals against. Again, i'm not saying Fiala does that -- just pointing out that points / goals scored alone as a stat to pump him up can be somewhat meaningless without the whole picture.

But he's not even getting the goals and points. One look at this picture tells the entire story. We can parse the finer details all we want, they're all equally unflattering, he's not doing anything paritcularly well and being 5th in scoring despite being forcefed every full pp and offensive situation and STILL being the only play in the dashes--much less dash 10!--is really damning. Hell the guy in front of him isnt' even on the PP and Fiala could be easily 9th in scoring on the team only ahead of Gavrikov by next week.

The biggest deadline trade LA could make would be something that patches the giant f***ing hole Fiala creates whether he's on the roster or not.

 

[Statto]

I'm fine with this or a low-risk move, like Kyle Palmeiri. Right shot, contract ends this season, not a huge acquisition. Will play more of a depth role and shouldn't cost much.

Agreed.

I just don’t see a move that makes sense without moving a couple of roster players. Such a move likely costs picks and rearranging deployments. So as an example move Moore and Danault + for a scoring winger and put Turcotte at 3C.

Such surgery, for a team that is more than the sum of its parts, makes little sense and probably makes us worse. It certainly would not take us over the top and would probably cost us some picks also.

 

[Statto]

View attachment 957746

But he's not even getting the goals and points. One look at this picture tells the entire story. We can parse the finer details all we want, they're all equally unflattering, he's not doing anything paritcularly well and being 5th in scoring despite being forcefed every full pp and offensive situation and STILL being the only play in the dashes--much less dash 10!--is really damning. Hell the guy in front of him isnt' even on the PP and Fiala could be easily 9th in scoring on the team only ahead of Gavrikov by next week.

The biggest deadline trade LA could make would be something that patches the giant f***ing hole Fiala creates whether he's on the roster or not.

This is a rare example of where +/- does tell a story over a small sample size, given the numbers from his team mates. However he can be better than he has been this season defensively and he’s not at his best offensively.

So whilst his current play is an issue, if he can get back to his A game then he’s a net positive. If.

 

[johnjm22]

I'm fine with this or a low-risk move, like Kyle Palmeiri. Right shot, contract ends this season, not a huge acquisition. Will play more of a depth role and shouldn't cost much.

Looking at last years deadline, Toffoli went for a 2nd and a 3rd.

Not sure I'd be willing to give up that much for a depth player.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Y'all know Luc thinks we're right there. They're 100% going for it.

 

[Schmooley]

Man, there really aren't a ton of right shot scoring wingers out there that would be worth targeting for the Kings. I'm taking a look at right shot wingers now and the list of potential trade targets is pretty bleak. Many of the guys on this list are even a bit of a stretch / likely won't be available. I tried to leave out players who CLEARLY won't be available as well as players who wouldn't really be an upgrade to the Kings' top 6.

Alex Tuch: likely unavailable but would be a perfect fit. Price is probably quite high.

Claude Giroux: Old but could be a decent add. Veteran/leader. Obviously can still score in this league.

Jordan Eberle: Probably not available but could be decent if he is.

Owen Tippet: Probably not available. Pretty high cap hit for what he's shown so far / cap would be tough to figure out. But a young-ish player with good offensive skills and plays hard.

Travis Konecny: From all reports I've seen, he's not available and the price would be insanely high if he is.

Andrei Kuzmenko: Insanely risky even if the Flames agree to retain. Likely just a rental. Probably not a fit for the Kings system based on what I've seen. But scores like crazy when he's hot.

Josh Anderson: Big body but not much offensive upside at all. Doesn't really fit the 'need' - Kings need someone who can score consistently and help the PP. Wouldn't be an upgrade to the top 6.

Oliver Bjorkstrand: Could be half decent but does he really move the needle much? Probably not.

Kyle Palmeri: Would be a pretty underwhelming add IMO.

Drake Batherson: Probably not available but if he is, could be a really nice target. 26 years old. 6'3. Multiple 20 goal, 60+ point seasons. Price is probably pretty insane.

Dawson Mercer: Almost certainly not available but could also be a nice target if he is. Young player with proven ability to score. Price is probably quite high given some additional upside there.

Conor Garland: Undersized and may not be available. A bit underwhelming IMO but could help boost scoring & improve PP. Bothers me that his first name only has one 'n'.

Might be tough to find exactly what the Kings are looking for...

Mercer was pretty scrappy early on and has been pretty quiet since. Could be a good addition if he was available. A couple other right hand shots that could be reasonable are Armia and Sissons.
Forsberg and Kyrou probably not available and have big contracts but would be good on the Kings.