Confirmed with Link: Andrei Loktionov traded to Devils for a 5th round pick

[battlingBard56]

Just thought I'd let you guys know he scored a goal for us last night and played some solid hockey all game. Lokti also appeared to have chemistry with Kovalchuk the brief times they were on the same line, which is something the Devils have been looking for since he resigned.
The vision the kid possesses is insane, he knows how to find open players with his passing ability, he's quite decent defensively and he is a LOT stronger both on the boards and when dealing physicality on opposition than we were lead to believe, though his shiftiness helps with that.
Also, he has that rare sixth sense for knowing where to find rebounds in the offensive zone. In addition he's not afraid to put the puck on net when he gets a chance. So far, he hasn't thrown the puck away in an attempt to make a pretty play. (one might argue he did with Kovachuk last night but Kovy was in beast mode all game and got off a shot that nearly went in thanks to that pass)

He'll fit quite well in NJ, especially if he continues to improve each game, which he has been doing since being called up. Small sample size I know, but still.

 

[BigBrown]

I'm not surprised, he was always a good playmaker and he sees the ice well. He's small but shifty. He was always a good prospect, it's just that he wasn't getting the time with the Kings with Kopitar, Richards, Stoll at center, plus Carter who can slide in if a top 6 center is injured. He rarely ever got to play with any type of scoring forwards and the few opportunities he got in the later years he froze, though they were usually as a winger.

Him with Kovalchuk is an obvious pairing that sets him up for success and can grow his confidence and skill. We said it when you got him that it was a great deal for you guys and a bunch of factors added up for you to get him when his value was at its lowest.

Plus, he is adorable

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm not surprised, he was always a good playmaker and he sees the ice well. He's small but shifty. He was always a good prospect, it's just that he wasn't getting the time with the Kings with Kopitar, Richards, Stoll at center, plus Carter who can slide in if a top 6 center is injured. He rarely ever got to play with any type of scoring forwards and the few opportunities he got in the later years he froze, though they were usually as a winger.

Him with Kovalchuk is an obvious pairing that sets him up for success and can grow his confidence and skill. We said it when you got him that it was a great deal for you guys and a bunch of factors added up for you to get him when his value was at its lowest.

Plus, he is adorable

This.

The guy can put the puck anywhere it needs to be on the ice. Unreal vision is his greatest asset. Him and Kovy just seems so natural. Good for everyone

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Great deal for the Devils.

I always thought he was one of the best Kings players on the PP and he was still a prospect.

 

[Zippy316]

He's playing a hell of a game so far.

Right now, he's centering Krys Barch and Butler, so he doesn't really have good offensive linemates, but he looks good on the occasional extremely long shifts that Kovalchuk takes. He's always looking for Kovalchuk when they are on the ice together.

Thursday, he got a goal when the Devils mixed up the lines and had him centering Ponikarovski and Gionta. I really like him. It's unfortunate that he's not going to get more ice time until we get healthy and can actually make his line into more of a third line by putting Zubrus or Ponikarovski there.

He's not bumping Zajac or Henrique out of the top six and Carter-Gionta-Bernier is practically set in stone. With that and Barch playing, he's playing on the de facto fourth line. Once we get another healthy body, likely Carter-Gionta-Bernier will be our fourth line and he will get more minutes.

 

[Mats26]

Not sure what the hype is, he is usless in the bottom 6 only seems to play better with Kovalchuk. Like we said before if he can't crack the top 6 as a center he is too small and weak to play anywhere in the bottom 6. This game proves it, Washigton's 4th line was runnig all over him. Let's see when Darius comes back what they do.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Not sure what the hype is, he is usless in the bottom 6 only seems to play better with Kovalchuk. Like we said before if he can't crack the top 6 as a center he is too small and weak to play anywhere in the bottom 6. This game proves it, Washigton's 4th line was runnig all over him. Let's see when Darius comes back what they do.

What are you talking about? He's been our best forward all game

 

[Mats26]

In the 3rd:
3 shifts in the 3rd - 2 lost daws - no shots from Poni Loki and Kovi (his linemates) and he is your best player....wow dude. Crazy 8 is back!!! 4-1 caps

 

[Zippy316]

In the 3rd:
3 shifts in the 3rd - 2 lost daws - no shots from Poni Loki and Kovi (his linemates) and he is your best player....wow dude. Crazy 8 is back!!! 4-1 caps

Did you watch the game?

He's the only player that showed up for the entire game.

He may be weak on the boards a bit, but if you actually watch him, he's smarter when he goes along the boards. He goes for the quick takeaway and get the puck out rather than battle for it when he will clearly lose. Even if he does lose possession, he is smart enough defensively to still stay with his man. I have no problems with his game whatsoever. He just needs some more confidence and some ice time.

 

[Mats26]

Did you watch the game?

He's the only player that showed up for the entire game.

He may be weak on the boards a bit, but if you actually watch him, he's smarter when he goes along the boards. He goes for the quick takeaway and get the puck out rather than battle for it when he will clearly lose. Even if he does lose possession, he is smart enough defensively to still stay with his man. I have no problems with his game whatsoever. He just needs some more confidence and some ice time.

When the caps turn it up in the 3rd he went MIA. Still very weak and easy to bump off the puck , and he got no PP time which makes no sense.

 

[Albi]

Just FYI: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/4542/gamelog;_ylt=Ah7xtd0z0BSwOMZ04felMzpivLYF

 

[Inner Turbulence]

Just FYI: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/4542/gamelog;_ylt=Ah7xtd0z0BSwOMZ04felMzpivLYF

Nice to see Loki having a nice re-start to his NHL career. 4 games, 4 points, +1 in each of them. Nice little streak.

I always liked him on the PP. Especially during his first stint he just took over the PP at times, moving around, moving the puck around and making the PP dangerous. I was hopeful that he'd find a regular role in the lineup so that he could run our 2nd PP. Be a homemade PP specialist in the mold of Ray Whitney, Steve Sullivan etc.

Good luck to him from here on. I hope he can establish himself in New Jersey and have an NHL career. Maybe the East just suits him better than the more bruising west.

 

[CNS]

Not changing my avatar for at least a while. Always knew it'd be dumb to move him because anywhere we moved him to would be getting a hell of a player. I'm just glad that team is in the east.

 

[kingsfan]

Not changing my avatar for at least a while. Always knew it'd be dumb to move him because anywhere we moved him to would be getting a hell of a player. I'm just glad that team is in the east.

I agree with you, but it doesn't bug me a lot because we at least gave him a shot here. I still think things could have worked out here maybe, but at least he got 59 games to try and show himself, so I'd like to think we at least tried to give him a chance, albeit not really as a 2nd line centre. Moves like Hickey on waivers bugged me more because he didn't even get a cup of coffee to try and show himself and by all accounts he's doing well in NYI.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not changing my avatar for at least a while. Always knew it'd be dumb to move him because anywhere we moved him to would be getting a hell of a player. I'm just glad that team is in the east.

We knew he was a good kid and we gave him a shake here. Of course he's gonna look a little different on a line with Kovalchuk and another 1st liner in the eastern conference vs. on a line with Lewis and King on the 3rd line in the west. I see this as DL doing a solid for the kid to be honest. Can't keep em all. Who would he have displaced here?

I'm starting to feel like we're important...all our castoffs turn into other people's treasure!

 

[KingsFan7824]

Is this going to be worse than with Moulson and Purcell around here? At least there weren't daily updates with those two.

Didn't contribute much to the success of the Kings, but Loktionov clearly made the best choice for himself and his career. He knew he could play, he knew he should get a real shot, and now gets to play next to Kovalchuk to boot. Good for him.

 

[Winger23]

Not changing my avatar for at least a while. Always knew it'd be dumb to move him because anywhere we moved him to would be getting a hell of a player. I'm just glad that team is in the east.

Yup real dumb to move a guy who can't make the lineup in LA. Dean should have kept him in the minors and let him bolt for Russia at seasons end. He is way to small to ever play in the kings system, period.

Glad the kid is doing well so far, just hope he can maintain it.

 

[Asheru]

I agree with you, but it doesn't bug me a lot because we at least gave him a shot here. I still think things could have worked out here maybe, but at least he got 59 games to try and show himself, so I'd like to think we at least tried to give him a chance, albeit not really as a 2nd line centre. Moves like Hickey on waivers bugged me more because he didn't even get a cup of coffee to try and show himself and by all accounts he's doing well in NYI.

My problem with the way he was used last year is that they put him between Lewis and Richardson, the no-scoring Kings. In retrospect that was never going to be productive.

I'm sure they decided he doesn't fit the Kings' type going forward, but in the process they can squeeze out other kinds of talent that can be useful. I'd like to see three scoring lines instead of just two.

 

[bobafettish*]

he wouldn't be scoring here but lotki at 1 million sounds a lot better than stoll at 3 million

 

[Muzzinga]

Lol at the 28 teams unwilling to give up a 4th round pick for him

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Have you guys noticed that while Loktionov has been doing pretty well for himself, the Devils are in a skid?

The same applies for Purcell and Moulson who have done well for themselves but are both playing on teams that are unlikely to make the playoffs.

The Devils are better off than those two clubs, but my point is, if the Kibgs had to rely on these players like their current clubs do, I'm not so sure we'd be looking at the team as a playoff contender.

 

[kingsfan]

My problem with the way he was used last year is that they put him between Lewis and Richardson, the no-scoring Kings. In retrospect that was never going to be productive.

I'm sure they decided he doesn't fit the Kings' type going forward, but in the process they can squeeze out other kinds of talent that can be useful. I'd like to see three scoring lines instead of just two.

I suppose. On the other hand, a lot of kids start off on the 3rd or 4th line and prove theya re worth the 2nd line ice time. Loki really didn't prove anything. My point was that he at least got the chance too.

he wouldn't be scoring here but lotki at 1 million sounds a lot better than stoll at 3 million

Two totaly different players. Loki in Stoll's role would be a waste of money.

Have you guys noticed that while Loktionov has been doing pretty well for himself, the Devils are in a skid?

The same applies for Purcell and Moulson who have done well for themselves but are both playing on teams that are unlikely to make the playoffs.

The Devils are better off than those two clubs, but my point is, if the Kibgs had to rely on these players like their current clubs do, I'm not so sure we'd be looking at the team as a playoff contender.

Purcell scored 17 points in 18 games during Tampa Bay's run to the 3rd round in the 2011 playoffs.

Being a playoff contender is all about the team and the system, not an individual. Ask Jay Bouwmeester that. He's been a top 4, many times a top 2 defenseman in this league and has even been on Canada's Olympic team in 2006, yet he's never reached the playoffs yet.

Put Purcell and Moulson in the line up in place of Penner and Lewis and we aren't an even more feared team? Of course we are.

 

[KingKopitar11*]

Is this going to be worse than with Moulson and Purcell around here? At least there weren't daily updates with those two.

Didn't contribute much to the success of the Kings, but Loktionov clearly made the best choice for himself and his career. He knew he could play, he knew he should get a real shot, and now gets to play next to Kovalchuk to boot. Good for him.

Yeah, the whole daily updates and the necroing of this has gone too far. Time to focus on the kings.

 

[CNS]

And he ties the game with a beauty and now has a 5 game point streak. Given an opportunity in a non-Kings system, he's been amazing. I'm glad we traded him when I really think about it because it's allowing him to be successful. Proud of my baby Russian.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

I'm loving it too.

Luckily we have Jarret Stoll.