Speculation: Another year of this Bluc **** (The 2024-25 season thread)

Steve Zissou

I'll order you a red cap and a Speedo.
Feb 3, 2006
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City of Angels
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Kings season preview: Hiller impact, improved goaltending keys to success
 

AbsentMojo

F-ing get up and hunt! Cmon Todd!
Apr 18, 2018
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Kopitar still being the top penalty killer at age 150 is f***ing comical.
Oilers PK shutdown everyone in the playoffs minus McDrai.. LAK is like 2 generations of thinking behind the rest of the league... slow boil the prospects, play the vets til their knee cartilage liquifies while they clean cement off their blades in between periods
 

Schrute farms

LA Kings: new GM wanted -- inquire within
Jul 7, 2020
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Helenius looks HUGE. He seemed to be going easy on the guy on the fight. Very exciting to have a guy like that on your team.
 
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Raccoon Jesus

We were right there
Oct 30, 2008
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Was really intrigued by Cole Davis. Hope it's not the last we see of him.


Helenius looks HUGE. He seemed to be going easy on the guy on the fight. Very exciting to have a guy like that on your team.

I dunno man. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket but I don't feel like Helenius is a great fighter. I like that he's unapologetically aggressive, but he is going to get absolutely tooled by NHL heavies. He's also an absolute black hole offensively and not this huge defensive C everyone wants him to be. Theoretically he'd be an ideal 4C but I don't think he's as developed as it's being made out to be unless I'm missing some mammoth improvement in his game.

I think on a roster that will be as offensively starved as ours he stands to be a punching bag. I'm rooting for him, I'm just not seeing an effective NHLer quite yet. But there's no shame in that, he's 21.

Hell this was his headshot last season haha, gotta love that

1727111784172.jpeg
 

lumbergh

It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good idea.
Jan 8, 2007
6,558
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Richmond, VA
Laferriere on PP1

They are TRYING To make me hate him now

This is Dwight King top line big brain stuff
1 point in his last 14 regular season games. Let's put him on the top line! And put him on PP1!
Sometimes just 'looking the part' will get you a long ways in this sport.
It's gotten Alex Laferriere a long way.
 

Schrute farms

LA Kings: new GM wanted -- inquire within
Jul 7, 2020
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I dunno man. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket but I don't feel like Helenius is a great fighter. I like that he's unapologetically aggressive, but he is going to get absolutely tooled by NHL heavies. He's also an absolute black hole offensively and not this huge defensive C everyone wants him to be. Theoretically he'd be an ideal 4C but I don't think he's as developed as it's being made out to be unless I'm missing some mammoth improvement in his game.

I think on a roster that will be as offensively starved as ours he stands to be a punching bag. I'm rooting for him, I'm just not seeing an effective NHLer quite yet. But there's no shame in that, he's 21.

Hell this was his headshot last season haha, gotta love that
Oh, i was meaning his fighting skills. You can't really tell from that fight. But i think fighting is overrated. I think size is the important thing -- and USING it to your advantage. We have some size, but the guys don't us it (Kopi, Carter in past, QB just learning). I'm hoping, just like his actual hockey skills, that part of his game will develop. Him using the size would be great -- and on the PK as well. I'm not expecting to see him with the big club for another 15-24 months.
 

bland

Registered User
Jul 1, 2004
7,946
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Laferriere on PP1

They are TRYING To make me hate him now

This is Dwight King top line big brain stuff

Respectfully, I am a little confused wondering why one would complain about the kids not getting chances in one thread, and simultaneously complaining in this one about a kid actually getting an opportunity in an important spot.

Why are so many of you pigeon-holing Laferriere into a bottom 6 spot based off of his rookie season? This is a quality player who probably should have been in Ontario playing in PP and PK situations last year so he would be better prepared for those bigger moments in the big league.

The important thing here isn't results, it's progress. Laferriere and Byfield getting top situational play IS the very progress we need. Expecting results right away is what got them into this mess in the first place.
 

BigKing

Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Mar 11, 2003
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Pat Maroon wasn't some amazing fighter but he turned into "good enough" for this day-and-age.

Helenius is just going to need to be a boring fighter that doesn't look to just sit back and trade them very often. I agree with RJ that he is going to eat some bad punches if he tries to open it up with some dudes that know what they are doing.

I agree he is much better than when he first came over, but that isn't saying much.
 

Lt Dan

F*** your ice cream!
Sep 13, 2018
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Respectfully, I am a little confused wondering why one would complain about the kids not getting chances in one thread, and simultaneously complaining in this one about a kid actually getting an opportunity in an important spot.
This is the internet bro. Nothing should ever shock you.
Except goatse. I am still mentally scarred from that
 

King'sPawn

Enjoy the chaos
Jul 1, 2003
22,918
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Respectfully, I am a little confused wondering why one would complain about the kids not getting chances in one thread, and simultaneously complaining in this one about a kid actually getting an opportunity in an important spot.

Why are so many of you pigeon-holing Laferriere into a bottom 6 spot based off of his rookie season? This is a quality player who probably should have been in Ontario playing in PP and PK situations last year so he would be better prepared for those bigger moments in the big league.

The important thing here isn't results, it's progress. Laferriere and Byfield getting top situational play IS the very progress we need. Expecting results right away is what got them into this mess in the first place.
Ultimately, I see him more as a utility bottom-six player. But I'm also okay with him getting the opportunity. This is what I've been hoping for in general - youth put in positions to succeed.

Powerplay is a great opportunity to learn shot placement. And he's a tenacious checker, which powerplay units benefit from.

As far as why I see him on the bottom-six, it's the general skillset he has. It's his style of play as an energy player. He hasn't drawn in the defenders and set up the play, shown the vision to be an exceptional passer, or show the shot placement/technique to be a dangerous scorer.

I don't think he's too different from Trevor Moore's style of play before Moore got a scoring touch. But I also don't expect him to have that growth arc (even though their USHL and NCAA numbers are very similar).
 

bland

Registered User
Jul 1, 2004
7,946
12,163
Ultimately, I see him more as a utility bottom-six player. But I'm also okay with him getting the opportunity. This is what I've been hoping for in general - youth put in positions to succeed.

Powerplay is a great opportunity to learn shot placement. And he's a tenacious checker, which powerplay units benefit from.

As far as why I see him on the bottom-six, it's the general skillset he has. It's his style of play as an energy player. He hasn't drawn in the defenders and set up the play, shown the vision to be an exceptional passer, or show the shot placement/technique to be a dangerous scorer.

I don't think he's too different from Trevor Moore's style of play before Moore got a scoring touch. But I also don't expect him to have that growth arc (even though their USHL and NCAA numbers are very similar).
He is most likely there for "puck recovery" skills, which is fine. I don't know if he has the pure skills to be a top line winger, but plenty of players who aren't top-6 on paper have carved out excellent careers on that spot based on guile and effort. The fact that he is being given that chance is everything we have been asking for over the past few years.
 

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