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

[tigermask48]

It's a frustrating quality of athletes. They're competitive on the border of bullheaded.

I can't look into Kopitar's mind, but athletes generally won't say "I'm tired" or "I need less ice time."

They have finite time, and an admission usually brings a much faster conclusion than they're ready for.

That's just it though, this doesn't seem competitive at all to me.
His response comes off the opposite, it feels like he's just brushing it aside and not taking it seriously that he hasn't scored a goal in a month.

 

[bland]

29th pp (15.4%) Clarke on neither...I would say after having a near league bottom PP for the entire season, would be to experiment a little bit with YOUTH. Last time 8/11/22/9 had success is when they had Vilardi on there.

Brandt Clarke has 1 PP point since 11/9/24.

THAT is why he isn't on the PP. Spence took it from him. Doughty is routinely in the top 20 of defensemen scoring on the PP, 9th in the league over the past two seasons on aggregate. Both are better options.

Clarke has a looooooong ways to go before he is the player some of you think he already is at the moment. I think he will get there and get there soon, but he is an unpolished gem and not ready to be an impact player.

 

[Schmooley]

That's just it though, this doesn't seem competitive at all to me.
His response comes off the opposite, it feels like he's just brushing it aside and not taking it seriously that he hasn't scored a goal in a month.

Also note if he really wanted to make the team more competitive he could have done 1 year deals at 3-4.5 million and they could add a better piece at this time of the season to help the team.
I dont blame him for taking the money. Hes played well enough and has earned it.
But they spent the so long retooling around a guy that doesnt want to put it all on the line to win another before he retires.

 

[Bandit]

Brandt Clarke has 1 PP point since 11/9/24.

How many PP minutes has he had since 11/9/24? Genuinely curious, I have no idea.

 

[Kudelski37]

I live in VA, not NC, but if the Canes had the stomach flu my kids have then expect some Kings to start puking tomorrow or Thursday.

 

[King'sPawn]

That's just it though, this doesn't seem competitive at all to me.
His response comes off the opposite, it feels like he's just brushing it aside and not taking it seriously that he hasn't scored a goal in a month.

Isn't that just his personality though? He never gets too high or too low.

How many PP minutes has he had since 11/9/24? Genuinely curious, I have no idea.

If I used and am reading Natural Stat Trick properly, he's had 56 minutes.

 

[bland]

How many PP minutes has he had since 11/9/24? Genuinely curious, I have no idea.

He is averaging 2.12 pp minutes per game over the course of the year, couldn't easily find a game log breakdown with that stat. Spence is at 1.23 pp minutes per game over the course of the year for reference.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

That's just it though, this doesn't seem competitive at all to me.
His response comes off the opposite, it feels like he's just brushing it aside and not taking it seriously that he hasn't scored a goal in a month.

You also have to realize/remember that this is his 19th (!!!!) year in this league.

He's seen it all. He's been through scoring slumps and he's been through stretches of play where EVERYTHING is going in. He knows it's a long season and he knows there will be highs and lows. Kopitar has always been an even keeled guy.

He knows he'll get back on the scoresheet soon - But he also knows it's been a rough last month for him. Why not be composed and offer a light hearted response to a question in a frustrating time??

Just because he makes a little joke here doesn't mean he's not frustrated/competitive/etc.

 

[Bandit]

He is averaging 2.12 pp minutes per game over the course of the year, couldn't easily find a game log breakdown with that stat. Spence is at 1.23 pp minutes per game over the course of the year for reference.

Ok well. Spence is 2 years older, and has less points overall. I dunno how big of a difference it makes. Seems clear Blake has f***ed this team so hard into the ground than nobody that’s here now will be a part of any future success for this franchise.

 

[tigermask48]

Isn't that just his personality though? He never gets too high or too low.

Sure it is, but it's also what makes him a poor captain for a team trying to win.
No accountability for his own poor play likely means he also doesn't hold others accountable for their poor play because that's who he is.
Great player, terrible leader.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Brandt Clarke has 1 PP point since 11/9/24.

THAT is why he isn't on the PP. Spence took it from him. Doughty is routinely in the top 20 of defensemen scoring on the PP, 9th in the league over the past two seasons on aggregate. Both are better options.

Clarke has a looooooong ways to go before he is the player some of you think he already is at the moment. I think he will get there and get there soon, but he is an unpolished gem and not ready to be an impact player.

Kopitar has 5 PP since Nov 9... the whole PP is slumping... you cant blame that all on Clarke. One thing is certain - the 8/9/11/22 PP1 core hasnt done shit in 2 seasons - 0/16 in the perenial playoff loss to EDM w DD.. 29th overall this season.

 

[bland]

Kopitar has 5 PP since Nov 9... the whole PP is slumping... you cant blame that all on Clarke. One thing is certain - the 8/9/11/22 PP1 core hasnt done shit in 2 seasons - 0/16 in the perenial playoff loss to EDM w DD.. 29th overall this season.

I am not blaming anything on Clarke. I am trying to argue for more realistic adjusted expectations.

He started out like a house on fire, but in all honesty he just hasn't contributed much for quite a while. He is laboring away from the puck, and while his vision and artistry with the puck is apparent, its been a case of more flash than substance since the first month of the year.

Please keep in mind that there are two different arguments here. The first, which is what you are leaning to - and I completely agree with - is what SHOULD be happening. The second, which is largely what I am talking about here, is what IS happening. Lots of variables on either side, and clearly there is a massive gap between reality and what our management group is trying to accomplish.

I don't have any problem with the way the kids have been treated this year. Both Lee and Helenius forced their way into long looks a year before what management planned - they deserved minutes and they got them.

Spence was expected to step up and struggled out of the gate, but took his time off to heart and has been one of the team's best defenseman over the last month and a half.

Byfield NEEDS to be a center, and they have kept him there (aside from the odd shift) all year when it would have been easier to get him out of his funk by putting the training wheels back on. He will be better for it.

Turcotte is getting that training wheel treatment right now, and getting a full (mostly) healthy year of protected situational minutes has him poised to move into a regular, trusted role next year.

Laferriere came in last year and made himself an option in the very same way that Kaliyev wouldn't - he busted his ass and pushed his way up to become a regular top 6 winger and saw PP time. He earned his trust.

Clarke blew everybody away with his skill, got time to come in and establish himself, and when his poor defense became a consistent issue, was asked to simplify his game while getting acclimated instead of being sent down outright. The worst thing they could have done would be to let him go on without that discipline.

Moverare got a look and earned his spot as a regular. Only Thomas has really been disappointing. Its been a very good year for the kids, the real problem here is that they are on a team with misplaced expectations and veterans who frankly can't carry the weight anymore.