Around the League '16-'17 Other Teams' Free Agent Frenzy

[Ziggy Stardust]

They looked so lost at the draft table after they took Brown. The thought of moving up to get a better pick never even crossed Taylors mind.

Not once in his entire tenure as a GM did Dave Taylor move up in the draft on draft day. Him and his staff were always content with sitting on their hands.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

To the above, Muzzin has quietly had himself a career best season, or close to it. He isn’t deserving of blame for the secondary guys coming up short.

Agreed. Muzzin had a rough start but got better as the season progressed until his injury.

Pearson and Toffoli really let the team down. They were invisible for large portions of the season and this team hasn't had any consistent secondary scoring until Carter returned to the lineup.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Toffoli is scoring his career average, how is disappeared??

Don't get me wrong I think he's expendable in the right deal, but to say he's disappointed and disappeared is a bit much. Unless expectations were to have a career year again, with Kempe for 90% of season

 

[Stimpythecat]

Blackhawks now have one goal: to ruin the rival Blues' season

tl;dr Hawks want to spoil blues playoff hopes.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Toffoli is scoring his career average, how is disappeared??

Don't get me wrong I think he's expendable in the right deal, but to say he's disappointed and disappeared is a bit much. Unless expectations were to have a career year again, with Kempe for 90% of season

I think people really underestimate how much being around Cartsy is big for him. He may be a little too old for that kinda thing now, but yeah.

 

[Stimpythecat]

Ovi with the empty net goal.

Caps leading 4-2 over the blues with 1:23 left in the 3rd.

 

[driller1]

WSH mow up 4-2 with 1:00 to go. STL may ruin their own playoff hopes.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Toffoli is scoring his career average, how is disappeared??

Don't get me wrong I think he's expendable in the right deal, but to say he's disappointed and disappeared is a bit much. Unless expectations were to have a career year again, with Kempe for 90% of season

The idea is for him to get better and not go through long stretches of being completely invisible. He had his best and most productive season two years ago. He should be getting to that level of production.

 

[TruKingFan]

I know the Kings still have a dearth in scoring and I won't be adverse to trading TT - but damn better the devil you know sometimes....

 

[kingsfan28]

Not once in his entire tenure as a GM did Dave Taylor move up in the draft on draft day. Him and his staff were always content with sitting on their hands.

If loophole Lou, after just winning the cup, can move up and nab Parise [ who the Kings thought was to small] could do it, there was no excuse for Taylor not to do it. Also, the only GM to call timeout in the deepest draft in history and still f*** it up.

 

[KingsFan7824]

True, but in Boston's case they did make the following deals for futures:

Traded Dougie Hamilton for 2015 1st round pick, 2015 2nd round pick, 2015 2nd round pick

Traded Milan Lucic for Martin Jones, Colin Miller, 2015 1st round pick

Traded Martin Jones for Sean Kuraly, 2016 1st round pick

Somewhere in there are the trades similar to the ones the Kings should make for Jeff Carter, Jake Muzzin, and Alec Martinez

Let's also see what happens come this July 1.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

And nobody they got for Hamilton, Lucic, or Jones is helping the team today. They drafted Pastrnak late in the 1st round the year they had the best record in the league but lost in the 2nd round. Their 5th leading scorer was a 4th round pick that same year. They got McAvoy in a black hole season, with a black hole pick. They even added at the 2016 deadline. They signed Backes to a free agent deal people laughed at, which still has 3 years left, with a NMC.

Imagine if they traded Carter, Muzzin, and Martinez, and have nothing from those deals on the 20-21 team?

 

[The Pale King]

well we ended up with Carter and Richards from that draft, so it's all a wash

And Phaneuf now too.

And Fraser, Carcillo, O' Sullivan, Quincey, Richardson, Moulson... Yikes.

 

[KINGS17]

And nobody they got for Hamilton, Lucic, or Jones is helping the team today. They drafted Pastrnak late in the 1st round the year they had the best record in the league but lost in the 2nd round. Their 5th leading scorer was a 4th round pick that same year. They got McAvoy in a black hole season, with a black hole pick. They even added at the 2016 deadline. They signed Backes to a free agent deal people laughed at, which still has 3 years left, with a NMC.

Imagine if they traded Carter, Muzzin, and Martinez, and have nothing from those deals on the 20-21 team?

Simply not true. I don't have time to research all of their picks and which ones came from another team, but I do know Kuraly is on the roster and contributing.

I think you need to go back and check, because what Boston has added to their current roster and their pipeline as a result of those deals is going to be of real value going forward. The Bruins look to be a strong cup contender over the next few seasons.

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Simply not true. I don't have time to research all of their picks and which ones came from another team, but I do know Kuraly is on the roster and contributing.

I think you need to go back and check, because what Boston has added to their current roster and their pipeline as a result of those deals is going to be of real value going forward. The Bruins look to be a strong cup contender over the next few seasons.

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

Not one of the draft picks for Hamilton are playing, same with Lucic, and same with Jones....

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

 

[King'sPawn]

Simply not true. I don't have time to research all of their picks and which ones came from another team, but I do know Kuraly is on the roster and contributing.

I think you need to go back and check, because what Boston has added to their current roster and their pipeline as a result of those deals is going to be of real value going forward. The Bruins look to be a strong cup contender over the next few seasons.

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

"I think it’s just a part of our culture,” Doughty said before echoing much of what Stevens had said. “When the young guys see our older guys do the job, they realize they have to do the exact same thing. They can’t let it slip away. They have to do exactly what myself or Kopi are doing. It’s just in the culture now, and obviously John reinforces things in video, but I think it’s just imprinted in our minds.”

Culture is an intangible that is hard to measure but is certainly present. While there has been a touch more freedom in the offensive zone that has allowed players like Kopitar and Brown to post standout numbers, it has been the reinforcement of the identity of the club – again, a nebulous endeavor that doesn’t necessarily come with a tabulation of quarks or neutrinos – that has allowed for the continued defensive success, even as the offensive numbers and power play success has grown.

Even as offense has increased, Kings are again Jennings Trophy frontrunners - LA Kings Insider

Real value goes beyond age and points in an organization. Young, skilled players need to keep learning from what Kopitar and Doughty. Trading away top players just to get younger will hurt an organization long term if all you're trying to accomplish is to acquire value.

 

[KopitarFAN]

Yikes! I guess it's not just the Kings.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Simply not true. I don't have time to research all of their picks and which ones came from another team, but I do know Kuraly is on the roster and contributing.

I think you need to go back and check, because what Boston has added to their current roster and their pipeline as a result of those deals is going to be of real value going forward. The Bruins look to be a strong cup contender over the next few seasons.

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

For Hamilton they eventually picked Senyshyn, Lauzon, and Forsbacka-Karlsson. None of them have done anything for the Bruins this year.

For Lucic they got Miller, who they lost in the expansion draft, Jones, and the pick eventually became Zboril, who has done nothing for the Bruins this year.

For Jones they eventually picked Frederic, who hasn't done anything for the Bruins this year, and yes Kuraly is on the team and contributing, but he's got 6 goals and 14 points in 75 games as a 25 year old. It can't be hard to find a player like that.

Those guys may do something for the Bruins in the future, I'm just saying that 3 years later, they have 1 guy in a limited role doing anything for the team. The young guys they do have contributing at a high level weren't the next great thing when they were drafted in the years when the Bruins were actually trying to be competitive. The cap space they saved by getting rid of Lucic went to Backes, who is 4 years older than Lucic. Smaller contract, but same cap hit. Backes might be the better deal, but, they still gave an older free agent a decent sized contract.

The Kings may not be contenders, and they probably should trade Carter, Muzzin, Martinez, and pretty much anyone that isn't nailed down, but Boston has yet to get much of anything from those deals. They're 2nd overall right now because of the veterans they did keep, who didn't get them to the playoffs for a couple years, and some black hole draft picks that they lucked out on.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

So basically around 26 teams should trade their valuable assets.

Unless its totally useless, you just hope for the best with 10 former Cup winners on the roster.

 

[Master Yoda]

Simply not true. I don't have time to research all of their picks and which ones came from another team, but I do know Kuraly is on the roster and contributing.

I think you need to go back and check, because what Boston has added to their current roster and their pipeline as a result of those deals is going to be of real value going forward. The Bruins look to be a strong cup contender over the next few seasons.

Again, if the Kings are not true contenders, what is the value of hanging onto players who are valuable assets? I suppose Blake should just wait until their value declines.

Agree about the adding to their pipeline having real value, but nobody thought Boston was a contender until they went on that winning streak. If just a couple of the younger guys like Toffoli, Pearson, Kempe, and even Vilardi improve, who's to say the Kings won't be true contenders real soon?

 

[Stimpythecat]

one prospect can change everything. Or one trade. With the cap space the Kings have, it could even be one UFA pickup.

The Kings are 16-5-4 with Carter.

 

[KINGS17]

Agree about the adding to their pipeline having real value, but nobody thought Boston was a contender until they went on that winning streak. If just a couple of the younger guys like Toffoli, Pearson, Kempe, and even Vilardi improve, who's to say the Kings won't be true contenders real soon?

True, and it may be a bit premature on my part to say the Bruins are contenders until we see the current version in the playoffs.

I agree if Toffoli, Pearson, and Kempe improve, and Vilardi shows up and is a top six contributor it's possible. I think we have seen what we are going to get out of Toffoli and Pearson. It might help if they could both have career, or better than average years, in the same season.

Kempe is a work in progress and will hopefully add some consistency to his game. Vilardi is a wild card at this time. You never know how well a top junior player is going to take to the NHL game.

 

[Martyros]

I mentioned that Kopitar has 120 minutes more icetime shorthanded than Giroux. Apparently that doesn't mean he's any better defensively. Even though Giroux is 5th on his team for forwards with shorthanded ice time. Someone else take over please, i'm wasting my morning/day.

 

[KINGS17]

Even as offense has increased, Kings are again Jennings Trophy frontrunners - LA Kings Insider

Real value goes beyond age and points in an organization. Young, skilled players need to keep learning from what Kopitar and Doughty. Trading away top players just to get younger will hurt an organization long term if all you're trying to accomplish is to acquire value.

I have already said they are married to Kopitar now. He has had an amazing season. Looking forward to two in a row next season.

I don't think Muzzin and Martinez are "top" players, but they are very good NHLers.

 

[KINGS17]

Yikes! I guess it's not just the Kings.

Yeah, around the NHL there have been some injuries with real implications to the playoff race and the 1st round.