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Around the League 2016:World Cup Edition

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Lombardi has always gone googly eyed for players like Lucic. See: Mike Richards. There's something about that kind of player that prevents Lombardi from thinking rationally.
 
about lucic: i agree 100% with what trolfoli said. it was easy to sign him and it was easy to let him go, as other adequate options simply were not there. it was a great try with small risk and big reward ratio and i hope it positively influenced the locker room until today. let's move on and good luck to milan, he is a damn good player, just too costly for lak right now.
 
The downfall of the Kings to me starts in 13-14 when Brown stopped scoring. In 11-12, he had .659 points per game. In 12-13, it was .630 ppg. By 13-14, it's .341 ppg.

That, plus Richards living off of Carter in the 1st half of the season, then required more offense. Additional scoring that they weren't planning on needing, in terms of future cap implications. They bring in Gaborik. It ends up working so well, that they couldn't let him walk. Looking back, they probably should've let him walk, in terms of future cap implications, but I don't if any GM would've done that.

Now there's Brown at $6m barely breaking double digits in goals, and Gaborik's not insignificant cap hit. There are only so many wingers you can pay all that money to.

Then comes what has to be the biggest part of the equation, that being Voynov. If Voynov is there in 14-15, there's no Sekera. At the very least Lombardi isn't as desperate to add a defenseman. Maybe he still trades the pick, but maybe it's for a better return. And maybe the Kings are in a better standings position. And, the 2014 playoffs put the idea that there is always a chance with this roster into everybody's head.

Because they end up missing the playoffs in 14-15, the 1st round pick going to Carolina is the 2016 pick. You don't want to trade that pick, miss the playoffs, lose the player, and then miss the playoffs the following season, potentially giving Carolina a lottery pick. If the Kings win the lottery in the 2015 draft, that pick isn't going for Lucic. It's a mid 1st round pick, which may or may not result in a good player, there are examples either way in every draft. Unfortunately, basically the worst possible scenario happened with Lucic. The Kings went out quietly in the 1st round, Lucic didn't score a goal, and he left. It was the opposite of the 2014 playoffs, which is one of the most insane best case scenarios I've ever seen.

Because they already have Brown and Gaborik with big cap hits, because they had to bring Gaborik in, because Brown stopped being what they eventually got Lucic to be, they weren't going to be able to sign Lucic, especially because they've got Toffoli and Pearson up for deals, and who knows how that's all going to work out under the cap. Plus Quick was paid. Plus Kopitar had to get paid. Plus Carter is still there, and even though it's only $5m under the cap, $5m isn't nothing, when you also have all these other big contracts.

It's been a series of events which have built upon each other, and the cap is inflexible.
 
Gaudreau really is an amazing talent, but you know he likely would've been passed over by the dinosaurs on the US selection committee had he been an available option.
 
Ziggy Stardust said:
Gaudreau really is an amazing talent, but you know he likely would've been passed over by the dinosaurs on the US selection committee had he been an available option.
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I'm happy he is enjoying these big time events before his career is ended by one of the Kings lead-footed defenders.

Never understood the hate people had for this kid, amazing US born player, who by all indications seems to be a great guy also.
 
lundqvist is the last frontier. some said he's out of form, some said he's got a flu, but he played well tonight. sweden defence is cracking all over, kids could win this, just beat that rangers frog.
 
Herby said:
I'm happy he is enjoying these big time events before his career is ended by one of the Kings lead-footed defenders.

Never understood the hate people had for this kid, amazing US born player, who by all indications seems to be a great guy also.
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There are people out there who hate him? Guess they're not used to seeing the Kings get burned by talented players, which used to happen all the time, going back to when Gretzky was an Oiler, or Kurri, Anderson, Tikkanen. Oh and there's Hull, Yzerman, Modano, Bure, Fedorov, Selanne, Kariya, Sakic, etc.

Surprised people who have been watching this team long enough get their panties twisted in a bunch when a skilled player pretty much scores at will against this team. Patrick Kane has a tendency of doing that too, along with Pavelski.

Too bad they sucked so damn much at the World Cup, seemed like they were just there to get some preseason conditioning work.
 
Herby said:
I'm happy he is enjoying these big time events before his career is ended by one of the Kings lead-footed defenders.

Never understood the hate people had for this kid, amazing US born player, who by all indications seems to be a great guy also.
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I think most people hated the fact the Flames fans were riding him so hard when he was in college. I don't think anybody thought he'd be this good this fast.

As a U.S. hockey supporter I love this kid. As a Kings fan, he's going to be a pain in our ass for years to come. However I do think his asking price for his new contract is a little much. But his performance this World Cup is certainly helping his case.
 
Gaudreau is the type of talent every fan wishes their team had. He does remind me of a young Paul Kariya, just all over the puck, creating chances for himself or his linemates.
 
Pretty sure anyone under 23 was not allowed on these (WC) teams right ? So it doesn't even matter.
 
Quick gives up 4... **** all over him.
Lundqvist gives up 4... He played good.
b8kJEDA.gif
 
The hate for Johnny Hockey on this board came from the overconfidence in this team following the '14 Cup because winning hockey teams were built like the Kings and a small guy like him would never stand a chance.

When it became clear that the Flames were not going away in '15 and were in the Kings way in regards to making the playoffs, the hate really started. Of course, some Flames fans coming over here didn't help matters.

Died down last year. With 2014 seemingly ages ago and Kings fans being knocked down numerous pegs from the high that was the '14 Cup Run, I don't think there is the Gaudreau hate anymore from LA fans. Overall, he'll get as much hate as any player that gets the over-hype train on the main boards.

But yeah...he was ridiculed pretty good on this board in 2015. Stuff like all of his skill wasn't going to matter when the Kings playoff machine crushes him. Can't crush him if you miss the playoffs.
 
I don't think DL had the last word on some of these selections despite being GM of USA. I can't believe he'd leave guys he's had a hardon for--like Yandle--completely off. But I don't even know anymore.

Regardless, getting that team completely wrecked this tournament should be a great thing for him AND USA in the future, imo. He can't watch both the Kings and USA struggle with this model and pretend everything is hunky-dory.

THAT being said, the 'style' he puts together for the Kings is far more effective in an NHL 82-game grind plus 7-games vs. the same team--not the one-off game tourney vs. the best in the world. Hell, even around here we often talked about how the Kings were easy to beat on game X in January by a skill team but how they'd always be a tough out in the playoffs (2016 nonwithstanding :laugh:); I can't imagine taking a Kings-style team into a round-robin + single elim tourney, that's just suicide.

kingsboy11 said:
I think most people hated the fact the Flames fans were riding him so hard when he was in college. I don't think anybody thought he'd be this good this fast.

As a U.S. hockey supporter I love this kid. As a Kings fan, he's going to be a pain in our ass for years to come. However I do think his asking price for his new contract is a little much. But his performance this World Cup is certainly helping his case.
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I hated him for all the "LOL JOHNNY HOCKEY" ******** we had to hear all year when the Flames were passing us by, and their fans that were coming by rubbing it in.

As a talent, I thought people would key in on him and start roughing him up, but he's proving even shiftier than Datsyuk; I also thought that ridiculous magic he had would start running out (lol goal off Doughty's skate, etc.), but he started scoring more legit goals (though I've noticed even in this tournament he tries the no-angle bank off something in front a lot). I hate him in a respectful way for his talents as a player tormenting us; i hate the image that Flames fans have painted for him though.
 
The Kings don't hit people like they did in 2011-2013, the 2014 team was more of a 2015-16 team(A Possession team).

The Kings not playing like the physical 2012 team, is actually part of the problem I think.

That 2012 team, made people earn ice, everywhere.
 
damacles1156 said:
The Kings don't hit people like they did in 2011-2013, the 2014 team was more of a 2015-16 team(A Possession team).

The Kings not playing like the physical 2012 team, is actually part of the problem I think.

That 2012 team, made people earn ice, everywhere.
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Would they be able to keep that up for a whole year, though?

I agree, but I think a lot of our guys burned out permanently playing that style. It's like having 20 running backs out there.
 
damacles1156 said:
The Kings don't hit people like they did in 2011-2013, the 2014 team was more of a 2015-16 team(A Possession team).

The Kings not playing like the physical 2012 team, is actually part of the problem I think.

That 2012 team, made people earn ice, everywhere.
Click to expand...

That's true, lot of guys have gone soft since then, particularly King. Stoll and Richards quickly hit rock bottom afterwards, and Brown is now an ineffective hitter as well and in the same pathway as those former, washed up Kings.

The punishing, relentless forecheck this team used to possess has dwindled to a team that mostly keeps the puck along the perimeter.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
Would they be able to keep that up for a whole year, though?

I agree, but I think a lot of our guys burned out permanently playing that style. It's like having 20 running backs out there.
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Nobody making the jump from the AHL last few years, has also hurt.

Pearson/Shore/Toffoli last few guys(drafted by the Kings), Pearson was drafted in 2012, Shore was drafted in 2011, Toffoli in 2010.
 
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