Toggle sidebar

Around the League 2018-2019 Part 3

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
Status
Not open for further replies.
tomd said:
That's what I remember as well. AFTER the draft and his back injury there were whispers that maybe the scouting community knew there was some serious health concerns but that was never made public before the draft. If those whispers were true and the Kings scouts knew about them then they gambled and maybe lost. On the surface, there is no reason he should have dropped out of the top 7.

Makes me wonder if they'll stay away from Turcotte. Once bitten, twice shy.
Click to expand...

He missed a lot of time in his draft year but then was great in the playoffs, winning the Memorial Cup. The combine isn't too long after the conclusion of the Memorial Cup but this happens:

During medical testing, he revealed he had soreness in his right hip and back, so he'll skip the lower-body portion of the fitness testing, but was cleared for the upper-body and stationary bike tests.

Couldn't do lower body testing because of medical testing revealing hip/back issues.

Watch his tape and there is absolutely zero reason he should have been there for the Kings. Kid is an absolute stud. I said it the moment he was shelved for the start of his D + 1 season that he dropped because of this issue but he's so talented that it was worth taking the risk. I kept being told it was the skating because nobody wanted to believe he had a long-term issue but now it is pretty undeniable. He's so dominant with the puck that the skating issue was completely overblown.

Can't fault Blake for taking the risk since they were drafting at #11 while believing they were a contender, probably thinking they weren't going to draft this high again. If you need to supplement/enhance the old guys on the team, Vilardi looked to be someone that would be hitting NHL ice after only one season in Juniors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Raccoon Jesus and DoktorJeep
BigKing said:
He missed a lot of time in his draft year but then was great in the playoffs, winning the Memorial Cup. The combine isn't too long after the conclusion of the Memorial Cup but this happens:

During medical testing, he revealed he had soreness in his right hip and back, so he'll skip the lower-body portion of the fitness testing, but was cleared for the upper-body and stationary bike tests.

Couldn't do lower body testing because of medical testing revealing hip/back issues.

Watch his tape and there is absolutely zero reason he should have been there for the Kings. Kid is an absolute stud. I said it the moment he was shelved for the start of his D + 1 season that he dropped because of this issue but he's so talented that it was worth taking the risk. I kept being told it was the skating because nobody wanted to believe he had a long-term issue but now it is pretty undeniable. He's so dominant with the puck that the skating issue was completely overblown.

Can't fault Blake for taking the risk since they were drafting at #11 while believing they were a contender, probably thinking they weren't going to draft this high again. If you need to supplement/enhance the old guys on the team, Vilardi looked to be someone that would be hitting NHL ice after only one season in Juniors.
Click to expand...

I agree completely that he should have gone top 7 all things being equal. I wonder how many teams picking ahead of the Kings were scared off by the medical testing results and how much risk the Kings thought they were taking when they selected him. Like I said earlier, I'd be surprised if the Kings gambled on Turcotte given their experience with Vilardi.
 
BigKing said:
Watch his tape and there is absolutely zero reason he should have been there for the Kings. Kid is an absolute stud. I said it the moment he was shelved for the start of his D + 1 season that he dropped because of this issue but he's so talented that it was worth taking the risk. I kept being told it was the skating because nobody wanted to believe he had a long-term issue but now it is pretty undeniable. He's so dominant with the puck that the skating issue was completely overblown.
Click to expand...

You were given quotes, video, and interviews saying he fell due to skating.

You just offered conjecture. Which is why people didn't believe he had a long term issue.

If Turcotte falls in the draft and hurts his hip again, then people will understandably believe there's an ongoing issue.

If you want to keep patting yourself on the back how you were right, feel free to, but people rightfully had no reason to be concerned when his previous issues were not back related at all.

It's like when people were up in arms over Justin Williams' injury history when he joined the Kings; he had several, unrelated issues which could not be predicted or linked.
 
King'sPawn said:
You were given quotes, video, and interviews saying he fell due to skating.

You just offered conjecture. Which is why people didn't believe he had a long term issue.

If Turcotte falls in the draft and hurts his hip again, then people will understandably believe there's an ongoing issue.

If you want to keep patting yourself on the back how you were right, feel free to, but people rightfully had no reason to be concerned when his previous issues were not back related at all.

It's like when people were up in arms over Justin Williams' injury history when he joined the Kings; he had several, unrelated issues which could not be predicted or linked.
Click to expand...

It's not like Williams since his were actually fluke injuries. Vilardi just had general soreness in his hip and back for apparently no reason so he didn't test lower body at the combine.

I'll amend it for you: it wasn't 100% injury concerns but a mix of the skating with the injury stuff leading to him sliding further than if it was simply the skating. If he is 100% healthy at the combine and the draft, I don't believe he falls to the Kings. I agree people had no reason to be worried about a knee injury or appendicitis as worrying about those would be like freaking out about Justin Williams injury history and, at the time, nobody thought he had some hip/back problem since it wasn't reported on outside of just mentioning that he couldn't do the combine.

In the LAKI article about how he wouldn't be participating at rookie camp or training camp in 2017, Rosen states:

It’s nebulous whether his drop at the NHL Draft was directly related to his injury history, but Vilardi, the fourth ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, was seen as more likely to be selected by Colorado at #3 than Los Angeles at #11.

So he says it is nebulous, but that term isn't even used the night of the draft because nobody thinks he has some long term issue, simply pointing to his skating being why he fell while most every scouting report knocks his skating but then basically says it isn't a major concern because he is too good regardless. But all we have are the scouting reports so that must be why he fell since he doesn't have a known injury. Fast forward three months and he hasn't skated at all since being drafted. Now you can begin to wonder if teams dropped him down on their lists because the medical check at the combine. Call it conjecture if you want, but the dots definitely begin to line up: especially when he goes in to the draft "injured" with no apparent injury and all of the scouting reports on him have been out for weeks and months regarding his skating. If Krebs falls, it will be easy to say it is because of the achilles since that is an in-your-face injury. A guy not being cleared to do lower body work at the combine with no apparent diagnosed injury is spooky when you are drafting in the Top 10. It could have been--and obviously was--shrugged off as a story as Vilardi falling to the Kings wasn't some giant story that would lead to a bunch of "why did this happen questions" like if he fell out of the 1st round or something; however, it doesn't mean it was shrugged off by those that were picking in spots where he was predicted to go.

Hell...Rosen didn't even have information ready for him because they had zero expectations he would be there. Wouldn't surprise me if the Kings didn't fully do their homework on his health since they felt he wouldn't be there anyways. Rosen stated that they believed the reason that he had the soreness was due to a long season after winning the Memorial Cup: a long season that featured missing time with a knee injury and the appendicitis. A teenage kid, ranked the #4 NA skater, is having hip/back issues after not even playing a full season? Did everyone else have a sore hip/back too? It was definitely a red flag that helped lead to him sliding.
 
tomd said:
I agree completely that he should have gone top 7 all things being equal. I wonder how many teams picking ahead of the Kings were scared off by the medical testing results and how much risk the Kings thought they were taking when they selected him. Like I said earlier, I'd be surprised if the Kings gambled on Turcotte given their experience with Vilardi.
Click to expand...

The thing is, going back, I'd probably STILL pick Vilardi. There are a few nice players after him, but if we're talking raw potential, he blows the rest of the first round out of the water. You can maybe make a case for a few guys like Brannstrom or Thomas, whom I love, but like even in retrospect it's a home run swing. I like it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: crassbonanza and King'sPawn
Raccoon Jesus said:
The thing is, going back, I'd probably STILL pick Vilardi. There are a few nice players after him, but if we're talking raw potential, he blows the rest of the first round out of the water. You can maybe make a case for a few guys like Brannstrom or Thomas, whom I love, but like even in retrospect it's a home run swing. I like it.
Click to expand...

Yup, even knowing what I know now, I'd still pick Vilardi
 
King'sPawn said:
Yup, even knowing what I know now, I'd still pick Vilardi
Click to expand...

Well, in fairness, we really don't know anything right now. He could be scoring in the NHL in 12 months or retired...his health status is that "nebulous". He has basically been shut down for a year with no timetable for his return or even an explanation as to what is going on. It is a very odd situation and that is usually not a good thing.
 
Surprised by that deal. I guess it increases the possibility of the Kings maybe being able to get rid of some guys, because if there's a GM that will get older, more expensive, and add a year of a contract, to not really get a whole lot better, if at all, with a team that isn't good to begin with, then there's hope for the Kings.

How do they retain salary, for the cheaper player, take on an extra year, and get nothing else added? Just take the older guy, and that's it. That's amazing.

I'm still not expecting anything for the Kings though.
 
Last edited:
KingsFan7824 said:
Surprised by that deal. I guess it increases the possibility of the Kings maybe being able to get rid of some guys, because if there's a GM that will get older, more expensive, and add a year of a contract, to not really get a whole lot better, if at all, with a team that isn't good to begin with, then there's hope for the Kings.

How do they retain salary, for the cheaper player, take on an extra year, and get nothing else added? Just take the older guy, and that's it. That's amazing.

I'm still not expecting anything for the Kings though.
Click to expand...

No that's Fletcher (who is Homeresque in his decision making. Clarke gave him his first job and Homer worked for Clarke, who was also a terrible GM)

First Hayes (who I'm praying moves on...he's a 3rd line C, not worth the LTC he wants at 6.5 to7M per. ) now this...
And Fletcher saying he intends to be 'busy' this summer
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom