Around the league part 2

[johnjm22]

I can see them using him on wing while he 'learns the system' or some shit. Or if not, they'll use him as a reduced minutes 3C while riding Kopi into the ground.

You're not even being serious, and you know it.

You're indulging yourself in fake pessimism or you're being sarcastic. I can't tell.

Have your criticisms of BlucMac all you want, but they brought in PLD to play a major role as a center, and that's what he's going to do.

 

[Schrute farms]

Center was the Kings biggest need. They're betting on PLD to play the way he's capable of playing, and if he does, they're better for it.

A need -- yes. The biggest need -- i respectfully disagree. I would have listed the Kings needs this off-season in this order:
1) Size/toughness at LHD
2) Size/toughness on 4th line (plus)
3) Goalie
4) Head Coach
5) Center

 

[Kudelski37]

You're not even being serious, and you know it.

You're indulging yourself in fake pessimism or you're being sarcastic. I can't tell.

Have your criticisms of BlucMac all you want, but they brought in PLD to play a major role as a center, and that's what he's going to do.

If PLD does not mesh with Fiala, then what? Kopi hasn't played well with Fiala, Arvidsson, or Kaliyev. Fiala doesn't belong on a defensive line with Danault. What is left? Switching Byfield and PLD. The Kings have backed themselves into a corner as far as line combos.

 

[johnjm22]

A need -- yes. The biggest need -- i respectfully disagree. I would have listed the Kings needs this off-season in this order:
1) Size/toughness at LHD
2) Size/toughness on 4th line (plus)
3) Goalie
4) Head Coach
5) Center

All those are needs, yes, but there's no way a 4th liner or 3rd pairing D can be more important than a 2nd line center.

Goalie is a different discussion.

 

[Kudelski37]

You don't know that.

I share your concern about wingers, and about PLD himself, but it remains to be seen.

Center was the Kings biggest need. They're betting on PLD to play the way he's capable of playing, and if he does, they're better for it.

If center was the biggest need, the Kings traded for the wrong kind of center to reduce wear on Kopitar. Killing penalties uses the most energy and the Kings made a trade that will result in Kopi spending more time killing penalties. Making a trade for cap space and signing O'Reilly would have been better.

 

[johnjm22]

If PLD does not mesh with Fiala, then what? Kopi hasn't played well with Fiala, Arvidsson, or Kaliyev. Fiala doesn't belong on a defensive line with Danault. What is left? Switching Byfield and PLD. The Kings have backed themselves into a corner as far as line combos.

Danault won't be playing a purely defensive role. 3 scoring lines. 1 bottom line. Depth. That's how you do it in the modern NHL.

As for line combos, you can play the "what if" game all day long, but it's a lesser problem then lacking a center.

The main problem I see with the forwards is lack of defensively capable 2-way wingers with some grit. Blake will look to add one at some point. As I said, it's a lesser problem than needing a center.

 

[johnjm22]

If center was the biggest need, the Kings traded for the wrong kind of center to reduce wear on Kopitar. Killing penalties uses the most energy and the Kings made a trade that will result in Kopi spending more time killing penalties. Making a trade for cap space and signing O'Reilly would have been better.

I would like another PK'er yes. But Kopitar was already the 3rd best PK'ing center on the team. Both Danault and Lizotte should be ahead of him as penalty killers. Kopitar can still be used to PK in a reduced role.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

You're not even being serious, and you know it.

You're indulging yourself in fake pessimism or you're being sarcastic. I can't tell.

Have your criticisms of BlucMac all you want, but they brought in PLD to play a major role as a center, and that's what he's going to do.

I mean, I"m half joking, it's not that far fetched given how much wing PLD played in Winnipeg to and how f***ed this organization is when it comes to deployment.

There is zero historical precedent for unbridled optimism on player usage, particularly when it comes to my initial concern, Kopitar's minutes.

 

[Kudelski37]

I would like another PK'er yes. But Kopitar was already the 3rd best PK'ing center on the team. Both Danault and Lizotte should be ahead of him as penalty killers. Kopitar can still be used to PK in a reduced role.

Kopitar should not kill penalties any more, yet this trade is forcing him to continue to do so. Further, the Kings traded the 2way wingers for PLD. It just compounds the issue. It would have made more sense to get a center that could take more defensive responsibilities from Kopitar and keep Iafallo and Vilardi.

 

[King'sPawn]

Since when is 2C a "need"? Danault scored 54 points last season while playing in all situations. That was goid enough for 56th among all centers. PLD scored 63 points and averaged 4 seconds on the PK, so he's had a lot of favorable offense time.

He's getting paid $3 million more for a marginal upgrade in offense and this is the depth the team needs?

 

[Fishhead]

I would like another PK'er yes. But Kopitar was already the 3rd best PK'ing center on the team. Both Danault and Lizotte should be ahead of him as penalty killers. Kopitar can still be used to PK in a reduced role.

I know he's old, but Lewis can still PK. He had one of the better GA/60 shorthanded last year on the Flames. He can at least take some of the load off.

 

[Fishhead]

Since when is 2C a "need"? Danault scored 54 points last season while playing in all situations. That was goid enough for 56th among all centers. PLD scored 63 points and averaged 4 seconds on the PK, so he's had a lot of favorable offense time.

He's getting paid $3 million more for a marginal upgrade in offense and this is the depth the team needs?

Danault also played 9 more games and averaged really close to the same TOI.

PLD's Points per 60 would have put him 2nd on the Kings behind Fiala. Danault was 9th.

Danault is more well-rounded without question, but it's a lot more than a marginal offensive upgrade. The gap between PLD and Danault is bigger than the gap between Danault and Kempe.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I know he's old, but Lewis can still PK. He had one of the better GA/60 shorthanded last year on the Flames. He can at least take some of the load off.

This would make a lot of sense but

instead prepare for Trevor Lewis on PP2

 

[FrozenKing18]

I think Byfield hits PLDs standard levels of production by next season, and Kaliyev is never a full time top 6 player under this coach.

And Iafallo's value has far less to do with production as much as it is play off of the puck. You might see a kid hit his point totals, but there are no wingers on the team or in the system that can forecheck, backcheck, compete along the wall, kill penalties and produce. He is a much bigger loss than Dubois is a gain.

This frustrates me the most and fear the same will happen to Chromiak. You got 2 players with some goal scoring pedigree, why wouldn’t you want to utilize that? Think of those 2 on the powerplay as a threat on both sides who can laser or fire a slapper at any given moment. I dont know just doesnt make sense to me why these kids aren’t being utilized and not put in a position they will succeed in and at the same time help the team.

 

[King'sPawn]

Danault also played 9 more games and averaged really close to the same TOI.

PLD's Points per 60 would have put him 2nd on the Kings behind Fiala. Danault was 9th.

Danault is more well-rounded without question, but it's a lot more than a marginal offensive upgrade. The gap between PLD and Danault is bigger than the gap between Danault and Kempe.

Danault averages 18:20 time total. But 1:45 of that is on the PK. 2:04 on the PP. He started 44% of the time in the offensive zone.
PLD averages 18:27 time total, but 0:04 of that is on the PK. 3:37 on the PP. Dude got more average powerplay time than Kopitar. He started 71% of the time in the offensive zone.

PLD got significantly better offensive opportunities. I don't see how it's a significant upgrade to what the Kings already had.

 

[bland]

Incorrect..for example: what NHL player wanted off his first two teams? What player did the LAK sign that makes them unable to field a full roster? What is the French translation of Peter Luke Woodcutter?

See, I really don't care about any of the "quitting on" stuff, I am all for individuals using what influence they can to get what they can out of their careers. Those would be the two markets that I would least like to live in, and I don't think he was a diva in any of those exits either. Good for him.

And yeah, he looks like one of those blue flannel dudes that Wayne is always beating the shit out of on Letterkenny.

But goodness me, he is paid so damn much for so damn long that its a real burden on the roster. This isn't a proven guy, he teases all kinds of stuff that he has only kind of delivered. Its a bet, but its a hedged bet on the Byfield pick. Decent production, some brutish behavior, but way too many nights of just not showing up at full throttle.

 

[johnjm22]

Kopitar should not kill penalties any more, yet this trade is forcing him to continue to do so. Further, the Kings traded the 2way wingers for PLD. It just compounds the issue. It would have made more sense to get a center that could take more defensive responsibilities from Kopitar and keep Iafallo and Vilardi.

There's more that's taxing Kopitar than just the PK.

Depth is what reduces the burden.

Having a top 6 center does more to take the burden off him than anything else.

 

[BaileyFan]

Yeah, my thought is that TM won't trust PLD to do a god damn thing, see Kaliyev, Fiala.

I can see them using him on wing while he 'learns the system' or some shit. Or if not, they'll use him as a reduced minutes 3C while riding Kopi into the ground.

I'm sorry guys again what you're sayin about reducing kopitar's minutes makes sense but every offseason, everything that's 'made sense' has been thrown in the wood chipper.

I'm ready for
PLD-Kopitar-Kempe
Moore-Danault-Arvidsson
Byfield-Lizotte-Lewis
4th line: who cares, some kids whose hearts we have yet to crush, probably like 5 minutes of Grundstrom JAD Laferriere or some shit

You forgot to mention that after PLD hits 70 points on Kopi's wing and the Kings exit the playoffs early but he's a mainstay at Dodger/Galaxy games, the usual suspects will be praising Blake for yet another masterclass because he's a "perfect fit" and wanted to be in LA after all.

 

[Fishhead]

Danault averages 18:20 time total. But 1:45 of that is on the PK. 2:04 on the PP. He started 44% of the time in the offensive zone.
PLD averages 18:27 time total, but 0:04 of that is on the PK. 3:37 on the PP. Dude got more average powerplay time than Kopitar. He started 71% of the time in the offensive zone.

PLD got significantly better offensive opportunities. I don't see how it's a significant upgrade to what the Kings already had.

Opportunity is one thing, being able to finish is another, and PLD does that. At even strength he's still a half point per 60 ahead of Danault, which is significant.

The two aren't really comparable because they are such different types of players, but the offensive gap is anything but marginal. You could give Danault deployments like PLD and he's still not gonna fill the net. Danault has 6 career PP goals, 5 of those in the last two seasons since joining the Kings. PLD has 26 over the last two seasons.

We will see next season, but I think there could easily be a 20-point gap between the two if they both play the full year.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

If Fiala doesn’t work with PLD they’ll just stick Fiala on a line with Lizotte again and let him 1v9. That’s the nice thing about Fiala. He can play anywhere and get his point per game and no one needs to worry about him.

I think there’s going to be a lot of line shuffling next year as guys figure each other out. For all we know Byfield schools these boomers in preseason and wins one of the center spots.

 

[Kudelski37]

There's more that's taxing Kopitar than just the PK.

Depth is what reduces the burden.

Having a top 6 center does more to take the burden off him than anything else.

PLD is an offensive center. Playing in the defensive zone uses more energy than playing in the offensive zone. Kopitar skating has noticably slowed making defense harder for him. If PLD is taking o zone starts from Kopitar, and the other centers, then Kopitar is still stuck with the taxing defensive zone minutes including pk. It just cuts production from centers not named PLD.

PLD scores the same types of goal Danault scores. Almost all of the goals are scored within 5 feet of the crease and rarely with a shot that simply beats a goalie that is set and square to the shooter, except PLD relies more on the pp to score his goals. 26 out of 55 of PLDs goals the last two seasons have been power play goals. Compare this to 5 out of 45 for Danault the last two seasons. Vilardi is good at the tips, deflections, and back door shots that PLD scores. Vilardi can also beat goalies with his shot from the circle and outside the circle. I think PLD's offensive skills are redundant to the forwards the Kings already had. Any point/goal PLD scores is just one another King won't score. The Kings had 180+ points from centers last year. Let's see if they can make a sizable improvement on that. I think young guys like Byfield and Clarke taking a big step forward are what will determine this.

 

[AbsentMojo]

See, I really don't care about any of the "quitting on" stuff, I am all for individuals using what influence they can to get what they can out of their careers. Those would be the two markets that I would least like to live in, and I don't think he was a diva in any of those exits either. Good for him.

And yeah, he looks like one of those blue flannel dudes that Wayne is always beating the shit out of on Letterkenny.

But goodness me, he is paid so damn much for so damn long that its a real burden on the roster. This isn't a proven guy, he teases all kinds of stuff that he has only kind of delivered. Its a bet, but its a hedged bet on the Byfield pick. Decent production, some brutish behavior, but way too many nights of just not showing up at full throttle.

I hear you.. i wasnt bagging on him re wanting out of those hockey gulags, just using that fact in the service of comedy... I think he'll be fine here - seems like a decent enough guy.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Let's not pretend PLD wasn't getting preferential deployment.

He had a f***ing killer player in Connor basically feeding him.

Good for PLD that a LOT of his goals are from going to the net and using body/hands because that translates almost anywhere that people have possession, but yeah, the difference in deployment between Danault and PLD is night and day, and we still have to find his 'fit,' and that's my biggest concern with this entire organization--deployment/usage.

 

[Kingfan1967]

Savage.

did he use it as a hot dog basin? poutine platter?

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Let's not pretend PLD wasn't getting preferential deployment.

He had a f***ing killer player in Connor basically feeding him.

Good for PLD that a LOT of his goals are from going to the net and using body/hands because that translates almost anywhere that people have possession, but yeah, the difference in deployment between Danault and PLD is night and day, and we still have to find his 'fit,' and that's my biggest concern with this entire organization--deployment/usage.

PLD-Roy pairing confirmed.