Around the League Thread part V

[Mats26]

I think Kopitar will still have a couple good seasons as a 3C or so at the end of his contract.

In 2 years we take the freed Kopitar and Arvy's cap hit and go hard after Mathews.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I get that trying to predict lines is fun, and what else are we going to talk about in July after the draft and free agency etc,

But...lines aren't built on paper, they are built in practices...many many practices....sometimes lines come together and everyone, coaches, players, fans, go WTFG.....how? Why....and then there are some that are put together that SHOULD work....and is just piss poor from the jump....

As a coach, and this is probably old school now, but I always loved putting a passer, a shooter, and a banger...together, loved that combo (but we are also talking 15-20 years ago)....

Yeah on paper Arvidsson and Kopitar are a match made in heaven, but it turned out Danault and Arvy are a match made in, uh, heaven 2.0.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Yeah on paper Arvidsson and Kopitar are a match made in heaven, but it turned out Danault and Arvy are a match made in, uh, heaven 2.0.

Exactly, you just never know....look at Rob Brown mid-90's or Chris Kontos, both struck gold with the lines they were on, how many players did Crosby elevate and trick teams into thinking they were better than they were

 

[BringTheReign]

In 2 years we take the freed Kopitar and Arvy's cap hit and go hard after Mathews.

This is my daydream backup plan in the case that none of our center prospects hit 1C status. I think we'd have just as good of a shot of signing him as anyone else.

 

[cyclones22]

I think most of us hope that Fiala was signed primarily to play next to a young blue chipper and help develop him into a star in a few years. But I can't help but think that a major reason why he was signed was to extend Kopi's career a few years past his contract. I'd rather Fiala's role be training wheels than crutches.

 

[King'sPawn]

I think most of us hope that Fiala was signed primarily to play next to a young blue chipper and help develop him into a star in a few years. But I can't help but think that a major reason why he was signed was to extend Kopi's career a few years past his contract. I'd rather Fiala's role be training wheels than crutches.

I agree. Ideally, Fiala would be put on a line with Byfield, and the TOI would be closer to 17, 17, 17, 9 with the varying lines.

I just don't want to see anymore of this 11-minute nonsense.

 

[Kudelski37]

I don't think Blake traded for Fiala for one particular center. TMac will probably give him a start with Kopitar, but I doubt Fiala/Kopitar/Kempe will work as well as simple addition of the individual stats. Too much overlap with Kempe and Fiala. One of Fiala, Kempe, and Moore will end up with Byfield by Thanksgiving if there aren't injuries.

 

[cyclones22]

Fiala 100% makes more sense with Byfield. Whether it's by mid-season or the following season. Byfield is a rush offense player like Fiala. It's a complete waste of time to have Kempe and Fiala on Kopi's wings. What are they supposed to do circle around with the puck and wait for Kopitar to enter the zone and pass it back to him?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Fiala can transport the puck thru the neutral zone like Kempe too, obviously if he has chemistry with Kopitar great, but those two are semi-redundant together. Seems like a great fit for a line that has Byfield AND/OR Vilardi/Kaliyev, two guys who won't be lugging the puck from blueline to blueline, but if they're on a line with two who can...

 

[bland]

Let's just come down to earth for a minute....you aren't going to put an 8-mil dollar player on the 3rd line...and you sure as shit are not going to put a 10-mil dollar player on the 3rd line either. Fiala and Kopitar witll start the season and remain to play together until they prove that it doesn't work and there is no any reason why any of us shouldn't give that the benefit of the doubt until we see otherwise.

No doubt that Blake feels the same way, which is why he has made the same mistake over and over.

Its a beautiful game man, so much more to it than goals, hits, saves, wins and losses. Some of us know that and enjoy discussing it. This constant over-simplification campaign of yours that seems designed just to interrupt that discussion is tiresome. Disagree if you want, ignore it, whatever. But this nullification of something that you aren't interested in participating in is just bullshit.

 

[Mats26]

I want to see if this can work:

Fiala Danault Arvidsson
Kaliyev Kopitar Kempe
Iafallo Byfield Moore
Lemieux\JAD Lizotte Kupari\Vilardi

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Apparently the Oilers inquired about Patrick Kane as well

Starting to think they don't care about the little "LW, D, G" in front of the names

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

No doubt that Blake feels the same way, which is why he has made the same mistake over and over.

Its a beautiful game man, so much more to it than goals, hits, saves, wins and losses. Some of us know that and enjoy discussing it. This constant over-simplification campaign of yours that seems designed just to interrupt that discussion is tiresome. Disagree if you want, ignore it, whatever. But this nullification of something that you aren't interested in participating in is just bullshit.

I could say the same thing about dumbass discussion like putting Kopitar on the 3rd line. You tee it up, I’m gonna hit it.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I could say the same thing about dumbass discussion like putting Kopitar on the 3rd line. You tee it up, I’m gonna hit it.

If it's not discussion worthy to you, the simple solution is to move on and shut the f*** up, not pretend you're the grand arbiter of what everyone here talks about.

 

[FeartheFur]

Jesus

 

[Kingspiracy]

Jesus

dont want me for a sunbeam

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

If it's not discussion worthy to you, the simple solution is to move on and shut the f*** up, not pretend you're the grand arbiter of what everyone here talks about.

yah, that's your job.

 

[Nasti]

Apparently the Oilers inquired about Patrick Kane as well

Starting to think they don't care about the little "LW, D, G" in front of the names

They put ALL the blame on Mike Smith so now that he’s been replaced they think they’re contenders.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Yes, talking about an age-related decline from a guy who has gone from winning every matchup to the tune of 60% GF% to losing every matchup all year last year despite point totals and who, for the first time in his career, was outscore 5v5 by other Kings, including one who played 15 fewer games.

It's not an insult to begin talking respectfully about life after Kopitar.

Exactly. 21/22 was the first legitimate age related regression in Kopitar’s game.

 

[Statto]

Fiala 100% makes more sense with Byfield. Whether it's by mid-season or the following season. Byfield is a rush offense player like Fiala. It's a complete waste of time to have Kempe and Fiala on Kopi's wings. What are they supposed to do circle around with the puck and wait for Kopitar to enter the zone and pass it back to him?

Quite. I’m going to be really crazy here and say the lines for game 1 won’t be the lines in game 82. You can plan and predict lines all you want and that applies to Coaches, GM’s and fans. However until players are on the ice together you just don’t know, nobody does. Hell even Kurri and Gretzky didn’t click the same in LA, compared to the Oilers because none of it happens in a vacuum.

I’m sure that Fiala is probably pencilled in alongside Kopitar for game 1 but that could easily change in camp. I suspect there will be a ‘blue sky plan’ that sees the lines, deployment etc evolve over the season as players roles evolve and change. However that easily blows up (good or bad) once they start skating together. The thing I’m confident about is that with AA gone and Brown retired our top 9 wingers are better and no matter who is either side of Byfield it’ll be an improvement over last season. Long term Fiala makes sense but if Iafallo is still here he’d also be superb alongside Byfield. In fact for me that’s the biggest argument for keeping him.

Exactly. 21/22 was the first legitimate age related regression in Kopitar’s game.

The problem with that was that it was a factor that got ignored with his deployment. Bergeron is the example they need to be following in terms of how to evolve Kopitar‘s role.

 

[bouncesonly]

Exactly. 21/22 was the first legitimate age related regression in Kopitar’s game.

Kopitar's career avg pt/game is .882 pts/game. His career standard deviation for pts/game is .103. Last season he had a .827 pts/game. Statistically, his last season was just over half a standard deviation, .055.

I'd say that's hardly a regression. I don't think we'll see another 90+ pt Kopitar, but numbers wise, there hasn't been strong evidence his game is near a cliff.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Quite. I’m going to be really crazy here and say the lines for game 1 won’t be the lines in game 82. You can plan and predict lines all you want and that applies to Coaches, GM’s and fans. However until players are on the ice together you just don’t know, nobody does. Hell even Kurri and Gretzky didn’t click the same in LA, compared to the Oilers because none of it happens in a vacuum.

I’m sure that Fiala is probably pencilled in alongside Kopitar for game 1 but that could easily change in camp. I suspect there will be a ‘blue sky plan’ that sees the lines, deployment etc evolve over the season as players roles evolve and change. However that easily blows up (good or bad) once they start skating together. The thing I’m confident about is that with AA gone and Brown retired our top 9 wingers are better and no matter who is either side of Byfield it’ll be an improvement over last season. Long term Fiala makes sense but if Iafallo is still here he’d also be superb alongside Byfield. In fact for me that’s the biggest argument for keeping him.


The problem with that was that it was a factor that got ignored with his deployment. Bergeron is the example they need to be following in terms of how to evolve Kopitar‘s role.

I don’t think TMac is anywhere near the caliber of coach to dry age Kopitar’s game like they’ve done with Bergeron.

Also, and we can all probably be honest about this now, but Bergeron was always roughly 5% better than Kopitar.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Kopitar's career avg pt/game is .882 pts/game. His career standard deviation for pts/game is .103. Last season he had a .827 pts/game. Statistically, his last season was just over half a standard deviation, .055.

I'd say that's hardly a regression. I don't think we'll see another 90+ pt Kopitar, but numbers wise, there hasn't been strong evidence his game is near a cliff.

Except there is very strong evidence of it. Looking at points only strips all other context of his play.

Around the League Thread part V

McPhee is a completely incompetent GM who reshuffles the deck every year and mismanages his cap in the process. That’s the problem. Every team in the league makes cold business decisions if they have to. See: Lombardi and Visnovsky. Nit-picking...McPhee hasn't been gm for 3 years. He kept his...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[Quattro]

isn't this the Around the League thread?

 

[Sleeping Dog]

isn't this the Around the League thread?

No, it’s the “bitch at the Kings thread“ like most of the other ones here.