Kings Article: Dean Lombardi Q & A: On Nic Dowd, Kevin Gravel, Michael Mersch & Derek Forbort

[Sheng Peng]

EXCLUSIVE: Lombardi expands on Dowd, Gravel, Mersch & Forbort's auditions in LA this year + why Kings development model still works + makes obligatory football and baseball references + talks how Reign/Monsters parallels Kings/Sharks in 2014:

Dean Lombardi Q & A: On Nic Dowd, Kevin Gravel, Michael Mersch & Derek Forbort

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[BigKing]

Mirrors what a lot of us saw out of Dowd and Gravel during their brief stints.

 

[scramble91]

EXCLUSIVE: Lombardi expands on Dowd, Gravel, Mersch & Forbort's auditions in LA this year + why Kings development model still works + makes obligatory football and baseball references + talks how Reign/Monsters parallels Kings/Sharks in 2014:

Dean Lombardi Q & A: On Nic Dowd, Kevin Gravel, Michael Mersch & Derek Forbort

Good read! Hopefully people realize that you can't rush the kids. Loved the tidbit on forbort.

People gush over gravel and Mersch but they have been pretty average in the playoffs vs dowd and forbort IMO.

Amadio impressed me. Was wondering if the brass said anything about him?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Fantastic read and really good to see what a lot of people thought was confirmed, that they were focused on development, but are aware that, say, Gravel is probably 'better' than Scuderi right now, but we're playing the long game with those 4 in particular.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

We've seen the team thrust untested dmen into the lineup before. Remember Muzzin and how many mistakes he made his first few years in the league? He still makes plenty of mistakes. Best way for them to learn sometimes is to put them against tough competition. That's what made Muzzin and Martinez better.

 

[BigKing]

Good read! Hopefully people realize that you can't rush the kids. Loved the tidbit on forbort.

People gush over gravel and Mersch but they have been pretty average in the playoffs vs dowd and forbort IMO.

Amadio impressed me. Was wondering if the brass said anything about him?

I've really liked what I've seen from him during my time watching the Reign.

Would be a real boon for this team if he can develop into at least a legit 3C. Real smart player.

This is probably for the Ontario thread, but Kempe was awesome on the Lowry goal in Game 1. Chirping before the faceoff, sticks the other center in the mouth off the draw, rolls into the corner with a big hit on the defenseman which caused a turnover that led immediately to Lowry's goal.

Best example of the toughness talked about with him, from what I've seen.

 

[bob77]

Thought it was interesting Gravel vs Forbort. He brings up a Gravel miscue but then talks about Forbort possibly playing 15 years and being the next Scuderi. None of these means much, except Gravel doesn't have to clear waivers next year, so unless a trade happens, which is a possibility, look for Forbort to get an extended look first, and Gravel getting minutes, whether it be at Ontario or LA.

 

[bob77]

Amadio has been impressive to me as well. And, at both C and W.

 

[Trolfoli]

Thought it was interesting Gravel vs Forbort. He brings up a Gravel miscue but then talks about Forbort possibly playing 15 years and being the next Scuderi. None of these means much, except Gravel doesn't have to clear waivers next year, so unless a trade happens, which is a possibility, look for Forbort to get an extended look first, and Gravel getting minutes, whether it be at Ontario or LA.

Wavers aren't a problem. Scuderi will clear, McBain isn't a big issue, Greene will be on LTIR at some point. Brown can always be waived for a few games here or there, probably no money to sign Schenn.

Plus Gravel plays right so they may not even be fighting for the same spot.

Forbort turning into Scuderi. Someone better teach him how to tie his man up, unlike Sucderi.

As much as I hate it there is a place for non-physical defensive D. Where as guys like Regehr/Mitchell/Greene play a rough and tumble game they get bumps and bruises. It's good to have a guy that can defense, and not be as likely to get injured.

 

[apadilla]

Wavers aren't a problem. Scuderi will clear, McBain isn't a big issue, Greene will be on LTIR at some point. Brown can always be waived for a few games here or there, probably no money to sign Schenn.

Plus Gravel plays right so they may not even be fighting for the same spot.

Forbort turning into Scuderi. Someone better teach him how to tie his man up, unlike Sucderi.

As much as I hate it there is a place for non-physical defensive D. Where as guys like Regehr/Mitchell/Greene play a rough and tumble game they get bumps and bruises. It's good to have a guy that can defense, and not be as likely to get injured.

Agree with most of this. Especially the point about Forbort learning how to tie his man up. I noticed in the few games he was up this past season that he would hold his man, literally with his arm around the guys body, and was called for a penalty each time. It was frustrating to watch. He does need to figure this out to stay at the next level.

 

[Sheng Peng]

We've seen the team thrust untested dmen into the lineup before. Remember Muzzin and how many mistakes he made his first few years in the league? He still makes plenty of mistakes. Best way for them to learn sometimes is to put them against tough competition. That's what made Muzzin and Martinez better.

I respect this point, but remember that they did protect Muzzin, he was first called up in 2010-11 and quickly sent back down. Also, I don't think it's so much about a guy making mistakes or not, but first, can he play at this level of course, and next, does he have the proper mindset. Whether that mindset means taking more "responsibility for winning," recovering mentally from a bad mistake, not losing confidence if benched, etc.

That said, I would've liked to have seen Gravel get more run this year.

 

[Jason Lewis]

Agree with most of this. Especially the point about Forbort learning how to tie his man up. I noticed in the few games he was up this past season that he would hold his man, literally with his arm around the guys body, and was called for a penalty each time. It was frustrating to watch. He does need to figure this out to stay at the next level.

Really good critiques honestly and something that really started showing up more towards the end of his call up and when he was returned to Ontario. Forbort is more of a "contain" than "engage" defenseman. He has a really good stick and his gap control has improved quite a bit. He can also skate pretty well out of trouble. But there is a line where you have to get in tight and press forwards. He does everything pretty well up until the point of tying up guys along the wall and in front. I think if he gets a bit stronger this offseason, as well as working a bit more on his foot speed (Particularly the first step) he will show visible improvement.

 

[BigKing]

Really good critiques honestly and something that really started showing up more towards the end of his call up and when he was returned to Ontario. Forbort is more of a "contain" than "engage" defenseman. He has a really good stick and his gap control has improved quite a bit. He can also skate pretty well out of trouble. But there is a line where you have to get in tight and press forwards. He does everything pretty well up until the point of tying up guys along the wall and in front. I think if he gets a bit stronger this offseason, as well as working a bit more on his foot speed (Particularly the first step) he will show visible improvement.

Forbort definitely has a problem at the NHL level when it comes to judging a players speed around the outside and also off the boards and to the net. Gets beat and then does the arm-wrap and gets whistled every time because he is a rookie.

How do you fix it? He needs to get minutes at the NHL level and figure it out.

I mean, I didn't set the highest score in Rock Band expert level pro drums on "The Hellion/Electric Eye" by playing on hard level non-stop. Just saying.