Pre-Game Talk: Did we claim Zykov?

[KINGS17]

I haven’t seen this much anger since Yanick Lehoux was claimed off of waivers by the Coyotes.

Anger? I don't think anyone is angry. It seems like the Kings passed on a free asset, which could have helped to some degree.

 

[KINGS17]

To bad you couldn't photoshop Blake and Luc's heads on there

I'm not that talented with photoshop. Perhaps @reclamationproject could help us out. I see an opportunity for future avatars.

 

[Sol]

Very well done gif.

This video is my favorite.

 

[King'sPawn]

Anger? I don't think anyone is angry. It seems like the Kings passed on a free asset, which could have helped to some degree.

Agreed. I'm not angry. I just feel Blake is taking the organization in the wrong direction.

Trades Pearson to get an older player. That player (along with others) gets injured.

Young players are brought up and playing minimal ice time.

So when an opportunity to get someone younger than Pearson comes along, as a free asset, and give another waiver eligible player a chance to get more top 6 minutes to develop in the AHL, Blake passes.

This is not a deep team. And it's an old team.

They are the worst team in the league in spite of Blake's efforts to make the team a playoff contender. He fired a coach and traded a young player who was expected to be the next wave, and we are still sniffing St. Louis' ass two weeks later.

Passing on Zykov is a symptom. The house is on fire and right now Zykov is smoke damage: not important in the grand scheme of things, but still a nuisance when you look at the collection of BS we have to deal with.

 

[BigKing]

PJ Bond...love your enthusiasm. Not a knock on you at all, but your posts solidify my theory that we are back to the DT days except, this time, the team has a bunch of guys on it that have actually delivered in the past so more is expected out of them, leading to the on-ice results being even more frustrating.

What I mean by this is a multitude of prospects are being listed constantly as if they are all going to contribute, like the Kings pipeline is great all of a sudden. It's great to have hope since the on-ice product is hopeless, but you say Strand, I say Petiot. You say Rempal, I say Pushkarev.

We can list all of DT's 1st round picks and be horrified at the hit rate. Vilardi looks great when he's upright but that is not very often. Kupari is having a great season so far but, like, Grebeshkov was going to be amazing as well. Hell, the torch was carried for Hickey on here for five years.

These top round picks, including JAD and Thomas, need to turn out a pretty high hit rate for this current team to do anything. Can they do it soon enough to help the current core win? Probably not. That's why a nearly-bankable prospect like Hughes is desperately needed.

Changing gears, Zykov is not surprising. Current scouting staff was cool trading him for 14 games of Versteeg. It's not like Lombardi just wheels and deals without listening to his scouts when it comes to prospects. They gave up on him a long time ago and it is the same scouting staff.

It is pretty funny that this is the last straw for some when it comes to questioning Blake. Blake is a god because he kept 1st round picks and signed prospects. Doesn't catch any shit from most people on here for overseeing the last place team in the league but the second he doesn't claim Valentin Zykov off of waivers, he's a moron. Good stuff.

 

[Reaper45]

I've been done with Blake for awhile now.

 

[Sol]

I don't think anyone gives a shit about Zykov being good or not, it's just a logical addition. People aren't mad that we didn't get Zykov cause there was some hope he was a difference maker, it's just pretty telling that this management is inept. Hence my frustration

 

[KINGS17]

PJ Bond...love your enthusiasm. Not a knock on you at all, but your posts solidify my theory that we are back to the DT days except, this time, the team has a bunch of guys on it that have actually delivered in the past so more is expected out of them, leading to the on-ice results being even more frustrating.

What I mean by this is a multitude of prospects are being listed constantly as if they are all going to contribute, like the Kings pipeline is great all of a sudden. It's great to have hope since the on-ice product is hopeless, but you say Strand, I say Petiot. You say Rempal, I say Pushkarev.

We can list all of DT's 1st round picks and be horrified at the hit rate. Vilardi looks great when he's upright but that is not very often. Kupari is having a great season so far but, like, Grebeshkov was going to be amazing as well. Hell, the torch was carried for Hickey on here for five years.

These top round picks, including JAD and Thomas, need to turn out a pretty high hit rate for this current team to do anything. Can they do it soon enough to help the current core win? Probably not. That's why a nearly-bankable prospect like Hughes is desperately needed.

Changing gears, Zykov is not surprising. Current scouting staff was cool trading him for 14 games of Versteeg. It's not like Lombardi just wheels and deals without listening to his scouts when it comes to prospects. They gave up on him a long time ago and it is the same scouting staff.

It is pretty funny that this is the last straw for some when it comes to questioning Blake. Blake is a god because he kept 1st round picks and signed prospects. Doesn't catch any **** from most people on here for overseeing the last place team in the league but the second he doesn't claim Valentin Zykov off of waivers, he's a moron. Good stuff.

I think we are on the same page in regards to Blake. I didn't think it was a good hire, but was hoping for the best.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Since we're discussing one former Russian prospect selected in the second round, how about this other one who never came over to North America, Sergei Anshakov?


Of course Straka would go on to tear it up with the Rangers after the lockout gave Straka time to recuperate. One of Dave Taylor's well intended moves that back fired because of injuries.

 

[Reaper45]

God damn this team has sucked for a very long time.

 

[Bandit]

God damn this team has sucked for a very long time.

Which is why I'm so confused that everyone is so surprised. Unless people jumped on board in 2012, all of this should be strangely familiar and oddly arousing.

 

[kings11]

I don’t mind Blake, it’s Luc and his boss who seem to be out of touch.
The Pearson deal was a straight salary dump no matter how you look at it. This team for as bad as they’ve looked will likely win it’s fair share of games and lileky miss the POs. The FO needs to legit move any high salary possible, though keep in mind it’s a business and they won’t move the big guys.
I have hope or should I say, I holdout hope that
Vilardi
Kupari
JAD
Brickley
Clague
Strand
Who are likely on the team over the next 12 months give us much needed depth and play making ability!
Add in free assets like
Petersen
Iafallo
Rempal
Plus Brickley and Strand above and we have much needed NHL prospects who are staggered in their arrival to the show.
Rempal, Amadio, and Wagner are depth players that need to get playing time now! More the latter two, but all this Thompson time is infuriating!!!
Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown
Kovalchuk-Carter-Toffoli
Haglin-Kempe-Lewis
Wagner-Thompson-Luff
Rempal-Amadio-JAD
Kubalik-Prokhorkin-Kupari
Essymiot(I butchered this)-Dergachyov-Thomas
Forbort-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Phaneuf-Fanta
Brickley-Strand
Clague-LaDue
Quick
Campbell
Petersen

I mean damn, we can make moves, and improve this team on the fly but they need to accept that change has to occur for this team to move in the right direction

 

[Dexter Sinister]

I'm not that talented with photoshop. Perhaps @reclamationproject could help us out. I see an opportunity for future avatars.

I think our board avatar should be a pic of Luc that says "We're still contenders"

or one that says, "hey, at least we aren't 32nd - moral victories"

 

[kilowatt]

Worst case scenario, Zykov lights it up, Edmonton still stucks and they end up with Hughes.

then we still get to laugh at edmonton

 

[Reaper45]

Which is why I'm so confused that everyone is so surprised. Unless people jumped on board in 2012, all of this should be strangely familiar and oddly arousing.

Yeah I'm not surprised in the least. Like I said when the draft thread first reared its ugly head.

Hello darkness my old friend.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Lets assume Blake learns how to part the Red Sea and we somehow lose the following contracts by the start of next camp.

Kovalchuk 6.3m
Carter 5.3m
Toffoli 4.6m
Thompson 1.7m ufa
Phaneuf 5.3m
Martinez 4m
Muzzin 4m
Forbort 2.5m
Quick 5.8m
Lewis 2m
Hagelin 3.8m ufa

So around $45m in cap cleared and you lose a group, which has produced 19 goals so far.

The only real measure of Blake will come from how much cap space he reclaims till next season.

 

[Reaper45]

Lets assume Blake learns how to part the Red Sea and we somehow lose the following contracts by the start of next camp.

Kovalchuk 6.3m
Carter 5.3m
Toffoli 4.6m
Thompson 1.7m ufa
Phaneuf 5.3m
Martinez 4m
Muzzin 4m
Forbort 2.5m
Quick 5.8m
Lewis 2m
Hagelin 3.8m

So around $45m in cap cleared and you lose a group, which has produced 19 goals so far.

The only real measure of Blake will come from how much cap space he reclaims till next season.

That's a (crack)pipe dream. At an absolutely best case scenario I think 9 of the 11 listed could move on. I dont see Quick or Phaneuf moving.

 

[DoktorJeep]

That's a (crack)pipe dream. At an absolutely best case scenario I think 9 of the 11 listed could move on. I dont see Quick or Phaneuf moving.

I’d buy crack for Luc and Blake if that’s what it takes.

 

[DoktorJeep]

So with just nine, minus Phaneuf and Quick, there is still around $33m in savings. Assuming the cap goes up, you could have like $35m in free cap next year.

If the Kings went in 100% on a rebuild, I’d be willing to split season seats in the 200s, with some premier seat games from stub hub sprinkled in, if the Kings opened the season with the following roster.

Iafallo Kopitar Brown
Wagner Kempe Luff
Clifford Vilardi Rempal
JAD Amadio Brodzinski

Brickley Doughty
Clague LaDue
MacDermid Fantenberg

Peterson
Campbell

Sturm behind the bench

 

[BigKing]

MacDermid needs to be brought up immediately just for entertainment but, at the very least, by the end of December when they are officially eliminated.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There are free assets, or guys that can push young players to Ontario on the waiver wire like every day. Nobody talks about Darren Archibald, or Nikita Soshnikov, or JS Dea.

 

[Reaper45]

There are free assets, or guys that can push young players to Ontario on the waiver wire like every day. Nobody talks about Darren Archibald, or Nikita Soshnikov, or JS Dea.

You cant really compare 28 year old Archibald or undrafted Dea and Soshnikov. I mean if you want to be specific I could give you specific reasons why the Kings could've used Zykov.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Bring up MacDermid is the modern version of “call up Flinn.”

At least MacDermid will try to take someone’s head off around the net, unlike the other dmen on the roster.

 

[KingsFan7824]

You cant really compare 28 year old Archibald or undrafted Dea and Soshnikov. I mean if you want to be specific I could give you specific reasons why the Kings could've used Zykov.

When I'm reading it doesn't matter if Zykov is good or not, or that simply the act of passing on him as a free asset is the bad move, I think a comparison to other random players on the wire is fair. At least Archibald and Dea have a goal this year. At the very least, those guys can push Wagner or Rempal back to Ontario where they can play more.

28 year old Archibald. Undrafted Dea or Soshnikov. Zykov's 0 goals this year, all but closer to turning 24 than turning 23, on the waiver wire at all in the first place. Other than being a former Kings pick traded away by a fired GM in a desperate move that people haven't agreed with for 2.5 years, what is it that makes Zykov a better option than 3 other random players that haven't had much success at the NHL level either?

 

[riznat]

When I'm reading it doesn't matter if Zykov is good or not, or that simply the act of passing on him as a free asset is the bad move, I think a comparison to other random players on the wire is fair. At least Archibald and Dea have a goal this year. At the very least, those guys can push Wagner or Rempal back to Ontario where they can play more.

28 year old Archibald. Undrafted Dea or Soshnikov. Zykov's 0 goals this year, all but closer to turning 24 than turning 23, on the waiver wire at all in the first place. Other than being a former Kings pick traded away by a fired GM in a desperate move that people haven't agreed with for 2.5 years, what is it that makes Zykov a better option than 3 other random players that haven't had much success at the NHL level either?

Why do you think Edmonton picked up Zykov and no one picked up the others?