Dustin Brown: Top-Six Winger or Top-Six Beneficiary?

[Jason Lewis]

By the way, I thought there would be way more backlash on this. I guess I was mistaken in thinking most people really liked Brown on the top line.

 

[Anonymous028]

Brown has really recovered from the knee injury, no denying it when you look at his powerful stride. Injury isn't a part in his subpar season (this year at least)

Browns issues stem from the fact that on lower lines, he is forced into carrying the puck more due to his linemates being worse. When brown carries the puck too much, he gets off his game of driving to the net, and becomes a perimiter player. Dustin Brown does not have the hands (or the smarts) to be an effective perimiter player. When Brown goes north-south and goes to the net, he is a very effective complimentary player, who also has more opportunity to lay the body when he isn't carrying the puck. He doesn't have the hockey sense to drive the posession on any line.

 

[Chain]

I don't see how people compare Brown to Richards. I agree that Brown is overpaid for how he's performing right now, but I also think he brings more to the team currently than a lot of our other underperforming players have. No one drew more penalties than Brown and he often seemed to be one of the guys with the most hustle. His shooting % was abysmal, but he looked better to me this season than he did last season and he came in in great shape. I'm sure he'll come into next season in even better shape considering he'll have a long off-season. With a bit of an uptick in shooting %, he'll have a better year. I also think his decline will probably be more gradual. We can't really speak to locker room leaders since we're not in there but a lot of the guys seem to like having him as captain and he does seem to be one biggest heart & soul guys on the team.

When a combination of cap/performance/intangibles are considered, I'd try to move Richards, Stoll, Williams and Greene before I'd even think about moving Brown. Besides, we wouldn't get a worthwhile return for him anyway.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Brown was NEVER a top 6 player. He's extremely overpaid and overrated and one of the main reasons the Kings are out of the playoffs.

Intangibles are fine, Brown has those. But I've never been sold on the Brown as a top 6 ever.

Brown was good for 50-60 points a season and over 200 hits a year. The only other player in his company accomplishing that was Ovechkin (Ladd flirted with it a few times IIRC). NEVER a top sixer? What are your standards for a top six winger?

The only reason we're really having this discussion is because he's fallen from that, imho.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I think Brown's falling numbers are the result of him no longer being able to play top 6 minutes. Everything about his game screams 3rd line winger yet he is being played as a top 6 winger and that's a mistake. There is no way Toffoli should be playing less minutes than Williams (who hopefully isn't brought back) and Brown.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think Brown's falling numbers are the result of him no longer being able to play top 6 minutes. Everything about his game screams 3rd line winger yet he is being played as a top 6 winger and that's a mistake. There is no way Toffoli should be playing less minutes than Williams (who hopefully isn't brought back) and Brown.

Can agree with that and throw Pearson in the same boat, but I get the sense that was Sutter working guys who are still learning to be pros into the mix. I'm sure their minutes and roles will step up this year as vet minutes will slim down a bit.

 

[Kingspiracy]

I think Brown will have a bounce back year. Knee injuries are tough to come back from and take time to get back confidence.
I hope he gets some decent time in the top 6.

 

[funky]

I am trying to be optimistic about this

The dude played a power game and a ton of games over the last three years. He also battled a knee injury and who knows what else.

Maybe he couldn't train enough, the dude looked a split second slow on the offensive drives.

I think the extra rest will help the team more than anything. I don't think we see 60/200 anymore but I wouldn't count out 50/200.

Saying that if we can unload the contract for anything let it go.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I am trying to be optimistic about this

The dude played a power game and a ton of games over the last three years. He also battled a knee injury and who knows what else.

Maybe he couldn't train enough, the dude looked a split second slow on the offensive drives.

I think the extra rest will help the team more than anything. I don't think we see 60/200 anymore but I wouldn't count out 50/200.

Saying that if we can unload the contract for anything let it go.

Funny enough, Brown was the only one who really elaborated on the 'fatigue' thing, pointing out that a long summer isn't just for recovery, it's for getting better (becoming a better player, not 'not being sick/injured'). These guys have spent three years for the most part just having surgeries and getting back to square one; imagine what a full summer of conditioning and skills can do for especially the-up-and-comers but for guys that have been doing the heavy lifting for the last several years. I.e. look at a guy like Doughty who has been criticized for not being in peak condition; well, despite the last three years and not REALLY having any time to work on getting better, look at the friggin minutes he logged this year.

/optimist

 

[Trolfoli]

All Brown has to do to be effective and rack up points on the first line is

-win puck battles in the offensive zone
-dish puck to Kopitar/Gaborik
-head to the net for rebounds.

That's it. In fact anyone playing with Kopitar/Gaborik just need to get them the puck and get to the front of the net.

Now, will Captain, "I do better when I hold onto the puck longer." make the adjustment?

Of course if he fails to make the adjustment it will be great watching Brown on the 3rd line skate around the perimeter, ending up back at the blue line where he can cough up the puck so he can lead the team in the minus category again.

Man that last part is depressing.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Funny enough, I think he had a better year than 2014 as far as being a liability on the ice is concerned. If he can get his scoring touch back, I think it'll be fine.

same, i thought he had a good year he did all the little things right - the guy just didn't score

which is fine because every team needs players like that, but at near 6million per year he's very expensive

but least of our problems

the only thing i'd tweak with Brown is the C, never quite saw him in that role but due to track record i doubt they'll remove that any time soon

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Brown sucked, has sucked, and will likely continue to suck. Dean sunk this team with two awful contracts in Richards/Brown.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Hopefully Lombardi can secure a legit first line winger to compliment Kopitar and Gaborik and push Brown down the depth chart to the 3rd line where he belongs. If there is an injury in the top 6 nobody should have an issue with Brown getting those minutes, it just shouldn't be for 82 games. The top 9 has to be improved but with the Voynov situation still liquid, Brown and his bloated contract and Richards completely forgetting how to play hockey Lombardi has his work cut out for him this summer.

 

[deeshamrock]

All Brown has to do to be effective and rack up points on the first line is

-win puck battles in the offensive zone
-dish puck to Kopitar/Gaborik
-head to the net for rebounds.

That's it. In fact anyone playing with Kopitar/Gaborik just need to get them the puck and get to the front of the net.

Now, will Captain, "I do better when I hold onto the puck longer." make the adjustment?

Of course if he fails to make the adjustment it will be great watching Brown on the 3rd line skate around the perimeter, ending up back at the blue line where he can cough up the puck so he can lead the team in the minus category again.

Man that last part is depressing.

He actually has to be a member of that line first, and he wasn't and won't be, Sutter doesn't see him that way.
And speed is the first thing, something that Sutter noted a while ago when someone asked him why Lewis was on that line and he went into a layered reply about speed being the key factor.

He also has stated several times that he likes Brown where he is and as a shutdown player.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Brown was an excellent shut down player the past two seasons. He was so great at shutting down his team's offense.

 

[damacles1156]

Brown a shutdown player ?

Brown was easily the Kings worst defensive player this last season.

Along with Richards.

Brown did win Herby's Green jacket award after all. -15

 

[sinister6000]

Move Brown, and Richards. Sign Sekera and keep him until the Voynov comes back, then trade Sekera for a 1st line scorer, and a 1st round pick.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Move Brown, and Richards. Sign Sekera and keep him until the Voynov comes back, then trade Sekera for a 1st line scorer, and a 1st round pick.

A team looks like a dick when they sign a player and then trade him. It discourages players from signing after being acquired or signing as UFAs

 

[Quattro]

it amazes me how people throw around terms like "awful". So far this off-season, I have heard people describe Kopitar, Williams, Brown, Stoll, Richards, Green, Regehr and Quick as having had "awful" seasons.

The only one the term really applies to is Richards and maybe Voynov, for completely different reasons.

If we had even just a mediocre record in shootouts, we would most likely still be playing right now. The way people talk around here, we're the Buffalo Sabres.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Brown has really recovered from the knee injury, no denying it when you look at his powerful stride. Injury isn't a part in his subpar season (this year at least)

Browns issues stem from the fact that on lower lines, he is forced into carrying the puck more due to his linemates being worse. When brown carries the puck too much, he gets off his game of driving to the net, and becomes a perimiter player. Dustin Brown does not have the hands (or the smarts) to be an effective perimiter player. When Brown goes north-south and goes to the net, he is a very effective complimentary player, who also has more opportunity to lay the body when he isn't carrying the puck. He doesn't have the hockey sense to drive the posession on any line.

I can agree with this. I also think his game has been dumbed down a bit ever since he started playing with limited ability following his knee thing. He simplified his game too much, in the sense that he's only bothering with trying one or two things with the puck. And even worse he's got the puck on his stick more than ever.

 

[cyclones22]

I agree with Ollie and A028. Brown had jump in his skating this season as opposed to the last. That's what gives me hope for a bounceback. He hasn't really lost a step. But his point production was lacking. When Stoll is centering you, good luck finding the net unless you can create your own offense, which Brown isn't adept at. He'll never be 20+ goal scorer playing on the third line, but maybe he can pot 15 to 18 being centered by an improving Shore.

 

[KINGS17]

If the Kings can find a number 3 center with any offensive touch at all, I believe Brown can be a 15 goal, 35 point player on the 3rd line. Brown is still a useful player, he can PK, fill in on the top six, etc.

 

[damacles1156]

Brown has to clean up his turnovers. Once removed from Kopitar, his possession plummeted, and his turnovers sky rocketed. It's why he was a -15 this last season.

That has to change.

Just like Richards has to change. Both Brown/Richards sabotage the Kings dearly in 2014/15.

12 million dollars for zero production (pretty much) and both were the Kings worst defensive forwards on the ice, hitting the Kings in the GAA department.

Awful.

 

[Dallas Eakins*]

By the way, I thought there would be way more backlash on this. I guess I was mistaken in thinking most people really liked Brown on the top line.

Not surprised no one on hf cares about players who didn't produce last week. He was essential in both cup runs he makes a lot of money for his regular season point totals but thats not why hes there this is ****ing crazy.

 

[Sheng Peng]

Age & playing style may have also worn DB down a bit.

His 5v5 scoring has been off since the lockout year, so at this point, I'd guess that it's unlikely to return. From 2007-12, he averaged 1.68 PPG. Since 2012-13, he's averaged 1.2. That's the difference between a 2nd and 3rd liner.

We didn't notice so much in 2012-13 because he capitalized on a lot of PP time. However, his PP time has been cut in half since that season, so that's another reason for the drop in his stats.