Kings News: Fiala to for 2022 first-round pick and Brock Faber

[Raccoon Jesus]

I feel ya. Wasn’t attacking ya. It is what it is though. It’s got to be a development issue since the goalies and defenseman shine. I honestly think it’s the Kopitar thing. He’s the rock they all break themselves against. He’s just a paradox. We have had decent luck breaking guys on the 2nd line and I can’t remember a player that didn’t play well with PD last year.

I get what you're saying though. It's chicken-or-egg, are they not performing because they need more reps/bigger roles/pp time/etc? Or are they not getting those roles because they're not performing. I just find it hard to believe that all the youth are busting at once, the easier explanation at this point is the lack of minutes and PP time at both the NHL AND AHL levels, it's maddening.

And you bring up the perfect example, PD would be an excellent linemate for youth development. Unfortunately, for that purpose I mean, it went out the window when the playoffs became a very real goal and the Moore-Danault-Arvidsson line took off.

I just hope this year that the team is good enough that developing kids in key positions becomes a priority too, ie they should be in a playoff spot without some extra magic.

 

[Fishhead]

Sure, it's a retool, with no intention of playing anyone under 26 regularly unless there are injuries.

That sure makes more sense than saying we're actually rebuilding because actions speak louder than words, and it also makes everything under the top-six and Doughty basically expendable.

Don't be surprised when they flip Clarke for some help at the deadline at this rate. Dave Taylor is gonna be proud.

Wait what?

I think that's kind of an insult to Kempe, Kaliyev, Lizotte, Lemieux, Anderson, and Bjornfot, who are all under 26 and earned their spots. What major forward injuries did we have last year? Kupari certainly didn't play 57 games because of injury. Grundstrom, while mismanaged, still got 50 games in.

Under 26'ers, 25 games +

Kempe - 78 games
Kaliyev - 80 games
Durzi - 64 games
Lizotte - 70 games
Grundstrom - 54 games
Lemieux - 50 games
Kupari - 57 games
Byfield - 40 games
Spence - 24 games
Anderson - 57 games
Bjornfot - 70 games
Vilardi - 25 games

It's a given that guys like Durzi and Spence were only in because of injury problems, but not so much for the rest of them. Kaliyev, Anderson, and Bjornfot were all NHL regulars before they were old enough to drink. I don't see anything that supports the statement that the Kings don't play guys under 26 but for injury. I actually can't remember the last time the Kings had this many young guys starting on their roster.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Fiala was brought in to play with both a Kopitar and Byfield as ones role starts to diminish and the others starts to grow. Fiala is a line driver, wants the puck in his stick and is one of the top players in the NHL at getting the puck through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone.

We should have a wicked top 9 if the rookies start to take off

Kempe - Kopitar - Fiala
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Iafallo - Byfield - Kaliyev

Fiala played 18 mins a night last year w little PP time. Give him an extr minute and drop Kopitars by 2. This has to be the year to Drop Kopitars time. Do it by limiting his time on special teams. The poor dude is gonna have to skate his ass of to keep up with Fiala and Kempe.

Kopitar is a possession player and Kempe likes to carry the puck into the zone. I kind of see Fiala as a transition and rush player based on the goals he scored last year. I just don’t think there are enough pucks on the ice to go around for all 3 of those guys.

I think Danault stripping and breaking up plays and sending Fiala to the races with Arvidson crashing the net with speed is a better option. I guess we will see.

On paper Arty seems like the perfect winger for Kopitar but it just hasn’t seemed to click.

 

[cyclones22]

I urge folks to have a look at websites like this and see the kind of information you can find in terms of how players are deployed, who they're deployed with, how they performed with certain linemates, depth of teams etc etc. It's eye opening. You'll start to see that some of the Kings methods are indeed outliers and why some of us question Todd McClellan.

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[Raccoon Jesus]

Wait what?

I think that's kind of an insult to Kempe, Kaliyev, Lizotte, Lemieux, Anderson, and Bjornfot, who are all under 26 and earned their spots. What major forward injuries did we have last year? Kupari certainly didn't play 57 games because of injury. Grundstrom, while mismanaged, still got 50 games in.

Under 26'ers, 25 games +

Kempe - 78 games
Kaliyev - 80 games
Durzi - 64 games
Lizotte - 70 games
Grundstrom - 54 games
Lemieux - 50 games
Kupari - 57 games
Byfield - 40 games
Spence - 24 games
Anderson - 57 games
Bjornfot - 70 games
Vilardi - 25 games

It's a given that guys like Durzi and Spence were only in because of injury problems, but not so much for the rest of them. Kaliyev, Anderson, and Bjornfot were all NHL regulars before they were old enough to drink. I don't see anything that supports the statement that the Kings don't play guys under 26 but for injury. I actually can't remember the last time the Kings had this many young guys starting on their roster.

So, aside from Kempe, who will be 26 in short order, you listed the rotating cast of bottom sixers and injury fill in d-men, with the exception of Anderson.

Does that strike you as a team committed to youth success, or rebuilding? because that was the main point. It's a retool. They're focused on a playoff team with mid-to-late 20s players and the kids are an afterthought filling out the roster.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

ok so translate this......... either one of us or both is an idiot or everyone rode your grandma without holding on WTF

I like to think we are all morons here. Lol

 

[Nasti]

I think we should all anticipate at least one of Danault, Moore, or Kempe to regress next year. It’s extremely rare for several players to have career years and repeat the following season. Plus, as I already mentioned, Arvidsson will likely not play a full 82 games and Kopitar is another year older. If the kids don’t get top six time, it’ll be more because of coaching stubbornness than a roster issue.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

I used to get a hard on for draft picks puting up big numbers after hitting 40 I realized I don’t give a shit who drafted them or what they get paid; as long as they score. Hahahahahaha

 

[Schmooley]

I used to get a hard on for draft picks puting up big numbers after hitting 40 I realized I don’t give a shit who drafted them or what they get paid; as long as they score. Hahahahahaha

Cool so why are you defending a team that got shutout in a game 7? Not only that they could barely even muster any dangerous offensive chances. People want them to build a powerhouse and historically that happens through the draft.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

f***, this board is exhausting.

One question, has Blake, Luc or the ownership EVER say they were going to execute a ‘tear it down to the studs’ rebuild? Ever?

So why do so many of you whine, bitch and moan as if they did? (that’s two questions)

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Cool so why are you defending a team that got shutout in a game 7? Not only that they could barely even muster any dangerous offensive chances. People want them to build a powerhouse and historically that happens through the draft.

Not when the draft picks aren’t producing that’s why you go get players that score genius.

 

[Schmooley]

Not when the draft picks aren’t producing that’s why you go get players that score genius.

People are saying the picks werent given a chance and you just cant seem to understand that viewpoint.
I am not against the Fiala move. I just understand why folks arent on board also. What I dont understand is how some are going to bat for a really mediocre team and act like nothing should be questioned.

f***, this board is exhausting.

One question, has Blake, Luc or the ownership EVER say they were going to execute a ‘tear it down to the studs’ rebuild? Ever?

So why do so many of you whine, bitch and moan as if they did? (that’s two questions)

I never heard him say it. But a lot of people on here wish they did tear it all down because they think thats the right way to build a contender. Why does that viewpoint bother you so much?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

People are saying the picks werent given a chance and you just cant seem to understand that viewpoint.
I am not against the Fiala move. I just understand why folks arent on board also. What I dont understand is how some are going to bat for a really mediocre team and act like nothing should be questioned.


I never heard him say it. But a lot of people on here wish they did tear it all down because they think thats the right way to build a contender. Why does that viewpoint bother you so much?

Show me one contender that was truly....stripped down...and rebuilt.....

 

[AbsentMojo]

This thread has the most tl;dr posts ive ever seen on this forum (my own included)

 

[crassbonanza]

We are a young team with the exception of Kopi/Quick/Edler. Doughty is 31 and everyone else is under 30. I call that pretty young. Byfield still only 19, Kaliyev is 20, Spence is 20, Kupari is 21 and Vilardi is 22. I'm just saying the young guys will be much better in the next year or two.

The leading scorer on the team last year was Kopi who is 34, he led the entire team by 13 points. 6 of the top 8 scorers on the team will be 29 or older this upcoming season, with Kempe(26) and Moore(27) being the exceptions. Doughty led the entire blue line in scoring, despite only playing 39 games and he will be 33 next December. Quick was by far the best goalie on the team and he will be 37 next season. The Kings may have an overall young squad, but nearly all of the impact players are nearing the end of their primes.

Compare that to the Avalanche, who only had two of their top 11 scorers that will be 29 next season, Kadri(32) and Landeskog(30). The Blues, Wild, and Flames only had 1 of their top 5 scorers who will be over the age of 29 next season, while the Oilers had 2 of their top 6 scorers. Those are all playoff teams from last season, so it is not like they are tanking teams just throwing kids out there.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

People are saying the picks werent given a chance and you just cant seem to understand that viewpoint.
I am not against the Fiala move. I just understand why folks arent on board also. What I dont understand is how some are going to bat for a really mediocre team and act like nothing should be questioned.


I never heard him say it. But a lot of people on here wish they did tear it all down because they think thats the right way to build a contender. Why does that viewpoint bother you so much?

No I understand what your saying but success is where preparation meets opportunity. It either hasn’t happened yet or isn’t going to intersect for some of these guys. I think it’s a great idea to go get placeholders who can carry the ball and let the kids try and catch a moving train instead of waiting for 5 years of really shitty hockey to bare fruit. If 3 top 10 picks fail in a 5 year window your looking at a complete rebuild. Once you draft the players the clock is ticking and either it all comes together or it doesn’t. We have a super solid middle 6 and deep d core. You can’t just back burner those other components because a couple of guys are not looking like winners! You contingency and go for it. Otherwise you have what is going on in Edmonton, NJ, Buffalo, and Phoenix.

I swear some guys here think that you need to draft 9 of your forwards 5 of your defenseman and your goaltender to win the cup.

We obviously suck at developing forwards so giving players that aren’t cutting more iced time doesn’t make them better players. It just exposes their faults. It’s ok to admit we may have drafted guys who didn’t pan out like Vilardi and Turcotte they both had health issues going into their drafts and we ignored that. Best thing can happen is possibly not repeating it.

 

[Herby]

f***, this board is exhausting.

One question, has Blake, Luc or the ownership EVER say they were going to execute a ‘tear it down to the studs’ rebuild? Ever?

So why do so many of you whine, bitch and moan as if they did? (that’s two questions)

Between 2017 and 2021 this team had five 1st round picks, including a 2, 5, 7 and 11. In addition they had six 2nd round picks and traded established veterans for multiple guys in their early 20’s.

Whether you want to call it a rebuild or not, the Kings were bad enough and traded enough veterans for picks and prospects where they should have produced a lot more high end young players by now than they actually have.

Just because Doughty and Kopitar weren’t traded doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have been able to draft impactful players with those picks.

 

[crassbonanza]

f***, this board is exhausting.

One question, has Blake, Luc or the ownership EVER say they were going to execute a ‘tear it down to the studs’ rebuild? Ever?

So why do so many of you whine, bitch and moan as if they did? (that’s two questions)

The only thing I remember BLuc saying was that the Kings team as assembled in 2015 was a cup contender that was being held back by Sutter. The team proceeded to absolutely implode despite Blake continuing to throw shit at the wall(Kovalchuk, WD40, Hagelin), before he finally decided to go all in on a rebuild. I personally don't mind some of his moves, but I just think he needs to fully commit to one direction or the other. Wasting prospects value in a half rebuild/half compete mindset does nobody any good. I do believe they decided to start trying to compete last season in acquiring veterans who are nearing 30, so I am intrigued to see what he does with the rest of the offseason.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I never heard him say it. But a lot of people on here wish they did tear it all down because they think thats the right way to build a contender. Why does that viewpoint bother you so much?

Because it’s a viewpoint as if we’ve been lied to…which is just dumb. They aren’t going down that path so move the f*** on already and let’s discuss what is reality and not this pipe dream.

Get pissy about trading Faber rather than another prospect…that’s a real argument.

 

[Schmooley]

Show me one contender that was truly....stripped down...and rebuilt.....

Colorado I think unloaded Oreilly Stasny and Duchene. Im not even saying they should or shouldnt have. It just shouldnt bother you that people discuss it on a message board.

Because it’s a viewpoint as if we’ve been lied to…which is just dumb. They aren’t going down that path so move the f*** on already and let’s discuss what is reality and not this pipe dream.

Get pissy about trading Faber rather than another prospect…that’s a real argument.

Its a discussion board and people want to talk about that. Dont let it get to you.

 

[Sol]

Really, guys? Is this really a fair take? I'll tell you what I've seen over the past few years:

When Blake first started as GM, I was as skeptical as anyone else. I've been a Kings fan since the 80s, so I understand years of disappointment, throwing draft picks away for nothing and the sting of big name players not wanting to play for this team.

I truly feel that Blake is starting to redeem himself in the eyes of many Kings fans. Is he perfect, no? But neither is any other GM. He has gotten us Danault, Arvidsson, Edler and now Fiala; all of this without depleting our prospect base. We exceeded expectations last year to make the playoffs and pushed the Oil to 7 without Arvy and Doughty. We are in a much better position next year to make even more noise.

Now the thing that really gets me fired up is all this mumbo jumbo about the kids not getting a chance and the fact that they have to prove themselves in a 10-minute checker role. I don't know about you, but i'm not seeing the same game. How in the world did Durzi get so involved with the team last year? He busted his ass and EARNED it. How did Spence get to the NHL so quickly? He busted his ass and EARNED it. I would argue that even Kaliyev took some measurable steps to improving himself for a larger role. Why aren't Vilardi, Byfield and others getting ice time on the first two lines? They were given a taste of that, but i'm not seeing the persistent commitment yet.

We're no different than other teams. Everyone pays their dues. Some players will get more of a chance if the team isn't as deep. Not everyone is on the same trajectory. Look how long it took Kempe to break out. Trevor Moore wasn't that great last year until he seized his opportunity and ran with it. Never looked back. What if we score over 100 points in the regular season next year and get past the first round of the playoffs. Are we still an operational albatross?

Blake is doing all this to make AEG happy and keep his job? What I see is a guy who wants to win and has shown the ability to put the right pieces in place to give us a better chance of us raising another Cup.

I really don’t like post like this because it’s extremely faulty in its premise. I am not the type of person who looks that far behind because it doesn’t tell you anything since sport teams are always adjusting to the present and whatever course you bought into a while ago can be completely scrapped already.

Again Kempe breaking out ? Do you seriously think he’s breaking out at his age or do you think his year was an anomaly. He’s never been that player. I chalk it up as anomaly until he can show he can do it more than once.

And no I’m not talking about defenseman. I’m talking about Forwards that are continuously being backlogged. Defenseman have been fine with their opportunity for the most part.

I am glad you’re passionate about things nearly half a decade ago but you can look to telling evidence of what’s happening with this team by just looking at the latest season and deployments.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Not like I’m not rooting for these guys either trust me I wanted the best but the bloom is off of a couple of those roses. Lol

 

[bmr]

I really don’t like post like this because it’s extremely faulty in its premise. I am not the type of person who looks that far behind because it doesn’t tell you anything since sport teams are always adjusting to the present and whatever course you bought into a while ago can be completely scrapped already.

Again Kempe breaking out ? Do you seriously think he’s breaking out at his age or do you think his year was an anomaly. He’s never been that player. I chalk it up as anomaly until he can show he can do it more than once.

And no I’m not talking about defenseman. I’m talking about Forwards that are continuously being backlogged. Defenseman have been fine with their opportunity for the most part.

I am glad you’re passionate about things nearly half a decade ago but you can look to telling evidence of what’s happening with this team by just looking at the latest season and deployments.

Kempe - yes, I absolutely see him breaking out. He showed flashes of high-end skill in 2017-20, but never had a season over 16 goals and just hit 35. Whether that's a fluke or not remains to be seen, but he also had 6 points in 7 games in the playoffs. He was the single deadliest player on the ice in overtime during the regular season. I feel like matching him with Fiala will get him a ton more scoring chances. Dude is fast and can finish. He can be streaky at times, but I think this is the first season I've seen him actually become more consistent on a nightly basis. He may regress, but i'm betting he's still at 50+ points next year. Did you not see it that way this past year?

I get what you are saying about the forwards, but if you were running this team...do you not make that trade for Fiala? What about Danault and Arvidsson? You subtract those 3 guys and we are a hot mess - no way we make the playoffs. Even at the expense of the other forwards, you get those guys 10 times out of 10.

Blake seems to be much more measured than Lombardi so far w/ asset management. I think we were all worried that he wouldn't pull the trigger when we were on the cusp and he's addressing this team's needs every offseason.

 

[Sol]

No, everyone else busted their body parts giving Spence and Durzi a path. We nearly used an NHL-record 16 d-men last year, that's the only clear reason either guy got playing time, and that was plenty clear when Blake traded for f***ing Stetcher and immediately benched Spence a guy who was excelling while playing absolutely huge minutes.

Well said. Don’t know how you can claim to watch the Kings so closely and use the defenseman as proof of young guys getting a shot when all the old ones are unavailable. Truly delusional stuff.

View attachment 563786
Not like I’m not rooting for these guys either trust me I wanted the best but the bloom is off of a couple of those roses. Lol

Petersen… ouch

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Well said. Don’t know how you can claim to watch the Kings so closely and use the defenseman as proof of young guys getting a shot when all the old ones are unavailable. Truly delusional stuff.


Petersen… ouch

Hahahahahha he looked so damn good in the AHL lol