GDT: GM#16 LA Kings vs Calgary Flames @7:00pm 11/10/18

[damacles1156]

I’ve been falling asleep every 3rd period and it doesnt look like anything will change soon. I’m getting closer and closer to the blow it up crowd. It’s so soon and early in the season but it’s not looking good. The only thing I’m looking forward to is Gabe Vilardi stepping in and showing us something to look forward to.

You might be waiting a while, he hasn't played competitive hockey in sometime. The right thing to do would be send him back to JR hockey once he is 100%

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The good news for the Kings as far as the tank battle goes is that the truly horrific and intentionally rebuilding teams are in the East...west is stronger conference top to bottom imo. Lose for Hughes baby!

 

[Winger23]

Yeah, blaming Phaneuf when you have the big guys struggling is like blaming your window wipers when your car is on fire.

I dont think any is solely blaming him for the suckage, he just one of many contributing to it. I just find it funny hes leading with a minus 12 without a single point.

Guys like him and Thompson obviously aren't expected to put up big numbers, but is more than 5 goals/ 15 points doable at this point? Same can be said for kempe, Pearson lewis etc.

It's a huge problem when the top dogs are struggling, but it's just as bad when there is virtually no secondary scoring when no player appears to be reaching even 60 points this year.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I dont think any is solely blaming him for the suckage, he just one of many contributing to it. I just find it funny hes leading with a minus 12 without a single point.

Guys like him and Thompson obviously aren't expected to put up big numbers, but is more than 5 goals/ 15 points doable at this point? Same can be said for kempe, Pearson lewis etc.

It's a huge problem when the top dogs are struggling, but it's just as bad when there is virtually no secondary scoring when no player appears to be reaching even 60 points this year.

Oh for sure. And believe me I'm not at all trying to defend Phaneuf when I say this, but to his credit he's been--until recently with Drew--the baby sitter for d-man #7 du jour, including walker, who put up NHL worst defensive numbers.

He doesn't even look great when with Doughty, only serviceable, so there' sthat too

 

[kilowatt]

It’s crazy how ineffective our secondary players are. Guys like Amadio and Kempe are basically useless. I think Clifford has actually been our best bottom six forward.

 

[Herby]

Disagree, first, there is no way to know that Gaborik would be on LTIR at the time of the trade, you can think, you can hope, you can imagine, but you can't know.

Phaneuf is no more than a 5-6 right now, so you have to shelter him and limit his minutes, but if he was getting paid one million, no one would be saying boo....

Thompson has been fine this season, unrealistic expectations vs a team wide scoring funk tends to bring everything out, if anyone expected Thompson to score 20 goals this year, please, speak up. He's a 4th line forward who's good on the penalty kill, good on faceoffs, and decent on the forecheck....anything more than that is a bonus...

Ofcourse you think that. It's the same argument we've heard for years from homers, "What do you expect (insert crappy Kings 4th line player) to score 20 goals?"

And no I don't, but I expect them to not be AHL or European league caliber. And no, fourth liners aren't expected to score 20 goals a season, but one goal in 41 games as a King? Sorry man, that just doesn't cut it, you can't get nothing from a fourth line and expect to be good.

Like I've said, fourth line is not the reason why we are where we are, but it doesn't mean our fourth liners haven't been God awful since 2014. You are using the same lame argument others used for Andreoff, Shore, Mitchell, Nolan, King. Guess what, none of those guys ended up in the NHL the season after they left the Kings, if they were "fine" or "useful" as you say that wouldn't be the case. Thompson will end up just like all the others and be in Europe, the AHL or retired next year.

 

[KingsHockey24]

It’s crazy how ineffective our secondary players are. Guys like Amadio and Kempe are basically useless. I think Clifford has actually been our best bottom six forward.

 

[LAKings88]

Disagree, first, there is no way to know that Gaborik would be on LTIR at the time of the trade, you can think, you can hope, you can imagine, but you can't know.

Phaneuf is no more than a 5-6 right now, so you have to shelter him and limit his minutes, but if he was getting paid one million, no one would be saying boo....

Thompson has been fine this season, unrealistic expectations vs a team wide scoring funk tends to bring everything out, if anyone expected Thompson to score 20 goals this year, please, speak up. He's a 4th line forward who's good on the penalty kill, good on faceoffs, and decent on the forecheck....anything more than that is a bonus...

A few us said outright at the time, I know I did, that LA loses the trade if Gabby retires.

That said, LAs defense actually needed Dion. The allocation of funds relative to position made sense and paid off.

Thompson is a scrub. If Willie wants to rotate four lines, I’d rather see a more skilled guy playing.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Ofcourse you think that. It's the same argument we've heard for years from homers, "What do you expect (insert crappy Kings 4th line player) to score 20 goals?"

And no I don't, but I expect them to not be AHL or European league caliber. And no, fourth liners aren't expected to score 20 goals a season, but one goal in 41 games as a King? Sorry man, that just doesn't cut it, you can't get nothing from a fourth line and expect to be good.

Like I've said, fourth line is not the reason why we are where we are, but it doesn't mean our fourth liners haven't been God awful since 2014. You are using the same lame argument others used for Andreoff, Shore, Mitchell, Nolan, King. Guess what, none of those guys ended up in the NHL the season after they left the Kings, if they were "fine" or "useful" as you say that wouldn't be the case. Thompson will end up just like all the others and be in Europe, the AHL or retired next year.

Flawed argument, Thompson is significantly better than Andrewoff, Shore, Nolan, and King.

Mitchell isn't in the league anymore because he's 33, and a 4th liner, he played fine when he was here, and did what he needed to, as you said in an un related post and I agreed, the league is moving towards ELCs and youth, that's the main reason Mitchell isn't in the league, but that's also your main argument against Thompson, if he was paid league minimum, there wouldn't be an issue,

But Thompson, is a career 4th liner, Boston, NYI, Tampa, Anaheim, Ottawa and here, that's what he is. His CAREER high is 10 goals in a season, which is better than Devante Smith Pelly...if you want to compare.

The reason Thompson isn't scoring is the same reason NO ONE is scoring, there's no offensive system in place, there's no cohesion etc,

It's not a flawed argument to say that I don't mind if my 4th liners don't score, the reason why it stands out more, is that the 1st liners aren't scoring either...

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

A few us said outright at the time, I know I did, that LA loses the trade if Gabby retires.

That said, LAs defense actually needed Dion. The allocation of funds relative to position made sense and paid off.

Thompson is a scrub. If Willie wants to rotate four lines, I’d rather see a more skilled guy playing.

Agreed, if we had one that was ready....Amadio might be the closest thing....and...he's meh right now....so if you say you want to see more Amadio, less Thompson, ok...I can get behind that....if it allows the kids like Rempal, Wagner etc, to refine their game in the AHL....

People are complaining about Thompson, and I think RJ said it better, albeit it was about Phaneuf, complaing about Thompson in how it relates to the Kings winning is like complaining your windshield wipers aren't working while your car is burning....makes no sense.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

As pessimistic as I am about the current state of the team I can't believe how down people are on our freshmen and sophomores.

Go ahead and trade them, watch them kick ass somewhere else, and REALLY have something to complain about.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

As pessimistic as I am about the current state of the team I can't believe how down people are on our freshmen and sophomores.

Go ahead and trade them, watch them kick ass somewhere else, and REALLY have something to complain about.

I think people are down on everyone, but I agree, no way we should be talking about trading Kempe, or Amadio, or anyone on that level etc, that's how the Kings of the 80's, stayed the league doormat, they traded a crap ton of youth and picks away etc

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think people are down on everyone, but I agree, no way we should be talking about trading Kempe, or Amadio, or anyone on that level etc, that's how the Kings of the 80's, stayed the league doormat, they traded a crap ton of youth and picks away etc

My thinking is like, at worst, these guys are NHL filler. They're 22 years old and cheap.

Pretending they have no upside while evaluating them in the worst stretch of hockey in history is just dishonest self-persuasion to feel better about destroying everything on the roster, pretending no one is salvageable from this wreck. There's plenty to be angry about without dumpstering sub-23 year olds. Who else is supposed to be on the roster for a rebuild? It's just strange.

 

[Reaper45]

My thinking is like, at worst, these guys are NHL filler. They're 22 years old and cheap.

Pretending they have no upside while evaluating them in the worst stretch of hockey in history is just dishonest self-persuasion to feel better about destroying everything on the roster, pretending no one is salvageable from this wreck. There's plenty to be angry about without dumpstering sub-23 year olds. Who else is supposed to be on the roster for a rebuild? It's just strange.

Yeah its dumbfounding to me. Like Kempe, technically it's his sophomore season so hes due for a slump AND the team is white dog shit. Trade him for being aggressive and taking penalties! Uh what? Makes no sense.

 

[Herby]

I agree with you guys, but I think some of this is psychological. A lot of this is a fanbase that is just beyond frustrated from basically going five years without contending and having nothing to show for it as far as picks and young players so far. A guy like Kempe is ok, he will be a nice 3rd line player in the NHL, I would not trade him, but when you lose for five years in a row you kind of expect to see some young, hope for the future. The last time period the Kings were this bad we added Kopitar, Doughty, Quick, Simmonds, Johnson and O'Sullivan and could kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel. Where we stand right now is much more reminiscent of the mid 90's Kings. A bunch of declining older players past their prime and some non-blue chip youth who project as support players.

The Mid-90's Kings is about as bad a spot as any NHL team can be, it's scary to be in that spot.

 

[damacles1156]

Kempe doesn't need to be traded, he needs to develop his game in a DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE. That ship might have sailed though.