GDT: GM #7 LA Kings vs Columbus Blue Jackets @4:00 PST #SavetheCrew

[Winger23]

I wouldn't say that. Kopitar and Brown have gotten a few bounces, like Kopitar's one goal in SJ, or Brown's assist on Doughty's weird goal last night. Brown happened to get an EN goal. Kopitar has a SH assist. Kopitar's other goal in SJ was off a quick turnover. Brown's goal in SJ was a great shot, and Iafallo was driving the net. Brown had a couple deflection goals against Calgary, Iafallo assisted on one, and was like 5 feet from Brown on the other. He has the same amount of ES assists, and 1 fewer shot, than Kopitar.

Kopitar and Brown are just scoring on a ton of shots right now. Brown is at a career high sh% for a season, 7 games in, and Kopitar is doubling anything he's ever done over a full season at 33%. Hopefully, when Kopitar losses probably 50% of that production as the season goes on, Iafallo will pick up the slack a bit.

Honestly I think you'll see most kings have a new career high in shooting percentage. Lots of shots coming from good scoring areas and not pinned along the boards. Wish I knew how many shots brown had just half going for a whistle along the boards last year.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think with Iafallo most of us would never have guessed how few points he has until we look at the stats.

he's super involved and it's only a matter of time till he 'steals' some goals from Kopi and Brown's production.

There's only so many points to go around.

 

[Herby]

It was time to move on from Sutter and Lombardi.

I don't even want to think about what the team would look like if both of them, or even one of them had returned. No way is Iafallo on the roster, Lombardi was never a fan of college hockey, the Kings had a total of 21 1st and 2nd round picks during the time he was running the team and used a grand total of two of them on players who were committed to NCAA programs, and strongly steered Trevor Lewis away from the NCAA to the OHL after drafting him (and did the same with former prospects Meckler and Czarnik). Pretty unlikely that the Kings would have scouted Iafallo, given him a contract and put him on the 1st line.

Brown would have still been buried on the bottom lines and made a scape goat for the failed coaching tactics and management decisions like he was when the C was stripped.

No way would Cammalleri have been signed, that spot would have been reserved to some kind of character player or grinder.

Fantenberg's spot probably goes to a more traditional stay at home defenseman, one who likely has some kind of toughness and lacks mobility. Dean was a huge fan of having what he saw as a balanced defense, even as the league continued to open up more and more and players like Greene became relics.

Very happy with the way this team is set-up right now. The Kings look faster, more skilled and seem to be enjoying playing hockey again, something that we rarely saw the previous three seasons.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Herby, what?

Dowd, Gravel, Mersch, Eyssimont, Forbort, Matt Roy, Steven Johnson, Brodzinski, Fasching...the list goes on. You cannot with a straight face say DL wasn't a fan of college hockey. You can say he was biased against certain programs, that most will agree with, but I'd wager we spend more draft picks and roster spots on college players than just about anyone else. Focusing that on 1st and 2nd round picks only is misleading because very few college players are getting with those high profile picks in general and guys like Gaudreau drop to the 4th. You'll have the occasional Toews, Eichel, I guess even Forbort, but most of those players are going pro, not to 4 years of college.

The rest of your post? Spot on man. I knew the change was needed, but I don't think anyone predicted this much of a change stylistically even if the roster shake up was coming.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Buncha spurned ex-girlfriends in here.

 

[Sol]

Buncha spurned ex-girlfriends in here.

Real high and mighty for a tracer main. GG ez.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Real high and mighty for a tracer main. GG ez.

I'm a Zarya main actually.

 

[johnjm22]

It was time to move on from Sutter and Lombardi.

I don't even want to think about what the team would look like if both of them, or even one of them had returned. No way is Iafallo on the roster, Lombardi was never a fan of college hockey, the Kings had a total of 21 1st and 2nd round picks during the time he was running the team and used a grand total of two of them on players who were committed to NCAA programs, and strongly steered Trevor Lewis away from the NCAA to the OHL after drafting him (and did the same with former prospects Meckler and Czarnik). Pretty unlikely that the Kings would have scouted Iafallo, given him a contract and put him on the 1st line.

Brown would have still been buried on the bottom lines and made a scape goat for the failed coaching tactics and management decisions like he was when the C was stripped.

No way would Cammalleri have been signed, that spot would have been reserved to some kind of character player or grinder.

Fantenberg's spot probably goes to a more traditional stay at home defenseman, one who likely has some kind of toughness and lacks mobility. Dean was a huge fan of having what he saw as a balanced defense, even as the league continued to open up more and more and players like Greene became relics.

Very happy with the way this team is set-up right now. The Kings look faster, more skilled and seem to be enjoying playing hockey again, something that we rarely saw the previous three seasons.

Plans for Iafallo, Fantenberg, Petersen and Folin were likely already being made while Lombardi was GM. It's not like Blake just signed these guys out of nowhere. DL and his staff probably had this in the works since last year. Scouting and signing is a long process.

For sure Cammy wouldn't be back if DL was still here, and I agree it was time to move on from Sutter and Lombardi.

 

[johnjm22]

Herby, what?

Dowd, Gravel, Mersch, Eyssimont, Forbort, Matt Roy, Steven Johnson, Brodzinski, Fasching...the list goes on. You cannot with a straight face say DL wasn't a fan of college hockey. You can say he was biased against certain programs, that most will agree with, but I'd wager we spend more draft picks and roster spots on college players than just about anyone else. Focusing that on 1st and 2nd round picks only is misleading because very few college players are getting with those high profile picks in general and guys like Gaudreau drop to the 4th. You'll have the occasional Toews, Eichel, I guess even Forbort, but most of those players are going pro, not to 4 years of college.

And DL also signed college free agents. Moulson, Purcell, Piskula come to mind.