Is Vilardi the most expendable prospect?

[johnjm22]

Sometimes changes really spark a player. From personal experience, I'm a fencer and back in college when I switched weapons for fun, it really energized my game. Trying something new made me excited to keep playing the game.

Hope the same happens to the Vilardi

Absolutely. That's why sports is sort of hard to figure out sometimes; there's a phycological aspect to it.

It's like when a guy gets a change of scenery and suddenly his game starts to pop.

Hopefully this does it for Vilardi because he has a ton of potential as a winger IMO.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I wonder if this is going to work out as well as moving Kempe to center... Picking up Danault with so many centers coming up was weird. I dont think Blake knows what he's doing.

 

[Steve Zissou]

I wonder if this is going to work out as well as moving Kempe to center... Picking up Danault with so many centers coming up was weird. I dont think Blake knows what he's doing.

Last season clearly showed Vilardi was not ready to center the 2nd line. This year has taught he’s not ready for 3rd line center duties either. And Byfield is still just a babe in the woods even without his injury this season.

Danault can move down to the 3rd once Vilardi, Byfield, or Turcotte are ready for that 2nd line center role (I think this was the idea Blake sold to Danault). We are still a few seasons away from finding out who that will be.

It sucks, but kids take a while to develop if you’re not McJesus.

 

[HyperX]

I wonder if this is going to work out as well as moving Kempe to center... Picking up Danault with so many centers coming up was weird. I dont think Blake knows what he's doing.

For the same reason youre nervous, Im not

I think it was a good move for the Kings to acquire Danault; it promotes competition at the most important position, and a lot of rebuilding teams lack this.

Kopitar and Danault anchoring a 1-2 until one of the kids steps up, then when a second is ready for 3C you can either explore them on wing or move Danault (this would be two years or so from now)

Its never a bad thing to have too many players, only when the cap is an issue and .. no offense but LA isnt contending for anything right now

 

[Schmooley]

Last season clearly showed Vilardi was not ready to center the 2nd line. This year has taught he’s not ready for 3rd line center duties either. And Byfield is still just a babe in the woods even without his injury this season.

Danault can move down to the 3rd once Vilardi, Byfield, or Turcotte are ready for that 2nd line center role (I think this was the idea Blake sold to Danault). We are still a few seasons away from finding out who that will be.

It sucks, but kids take a while to develop if you’re not McJesus.

Last year Vilardi was centering Athanasiou who nobody can gel with and Carter who was only showing up once a week. He finished the season better when paired up with Andersson.
I am not saying hes ready to be the third line center right now but Im not sure theyve handled him the right way either. He would be playing just as well as at least a couple guys on the roster.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Last year Vilardi was centering Athanasiou who nobody can gel with and Carter who was only showing up once a week. He finished the season better when paired up with Andersson.
I am not saying hes ready to be the third line center right now but Im not sure theyve handled him the right way either. He would be playing just as well as at least a couple guys on the roster.

Pick any name under age 23 out of a hat and rinse, repeat.

 

[bland]

Last season clearly showed Vilardi was not ready to center the 2nd line. This year has taught he’s not ready for 3rd line center duties either. And Byfield is still just a babe in the woods even without his injury this season.

Danault can move down to the 3rd once Vilardi, Byfield, or Turcotte are ready for that 2nd line center role (I think this was the idea Blake sold to Danault). We are still a few seasons away from finding out who that will be.

It sucks, but kids take a while to develop if you’re not McJesus.

No, he clearly WAS ready to play 2nd line center. The organization just stupidly refuses to recognize that there is no more glory for the vets and that they need to embrace the struggles with playing the kids as they learn how to play to their strengths.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

 

[AbsentMojo]

No, he clearly WAS ready to play 2nd line center. The organization just stupidly refuses to recognize that there is no more glory for the vets and that they need to embrace the struggles with playing the kids as they learn how to play to their strengths.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

Yes he is. One thing DL had was a vision of how to compose a championship team.. Blake does not have the overall vision - he just picks up pieces. Evidence of this is picking Turcotte over Zegras then down the road signing Danault who is a great defensive specialist and faceoff guy. Now all we have is two way centers and no scoring threats in the pipeline and stuffed at center in the org.. with Kopi, Danault, Byfield, Turcotte, Vilardi, Kupari, Thomas, Lizotte, JAD. Now they are trying to move Vilardi to wing as an afterthought. That is not how to develop players, that is how to create frustration. You want to see the new core rise together and build in the minors, not bring them up piecemeal and frustrate them with assignments that dont fit their skillset. If your NHL roster is full of garbage then bring up the youngsters and let them play together and be the focus of the team vs this half in half out pretend to contend bullshit. (edit: how could i forget Byfield).. he is a scoring threat but I stand by my point regarding Blake.

 

[Fishhead]

DL was all about guys paying dues and earning their spot, and Danault is exactly the kind of move he would have made. Just like when he picked up Williams for O'Sullivan. The difference between Blake and DL is that DL couldn't stop talking, so you always knew what was going on in his mind.

Before this season, almost everyone just wanted to see some progress this year. Well, Kaliyev is in the lineup nightly, as is Kupari. They rely on two defensemen who are barely old enough to drink. Byfield would have been on the roster if he hadn't gotten injured. Doughty has been out for an extended period, yet the team is on a 16+ point pace better than last year. Now people aren't satisfied that they are making progress because it's not how they envisioned it.

I can also guarantee that if Anaheim didn't have two young guys playing well and if they sucked there wouldn't be near the amount of worry around here. They could handle some guys better in my opinion, but we all knew this team is still in transition. Just because Zegras and Terry are tearing it up right now doesn't mean that our own prospects will bust out, those two things aren't related in any way. As I've said before my main beef with Blake is that he hasn't swapped out some of our prospects for young players that fit the plan going forward.

 

[DoktorJeep]

DL was all about guys paying dues and earning their spot, and Danault is exactly the kind of move he would have made. Just like when he picked up Williams for O'Sullivan. The difference between Blake and DL is that DL couldn't stop talking, so you always knew what was going on in his mind.

Before this season, almost everyone just wanted to see some progress this year. Well, Kaliyev is in the lineup nightly, as is Kupari. They rely on two defensemen who are barely old enough to drink. Byfield would have been on the roster if he hadn't gotten injured. Doughty has been out for an extended period, yet the team is on a 16+ point pace better than last year. Now people aren't satisfied that they are making progress because it's not how they envisioned it.

I can also guarantee that if Anaheim didn't have two young guys playing well and if they sucked there wouldn't be near the amount of worry around here. They could handle some guys better in my opinion, but we all knew this team is still in transition. Just because Zegras and Terry are tearing it up right now doesn't mean that our own prospects will bust out, those two things aren't related in any way. As I've said before my main beef with Blake is that he hasn't swapped out some of our prospects for young players that fit the plan going forward.

Rounding out depth roles with kids isn’t progress. Kids producing right behind vets is progress. The situation today is the Kings have moved on from diarrhea to solid stools. But it’s still a pile of crap at the end of the day.

And there is a Grand Canyon sized gap between a slack jawed mumbling idiot like Rob Blake and a GM with an actual success record.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

DL was all about guys paying dues and earning their spot, and Danault is exactly the kind of move he would have made. Just like when he picked up Williams for O'Sullivan. The difference between Blake and DL is that DL couldn't stop talking, so you always knew what was going on in his mind.

Before this season, almost everyone just wanted to see some progress this year. Well, Kaliyev is in the lineup nightly, as is Kupari. They rely on two defensemen who are barely old enough to drink. Byfield would have been on the roster if he hadn't gotten injured. Doughty has been out for an extended period, yet the team is on a 16+ point pace better than last year. Now people aren't satisfied that they are making progress because it's not how they envisioned it.

I can also guarantee that if Anaheim didn't have two young guys playing well and if they sucked there wouldn't be near the amount of worry around here. They could handle some guys better in my opinion, but we all knew this team is still in transition. Just because Zegras and Terry are tearing it up right now doesn't mean that our own prospects will bust out, those two things aren't related in any way. As I've said before my main beef with Blake is that he hasn't swapped out some of our prospects for young players that fit the plan going forward.

Yes--that's because the 'progress' is smoke-and-mirrors as it's mostly based on a top-six with an average age of 30 rather than youngsters taking key roles.

Hell look what it took on defense to get the youth in--needed literally all the vets to get hurt/sick and even then they waived Clague over Maatta. Byfield is basically stuck playing 3C/4C until either Kopitar or Danault flat out dies at this rate, and Turcotte/Vilardi aren't even going to sniff the NHL, all while teams like the Devils are getting mileage out of Dawson f***ing Mercer. The lack of faith/trust in their own draft selections to work into key roles is either 1. very telling or 2. self-sabotaging and neither one is good.

 

[LAKings88]

Vilardi doesn’t seem to happy about the wing. Not surprising really. Keep an eye on that relationship going forward.

Im getting more concerned with who they picked at this point. Team has no killer instinct players and I feel that they may have drafted more of the same. Hope they prove me wrong.

Byfield should be 2cd line center and pushing out Kopi for first. Danault is an ideal third/second.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Vilardi doesn’t seem to happy about the wing. Not surprising really. Keep an eye on that relationship going forward.

Im getting more concerned with who they picked at this point. Team has no killer instinct players and I feel that they may have drafted more of the same. Hope they prove me wrong.

Byfield should be 2cd line center and pushing out Kopi for first. Danault is an ideal third/second.

 

[LAKings88]

Kaliyev reminds me of Toffoli.

Not sure yet about Turcotte.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Vilardi doesn’t seem to happy about the wing. Not surprising really. Keep an eye on that relationship going forward.

I'm thinking Vilardi isn't happy about losing his NHL roster spot -- something tells me that's prob more important than what position he's playing.

 

[Fishhead]

Yes--that's because the 'progress' is smoke-and-mirrors as it's mostly based on a top-six with an average age of 30 rather than youngsters taking key roles.

Hell look what it took on defense to get the youth in--needed literally all the vets to get hurt/sick and even then they waived Clague over Maatta. Byfield is basically stuck playing 3C/4C until either Kopitar or Danault flat out dies at this rate, and Turcotte/Vilardi aren't even going to sniff the NHL, all while teams like the Devils are getting mileage out of Dawson f***ing Mercer. The lack of faith/trust in their own draft selections to work into key roles is either 1. very telling or 2. self-sabotaging and neither one is good.

I don't know man, I don't think it's as much smoke and mirrors as you say.

Since the terrible start the Kings are 12-6-4. Here are goals scored by forward lines since then:

Line 2 - 16
Line 1 - 15
Line 4 - 13
Line 3 -8

The top 6 is scoring more, but they certainly aren't carrying the team. That's pretty damn balanced - certainly more balanced than other teams in recent memory.

And of those 52 goals, 29 of them were scored by guys 25 and under (56%). We have two forwards over 30 and they account for less than 10% of those goals.

I also disagree about the defense. Anderson and Bjornfot have been starters since day one, and TM had every option to force-feed us Maata during that time. No injuries needed, those two earned their spots. The Kings have a top 10 group for sure, and that's with Drew missing a ton of games.

All of us are frustrated that guys like Byfield, Turcotte, Vilardi, etc. aren't playing big roles yet, but for every player we can come up with that is excelling at a young age there are 5 that are not. I think it warps out realities a bit. I mean, our top 5 goal scorers over this run the last 22 games are Kempe (10), Iafallo (8), Kaliyev (6), Arvidsson (5), and Lemieux (5). They are all going to be here in a couple of years when our really high picks are playing bigger roles and then we will truly see if the picks we made are a success.

 

[Fishhead]

.

 

[Steve Zissou]

No, he clearly WAS ready to play 2nd line center. The organization just stupidly refuses to recognize that there is no more glory for the vets and that they need to embrace the struggles with playing the kids as they learn how to play to their strengths.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

Vilardi was struggling with face-offs and playing a 200-ft game while his skating was still a liability.

He was also getting passed up by Kupari. So by your logic we should let him wallow in the 2nd line role while losing games, losing his confidence, and keeping another prospect out of the lineup because of his struggles? That logic isn't sound.

If you want to argue he was rushed back from his extensive back injury, that's a legitimate concern, but to say Vilardi should sit and figure it out in a 2nd line center role (or a 3rd line center role) doesn't hold water. This year, he looked good in pre-season, but we haven't seen a 1/4 of that player in his 7 games this year.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

You're being a drama Queen right about now. No wonder why other posters here loathe trying to conversate with you.

 

[apocalypse]

No, he clearly WAS ready to play 2nd line center. The organization just stupidly refuses to recognize that there is no more glory for the vets and that they need to embrace the struggles with playing the kids as they learn how to play to their strengths.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

Vilardi was not ready for the NHL. He looked lost at every turn with his callup. I hope that his time in the A has taught him something. Kid is a gamer and will bring a lot once he's ready, but he just isn't ready.

 

[HookKing]

I don't know man, I don't think it's as much smoke and mirrors as you say.

Since the terrible start the Kings are 12-6-4. Here are goals scored by forward lines since then:

Line 2 - 16
Line 1 - 15
Line 4 - 13
Line 3 -8

The top 6 is scoring more, but they certainly aren't carrying the team. That's pretty damn balanced - certainly more balanced than other teams in recent memory.

And of those 52 goals, 29 of them were scored by guys 25 and under (56%). We have two forwards over 30 and they account for less than 10% of those goals.

I also disagree about the defense. Anderson and Bjornfot have been starters since day one, and TM had every option to force-feed us Maata during that time. No injuries needed, those two earned their spots. The Kings have a top 10 group for sure, and that's with Drew missing a ton of games.

All of us are frustrated that guys like Byfield, Turcotte, Vilardi, etc. aren't playing big roles yet, but for every player we can come up with that is excelling at a young age there are 5 that are not. I think it warps out realities a bit. I mean, our top 5 goal scorers over this run the last 22 games are Kempe (10), Iafallo (8), Kaliyev (6), Arvidsson (5), and Lemieux (5). They are all going to be here in a couple of years when our really high picks are playing bigger roles and then we will truly see if the picks we made are a success.

Dude you're totally wrecking the winefest by bringing up facts. What we want are more conspiracy theories.

 

[unicornpig]

sure the offense is balanced, the kings are also near the bottom in scoring.....

 

[apocalypse]

Just because Zegras and Terry are tearing it up right now doesn't mean that our own prospects will bust out, those two things aren't related in any way.

What I've been saying around here. Let some of the kids marinate. I don't know why people would compare us to ANA. I hate the ducks. But just for reference, Terry was back and forth from the AHL for 2 seasons. Low pressure while on the Ducks. That's similar to how we're growing Kaliyev, Kupari and others. Vilardi flopped but he just wasn't ready. It may take several trips to the A for some of these guys. I hate Anaheim.

 

[apocalypse]

No, he clearly WAS ready to play 2nd line center. The organization just stupidly refuses to recognize that there is no more glory for the vets and that they need to embrace the struggles with playing the kids as they learn how to play to their strengths.

Rob Blake is undoing the rebuild right before our eyes.

no. the idea of rushing the kids to full time nhl stardom is undoing the rebuild.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't know man, I don't think it's as much smoke and mirrors as you say.

Since the terrible start the Kings are 12-6-4. Here are goals scored by forward lines since then:

Line 2 - 16
Line 1 - 15
Line 4 - 13
Line 3 -8

The top 6 is scoring more, but they certainly aren't carrying the team. That's pretty damn balanced - certainly more balanced than other teams in recent memory.

And of those 52 goals, 29 of them were scored by guys 25 and under (56%). We have two forwards over 30 and they account for less than 10% of those goals.

I also disagree about the defense. Anderson and Bjornfot have been starters since day one, and TM had every option to force-feed us Maata during that time. No injuries needed, those two earned their spots. The Kings have a top 10 group for sure, and that's with Drew missing a ton of games.

All of us are frustrated that guys like Byfield, Turcotte, Vilardi, etc. aren't playing big roles yet, but for every player we can come up with that is excelling at a young age there are 5 that are not. I think it warps out realities a bit. I mean, our top 5 goal scorers over this run the last 22 games are Kempe (10), Iafallo (8), Kaliyev (6), Arvidsson (5), and Lemieux (5). They are all going to be here in a couple of years when our really high picks are playing bigger roles and then we will truly see if the picks we made are a success.

You're only emphasizing the point, then--that the guys that are carrying the offense aren't playing the minutes they should. As a result, the Kings are 26th in G/gp at 2.6.

Average icetime of guys on those lines based on each line's C:

Line 1: Kopitar, 20:23
Line 2: Danault, 18:16
Line 3: Kupari, 11:15
Line 4: Lizotte, 11:14

Stands to reason that the youth on those lines that are scoring--notably Kaliyev especially--should be getting bigger roles, no? Meanwhile, as you point out, Kopitar is getting 20+ minutes a game, and has what, 3 goals since the start of November? 2/3 of the icetime is going to the aforementioned guys of the average age of 30.

No one is saying give the keys to guys out of the blue. Just that there are guys here driving improvement and aren't getting rewarded accordingly.

At the very least, it's simple--start evening out the icetime to preserve late-career vets and promoting impact youth. Understandable if Kopitar is playing, say, even up to 5 minutes more than the bottom six--but nearly twice the icetime?

 

[Fishhead]

You're only emphasizing the point, then--that the guys that are carrying the offense aren't playing the minutes they should. As a result, the Kings are 26th in G/gp at 2.6.

Average icetime of guys on those lines based on each line's C:

Line 1: Kopitar, 20:23
Line 2: Danault, 18:16
Line 3: Kupari, 11:15
Line 4: Lizotte, 11:14

Stands to reason that the youth on those lines that are scoring--notably Kaliyev especially--should be getting bigger roles, no? Meanwhile, as you point out, Kopitar is getting 20+ minutes a game, and has what, 3 goals since the start of November? 2/3 of the icetime is going to the aforementioned guys of the average age of 30.

No one is saying give the keys to guys out of the blue. Just that there are guys here driving improvement and aren't getting rewarded accordingly.

Yeah I totally agree with that. TM is actually doing better with ice time than I thought he would, but I'm all for rolling 4 and mixing the guys who are producing into the powerplay.

A big part of that discrepancy is special teams which is where I'd like to see more mixing and matching, if you take out special teams the numbers above are quite a bit closer. Kopitar's ice time is still ludicrous. However, it also begs the question - is the 4th line doing so well because their ice time is limited and they are put out there when they have the best chance of success? Or is it holding them back from even higher production? Personally, I'd like to see them get a bit more time to see what they can do.