LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Fishhead]

Can we make Arty room with Laf, please?

If he had half his drive and intensity he'd be good for 30.

 

[BigBrown]

Man that sucks. I thought Arvy would have a monster year playing for a new contract.

 

[Master Yoda]

Arvy out for regular season, back for playoffs, kings get a real goalie? Sounds like a plan.

 

[rajuabju]

Two games in, and who could have ever seen this coming... our goaltending situation sucks. I am shocked, just shocked!

 

[KingsHockey24]

Peggers are laughing at us seeing PL's stat line vs the players we gave up.

It's a doomed season.

 

[kilowatt]

Peggers are laughing at us seeing PL's stat line vs the players we gave up.

It's a doomed season.

Watched the Winnipeg game yesterday. Vilardi looks great on their top line with Scheifele and Connor.

 

[tkb81]

Watched the Winnipeg game yesterday. Vilardi looks great on their top line with Scheifele and Connor.

I'll always cheer for the guy ... I put so much hope in that back ... haha

Wait, your fingers aren’t little penises in this one???? Shit.

hahaha brings a new meaning to KFC's tag line .. .Finger lickin good

 

[DAkings20]

Kings have the better Laf!

He better be careful generating all those chances, Koala bear will banish him to Ontario if he keeps that up.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Peggers are laughing at us seeing PL's stat line vs the players we gave up.

It's a doomed season.

The Jets locked themselves into multiple 30+ year olds who they've never won with. They're as much of a joke as the Kings are.

And at least the Oilers are worse so far. The Kings lost to a couple real teams.

 

[kilowatt]

I've actually been impressed with Byfield to start the season. He looks like a completely different player this year. That needs to translate into points though, we can't be celebrating moral victories anymore. He needs to continue to be assertive, he needs to keep plays alive, and he needs to score.

 

[Trash Panda]

The Jets locked themselves into multiple 30+ year olds who they've never won with. They're as much of a joke as the Kings are.

And at least the Oilers are worse so far. The Kings lost to a couple real teams.

They ironically enough have a lot of parallels to the construction of the Kings.

Except they have a goaltender. For now.

 

[tny760]

The Jets locked themselves into multiple 30+ year olds who they've never won with. They're as much of a joke as the Kings are.

And at least the Oilers are worse so far. The Kings lost to a couple real teams.

and regardless i think the PL haters aren't probably watching his game too carefully. this guy's seriously a kopitar-level possession horse and i came into this season as a bit of a hater, his game has instantly won me over. the puck seriously doesn't leave his stick unless he wants it to

 

[kilowatt]

and regardless i think the PL haters aren't probably watching his game too carefully. this guy's seriously a kopitar-level possession horse and i came into this season as a bit of a hater, his game has instantly won me over. the puck seriously doesn't leave his stick unless he wants it to

Both of these things are true: Dubois is a great player and we potentially gave up more than we should have to acquire him. I’d love to know who we were outbidding since the entire hockey world knew he was leaving Winnipeg.

 

[King'sPawn]

and regardless i think the PL haters aren't probably watching his game too carefully. this guy's seriously a kopitar-level possession horse and i came into this season as a bit of a hater, his game has instantly won me over. the puck seriously doesn't leave his stick unless he wants it to

Yeah, I'm sure most will call me a "PL hater" since I hated the trade and I've pointed out his lack of production. He has improved very quickly as he's settled in.

But I maintain that it wasn't the right trade at the current time, particularly with the assets given up. Now, I know you have to give to get - but if the team would be crippling themselves by making the trade, maybe you just wait?

Kings shouldn't have been selling off assets to "win now" when they're still taking time to develop a new core of their own.

 

[tny760]

Both of these things are true: Dubois is a great player and we potentially gave up more than we should have to acquire him. I’d love to know who we were outbidding since the entire hockey world knew he was leaving Winnipeg.

Yeah, I'm sure most will call me a "PL hater" since I hated the trade and I've pointed out his lack of production. He has improved very quickly as he's settled in.

But I maintain that it wasn't the right trade at the current time, particularly with the assets given up. Now, I know you have to give to get - but if the team would be crippling themselves by making the trade, maybe you just wait?

Kings shouldn't have been selling off assets to "win now" when they're still taking time to develop a new core of their own.

completely agree with both of you, separating the player and the trade is key. obviously it's early so i don't want to extrapolate too much but this looks an awful lot like a suitable kopitar replacement, but now we've got 2 more years of kopitar instead of a goalie and a settled in PLD. lots of moving parts to the implication i'm trying to make but we're back to blake-created problems

 

[KingsFan7824]

They ironically enough have a lot of parallels to the construction of the Kings.

Except they have a goaltender. For now.

Maybe? Not really. Nothing proven at least.

Yeah, I'm sure most will call me a "PL hater" since I hated the trade and I've pointed out his lack of production. He has improved very quickly as he's settled in.

But I maintain that it wasn't the right trade at the current time, particularly with the assets given up. Now, I know you have to give to get - but if the team would be crippling themselves by making the trade, maybe you just wait?

Kings shouldn't have been selling off assets to "win now" when they're still taking time to develop a new core of their own.

Are they developing a new core? Dubois is a year older than Vilardi. It's not a difference of half a decade. If there's a new core, it's Fiala and Dubois.

At the very least, the trading of Vilardi, Iafallo, and Kupari shows that Blake doesn't care about "his" guys. He might care too much about Kopitar and Doughty, but Iafallo is the Blakest of Blake players, but it doesn't seem like he even thought twice about throwing him in the deal to make it work with the cap. If the trade costs him his job, whatever, but he wanted that other guy, and got him.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Maybe? Not really. Nothing proven at least.



Are they developing a new core? Dubois is a year older than Vilardi. It's not a difference of half a decade. If there's a new core, it's Fiala and Dubois.

At the very least, the trading of Vilardi, Iafallo, and Kupari shows that Blake doesn't care about "his" guys. He might care too much about Kopitar and Doughty, but Iafallo is the Blakest of Blake players, but it doesn't seem like he even thought twice about throwing him in the deal to make it work with the cap. If the trade costs him his job, whatever, but he wanted that other guy, and got him.

No, apparently you can only get core players, if you draft and develop them.....so Fiala, Dubois, Gavrikov, etc don't count.

 

[johnjm22]

I've actually been impressed with Byfield to start the season. He looks like a completely different player this year. That needs to translate into points though, we can't be celebrating moral victories anymore. He needs to continue to be assertive, he needs to keep plays alive, and he needs to score.

I know people are going to say that, but I don't really agree.

I think he looks a lot like he did in the second third of the season last year. He was good then, he's good now.

But like you said it just needs to translate into points.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

I know people are going to say that, but I don't really agree.

I think he looks a lot like he did in the second third of the season last year. He was good then, he's good now.

But like you said it just needs to translate into points.

I think the biggest difference is his assertiveness taking the puck to the middle and shooting. It’s showing up in his individual shot and shot-attempt rate.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I thought the Dubois acquisition was overpayment both in terms of assets and contract. Because I didn’t think he was a superstar 1/1b C. After watching him play, I think he’s a star 1/1b LW.

I’d like to see him with Kopitar and Kempe (at RW). His possession game would really complement that line. Fiala and Byfield don’t really fit with their C’s because they are lone wolves. Neither plays a controlled game.

I think those two work better together with Byfield in the middle and Grundstrom on one of the wings. Put Laffy at RW next to Danault and Moore. His shot mentality is a good replacement for Arvidsson. And then slide Kaliyev with Lizotte and Lewis.

With Spence settling into the defense, you should be solid enough to allow the 6D and G position to sort itself out.

 

[King'sPawn]

Both of these things are true: Dubois is a great player and we potentially gave up more than we should have to acquire him. I’d love to know who we were outbidding since the entire hockey world knew he was leaving Winnipeg.

Echoing johnjm here, I disagree. Fox pointed out how he's looking for the shot more, so THAT mentality has changed. But his overall execution and skillset has been unchanged for the most part.

Are they developing a new core?

No, and that's the problem.

They "concluded" a rebuild and started going for it before identity players they drafted and developed were ready.

Pay attention to who Blake was talking about as far as players who need to take the next step. He mentioned players they drafted. These are their supposed core players - Byfield, Turcotte, Bjornfot, Laferriere, Pinelli. Clarke and Spence have also been identified as cornerstone players. Fox pointed out how management sees this as a make or break year.

These are all players who the Kings have identified as needs to take the next step. These are core players. But their development into these key roles are secondary to the Kings wanting to compete in the playoffs.

Only Byfield was penned into a top-6 role at the start of the season. And it was expected that Clarke and Spence would be competing for the bottom-pairing RD, and Bjornfot is competing for a bottom-pairing LD.

Fiala and PLD are mercenaries brought in and paid big money without any previous emotional investment with the organization. They're talented, but they should have been brought in at the time when Lombardi brought in Richards and Carter - after the new core was established and leading the way for the playoffs. They're still counting on Kopitar and Doughty, on the tail end of their careers, to continue as the cornerstone players.

 

[tigermask48]

It's been said here as far back as last year (that I saw) but this isn't a team, it's a collection of round pegs being forced into square holes by the coaching staff. There's no real thought given to the construction of the roster or team identity.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Echoing johnjm here, I disagree. Fox pointed out how he's looking for the shot more, so THAT mentality has changed. But his overall execution and skillset has been unchanged for the most part.


No, and that's the problem.

They "concluded" a rebuild and started going for it before identity players they drafted and developed were ready.

Pay attention to who Blake was talking about as far as players who need to take the next step. He mentioned players they drafted. These are their supposed core players - Byfield, Turcotte, Bjornfot, Laferriere, Pinelli. Clarke and Spence have also been identified as cornerstone players. Fox pointed out how management sees this as a make or break year.

These are all players who the Kings have identified as needs to take the next step. These are core players. But their development into these key roles are secondary to the Kings wanting to compete in the playoffs.

Only Byfield was penned into a top-6 role at the start of the season. And it was expected that Clarke and Spence would be competing for the bottom-pairing RD, and Bjornfot is competing for a bottom-pairing LD.

Fiala and PLD are mercenaries brought in and paid big money without any previous emotional investment with the organization. They're talented, but they should have been brought in at the time when Lombardi brought in Richards and Carter - after the new core was established and leading the way for the playoffs. They're still counting on Kopitar and Doughty, on the tail end of their careers, to continue as the cornerstone players.

To me criticism has to match expectation. They never intended to rebuild, in the right way. Kopitar and Doughty weren't going very far, so it was always going to be about them. Call it a lack of balls on Blake, but they weren't trading them, even at a loss. If they're going to play them 40min a night, that's what they're going to do. They'll rebuild after them. Or not, depends on who they're hiring after Blake.

If this is just a just make the playoffs for a couple home dates era, that's fine. I'll judge the team on what the expectation is. If it's just make the playoffs, and hope for a streak, I can live with that. But they have to keep making the playoffs. They can't miss, especially this year, after two big deals to keep them at a playoff level. And obviously 2 games is not the be all, end all. They have roughly 30 regulation losses before they have to worry about missing the playoffs. Somewhere between 25-30. They could get 2 shutouts in the next 2 games and that stats would look great again.

 

[Schmooley]

To me criticism has to match expectation. They never intended to rebuild, in the right way. Kopitar and Doughty weren't going very far, so it was always going to be about them. Call it a lack of balls on Blake, but they weren't trading them, even at a loss. If they're going to play them 40min a night, that's what they're going to do. They'll rebuild after them. Or not, depends on who they're hiring after Blake.

If this is just a just make the playoffs for a couple home dates era, that's fine. I'll judge the team on what the expectation is. If it's just make the playoffs, and hope for a streak, I can live with that. But they have to keep making the playoffs. They can't miss, especially this year, after two big deals to keep them at a playoff level. And obviously 2 games is not the be all, end all. They have roughly 30 regulation losses before they have to worry about missing the playoffs. Somewhere between 25-30. They could get 2 shutouts in the next 2 games and that stats would look great again.

Ok good for you. If everything is all good and there is nothing to discuss why do you bother coming on here?
Some people arent sold on the “couple home dates era” and some love it but we all want to come on here and talk about our views of it. Why you come on here if that bothers you is a huge mystery.

 

[King'sPawn]

To me criticism has to match expectation. They never intended to rebuild, in the right way. Kopitar and Doughty weren't going very far, so it was always going to be about them. Call it a lack of balls on Blake, but they weren't trading them, even at a loss. If they're going to play them 40min a night, that's what they're going to do. They'll rebuild after them. Or not, depends on who they're hiring after Blake.

If this is just a just make the playoffs for a couple home dates era, that's fine. I'll judge the team on what the expectation is. If it's just make the playoffs, and hope for a streak, I can live with that. But they have to keep making the playoffs. They can't miss, especially this year, after two big deals to keep them at a playoff level. And obviously 2 games is not the be all, end all. They have roughly 30 regulation losses before they have to worry about missing the playoffs. Somewhere between 25-30. They could get 2 shutouts in the next 2 games and that stats would look great again.

I never expected Blake to trade Kopitar or Doughty.

Waiting until your legends are completely gone is too late to start rebuilding. The past few years were perfect years to have players like Byfield, Clarke, Spence, Kaliyev, Vilardi, etc playing UP in the lineup and having Kopitar and Doughty play in reduced roles to help insulate the youth; a changing of the guard, so to speak.

It's not to tank and accumulate high picks. It's to have youth take ownership, be empowered and confident, and be ready for when Kopitar and Doughty may no longer be here.

It's totally fine if your expectation is just to make the playoffs. For the moves Blake has made and the prices he's paid, they SHOULD. But some of us want more than just making the playoffs and feel there are better decisions to be made for long-term success of the organization. And frankly, in a business which is results-driven and filled with extremely competitive people, I would expect higher aspirations than "just make the playoffs for a couple home dates." But you do you.