LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Schrute farms]

I just miss having a team that has some heart and spark

even as agonizing as the first oilers series was you had guys like kempe and durzi and anderson being f***ing pricks not just rolling over like...everything they've done since

I'd trade em all and start building around byfield immediately at this point, that dude was pushing people around all night, he was pissed. Almost everyone else? Trying not to get hurt to save vacation plans. Send em all to the coldest city you can find. I'm f***ing over it.

Amen bro!

 

[johnjm22]

This bolded part is 100% factually inaccurate and is a head in the sand ignoring of facts. AEG signed off on the full rebuild, and that was why the team was gutted and traded off after Blake was hired.

Yeah, I don't understand what people have against AEG, and where these conspiracy theories about AEG come from. They've been good for the Kings and have shown a willingness to invest and take a long term approach.

The only reason the rebuild was abandoned in the summer of 2021 was because Doughty went whining to the media in his exit interview.

You can't expect a player to not want to win.

I think it's so lame when people frame it as "whining" and give it a negative connotation. Blame management. Don't blame a player for wanting to win.

 

[funky]

For me it starts with our Defence. We just don’t generate offence from the back. Our left shot defence has no offence whatsoever.

I bust Drew’s balls sometimes over some of the decisions he makes in the offensive zone, but he has played unreal this year. I honestly just don’t like him paired with Anderson as Mikey has zero offensive ability for a top pairing defenseman and Drew is the last defenseman in the NHL that needs a safety blanket as he does not cheat for offence. Drew needs a like minded same skilled partner of an offensive threat where Drew is the safety blanket.

Gavrikov and Roy are awesome but neither is a puck mover and Gav is paid way too much for what he brings. He does add size but he is not a physical guy. He is good at what he does but he is basically the same as Anderson. Every team needs one of these guys but we have two and this one is making a lot of dough on a cash strapped team.

3rd pairing. Here we have two players that are put together to address needs. One addresses our lack of physicality, and the other is supposed to address or lack of offense. Unfortunately, our physical guy is very suspect in the defensive zone, and our offensive guy who follows the cookie cutter model of generation offense at the expense of defence. This is not a bad thing for your offensive defenseman if your defensive defenseman with him could play defense. Unfortunately one has not provided the stiff defense we need in the other, although scoring his first score of the season the other night has not provided the offense we hoped .

Looking forward to next year we know we have two solid players. Drew and Mikey are guaranteed to go no where. Our right side has Clarke who has to be placed in the lineup and the brass seemed to know this as well. I love Roy, but he is the right handed version of Anderson and Gavrikov.

Next year my defense starts to look like this

Doughty -
Clarke - Anderson
Spence -


It won’t be popular but I trade Gav for Chychrun. I believe Doughty and Chychrun would make a wicked and relivant top pair. Doughty is a better player but Chychrun brings more offence to the table then Mikey and Gavrikov and like Gav is signed through next year but for 1.2 mil cheaper. It may take a 3 team trade but I am sure we can find a team that wants Gav.

This also frees Mikey to play second pairing and be a blanket for Clarke/ Spence. Let the offensive guys cheat a bit.

This leaves me looking for a physical, D minded left shot defender. I try and trade for Lauzon and sign MacDermid as a 7th D

Doughty - Chychrun
Clarke - Anderson
Spence - Lauzon
MacDermid.

It is cheaper than the D we ran out this year. It is younger and we have a little more bite and offence. Is it the best, no. But it should retain the PK and help the PP and help the puck movement out of the zone.

 

[KingsHockey24]

For me it starts with our Defence. We just don’t generate offence from the back. Our left shot defence has no offence whatsoever.

I bust Drew’s balls sometimes over some of the decisions he makes in the offensive zone, but he has played unreal this year. I honestly just don’t like him paired with Anderson as Mikey has zero offensive ability for a top pairing defenseman and Drew is the last defenseman in the NHL that needs a safety blanket as he does not cheat for offence. Drew needs a like minded same skilled partner of an offensive threat where Drew is the safety blanket.

Gavrikov and Roy are awesome but neither is a puck mover and Gav is paid way too much for what he brings. He does add size but he is not a physical guy. He is good at what he does but he is basically the same as Anderson. Every team needs one of these guys but we have two and this one is making a lot of dough on a cash strapped team.

3rd pairing. Here we have two players that are put together to address needs. One addresses our lack of physicality, and the other is supposed to address or lack of offense. Unfortunately, our physical guy is very suspect in the defensive zone, and our offensive guy who follows the cookie cutter model of generation offense at the expense of defence. This is not a bad thing for your offensive defenseman if your defensive defenseman with him could play defense. Unfortunately one has not provided the stiff defense we need in the other, although scoring his first score of the season the other night has not provided the offense we hoped .

Looking forward to next year we know we have two solid players. Drew and Mikey are guaranteed to go no where. Our right side has Clarke who has to be placed in the lineup and the brass seemed to know this as well. I love Roy, but he is the right handed version of Anderson and Gavrikov.

Next year my defense starts to look like this

Doughty -
Clarke - Anderson
Spence -


It won’t be popular but I trade Gav for Chychrun. I believe Doughty and Chychrun would make a wicked and relivant top pair. Doughty is a better player but Chychrun brings more offence to the table then Mikey and Gavrikov and like Gav is signed through next year but for 1.2 mil cheaper. It may take a 3 team trade but I am sure we can find a team that wants Gav.

This also frees Mikey to play second pairing and be a blanket for Clarke/ Spence. Let the offensive guys cheat a bit.

This leaves me looking for a physical, D minded left shot defender. I try and trade for Lauzon and sign MacDermid as a 7th D

Doughty - Chychrun
Clarke - Anderson
Spence - Lauzon
MacDermid.

It is cheaper than the D we ran out this year. It is younger and we have a little more bite and offence. Is it the best, no. But it should retain the PK and help the PP and help the puck movement out of the zone.

MacDermid hasn't played D in quite awhile.

He's used as a 4 minute , 4th line LW'er now.

 

[funky]

MacDermid hasn't played D in quite awhile.

He's used as a 4 minute , 4th line LW'er now.

I am good with that, haha. Man, would it be different to see some physicality upfront even if it’s for four minutes a game.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I am good with that, haha. Man, would it be different to see some physicality upfront even if it’s for four minutes a game.

I'd probably look at AJ Greer, Brandon Duhaime, Matt Martin, Kyle Clifford, and Scott Sabourin who'll be UFA's this Summer before MacDermid but I digress.

 

[FrozenKing18]

Didn't know McD was converted to a forward, how's that going?

 

[tny760]

Didn't know McD was converted to a forward, how's that going?

more goals than JAD while generally playing 5min or less

 

[KingsHockey24]

Didn't know McD was converted to a forward, how's that going?

His TOI the last 5 games:

5:19, 1:51, 3:44, 2:56, 6:38

 

[funky]

I'd probably look at AJ Greer, Brandon Duhaime, Matt Martin, Kyle Clifford, and Scott Sabourin who'll be UFA's this Summer before MacDermid but I digress.

I like a few of those names.

I am probably one of the few that hates our forth line. I don’t hate the players, just hate the construction. Our only physical guy can’t be our #6 D man.

To me Lizotte provides nothing. Yes he is hard on the forecheck but no one is scared of him and he ends up in his ass a lot. Close to 2 million last year cheaper this coming year. Our first three lines are massive centers and then we just give other teams a relief valve when we put out Lizotte. Find another big center that can play the penalty kill and provide for checking and physicality on the fourth in limited minutes.

Duhaime would be awesome. I like Martin but Cliffy is toast.

We have no one in house. Grundstrum is the closest but to inconsistent and getting expensive. Helenius is a season away minimum but gives me hope.

More Physicality from a revamped defense, a beastly 4th line will just help enhance the hits. We are getting out of guys like PLD, Fiala and now Byfield on the scoring lines. Just makes it harder to play against, especially in a playoff series.

 

[FeartheFur]

What about Helenius

 

[tigermask48]

You can't expect a player to not want to win.

I think it's so lame when people frame it as "whining" and give it a negative connotation. Blame management. Don't blame a player for not wanting to win.

I get what you are saying, but let's not act like Doughty hasn't always had a bit of a brash and cocky stigma attached to him going back to his junior days. He's always been prone to tantrums and losing his temper on the ice his entire time as a King.

In this instance I refuse to believe that Doughty didn't know that the plan was a full rebuild and he decided to go into business for himself, Kopitar, Brown, and Quick.

Also and I've pointed this out before, Doughty saying that to the media ironically now, seems to be one of the major things that prevents this team from getting back to a yearly contender until well after him and Kopitar retire.

 

[Trash Panda]

What about Helenius

The guy simply isn’t a serious NHL prospect at this point, IMO.

 

[kingsfan28]

I just miss having a team that has some heart and spark

even as agonizing as the first oilers series was you had guys like kempe and durzi and anderson being f***ing pricks not just rolling over like...everything they've done since

I'd trade em all and start building around byfield immediately at this point, that dude was pushing people around all night, he was pissed. Almost everyone else? Trying not to get hurt to save vacation plans. Send em all to the coldest city you can find. I'm f***ing over it.

Once again our 4th line got manhandled, with all 3 guys getting drill on the same shift, and nobody did a thing, even down 4-0. Anderson got drill moments later and all 3 just look around waiting for someone else to do something. I want to see someone given a 2 and a 10 for fighting and crosschecking. SOFT AF!

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's funny, I don't even hold Blake's past tenure against him at this point--I wasn't one of the people who said he shouldn't be GM because of how he left before, even though I obviously think that was a dog shit move and didn't like him for it.

But at this point...the dude is associated with some of the worst times and dumbest shit in Kings history despite having basically a blank check from the org and walking nonstop into favorable circumstances. Just get him far the f*** away from this franchise, seriously, if even for no other reason than just his mere presence is bad juju .

 

[KingsHockey24]

It's funny, I don't even hold Blake's past tenure against him at this point--I wasn't one of the people who said he shouldn't be GM because of how he left before, even though I obviously think that was a dog shit move and didn't like him for it.

But at this point...the dude is associated with some of the worst times and dumbest shit in Kings history despite having basically a blank check from the org and walking nonstop into favorable circumstances. Just get him far the f*** away from this franchise, seriously, if even for no other reason than just his mere presence is bad juju .

I imagine how horny Blake got when he saw PLD was being made available.

Like OH BOY ANOTHER CENTER! WE NEED THAT!

 

[Statto]

I get what you are saying, but let's not act like Doughty hasn't always had a bit of a brash and cocky stigma attached to him going back to his junior days. He's always been prone to tantrums and losing his temper on the ice his entire time as a King.

In this instance I refuse to believe that Doughty didn't know that the plan was a full rebuild and he decided to go into business for himself, Kopitar, Brown, and Quick.

Also and I've pointed this out before, Doughty saying that to the media ironically now, seems to be one of the major things that prevents this team from getting back to a yearly contender until well after him and Kopitar retire.

It’s not on Doughty. They could easily have said ‘tough luck’ or asked him to waive his NMC if he didn’t like it. Luc should have had more of a spine.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Maybe my memory is faulty and I realize this may come off as simping for my employer but what EXACTLY did Doughty say?

My recollection is that he was asked a very direct question and gave a very dispassionate answer which has been somehow misremembered as some sort of tantrum or ultimatum.

I know the narrative is "x happened because of y and it's obvious" and I certainly won't dispute that x happened but the y (also "the why" see what I did there) of it all is NOT obvious to me.

 

[tny760]

Maybe my memory is faulty and I realize this may come off as simping for my employer but what EXACTLY did Doughty say?

My recollection is that he was asked a very direct question and gave a very dispassionate answer which has been somehow misremembered as some sort of tantrum or ultimatum.

I know the narrative is "x happened because of y and it's obvious" and I certainly won't dispute that x happened but the y (also "the why" see what I did there) of it all is NOT obvious to me.

he made the comments:

“My first love will always be L.A.,” he said. “It’s one of the best organizations in all of sports, not just hockey. It’s unbelievable. They treat us first-class, and it’s a good place to play. Living in Los Angeles, you can’t beat it. I’d love to re-sign in L.A. But if our team isn’t going in the right direction ... I want to win Cups. I don’t give a s*** where I play. I just want to win Cups, and that’s the bottom line.”

Doughty willing to re-sign with Kings, if they are contenders | NHL.com

Defenseman also reportedly says coaching change was 'necessary'

www.nhl.com

then "clarified" ("walked it back") a day or two later with:

"My one comment, 'I don't care where I play. I just want to win [Stanley] Cups.' That is true. I just want to win Cups," said Doughty, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season. "When I said that, it didn't mean I didn't want to do it in L.A. The bottom line is all I care about is Cups. I don't want to win a Cup anywhere else but L.A. That's the bottom line."

Doughty wants to remain King for life | NHL.com

'I don't want to go anywhere else,' defenseman says, clarifying comments suggesting otherwise

www.nhl.com

 

[All The Kings Men]

he made the comments:

Doughty willing to re-sign with Kings, if they are contenders | NHL.com

Defenseman also reportedly says coaching change was 'necessary'

www.nhl.com

then "clarified" ("walked it back") a day or two later with:

Doughty wants to remain King for life | NHL.com

'I don't want to go anywhere else,' defenseman says, clarifying comments suggesting otherwise

www.nhl.com

That's from 2017.

Doughty re-signed with the Kings in 2018.

The "rebuild" began in 2019.

 

[tny760]

That's from 2017.

Doughty re-signed with the Kings in 2018.

The "rebuild" began in 2019.

oh i didn't go back far enough into this conversation to realize what specifically you were talking about

Kings last call: How far is close? — The Fourth Period

The Kings will be active this summer as they set their sights on the 2022 playoffs, reports Dennis Bernstein.

www.thefourthperiod.com

Drew Doughty was more pointed in his expectations for the front office:

“There’s no point waiting for these prospects to develop when you’ve got guys in their prime, are hungry to win and are sick of losing. We’ve got to bring guys in.”

Given the fact that Doughty played alongside multiple prospects and first-year players and still sees the need to import players isn’t a criticism of The Plan, it’s just another sign that the next step in the progression needs to take place now.

As a follow-up, I asked Doughty if his team didn’t make significant moves in the summer, would he believe in the direction the franchise was heading. For the only time in recent memory, Drew carefully chose his words answering with a simple “No.”

that's what you're talking about i'm assuming?

 

[tigermask48]

It’s not on Doughty. They could easily have said ‘tough luck’ or asked him to waive his NMC if he didn’t like it. Luc should have had more of a spine.

Not saying he should be blamed. Just that that event appears to be linked to when the rebuild changed.

 

[All The Kings Men]

oh i didn't go back far enough into this conversation to realize what specifically you were talking about

Kings last call: How far is close? — The Fourth Period

The Kings will be active this summer as they set their sights on the 2022 playoffs, reports Dennis Bernstein.

www.thefourthperiod.com

that's what you're talking about i'm assuming?

That's the only moment I can remember

 

[tny760]

That's the only moment I can remember

/shrug

personally i think the sum of those 2 quotes can hold some weight coming from him, and i think characterizing it as dispassionate isn't quite the case

maybe it's not an ultimatum, but i think it's fair to say he was swinging his nuts around a bit

 

[tigermask48]

There's more here:

“Sick of Losing”, Drew Doughty Pushing LA Kings for Changes

Full interview here on YouTube:
Drew Doughty 2021 exit interview

Again this isn't Doughty's fault, but he knew what he was saying and the weight his words carry. He was pointedly asked if he believed in the direction of the team if changes weren't made. His response? "No."