LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Surf Nutz]

It feels redundant to come in here and post when I truly believe this team is a lost cause in terms of winning a cup until Blake is gone and the roster takes 2/3 steps back and rebuilds correctly. Does anyone else feel the same way. First time I have honestly ever felt in an actual black hole as a fan of this team since 1990.

You guys should all get together and go on a cruise or something.
Cheers!

I said a few months ago, depending on how this summer plays out, I don't see the Kings truly competing for at minimum another 5 years.
Can't see it happening until Kopitar and Doughty are retired, and this team gets turned over to whoever is still left from the new core (Byfield, Clarke, Turcotte, etc)

What is your definition of competing?

Most did not have them making the playoffs in 21/22 and they took Edmonton to 7 with a depleted roster.
Unfortunately they had a coach who can not close out a series.

 

[chris kontos]

Speaking for myself, i consider competeing as not hoping to get in the playoffs or winning one round and sayonara but truly having a shot at the cup. Teams like dallas, new york, colorado, florida and maybe winnipeg would be some of this yrs examples. The ol "just get in and anything can happen" is bullshit for the most part.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Not getting help at the deadline speaks tons on what they think of this version of the team, not one depth player not one scorer and it seams they are more worried about the Reign playoffs than the main team and they want us to renew season seats HARD DECISIONS love my kings but getting sick of half assed management decisions

That they're contenders?

 

[DoktorJeep]

Summer of 2028 is when both Kopitar and Doughty will no longer be under contract, barring no further extensions. Byfield will be 25 at that point, and the 1C, assuming the Kings haven’t completely screwed up the cap.

Over the interim, the team should mostly be competitive. So, I expect BLuc to be in charge for that duration. We are fans of a franchise with run of the mill expectations. A modicum of success is enough to keep things stable.

At the end of the day, even if BLuc are shit canned, I have no reason to believe that Dan Beckerman knows how to fix things. He’s a finance guy who seems to understand music better than sports. So as long as AEG keeps him in charge, us Kings fans will be left wanting when it comes to top flight managers.

For the next few years, my advice to the fans who don’t love the purple koolaid is to learn how to love mediocrity. Just like we all did when DT was in charge and there was a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon.

 

[Little Psycho]

is everyone (minus Turcotte, Clarke, and Kaliyev) on the f***ing gold Star system. Giving them kudos for doing the bare minimum?

 

[DoktorJeep]

is everyone (minus Turcotte, Clarke, and Kaliyev) on the f***ing gold Star system. Giving them kudos for doing the bare minimum?

I think the only player to drop the gloves besides Englund was Lafferiere back in October. Andreas has fought close to ten times.

So the coach saying his impact is immeasurable is accurate if not exactly praise.

 

[Surf Nutz]

is everyone (minus Turcotte, Clarke, and Kaliyev) on the f***ing gold Star system. Giving them kudos for doing the bare minimum?

It's the right move.

Englund plays his important deterrent role and has overperformed at times.

My blood pressure does go up when he and Spence get stuck in the D zone.

A lot of comments here , give the vibe that the need of a mental health emergency break from commenting is warranted. Really the great majority of comments.

Just a fresh set of eyes judging comments...

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Oh it's 'unmeasurable' all right, but not in the way he means

 

[yankeeking]

That they're contenders?

That they're contenders?

Sorry work got in the way ..........yeah either they are contenders or they aren't. if the arent why the hell do a PLD trade and if they are get them help . in 2012 we were all pissed at the play just a few weeks before the trade deadline even with the coaching change , but DL believed in DS , here they make half steps to promote Hiller but not only do they send down 92 they don't bring anyone in or promote anyone , i know there are reasons but what ever . It looks like BLUC are managing scared , walking the line between contending and retooling and doing neither very well . Praying for May hockey again but disheartened by the thought i may not live long enough to see it considering only making the second round in 6 or 7 years out of 49 years as a fan and approaching 70 years old and have to pay for the sins of the 70's, 80's, and 90's, when we aged in dog years if you know what i mean

 

[bland]

Englund has had a fine season, not sure why anyone would be complaining.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Englund has had a fine season, not sure why anyone would be complaining.

Englund has had two seasons

One was good beyond expectations

One is currently as terrible as some predicted

Plenty of reason to complain but it's not his fault, he's just not that guy.

 

[Sol]

Englund has had a fine season, not sure why anyone would be complaining.

Fiala would like a word with you

 

[tny760]

is everyone (minus Turcotte, Clarke, and Kaliyev) on the f***ing gold Star system. Giving them kudos for doing the bare minimum?

man that was cool by hiller until he went full fanfic writing about how "engy" is in there feeding crosschecks to guys. big difference between what he's advertised as and what he delivers

saying he's had a "fine" season is fine and i would mostly agree but have a gander at the deployment chart and there's a little difference between him/spence and the rest of them. you better have a fine season when you get that cushy. seems like every D zone start lately they get absolutely pinned unless spence can skate it out. they've spent a solid month there at like <40% corsi for

if for no other reason than rest, moverare should be in there for him way more often, and not as a 7D taking 1 shift from him. he's never played a full season of NHL hockey and i think it's started to show

 

[Herby]

He is what he is, he is what Doug Zmolek would be if he played in the modern era. You can't have 6 guys who are capable of playing the 2nd pairing.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Sorry work got in the way ..........yeah either they are contenders or they aren't. if the arent why the hell do a PLD trade and if they are get them help . in 2012 we were all pissed at the play just a few weeks before the trade deadline even with the coaching change , but DL believed in DS , here they make half steps to promote Hiller but not only do they send down 92 they don't bring anyone in or promote anyone , i know there are reasons but what ever . It looks like BLUC are managing scared , walking the line between contending and retooling and doing neither very well . Praying for May hockey again but disheartened by the thought i may not live long enough to see it considering only making the second round in 6 or 7 years out of 49 years as a fan and approaching 70 years old and have to pay for the sins of the 70's, 80's, and 90's, when we aged in dog years if you know what i mean

Arvidsson coming off of LTIR soon. This means one of Turcotte, Spence, Laferriere are going to AHL. Maybe Moverare doesn't need waivers still since being waived at the deadline. Picking up a deadline acquisition means 2 of those players in AHL.

Without a 2nd or 3rd, the only piece to trade would be a 1st. Likely holding onto the 1st in case a goalie becomes available at the draft. Kaliyev & Fagemo don't have much value right now.

Without moving the first, it's unlikely the King's could pick up an impact player that would be better than just playing Turcotte or Laferrier.

 

[FrozenKing18]

This right here is what we’re working on. The cup is ours!

 

[All The Kings Men]

Arvidsson coming off of LTIR soon. This means one of Turcotte, Spence, Laferriere are going to AHL. Maybe Moverare doesn't need waivers still since being waived at the deadline. Picking up a deadline acquisition means 2 of those players in AHL.

Without a 2nd or 3rd, the only piece to trade would be a 1st. Likely holding onto the 1st in case a goalie becomes available at the draft. Kaliyev & Fagemo don't have much value right now.

Without moving the first, it's unlikely the King's could pick up an impact player that would be better than just playing Turcotte or Laferrier.

Just a friendly reminder that the only two players currently on the roster that are eligible to be assigned to Ontario are Jacob Moverare and Alex Turcotte.

That's it. That's the list.

As for the Cap... thanks to Cap management all season long I'm reasonably sure that they don't need to make any accompanying moves should they active Arvidsson from LTIR. When/if Grundstrom returns THEN I believe they'll be required to make two moves to become Cap compliant.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Just a friendly reminder that the only two players currently on the roster that are eligible to be assigned to Ontario are Jacob Moverare and Alex Turcotte.

That's it. That's the list.

As for the Cap... thanks to Cap management all season long I'm reasonably sure that they don't need to make any accompanying moves should they active Arvidsson from LTIR. When/if Grundstrom returns THEN I believe they'll be required to make two moves to become Cap compliant.

Cap Friendly is showing Laferriere with 14 more games before waivers & Spence able to be sent down. Maybe their information isn't up to date.

If you click on the little green arrow denoting waiver exempt on the players line, it will show the situation for each player.

 

[Trash Panda]

Cap Friendly is showing Laferriere with 14 more games before waivers & Spence able to be sent down. Maybe their information isn't up to date.

If you click on the little green arrow denoting waiver exempt on the players line, it will show the situation for each player.

I believe it’s AHL eligibility for playoffs.

Rule to prevent NHL teams from loading up the farm teams after being eliminated from playoff contention.

 

[All The Kings Men]

You can't assign anyone to the AHL past the trade deadline unless they were on the AHL roster o clear day.

https://x.com/AHLPR/status/1765799579784745053?s=20

It's nothing to do with being waiver eligible or anything else and while there are implications for the AHL playoffs it's not limited to that.

The Kings assigned four players to Ontario that day and have recalled two of them so far (Turcotte and Moverare) and as a result they are the only players currently on the roster that are allowed to be assigned to Ontario for the remainder of the season.

 

[chris kontos]

Im perched upon the horns of a dilemma.
Heh
Do i hope for the team to lose and not make the playoffs which will hasten the changes that need to be made (and be a bad fan and thief of the food i eat and a trespasser in the bed i sleep in)
OR
Continue to root for the team to win which is positive and sells product (and be a good fan and wear pigtails as pollyanna and be a happy idiot in total denial of critical thinking)
????

 

[Statto]

Maybe not making the playoffs is best in the long term BUT I can’t do anything but hope we win each game. Whatever happens it is going to be an off season that tells us a lot about the direction of the franchise.

It definitely feels like only a very good play-off saves Blake but you have to feel Luc will be under threat also if we don’t make the post season. If that’s not the case it would tell us where AEG are at with things.

 

[chris kontos]

Its a bad deal to root for people to lose thier jobs or dance on thier grave when they do. But i guess ive worked with people who i wanted far worse for. So theres that.
And in anger i wish this for luc and blake because its appearent that luc lacks the vision and intuition to build a champion and blake either doesnt have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to luc and bergevin or is just incompetent. Also apathy on the part of these three guys would explain alot as well.

 

[Kingfan1967]

Maybe not making the playoffs is best in the long term BUT I can’t do anything but hope we win each game. Whatever happens it is going to be an off season that tells us a lot about the direction of the franchise.

It definitely feels like only a very good play-off saves Blake but you have to feel Luc will be under threat also if we don’t make the post season. If that’s not the case it would tell us where AEG are at with things.

Other than winning the CUP , the greatest Kings playoff moments are "The Miracle on Manchester"(1982), Beating Detroit(2001), Forcing Colorado to game 7 twice(2001-2002) , Forcing Boston to game 7(1976), the 1993 march thru Canada (Cal-Van-Tor-Mont) , none of those happen without making the playoffs first.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

The craziest thing about the Kings current situation is that it primarily stems from 1 (really) bad move - the PLD trade. Yes, there were other questionable decisions.... But man that's the big one that is really handcuffing this team and will likely continue to be a problem for years.

If they don't make that PLD trade we would be in a position where Byfield can be appropriately slotted at center and we would actually have cap space to work with and improve the rest of the roster.

Even if the Kings had still moved on from Vilardi, Durzi, Iafallo, etc - They would've been able to use those players (and/or picks returned from trading those players) to strengthen goaltending, defense, or add some toughness. Hell, even adding an $8.5 million player that actually plays like an $8.5 million player would've been fine.

Ultimately I hope he figures it out / turns it around but at this point it's looking like our best bet would be to trade him to a team desperate for center depth and hopefully get a goalie back or not have to add too many sweeteners in order to do so - But that looks like a pipe dream right now sadly