LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Live in the Now]

Woke up to an article titled something like "Kaliyev Has Likely Played His Last Game With the Kings". Arty Party is potting 35g next year for whatever team picks him up in the off season.

21 players scored 35 goals. I think Kaliyev is not a top 21 goalscorer in the league.

 

[Bandit]

21 players scored 35 goals. I think Kaliyev is not a top 21 goalscorer in the league.

How about a top 21 player in the press box?

I don’t care what Kaliyev may or may not end up being. The fact is the Kings took yet another asset with value and turned it into a warm bucket of hamster vomit.

 

[RocketKing]

21 players scored 35 goals. I think Kaliyev is not a top 21 goalscorer in the league.

He’s a 35 goal scorer for sure

In the AHL

 

[Live in the Now]

How about a top 21 player in the press box?

I don’t care what Kaliyev may or may not end up being. The fact is the Kings took yet another asset with value and turned it into a warm bucket of hamster vomit.

Oh yeah of course. They should have traded him early this season if not earlier than that, and then they get to the trade deadline and have a couple needs they could swap his salary for and didn't do that.

 

[tny760]

He’s a 35 goal scorer for sure

In the AHL

well unfortunately we don't get to know if that's true either because they've had him in the press box for half the season

 

[tigermask48]

Remember when Parse played on the top line for a few minutes? What about when Purcell got multiple chances in the top 6? Voinov coming in and making JJ expendable? Toffoli and Pearson getting attached to Jeff Carter? King and Nolan adding some much needed zest to the bottom 6? Doughty playing with O'Donnell his whole rookie year? Kopitar playing his way into the top line after a handful of games? Simmonds forcing the team to make a spot on the wing for him?

I remember. I know what it was like to have dreams once. But not anymore. Not with this team.

 

[BigKing]

Based on the basketball schedule at Crypto, I'm expecting the Kings to play Saturday/Monday in Edmonton then Wednesday/Friday at home and then Blake is fired the following Monday.

Looks like I needed to look at Edmonton's arena schedule first, but point stands

 

[Statto]

Oh yeah of course. They should have traded him early this season if not earlier than that, and then they get to the trade deadline and have a couple needs they could swap his salary for and didn't do that.

What were the offers? Which assets were available for him?

 

[KingsHockey24]

Kevin Fiala ended up being a + player by the end of the regular season. Crazy.

 

[lumbergh]

Believe it when I see it. That would mean a top 3/6 role, top unit pp. His problem seems to be the coaches don't trust his play away from the puck. We've seen it time after time, not engaging in simple board battles to win the puck, something every NHL player has to do, even the elite scorers. Then lose the puck to a 5-10" player who weighs 60lbs less. He's got the shot, but you have to be more than that. Wished they'd have sent him down before reaching the pro limit, at least to get some icetime to work on things. Getting suspended to start didn't help his cause at all this season either.

His real problem is that he doesn't score enough. If you're a sniper, you have to shoot better than 7%. That's his job, and he's failed at it this season. He'd be in the line up regularly if he shot 10-12%.

 

[kingsfan28]

How about a top 21 player in the press box?

I don’t care what Kaliyev may or may not end up being. The fact is the Kings took yet another asset with value and turned it into a warm bucket of hamster vomit.

For all we know they did or have been and either there wasn't a market or the return was low. Package him with another asset and your return will be more. He'll be moved at the draft most likely.

 

[kingsfan28]

Kevin Fiala ended up being a + player by the end of the regular season. Crazy.

Durzi was only a -1 in ARZ is even crazier.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Durzi was only a -1 in ARZ is even crazier.

Maybe - I always thought Sean Durzi was a really good defensemen but I was in the minority saying that.

Only D with a nut sack and better at producing than Spence.

Not even sure what Jordan Spence is here for at this point. Go pick-up Paul LaDue off the street if you want that type of guy.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I for one am LOVING round 3+ of "send the kids down, they aren't ready."

Thomas, Turcotte, and Clarke (and of course Kaliyev and Spence if he's gonna keep getting buried with the worst regular dman in the NHL) should be asking for trades at this point.

 

[kingsfan28]

Maybe - I always thought Sean Durzi was a really good defensemen but I was in the minority saying that.

Only D with a nut sack and better at producing than Spence.

Not even sure what Jordan Spence is here for at this point. Go pick-up Paul LaDue off the street if you want that type of guy.

The LaDue comparison is pretty fair, Spence is probably a bit better. Losing Durzi on pp2 hurt the team. We went from 2 scoring lines to one. 1 goal [his only one of the season] and 5 assists isn't very good running pp2 . Durzi had 3/16.

 

[chris kontos]

None of us ESPECIALLY ME can evaluate kaliyev objectively with any accuracy. He simply has not played enough.

 

[chris kontos]

More accurately, played enough with decent linemates

 

[Surf Nutz]

They will be lauding the “insane depth” of the Kings that allows them to roll a 4th line of top 5 picks right as Blake is putting pen to paper on his three year extension.

Another end of season extension they won't mention until the next regular season?

However, the 4th line will end up being the 3rd, 2nd or first line if they don't have defensive lapses and are needed for offense.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[KingsOfCali25]

Not bad. I'm just hoping they go to matted black and white helmets next year. Also, they need to lose the chrome dome.

 

[King'sPawn]

Maybe - I always thought Sean Durzi was a really good defensemen but I was in the minority saying that.

Only D with a nut sack and better at producing than Spence.

Not even sure what Jordan Spence is here for at this point. Go pick-up Paul LaDue off the street if you want that type of guy.

Spence has almost doubled LaDue's career in NHL points, and Durzi was getting 8 more minutes per game (plus he had as much powerplay time as Doughty on the top unit).

Maybe nut sacks shouldn't be the only criteria to evaluate quality of play.

 

[Statto]

I for one am LOVING round 3+ of "send the kids down, they aren't ready."

Thomas, Turcotte, and Clarke (and of course Kaliyev and Spence if he's gonna keep getting buried with the worst regular dman in the NHL) should be asking for trades at this point.

I agree mostly but with ‘burying’ Spence… who do you move down the lineup Roy or Doughty? Me, I’d have traded Roy for various reasons but given the current roster where else does he fit in the lineup? Then next season he possibly ends up behind Clarke.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Yeah almost every problem with Spence is caused by his partner, not sure where the venom is coming from. Dude is an absolutely excellent depth defenseman by every possible measure. There aren't many teams with a better #5.

 

[Statto]

Yeah almost every problem with Spence is caused by his partner, not sure where the venom is coming from. Dude is an absolutely excellent depth defenseman by every possible measure. There aren't many teams with a better #5.

I agree. I think he’s in the correct spot in the lineup but would benefit from the right partner. Sean O’Donnell or a Left shooting Matt Greene would be perfect. It definitely needs to be that type. In fact Clarke would fit with that type of guy also, if Spence is 2nd pair.

 

[funky]

Yeah almost every problem with Spence is caused by his partner, not sure where the venom is coming from. Dude is an absolutely excellent depth defenseman by every possible measure. There aren't many teams with a better #5.

McNabb back and beside him would look good.