LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[johnjm22]

I don't think the Kings can truly contend unless PLD plays up to his potential and we get another goalie.

Hard to imagine a team with their #1 center and goalie both being 36 years old winning anything in June.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Kings still need a bridge guy between Talbot at 36 and Portillo at 23 (first year pro).

This is why they have been scouting teams particullary Calgary.

Ideally, someone in there early or mid 20's with pro experience.

 

[Schrute farms]

I don't think the Kings can truly contend unless PLD plays up to his potential and we get another goalie.

Hard to imagine a team with their #1 center and goalie both being 36 years old winning anything in June.

If it's this version of Talbot that we get for the playoffs, then i disagree. I think we could with this version. BUT it would also require that we get this version of Kopi and DD. I'm not sure any of those three are the same version come May/June...due to being overworked and age.

It also would require a different version of PLD (like you mentioned -- and which i 100% agree with).

 

[Fishhead]

I don't think the Kings can truly contend unless PLD plays up to his potential and we get another goalie.

Hard to imagine a team with their #1 center and goalie both being 36 years old winning anything in June.

I think the Kings are contending right now as is. If PLD plays up to his potential and we get a good backup the team is entering favorites territory.

I don't think age is a big deal outside of health reasons, Kopitar is a machine. Goalie is the big worry because there isn't an extra layer there.

 

[johnjm22]

I'm on the Mrazek + Raddysh bandwagon.

Playoff lineup:

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala-Danault-Arvidsson
Moore-PLD-Raddysh
Grundstrom-Lizotte-Laferriere
JAD, Turcotte, Lewis

Anderson-Doughty
Gavrikov-Roy
Englund-Spence
Bjornfot, Clarke

Talbot-Mrazek

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I think the Kings are contending right now as is. If PLD plays up to his potential and we get a good backup the team is entering favorites territory.

I don't think age is a big deal outside of health reasons, Kopitar is a machine. Goalie is the big worry because there isn't an extra layer there.

Careful with the bolded bud, I said that from day one and was blasted, because there was just no way this team was a contender, hell I even asked them to define a contender....no one really could or did, all they said was this team ain't it.....

 

[Johnny Utah]

If Kings add anything add the deadline it will be a bottom 6 gritty forward.

Englund is doing all the fighting and you can't depend on an almost 40 year old Lewis, a small Lizotte who gets pounded in the playoffs and Grundstrom, who had one great playoffs and completely disappeared the next.

 

[Statto]

If it's this version of Talbot that we get for the playoffs, then i disagree. I think we could with this version. BUT it would also require that we get this version of Kopi and DD. I'm not sure any of those three are the same version come May/June...due to being overworked and age.

It also would require a different version of PLD (like you mentioned -- and which i 100% agree with).

You have to think that #11 and #8 need to get the TOI down a bit more. Kopi is under 20 mins but 19 feels better and you’d have to think DD would benefit come the post season if they can drop a couple of minutes from his TOI also. Hopefully Spence can eat some additional minutes as the season progresses. If they can get to the start of the playoffs without being ground down we’d have a chance of going deep if things continue as they are.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

You have to think that #11 and #8 need to get the TOI down a bit more. Kopi is under 20 mins but 19 feels better and you’d have to think DD would benefit come the post season if they can drop a couple of minutes from his TOI also. Hopefully Spence can eat some additional minutes as the season progresses. If they can get to the start of the playoffs without being ground down we’d have a chance of going deep if things continue as they are.

Why? Kopitar's case, 19:45 minutes OA, 4 of those are on the PP.......

Doughty, 25:55 OA, and, 4 of those are on the PP....

There are hard ice times and easier.....not gonna say easy lol but less intense ice times, not sure why would need to drop those times...when things are working, taking JAD out of it, the spread of ice time is 19:45 to 10:42 over 12 forwards, that's pretty damn solid....D is more, 25:55 to 12:.....that one maybe can use a bit more tightening up, but where, right now you have Spence and Doughty on the PP, who do you put there instead of Doughty at this time?

 

[bmr]

With how well the Kings are playing, it got me thinking about how much of a bargain these contracts right now...

Adrian Kempe - $5.5 mill
Trevor Moore - $4.2 mill
Mikey Anderson - $4.125 mill
Cam Talbot - $1 mill
Andreas Englund - $1 mill

$3 million off the books next year for Kopitar and we have UFA status for Matt Roy at $3.15 mill and Victor Arvidsson at $4.25 mill. My guess is Clarke comes in for Roy and Arvidsson will be filled in with Laf/Turcotte. Curious how they are going to structure Byfield's contract. Dude is going to get paid. I would imagine they want to bridge him to when Kopitar leaves. I would expect Talbot to get a new contract but i'm not sure we would offer Copley anything less than the minimum. Lizotte, Grundstrom, Kaliyev, Lewis, AD and Spence are also going to need contracts. We still have retained salary (dead cap) with Provorov at $2.025 mill through 24-25.

 

[Kingfan1967]

With how well the Kings are playing, it got me thinking about how much of a bargain these contracts right now...

Adrian Kempe - $5.5 mill
Trevor Moore - $4.2 mill
Mikey Anderson - $4.125 mill
Cam Talbot - $1 mill
Andreas Englund - $1 mill

$3 million off the books next year for Kopitar and we have UFA status for Matt Roy at $3.15 mill and Victor Arvidsson at $4.25 mill. My guess is Clarke comes in for Roy and Arvidsson will be filled in with Laf/Turcotte. Curious how they are going to structure Byfield's contract. Dude is going to get paid. I would imagine they want to bridge him to when Kopitar leaves. I would expect Talbot to get a new contract but i'm not sure we would offer Copley anything less than the minimum. Lizotte, Grundstrom, Kaliyev, Lewis, AD and Spence are also going to need contracts. We still have retained salary (dead cap) with Provorov at $2.025 mill through 24-25.

Cap is rising next year, projected to be between $3-$4 million, and then again the following year, add in the savings from Kopitars new contract and LA should be able to manage the Cap next year (will still have a goalie problem, they may only have around $2.5 million to try to upgrade, in 2025-26 they get Provorov's $2 million ).

 

[YP44]

With how well the Kings are playing, it got me thinking about how much of a bargain these contracts right now...

Adrian Kempe - $5.5 mill
Trevor Moore - $4.2 mill
Mikey Anderson - $4.125 mill
Cam Talbot - $1 mill
Andreas Englund - $1 mill

$3 million off the books next year for Kopitar and we have UFA status for Matt Roy at $3.15 mill and Victor Arvidsson at $4.25 mill. My guess is Clarke comes in for Roy and Arvidsson will be filled in with Laf/Turcotte. Curious how they are going to structure Byfield's contract. Dude is going to get paid. I would imagine they want to bridge him to when Kopitar leaves. I would expect Talbot to get a new contract but i'm not sure we would offer Copley anything less than the minimum. Lizotte, Grundstrom, Kaliyev, Lewis, AD and Spence are also going to need contracts. We still have retained salary (dead cap) with Provorov at $2.025 mill through 24-25.

Kempe is such a steal and has been for a while. He needs to be talked about in the league best contracts more often.
Moore I was all for trading this past summer to make room for a goaltender. he (and Tlabot) are proving that would have been a very poor move.
Anderson, I loved that deal the day it was done
Talbot, I still maintain is a bandaid and not a permanent solution. I worry about as the season goes on still, but he has proven me wrong so far.
Englund,i had no expectations for and he has looked really good.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

With how well the Kings are playing, it got me thinking about how much of a bargain these contracts right now...

Adrian Kempe - $5.5 mill
Trevor Moore - $4.2 mill
Mikey Anderson - $4.125 mill
Cam Talbot - $1 mill
Andreas Englund - $1 mill

$3 million off the books next year for Kopitar and we have UFA status for Matt Roy at $3.15 mill and Victor Arvidsson at $4.25 mill. My guess is Clarke comes in for Roy and Arvidsson will be filled in with Laf/Turcotte. Curious how they are going to structure Byfield's contract. Dude is going to get paid. I would imagine they want to bridge him to when Kopitar leaves. I would expect Talbot to get a new contract but i'm not sure we would offer Copley anything less than the minimum. Lizotte, Grundstrom, Kaliyev, Lewis, AD and Spence are also going to need contracts. We still have retained salary (dead cap) with Provorov at $2.025 mill through 24-25.

Be careful…sounds like you are moving towards giving Blake some credit on how he’s built this team, we’ll have none of that here. Thanks.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Score adjusted Fenwick was the one stat that predicted us beating Vancouver back in 2012. So I put a lot of weight behind that.

 

[bland]

I think the Kings are contending right now as is. If PLD plays up to his potential and we get a good backup the team is entering favorites territory.

I don't think age is a big deal outside of health reasons, Kopitar is a machine. Goalie is the big worry because there isn't an extra layer there.

Kopitar (and Doughty last year) was a spent shell in each of the last two runs. Both resort to ultra conservative hockey when tired, and you need your best to push the pace to win a series.

The Kings are not contenders. They are in a hot run at the moment and the slightly reduced time for Anze should be a help, but they aren't winning anything yet. This team won't bridge that gap until their best players are from the new generation.

Let's reevaluate in late January and see how well things are going then. Good ride so far, but virtually everything has gone right. This hasn't been a resilient bunch over the last 5 years, so let's see how they deal with the inevitable issues that pop up.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I don't see anyone posting about this but Tobias Bjornfot got murdered and had to be stretchered off the ice tonight.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

He was apparently moving his extremities

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Turcotte took a headshot too but he's back.

It's all in the Reign thread above.

It's only a matter of time before Turcotte and Clarke get killed in that league. Every team has at least 1 goon if not 2-3 with no hope of anything in hockey but to try to make a name for themselves by overly physical play.

 

[Shellz]

I don't see anyone posting about this but Tobias Bjornfot got murdered and had to be stretchered off the ice tonight.

Really? You’re going to use the word murdered? Have a bit more respect.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Really? You’re going to use the word murdered? Have a bit more respect.

Destroyed? Hammered? Smooshed? Blown up?

 

[Statto]

Why? Kopitar's case, 19:45 minutes OA, 4 of those are on the PP.......

Doughty, 25:55 OA, and, 4 of those are on the PP....

There are hard ice times and easier.....not gonna say easy lol but less intense ice times, not sure why would need to drop those times...when things are working, taking JAD out of it, the spread of ice time is 19:45 to 10:42 over 12 forwards, that's pretty damn solid....D is more, 25:55 to 12:.....that one maybe can use a bit more tightening up, but where, right now you have Spence and Doughty on the PP, who do you put there instead of Doughty at this time?

Just their age, no more. I agree about the harder minutes and it’ll be less draining if we’re winning too. However I’m mindful that they both looked tired in the post season and they are a year older.

Don’t get my wrong, it’s not a big gripe I have here but given the whole roster is dialled in, it feels like the opportunity is there.

 

[kilowatt]

Turcotte took a headshot too but he's back.

It's all in the Reign thread above.

It's only a matter of time before Turcotte and Clarke get killed in that league. Every team has at least 1 goon if not 2-3 with no hope of anything in hockey but to try to make a name for themselves by overly physical play.

Who hit them? Are they UFAs? Englund has worked out well. Can they play in net?

 

[FSL KINGS]

Kopitar (and Doughty last year) was a spent shell in each of the last two runs. Both resort to ultra conservative hockey when tired, and you need your best to push the pace to win a series.

The Kings are not contenders. They are in a hot run at the moment and the slightly reduced time for Anze should be a help, but they aren't winning anything yet. This team won't bridge that gap until their best players are from the new generation.

Let's reevaluate in late January and see how well things are going then. Good ride so far, but virtually everything has gone right. This hasn't been a resilient bunch over the last 5 years, so let's see how they deal with the inevitable issues that pop up.

Um? Pheonix is struggling.
Fiala in a slump but still producing.
PLD is still adjusting to coach & linemates.
PP is off from last year.
Arvidsson out long term, from day one.
Kaliyev suspension & short roster to start the year.
Laferriere has offended the hockey gods & just hits posts.
One of the hardest schedules to start year
Can't win at home.
Faust no longer play by play.

Ok, not the last one.

Plenty has gone wrong.

 

[tkb81]

I don't think the Kings can truly contend unless PLD plays up to his potential and we get another goalie.

Hard to imagine a team with their #1 center and goalie both being 36 years old winning anything in June.

It was hard to imagine for most fans that blake could assemble a good team .. and well ... he did

Um? Pheonix is struggling.
Fiala in a slump but still producing.
PLD is still adjusting to coach & linemates.
PP is off from last year.
Arvidsson out long term, from day one.
Kaliyev suspension & short roster to start the year.
Laferriere has offended the hockey gods & just hits posts.
One of the hardest schedules to start year
Can't win at home.
Faust no longer play by play.

Ok, not the last one.

Plenty has gone wrong.

Some folks just dont wanna be happy ... haha not you .. great response to the everything has gone right post ... I mean lots of things have gone right .. thanks blake ... but it was a struggle for sure in the beginning

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Kopitar (and Doughty last year) was a spent shell in each of the last two runs. Both resort to ultra conservative hockey when tired, and you need your best to push the pace to win a series.

The Kings are not contenders. They are in a hot run at the moment and the slightly reduced time for Anze should be a help, but they aren't winning anything yet. This team won't bridge that gap until their best players are from the new generation.

Let's reevaluate in late January and see how well things are going then. Good ride so far, but virtually everything has gone right. This hasn't been a resilient bunch over the last 5 years, so let's see how they deal with the inevitable issues that pop up.

Readers beware...

You are the same guy that predicted us to miss the playoffs back in the summer -- this team will REALLY have to come back to earth for that prediction to stand.