Speculation: LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster Thread 2022-23 Season Part 2

[Ollie Weeks]

Flames-Vegas has Lewis and Toffoli vs Martinez and Quick.

Lotta guys from 2014 who were all on the ice for the last goal.

 

[Johnny Utah]

It’s a given this off season the Kings need to move one of Iaffalo/Arvidsson.

They also need to move on from one of Lizotte, Grundstrom or JAD.

In addition, they need to move Walker.

You make those moves, it gives Blake cap room, makes Kupari a full time NHL’er, gives Fagemo and Spence a chance.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

It’s a given this off season the Kings need to move one of Iaffalo/Arvidsson.

They also need to move on from one of Lizotte, Grundstrom or JAD.

In addition, they need to move Walker.

You make those moves, it gives Blake cap room, makes Kupari a full time NHL’er, gives Fagemo and Spence a chance.

But how will the Kings fit Matthews under the cap?

 

[Seattle King]

But how will the Kings fit Matthews under the cap?

That's the following offseason when Kopitar's contract has expired.
He would be smart to come here. Its as close to Arizona as you can get without having to actually play there.
And this team will be vastly superior to the Leafs in two years as well.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I have been thinking about this for awhile also, Matthews to LA.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Pasta & Fiala are pretty comical together, esp. in another language.

Fiala being an 18 certainly not too bad on the greens.

 

[kilowatt]

Flames-Vegas has Lewis and Toffoli vs Martinez and Quick.

Lotta guys from 2014 who were all on the ice for the last goal.

And if you want to take that a step further, Calgary has Lucic and Stetcher as well, while Vegas has Amadio and McNabb. 8 former Kings players between the two teams. Plus Sutter and LaBarbara on the Flames coaching staff and Stevens on the Knights.

 

[Herby]

Oof, you would piss off more Kings fans here than any fan from a team they’d beat with that narrative.

Wait, what?

I’m confused.

 

[kingsfan28]

Was thinking what would be the perfect scenario for the Kings for a story book ending....

Beat the Oilers in Rd 1. Tmac gets revenge over old team and last year.
Beat the Knights in Rd 2. Piss off Vegas and spoiler for Quick.
Beat the Avs Conf Finals. Eliminate former Cup Champs.

Beat Boston/Toronto or any NY team for the Cup.

Would be epic story line.

And the Main Board would say:
The Kings got lucky
They trapped their way to the Cup
Didn't have to face anyone
Teams A,B,C missing player X
McDavid had a better series than anyone on the Kings despite losing

and so on...

 

[lumbergh]

It's probably 'fair' but I sure wouldn't do it.

Need Vilardi's age and salary control. Toews will be 30 and looking for a payday.

On the pro side, the Kings would trade a player from a position of abundance for a player that would fill a giant hole, especially if Gavrikov doesn't sign. Blake can certainly fill out a deeeeeep forward line-up without Vilardi, but the LHD remains a problem.

Devon Toews is good on both ends of the ice, sporting the highest relative even strength goals for % in the league amongst defensemen (>2000 minutes played) over the past three years. Stanley Cup Champion last season, very good in the playoffs as well. His AAV is only $4.1M next season. Awesome under the radar player.

If the Kings make a one for one trade and don't sign Gavrikov, they could ice a team like this without cap problems:

Iafallo/Fiala-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala/Iafallo-Byfield-Kaliyev
Moore-Danault-Arvidsson
Grundstrom/JAD-Lizotte-Kupari

Anderson-Doughty
Toews-Roy
Clarke/Spence/Durzi/Walker

Copley/Korpisalo

Dynamite. Of course the Kings could just trade Durzi and Walker for picks and sign Vilardi and Gavrikov. That would be the preferable route.

 

[Piston]

Note how Copley's save % is starting to creep up and how Korpisalo's is at a career best (small sample size). The Kings are winning because they have 4 elite defensive d-men and their forwards are buying into the system. This team is going to be very tough to beat in the playoffs.

 

[LeftKinger]

Gavrikov was a better immediate fit for sure, JC would have been a better long-term fit with the age of the Kings best players and his contract terms. The Kings could very well be in a position where they are either forced to give Gabrikov big money and more concerning, big term to go along with it.

I just have a tough time getting behind 7-8 year deals for players who will be 28 years old. We should all have seen first hand what happens to players as they leave their prime.

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Thing with Gavrikov though is that it seems like his game will age well. I’d be good with a six year deal.

 

[kinghock]

On the pro side, the Kings would trade a player from a position of abundance for a player that would fill a giant hole, especially if Gavrikov doesn't sign. Blake can certainly fill out a deeeeeep forward line-up without Vilardi, but the LHD remains a problem.

Devon Toews is good on both ends of the ice, sporting the highest relative even strength goals for % in the league amongst defensemen (>2000 minutes played) over the past three years. Stanley Cup Champion last season, very good in the playoffs as well. His AAV is only $4.1M next season. Awesome under the radar player.

If the Kings make a one for one trade and don't sign Gavrikov, they could ice a team like this without cap problems:

Iafallo/Fiala-Kopitar-Kempe
Fiala/Iafallo-Byfield-Kaliyev
Moore-Danault-Arvidsson
Grundstrom/JAD-Lizotte-Kupari

Anderson-Doughty
Toews-Roy
Clarke/Spence/Durzi/Walker

Copley/Korpisalo

Dynamite. Of course the Kings could just trade Durzi and Walker for picks and sign Vilardi and Gavrikov. That would be the preferable route.

I would not trade still developing 23 years old Vilardi for 30 years old Devon Toews.

 

[Lt Dan]

The koala on a podcast talking about the run to the playoffs

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Note how Copley's save % is starting to creep up and how Korpisalo's is at a career best (small sample size). The Kings are winning because they have 4 elite defensive d-men and their forwards are buying into the system. This team is going to be very tough to beat in the playoffs.

I wonder how much of it has also been helped without Durzi's dumbass creating problems in their own zone.

 

[kilowatt]

Does anyone have GF and GA stats with and without Durzi this year?

 

[kinghock]

I wonder how much of it has also been helped without Durzi's dumbass creating problems in their own zone.

I wonder how much would it be helpful without Edler playing...

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Does anyone have GF and GA stats with and without Durzi this year?

can pull that pretty easily too but not good bob

 

[King'sPawn]

can pull that pretty easily too but not good bob

View attachment 670703

Which site do you get this from?

Either way, looking at it roughly, it appears:
JAD, Grundstrom, Iafallo, Kopitar, Kupari, Kempe, and Fiala are better without Durzi (5-on-5)
Kaliyev, Lizotte, Vilardi, Moore, Danault and Byfield are better with Durzi (5-on-5)

 

[Statto]

Thing with Gavrikov though is that it seems like his game will age well. I’d be good with a six year deal.

I’d go 8 if that’s what it takes given the likelihood of significant cap increases, the nature of his style aging and the option to buy out the last 2 years worst case. This is a move that sets a window of the next few years as the young guys mature so we need to maximise it. If the wheels fall off it’s probably moveable before he’s 31. He’s too good to let walk. It’s a gamble but a decent one to take because it’s probably a rebuild window in the last 2-3 years, so it’s a so what. You have to look at that big picture because we need him the next 3-4 years, end of story. They are not getting anyone better in that spot via FA or a trade. The will also know how well he looks after himself health and conditioning wise, which will be a factor.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Which site do you get this from?

Either way, looking at it roughly, it appears:
JAD, Grundstrom, Iafallo, Kopitar, Kupari, Kempe, and Fiala are better without Durzi (5-on-5)
Kaliyev, Lizotte, Vilardi, Moore, Danault and Byfield are better with Durzi (5-on-5)

hockeyviz

I would suspect some of those numbers are influenced by Edler too

ie the "without durzi" for the top guys usually means "with Doughty/Anderson" while for the bottom six it means "with Edler"

 

[Ollie Weeks]

^^^nobody is bad per se, with Durzi, but they certainly get better without.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Note the above is expected goals as well, not actual goals

Durzi is on the wrong side of the ledger and almost everyone is better without him in that regard

but again much like muzzin martinez we have yet to see what he can bring separate from Roy

Regardless with Edler on the bottom pairing it doesn't matter who is in, Walker, Spence, Durzi--if they're with him, the 3rd pairing is getting dummied.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Lizotte – Vilardi
Grundstrom – Kupari – Kaliyev

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Edler – Walker

Kings will have an issue when Fiala comes back. No way we ice a 4th line of Iafallo-Kupari-Kayilev.

Kings have too many LW's especially with moving Byfield to the wing. I think Moore's extension basically ended Iafallo's career as a King - basically the same player but 2 years younger.

 

[cyclones22]

Edler is so bad this season. He doesn't win board battles and makes bad passes. All he does now is pin the player to the boards and hope that a teammate comes to retrieve the puck. It's good to have that in your bag, but that's pretty much all he does now.