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

[Axl Rhoadz]

Yes, I have a thing for a player with a lethal arsenal of shots that is going to score a boatload of goals in the NHL, especially for a team that has a poor history of developing goal-scorers.

What would have been so wrong with addressing an organizational achilles with the two first round picks in 2019? Take Caufield at 5 and Kaliyev at 22. You have a right shot and a left shot forward with world class shooting ability that you really don’t have to develop that much, the shot translates from lower levels to the NHL better than strengths of Turcotte and Bjornfot do.

As far as better players, 4 months after the draft and with the jump in competition it was clear as day who the better player was.

@kingsfan28 , see what you started? We're going to have 4 pages of this now.

 

[Docgonzo]

Dang it, get Moore out of there lol.

I like Moore but I’m very skeptical that he’s more than just a 3rd liner that punched above his weight class and had a career year at 27.

 

[YAYSAY]

?? This is good news about Turcotte, we want him skating... we already knew he had a 'setback'...no?


How about the ball is in YOUR court. If you are putting Kaliyev in top 6, who are you playing him over?

I don't think so, sounds like he had a setback this summer from in his recovery from the concussion he got at the end of last season. At least that's how I'm comprehending that tweet.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I don't think so, sounds like he had a setback this summer from in his recovery from the concussion he got at the end of last season. At least that's how I'm comprehending that tweet.

Right, setback sucks, but we knew he had this when he didn't participate in the rookie tourney last month -- the fact that he is skating and close to real practices is great news.

 

[All The Kings Men]

So many people wrongly believe Fiala played with and was a product of Kaprizov

I have said and will continue to say... people that don't cover a specific team day in and day out don't know what they're talking about.

 

[FSL KINGS]

How did he blow it?

Don't know. Maybe Zach just out competed him for the job.

I'm stoked about this season. Kings have depth. Sucks that Vilardi & Kaliyev don't get bigger roles right away. That's fine. There will be injuries & the flu. Ardvidsson may need to take things slow coming off of surgery. Also expect Moore & Ardvidsson to be replaced in a few years. Cheap guys like Fagemo & Chromiak will fill in for guys like Vilardi & Kaliyev as they move up. It's ok for the guys to put in some hard work & be challenged.

Excited about Clarke. Even if they play him 40-60 games this year, it's still better than sending him back to Canada.

Goal is an issue. Just find a team that has a starter & looking to go full rebuild. If Cal doesn't recover trade him for a starter. Looking at WPG.

 

[Ebbert]

What happens with Tobias Bjornfot ?

 

[KingsFan7824]

It's pretty clear they don't care about "proper" spots for the young guys. If they did, Danault, Arvidsson, and Fiala wouldn't be here. They want depth. They want options.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

It's pretty clear they don't care about "proper" spots for the young guys. If they did, Danault, Arvidsson, and Fiala wouldn't be here. They want depth. They want options.

All teams do, welcome to reality.

 

[kingsfan28]

Yes, I have a thing for a player with a lethal arsenal of shots that is going to score a boatload of goals in the NHL, especially for a team that has a poor history of developing goal-scorers.

What would have been so wrong with addressing an organizational achilles with the two first round picks in 2019? Take Caufield at 5 and Kaliyev at 22. You have a right shot and a left shot forward with world class shooting ability that you really don’t have to develop that much, the shot translates from lower levels to the NHL better than strengths of Turcotte and Bjornfot do.

As far as better players, 4 months after the draft and with the jump in competition it was clear as day who the better player was.

Because you never draft for need, [see Tuebert, Colten] and he was NOT the BPA, not even close. You're a smart guy and know this. You draft for need, you fail. As I pointed out, nobody's risking a top 5 pick on a 5-6 125 pound wildcard. If your gonna really take a risk that high you take Spenser Knight the goalie and roll the dice.

The Kings still got Kaliev , one of the two best snipers in that draft, yet you keep acting like they didn't. He fell to us, we got him. the end. Sit back and watch his maturation like they rest of us, his day will come.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Don't know. Maybe Zach just out competed him for the job.

Considering the disparity in the quality of work product, the likelihood of that is 0%. Rosen got let got right as the pandemic was underway and the economic future of the world was very much in doubt. AEG is a business. Rosen is much more qualified for the job than Dooley, and it's not crazy to think his salary at that point was greater than what they had to pay/are paying Dooley.

 

[bland]

It's pretty clear they don't care about "proper" spots for the young guys. If they did, Danault, Arvidsson, and Fiala wouldn't be here. They want depth. They want options.

Mediocrity isn't a step on the way to success, its a plateau that must be overcome. You don't succeed by fattening up the middle of the lineup to try and overcome the short falls at the top of the lineup and the lack of production from cost-controlled assets.

Doesn't matter how many Danaults, Arvidssons or Fialas you bring in if your top players are in the bottom half of their positions and your kids aren't producing yet. Its a false dawn, and the results last year and likely this year will reflect that. Sure, the simplest (tru) fans will think "better" means improvement, but if that is your teams goal you are going to be disappointed. The Kings bought a playoff spot last year, they didn't earn it organically, and that is how you really improve to contender status.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Considering the disparity in the quality of work product, the likelihood of that is 0%. Rosen got let got right as the pandemic was underway and the economic future of the world was very much in doubt. AEG is a business. Rosen is much more qualified for the job than Dooley, and it's not crazy to think his salary at that point was greater than what they had to pay/are paying Dooley.

It's good to get some new younger blood in there. Rosen always gave me Mayor vibes. Zach seems like more a man of the people.

 

[bland]

Because you never draft for need, [see Tuebert, Colten] and he was NOT the BPA, not even close. You're a smart guy and know this. You draft for need, you fail. As I pointed out, nobody's risking a top 5 pick on a 5-6 125 pound wildcard. If your gonna really take a risk that high you take Spenser Knight the goalie and roll the dice.

The Kings still got Kaliev , one of the two best snipers in that draft, yet you keep acting like they didn't. He fell to us, we got him. the end. Sit back and watch his maturation like they rest of us, his day will come.

Thing is, everybody drafting that early IS drafting for need - maybe not a need for your immediate roster, even though top 5 picks generally are immediately in the lineup, but a need for the organization. If you are drafting in the second half of the first round then maybe you have the luxury of taking the mythical best player available, but those are generally teams that don't have holes so glaring that you don't need to address them via the draft.

No way in hell would I have drafted Caufield at #5, you don't take a limited one-way weapon when you have the need and opportunity to improve the spine of your roster. Things have worked out just as poorly as you could have imagined for Turcotte, but he was (literally) a head and shoulders above Caufield at that time.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

It's good to get some new younger blood in there. Rosen always gave me Mayor vibes. Zach seems like more a man of the people.

Vibes. Got it.

 

[head eyes]

It's good to get some new younger blood in there. Rosen always gave me Mayor vibes. Zach seems like more a man of the people.

Zach gives me kinda gullible doofus, brown-noser vibes. He's a nice guy for sure, but every question he asks is a slow-pitch softball lob of a question. He's very afraid of making TM mad with a question that has any sort of negative connotations. Rosen at least had some bite.

Speaking of Rosen, looks like his new site is up.

Forum Report

with Jon Rosen

theforumreport.com

 

[Sausages]

It's a great roster...... and still work in progress.

Let's preempt any unjust slagging off of Blake and co.

The rest is up to the coach and players.

Feel like Kopitar's career will bookend 2 great Kings eras.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Mediocrity isn't a step on the way to success, its a plateau that must be overcome. You don't succeed by fattening up the middle of the lineup to try and overcome the short falls at the top of the lineup and the lack of production from cost-controlled assets.

Doesn't matter how many Danaults, Arvidssons or Fialas you bring in if your top players are in the bottom half of their positions and your kids aren't producing yet. Its a false dawn, and the results last year and likely this year will reflect that. Sure, the simplest (tru) fans will think "better" means improvement, but if that is your teams goal you are going to be disappointed. The Kings bought a playoff spot last year, they didn't earn it organically, and that is how you really improve to contender status.

Right, there are normal fans, and championship fans. The normies are easily distracted.

We all want the Cup. Relax. Did the Kings earn a playoff spot organically before bringing in Smyth, Williams, and Scuderi? No.

This was never a traditional rebuild. It couldn't be, because they weren't clearing out the guys who had long contracts. Because they couldn't. It doesn't happen in reality. They were never in the same boat as Chi this year. So they're brining the young guys along slowly. It'll work, or it won't.

 

[King'sPawn]

The writing was on the wall when they got Fiala. Also before preseason the thought was Fagemo and Vilardi had a path to the top six in Arvidssons place and Kaliyev didnt get a look. At least the Kings bottom six this year has some serious potential.
Like others have said there is a weird accountability standard. Vilardi has a short leash, Kaliyev and Kupari it doesnt really matter how good they play they will not be rewarded unless theres an injury, Walker and Iafallo dont have to outplay anyone but will be given every opportunity to get going. Clarke sitting for Walker is pretty whacky.

There are several red flags though, and it's literally a retread of last year:
- some people saying that Kaliyev hasn't "earned" it. With the preseason they had, what more do they have to do? Why aren't we talking about Kempe's lackadaisical play "not earning" a top roster spot?
- how much ice time are they going to get? Will it once more be a "hope they get double digits in minutes"?

If the Kings want to claim and act like a rebuild is is over, then it's time to put the pieces acquired in the rebuild into key roles. Putting prospects into middling roles while still leaning on the vets is the exact same shit as last year.

We've seen all this before which is why we're concerned now.

Then, of course, when things go wrong, the line will be "punished" with reduced time. After all, they're learning. The vets can screw up or be underwhelming, and they won't get punished the same way. Instead, they'll be "given time to work through it."

Don't know. Maybe Zach just out competed him for the job.

If you don't know why they let him go, how can you say he blew it?

 

[AbsentMojo]

Considering the disparity in the quality of work product, the likelihood of that is 0%. Rosen got let got right as the pandemic was underway and the economic future of the world was very much in doubt. AEG is a business. Rosen is much more qualified for the job than Dooley, and it's not crazy to think his salary at that point was greater than what they had to pay/are paying Dooley.

Speculation: maybe because Rosen was not a homer, he ruffled some feathers at AEG.. the guy called it straight.. very rare these days.

 

[crassbonanza]

It's good to get some new younger blood in there. Rosen always gave me Mayor vibes. Zach seems like more a man of the people.

For me personally, I have pretty much stopped looking at LAKI since Rosen left. The quality went so far down that it wasn't even worth going anymore.

 

[tny760]

Speculation: maybe because Rosen was not a homer, he ruffled some feathers at AEG.. the guy called it straight.. very rare these days.

was he really ruffling feathers though? guess it's impossible to say for sure, definitely was a low-bullshit writer though. i liked his content and like @crassbonanza says i don't waste my time with that site any more. hammond to rosen was mostly horizontal, rosen to.. org mouthpieces was a step off a cliff

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Interesting interview with Blake on new KOTP episode. Haven’t finished all of it, but some good questions being thrown his way.

 

[57special]

Yeah - they really need to dive a little deeper into the analytics. That being said, Kaprizov probably took a lot more of the tough defensive matchups off Fiala and allowed him more time in the offensive zone. Just based on the small sample size of what i've seen so far from Fiala- I love his work ethic and his ability to get dirty in the corners. He also has shown some chemistry with Kempe and has that additional layer of speed. His shot is great - how many times have we seen a player score on a backhand like he did? We've had very few players that are capable of that shot. Gaborik in his prime I think is a good comparable.

I disagree with those of you who think Kopitar will take a step back this year in terms of scoring. I think he's actually going to ramp back up to over 70 points. Kempe has really grown as a player and Fiala is like nothing they've ever had on that line.


We are so stacked on the right side, it's not even funny. It's why i'm not even stressed about losing Faber. Getting Fiala was such a boon for this team. He's exactly what we needed. I will be really stoked if we see 3 things this year:

1. Trade for a legit/bonafide LHD that is also big/mobile
2. See a big step forward with our younger group of prospects
3. Add another legit goaltending prospect

Fiala almost never played with Kaprizov, excpet on the PP in the least year he was in MN, and even then it took a while. Fiala is, IMO, a better defensive player than Kaprizov. Last year he volunteered to go on the PK, and he was really good at it.

Fiala is really talented both physically and skill wise. Probably a bit faster than Kaprzov, and might have as good of a shot. The separator between the two is that Kaprizov has superstar intangibles in spades, while Fiala is merely a star. Also, Kaprizov got to play with a good complimentary player (Zuccarello) in almost all of his time in MN, while Fiala played with absolute shite until the rookie, Boldy, showed up halfway through last year.

 

[kingsfan28]

Thing is, everybody drafting that early IS drafting for need - maybe not a need for your immediate roster, even though top 5 picks generally are immediately in the lineup, but a need for the organization. If you are drafting in the second half of the first round then maybe you have the luxury of taking the mythical best player available, but those are generally teams that don't have holes so glaring that you don't need to address them via the draft.

No way in hell would I have drafted Caufield at #5, you don't take a limited one-way weapon when you have the need and opportunity to improve the spine of your roster. Things have worked out just as poorly as you could have imagined for Turcotte, but he was (literally) a head and shoulders above Caufield at that time.

Exactly. I get what you're saying about need , but I was being more general at picking a guy ranked mid-low with a very high pick, when much more talented guys were there. Caufield wasn't even close to a top 5 pick . And even the smartest guys on this board couldn't have predicted Turrcotte's problems with health and injuries. Just bad luck. Let's hope he get through the concussion problem and can resume playing again.