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

[Evgeny Oliker]

Anyone know what the Durzi injury is? How long will he be out?

 

[Statto]

Byfield has 1 goal and 3 assists in 12 professional games played this year, split between both the NHL and AHL. He is a combined -3 with a sub 50% faceoff percentage. He also can’t seem to stay healthy.

What about that suggests he’s excelling at the position in the pros?

I understand he’s young and still has time to turn it around, but this is not a player rapidly developing into a #1 center in the NHL. Again, he’s not even a #1 in the AHL. He has 1 goal and 0 assists in 4 games played in a lesser league.

Best thing for Byfield is to probably stay down in the AHL all season, find his offense again, and learn how to be a productive center on a game by game basis. If Byfield can’t be productive in the AHL he’ll never be productive in the NHL.

By the way, since everyone loves to point to Vilardi now as the quintessential late bloomer, Vilardi was essentially a PPG forward in the AHL in both 19/20 and 21/22 before his breakout this year in the NHL.

If he lost significant weight whilst I’ll and its been suggested that he has, then it could take a few weeks to get into proper game shape. I’m not worried about points at this point as the priority is getting him fully fit.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Byfield has 1 goal and 3 assists in 12 professional games played this year, split between both the NHL and AHL. He is a combined -3 with a sub 50% faceoff percentage. He also can’t seem to stay healthy.

@Sol should have taken my bet.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Tom Wilson for Iafallo and Byfield.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Trade Roy. Aim for a 1st & hope that team drops out of the playoffs. King's have Doughty, Clarke, Durzi with Spence fighting for a spot eventually. Blake, Todd don't seem to be interested in maximizing this roster right now so go ahead & move Roy now.

1st, short term 3C cap dump & maybe a struggling left handed blue line prospect, extra body in case of injury.

Kupari & Lizotte can fight over wing vs C on 4th line.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'd really be trying

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

with the first three lines getting roughly equal time and parts getting interchanged as the game calls for it. IE you can run a killer shutdown line with iafallo/Kopitar late in games to go with the Danault line.

Anderson/Doughty
Gavrikov/Clarke (Durzi)
Edler/Roy
(Clarke/Durzi/Walker depending on injuries)

Eventually Roy goes for Spence dependign on who goes in the Gavrikov trade. Edler goes and becomes Moverare next season.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Byfield and Clarke each got a goal today

 

[BringTheReign]

I'd really be trying

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

with the first three lines getting roughly equal time and parts getting interchanged as the game calls for it. IE you can run a killer shutdown line with iafallo/Kopitar late in games to go with the Danault line.

Anderson/Doughty
Gavrikov/Clarke (Durzi)
Edler/Roy
(Clarke/Durzi/Walker depending on injuries)

Eventually Roy goes for Spence dependign on who goes in the Gavrikov trade. Edler goes and becomes Moverare next season.

Yes please to all of this, though I'd still love to find a way to get Kaliyev more ES minutes. I wonder if a roster forward would be going the other way in a theoretical Gavrikov trade which could open up a slot.

 

[cyclones22]

Byfield and Clarke each got a goal today

Well it's good for QB to gain his confidence (and regain weight). Most of his goals for Ontario including these 2 during this stint have been in tight. Oftentimes he shows his hands by deking the hell out of the goaltender.

 

[All The Kings Men]

 

[Telos]

The identity is being created guys!

 

[FSL KINGS]

I'd really be trying

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

with the first three lines getting roughly equal time and parts getting interchanged as the game calls for it. IE you can run a killer shutdown line with iafallo/Kopitar late in games to go with the Danault line.

Anderson/Doughty
Gavrikov/Clarke (Durzi)
Edler/Roy
(Clarke/Durzi/Walker depending on injuries)

Eventually Roy goes for Spence dependign on who goes in the Gavrikov trade. Edler goes and becomes Moverare next season.

Forward group looks fine. Hopefully King's get through this 1 line patch soon. Also good that Vilardi hit a dry spell. Keep that AAV down.

That Defense only has Clarke that can move a puck quickly. Doughty can, but looks for the perfect play until there is no play. Roy is a good D, but can't help thinking it would be better with Durzi or Spence on the 3rd pair with Edler. King's need better transition. They have none right now.

Björnfot with no love.

 

[Sol]

The identity is being created guys!

Absolutely mind numbing how they seemingly think it’s okay that they don’t have one yet Lmaoo

 

[lumbergh]

Forward group looks fine. Hopefully King's get through this 1 line patch soon. Also good that Vilardi hit a dry spell. Keep that AAV down.

That Defense only has Clarke that can move a puck quickly. Doughty can, but looks for the perfect play until there is no play. Roy is a good D, but can't help thinking it would be better with Durzi or Spence on the 3rd pair with Edler. King's need better transition. They have none right now.

Björnfot with no love.

What's to love about Bjornfot right now? I haven't watched the Reign games, but it doesn't seem like he's standing out in any way down there.

 

[Steve Zissou]

 

[King'sPawn]

It's not a meritocracy. It's a paycheckocracy.

 

[Schrute farms]

Let me guess -- Red is bad? That chart looks like a girls' sorority bathroom trash can during that time of the month.

 

[Eagle Fang]

Tom Wilson for Iafallo and Byfield.

Well the team is soft as shit so while the players involved don't make sense, the premise does.

This has to be the softest most wanker challenged LA team I've ever seen since I first started watching back in '92. We don't need brawlers, but I really miss guys like Williams, Stoll, Greene, Richards.. hell, I even kind of miss Brown a little bit.

When 70 year old Alex Edler is your most physical player, that says something. Watching this team get creamed every game with no push back is pretty sad.

 

[Lt Dan]

Well the team is soft as shit so while the players involved don't make sense, the premise does.

This has to be the softest most wanker challenged LA team I've ever seen since I first started watching back in '92. We don't need brawlers, but I really miss guys like Williams, Stoll, Greene, Richards.. hell, I even kind of miss Brown a little bit.

When 70 year old Alex Edler is your most physical player, that says something. Watching this team get creamed every game with no push back is pretty sad.

This post has even more creedence coming from Eagle Fang!

We need need a brawler tho...

 

[AbsentMojo]

It's not a meritocracy. It's a paycheckocracy.

Koalacracy edit: forget to put the accents: Koa - lac' - ra -cy

 

[AbsentMojo]

It wouldnt surprise me in the least to find out they keep Walker to justify sending Clarke back to the O. Walker should be given walking papers. As others have mentioned, starting an ELC does not necessarily mean you will end up paying more in the long run - due to possible lower bridge contract.. i hope the ELC starting is not factoring into the decision process.

 

[Eagle Fang]

This post has even more creedence coming from Eagle Fang!

View attachment 610826


We need need a brawler tho...

Team needs more Coach Johnny!

 

[bland]

It's not a meritocracy. It's a paycheckocracy.

I can't ever recall a Kings team entering a season with "I dunno, let's see how it plays out" being the organizational course. Far too many of these decisions should have been made when camp broke, yet the same people are doing the same things that only kind of work without any semblance of a plan.

Three of the Kings five best defensemen can't crack the lineup while Edler and Walker play out their strings and they continue to ice two RHDs together despite continuously poor results. They left camp that way, how the hell can you CHOOSE this is the question.

 

[DoktorJeep]

BLuc’s “Plan” = The Emperor’s New Clothes

 

[King'sPawn]

I can't ever recall a Kings team entering a season with "I dunno, let's see how it plays out" being the organizational course. Far too many of these decisions should have been made when camp broke, yet the same people are doing the same things that only kind of work without any semblance of a plan.

Three of the Kings five best defensemen can't crack the lineup while Edler and Walker play out their strings and they continue to ice two RHDs together despite continuously poor results. They left camp that way, how the hell can you CHOOSE this is the question.

I'm "okay" with a "let's see how it plays out" approach contingent on some semblance of a plan when it yields poor results.

The Kings are more afraid of waiving Walker or Edler this year and losing them for nothing over possibly losing Bjornfot for nothing next year. The plan basically looks like "play the vets until someone is injured, then expect the youth to be ready to play."

Meanwhile, young players who make errors get punished with less ice time. Older players get more leeway to "figure it out".

I know there are many moving parts and I can appreciate that, but there's a lot of justifiable concerns and questions about their plan.