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

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johnjm22 said:
People complain about the state of the franchise and it's direction, but the truth is most fans, including most posters around here, don't have the patience to see a rebuild through.

Prior to last year, people had had enough with the losing. Even though losing/tanking is exactly what LA should have been doing, and should have continued to do. Instead they acquired Danault and Arvidsson.
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If a rebuild had been truly committed to after the abomination that was 2015, we would look a whole lot more like a contender than we do now. I had plenty of patience to hang around for those lean years, and I’ll surely hang on for the ones to come.

The prize for staving off a true rebuild in that timespan? Zero playoff series wins and a Dustin Brown statue.
 
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GoldenBearHockey said:
Fiala, no, not his game.
Vilardi, ok, I can see that
Grundstrom, not really his game, but he can do that,
Kopitar, his game is more controlled possession, he rarely takes away the puck from someone....EDIT I might be wrong on him, he's got the 3rd most takeways on the team.....I never viewed that as his game however
Moore
Danault, no, his game is in front of the net....
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That's not Fiala's "game," but you're crazy if you don't think he's a good board battler, he's all about controlling the puck and fighting for every inch of ice before he dishes it off, same with Kopi. It's not JUST about board battles and takeaways that a complimentary player needs to do for Kaliyev to succeed.
Definitely Grundstom's game, he's one of the only players we have who goes in hard on the forecheck and checks the D off the puck, he literally did exactly that and dished it off to Kaliyev in pre-season.
Danault maybe isn't the best at that kind of stuff but he does so many other things well that he'd help Kaliyev immensely by letting him focus more on offense since Danault does so much defensively.

Another player I forgot is Iafallo.
 
In a change of subject…

0A661B79-590E-467F-907A-85D6FEC569D3.jpeg


Finally got the arm done, including the 2 cups (plus other eclectic stuff)… next up the Suger Skull in my avatar
 
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Some weird statements here.

I think as fans we’re probably the most patient with a rebuild since we’re used to having a bad franchise. Some hyperbole being thrown around here about the growing frustration with the team that I will simplify to cut through these weird caricatures.

1. Kopitar and Doughty problem - at first we were all happy to have them be a part of the rebuild as mentors for the new players but that never happened because Kopitar and Doughty didn’t transition into support players. The way they were played as if the Kings were focused on winning rather than letting the youth get experience from high pressure moments. For example, Vilardi does not get OT time while Arvidsson and Moore does.

2. Next issue is asset management as a whole. We have players like Walker and Edler suppressing players like Spence and Clarke. We have a ton of RD that Blake for some reason didn’t trade for LD or improve the goaltending that struggled heavily. Both who are an easy upgrade over the current two in the line up. Coaching and or management, but the way they deploy these players is gross.

3. Drafting and development. It’s no shock or surprise that this issue pops up. How much of it has to do with Kopitar and Doughty eating a ton of ice time , I’m not sure, however the drafting and development has been abysmal. Byfield, injuries and age excuse don’t really explain why he just doesn’t ever look impressive. To the unknown fan you would never guess he was a second overall pick. 3rd or 4th rounder at best. Adrian Kempe “Success Story” the only player who supposedly developed but took like what 6 years? Had one really good season but is back to dogging it again. Had an anomaly season. Now Vilardi, I think he’s the miracle of this team. There’s nothing to indicate the team is responsible for this growth, but he’s the only player who’s looked talented that is growing. Through the entire rebuild and top picks, the Kings are looking at Vilardi and Clarke being by far the best players.

4. Identity. This one probably pisses me off the most. I swear to god if anyone of you could tell me what it’s certainty what the identity of this team is, you wouldn’t be able to. It blows my mind that we’re in 3 years, nearly 4 with Tmac and I have no idea what the team is wanting to play like. Blake doesn’t even know either. That’s absolutely ridiculous that Seattle established a team identity while only being 2 seasons old. And the Kings have ZERO identity.


To summarize, we’re patient as fans but there’s plenty of evidence that implicates that there are issues with drafting and development. Massive Issues with coaching for sure. And lack of aggressiveness from Blake to get a goalie and Ld when it’s been a super weak position for over a year. rebuild is fine but when you rebuild incorrectly that’s when the distrust will naturally happen. The team has so many question marks.


People don’t realize how close the Kings are to imploding if they keep this direction towards nothingness.
 
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This team's identity is this:

- overall good skating
- active stick/puck hound for a forecheck but rarely anything in the way of a body check
- frustrate other team by always turning the other cheek...draw penalties
- rarely, if ever, stand up for one another.

All of this to say that the team's identity is bland, the adjective and not the poster. Blake and Co. have come in and gone the exact opposite of Lombardi's build which was to embrace skating and skill over size. It is a "New NHL" team but several years ahead of its time because the game still has more edge to it than this team has: and that is from the NHL level on down to the lowest level of the pipeline.

They can roll four lines and generally not feel like they are going to get abused. If the power play was any good, this would be a pretty nice T-Mac regular season team. Kings are bottom 10 in PP% but Top 10 in power play goals scored.

The problem is you can get away with being a playoff team in the regular season with this style of play but you aren't going to win anything in the playoffs. It's not about fighters and goons: this is a team that has problems absorbing clean, playoff level hits while having nobody that is going to inflict punishment on the other team.

I like this team's chances in a non-contact beer league but they are severely capped as currently constructed.
 
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BigKing said:
This team's identity is this:

- overall good skating
- active stick/puck hound for a forecheck but rarely anything in the way of a body check
- frustrate other team by always turning the other cheek...draw penalties
- rarely, if ever, stand up for one another.

All of this to say that the team's identity is bland, the adjective and not the poster. Blake and Co. have come in and gone the exact opposite of Lombardi's build which was to embrace skating and skill over size. It is a "New NHL" team but several years ahead of its time because the game still has more edge to it than this team has: and that is from the NHL level on down to the lowest level of the pipeline.

They can roll four lines and generally not feel like they are going to get abused. If the power play was any good, this would be a pretty nice T-Mac regular season team. Kings are bottom 10 in PP% but Top 10 in power play goals scored.

The problem is you can get away with being a playoff team in the regular season with this style of play but you aren't going to win anything in the playoffs. It's not about fighters and goons: this is a team that has problems absorbing clean, playoff level hits while having nobody that is going to inflict punishment on the other team.

I like this team's chances in a non-contact beer league but they are severely capped as currently constructed.
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It’s insane they have zero identity. Like how is it possible that the media isn’t told what their identity is. If there was one we’d know about it for sure. Also, the fact the Kings have only one Left handed defenseman. Imagine saying the Kings defense sucks all the while Blake sits on his hands with all these right handed defenseman and isn’t making packages for left handed ones. That’s mind blowing to me. The defense is trash and Blake is very much responsible for it first before any of the other defenseman get scrutinized. People talking shit about Durzi while Blake is the one who put him in a position to fail
 
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It's the year 2024 at the start of the '24-'25 season. HFBoards Kings fans have staged a hostile takeover of AEG Sports and seized control of the LA Kings. Rob Blake is loaned out to work at a surf shop in Manhattan Beach, and Todd McClellan is now the world's first person to train pandas to play ice hockey. As the puck drops at the home opener, a hungry Kings team takes the ice coached by longtime friends Sol and Axl Rhoadz, with co-general managers KingsPawn and Racoon Jesus...

Turcotte - Byfield - Fiala
Vilardi - Danault - Kaliyev
Kempe - Kopitar - Moore
Lee - Helenius - Grundstrom
*A fast-enough face-puncher

Anderson - Clarke
Gavrikov - Doughty
Bjornfot - Spence
*Sparkes

The Ghost of Dan Cloutier
Petersen
 
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My guess is the lack of a true team/organizational identity to foster itself on the ice is partially (probably wholly) due to Blake's inexperience as a GM and overall team building. Maybe he learns this (hopefully soon)...or maybe he just doesn't have that ability/skill to do so or recognize the importance as such.
 
BringTheReign said:
It's the year 2024 at the start of the '24-'25 season. HFBoards Kings fans have staged a hostile takeover of AEG Sports and seized control of the LA Kings. Rob Blake is loaned out to work at a surf shop in Manhattan Beach, and Todd McClellan is now the world's first person to train pandas to play ice hockey. As the puck drops at the home opener, a hungry Kings team takes the ice coached by longtime friends Sol and Axl Rhoadz, with co-general managers KingsPawn and Racoon Jesus...

Turcotte - Byfield - Fiala
Vilardi - Danault - Kaliyev
Kempe - Kopitar - Moore
Lee - Helenius - Grundstrom
*A fast-enough face-puncher

Anderson - Clarke
Gavrikov - Doughty
Bjornfot - Spence
*Sparkes

The Ghost of Dan Cloutier
Petersen
Click to expand...
Maybe you’ve never seen it but in this realm you speak of Rob Blake becomes the emperor of Waste Management as the prophecy foretold when he laid on the ice next to the ad. I can never find that photo ever again. Lol
 
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Trash Panda said:
If a rebuild had been truly committed to after the abomination that was 2015, we would look a whole lot more like a contender than we do now. I had plenty of patience to hang around for those lean years, and I’ll surely hang on for the ones to come.

The prize for staving off a true rebuild in that timespan? Zero playoff series wins and a Dustin Brown statue.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but no one knows that for certain. If the Kings tanked and had top 5 picks in 6 of those 7 years since 2005, including multiple #1's would they? Didn't work for Edmonton. Florida had a ton during that same era, still haven't made it past the 2nd round. The Islanders had a bunch of top 5 picks in that timeframe as well and were the best of that bunch, but they never made it to the final even with Trotz at the helm. Now they are trending down again.

Who of those teams are closer to contending than the Kings? I would say the NYI are the only one and to be honest they are in about the same spot. Florida is old, too. Quick and Edler's contracts run out after this season, if they go the Kings will be among the league's youngest teams. Rebuilds are hard, and no matter what path is chosen things can get screwed up. There are certainly no absolutes. I take heart in the fact that they haven't completely screwed this one up.
 
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Sol said:
Maybe you’ve never seen it but in this realm you speak of Rob Blake becomes the emperor of Waste Management as the prophecy foretold when he laid on the ice next to the ad. I can never find that photo ever again. Lol
Click to expand...

They have 100% scoured the internet of that photo lol

I know exactly what you mean
 
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GoldenBearHockey said:
Kaliyev need someone on his line who can go into corners, dig pucks out, win those board battles, while he hangs out in the slot, the circles etc, and is ready for that kind of shot etc....

Now...WHO on the team does that?
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Iafallo.

It's why I think if Kaliyev really fits somewhere outside the 4th it's with AI and Kopitar.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
Was it, though?

He was thriving in those roles until his rough injury. And unfortunately his game was/is predicated on mobility. We wont see him at his best again until later this season/next season if at all.

I think most people had him pegged as a good second pairing guy and for a guy who took some shifts next to Doughty and didn't look out of place I think that's fair. Walker's biggest 'problem' in general, at leats up till the injury, was not having one standout characteristic. His versatility is what makes him useful...but not anymore on this roster since we're 3D printing 5'11ish 200lb ish goodish skating #4-#6 RHDs.
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Lol 3D printing. Re Walker - why does anyone think he belongs on this roster? He is like 5th in line for 2 RHD spots. I agree not to wally pip guys.. but thats assuming he hasnt been past by his pre-injury former self... he has been passed by. Blake is like a guy with a stuffy nose that refuse to blow his snot and would rather snort inside and swallow it.
 
Trash Panda said:
If a rebuild had been truly committed to after the abomination that was 2015, we would look a whole lot more like a contender than we do now. I had plenty of patience to hang around for those lean years, and I’ll surely hang on for the ones to come.

The prize for staving off a true rebuild in that timespan? Zero playoff series wins and a Dustin Brown statue.
Click to expand...

DL wasn't going to start a rebuild when he still had Kopitar and Doughty on good contracts, and a 2 time champ within a then 4 year span. It's the same crazy idea as trading Kopitar when the Kings were a top 5 overall team in 15-16 at the time of his re-signing.

It doesn't matter how smart it would've been to do. No team is doing either one of those.
 
BringTheReign said:
It's the year 2024 at the start of the '24-'25 season. HFBoards Kings fans have staged a hostile takeover of AEG Sports and seized control of the LA Kings. Rob Blake is loaned out to work at a surf shop in Manhattan Beach, and Todd McClellan is now the world's first person to train pandas to play ice hockey. As the puck drops at the home opener, a hungry Kings team takes the ice coached by longtime friends Sol and Axl Rhoadz, with co-general managers KingsPawn and Racoon Jesus...

Turcotte - Byfield - Fiala
Vilardi - Danault - Kaliyev
Kempe - Kopitar - Moore
Lee - Helenius - Grundstrom
*A fast-enough face-puncher

Anderson - Clarke
Gavrikov - Doughty
Bjornfot - Spence
*Sparkes

The Ghost of Dan Cloutier
Petersen
Click to expand...
Can I be in charge of the ice girls?
 
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