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

[Statto]

The only player in the franchise who could conceivably take over #1 C in the next three years is Byfield. No one else is close. Vilardi is no more of an NHL center than Fiala is.

Whether or not Byfield actually does that is anyone’s guess. But he’s the only one.

I think that’s fair and. Looking down the road, I think it’s right to be playing Turcotte at wing currently, but he is the one that could move inside to play 2/3C at some stage in the future. He’s hot both the IQ and mobility to do so, but I’m happy he’s currently on QB’s wing.

I closely followed Vilardi even before he was drafted as he’s my kind of cerebral player. He played both C and W very well and was slighty more dangerous at wing for me. I thought he could play C in the NHL but I think wing is his best position with the skating being the main issue. I certainly wouldn’t be changing things now though as he has only just started putting it together. He needs a full settled season at W so he can fully establish himself. Once that happens then maybe give moving him back to C some thought, but definitely not now. Lots can change in a year or two, so they don’t need to think too far ahead on this one.

 

[tigermask48]

Can someone catch me up and clarify something?

TMac makes comments about players in Ontario being upset that they should be in the NHL and upset about a lack of ice time and throwing shade at Blake... But he is the one running Kopitar, Doughty, Quick into the ground and not making lineups changes right? So what gives?

He's unhappy with Blake not giving him better players but he isn't using the younger players that he has? So... trying to justify what poor job he's doing with this team?

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Can someone catch me up and clarify something?

TMac makes comments about players in Ontario being upset that they should be in the NHL and upset about a lack of ice time and throwing shade at Blake... But he is the one running Kopitar, Doughty, Quick into the ground and not making lineups changes right? So what gives?

He's unhappy with Blake not giving him better players but he isn't using the younger players that he has? So... trying to justify what poor job he's doing with this team?

What exactly did he say? I cannot find the quote. Thanks in advance.

 

[ibleedkings]

What exactly did he say? I cannot find the quote. Thanks in advance.

I believe @All The Kings Men posted a link somewhere here a few days ago. I was pretty surprised hearing what TM said.

 

[tigermask48]

Yeah link is back on page 62 or 63 of this thread.

 

[HookKing]

I'm betting it was Copley and Villalta.

 

[kilowatt]

https://la-kings-insider.simplecast.com/episodes/la-kings-game-night-11-29-vs-sea-UCz6B_yR

23:50 minute mark

Here's the link

 

[Fishhead]

Speaking of Villalta, what happened? He's playing well consistently for the first time in his career.

Just on a hot streak or is he potentially a late bloomer that needed more time to put it together?

 

[Kudelski37]

Speaking of Villalta, what happened? He's playing well consistently for the first time in his career.

Just on a hot streak or is he potentially a late bloomer that needed more time to put it together?

Shhh...don't jinx it.

 

[All The Kings Men]

you guys are gonna get me in trouble lol

 

[kilowatt]

you guys are gonna get me in trouble lol

Todd's the one that said it, you are simply doing your duty to us as fans by reporting what he said, no? It's not like he texted you info off the record and you published it.

 

[bland]

Can someone catch me up and clarify something?

TMac makes comments about players in Ontario being upset that they should be in the NHL and upset about a lack of ice time and throwing shade at Blake... But he is the one running Kopitar, Doughty, Quick into the ground and not making lineups changes right? So what gives?

He's unhappy with Blake not giving him better players but he isn't using the younger players that he has? So... trying to justify what poor job he's doing with this team?

Thats adding 2 and 2 and getting 4,000 there.

McLellan said that there are always kids who think they should be with the team and used himself as an example. He alluded to the fact that there are a lot of options here and some of them are getting fed up with waiting behind players that are here just for contractual reasons.

He didn't say a damn thing about not being able to play the roster he wanted. We are taking that information and discussing it as fans, and its natural to come to the conclusions you mentioned because we have been noticing it for a full year now.

 

[Maynard]

Thats adding 2 and 2 and getting 4,000 there.

McLellan said that there are always kids who think they should be with the team and used himself as an example. He alluded to the fact that there are a lot of options here and some of them are getting fed up with waiting behind players that are here just for contractual reasons.

He didn't say a damn thing about not being able to play the roster he wanted. We are taking that information and discussing it as fans, and its natural to come to the conclusions you mentioned because we have been noticing it for a full year now.

I listened to it and I didn’t hear it as any kind of jab at anyone. He basically said that players are mad because they’re in the minors waiting behind other guys, and they think THEY should be getting those opportunities. Not the least bit controversial.

 

[Telos]

Pretty much. TMac didn't indicate anything on his part other than prospects can have frustration with their playtime, believing they should be called up, and that they are better than some of the options on the current roster. He said that through his discussions with Sturm there is a little of that in Ontario. He talked about players thinking, using himself as an example, that they will just go somewhere else when their contract expires, etc, but that your best shot at making the league and a career is always with your first team.

It was a reasonable answer, it just hinted that he is aware that there are frustrations brewing in Ontario. There are players that are in that category. I mean, this is a brain-dead realization as we are logjammed to hell, these kids and their parents have sacrificed a lot to get them here, and in pro sports, your chance could be silenced just by randomly going to a team that doesn't have a spot or gives you the opportunity to try, but it is the first time someone in coaching or management addressed prospect management or frustration specifically in regard to their utilization or delayed deployment in any way whatsoever.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Kings made it into top 10 PP league-wide... not sure when was the last time you could say that

 

[tigermask48]

I listened to it and I didn’t hear it as any kind of jab at anyone. He basically said that players are mad because they’re in the minors waiting behind other guys, and they think THEY should be getting those opportunities. Not the least bit controversial.

There is another sound bite at about 28 mins where TMac says there's a whole group of guys down there that think they are in Ontario only because other guys have one-way contracts.
That is more the clip I was talking about.
He takes about it being Marco and management's job to talk to those players, then corrects himself and says "no, it's Marco" that handles that.

 

[head eyes]

Kings made it into top 10 PP league-wide... not sure when was the last time you could say that

And of course now our PK is awful at 26th. Funny how last season the sentiment was "if they can just improve their PP to the league average we'll easily make the playoffs" only now our PK and bad defense in general has cost us points.

 

[AbsentMojo]

And of course now our PK is awful at 26th. Funny how last season the sentiment was "if they can just improve their PP to the league average we'll easily make the playoffs" only now our PK and bad defense in general has cost us points.

And that makes no sense since the personnel is basically the same - clearly its the system right?

 

[YAYSAY]

Kings made it into top 10 PP league-wide... not sure when was the last time you could say that

Looks like getting rid of Sturm and realizing Kaliyev has the best shot on the team did help

 

[KingTech]

Hiller deserves a lot of credit now can we get our pk there?

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I hope it’s not Byfield complaining. The AHL is helping him. He has not earned the right to bitch about NHL playing time. Spence, on the other hand is likely our third best defenseman in the organization right now.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I hope it’s not Byfield complaining. The AHL is helping him. He has not earned the right to bitch about NHL playing time. Spence, on the other hand is likely our third best defenseman in the organization right now.

I doubt it given it's a conditioning assignment. He's not 'there' like Spence, Fagemo are especially (but others too including turcotte madden)

And of course now our PK is awful at 26th. Funny how last season the sentiment was "if they can just improve their PP to the league average we'll easily make the playoffs" only now our PK and bad defense in general has cost us points.

It is a bummer but if the PK can simply not be AWFUL and the PP stays top 10 that bodes well.

Last year we were the only playoff team with BOTh special teams in the toilet

Every playoff team had at least one top tier special team, either PP or PK, even if the other was 'just' mediocre. And it often went along with the team's identity (like 2018 Kings' elite PK).

But then--that has been the problem with the team's identity too...

 

[kings11]

There is another sound bite at about 28 mins where TMac says there's a whole group of guys down there that think they are in Ontario only because other guys have one-way contracts.
That is more the clip I was talking about.
He takes about it being Marco and management's job to talk to those players, then corrects himself and says "no, it's Marco" that handles that.

Just listened to it and it seems Todd was pretty straight forward and direct with some great although unusual insight into the Reign.
Other than Spence and maybe, maybe QB in a few more games, those guys in Ontario haven’t been good enough to unseat anyone.
Turcotte is finding his game agian
Byfield ^^^
Fagemo is limited to shooting
Madden doesn’t move the needle
Grans has some of work to do
Andersson probably feels cheated but meh
Kupari needs to up his game
Moverare could be our #6 Dman right now
Ward and Helenius are bigs that will be up eventually
Dudas isn’t making it
Akil is out for the season

The guys bolded are ones that I think are probably griping

 

[kinghock]

Just listened to it and it seems Todd was pretty straight forward and direct with some great although unusual insight into the Reign.
Other than Spence and maybe, maybe QB in a few more games, those guys in Ontario haven’t been good enough to unseat anyone.
Turcotte is finding his game agian
Byfield ^^^
Fagemo is limited to shooting
Madden doesn’t move the needle
Grans has some of work to do
Andersson probably feels cheated but meh
Kupari needs to up his game
Moverare could be our #6 Dman right now
Ward and Helenius are bigs that will be up eventually
Dudas isn’t making it
Akil is out for the season

The guys bolded are ones that I think are probably griping

I agree with almost everything you stated with small corrections.

Lee and Helenius are bigs that will be up eventually.

Helenius will have big impact next year.

Ward is just ok. I am not sure if his skills are translatable to NHL.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There is another sound bite at about 28 mins where TMac says there's a whole group of guys down there that think they are in Ontario only because other guys have one-way contracts.
That is more the clip I was talking about.
He takes about it being Marco and management's job to talk to those players, then corrects himself and says "no, it's Marco" that handles that.

Ok? I'm just going to guess, again based on league wide evidence, that 1 way contracts are an issue for every team.

The union agreed to the CBA and hard cap. Blame it for not standing firm against the Wade Redden rule.

But should we be scared when contracts are up that young guys will bolt? Where? Offer sheets, for anyone, let alone unproven NHL guys, are quite rare. How many have been done in retaliation of one?

They going to be mad at the franchise? Nobody going to trust management? Visnovsky getting screwed by DL stop anyone from coming or signing here?

Winning is more fun. Nobody gets lost on minute details the way we do when a team isn't winning. I can just remember the endless talk about guys like Moulson and Purcell before 2012. They haven't been mentioned since. Winning simply cures all. Lucic still gets brought up though. And will until they win again.