Speculation: LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster Thread part VII

[johnjm22]

If the Kings go out and start acquiring players to fill out the roster, that means they're essentially giving up on their prospects.

 

[KINGS17]

Kopitar is toast

Last nights' top 9 by age:
25-34-27
26-28-28
28-24-37
That would be the 5th oldest team in the NHL, they need to start really pushing the youth.


More questions than answers going into next season:

Scoring, historically low xGF%;


Goaltending (Quick 25th, Petersen 50th out of 59 qualifying goalies, no real prospects of note);

Special teams: 27th PP 22nd PK worst combination of all NHL teams except MTL and AZ

prospect depth at LHD, G

Deployment/minutes spread--i.e. what to do about Anze Kopitar vs. the kids at F


Lots of assets to spend and/or integrate but I'm definitely in scared mode seeing how vet-reliant these last games that were supposed to be 'meaningful games' for the youth have become.

 

[DoktorJeep]

If the Kings go out and start acquiring players to fill out the roster, that means they're essentially giving up on their prospects.

I don’t see that as giving up, more so committing to taking it day by day. If a kid cements a spot, they’ll stay in the long term plan. If a kid is up and down with years left on their ELC, then they’ll most likely stay.

And if a kid is a question mark and pending RFA, then they may depart one way or the other. Some will be kept, but one or two will likely move on from either forward or D.

In any case, the kids will have to dislodge a more senior player to get elevated minutes. Management and the coaches are never going to run an extended experiment with a prospect at the nhl level while their are healthy vets available.

It is what it is. We’re going to have to wait at least 2 more seasons to see how it worked out before we can make a lasting judgement. Until then it’s stay the course and hope for safe harbor and not a collision with an ice berg, while steering through rocky shores.

 

[cyclones22]

Kopitar is toast

Last nights' top 9 by age:
25-34-27
26-28-28
28-24-37
That would be the 5th oldest team in the NHL, they need to start really pushing the youth.

Lots of assets to spend and/or integrate but I'm definitely in scared mode seeing how vet-reliant these last games that were supposed to be 'meaningful games' for the youth have become.

You mean giving these kids the "Black Ace" treatment before the playoffs even start isn't ideal?!?!

 

[funky]

Kopitar is toast

Last nights' top 9 by age:
25-34-27
26-28-28
28-24-37
That would be the 5th oldest team in the NHL, they need to start really pushing the youth.


More questions than answers going into next season:

Scoring, historically low xGF%;


Goaltending (Quick 25th, Petersen 50th out of 59 qualifying goalies, no real prospects of note);

Special teams: 27th PP 22nd PK worst combination of all NHL teams except MTL and AZ

prospect depth at LHD, G

Deployment/minutes spread--i.e. what to do about Anze Kopitar vs. the kids at F


Lots of assets to spend and/or integrate but I'm definitely in scared mode seeing how vet-reliant these last games that were supposed to be 'meaningful games' for the youth have become.

Just a quick question or thought as I don’t have time to look it up but how do we stack up age wise against the top competitive teams in the league age wise.?

Are the competitive teams fueled by youth or is it the bottom dwellers playing youth that is driving the age down?

Blake knew the team was off balanced and lead by vets and openly said he wanted to build up the middle age tier, example 24 to 28 year olds. He brought in Danealt and Arvidsson this last off season and they paid immediate dividends.

I just don’t think our youth clicked as they believed - Vilardii, Byfield and even Turcotte which would have helped drive the age down

This is a massive off season for our youth. Some will be shipped out, others need to take the next step.

My concern is as the UFAs leave we have a young cheap contract ready to fill that spot.

Next year Brown leaves - someone be ready to take his spot without any regression to that spot.

 

[All The Kings Men]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

 

[KingLB]

If the Kings go out and start acquiring players to fill out the roster, that means they're essentially giving up on their prospects.

I mean it all comes down to context. If the Kings move AI and Walker for a LD. It opens a forward spot for youth, and locks up a troublesome area for the Kings?

 

[johnjm22]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

Doesn't that just show how good Moore has been?

 

[Schmooley]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

I dont mind as much if the player is giving it his all. Moore has gotten beat in his own zone on goals against but he isnt out there coasting. Durzi also.

 

[kilowatt]

How did we go through a rebuild and come out the other side with an older team than we started with

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I dont mind as much if the player is giving it his all. Moore has gotten beat in his own zone on goals against but he isnt out there coasting. Durzi also.

Who is out there coasting?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

How did we go through a rebuild and come out the other side with an older team than we started with

We didn't.....LA is the 6th youngest team in the league at 26.33, vs the youngest team NJ at 25.30

 

[All The Kings Men]

Doesn't that just show how good Moore has been?

It shows that he's "expected" to have scored an extra 9 or 10 goals based on the shots he's taken.

I don't care about any of that. That line is great.

 

[tbrown33]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

Scoring goals below expected does not equal "hurting the team," and I don't think anybody would claim that's what the stat indicates. Of course the surrounding context is important.

Moore was already at about 6 or 7 goals below expected after that long scoring drought at the beginning of the season (pre-Nice), so he's been converting at about the expected rate since then. During the drought he was still dominating possession and scoring chances, but not finishing.

 

[Schmooley]

Who is out there coasting?

No one is coasting consistently. But one in particular sticks out in my mind when Kopitar let Matt Luff walk right in. But the team is where they are because everybody has bought in. Individual stats be damned.

 

[Herby]

If the Kings go out and start acquiring players to fill out the roster, that means they're essentially giving up on their prospects.

This has already started happening.

Do you think the Kings bring in Danault for 5 years to go along with Kopitar for 3 more and a 19 year old #2OA in Byfield if they had hit on Vilardi, Kupari or Turcotte?

 

[Herby]

Fiala is having a career year.
I'd stay away. Paying UFAs after a career year is a good way to get your cap killed.

Also, exactly how small/soft do you want this team to be?

Are we really going to double-down the soft and small stuff AGAIN when it is discussed to either draft or bring in a skilled offensive player?

How would taking the soft center or the small winger have worked out 3 years ago at the draft?

There isn't going to be a 6'2 gritty player capable of scoring 35 goals available for the Kings to pick up this summer, but we absolutely have to address the scoring issues.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

This has already started happening.

Do you think the Kings bring in Danault for 5 years to go along with Kopitar for 3 more and a 19 year old #2OA in Byfield if they had hit on Vilardi, Kupari or Turcotte?

Probably not...and I fully expect Shane Wright, Jurav Slafkovsky, Joakim Kemell, Bobby Brink, Alex Vlasic, Marco Rossi, Alexander Holtz, and Lukas Reichel score their first NHL goal before Turcotte...maybe even Connor Bedard.
I think Jason Robertson reaches 100 career goals before Vilardi scores 10 goals again..and Byfield is 22 before he scores 20 in a season. Kupari won't score 10 in a season, unless he gets some top 6 minutes and PP time. BUT,, he will score 20 goals, if he goes to Florida or the Canes.... patience!

 

[King'sPawn]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

Anyone using a single advanced stat to make an argument, while also ignoring the eye test, should not be taken seriously.

That stat simply says he has played well enough that he's expected to have about 10 more goals based on his opportunities.

It coincides with the eye test - he's a hard-working, skilled buzzsaw whose primary skillset isn't one of a sniper. That doesn't mean he sucks, or he's hurting the team. Just that his finishing ability can't keep up with the opportunities he finds himself in.

If (general) you think he's a sniper, then we'll just have to disagree.

If (general) you think this metric alone is enough to discredit all Moore brings, then we'll just have to disagree further.

 

[Herby]

Anyone using a single advanced stat to make an argument, while also ignoring the eye test, should not be taken seriously.

That stat simply says he has played well enough that he's expected to have about 10 more goals based on his opportunities.

It coincides with the eye test - he's a hard-working, skilled buzzsaw whose primary skillset isn't one of a sniper. That doesn't mean he sucks, or he's hurting the team. Just that his finishing ability can't keep up with the opportunities he finds himself in.

If (general) you think he's a sniper, then we'll just have to disagree.

If (general) you think this metric alone is enough to discredit all Moore brings, then we'll just have to disagree further.

If the Kings had drafted or traded well enough to fill more of these top 6 spots the whole league would view Moore as one of the elite third line players in the NHL.

He is a fantastic player, he is arguably Blake's best pickup as GM.

 

[MBH]

Are we really going to double-down the soft and small stuff AGAIN when it is discussed to either draft or bring in a skilled offensive player?

How would taking the soft center or the small winger have worked out 3 years ago at the draft?

There isn't going to be a 6'2 gritty player capable of scoring 35 goals available for the Kings to pick up this summer, but we absolutely have to address the scoring issues.

Yes. Sure.
But you don't go sign the shiny toy at his highest price.
I'd love for Detroit to have Kadri - but his production makes me understand he;s doing to demand the world. So I look for cheaper options.
Especially when your top 6 is already small and not very physical.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Just a quick question or thought as I don’t have time to look it up but how do we stack up age wise against the top competitive teams in the league age wise.?

Are the competitive teams fueled by youth or is it the bottom dwellers playing youth that is driving the age down?

Blake knew the team was off balanced and lead by vets and openly said he wanted to build up the middle age tier, example 24 to 28 year olds. He brought in Danealt and Arvidsson this last off season and they paid immediate dividends.

I just don’t think our youth clicked as they believed - Vilardii, Byfield and even Turcotte which would have helped drive the age down

This is a massive off season for our youth. Some will be shipped out, others need to take the next step.

My concern is as the UFAs leave we have a young cheap contract ready to fill that spot.

Next year Brown leaves - someone be ready to take his spot without any regression to that spot.

This is probably not as accurate as it can be but generally speaking NHL teams by age:

Elite Prospects - Team Comparison in NHL

Compare average height, weight and age in NHL.

www.eliteprospects.com

Most of the contenders are at the high end of that range, most of the rebuilds at the bottom

My point was only that our top 9 last night WOULD be in the top range but without the results. That's why some of us are worried.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm not going to pretend the goals against expected doesn't have some value but I want to see a more nuanced awareness of how that number is reached.

Moore is third worst in the entire NHL at -9.8

Anybody worried about that stat feel like Trevor Moore is hurting this team?

That's not at all what I said, not even 'worried' about that stat--it's illustrative of how good the Kings are at controlling even-strength play vs. how bad their finishing has been. Would you really disagree with that?

If anything, I would have figured there would have been some bounce back in there a la 2012 until the injuries started piling up.

I also don't know how you would extrapolate anything negative about Moore there given his production, if anything it suggests he's outplaying his (already strong) production, which jives with the eye test

 

[All The Kings Men]

Anyone using a single advanced stat to make an argument, while also ignoring the eye test, should not be taken seriously.

That stat simply says he has played well enough that he's expected to have about 10 more goals based on his opportunities.

It coincides with the eye test - he's a hard-working, skilled buzzsaw whose primary skillset isn't one of a sniper. That doesn't mean he sucks, or he's hurting the team. Just that his finishing ability can't keep up with the opportunities he finds himself in.

If (general) you think he's a sniper, then we'll just have to disagree.

If (general) you think this metric alone is enough to discredit all Moore brings, then we'll just have to disagree further.

I don't disagree with anything you're saying HOWEVER what I was getting at is that the team stat is just the individual stats all added up.

The Kings are -40 whatever goals vs expected... but Moore, Arvidsson and Roy are -20 combined (all situations)

Context needs to be added in multiple directions for it to properly be "context"

 

[KingsHockey24]

-Vilardi and Iafallo for Crouse and Kolyachonok
-Sign UFA's Zadorov and Nichushkin
-Edler, AA, Andersson, Walker, Maatta gone

Kempe - Kopitar - Nichushkin
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Crouse - Byfield - Kaliyev
Lemieux - Lizotte - Kupari
*Turcotte, Grundstrom

Anderson - Doughty
Zadorov - Roy
Bjornfot - Durzi
*Spence, Kolyachonok

I've always been elite at the EA Sports GM mode.