The question is… can you win, be a playoff team and still develop your kiddos???
should we be expecting Clarke to be in the top 4 next year? Honest questions, just wondering when his estimated NHL debut should be.
He's been given a dual mandate by the organization...make the playoffs is the top mandate; develop the kids is a distant second. Your ire should reside with the people who gave him the dual mandate...not with the coach carrying out what he was told to do.
It’s not ire towards him, just his unwillingness to take that require leap of faith..
Lot of great moments in here.
I guess the way I look at the Danault signing when it happened is that in today's NHL you need a top 9 that scores. It's rare to see a true shutdown 3rd line on contending teams anymore; it's a blend, and PD is one of the best at doing both as we saw this year. Whether Danualt is your #2A or #2B center, you're making your team better over what you hope is the beginning of our contending window when he will still be playing excellent hockey. I do agree that they no longer see Vilardi as a center, and frankly Turcotte's injury history has him in the same spot.
The cap is going to force things like Kaliyev into the top6 & kids getting more time.
I honestly don't see any of the prospects being good enough next year to address the obvious roster shortcomings. Byfield will be gifted the 3C spot but I have real doubts that he is ready for it at this point. I also don't see Kaliyev being ready to be a full-time top 3/6 forward next year despite the progress he made this year. Beyond those two, I don't see anyone ready to play in the NHL next year in a capacity that will actually improve the team.
If they give the young players a bigger role you can expect a regression. Rebuilding teams usually take a bit to get better. Look at the Detroit team led by Seider. Far from the playoffs. Ducks led by Zegras. Far from the playoffs. Ottawa led by Stutzle and Tkachuk. Habs this year led by Caufield and Suzuki. Rebuilding teams dont do what the Kings are doing. Giving the young players opportunity has to happen. If not they may as well trade them.
I mean Kaliyev scoring 14 goals in a bottom 6 role for a good majority of the season is pretty impressive, not hard to imagine he could score even more with better linemates and playing a more offensive focused role
And yet the veterans will be another year older and the kids still not in a position to take over, may not be in their plans but not out of the question. Wouldn't be surprised if teams like Ottawa, Buffalo, and Detroit are better in the near future and stay better for longer than the Kings
Playing on the top line brings a whole new level of pressure, responsiblity, and expectations that he may not be ready for. If he struggles in that role then the team struggles. I'd rather see a proven scorer added to the top line.
That's what he did all of this past season though, his development was to work on everything else other than his shot and by the end of the season he had near elite levels of board play, how much longer can he stay there? Hide the rookies all you want, they're gonna need to sink or swim sooner or later.
They may not have a choice. Theres not too much available that can make them into a contender. Say next year the Danault line regresses and they trade assets to help a core led by Kopitar and Iafallo. Theyd be screwing up the future for no shot at the cup.
Move him up in the lineup...3rd line...maybe even 2nd line. Let him grow. But for crying out loud, don't have your season depend on him getting 30 goals next year. Get a proven scorer. The Kings can certainly find room in their lineup for Kaliyev AND a proven 30 goal scorer.
It’s a shame we don’t have anyone that thinks to ask about prospect usage/development.
I think Kaliyev has the most potential to break out next year. His goal scoring touch is just that good. He's also filling out the rest of his game very well. I'm impressed that he's not as one dimensional as he was being touted.
There was no development cost. You have to make these guys earn it. No better development than a seven game series of battling. They were given opportunities and they were not ready. All these young players will be better next year after that series. You need guys that get you into the playoffs and not to bring youth into a non playoff losing environment. i was all fire firing Blake and Mac in November but the new guys integrated and it was very entertaining watching them battle. Exceeded with 6th place and taking EdMOANtown to 7. A very successful season development included but not yet apparent. Blake needs to do what he did last year target guys hiding in the weeds that have a reasonable acquisition and signing cost and can play a role on the kings and have success not buy high like a Chycrun.
