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

[Schrute farms]

I think Peterson bounces back this year; and more than offsets any potential Quick regression (if any).

But i still feel we need to either trade from our D/F surplus for another team's goalie prospect or use our FRP in 2023 on the best goalie remaining on the board.

 

[King'sPawn]

We seriously just let 3rd round pick Parik walk? I could have sworn he was higher on the depth chart then Hrenak. I was rooting for Parik, wtf happened man. We just chose not to resign him? He didn’t want to re sign with us? Tf happened

He's still Kings' property, but they are letting him play for another team in the AHL. It suggests they are going to go separate ways.

Hoven discusses it in an article from a few months ago: LA Kings 2022 Prospect Rankings – Goalie Depth Chart

While we remain extremely high on his overall ceiling, there are diverging opinions within Kings leadership circles on if Parik will reach his full potential. “Parik’s tools are undeniable,” as one source mentioned. “He has high-end potential.”

So, what’s the concern then? From all indications, he doesn’t have an attitude problem; he can simply be a bit stubborn at times. “He’s strong in his beliefs because that’s worked well for him up to this point,” said a different source. “That confidence isn’t always a bad thing either.”

This is also where I think Dusty Imoo worked wonders for the Kings and why the goalie development has taken a bit of a slide.

I can't find the article, but I remember when Jack Campbell's resurgence happened, Imoo talked about not trying to change the player's game - he talked about making the player's game fit within the paradigm of professional hockey.

It seems that nowadays, there's an even bigger prevailing attitude that development involves teaching players the perceived "right way" to play. Which has bonuses and drawbacks:
- on the plus side, if they all play a similar way, you can implement a more cohesive system and uniformity throughout the roster. You get fewer cowboys going off to do their thing
- on the minus side, strict uniformity can stifle creativity and individual growth, as players need to adjust their game to fit the team, whether or not it fits their skillset.

I know this reignites the development discussion, so sorry if it's annoying. But I do think it's important to discuss the organization's goals. I know I make it obvious where I stand in some of my critiques, but it's not because I "hate" the franchise or even think they do a poor job. But it begs the question of "if players are expected to play a certain way, why spend so much capital (several picks) grabbing players who play a different way?"

If Parik's habits or style doesn't fit what the Kings wanted from him, why draft him and hope to change him? It's like dating a toxic person continuously and hoping you can "change them."

I'm not saying the team should be hands off in a player's style. But it should be more about enhancing the tools they already have to fit within the team.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Despite those 3 wildly outperforming expectations, Kopitar led the team in scoring last season by 13 points. Despite Doughty missing 43 games last season he led the blue line in scoring by 4 points. Kempe/Danault/Moore wildly outperforming expectations were not the leaders of the team last season, they were still the complimentary pieces. The veteran 3 of Kopi/Doughty/Quick are still the most important pieces for the team and any regression by them is going to hurt.

It's all hopeless, and I'm sure all the other teams will rebound, and just get better, and everything will be bad for the Kings. Everything went right last year, so, it has to balance out.

Then what are we talking about? We were in the middle of a discussion about roster construction with respect to goalies, were we not?

And of course not, as soon as Doughty went down we were pretty much all 'welp there goes the season,' but the point is the difference between the D and F depth charts and the G depth chart is astronomical. I'm not sure why that's controversial to you? Our goalie depth chart is by far the worst part of the org at this point and I think Blake deserves some criticism for it. Straight up, do you disagree? I felt like this was one of my most milquetoast takes ever but here we are.

Sure, maybe Quick and Petersen get hurt and Pheonix Copley leads us to a Cup. But I sure felt a hell of a lot better about calling up Durzi and Spence than I would about Villalta and Copley as there's pedigree and performance there, as opposed to a guy who can barely post a .888 despite playing on powerhouse teams at every freaking level and an AHL lifer with 2 nhl games this decade and no history of NHL success.

The goalie depth may not be great, but I'm just talking about the woe is us if ____ happens.

 

[crassbonanza]

It's all hopeless, and I'm sure all the other teams will rebound, and just get better, and everything will be bad for the Kings. Everything went right last year, so, it has to balance out.

Do you even want to talk about hockey? Why not just read Kings press clips? I don't understand how we have become so polarized to where any criticism of the team build is mocked as overtly defeatist.

I remember when our number 1 left wing was cap space and everyone had sexy draft pick avy's. Shit I remember when LGK was actually good and even the old usenet groups. People have always debated the decisions of the GM and it was never so acrimonious. We are all Kings fans and it is the off season, people are just talking about the team and voicing opinions. It is a message board after all.

 

[Sol]

In regards to Cal, bounce back from what exactly? His best season was the first time he played for the Kings. And the following two seasons after that he struggled bad. He wasn’t good the season before and he was bad the season after. A majority of Cals time on the Kings he’s struggled and he’s continuing to go down.. I don’t know why people expect him to suddenly bounce “back”. Bounce back to what exactly ? He has rarely been a good goalie. He’s been mediocre to bad. The goaltending question is a very serious one that needs to be addressed. As someone who got a lot of flack for being hard on Quick, Quick looked so much better than Cal. If Quick gets injured, which is likely due to age and playstyle, kings are very likely bottom of the barrel. Cal has folded under any little pressure consistently. That doesn’t change in a person.

 

[Lt Dan]

In regards to Cal, bounce back from what exactly? His best season was the first time he played for the Kings. And the following two seasons after that he struggled bad. He wasn’t good the season before and he was bad the season after. A majority of Cals time on the Kings he’s struggled and he’s continuing to go down.. I don’t know why people expect him to suddenly bounce “back”. Bounce back to what exactly ? He has rarely been a good goalie. He’s been mediocre to bad. The goaltending question is a very serious one that needs to be addressed. As someone who got a lot of flack for being hard on Quick, Quick looked so much better than Cal. If Quick gets injured, which is likely due to age and playstyle, kings are very likely bottom of the barrel. Cal has folded under any little pressure consistently. That doesn’t change in a person.

Competition breeds excellence.

This is Cal's year to steal the net. He has to know it and hopefully has been putting in the work.

 

[Schrute farms]

Bounce back to something? Maybe it's better to say bounce away from something. So he'll bounce away from being dog crap. Is that better? I think he won't be dog crap and will actually be a decent goalie. I'm not expecting him to be great or anything. Just not a liability. Let's say slightly above league average. That would be a huge improvement.

 

[bland]

I don't think that the Kings will ever really get to know what Peterson is capable of unless they give him the keys and see how he settles in as a starter.

Can't imagine how difficult it must be to mentally prepare for a role in which you can sit after one bad game or even if you win a few in a row like last year. Its such a pyschologically demanding position and has to be a real challenge to not have the opportunity to get on a real roll and face a never-ending cycle of stops and starts.

Not saying he is necessarily the short or long term answer, but its not like Quick is setting the world on fire at this stage of his career. Perhaps the best course of action is to learn just what you have in Cal and leave the sentimentality to the side. If Cal fails, you know that your capital needs to be spent on shoring up the goal.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Do you even want to talk about hockey? Why not just read Kings press clips? I don't understand how we have become so polarized to where any criticism of the team build is mocked as overtly defeatist.

I remember when our number 1 left wing was cap space and everyone had sexy draft pick avy's. Shit I remember when LGK was actually good and even the old usenet groups. People have always debated the decisions of the GM and it was never so acrimonious. We are all Kings fans and it is the off season, people are just talking about the team and voicing opinions. It is a message board after all.

People are just too damn sensitive these days.....nothing wrong with healthy discourse, I completely disagree with bland, and K17, mostly disagree with Herby....to me, they are far too negative, and I am sure to them, I am far too positive, in reality, I'm probably more apathetic to it more than anything.....

I am just reading the same regurgitated crap that everyone was spewing in 2010-2011 etc, funny how in 10-12 years we still can't score worth shit lol, but that's another story.....

 

[Sol]

Competition breeds excellence.

This is Cal's year to steal the net. He has to know it and hopefully has been putting in the work.

I mean the fact Jim Fox of all people said that it’s Petersens time to become the starter a year ago and he bombed should tell you that the position has been there for him. He’s just failed spectacularly at locking it in. Not everyone does well with competition. I think Cal is one of those people. He’s convincingly shown that. People just don’t change that much. The facts he’s been mediocre to bad more than he’s been good should tell all of us that we aren’t going to see a better Petersen if he gets more games. Players have reputations that they can’t drop their entire career for a reason. Not everyone can change that drastically. I guess for me is if someone was that bad, the likelihood of that changing so drastically is not realistic.

I think it’s much more likely we see the same goalie unfortunately. And if that’s the case, the Kings only have one NHL goalie who’s a single pulled groin from the season going to the shitter.

Kings need a back up plan for sure and the fact they’re going into this season without one makes no sense to me

 

[Lt Dan]

Kings need a back up plan for sure and the fact they’re going into this season without one makes no sense to me

The question must be asked. How do you know they don't have one?

More than one person's job is to plan depth in to the future. Just because they aren't announcing their plans publicly, don't mean that the plans don't exist

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I mean the fact Jim Fox of all people said that it’s Petersens time to become the starter a year ago and he bombed should tell you that the position has been there for him. He’s just failed spectacularly at locking it in. Not everyone does well with competition. I think Cal is one of those people. He’s convincingly shown that. People just don’t change that much. The facts he’s been mediocre to bad more than he’s been good should tell all of us that we aren’t going to see a better Petersen if he gets more games. Players have reputations that they can’t drop their entire career for a reason. Not everyone can change that drastically. I guess for me is if someone was that bad, the likelihood of that changing so drastically is not realistic.

I think it’s much more likely we see the same goalie unfortunately. And if that’s the case, the Kings only have one NHL goalie who’s a single pulled groin from the season going to the shitter.

Kings need a back up plan for sure and the fact they’re going into this season without one makes no sense to me

Just want to make sure...we are talking about Quick right? The goalie you shit all over for the past 10 years? That one?

 

[johnjm22]

I don't think that the Kings will ever really get to know what Peterson is capable of unless they give him the keys and see how he settles in as a starter.

Can't imagine how difficult it must be to mentally prepare for a role in which you can sit after one bad game or even if you win a few in a row like last year. Its such a pyschologically demanding position and has to be a real challenge to not have the opportunity to get on a real roll and face a never-ending cycle of stops and starts.

Not saying he is necessarily the short or long term answer, but its not like Quick is setting the world on fire at this stage of his career. Perhaps the best course of action is to learn just what you have in Cal and leave the sentimentality to the side. If Cal fails, you know that your capital needs to be spent on shoring up the goal.

He's played every other game for the past two seasons. Ample opportunity.

If he can't handle a goalie competition mentally, then he was never going to be a good goaltender in the first place.

 

[Sol]

The question must be asked. How do you know they don't have one?

More than one person's job is to plan depth in to the future. Just because they aren't announcing their plans publicly, don't mean that the plans don't exist

I think a good sign of having a back up plan would have been using some of the excess assets during the offseason to strengthen an area of weakness. I think if they had a plan for goaltending we would have seen some movements for it by now.

 

[Sol]

He's played every other game for the past two seasons.

If he can't handle a goalie competition mentally, then he was never going to be a good goaltender in the first place.

this is why I dont think he's suddenly going to handle competition well. He's had more than enough time to break in and hes actually taking steps backwards rather than forward. Players have reputations for a reason. Not everyone can change. And if they can, you'd at least some sign of it. Petersen has regressed. If you want to make an argument for him doing better at least show me at what point in the season did the leaks in the hull seem to be getting fixed.. the hull just kept taking more and more punctures. He never recovered. I think to expect him to suddenly do so just makes no sense. He's had two seasons, hasn't improved, and now he has regressed. That's nuts.

(this is coming from the guy who was rooting heavily for Petersen)

 

[johnjm22]

I thought Petersen was very impressive in his first two NHL stints in 18/19 and 19/20.

He hasn't looked as good since.

He reminds me of Bernier a little bit. Fundamentally sound, but looks small in net and pucks seem to find their way though him even when he's well positioned.

 

[Statto]

He's still Kings' property, but they are letting him play for another team in the AHL. It suggests they are going to go separate ways.

Hoven discusses it in an article from a few months ago: LA Kings 2022 Prospect Rankings – Goalie Depth Chart



This is also where I think Dusty Imoo worked wonders for the Kings and why the goalie development has taken a bit of a slide.

I can't find the article, but I remember when Jack Campbell's resurgence happened, Imoo talked about not trying to change the player's game - he talked about making the player's game fit within the paradigm of professional hockey.

It seems that nowadays, there's an even bigger prevailing attitude that development involves teaching players the perceived "right way" to play. Which has bonuses and drawbacks:
- on the plus side, if they all play a similar way, you can implement a more cohesive system and uniformity throughout the roster. You get fewer cowboys going off to do their thing
- on the minus side, strict uniformity can stifle creativity and individual growth, as players need to adjust their game to fit the team, whether or not it fits their skillset.

I know this reignites the development discussion, so sorry if it's annoying. But I do think it's important to discuss the organization's goals. I know I make it obvious where I stand in some of my critiques, but it's not because I "hate" the franchise or even think they do a poor job. But it begs the question of "if players are expected to play a certain way, why spend so much capital (several picks) grabbing players who play a different way?"

If Parik's habits or style doesn't fit what the Kings wanted from him, why draft him and hope to change him? It's like dating a toxic person continuously and hoping you can "change them."

I'm not saying the team should be hands off in a player's style. But it should be more about enhancing the tools they already have to fit within the team.

Genuine question. Do you know if they have tried to change his game, or did they take an approach similar to Imoo? I’ve not followed his development closely enough.

I guess as they hold his rights, if he suddenly makes a jump in level they can retain him. I have wondered though if this is a deliberate plan to give him AHL time, whilst simultaneously not taking a contract spot. Has there been any comment on the plan with him, because it’s surely better than sending him to the ECHL. I realise that I’m most likely over thinking it, as I tend to do.

It‘d be a shame if he doesn’t make it but I always felt he was a boom/bust pick.

 

[Statto]

He's played every other game for the past two seasons. Ample opportunity.

If he can't handle a goalie competition mentally, then he was never going to be a good goaltender in the first place.

It’s not that unusual for goalies to have mental struggles that they get over. I certainly think it was mental because he wasn’t playing with his usual good technique. I do think we will know pretty quickly where he is at though, as it‘ll all be on how he comes out of the gate.

 

[Lt Dan]

I think a good sign of having a back up plan would have been using some of the excess assets during the offseason to strengthen an area of weakness. I think if they had a plan for goaltending we would have seen some movements for it by now.

It is still technically the offseason and the Kings still do have too many D men. How do you know they aren't talking to another team for a guy like Walker who teams would want to see play after his horrific injury?

This is the D in alphabetical order

Anderson, Bjornfot, Doughty, Durzi, Edler, Moverare, Roy, Spence, Walker
Then add in Clarke
10 guys for 7 spots. Moverare and Spence might be tweeners and Edler is probably slated to be the 7th D but that still leaves really 10 guys for 7 spots.

Also their cap is tight right now, next year there is a bunvh of $$ free

 

[bland]

He's played every other game for the past two seasons. Ample opportunity.

If he can't handle a goalie competition mentally, then he was never going to be a good goaltender in the first place.

You just completely missed the point of my post.

The Kings know what they can get when platooning, which isn't worth what they signed. They don't know how he will adapt to being a full time starter, which is a different mindset AND what they paid him to do.

The Kings have a lot of dough committed to two goalies who both won 20 games but didn't provide anything more than average netminding.

Extending Quick is absurd. They need to know what they can expect out of Peterson before they add their next goalie, which will be at the end of the year.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Signing Quick to a 1 or 2 year cheap deal to be a back up and finish in LA is the move.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Signing Quick to a 1 or 2 year cheap deal to be a back up and finish in LA is the move.

I read it somewhere in coverage this am but sounds like he plans on at least one more year, but on one year deals to finish out his career.

 

[Fat Elvis]

I read it somewhere in coverage this am but sounds like he plans on at least one more year, but on one year deals to finish out his career.

See how the season goes and if all is well, sign him to a 1 yr deal. LA has nobody knocking on the door that Quick is holding back.

 

[Kudelski37]

In regards to Cal, bounce back from what exactly? His best season was the first time he played for the Kings. And the following two seasons after that he struggled bad. He wasn’t good the season before and he was bad the season after. A majority of Cals time on the Kings he’s struggled and he’s continuing to go down.. I don’t know why people expect him to suddenly bounce “back”. Bounce back to what exactly ? He has rarely been a good goalie. He’s been mediocre to bad. The goaltending question is a very serious one that needs to be addressed. As someone who got a lot of flack for being hard on Quick, Quick looked so much better than Cal. If Quick gets injured, which is likely due to age and playstyle, kings are very likely bottom of the barrel. Cal has folded under any little pressure consistently. That doesn’t change in a person.

When he was the Kings' number 1 goalie in the shortened 21 season and had .911 sv%. League average last season was .902 and it was .903 the year before. Only 7 teams had a sv% better than .911% last year. This shows Pederson was well above average in a season you said he struggled bad. Pederson was bad last season. Pederson, before last season, was much better than you give him credit.

 

[Kudelski37]

I read it somewhere in coverage this am but sounds like he plans on at least one more year, but on one year deals to finish out his career.

I think 35+ year old 1-year contracts are eligible for performance bonuses, so that might be his thinking.