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

[Lt Dan]

Where has Byfield been this preseason

He became a Scientologist

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Where has Byfield been this preseason

Where has Byfield been since 2020 in general? Injured/sick/up and down/healthy scratched/a general non factor.

 

[Cianide]

He became a Scientologist

Hopefully he goes clear by the start of the season.

 

[DAkings20]

Speaking of jerseys, the City Manager is saying this is what the reverse retro will look like:

 

[BringTheReign]

Speaking of jerseys, the City Manager is saying this is what the reverse retro will look like:

View attachment 591170

I still need to buy last year’s reverse retro and now I’m gonna have to get another one.

 

[DAkings20]

I still need to buy last year’s reverse retro and now I’m gonna have to get another one.

I'm still pissed the Kings got rid of purple entirely. Bring it back!!!!!!!!!

 

[Herby]

Where has Byfield been since 2020 in general? Injured/sick/up and down/healthy scratched/a general non factor.

Give him until the turn of the calendar. If he is a non-factor in the first half of the season you will start to have people agreeing with you that there are major concerns.

But he still needs more time, he only has 46 NHL games. I still think the awful AHL decision set him back a full year, think of this more like his D+2 and not his D+3. But even so, Hughes for example started to show significant signs in his D+2, Byfield has to do the same this season.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Wait, Byfield's been sick, so we're down on him again?

Come on. Critique the guys that are playing if you want but Byfield looked great. Going after him right now is f***ing cheap and lame.

 

[DAkings20]

QB's NHL23 rating for his immune system was 69

 

[tny760]

QB's NHL23 rating for his immune system was 69

nice.

 

[johnjm22]

If Durzi is productive this year, he'll become a very very valuable asset.

A young up and coming productive Dman, at 1.7M for another year, then an RFA. The cap era has made that type of player really valuable.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

But he still needs more time, he only has 46 NHL games. I still think the awful AHL decision set him back a full year,

Oh crazy, we thought you had changed your mind.

 

[kings11]

If Durzi is productive this year, he'll become a very very valuable asset.

A young up and coming productive Dman, at 1.7M for another year, then an RFA. The cap era has made that type of player really valuable.

See this is the big picture many miss out on.
Our Kings are loaded with cheap Dmen that lots of teams are drooling over
Bjornfot
Durzi
Grans
Spence
Kirsanov
Doughty reborn lol

All of the guys are either NHL players or near NHL ready and all but Bjornfot have shown offensive potential.
These are the types of players GMs always seek out in return for a Chychrun, Sanheim or a Fiala

 

[RocketKing]

Speaking of bringing things back, I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a few of those TPS twigs & mitts.

TPS Sticks were my favorite. I still have a shaft I have used for a looong time.

 

[Lt Dan]

I still have a shaft I have used for a looong time.

Read this post in old Ben Kenobi's voice

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Give him until the turn of the calendar. If he is a non-factor in the first half of the season you will start to have people agreeing with you that there are major concerns.

But he still needs more time, he only has 46 NHL games. I still think the awful AHL decision set him back a full year, think of this more like his D+2 and not his D+3. But even so, Hughes for example started to show significant signs in his D+2, Byfield has to do the same this season.

I can’t imagine he won’t. He has all the skill in the world and the body along with it.

But yeah, if he’s not in some kind of decent 0.5ppg form by January, it’s panic time.

Wait, Byfield's been sick, so we're down on him again?

Come on. Critique the guys that are playing if you want but Byfield looked great. Going after him right now is f***ing cheap and lame.

Yeah he looks great lying prone next to his Vick’s air purifier. :p

 

[KingsFan7824]

Read this post in old Ben Kenobi's voice

View attachment 591244

Of course you know him; he's you.

 

[lumbergh]

TPS Sticks were my favorite. I still have a shaft I have used for a looong time.

TPS reports are my favorite.

 

[bmr]

I just read the piece on LA Kings Insider about Vilardi and it really got me thinking about the team this year. I believe there are two players who can really have a meaningful impact on this team, kind of like 'X' factors.
One of them is Gabe. I just see a difference in him this year. He said it's the first time he's stayed home for the summer. It's obvious that he has put work into his skating and conditioning. It also looks like he has taken a mental assessment of where he is at and where he wants to be. I like hearing him say stuff like he's only going to control the things he can and let the rest go. Danault/Moore and others are clearly upbeat about what they have seen so far.

The other player i'm excited about is Clarke. He is just such a dynamic player and this could have immense rewards on the team's blueline. Let's think about it. We have Doughty/Clarke/Durzi who are really good at generating offense. We have Edler/Roy/Anderson who are defensively responsible and can also chip in offense when needed. It just seems like such a good group.

I know it's still early, but the power play looks leaps and bounds different from what we've all seen last year. Everyone looks like they have a clear purpose and they are executing that with quick passing/decisions. I don't want to shoot my wad this early in the season, but i'm just very optimistic about the type of play we're going to see this year...even if we regress in certain areas.

Thoughts?

 

[Little Psycho]

Hopefully the last time to embarrass.... err prove himself

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I just read the piece on LA Kings Insider about Vilardi and it really got me thinking about the team this year. I believe there are two players who can really have a meaningful impact on this team, kind of like 'X' factors.
One of them is Gabe. I just see a difference in him this year. He said it's the first time he's stayed home for the summer. It's obvious that he has put work into his skating and conditioning. It also looks like he has taken a mental assessment of where he is at and where he wants to be. I like hearing him say stuff like he's only going to control the things he can and let the rest go. Danault/Moore and others are clearly upbeat about what they have seen so far.

The other player i'm excited about is Clarke. He is just such a dynamic player and this could have immense rewards on the team's blueline. Let's think about it. We have Doughty/Clarke/Durzi who are really good at generating offense. We have Edler/Roy/Anderson who are defensively responsible and can also chip in offense when needed. It just seems like such a good group.

I know it's still early, but the power play looks leaps and bounds different from what we've all seen last year. Everyone looks like they have a clear purpose and they are executing that with quick passing/decisions. I don't want to shoot my wad this early in the season, but i'm just very optimistic about the type of play we're going to see this year...even if we regress in certain areas.

Thoughts?

I totally concur, that writeup on Vilardi was very encouraging and he sounded like he's grown up a lot thru it.

And I agree on the x-factors too, never write off the mix of youthful enthusiasm paired with veteran experience, that playoff run last year was short but fun as well with everyone pulling in the right direction. Obviously we all want to be cautiously optimistic but that is EXACTLY what we're hoping they'll build on, and that's the kind of direction that makes people WANT to be a part of a franchise instead of just 'play wherever'. There seems to be more purpose and intention behind everything right now and that's a nice feeling.

 

[funky]

QB's NHL23 rating for his immune system was 69

seems a bit high

 

[johnjm22]

I was very hard on Vilardi last year. His play at the start of the season was absolutely terrible. I wonder if something was wrong with him off the ice, he didn't look happy.

Hopefully things are better this year, because time is running out for him.

If Arvidsson is out, and we get a line of Moore-Danault-Vilardi for awhile, I predict Gabe will have a break out. The question will be what to do with him when VA comes back.

 

[Fishhead]

Hopefully the last time to embarrass.... err prove himself

I'm glad they are throwing his ass back in there. If he's not motivated tonight, he never will be.

 

[Herby]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Player[/TD]
[TD]GP[/TD]
[TD]G[/TD]
[TD]A[/TD]
[TD]Pts[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Kevin Fiala[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]31[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]68[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Adrian Kempe[/TD]
[TD]76[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]26[/TD]
[TD]56[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Anze Kopitar[/TD]
[TD]69[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]38[/TD]
[TD]52[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Viktor Arvidsson[/TD]
[TD]72[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]22[/TD]
[TD]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Philippe Danault[/TD]
[TD]80[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]27[/TD]
[TD]43[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Drew Doughty[/TD]
[TD]70[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]42[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Trevor Moore[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]39[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Arthur Kaliyev[/TD]
[TD]80[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]39[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Alex Iafallo[/TD]
[TD]80[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Quinton Byfield[/TD]
[TD]79[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[TD]24[/TD]
[TD]36[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brandt Clarke[/TD]
[TD]73[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sean Durzi[/TD]
[TD]77[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]18[/TD]
[TD]25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Carl Grundstrom[/TD]
[TD]75[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Blake Lizotte[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]15[/TD]
[TD]23[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Matt Roy[/TD]
[TD]80[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]16[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Gabe Vilardi[/TD]
[TD]37[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]11[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Brendan Lemieux[/TD]
[TD]70[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Alex Edler[/TD]
[TD]55[/TD]
[TD]4[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sean Walker[/TD]
[TD]45[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[TD]12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Mikey Anderson[/TD]
[TD]77[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]9[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Rasmus Kupari[/TD]
[TD]14[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[TD]3[/TD]
[TD]5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jaret Anderson-Dolan[/TD]
[TD]6[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Jordan Spence[/TD]
[TD]8[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]1[/TD]
[TD]2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Tobias Bjornfot[/TD]
[TD]7[/TD]
[TD]0[/TD]
[TD]0[/TD]
[TD]0[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Taking a shot at this, taking some projection here with the uncertainty of Clarke, but I am thinking he sticks. The team is trying to win and he can help them.

Games should add up correctly. 492 d-man games and 984 forward games. (assuming they don't dress 8 d-man in any games).

Tough to project long-term injuries, such as the one Doughty suffered, but unfortunately there is likely to be one, which will uptick the man-games lost and increase AHL icetime.

252 goals, up from 239 last year.

Improved production from the third line as Byfield takes the step that is needed and AK increases his goal total by 9, making up most of the likely regression from Danault. Also a return to previous play from Iafallo. This line is going to be presented a lot of opportunity to have favorable matchups, especially in games against weaker teams in the division, which don't feature players as talented as Byfield and AK outside of the Top 6.

I think with the balancing out of icetime and less opportunity vs weaker opponents as last year that the Kings 2nd line takes a bit of a step back this year. They will still be good, but very likely last year were career years for Danault and Moore.

The first line is ok, not one of the best in the league but not a liability either. Kopitar falls off a bit with age, and Kempe's goal totals dip a bit, but his overall point totals hold steady with the addition of an actual 1st line player, something they didn't have last year.

Have 1.58 assists per goal scored vs last seasons 1.57, so relatively close, might skew a couple of peoples assists totals up a pinch. Often an error people make when doing statistical projections is creating to many assists per-goal scored.