Speculation: LA Kings Offseason Thread

[Nasti]

My guess is Blake gives Gavrikov his final offer before July. If he doesn’t accept by then, he’s not signing, and Blake will target other free agents. Blake isn’t in a position to try and match what another teams will offer.

 

[head eyes]

I'm not worried about next season at all. I'm sure the coaching staff will have another "hockey summit" like they did last Summer and all will be well.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

My guess is Blake gives Gavrikov his final offer before July. If he doesn’t accept by then, he’s not signing, and Blake will target other free agents. Blake isn’t in a position to try and match what another teams will offer.

Gavrikov is not worth $6 million a year. That’s absurd money for a poor man’s Rob Scuderi.

 

[Nasti]

Gavrikov is not worth $6 million a year. That’s absurd money for a poor man’s Rob Scuderi.

The cap was much lower when Scuderi signed and Gavrikov is several years younger. I think $6 million is fair. It’s in Ekholm’s ballpark, and again, Gavrikov is younger.

 

[All The Kings Men]

I'll be shocked if the LA Kings give Gavrikov more money than they gave Mikey Anderson to play lower down the lineup than Mikey Anderson.

Not to say it can't happen... it would just be very surprising to me.

 

[Telos]

I am expecting Gavrikov to seek $6M/year and will likely earn a contract that is +/- $1M of that mark. I honestly don't think the Kings sign him, but if they do he would be in the $5-5.5M range which I think he might be able to beat on the open market so he'd have to really want to stay in LA and while he says he enjoyed his time there I don't think it is more important than the dollar amount. Not to mention the taxes...

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

I'll be shocked if the LA Kings give Gavrikov more money than they gave Mikey Anderson to play lower down the lineup than Mikey Anderson.

Not to say it can't happen... it would just be very surprising to me.

He's a different type of player. They don't play the same style. I'd be open to 6 million but would like term of at least 5 years.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'll be shocked if the LA Kings give Gavrikov more money than they gave Mikey Anderson to play lower down the lineup than Mikey Anderson.

Not to say it can't happen... it would just be very surprising to me.

RFA vs. UFA is different leverage though. It wouldn't be them saying he's 'more valuable' than Mikey by any means, plus I imagine shorter term, too.

 

[KINGS17]

View attachment 702851View attachment 702849

Basically that is what the tweet means.

View attachment 702851View attachment 702849

Basically that is what the tweet means.

Gavrikov: "Say, I love Russian people."

Doughty: "I love Russian people."

Gavrikov: "Yo Drew, you better say that s*** louder."

Doughty: "I love Russian people!!!!"

 

[johnjm22]

Gavrikov was EXCELLENT.

I just wonder if he'll keep up the same level of play after you give him his big long term contract.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Bring back Gavrikov, trade for Clifford, look for a better option in net still if not just give Korpi like a 2 year max deal.

 

[Telos]

Gavrikov was EXCELLENT.

I just wonder if he'll keep up the same level of play after you give him his big long term contract.

That's my thought as well. Gavrikov was great, but the sample size with the Kings was so small. He played well and was well-liked in Columbus but his play here was some of the best of his career. A high-dollar long-term contract, which is what he is going to sign, will come with a decent amount of risk, though if the Kings have the space, I think many, Blake included, would be willing to take it on. I don't think we will get the deal done, but there definitely is the possibility that he falls off or his offensive game stalls.

Bring back Gavrikov, trade for Clifford, look for a better option in net still if not just give Korpi like a 2 year max deal.

I don't think we have the option to sign both Gavri and Korpi unless Blake pulls off some miracles with his offseason housecleaning. Even so, I would be hesitant to sign both to big deals.

As for Clifford, while I agree that someone of his ilk is definitely the type of player the Kings should target, I don't think that either he or Wayne Simmonds is good enough anymore to be on the current roster. I'd be all for taking him on as an advisor though.

 

[Statto]

Gavrikov was EXCELLENT.

I just wonder if he'll keep up the same level of play after you give him his big long term contract.

The contract year thing rarely happens. He may well have peaked because of his age but that’s different. It’s like Kempe, plenty was made about his contract year performance and he blew up that theory. Guys often sign a big contract around their peak years so sometimes numbers may drop but that is where GM’s need to properly assess what the performance window is for each player. Very few players will stop trying because they got a good deal, apart from being professional, a buy out means they don’t get all of it.

 

[Master Yoda]

I'll be shocked if the LA Kings give Gavrikov more money than they gave Mikey Anderson to play lower down the lineup than Mikey Anderson.

Not to say it can't happen... it would just be very surprising to me.

If Blake made the Gavrikov trade thinking he wouldn't offer him anything more than Anderson's contract, he's stupider than I thought.

 

[Reaper45]

If you think a captain shouldn't be up for the Lady Byng...and your captain is up for the Lady Byng...what sort of implication are you making?

Why would you want him to not be the captain if you don't think he's a bad captain? Just because "toughness"? Is Ron Francis "tougher" than Anze Kopitar? Brad Richards? Zach Parise? Adam Oates? Joe Sakic?

Just a really weird thing to add on to the "Anze Kopitar isn't a real leader" thing that message board folks have always said. Like it's more "evidence" or something.

That I want a different style of captain. Doesn’t make him a bad captain, just I’d much rather have the one who leads in a different manner.

 

[Nasti]

The amount of times I read Clifford and Simmonds’s names lately goes to show how strong nostalgia is. Doesn’t matter that they haven’t been decent players for years, “bring them back”, they say.

 

[Gjwrams]

My guess on Gavrikov is 5 years @ 4.5/year is what Blake offers. Maybe a 6th year. I don't think he gets into a bidding war over him.

What a difference a year makes.

Last year going into the offseason, I was very excited even though the Kings lost in the 1st round. Shit even in the beginning of March this year, I was excited.

now we go into the offseason, and I'm not so excited. This board has really brought me down. :-(

 

[SmytheKing]

That I want a different style of captain. Doesn’t make him a bad captain, just I’d much rather have the one who leads in a different manner.

I mean, that's fine...but I just think it's odd that by your own definition, you wouldn't want to have a guy like Lidstrom or Sakic or O'Reilly be the captain of the team.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[King'sPawn]

That I want a different style of captain. Doesn’t make him a bad captain, just I’d much rather have the one who leads in a different manner.

Do you think Brown led in the proper manner? He hit, but he wasn't mean. And I can't count the number of times people were pissed off when different players were run and Brown didn't do anything differently.

And to just further my point for you to consider - if you DON'T think Brown led in the proper manner, the Kings won two cups with him as captain. Doesn't that suggest that there's no "right" way someone needs to captain, as long as the team's composition is appropriate?

SmytheKing can correct me if I'm off base, but the calls for a "different captain" from Kopitar won't really address the issue if the team continues to put together a faulty roster.

 

[KingsHockey24]

The amount of times I read Clifford and Simmonds’s names lately goes to show how strong nostalgia is. Doesn’t matter that they haven’t been decent players for years, “bring them back”, they say.

Just seen these two walking around Staples Center. Apparently for "construction" but my insider information is to prevent Leon and McDavid from entering the arena ever again.

 

[Kurrilino]

You are getting offensive black hole because the kid scored 4 goals in 70 games, most of which were spent on the teams 1st line.

And you can think people are writing him off to early, that is fine. I don’t agree with Sol and others that he is a bust, he looks more like a 2nd liner. But the people still thinking he is going to be the face of the franchise 1C are being just as unrealistic as those saying he’s a bust, and to be honest probably way more unrealistic.

Sometimes Top 5 picks bust and sometimes Top 5 picks are stars. If you look at the ones who busted and the ones who became stars, QB has a hell of a lot more in common through 3 seasons with the busts than the stars. Fair statement?

May i ask then who will be the future face of the franchise?

Blake will continue re-signing Kopitar and Doughty to whatever amount of money they want, because that’s the ride Luc and co have been hitched to since 2017.

The only chance of Kopitar or Doughty moving on from this franchise is if AEG cleans house and fires Luc, Blake, everyone.

There’s just no way we get that lucky.

Blake let Brown retire and traded Quick.
I don't see any way that Blake resigns Kopitar and Doughty.

 

[Kurrilino]

The amount of times I read Clifford and Simmonds’s names lately goes to show how strong nostalgia is. Doesn’t matter that they haven’t been decent players for years, “bring them back”, they say.

I also wonder how a player that scored 0 goals last season is the solution to score 2 more goals per game against the Oilers.

People cry over Byfield scoring 4 goals last season but ask to return Simmonds to the team who scored 0.
Then Blakes needs to be fired for not doing so.....

Yeah, Kings GM sounds like a dream job

I'll be shocked if the LA Kings give Gavrikov more money than they gave Mikey Anderson to play lower down the lineup than Mikey Anderson.

Not to say it can't happen... it would just be very surprising to me.

Iafallo and Villardi ringing a bell?

 

[All The Kings Men]

Iafallo and Villardi ringing a bell?

I don't follow.

 

[bland]

Do you think Brown led in the proper manner? He hit, but he wasn't mean. And I can't count the number of times people were pissed off when different players were run and Brown didn't do anything differently.

And to just further my point for you to consider - if you DON'T think Brown led in the proper manner, the Kings won two cups with him as captain. Doesn't that suggest that there's no "right" way someone needs to captain, as long as the team's composition is appropriate?

SmytheKing can correct me if I'm off base, but the calls for a "different captain" from Kopitar won't really address the issue if the team continues to put together a faulty roster.

I think it is a huge benefit to have multiple voices with different temperaments striving for the same goal.

There is very little to choose from between Brown and Kopitar, but having the counterpoint of Richards, Williams and Mitchell gave the Kings a variety of tones to their leadership. Can't discount just how many team-first killers the Kings had in that brief run.

Ideally you would want fire and ice, different situations call for different responses. But if its only one of the two, you take fire over ice all day every day. Kopitar is a glacier. Firey leadership gives you a better chance of overacheiving, the "alright, settle down" stuff just doesn't get you as far.

Honestly, how many players that have entered the organization post-2014 can really be called overacheivers? Lizotte? Maybe, but he is really just a 4th line center. Roy perhaps? I can't think of any others that hit a level higher than projected and stayed there.