Toggle sidebar

Lucic and Kings begin extension talks

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
i love Lucic, but if keeping him means losing a bunch of current roster players...not especially sure its worth the tradeoff, especially considering the shelf life of guys who play like him (see also: Brown, Dustin)
 
Signing Lucic will be a big mistake. He is going to want $6 million plus and, because of his style of play, he could end up like Brown and not be able to maintain 20+ goals a season. I would rather save the cap space for a third line center and/or another solid defenseman to play the bottom pairing next year.

Also, depending on how Mersch does during his time up, I think there is the potential that he can play Lucic's role on the second line. You can put basically anybody next to Carter and Toffoli and they will produce. Hell, King even netted in more goals when he was on that line.

Don't get me wrong, I love Lucic now and think he has been amazing so far, but it is very risky even in the short term cup run to sign him. Obviously, if he took a discount to stay here that is a different story, but I just don't see that happening.
 
lucic is making a lot of added value for lak since he came (27 games), but keeping him shouldn't be a priority, at least not right now.

priorities as i see it:
1. forwards: keep top 6 (lucic not included) + shore + weal + mersch + brown, yes brown
2. upgrade defence
3. develop 4th line

upgrading defence will cost something, making 4th line better very probably not, assuming youngsters develop with relatively normal pace. anyhow, this intro article is just a long-awaited prelude into a damn long debate untill next summer.
 
Any chance this is a negotiating tactic by the Kings to add a little pressure on Kopitar's side to sign?
 
lumbergh said:
Any chance this is a negotiating tactic by the Kings to add a little pressure on Kopitar's side to sign?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. They play different positions and different roles, and I'd say it's obvious the Kings would want to retain Lucic considering his impact and chemistry with Carter and Toffoli and the assets that Lombardi gave up to acquire him.

Plus, who is going to replace his production and play the same style that he does? Guys like Lucic are rare to find, and he's the type of player who exemplifies the style of hockey that Lombardi and Sutter are big fans of. So no, I don't see this as some type of ploy or tactic to pressure Kopitar.
 
Not saying anyone who brings up the Brown/Lucic comp is wrong, but Lucic has 3-4" and 40lbs on Brown, so they aren't exactly same in body type. Just saying it's not apples-to-apples.
 
Last edited:
Mattias said:
I personally believe that's the expansion draft. Even if we sign Lucic to a pricey contract we might leave him/Brown/Gaborik unprotected in that draft (just in case Lucic starts to taper off).
Click to expand...

I think Dean is hoping that he can hold out for the expansion draft and get rid of at least 1 bad contract. Then have a work stoppage a couple of years later to get rid of 2 more. It would at least give him 3 to 5 years for cup trying before they have to move on to a new core.

And for the people complaining about Martinez name coming up. He is one of the only few guys with a higher cap hit that won't kill the team if he is traded. Don't get me wrong; he is good and fits the team well. But we could find guys to cover his spot cheaper.

Brown
Gaborik
Martinez

Those are the 3 big contracts that are on the block for cap space that can be covered by prospect depth for cap space to sign guys.
 
I understand the value argument with Martinez, and I argued for it late last year when he was on our bottom pair and it looked like Sekera was a good fit and likely to be retained.

But things are different when Martinez is one of our top-4 defensemen. If we add a quality mid-pairing defenseman so that Martinez is knocked down the depth chart to 5 or 6, or if we bring in someone of comparable quality for a lower salary hit, then it makes sense to move him. But neither is is the case right now, and Martinez may have improved to the point where it may never be the case.
 
Martinez has replaced Voynov successfully, his minutes, the way he is utilized and his numbers indicate that.

The Kings haven't really replaced the vacancy that was left by Mitchell. That role is currently being filled by McNabb, and he is someone who is better suited to play that bottom pairing role, but Doughty is so damn good that the team can take that risk and have Doughty skate with McNabb.

I think if the Kings were able to add another dman, it will either be a LD to play opposite of Doughty, or a top 4 RD to play alongside Martinez that would then bump Muzzin back up with Doughty and slide McNabb down to the third pairing.

The team can't afford to lose any of their current top 3 dmen. They need to add to that group in order to solidify blueline depth for another successful shot at the Cup.
 
Here's my thing - where are we gonna find a guy who's a) as good or better than AMart and b) costs less? Sure, we can look for a Sekera type, but the problem is he wanted over 5M and a NTC. Every guy around that level is going to cost at least that much because of the current defenseman market. We have AMart for 4M and he has been playing well enough this year to be a #3/4 guy, why on earth would we ever entertain the idea of moving one of the best value contracts we have? I don't understand why people keep bringing this up, AMart is not the contract to move - even if he does end up playing on the 3rd pairing it's still worth it because you guys always forget we're playing McNabb in our top 4 right now and he makes peanuts. It doesn't matter if we're relatively overpaying for a "3rd pairing" guy (we all know AMart isn't one this year) if we are saving $$$ by playing a guy making basically nothing on our top pairing with success.

Now theoretically if we got another top 4 D, either McNabb goes down to the 3rd pairing or AMart does, but either way it doesn't matter from a dollars standpoint because both contracts are great value right now - the only difference is which value guy is getting the top 4 minutes.


again - resigning Lucic is all fine and good if it can be done without losing other real talent on our current roster. We have an absolute logjam of forwards, and if you want to sign ANOTHER high-priced forward, then it makes sense to let other forwards go, NOT a defenseman which would force another unnecessary deal to replace that slot. Ship out prospects, picks, whatever - but dealing away the good contracts we DO have just to get another potential behemoth of an untradeable contract is really not a smart idea either short term OR long term.
 
Last edited:
I don't agree with trading AMart at all. As others have said, he's playing very well and at such level, his contract as a top 4 D-man is very good.

In the past, the Kings could trade JMFJ because they had and up and coming D-man in Voynov that was NHL ready. There is no such player in the Kings system. If there was, he would already be playing here.

The Kings don't have the defensive depth that they had in past years. Nor do we have the draft picks or prospects to really afford to go for another rental.
 
The Kings can't afford to lose Muzzin/Doughty/A-Mart, it would be a huge blow if any of those guys go down.

There is no one to replace them, Forbort/Gravel are not ready.

Lucic will want to get paid a lot of money, on a long term contract, and rightfully so.
 
The Kings can't afford to pay Kopitar AND Lucic with no cap space. Someone is going to have to move to create room. This is on the notion they sign both guys (Kopitar & Lucic). Who do you move?

Doughty- Never! The Franchise!
Carter- Hell No. Might be our best player!
Quick- Nope. Not after all those years with a #1 goalie.
Muzzin- shouldn't. Young and only getting better.
Toffoli- nope. A stud and best winger since Luc.
Pearson- could but why get rid of good young winger.
Martinez- could but Tough to move to make the team better.
Gaborik- yes but contract length and age might make it harder.
Brown- yes but no one is going to take that contract with major assets.
Greene- duh. Should have never been signed in the first place.

The rest of the guys won't help cover the cap space for raises. When it all comes down to the end; you are left with 3 choices...

1) Don't sign one of Kopitar or Lucic.
2) Try and move one or two big contracts (Greene/Brown/Gaborik).
3) sign both, can't move anyone in #2....have to trade one of Pearson or Martinez.
 
I mean, don't get me wrong, we shouldn't be backing up the truck for Lucic--but are we just not going to sign players over the age of 26 anymore or something? I understand recent history, but every thread about a current player that's not Toffoli/Pearson seems to predict their death as a player within 6 months or so. This is a vet laden team; we will be able to replace some parts with youth, but it's not going to happen forever, you go for it while you can and if that means you have to sort out the wreckage you do it, many organizations would kill to be in the "well, we could win the cup now, but we might suck in 4 years because of the cap" boat. No one expects Kopitar, Lucic, Brown, Gaborik, etc. to be on fire in their mid-30s, you're keeping your guys happy so you can take a shot now and salvaging the pieces later. It's damn near impossible to have it both ways unless you stumble upon an incredibly favorable situation (i.e. one of the Western Canada teams probably lucking into Hamonic for cheap).
 
Brad Doty said:
I mean, don't get me wrong, we shouldn't be backing up the truck for Lucic--but are we just not going to sign players over the age of 26 anymore or something? I understand recent history, but every thread about a current player that's not Toffoli/Pearson seems to predict their death as a player within 6 months or so. This is a vet laden team; we will be able to replace some parts with youth, but it's not going to happen forever, you go for it while you can and if that means you have to sort out the wreckage you do it, many organizations would kill to be in the "well, we could win the cup now, but we might suck in 4 years because of the cap" boat. No one expects Kopitar, Lucic, Brown, Gaborik, etc. to be on fire in their mid-30s, you're keeping your guys happy so you can take a shot now and salvaging the pieces later. It's damn near impossible to have it both ways unless you stumble upon an incredibly favorable situation (i.e. one of the Western Canada teams probably lucking into Hamonic for cheap).
Click to expand...

Lucic would be fine at 5-6 years about 5 million a year.

The problem is, he most likely will not sign a contract like that. Lucic will ask for top dollar, and a long term contract. Nothing wrong with that, except the Kings can't afford to give it.
 
Battle Hymns said:
Hogwash. He was a legit top 3 d man on a championship team playing difficult assignments.
Click to expand...

He was far from bad still solid in his own end but his offence took a nose dive. Does he hold the record for most broken sticks in a season?
 
Brad Doty said:
Totally agree, just hate that we're now talking about a guy who is 27 as if he's going to fall off the map.
Click to expand...

I am not against signing players over the age of say 28-29. What I am against, is handing that age range, a long term, cap crushing deal.

But with the way the CBA is setup currently, we just have to deal with it.
 
There will be teams lining up to obtain Lucic. A power forward like Lucic don't become an UFA very often. There will definitely be a bidding war. And I think DL will offer Lucic a lot more than some of you guys are thinking. And yes, I even think DL will give Lucic a max term to retain his services.
 
Last edited:
damacles1156 said:
I am not against signing players over the age of say 28-29. What I am against, is handing that age range, a long term, cap crushing deal.

But with the way the CBA is setup currently, we just have to deal with it.
Click to expand...

Looch is still young at heart.!

picture.php
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom