Claimed off Waivers: [MTL] Kale Clague claimed off waivers by the Canadiens from the Kings

[Raccoon Jesus]

Really like this for us, sorry to LA fans for losing a quality piece. Hopefully Blake's reign of terror comes to an end in the same fashion that MB's did.

Yeah I'm very happy for you guys and for Clague, I think he can really step right in and I'm stoked he's out of arbitrary Mclellan jail. Best playmaking on the squad next to Doughty, his breakouts can be beauties.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Wow do you hate LA fans ? You want them to have Blake for almost 10 years ?

I appreciate the thought but if you count his tenure after most Kings fans started disliking him for ripping off the C we're just about there.

 

[covfefe]

Wow do you hate LA fans ? You want them to have Blake for almost 10 years ?

Haha. I actually grew up in LA and have a very soft spot for the Kings.

I'm also a bit hungover so the words might not be flowing as clearly as I want them to.

 

[xECK29x]

Good start for Gorton

 

[KevSkillz4]

I really liked him at draft. What you think about his potential and what comparison do you make with him with another NHL defenseman?

 

[varano]

I thought he was good??

 

[Demon Wolf]

Solid pickup.

 

[1909]

Is he better than Victor Mete ?

 

[Kcoyote3]

Haha. I actually grew up in LA and have a very soft spot for the Kings.

I'm also a bit hungover so the words might not be flowing as clearly as I want them to.

We all are today, we all are

 

[BozoTheClown]

He'll be a healthy scratch for like 5 games or more probably before he plays and he'll get stuck with Wideman

Gorton might have something to say about that.

 

[KrisLeturnover]

Cool hockey name

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Seems as though the Kings were sheltering Clague this season at even strength, that tells me that Los Angeles didn’t have much confidence in Clague’s defensive game since it seems he isn’t strong enough in the defensive zone.

Clague hasn’t even scored a goal at the nhl level so he must not be all that good as a offensive defenseman either, even though he joins the rush sometimes but nothing ever comes of joining the rush.

Clague is a undersized and weak standard puck mover, nothing more.

 

[CartographerNo611]

I really liked him at draft. What you think about his potential and what comparison do you make with him with another NHL defenseman?

Younger Niku who is a tad more responsible in his own zone.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Younger Niku who is a tad more responsible in his own zone.

Niku’s numbers are better then Clague’s in his own zone this season, Clague’s weakness is in the defensive zone, that’s a problem since Kale’s position is as a defenseman.

 

[HabsTown]

Yeah I'm very happy for you guys and for Clague, I think he can really step right in and I'm stoked he's out of arbitrary Mclellan jail. Best playmaking on the squad next to Doughty, his breakouts can be beauties.

And I’m scared to see how Ducharme will use him. Very happy to get him!

 

[Chainshot]

I wonder if we ever find out who else put in a claim. Seems a few teams should have.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Seems as though the Kings were sheltering Clague this season at even strength, that tells me that Los Angeles didn’t have much confidence in Clague’s defensive game since it seems he isn’t strong enough in the defensive zone.

Clague hasn’t even scored a goal at the nhl level so he must not be all that good as a offensive defenseman either, even though he joins the rush sometimes but nothing ever comes of joining the rush.

Clague is a undersized and weak standard puck mover, nothing more.

Our defensemen in front of him are Anderson, Doughty, Roy, Edler, Bjornfot. Why would we give Clague the hard starts with those guys in front of him?

Yes, as I said he's below average defensively, but don't read too much into his deployment vs. the rest of the LA roster, they're full of defensive/two-way guys so you may as well deploy the offensive guy as an offensive guy.

He hasn't joined the rush much because of the arbitrary TM jail, that gets slapped out of Kings players, it's a no no. But he doesn't have a crazy shot either. His strengths are skating, puck moving, playmaking. Someone else will have to finish but I think you're misreading his abilities.

 

[bleuetbio]

Always like Clague, maybe the change will benefit him. Great add for the Habs, kind of the surprise that nobody would trade for him.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Our defensemen in front of him are Anderson, Doughty, Roy, Edler, Bjornfot. Why would we give Clague the hard starts with those guys in front of him?

Yes, as I said he's below average defensively, but don't read too much into his deployment vs. the rest of the LA roster, they're full of defensive/two-way guys so you may as well deploy the offensive guy as an offensive guy.

He hasn't joined the rush much because of the arbitrary TM jail, that gets slapped out of Kings players, it's a no no. But he doesn't have a crazy shot either. His strengths are skating, puck moving, playmaking. Someone else will have to finish but I think you're misreading his abilities.

Doughty missed a lot of games to injury and just recently returned. Maatta was playing over Clague recently as well

 

[kingpest19]

Doughty missed a lot of games to injury and just recently returned. Maatta was playing over Clague recently as well

Matta playing over him is a huge mistake that falls on the coaching staff.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Doughty missed a lot of games to injury and just recently returned. Maatta was playing over Clague recently as well

Yes--and what we're saying that you're trying desperately to not hear is that LA has mishandled him as such.

Maatta playing over anyone is stupid. Clague NOT playing when we desperately need offense is stupid. Playing Clague on his off side with Maatta when we have an abundance of stay at home right handed dmen to shelter him is stupid. Everything LA has done handling him has been just about the worst think you can think of at every juncture, literally--you would think they were trying to tank him. It was absurd. An org that needs an offensive D and is shallow on LHD and absolutely stocked with righties moves the offensive LHD to RHD and plays him with the worst dman they've rostered in a decade.

 

[Yog S'loth]

It sucks to lose a player for nothing, but the fact is that he's 23 and he's played 33 career NHL games, he's 8th or 9th on the depth chart, and he's not playing.

Don't get married to prospects panning out. Usually they just don't.

Good luck in Montreal, Kale.

 

[Dach Vader]

I don't hate it. 23 years old, 33 games, 0 goals 11 assists - 11.

With our injuries and Chariot eventually being moved, he probably gets a chance to play.
Gives us a body to plug & play into the line up and if were lucky maybe he figures it out and sticks.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Yes--and what we're saying that you're trying desperately to not hear is that LA has mishandled him as such.

Maatta playing over anyone is stupid. Clague NOT playing when we desperately need offense is stupid. Playing Clague on his off side with Maatta when we have an abundance of stay at home right handed dmen to shelter him is stupid. Everything LA has done handling him has been just about the worst think you can think of at every juncture, literally--you would think they were trying to tank him. It was absurd. An org that needs an offensive D and is shallow on LHD and absolutely stocked with righties moves the offensive LHD to RHD and plays him with the worst dman they've rostered in a decade.

Clague doesn’t have any goals as an NHL player, I wouldn’t have expected Clague to be a goal scorer, Clague needs to develop his defensive game if he wants to be a full time NHL players and needs to gain strength, gets pushed off easily.

Losing Clague isn’t that big of a deal anyways, the Kings currently have defenseman that are better in Anderson, Bjornfot and Durzi and Los Angeles has more prospects in the pipelines coming up that would have taken Clague’s spot anyway.

Maataa is a 7th defenseman at best which he is now. Blake should not resign Maatta, infact Blake should waive Maatta now and have Wolanen as 7th defenseman. It would save some salary.

 

[Baksfamous112]

Remember when he was an untouchable in a Pacioretty trade? Good times