Rumor: Planning Ahead: 2019 Off-Season Part 2

[Peter James Bond II]

I hope not. Burn the whole thing down. I really hope the Kings roll out this lineup in three years:

Kaliyev - Turcotte - Kupari
Thomas - Vilardi - Fagemo
Wagner - Anderson-Dolan - Grundstrom
Sodergran - Amadio - Luff

We need a top tier right-handed defenseman though. Can we trade for one?

Bjornfot - Doughty
Anderson - xxx
Clague - Durzi

The Kings should be drafting top 10 again in June and there are a couple of highly touted RHD...Jamie Drysdale and Justin Barron, slotted top 10. Drysdale is pretty small, but Barron has good size.
The backend is looking a little smallish...and hoping either (lhd) Brickley or (rhd) Strand emerge; they have good size. The Kings are high on Cole Hults and say they will sign him after this season.
He's grown and now 6'2" 200. He's LHD. Spence (rhd) or Nousiainen (lhd) could project down the road. Durzi may well be a second pairing RHD. He's got the ability and talent. Was better than I expected
him to look in these rookie games. Had some great moments - know that these games were the very first games for some of these players, wearing a King jersey.

getting more familiar with the 2020 draft class:

2020 NHL Mock Draft | 2020 NHL Draft | NHL Draft

 

[KingsFan7824]

I hope not. Burn the whole thing down. I really hope the Kings roll out this lineup in three years:

Kaliyev - Turcotte - Kupari
Thomas - Vilardi - Fagemo
Wagner - Anderson-Dolan - Grundstrom
Sodergran - Amadio - Luff

We need a top tier right-handed defenseman though. Can we trade for one?

Bjornfot - Doughty
Anderson - xxx
Clague - Durzi

I think you're sort of just throwing it out there in theory and all, but I can't imagine what the odds would be for the entire team to be made up of those players. Just from the cap perspective alone. Turcotte, Kaliyev, Thomas, Fagemo, and Bjornfort will all still be on their ELC's, and they're all top minute players in this scenario. Every other prospect would have to be really good, and really productive, over the next 3 years, so that they get big enough contracts, in order to hit at least the floor, which by that time will be what, around $65m? A little more if the league somehow hits big with the TV deal? How much are Grundstrom and Wagner going to make? Did Kupari become Marner? By the time they won in 11-12, about half the roster were players drafted/developed by the organization. That includes guys like King and Nolan, who were kind of meh prospects, but they ended up fitting so perfectly in the right place, at the right time.

You've got Doughty, but where did Kopitar go? He's going to be here too. He may be a $10m actual 3C by that point, but he'll be here.

 

[kingsfan28]

That's not the one I saw

Interesting . Looks like he added a bit more flair to the design, including what looks like a bit of gold.

 

[YP44]

Interesting . Looks like he added a bit more flair to the design, including what looks like a bit of gold.

the gold interested me. Maybe it will be for the outdoor game jerseys

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

How deprived are we of color in our jerseys that the little splash of gold on Quick's helmet that could be a stain for all we know is exciting

 

[Lt Dan]

Interesting . Looks like he added a bit more flair .

 

[YP44]

I like that Lumbergh liked this

 

[Little Psycho]

 

[Piston]

Looking at Cap Friendly, the Kings have the 4th most cap space of any team (there are currently 5 teams with more cap space that will be eaten by RFAs yet to sign). With Cap space at a premium for many teams, I would like to think we can parlay this asset into a #1 pick much like Carolina did with Marleau. Thoughts?

 

[Ollie Weeks]

If they were going to do that they would have done so with somebody like Marleau already.

My hunch is ownership is now being sold on a quick rebuild, so marching orders are to limit spending real dollars. Unfortunately including the acquisition of assets that would speed said rebuild up. The Phaneuf buyout lines up with this - the only tangible benefit was real dollars saved. That dead cap hit kills down the line.

 

[Kingsfan1]

I hope not. Burn the whole thing down. I really hope the Kings roll out this lineup in three years:

Kaliyev - Turcotte - Kupari
Thomas - Vilardi - Fagemo
Wagner - Anderson-Dolan - Grundstrom
Sodergran - Amadio - Luff

We need a top tier right-handed defenseman though. Can we trade for one?

Bjornfot - Doughty
Anderson - xxx
Clague - Durzi

I like where your mind is at and most of the guys you have listed will be on the team in 3 years but some players you don’t have listed will also still be on the team like Kopitar , Brown , Kempe , hopefully Prokhorkin if hes as good as advertised . We can definitely trade for a Right hand defenseman and wouldn’t be shocked if Thomas + someone else goes the other way .

Also have to remember maybe some of these players don’t reach their potential . Not everyone is going to pan out unfortunately. I’d say the lineup in 3 years will resemble more , if Vilardi is healthy ; Big IF Vilardi is healthy then we will look very good

Grundstrom-Kopitar-Kaliyev
Prokhorkin-Turcotte-Kupari
Kempe-Vilardi-Carter
Wagner-JAD-Brown

Bjornfot-Doughty
Clague-Martinez
Anderson-Durzi
Who Cares

Petersen
Campbell

Grundstrom is underrated around here . He is going to be a 50 point player and a great compliment on the first line to get in on the forecheck dig out pucks and bring some tenacity on that line. You can’t have a lineup full of rookies it’s not going to happen nor possible unless we want to not see a cup for another decade . The goal and objective is to surround the core with young talent to win another cup . Vilardi will benefit from playing on 3rd line after missing so much time and get acclimated to the NHL before moving up to first line duty and having Kopi eventually on the 3rd line. At that time we will have the deepest center depth in the league imo. Imagine a 4th line of JAD , Wagner and Brown . They’d be perfect for the modern NHL with speed and tenacity play 10+ mins a night and allow us to roll 4 lines. Could turn out to be one of the best 4th lines in NHL history . The fact of the matter is the modern NHL is more like having two 3rd lines than a 4th line .

Kopitar will still be the 1C and I don’t see why he wouldn’t be able to perform at a high level at the age of 34 considering what Pavelski and Big Joe did last year . At least for that year he would still be 1C while Vilardi keeps developing . Grundstrom will crash the net and create space while Kaliyev gets open and Kopi will set him up all day. Finally he will have a sniper.

Turcotte is going to be perfect as a 2C and will be a great player for us for the next decade +. But he too will need a veteran on his line and hopefully Prokhorkin is as good as advertised. Kempe brings some chippiness and has blazing speed will be a great modern day 3rd liner with a center who can set him up and Carter who I think is going to be on the team still and be able to perform his role on the team while scoring 15 goals at least from the 3rd line .

Potential is there for us to be a high scoring team. The defense I tend to agree with your projection more but Martinez might still be here considering we need some veteran presence back there besides Doughty . with Durzi looking good I think he eventually take over for Martinez in the top 4 and Martinez can play bottom pairing like he did on the cup winning teams. A stay at home solid defenseman like Anderson will develop playing bottom pairing mins after spending a year in the A. Clague who can chip in goals and move the puck I have in the top 4 for now because of seniority . But once everyone develops and shows what they got over time the players and D will slip into their right placement in the lineup to give us a deep lineup throughout offense and defense .

This is a realistic lineup in 3 years considering most of these kids will still be 21-22. I’m high on Kupari and feel he is destined for that 2nd line RW . This year will be telling on lot of fronts like the kids and what they got and Prokhorkin potential . As for a lineup this year I believe this lineup is reasonable to expect and I like the forward group to see what they got but the defense can be scary considering Blake said it’s about who is waiver exempt and protecting the assets unfortunately instead of maybe playing BPA

Kovy-Kopi-Brown
Grundstrom-Kempe-Carter
Iaffalo-Prokhorkin-Toffoli
Clifford-Amadio-Wagner
Kempe,Lewis

Forbort-Doughty
Ryan-Martinez
Brickley-Roy
Walker,Macdermud,Clague

Quick
Campbell

 

[Little Psycho]

Feels weird to have cap space again. I remember Dean counting his coins.

 

[kings11]

Feels weird to have cap space again. I remember Dean counting his coins.

Add in the fact that Toffoli, Martinez, Lewis and Clifford are likely gone after this season and that's the $20 mill we'll have headed into next season... If we can move a Quick, Kovy or Carts.. well we'd have the ability to quickly assemble a nice team with lots of youth and a key UFA signing or two

 

[Lt Dan]

Add in the fact that Toffoli, Martinez, Lewis and Clifford are likely gone after this season and that's the $20 mill we'll have headed into next season... If we can move a Quick, Kovy or Carts.. well we'd have the ability to quickly assemble a nice team with lots of youth and a key UFA signing or two

I would plan on Lewis and Clifford being lifelong Kings. Teams need leadership and they are great glue guys

 

[YP44]

Add in the fact that Toffoli, Martinez, Lewis and Clifford are likely gone after this season and that's the $20 mill we'll have headed into next season... If we can move a Quick, Kovy or Carts.. well we'd have the ability to quickly assemble a nice team with lots of youth and a key UFA signing or two

players need to get to UFA status first though. This year was probably the best group of UFA players on the market in a decade. Given Tavares the year before I wonder if this will be more of the new normal.

 

[Master Yoda]

I would plan on Lewis and Clifford being lifelong Kings. Teams need leadership and they are great glue guys

maybe only one of them

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I longes for the days of Cap Space being slotted into all our top lines.

 

[kings11]

I would plan on Lewis and Clifford being lifelong Kings. Teams need leadership and they are great glue guys

I would agree if we didnt have kids that need/will to replace them and the fact that Kopi, Brownie and Drew will need to be that.. At the very least we need space for Amadio, JAD, Grundy and maybe Turcotte after his lone college season... who are we holding back to get that "leadership"?

 

[KingsHockey24]

I would plan on Lewis and Clifford being lifelong Kings. Teams need leadership and they are great glue guys

I'd say that for Clifford.

Lewis I can see gone by the end of this season.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

Add in the fact that Toffoli, Martinez, Lewis and Clifford are likely gone after this season and that's the $20 mill we'll have headed into next season... If we can move a Quick, Kovy or Carts.. well we'd have the ability to quickly assemble a nice team with lots of youth and a key UFA signing or two

Clifford is going no where. If u listened to state of the kings address you would have heard Blake praise Clifford and say they wished all kings would be like him. They saw that he worked hard and got better with each game and had a career year. The best you can hope for is he would agree to be traded at deadline and resign with the kings in off season. Even then I would be shocked if happened. I doubt Clifford plays any where else. He bleeds la colors and he will be with this team till he retires.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

players need to get to UFA status first though. This year was probably the best group of UFA players on the market in a decade. Given Tavares the year before I wonder if this will be more of the new normal.

I’m all for lowering the UFA age to 25 if contract maxes are also lowered to 4 years UFA, 5 years re-sign.

 

[Bandit]

Clifford is going no where. If u listened to state of the kings address you would have heard Blake praise Clifford and say they wished all kings would be like him. They saw that he worked hard and got better with each game and had a career year. The best you can hope for is he would agree to be traded at deadline and resign with the kings in off season. Even then I would be shocked if happened. I doubt Clifford plays any where else. He bleeds la colors and he will be with this team till he retires.

Yup. Not sure why so many are so down on Clifford. He busts his ass, sticks up for his teammates (albeit poorly, but it's the thought that counts), doesn't cost much, and his teammates love him.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Who do you all think Clifford and Lewis are "keeping down" by playing solid 4th line minutes? I see some people projecting JAD as a 4th liner. JAD has more value as a trade chip than as a 4th liner. Not saying Lewis and Clifford have to or will be kept around indefinitely but playing your (if healthy) Vilardis or your JADs at bottom 6 minutes when they could be playing top 6 minutes in Ontario seems questionable to me.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

Who do you all think Clifford and Lewis are "keeping down" by playing solid 4th line minutes? I see some people projecting JAD as a 4th liner. JAD has more value as a trade chip than as a 4th liner. Not saying Lewis and Clifford have to or will be kept around indefinitely but playing your (if healthy) Vilardis or your JADs at bottom 6 minutes when they could be playing top 6 minutes in Ontario seems questionable to me.

I don't see Lewis playing on the 4th line thou. I think he will play 3rd line mins with 2 shift on the pk His time on ice will actually be closer to Toffoli . 4th line mins on the right side will most likely be Wagner till he earns more mins.

 

[Choralone]

Keep Clifford. Lose Lewis.