GDT: Pre-Season LA Kings vs Anaheim Ducks @7:00pm 10/3/23

[FSL KINGS]

You can acquire those for a lot less cost than a 2OA pick.

It was a bad draft anyways. Even if they went with the German, King's couldn't afford his 8.3M this year.

 

[tny760]

It was a bad draft anyways. Even if they went with the German, King's couldn't afford his 8.3M this year.

now i think that's a bit disingenuous

if stutzle is clearly the guy, you don't need to extend kopitar or acquire PLD and you handily afford his salary

i'm not saying i'm selling on QB quite yet but he better be the guy this season

 

[kilowatt]

It was a bad draft anyways. Even if they went with the German, King's couldn't afford his 8.3M this year.

Yes they could, and they wouldn't have needed to trade Vilardi, Kupari, and Iafallo for a center to boot. Imagine if we had traded Iafallo for an NHL goaltender instead.

Fiala - Stutzle - Kempe
Turcotte - Kopitar - Vilardi
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Grundstrom - Lizotte - Lewis

 

[Pucknut50]

It’s what? His third preseason game. It’s also his first since Australia so these guys are undercooked. I’ll start judging players from regular season game 1 because for these guys it’s about preparing for that, getting their legs under them, timing correct and adjusting to any system tweaks. Whilst seeing Q dominate a game is what WE want it’s not specifically what preseason is for. These games ultimately count for nothing which is why Turcotte and it seems Clarke go to Ontario regardless of performance.

There are multiple speeds in Hockey. Practice, Preseason, Regular Season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup.

Just rewatched the Kempe goal and I can’t say it enough, Fiala is such a good player. The fact he was able to keep the puck in while being hounded by 2 ducks. Fed it Doughty, Doughty to Arvidsson, and Kempe the goal. That’s how you create space. When you’re as dangerous as Fiala, your presence alone drifts defenseman towards you.

Fiala is so f***ing talented. The last player the Kings had that was similar to Fiala in skill level is Palffy. Let that sink in man.

I don't like Kaliyev on the line with Fiala and PLD. I think someone like Grunstrom would be better. Kaliyev is a perimeter player looking to shoot, Fiala and PLD can create and you need someone to crash the net or at least be in front. We need a Holmstrom type player with those two.

 

[Little Psycho]

Curious where the wheel lands

 

[Kudelski37]

There are multiple speeds in Hockey. Practice, Preseason, Regular Season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup.

I don't like Kaliyev on the line with Fiala and PLD. I think someone like Grunstrom would be better. Kaliyev is a perimeter player looking to shoot, Fiala and PLD can create and you need someone to crash the net or at least be in front. We need a Holmstrom type player with those two.

PLD is the net front presence/crasher. Go watch all of his career goals. Most are right around the crease. Kaliyev is the shooter on the line.

 

[tny760]

???

a kneeing/tripping minor wasn't enough?

he definitely stuck out a bit but de leo was also head down spinning at the time?

 

[Sol]

Curious where the wheel lands

Do people seriously think that was dirty? I could have swore he didn’t extend his knee nor did he change his line. If anything that guy shifted his positioning.

How is this suspension worthy? at worst call a kneeing penalty.

 

[tny760]

Do people seriously think that was dirty? I could have swore he didn’t extend his knee nor did he change his line. If anything that guy shifted his positioning.

How is this suspension worthy? at worst call a kneeing penalty.

/shrug

i think he was looking for some meat but realistically he hammered him in the hip cause de leo was so low and sideways

 

[Brownie to Pancakes]

AK stuck his leg out blatantly, and it came right after he got rocked so can probably be interpreted as retaliatory. I don't think it's suspension worthy though

 

[King'sPawn]

If it's not in-person, then it will probably be a fine.

 

[kingsholygrail]

/shrug

i think he was looking for some meat but realistically he hammered him in the hip cause de leo was so low and sideways

This looks like a lot of nothing from the different angles. He's dodging a hit that Kaliyev looks to be squaring up for which puts him in that position to get a weird hip toss. Doesn't even look like knee on knee. But whatever. They'll fine him or suspend him a game for whatever reason. I do think that at some point, you gotta call players out for putting themselves in bad positions.

 

[FSL KINGS]

now i think that's a bit disingenuous

if stutzle is clearly the guy, you don't need to extend kopitar or acquire PLD and you handily afford his salary

i'm not saying i'm selling on QB quite yet but he better be the guy this season

Kopitar has 1 year left on his 10M contract before the extension kicks in. So this year would be a crunch fitting Stützle & Kopitar.

PLD has 434 regular season games of experience & 38 playoff games of experience at the NHL level. He is much more experienced. Don't even care if Stützle puts up more points.

Stützle may turn into a good player in the future, but he finished last year as a negative & his team missed the playoffs. Fancy goals don't help you win until you are able to plan a complete NHL game. At 8M & not being able to defend this wouldn't help the King's.

Yes they could, and they wouldn't have needed to trade Vilardi, Kupari, and Iafallo for a center to boot. Imagine if we had traded Iafallo for an NHL goaltender instead.

Fiala - Stutzle - Kempe
Turcotte - Kopitar - Vilardi
Moore - Danault - Arvidsson
Grundstrom - Lizotte - Lewis

Kupari could figure it out at some point or turn into Lewis.

Iafallo was a 4M, 30 point cap dump, capable of shutting down any line he was on. He's the neighbor you want in a pandemic & need a drone TP delivery though.

Vilardi, "Winnipeg isn't that bad" always had something dumb coming out of his mouth instead of putting the work in. He did bust his butt when he realized Byfield was taking his job. Also speed will limit his effectiveness. Had everything he needed to make the team.

Stützle as a 1C, you aren't making the playoffs, just like Ottawa. Maybe in a few years when he's rounded out his game, but King's are going for the playoffs now.

Vilardi, Kopi would be one of the slowest forward pairs in the NHL. Too much cement on one line.

Building a contender, you can chase the expensive fancy goal scoring guys & build a top heavy team like Edmonton, or you can focus on more defensive players that score less like Danault. Sutter showed us which way is better.

 

[kilowatt]

/shrug

i think he was looking for some meat but realistically he hammered him in the hip cause de leo was so low and sideways

I mean it was definitely a penalty, but I'm surprised to see that there's a hearing. Who knows, maybe he gets suspended the rest of the preseason. What do I know.

 

[kilowatt]

Kopitar has 1 year left on his 10M contract before the extension kicks in. So this year would be a crunch fitting Stützle & Kopitar.

PLD has 434 regular season games of experience & 38 playoff games of experience at the NHL level. He is much more experienced. Don't even care if Stützle puts up more points.

Stützle may turn into a good player in the future, but he finished last year as a negative & his team missed the playoffs. Fancy goals don't help you win until you are able to plan a complete NHL game. At 8M & not being able to defend this wouldn't help the King's.



Kupari could figure it out at some point or turn into Lewis.

Iafallo was a 4M, 30 point cap dump, capable of shutting down any line he was on. He's the neighbor you want in a pandemic & need a drone TP delivery though.

Vilardi, "Winnipeg isn't that bad" always had something dumb coming out of his mouth instead of putting the work in. He did bust his butt when he realized Byfield was taking his job. Also speed will limit his effectiveness. Had everything he needed to make the team.

Stützle as a 1C, you aren't making the playoffs, just like Ottawa. Maybe in a few years when he's rounded out his game, but King's are going for the playoffs now.

Vilardi, Kopi would be one of the slowest forward pairs in the NHL. Too much cement on one line.

Building a contender, you can chase the expensive fancy goal scoring guys & build a top heavy team like Edmonton, or you can focus on more defensive players that score less like Danault. Sutter showed us which way is better.

I just don't really understand what you mean, since Stutzle and Dubois make the same amount. I'd much rather have Stutzle than Dubois. Kopitar is our 1C today anyway, so your point is moot there as well. Rearrange the line combos if you want. Hell, trade Vilardi for help elsewhere if we have to. If we have Stutzle rather than Byfield, we've got a bonafide top line player. Byfield's starting to look a lot like Brian Boyle. I don't give a f*** about Kupari, he's just a mid-first pick that didn't really pan out, that happens all the time. Whiffing on those is fine, whiffing on consecutive top five picks is brutal.

Iafallo was a good third-line player who Blake, as usual, overspent significantly. Petersen, Iafallo, Moore, Kopitar, Dubois... if I was an NHL player, I'd be dying to play in LA. No one holds you accountable and you are significantly overpaid. Must be nice!

Look, I agree that building a defense-first team can be great, but that's certainly not what Blake's built. Our cup rosters had one of the greatest clutch goaltenders of all time behind one of the deepest defenses in recent memory. Blake apparently saw those rosters and decided AHL-caliber goalies would be able to fill Quick's shoes behind a subpar defense. It's madness.

 

[Sol]

I don’t see how he sticks his knee out

 

[Eagle Fang]

It’s what? His third preseason game. It’s also his first since Australia so these guys are undercooked. I’ll start judging players from regular season game 1 because for these guys it’s about preparing for that, getting their legs under them, timing correct and adjusting to any system tweaks. Whilst seeing Q dominate a game is what WE want it’s not specifically what preseason is for. These games ultimately count for nothing which is why Turcotte and it seems Clarke go to Ontario regardless of performance.

I've been on the Byfield bandwagon sine he was drafted, but it is starting to get a little concerning. What you mentioned is certainly true. It's only a few games into preseason and it means very little in the big scheme of things.

At the same time though, the "justifications" are starting to become a common theme going back to the WJCs tournaments. I've thought them as well, but at some point soon he's going to have to deliver.

This is just my opinion, but what holds Byfield back and what keeps him from breaking out is his severe lack of hockey IQ at the NHL level. It's something I noticed from his games in the AHL as well. Often times plays die on this stick from not making the right decisions, be it a pass, dump in, board play, etc..

He has all the physical tools to be a beast, but hockey IQ is what makes a player more Kopitar than Brian Boyle. I'm just not seeing any improvement in Byfield in that regard, which is worrisome.

 

[head eyes]

/shrug

i think he was looking for some meat but realistically he hammered him in the hip cause de leo was so low and sideways

For every comment I read in the replies I can feel myself losing one IQ point. Holy cow

 

[Buddy The Elf]

Put Fiala / PLD / Kempe together. Keep Moore / Danault / Arvidsson and put Byfield / Kopitar / Kaliyev together. Kopitar and carry the load of bringing along those two younger players and you get a legit top scoring line. My buddy suggested this and I think it's a good idea to try out.

 

[Schmooley]

Put Fiala / PLD / Kempe together. Keep Moore / Danault / Arvidsson and put Byfield / Kopitar / Kaliyev together. Kopitar and carry the load of bringing along those two younger players and you get a legit top scoring line. My buddy suggested this and I think it's a good idea to try out.

Fiala - PLD - Kempe would be a nasty line.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Put Fiala / PLD / Kempe together. Keep Moore / Danault / Arvidsson and put Byfield / Kopitar / Kaliyev together. Kopitar and carry the load of bringing along those two younger players and you get a legit top scoring line. My buddy suggested this and I think it's a good idea to try out.

That is the actual first line on this team.

 

[BaileyFan]

Put Fiala / PLD / Kempe together. Keep Moore / Danault / Arvidsson and put Byfield / Kopitar / Kaliyev together. Kopitar and carry the load of bringing along those two younger players and you get a legit top scoring line. My buddy suggested this and I think it's a good idea to try out.

Only works if Todd commits to matching up PLD against opposing 1st lines instead of Kopitar which will never happen.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

That is the actual first line on this team.

I haven't been paying close attention to preseason but I thought Kopitar was still playing with Byfield and Kempe?

 

[Lt Dan]

I haven't been paying close attention to preseason but I thought Kopitar was still playing with Byfield and Kempe?

you are correct sir

These have been the fist three lines
Quinton Byfield – Anze Kopitar – Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore – Phillip Danault – Viktor Arvidsson
Kevin Fiala – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Arthur Kaliyev

These also skated together today
Carl Grundstrom – Blake Lizotte – Trevor Lewis
Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Alex Turcotte – Alex Laferriere

 

[Sol]

I've been on the Byfield bandwagon sine he was drafted, but it is starting to get a little concerning. What you mentioned is certainly true. It's only a few games into preseason and it means very little in the big scheme of things.

At the same time though, the "justifications" are starting to become a common theme going back to the WJCs tournaments. I've thought them as well, but at some point soon he's going to have to deliver.

This is just my opinion, but what holds Byfield back and what keeps him from breaking out is his severe lack of hockey IQ at the NHL level. It's something I noticed from his games in the AHL as well. Often times plays die on this stick from not making the right decisions, be it a pass, dump in, board play, etc..

He has all the physical tools to be a beast, but hockey IQ is what makes a player more Kopitar than Brian Boyle. I'm just not seeing any improvement in Byfield in that regard, which is worrisome.

I wouldn’t say it’s a severe lack of hockey IQ. I think he doesn’t have any tools that are extremely impressive at all. But if I was to say one thing about his game that’s really lacking is that he plays extremely timid and with very little confidence.

I think the Kings are more focused on making him a good winger for Kopitar rather than allowing him a situation where he can just play the game without thinking too much. I don’t think he’s impressive but I feel like we’d see a lot more from him if he wasn’t a mental midget.