GDT: Training Camp 2023

[chris kontos]

.

 

[King'sPawn]

Many of us have been fans for a few decades now and seen the worst and seen the best from this organization. This team isn't even close to being the worst or mediocre. I think this is a very talented team with the weaknesses being in the goal, but like Vegas it can work without Quick talent in goal.

I think you're underestimating Hill's talent. He was one of the only reasons Arizona was in games, prior to joining Vegas.

He would have been a wonderful goalie for the Kings, especially with a goaltending transition.

He's not a hall-of-famer, but he was a servicable number 1 with experience before he was a cup champion.

 

[Sol]

LOL...is this some type of contest? Who's a 'better fan' and what defines that? That's awesome, that's gotta be some of your best work right there.

I don't know, maybe I'm weird, but I follow this team and sport out of enjoyment....and man does it feel good when they are winning. Maybe you and the boyz get enjoyment out of misery and complaining non-stop....I mean I guess it's possible. Very strange, but what do I know.

Very little lol if anything lol

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

It’s not a matter of being the best or worst, it’s about the trajectory they’re setting. You are going to come crashing down to earth when the team can’t create and foster high end talent through the rebuild. This team is built through trade.


I know this team isn’t the worst but one thing no one can deny is the future of this team is bleak. That’s what’s upsetting. Wallow away and peak at just being a found round knock out team? Because that’s the bar the Kings have been at. The Kings got smacked by the oilers last year. What makes you think the Kings are going any further than that? I’m upset with the team because this teams ceiling is very low with the way it’s built. So yeah it’s a decent team right now but that’s all it will ever be.

You were saying the EXACT same things two years ago when the Kings were an 80-point team,

 

[Sol]

You were saying the EXACT same things two years ago when the Kings were an 80-point team,

And they’ve been out the first round for two years. And the Kings were 1+ goal differential last year, the worst of any playoff team. You, as usual, are conflating bad division as a good team. The metrics don’t show that at all.

 

[deaderhead28]

I think you're underestimating Hill's talent. He was one of the only reasons Arizona was in games, prior to joining Vegas.

He would have been a wonderful goalie for the Kings, especially with a goaltending transition.

He's not a hall-of-famer, but he was a servicable number 1 with experience before he was a cup champion.

I think if this goaltender tandem can hold the fort down until the trade deadline, I think Blake could upgrade the goaltender position if need be for the playoffs.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[Sol]

I think if this goaltender tandem can hold the fort down until the trade deadline, I think Blake could upgrade the goaltender position if need be for the playoffs.

Why do you think Blake didn’t upgrade the goaltending position before the start of the season. I just want to understand the logic why it’s acceptable to head into the season with arguably the worst goaltending tandem in the NHL.

 

[deaderhead28]

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think if this goaltender tandem can hold the fort down until the trade deadline, I think Blake could upgrade the goaltender position if need be for the playoffs.

But that's exactly it.

We're back to 'hope is a strategy.'

Look, no one hates this team. Most agree with your statement. I think many of us even agree this will be a 'fun' year and the roster on paper is very talented.

But some of us are saying we expect MORE from a group that's had 5 years, unlimited resources, and an inherited championship restructure than "oh shit guess we're playing 17 guys in the first game, lol"

Some of us expect more than, 5 years into this thing, relying on THREE goalies ages 31 and older whose save percentages last year were .901, .903, and .898--with literally no one with any nhl experience behind them. And that wasn't a surprise-someone-got-hurt; this is something that's been building for years and he had all last year and this offseason to solve.

Some of us expect more from 23 picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds than having just Kempe, Byfield, and Bjornfot on the opening night roster.

Some of us expect more after having an RHD depth chart nearly 10 deep of studs than to start this season with a bottom pairing that has TWO LHDs including one journeyman AHLer and Matt Roy as QB on PP2.

Some of us expect more than dying on the 1-3-1 year after year due to an inability to make adjustments and choking away another series lead.

Some of us expect more than a f***ing 43% PK.

No one is expecting perfection--we just expect things to be a little tidier than this. And we're not really given any indication that ANY of the above are going to change in any way.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

IF you think that your team is a contender, its perfectly reasonable to make a bold move.

But what baffles me is how anybody could think that the Kings are at that level. They couldn't kill penalties, were grossly outmatched along the boards and in the creases, had highly questionable goaltending, the "best" players are clearly past their prime, have had an extremely difficult time getting young forwards to produce and were already in a difficult spot with the cap.

How in the world is Dubois a solution to any of that?

He is a fine player, and I would have been very happy to have added him at a price that didn't include your only cost-controlled producer and the exact type of winger the team needed.

Its just a baffling amount of hubris to think that this team is poised for anything other than another early exit, except now with just about zero maneuverability to fix the obvious problems OR the new ones that always develop over the course of a season.

Idk.... I feel like if the Kings had a good #1 goalie, they would legitimately be a contender - And I'm fairly certain most people around the league would agree with that. They're already a top 10 team in the league despite terrible goaltending.

And by contender I mean top team in the league (not Stanley Cup favorite necessarily, just a top team that would have a legitimately reasonable chance to win a cup - Not a dark horse team who could MAYBE go on a run).

Obviously that's a big 'IF' - But the thing is, they have the pieces to make that a reality. It might sting (would probably mean losing Arvy or Roy)... but they also kind of have the organizational depth to make up for that. And yeah, it would probably further sacrifice the future.... But maybe sacrificing the future is worth it to have 1-3 years with a legit chance to bring home a Stanley cup.

I'm not saying it's the best approach from management (it's super risky) - But if it works will we really be mad about entering into another rebuild 3-4 years from now?? Of course not.

Maybe they do make a big move sometime this season and bring in a guy like Saros.. If that happens this team would be insanely tough to beat - Even with potential PK/toughness issues.

 

[deaderhead28]

Idk.... I feel like if the Kings had a good #1 goalie, they would legitimately be a contender - And I'm fairly certain most people around the league would agree with that. They're already a top 10 team in the league despite terrible goaltending.

And by contender I mean top team in the league (not Stanley Cup favorite necessarily, just a top team that would have a legitimately reasonable chance to win a cup - Not a dark horse team who could MAYBE go on a run).

Obviously that's a big 'IF' - But the thing is, they have the pieces to make that a reality. It might sting (would probably mean losing Arvy or Roy)... but they also kind of have the organizational depth to make up for that. And yeah, it would probably further sacrifice the future.... But maybe sacrificing the future is worth it to have 1-3 years with a legit chance to bring home a Stanley cup.

I'm not saying it's the best approach from management (it's super risky) - But if it works will we really be mad about entering into another rebuild 3-4 years from now?? Of course not.

Maybe they do make a big move sometime this season and bring in a guy like Saros.. If that happens this team would be insanely tough to beat - Even with potential PK/toughness issues.

This team may go out and bring in some toughness and a goaltender at the tradeline and I could see Oilers having a real tough punch out of the Kings.

 

[tigermask48]

Kings have Kopi & PD as centers....with Byfield, Vilardi, Kupari and Turc all options for 3C. Lizotte firmly planted as 4C.

How can anyone see that center roster depth and think center is the biggest offseason Kings need going into 2023 season -- when we have what we have at Goalie. Not to mention the long-term need for power/size/toughness up & down the roster.

Who could possibly know the reason for that thinking.

 

[chris kontos]

Did billy ranford get kicked upstairs so far that he does t work with the lads directly any more?

He needs to create another goalie out of thin air for us

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

This team may go out and bring in some toughness and a goaltender at the tradeline and I could see Oilers having a real tough punch out of the Kings.

Yeah - If this happens I think any team in the league would have a tough time beating the Kings.

At the same time, if this happens it will likely mean we've sacrificed even MORE of the future (and part of the active roster to make the cap work) to do so.

Which would likely mean we'd have 1-3 seasons (max) to win a cup before probably being forced into a rebuild.

Could it work?? Sure.

But is it a smart strategy that set's the team up for long term success?? Not at all.

That's where a lot of the frustration comes from. A lot of Kings fans realize there was a way to do all this that likely WOULD have set the Kings up for long term success.

Instead, management went out and made some questionable decisions that put us in a situation where we still need to make major moves (like bringing in a top 15 goalie in the world) just to have a decent chance for success and seemingly little to no long term plan.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Did billy ranford get kicked upstairs so far that he does t work with the lads directly any more?

He needs to create another goalie out of thin air for us

Ranford has a great track record of taking struggling goalies and re-vitalizing their careers to the point where they can be serviceable backups or possibly a decent 1A option.

Which is awesome. But that's not what the Kings need.

They need a legit #1 goalie who is a top 10-15 goalie in the world (or can at least catch fire and play like a top 10-15 goalie in the world for an entire playoff run).

Maybe he can work his magic and make that happen, but IMO trade is ultimately more likely.

 

[Docgonzo]

Going to be a long season….both sides of these arguments “know” they’re right, won’t stop arguing with opposing side on the same topics for the past 2 seasons now.

 

[Bandit]

This is just straight up wrong. The Kings number one need was center.

If the goal is to win now, the Kings probably made the best possible move available. They knew it would cause a tight cap situation, but still makes sense given the goal.

Yeah definitely needed a 3rd center making 5.5m or more when all three goalies are a wet piece of lens tissue.

 

[kilowatt]

Yeah definitely needed a 3rd center making 5.5m or more when all three goalies are a wet piece of lens tissue.

Not for nothing, Danault takes up 6.5% of the cap and Stoll took up 5.6% of the cap in 2012. I don’t think Danault is the problem here.

The problem is Doughty and Kopitar. They just make too much money.

 

[BigKing]

You can think that this is the most talented team the Kings have iced in years but still not be thrilled about this upcoming season. Reasons not to be thrilled:

- Soft. Cheering for the softest team in the league is tolerable if said team is just dominating teams on the scoreboard every night. Maybe that happens but the goaltending makes me think that won't be happening.

- Goaltending. Kings gave up two or less goals for a long time post Quick trade but that started to change once they played real teams. We saw how good that goaltending was in the playoffs with a guy better than anyone we have on the roster currently and Copley's super rough relief appearance. This is going to be better how, exactly?

- Most talented but better than last year? More talented because of the "high-end, name recognition" of PLD but you lose Vilardi and Iafallo. Nice center depth but PLD isn't a Selke guy. Can they do better than a 25% PK percentage if they face McDrai again?

- They haven't won a damn thing in almost ten years. That isn't a tough guy act like we had for years after the Cup about "If you don't win the Cup, what's the point?", it is just a fact. The only thing Blake has won so far is the draft lottery but then he appeared to make the wrong pick.

- All of that and this a capped out team that was supposed to be bearing the fruits of studs on ELCs. That's probably the biggest issue. You go through all that sucking to, so far, pretty much have zero major impact from guys on their ELC. Now they are being lost for nothing or being put in Ontario even though they are ready for the NHL now.

It's much easier being positive and kudos to those of you that are. I'm not that guy but I'm also getting to the point where I just can't care as much. It's been nice this Summer barely talking Kings hockey.

Puck needs to drop. Can't keep rehashing all this Blake stuff. Time to dump on T-Mac starting tomorrow!

 

[AbsentMojo]

How dare you

haha.. sorry, maybe starting looking for a new avatar?

 

[The Butcher]

So Rittich is out. Who starts tomorrow?

 

[Bandit]

Not for nothing, Danault takes up 6.5% of the cap and Stoll took up 5.6% of the cap in 2012. I don’t think Danault is the problem here.

The problem is Doughty and Kopitar. They just make too much money.

I’m just saying when you’re talking greatest need it certainly wasn’t another 8m center.

 

[Gjwrams]

f*** Cal Peterson…..that is all

 

[kingsfan28]

And they’ve been out the first round for two years. And the Kings were 1+ goal differential last year, the worst of any playoff team. You, as usual, are conflating bad division as a good team. The metrics don’t show that at all.

What are you talking about being a +1? They finished with a +23 . 280 GF-257 GA
Or am I misunderstanding your point?