What should LA do at the deadline?

[Peter James Bond II]

Chychrun 2 goals, an assist and +4 tonight. Price just went up....even more. lol Nick Schmaltz only 4 points tonight. What's going on in the desert?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Kopitar is still our leading scorer but he's getting absolutely ripped up defensively. His two-way game has noticeably slipped. If we didn't have Danault behind him, we'd be in a world of hurt right now.

Bless him, he's more than earned the right to taper off slowly and 'just play offense' but for a franchise who has fought for his two-way game getting recognition for years a lot of people are putting on deliberate blinders to what has become a pretty major problem that is starting to get exposed vs. better teams--our first line is losing the battle.

I expect a quiet deadline but surprises always happen, something might fall out of thin air, a team may offer Blake something to improve their cap situation or futures, etc.

 

[Fishhead]

Chychrun 2 goals, an assist and +4 tonight. Price just went up....even more. lol Nick Schmaltz only 4 points tonight. What's going on in the desert?

I wonder if it went down last game when he put up goose eggs and was a -3 against Ottawa's bottom two lines? Good for him though, now he has 3 goals in his last 28 games, one more than Mikey Anderson over that same stretch.

 

[unicornpig]

dont mind chychrun, just not for anything close to the asking price.

 

[MBH]

Chychrun's not yet 24.
What else do you really want in a LD?
This guy has the kind of point shot that can carry a powerplay for 10 years.
He's worth more than Eichel - who has serious questions about his neck and his attitude. He's also cheaper.
Chychrun is one of those PP bomb defensemen who can be a plus player in the NHL until he's 35+

When you think about what the Kings would give up, you have to ask, do you really think the Kings can develop all these guys anyway?

 

[bland]

Chychrun's not yet 24.
What else do you really want in a LD?
This guy has the kind of point shot that can carry a powerplay for 10 years.
He's worth more than Eichel - who has serious questions about his neck and his attitude. He's also cheaper.
Chychrun is one of those PP bomb defensemen who can be a plus player in the NHL until he's 35+

When you think about what the Kings would give up, you have to ask, do you really think the Kings can develop all these guys anyway?

I think fans need to think about whether its more likely - far more in my opinion - that the vets are going to fade faster and harder than the kids are going to progress. There is most likely going to be a lull before the next forward step, and I look at this year as a free shot while Kopitar and Doughty can still produce at a high level even if their full games have dropped a level at this age. Quick is less likely to steal games going forward.

The kids need minutes now. The sooner they shed their training wheels, the less time in that lull.

Dealing those kids now to strengthen the middle ground - which won't be strong contenders despite likely being a playoff level game - only serves to improve the odds of mediocrity and lessen the odds at greatness.

 

[Steve Zissou]

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think fans need to think about whether its more likely - far more in my opinion - that the vets are going to fade faster and harder than the kids are going to progress. There is most likely going to be a lull before the next forward step, and I look at this year as a free shot while Kopitar and Doughty can still produce at a high level even if their full games have dropped a level at this age. Quick is less likely to steal games going forward.

The kids need minutes now. The sooner they shed their training wheels, the less time in that lull.

Dealing those kids now to strengthen the middle ground - which won't be strong contenders despite likely being a playoff level game - only serves to improve the odds of mediocrity and lessen the odds at greatness.

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

While the second line should still be chugging, Kopitar is falling off pretty quickly and hard at this point. Brown is toast. Doughty is regressing in the 2nd half of the season. The late 20s guys are fantastic leaders and supplemental players but we need guys like Byfield et al to start to get the training wheels off and whiel I believe that iwll happen next year I think we distinctly take a step backwards with those growing pains coupled with aging pains.

 

[Fishhead]

Chychrun's not yet 24.
What else do you really want in a LD?
This guy has the kind of point shot that can carry a powerplay for 10 years.
He's worth more than Eichel - who has serious questions about his neck and his attitude. He's also cheaper.
Chychrun is one of those PP bomb defensemen who can be a plus player in the NHL until he's 35+

When you think about what the Kings would give up, you have to ask, do you really think the Kings can develop all these guys anyway?

Someone who can play and excel against top competition?
Someone who doesn't lose coverage often?
Someone with a better breakout pass?

I'd pay Lindholm a couple extra mil per year and take him over Chychrun every day of the week. JC has a solid shot, but that's about it right now. His defense went backwards this year and who knows if he'll get that back. For a first and a prospect not named Clarke, Byfield, Faber, or Kaliyev? Sure, but nothing more than that.

And Chychrun should maybe improve on that -27 this year before we anoint him a plus defenseman. He's atrocious on his side of the rink this year, I don't know how anyone could make that leap right now. If we really want a left powerplay specialist the Coyote we want is Gostisbehere.

 

[bland]

I agree wholeheartedly with this.

While the second line should still be chugging, Kopitar is falling off pretty quickly and hard at this point. Brown is toast. Doughty is regressing in the 2nd half of the season. The late 20s guys are fantastic leaders and supplemental players but we need guys like Byfield et al to start to get the training wheels off and whiel I believe that iwll happen next year I think we distinctly take a step backwards with those growing pains coupled with aging pains.

Yup, and the vets cap hits will be ordeals at their last couple years. Anze is a proud, smart guy, I could see him retiring before allowing himself to be a problem. Doughty is going to play until both wheels fall off.

There is a good sized chunk of cap committed to deadening assets. Don't tax that now with more longterm deals until you know what the kids really need. By the looks of it, offense from the blueline is the least of the worries.

 

[Steve Zissou]

@Fishhead I'm more concerned about his health. Kid is already racking up the injuries.

NHL Star Jakob Chychrun Continues Rebuilding His Body as His Team Rebuilds.

In his rookie season, Chychrun had surgery to repair a ligament in his left shoulder. He then tore the meniscus in his left knee after his first season and a torn ACL in his right knee the year after that.

This year he was out with a muscle strain (and Covid). He's def. a gamble in this regard. Him and Turcotte could be our Allison and Deadmarsh.

 

[bland]

And I don't think Blake is going to do anything silly like that either, this is just a fan vs fan philosophical thing.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Chychrun 2 goals, an assist and +4 tonight. Price just went up....even more. lol Nick Schmaltz only 4 points tonight. What's going on in the desert?

He now has 7 points in his last 5 games

 

[Herby]

Obvious thing to me is this:

1st
One of: Byfield, Turcotte or Clark
AA
for
Cholowski

Or -
Maybe AA/Vilardi 2nd for Chiarot.

There's a time to strike.
You've got Kopitar and Danault.
You've got some scoring depth on the Wings.
If you can find a LD... man... This could be a team that wins more than a round.

And if you're getting a Chychrun back? Why the f*** not. That's a trade that pays off for years.
If you're only giving up spare parts for a Chiarot, again, why not? You lose AA this year. Vilardi doesn't seem to figure highly in the plans. And a 2nd? You know the draft odds on a mid-round 2nd?

You don't have that many more kicks at the can with Kopitar.
And if you're trying to win with him, trade him.

You're proposals are taking about players being traded away with drastically different values.

Turcotte does not compare value wise to QB or Clarke and AA does not compare value wise to Vilardi.

Phoenix would not trade him for Turcotte, a 1st and AA and the Kings would not trade him for Byfield and a 1st.

Turcotte still has not shown an offensive game three years after being drafted and can't stay in the lineup consistently and AA is an expiring contract mercenary veteran that if a team wanted they could just sign this summer.

 

[MBH]

I think fans need to think about whether its more likely - far more in my opinion - that the vets are going to fade faster and harder than the kids are going to progress. There is most likely going to be a lull before the next forward step, and I look at this year as a free shot while Kopitar and Doughty can still produce at a high level even if their full games have dropped a level at this age. Quick is less likely to steal games going forward.

The kids need minutes now. The sooner they shed their training wheels, the less time in that lull.

Dealing those kids now to strengthen the middle ground - which won't be strong contenders despite likely being a playoff level game - only serves to improve the odds of mediocrity and lessen the odds at greatness.

If Chychrun was 29-30, I'd agree with you.
He's 24.
He's a guy who can help now and help in 10 years.

Who do you have in the organization who's Chychrun level? Clarke? Maybe one day. Maybe.
You pick in the top 5 hoping you get a Chychrun. If you can trade for him, you do it.

Chychrun could give this team the depth to have a nice long run in the playoffs.
Running Kopitar-Danault down the middle, having a D with Chychrun, Doughty, having all these wingers... you could contend for the next 2 years before Kopitar's wheels fall off... while still developing Byfield and/or Turcotte to replace Kopitar.

Continuing to stockpile prospects you don't have room to develop is just an old cat lady hoarding.

A decisive, shrewd GM can set the Kings up to contend this year and in the future by landing a guy like Chychrun.

 

[Fishhead]

If Clarke isn't as good as Chychrun, I'll actually be disappointed.

 

[TruKingFan]

If Clarke is a lefty we wouldn’t even be talking about Chychrun at all. Therein lies the conundrum.

 

[apocalypse]

You're free to argue that, but Kopitar has 20 more points than Danault (who I absolutely love) and that's been basically the constant since he was on the team. No one puts up near the points he does and, as much as people say "yeah but he's not a LEADER", no one's performed at his level.

Regardless, if the folks you mentioned are actually the leaders, the team still isn't close to a cup.

I think we're getting there. You can have certain players as leaders who aren't necessarily the best players, as long as you have other players that stand out. If Kopitar's not leading this team, we could still be a good team with different leaders. Does that make sense? If Lizotte was our captain, it doesn't mean we have a crappy team. It just means he's our captain and we have other skill guys that get it done.

 

[JeanBlanc]

Who do you have in the organization who's Chychrun level? Clarke? Maybe one day. Maybe.

I think the point that's being made is that if you acquire Chychrun in 2022, you'll "Maybe one day" get 2021 Chychrun. Maybe.

 

[Gurglesons]

Andrew Copp seems like a good Dustin Brown replacement for you long term.

 

[Lt Dan]

Andrew Copp seems like a good Dustin Brown replacement for you long term.

If he drinks out of the right end of a water bottle, then it is an automatic deal killer

 

[Gurglesons]

If he drinks out of the right end of a water bottle, then it is an automatic deal killer

I heard he knee’d a Sedin once.

 

[Kingspiracy]

I heard he knee’d a Sedin once.

Only one and only once?

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

You're free to argue that, but Kopitar has 20 more points than Danault (who I absolutely love) and that's been basically the constant since he was on the team. No one puts up near the points he does and, as much as people say "yeah but he's not a LEADER", no one's performed at his level.

Regardless, if the folks you mentioned are actually the leaders, the team still isn't close to a cup.

Danault is a much better 5-on-5 scorer than Kopitar, and 5-on-5 is the strength at which much of the game is played. Kopitar is getting a fair share of points on the power play.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Kopitar is getting a fair share of points on the power play.

That's a good one...