What should LA do at the deadline?

[unicornpig]

Then try to sell him
52 points.56% faceoffs.
Eat some salary. Get rich.

he has this thing called a nmc.

 

[MBH]

he has this thing called a nmc.

Lots of guys do.
What I don't like is indecisive management.
I thought the Kings, at the behest of Doughty and Kopitar, decided to go for it with the acquisition of Danault and Arvidsson.
Instead spinning the wheels.

 

[kinghock]

Id say father Todd treated him a like a rented mule - he was good during game 1 downhill after that

I liked Kopitar a lot, but I do not want to be in state of denial anymore.

He is slow player now and he never was superfast to begin with.

His skills on slow speed do not look very impressive both offensively and defensively.

He still sometimes can overpower smaller players, but if those players are fast he does not know what to do with a puck.

That is why our power play is suffering this year…

 

[AbsentMojo]

I liked Kopitar a lot, but I do not want to be in state of denial anymore.

He is slow player now and he never was superfast to begin with.

His skills on slow speed do not look very impressive both offensively and defensively.

He still sometimes can overpower smaller players, but if those players are fast he does not know what to do with a puck.

That is why our power play is suffering this year…

This is the first year where he gets beat defensively on a regular basis - from Selke to just sell him

 

[kinghock]

Lots of guys do.
What I don't like is indecisive management.
I thought the Kings, at the behest of Doughty and Kopitar, decided to go for it with the acquisition of Danault and Arvidsson.
Instead spinning the wheels.

You are correct in your observation.

Unfortunately Kopitar of this year and Kopitar of year before looks like 2 different players to me.

Let’s just accept the facts and try different strategy for team building now.

 

[kinghock]

This is the first year where he gets beat defensively on a regular basis - from Selke to just sell him

He was not Selke last year already and he is 34 now.

 

[AbsentMojo]

He was not Selke last year already and he is 34 now.

haha - man can you just roll with it?

 

[kilowatt]

You are correct in your observation.

Unfortunately Kopitar of this year and Kopitar of year before looks like 2 different players to me.

Let’s just accept the facts and try different strategy for team building now.

the best defense is a good offense

 

[AbsentMojo]

the best defense is a good offense

Tell that to the 85 Bears

 

[kilowatt]

Tell that to the 85 Bears

the best defense is a good defense?

 

[KingsFan7824]

Some team starving for C help would pay through the nose for Kopitar.

Someone thinks that, and then will get mad at the Kings when they don't trade him for some huge return. It's the same as getting mad at someone in real life because they did something bad in your dream.

 

[kingsholygrail]

The Kings would also have to retain on Kopitar if they moved him anywhere as well.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Best case Kopi scenario Kupari/Kopi/Byfield on the 3rd line with ???, Danault, (Kopi or Byfield), Lizzote down the middle.

Blake/Todd didn't even sit Brown. They're not trading Kopi. (Not what I want or hope for, reality)

Maybe Kopi can be a positive in a sheltered role & Byfield can go back to center after Kopi retires. Going into next year hoping Kopi or Byfield is going to be a top6 C is a failure.

 

[Sparky206]

I can guarantee you Blakes depth chart for 2 years from now has Byfield pencilled in at 1C, Danault at 2C and Kopitar at 3C.

Take the old man away from top line match ups, 4th most Ice time in the entire league and he'll still be a very effective player in that role. Overpaid at 36? Sure but most are at the final year of an 8 year contract, he's aged well and is the best player in the franchises history so he deserves it.

 

[Mats26]

Nobody thought Durzi would make it so future lineup projections we should keep that in mind.

For centers in 2 years: (without trades and surprises)

1C Danault (If he keeps producing)
2C-3C Byfield (He won't overtake Dananult until he's 22+...)
3C - ??? (Kopitar? thanks for your service but at 37 years of age, we'll take the 10million in cap and spend it elsewhere)

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Lots of guys do.
What I don't like is indecisive management.
I thought the Kings, at the behest of Doughty and Kopitar, decided to go for it with the acquisition of Danault and Arvidsson.
Instead spinning the wheels.

Go for what? Go for taking it to the next level, turning the corner and establishing themselves as a playoff team? Yah, they did that and have just about accomplished it.

 

[Fat Elvis]

34 yr old Kopitar is having a rough time with Mid 20's legit #1 C's, or 1st line wings. Just doesn't have the legs for it any more. He's never been known for his fitness, so it should shock anyone. Same thing is going to happen with #8

 

[KopitarFAN]

I think we're all just happy that they didn't do anything stupid, like trade a 1st for a rental.

 

[Lt Dan]

I think we're all just happy that they didn't do anything stupid, like trade a 1st for a rental.

Lauzon went to the Preds for a second. We should have been all over that like glitter on a stripper.

 

[TopT]

Kopi will not be traded, give it a rest.

 

[bouncesonly]

Nobody thought Durzi would make it so future lineup projections we should keep that in mind.

For centers in 2 years: (without trades and surprises)

1C Danault (If he keeps producing)
2C-3C Byfield (He won't overtake Dananult until he's 22+...)
3C - ??? (Kopitar? thanks for your service but at 37 years of age, we'll take the 10million in cap and spend it elsewhere)

If Byfield surpasses Kopitar as 2C in 2 seasons, that'd be quite the surprise, not by how much Kopitar has dropped but by how much Byfield would need to improve.

 

[crassbonanza]

Nobody thought Durzi would make it so future lineup projections we should keep that in mind.

For centers in 2 years: (without trades and surprises)

1C Danault (If he keeps producing)
2C-3C Byfield (He won't overtake Dananult until he's 22+...)
3C - ??? (Kopitar? thanks for your service but at 37 years of age, we'll take the 10million in cap and spend it elsewhere)

If Danault is our number 1 C in two years I can almost guarantee you that Blake will be fired. Danault is currently having his second best season offensively and he is tied with Moore in PPG at less than .6 PPG. He will also be 32, so it is not like we can expect some huge growth in production. For reference, Kopitar, our current 1C that everybody is complaining about, has has a .81 PPG this season and is 1 point away from eclipsing Danault's career high in points. You can not be a contender if your number 1C is not even trending to eclips 50 points in an 82 game season.

 

[SCARFACE909]

I'm guessing everyone forgets that Kopitar is yet again the Kings leading scorer by a decent margin?

 

[Schmooley]

I'm guessing everyone forgets that Kopitar is yet again the Kings leading scorer by a decent margin?

Nobody forgets that. He also gets the most ice time and pp time by a decent margin and plays with Kempe who is having a good year. Nobody is forgetting that he also has been getting beaten by guys like Barkov (and Luff!) for the first time in his career and its probably going to get worse in the coming years.
I dont think anyone actually believes hell be traded but if you look at the big picture the Kings need the next Kopitar to take the reigns here pretty soon if they want to build a contender.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

No one is forgetting Kopitar is still the Kings leading scorer.

However, many are missing that he's losing the 5v5 battle by a significant margin.

Ironic because it's like the Kopitar vs. "x" conversations of yesteryear where we said Kopitar's 70 points were more than enough when he was blackholing the other team's C. In this case, Danault is a team-leading 61.43 GF% at 5v5 and Kopitar is a 45.07. That's a gross difference.

You can't have your #1 C getting walked over like that night after night if you want to make noise.