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Confirmed with Link: What to do With Iafallo / Update: Iafallo re-signed 4 years, 16 million

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What to do with Iafallo

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DoktorJeep said:
Did anyone ask Kopitar if he specifically wants to play with Pat Laine? Should his answer on this or any player dictate management’s decisions? Doughty specifically asked to partner up with Bjornfot, what happened there?
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I'm not sure that Doughty "specifically asked to partner up with Bjornfot"

We know he had plenty of nice things to say about him... but I don't recall Doughty saying "I want to play with Bjornfot"

I HAVE heard Doughty say he wants to play with Mikey Anderson

Regardless... Iafallo and Kopitar have been joined at the hip for almost 4 seasons now and the coach repeatedly uses the phrase "this is a player other players ask to play with" when describing Alex Iafallo

I don't know if Kopitar's wishes should or would be taken into account when it comes to acquiring players in the future I just know what's happened in the past and what is currently happening now
 
DoktorJeep said:
Did anyone ask Kopitar if he specifically wants to play with Pat Laine? Should his answer on this or any player dictate management’s decisions? Doughty specifically asked to partner up with Bjornfot, what happened there?
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I don't think it's that strange that management asks top players for feedback about other players.
 
All The Kings Men said:
Todd McLellan said it again... twice... in his media availability yesterday.

Alex Iafallo is a player that other players specifically ask to play with.

He's said it at least half a dozen times this season alone.

Given that he plays more than 90% (not an estimation or a guess) of his even strength minutes with Anze Kopiter, I leave it to your imagination to sort out which player"s" are asking to play with him.

19/11/23 - 67.4%
19/11/9 - 14.6%
19/11/77 - 2.3%
19/11/12 - 1.9%
etc etc etc
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Amen. Even if this wasn't the case, I love guys like Iafallo. He's basically Lewis with quite a bit more offensive upside. Not very glamorous/flashy/memorable but consistently performs and i'll take it at that $.
 
AzKing said:
Outside of drafting well and that really is more of having a good staff below him, Blake hasn't really moved the meter as a GM when it comes to trades to upgrade the current roster. Hopefully, that will change.
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I think the next 2 years will establish Blake's legacy as a GM who knows how to build a winning team or not. If in 2 years we are still spinning our wheels, I think more changes in managment will come.

He has cap space, a decent goaltender, #1 C and D with some fuel left in their tanks and a slew of prospects that should be used to add talent to the roster (via trade or developing themselves into roster players).
 
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Statto said:
Well this is it. If Iafallo isn’t scoring he doesn’t hurt you, he still kills penalties and still drives play. So I’m not sure what people who criticise him actually expect, why make him the whipping boy? It’s up to other players to make the case to take his spot in 1LW, because right now no one has been able to even nail down 2LW.

We would all love more consistent, less streaky scoring but then Iafallo would be an 8 million player. All we need is for a couple of guys to emerge and take the top 2 spots on wing, let’s go with Turcotte and Kalyev. If they are then supported by Kempe, Iafallo and Vilardi our wing situation will suddenly look great. You’d be able to plug Iafallo into the correct spot in the lineup and we’d be debating how to fit AA, Thomas, Fagemo and Moore into the lineup.

If we get to the point of no longer needing him, his all around game means he’s a solid pickup for any team. Given our roster structure and the money likely going on/off the payroll it’d be easy to eat even half his contract to facilitate a move if we really had to.

It’s a solid signing, at a fair price and it’s highly improbable that his contract is going to hurt us at any point.
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He is by no means my whipping boy but I also have what feels like zero connection to him. His best seasons have been during some of the worst in Kings history and he isn't what you would call an exciting player. I always said he was kind of a souped-up Trevor Lewis and still feel that way but I don't say that as an insult since I appreciate Trevor Lewis. Trevor was much more physical but Iafallo definitely has better hands. That said, I think a 26-27 year old Lewis getting 20 minutes a night with Kopitar on a bad team while never having to throw a body check would surprise a lot of people with the point totals he could put up.

Anyways, non-exciting players are easily made to be whipping boys and I can be guilty of it from time-to-time. Kempe should probably get way more shit than he does but he is fun to watch skate with the puck, can display some edge and has "flow" or whatever the kids call it. Iafallo is an UDFA that just goes out, plays hockey and will generally never make a highlight reel. He's even trying to have the "flow" this year with the hair and nobody seems to give a shit. He's associated with the rock-bottom point of the post-Cup era so it's hard to get excited about him since he came in with zero hype and we weren't watching his stats for years before he came in the league. Someone said earlier that he is "home grown, Kings tattoo on his butt" but he isn't, at least not the former.

He's important to what this team needs to do moving forward though. I hope he is on the 3rd line with Kopitar by Year 3-4 of this deal because that means there are better centers ahead of Kopitar: not that Iafallo sucks and isn't worth $4MM.
 
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BigKing said:
He is by no means my whipping boy but I also have what feels like zero connection to him. His best seasons have been during some of the worst in Kings history and he isn't what you would call an exciting player. I always said he was kind of a souped-up Trevor Lewis and still feel that way but I don't say that as an insult since I appreciate Trevor Lewis. Trevor was much more physical but Iafallo definitely has better hands. That said, I think a 26-27 year old Lewis getting 20 minutes a night with Kopitar on a bad team while never having to throw a body check would surprise a lot of people with the point totals he could put up.

Anyways, non-exciting players are easily made to be whipping boys and I can be guilty of it from time-to-time. Kempe should probably get way more shit than he does but he is fun to watch skate with the puck, can display some edge and has "flow" or whatever the kids call it. Iafallo is an UDFA that just goes out, plays hockey and will generally never make a highlight reel. He's even trying to have the "flow" this year with the hair and nobody seems to give a shit. He's associated with the rock-bottom point of the post-Cup era so it's hard to get excited about him since he came in with zero hype and we weren't watching his stats for years before he came in the league. Someone said earlier that he is "home grown, Kings tattoo on his butt" but he isn't, at least not the former.

He's important to what this team needs to do moving forward though. I hope he is on the 3rd line with Kopitar by Year 3-4 of this deal because that means there are better centers ahead of Kopitar: not that Iafallo sucks and isn't worth $4MM.
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To be fair I don’t feel much different to you. He neither excites nor offends me, he’s just a solid guy that comes to work every night and makes the most of his skill set. His contract is fair and at the upper end of what I’d have paid but I’m ok with it. I doubt he could have gotten much more as a UFA but I also recognise that he’s more valuable to LA than most teams, certainly in years 1 & 2.
 
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Ziggy Stardust said:
Iafallo is among the top 10 highest scoring left wingers with 13 points in 13 games thus far.

He's shutting up quite a few of his critics. You know who you are.
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It's great to see. I'm glad he is proving the doubters wrong. I always thought he could reach a higher level, but he is playing better than I ever thought he would at the moment. Time will tell if he keeps it up, but regardless, he is an important cog on this team. Dare I say... core player?
 
He really seems to have found some real belief and he’s also emerging as a leader. Good to see as he’s earned it. If he keeps this up that contract will look like an absolute steal and I’m happy to admit that it’s right on the upper end of what I’d have paid him.
 
Iafallo can play with anyone, but I think that Danault and Kempe/AA match better with him. Much more speed at center and at the opposite wing to compliment him. The defense has to keep their feet moving to stay with these guys and that's not easy. Kopi has never been fleet of foot but is still effective but Brown is starting to look every bit of 37 years old. I imagine it's helping AI to play with linemates that don't force him to slow his game down.
 
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redcard said:
Just gonna go ahead and vote to re-sign him now and pretend I voted when the poll came out.
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I definitely didn't give him enough credit with the way he is playing right now but I am going to have to be Mr. Unsustainable here real quick:

Hi shooting percentage is "only" 0.8% higher than his best season (also his high mark of 17 goals) but he is currently on pace for 296 shots on goal. Take last year's SOG over 82 games and you get 175 shots which would be his best season. He's on pace to add over 120 more shots which would be pretty remarkable.

That said, the Kings Top 6 is really putting a lot of rubber on goal. Arvidsson is averaging four shots per game which would be 328 shots over 82 games. Kopitar/Brown/Kempe all over 200 shots. Kempe has never cracked that number before.

So maybe it isn't unsustainable and is just the byproduct of having a legit 2C that drives play so now there are two lines that can actually manufacture shots on a routine basis. Still...296 shots would be an insane increase over his prior career best. That doesn't take anything away from the way he is playing but it does say to temper point expectation a little bit. Even the biggest Iafallo supporter probably doesn't think he is a PPG guy for a full season but, shit man, I'd love to see it.
 
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I've always liked Iafallo and could see the potential with him when matched up with players who complement his skillset. Kopi is a great player, but sometimes you need to be in the right situation to click. Kinda like when Carts, TT and Pearson really started jiving.
 
I don't know if he's going to get that many shots, but think of it this way, he doesn't have to defer to Kopi AND Brown anymore on a line. Danault is a disher through and through and depending on who the other wing is on a regular basis, Iafallo may be the designated shooter, which isn't a bad thing because he also gets into good shooting positions on the ice.
 
Fan of AI since we signed him from NCAA, can't believe over 40% wanted to move on from him. We need to appreciate what we have now and give this team a chance to build chemistry and compete. Moving AI would of created a brand new hole while maybe fixing one.
 
AI is our Zack Hyman.

Also, come on, what's more LA/South Bay than a guy with long hair who periodically road trips while living in a van and shapes his own surfboards. :laugh:
 
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