Who Should Be Captain?

[Travtera]

First, by no means do I believe the captaincy should be stripped from Brown.

However, if Brown has the leadership qualities that I think he does, at some point this summer he needs to look himself in the mirror and decide what's best for him and the team going forward. Maybe he's carried this team as far as he can and it's time for a change. Maybe the captaincy has become a hinderance adding unnecessary pressure for him. Maybe he needs to take a step back and concentrate on what it's going to take to get his game back. If he believes he's still the man for the job than he has my support. If not, I really see no other choice than Kopitar. Long standing King, already part of core leadership group, 7 straight years of leading the team in scoring while being an elite two way forward and always professional, good Kings spokesmen with a good rapport with the media. I wouldn't mind seeing Doughty with an 'A' but he needs to be more professional and mature. No more on ice temper tantrums.

 

[Jtown]

He's had some good catches.

These guys with their long term security deals really need to kick in an extra gear. If I'm Lombardi, I approach their wives/girlfriends and ask them to hold out in the bedroom. No scoring on the ice = no scoring off the ice.

Damn no wonder he is playing like he can't wait for the offseason to start.

In real life DL absolutely does have a say in what the players do in the offseason because he doesn't hand out NTC's. So if DL isn't happy with a players conditioning they can be banished to somewhere like EDM or NYI.

If Gm's take that approach then that gm will have no future with any clients of that players agent. This is how these things work.

 

[damacles1156]

I love how everyone thinks that EDM or NYI or FLA will just take bad contracts.

 

[sinister6000]

Anze Kopitar should be the new captain, Dustin Brown, and Jarrett Stoll are a couple of cowards. When Slava Voynov is more willing to drop his gloves than those guys, its a problem. It's not like Ryan Reeves, and John Scott are trying to take cheap shots at these guys. They let Demers, and Desjardins push them around the ice and all they do is stand there and take it. You can't turn the other cheek all the time, some times you have to stick up for yourself. Or else other teams are going to take advantage of you.

 

[The Tikkanen]

Anze Kopitar should be the new captain, Dustin Brown, and Jarrett Stoll are a couple of cowards. When Slava Voynov is more willing to drop his gloves than those guys, its a problem. It's not like Ryan Reeves, and John Scott are trying to take cheap shots at these guys. They let Demers, and Desjardins push them around the ice and all they do is stand there and take it. You can't turn the other cheek all the time, some times you have to stick up for yourself. Or else other teams are going to take advantage of you.

Stoll has been one of the most physical players on the Kings this series.

 

[Herby]

I love how everyone thinks that EDM or NYI or FLA will just take bad contracts.

I get a good laugh out of it to.

People seem to have this notion that those teams will be in the same situation in 3-4 years that they are in now, and while there is no guarantee they will be contending, the management teams there believe they will be. Perhaps if Brown or Richards had a couple of years left on these deals one of those teams would bite, but no way is anyone touching Richards at 6 years/$35 million or Brown at 8 years/ $46 million. I have asked this a couple of times and no one seems to be willing to admit it, if Brown and Richards were both UFA tomorrow would any team in the NHL match their current contracts? The answer is clearly no, so that being said, why would anyone give up assets for them and take on those deals?

So yes, Dean in theory should have leverage because he doesn't hand out NTC's, but when you acquire lifetime contracts (Richards, Carter) or sign guys to lifetime contracts (Brown and Quick) and in the case of Brown and Richards they completely blow up in your face any leverage is gone because the contract becomes so bad it can't be moved.

So to answer the question in this thread, Brown remains captain because he isn't tradeable and his contract isn't eligible to be bought out with a compliance buyout. Richards is for sure gone, but even beyond that, the Kings better hope that Quick and Carter stay at an elite level. These lifetime contracts can be a scary thing.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The way Brown and Richards played last night is how they should perform consistently. If players hit slumps for 5 or so games, that's fine. Even 10 games, that is understandable. But a half season or more of making little to no contributions given their stature on the roster on top of their pay, that is unacceptable.

I hope we see more of this type of leadership from those two players. You could also include Williams and Stoll as part of that veteran group that needs to contribute more. You hope last night is the start of something, but as the old cliche goes, have to take it one game at a time.

 

[Moses Doughty]

Anze Kopitar should be the new captain, Dustin Brown, and Jarrett Stoll are a couple of cowards. When Slava Voynov is more willing to drop his gloves than those guys, its a problem. It's not like Ryan Reeves, and John Scott are trying to take cheap shots at these guys. They let Demers, and Desjardins push them around the ice and all they do is stand there and take it. You can't turn the other cheek all the time, some times you have to stick up for yourself. Or else other teams are going to take advantage of you.

I don't ever want to see Stoll drop the gloves. He's had multiple head injuries before.

 

[Trolfoli]

Damn no wonder he is playing like he can't wait for the offseason to start.




If Gm's take that approach then that gm will have no future with any clients of that players agent. This is how these things work.

Wait? Didn't some ass-hat GM sign a guy named Carter to a long term deal then dump him in Ohio? What happened to that GM? Did players stop signing there because the GM was a ******?

Now that you mention it, this may be the reason everyone that signs in Philly has a NTC. So I guess you're right

Is it really possible that Philly has so many NTC because players are wary of getting "Carter-ed" and won't sign there without one?

 

[funky]

Stoll showed why he is a liability in Game 3. Plays the game of his life then takes a brutal penalty with two minutes left in a tied game. Yes we lost in OT and you can say no big deal but it is the constant bad penalties and lack of scoring that we don't need being one of the most penalized teams in the league.

We are Nasty up the middle and able to run three offensive lines with Kopitar, Carter, Richards to build around. For a true shutdown have the speedy Lewis work on his face offs and be the 4th. He was signed for two years and can be a great player with limited expectations on the 4th line and PK.

Brown will not be bought out and will rebound.

Gaborik showed why we need him as he is the only winger we have that provides speed and scoring.

Doughty needs a partner, this would be my main priority as a gm

Voynov needs a partner, this would be my secondary concern

We have tradable players like King, Stoll, Clifford and Williams that could help

Our goaltending is set.

With the addition of Gaborik, the continued emergence of Toffoli too top 6 and Pearson to top 9 and a more mobile defence with the parting of Greene, Mitchell, Clifford, Stoll and a new PP plan I think this team has the horses to run. Nolan has not reached his peak and we have some hungry boys in the minors.

Don't think this team is as broken as we think.

 

[damacles1156]

Stoll has been dynamite this series.

 

[scramble91]

Stoll showed why he is a liability in Game 3. Plays the game of his life then takes a brutal penalty with two minutes left in a tied game. Yes we lost in OT and you can say no big deal but it is the constant bad penalties and lack of scoring that we don't need being one of the most penalized teams in the league.

We are Nasty up the middle and able to run three offensive lines with Kopitar, Carter, Richards to build around. For a true shutdown have the speedy Lewis work on his face offs and be the 4th. He was signed for two years and can be a great player with limited expectations on the 4th line and PK.

Brown will not be bought out and will rebound.

Gaborik showed why we need him as he is the only winger we have that provides speed and scoring.

Doughty needs a partner, this would be my main priority as a gm

Voynov needs a partner, this would be my secondary concern

We have tradable players like King, Stoll, Clifford and Williams that could help

Our goaltending is set.

With the addition of Gaborik, the continued emergence of Toffoli too top 6 and Pearson to top 9 and a more mobile defence with the parting of Greene, Mitchell, Clifford, Stoll and a new PP plan I think this team has the horses to run. Nolan has not reached his peak and we have some hungry boys in the minors.

Don't think this team is as broken as we think.

Great post I agree fully except I want to see Andy Andy be the 4th line center between Clifford and Nolan.

 

[damacles1156]

Sadly with Lewis signed, Andy Andy will probably see another year in Manchester....

 

[NikF]

People really complain about Trevor Lewis being signed? Really?

 

[HYORI 1963]

The fact that so many fans think that Brownie should be stripped of his captaincy is expected. Thankfully, we have a rational gm in Lombardi who thinks otherwise.

 

[HYORI 1963]

Doughty needs a partner, this would be my main priority as a gm

I'm ok with Muzzin as our first pairing. He gets his job done, and he's cheap at 1M. He's improved quite a bit from the beginning of the season, and I only see him improving. He's at least earned the right to be considered the top pairing for next year imo.

 

[damacles1156]

People really complain about Trevor Lewis being signed? Really?

The problem is the Kings bottom six has not been productive for Three years(outside of one playoff run).

Resigning Clifford/Lewis is taking two spots away, for guys that make 2.5 million, and won't score over 25 points COMBINED in an 82 game season.

Those spots could have gone to cheaper and more skilled guys such as Weal/Andy Andy or Shore.

Clifford's career high in goals is a pathetic Seven, Lewis a pathetic Six.

There are better options for bottom six players(that are cheaper too boot).

Lombardi could have saved about a million in cap space by letting Clifford/Lewis go.

 

[Reclamation Project]

The fact that so many fans think that Brownie should be stripped of his captaincy is expected. Thankfully, we have a rational gm in Lombardi who thinks otherwise.

Still find it amusing. A lot of closet posts rearing their ugly head during his down season.

 

[NikF]

The problem is the Kings bottom six has not been productive for Three years(outside of one playoff run).

Resigning Clifford/Lewis is taking two spots away, for guys that make 2.5 million, and won't score over 25 points COMBINED in an 82 game season.

Those spots could have gone to cheaper and more skilled guys such as Weal/Andy Andy or Shore.

Clifford's career high in goals is a pathetic Seven, Lewis a pathetic Six.

There are better options for bottom six players(that are cheaper too boot).

Lombardi could have saved about a million in cap space by letting Clifford/Lewis go.

Don't care if Clifford goes, I'd keep Lewis though.

 

[funky]

The fact that so many fans think that Brownie should be stripped of his captaincy is expected. Thankfully, we have a rational gm in Lombardi who thinks otherwise.

I am on the fence for two reasons

1. I think Brown rebounds next year
2. I see no one one this roster to take over at this time.

If Browns struggles continue next year we re-evaluate at that time. He did lead us too a cup and has earned a little more time.

 

[xavi4life]

Its not just one bad year for me with Brown, Brown is not vocal from what we hear, he needs to lead by example and he did in the past. He had a good run, and will make a great assistant as will Kopi. Doughty was drafted I feel to be the leader of this team and I think that time is upon us. He has all the traits to be a good Captain, Obviously leadership is high on him. His play will not be affected by the change. Some people do well with pressure some don't. I think Brown will be back to his old self playing great with the change in guard so to speak,

Maybe playing Darryl Sutter hockey has worn them all out??? And that's an interesting thing to debate considering how hard nosed Mike Richards and Dustin Brown used to play.

 

[Reclamation Project]

 

[Ron*]

 

[The Tikkanen]

The fact is when fans complain about Brown he picks up his play. It's a motivational tool we use from time to time to get what we want. That said Brown stinks! I'd trade him for 3 used pucks with chunks missing out of them, a used jock and a Sony Playstation with the game RISK in it.

 

[guderian]

The fact is when fans complain about Brown he picks up his play. It's a motivational tool we use from time to time to get what we want. That said Brown stinks! I'd trade him for 3 used pucks with chunks missing out of them, a used jock and a Sony Playstation with the game RISK in it.

Well played sir


Let's hope it works