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What's Next for the Kings?

+12
Riprock
LeCaptain
caissie_1
PKC
beedub
SeawaySensFan
Cap'n Clutch
SensFan71
rooneypoo
asq2
PTFlea
davetherave
16 posters

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16What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:00 am

rooneypoo


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Neely4Life wrote:That's the thing, by all accounts Bernier is going to be anything but the next great goalie. Struggling big time with the pro game and with 2 goalies in LA and 2 in Manchester that are all ahead in their development he is more than expendable.

I just know the story behind it because it basically came from the horses mouth to me, but Bernier is also a tradeable asset that could probably get a return at this point before the word is totally out.

The actual story and facts are more important than the logic, but Bernier isnt going to be anything special in the NHL.

Given the hype around him, that's surprising to hear.

Mind you, tho', I simply don't have the time to follow minor and junior hockey with the same attention I do the NHL, so I'm not all that familiar with Bernier's situation beyond his Team Canada performances.

Anyway, with Bernier and now JJ apparently up for grabs, LA should be able to make a few moves this summer to get better now.

17What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Fri Jun 05, 2009 10:03 am

Guest


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The hype is dying down in a big way, he had a great training camp in 06/07 and has been living off that rep. There is a reason why Glass got the call last year and not Bernier.

I don't follow the AHL that much but Manchester and a few other teams I defently do, a few buddies playing in that league.

18What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Fri Jun 05, 2009 4:17 pm

davetherave


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This past season, apart from San Jose, Detroit and Chicago, almost all the teams in the West were up and down in the standings throughout the year.

Watching the Kings, it was evident they have improved measurably and have good team chemistry...but still seem to be an 'impact player' away from moving into the top eight.

On the flip side, another year of experience may give them a shot at returning to the playoffs in '09-10.

The West was very difficult to predict last year, and at this point, it seems equally difficult to forecast next year's order of finish.

But the Kings are doing it right, both from a hockey and a marketing point of view.

19What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:53 pm

davetherave

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From The Los Angeles Daily News:

KINGS AT THE COMBINE
Rich Hammond, INSIDE THE KINGS, Daily News blogs/insidesocal.com, June 3, 2009

The Kings took a staff of five, led by Dean Lombardi, to last week's draft combine in Toronto, and Lombardi said the staff conducted roughly 60 interviews during the week. Prospects also underwent standardized physical testing, and Lombardi said the Kings talked to some prospects two or three times.

Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times talked to one of them, Evander Kane, about his thoughts, and I got a little insight from Lombardi about what he thought of the week...

LOMBARDI: ``As far as the interviews go, you're mostly just confirming or denying the things you should be finding out during the year. It's hard to gauge how much stock you should put in the interviews. Some of those kids are really beat up, because by the time you get to them, they might already have done 27 or 28 interviews. It's still a worthy process, but you still have to do most of your work during the season. It helps you narrow the field a little bit.''

I asked Lombardi if, given the makeup of the Kings' roster and prospect pool, he would definitely be taking a forward at No. 5 if the Kings keep the pick.

LOMBARDI: ``No, you've still got to go with the best player. Now, if your layers are pretty much the same, you might lean toward what you don't have. You want to get the most value out of that slot. You're probably right in saying that the draft, after Hedman and a couple other guys, does trend a little more toward forwards. If you're in that top layer and (a few players) are really close, we'll probably look toward a forward.''

As an aside, and this comes from nothing but my own intuition and opinion, I still think the Kings are likely to trade the pick.

Lombardi made another vague reference to a trade during our conversation, and the fact that he's talking about publicly about trading the pick -- something he never did in the previous years -- is a decent indicator to me.

20What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:45 am

SensFan71


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you get this team a solid veteran goalie and they will be definitely be a team making a push in the next 1 to 2 years, provided the cap doesn't make them fall apart, they have lots of skilled players, just missing that established goalie between the pipes.

21What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:52 am

Cap'n Clutch

Cap'n Clutch
Co-Founder
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I'm thinking this would be an excellent place for Clemmenson to end his career. Great veteran goalie to mentor their young up and coming goalies. Win win. Clemmenson gets to try his hand as fulltime starter and mentor and the Kings buy some time to develop their team with a solid goalie.


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22What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 8:58 am

rooneypoo

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Goaltending was the last of their problems last year, to be honest. Watch Quick and Ersberg for a few games when you get a chance. We don't hear a lot about them, because it's LA after all, but they did a decent job last year.

Personally speaking, for most of the season, Quick acted as a steady #3 option (alongside Elliott) in my keeper league pool, which is no small accomplishment. Smile

23What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:01 am

SensFan71


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Cap'n Clutch wrote:I'm thinking this would be an excellent place for Clemmenson to end his career. Great veteran goalie to mentor their young up and coming goalies. Win win. Clemmenson gets to try his hand as fulltime starter and mentor and the Kings buy some time to develop their team with a solid goalie.

I think that would be the idea scenario for both the Kings and Clemmenson, it's win win for both the team and Scott, who has been in Brodeur's shadow for his career.

24What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:13 am

Cap'n Clutch

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rooneypoo wrote:Goaltending was the last of their problems last year, to be honest. Watch Quick and Ersberg for a few games when you get a chance. We don't hear a lot about them, because it's LA after all, but they did a decent job last year.

Personally speaking, for most of the season, Quick acted as a steady #3 option (alongside Elliott) in my keeper league pool, which is no small accomplishment. Smile

That could be but, putting it in Ottawa terms wouldn't it be like having Elliott as the starter with another young goalie as the backup? Would you not be a lot more comfortable with a veteran starter?

Just look at Montreal to see how well having two strong young goalies works.


_________________
"A child with Autism is not ignoring you, they are waiting for you to enter their world."

- Unknown Author

25What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:21 am

Guest


Guest

I would say it is more or less written in stone down in LA as to who is going to be their starters. Quick is a solid young goaltender along with Ensburg. They are set in goal to start the year.

Down in the AHL they want Taylor and Zatkoff getting more starts because at this point they dont think Bernier will be getting anytime what so ever in LA over the next few years, they would be wasting "an asset" who looks like he isnt going to turn out into anything all hat special.

26What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:52 pm

davetherave

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SensFan71 wrote:
Cap'n Clutch wrote:I'm thinking this would be an excellent place for Clemmenson to end his career. Great veteran goalie to mentor their young up and coming goalies. Win win. Clemmenson gets to try his hand as fulltime starter and mentor and the Kings buy some time to develop their team with a solid goalie.

I think that would be the idea scenario for both the Kings and Clemmenson, it's win win for both the team and Scott, who has been in Brodeur's shadow for his career.

As both Rooney and Neely said, and having watched quite a few Kings games, with Ersberg and Quick, goaltending is not an issue.

They dealt LaBarbera to the Canucks because they were prepared to go with the young guys. There's no visible logic to them signing an older goalie like Clemmensen.

The Kings' real need, as Dean Lombardi has indicated on several occasions last year--is a solid veteran up front, preferably a quality scorer/playmaker; or possibly on defense, though Lombardi seems comfortable with his current crew.

27What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:48 am

davetherave

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The article by Rich Hammond from "Inside The Kings" on Jack Johnson:

What Johnson isn't asking for

Rich Hammond, LA Daily News/insidesocal.com, June 8, 2009 7:08 PM

Jack Johnson is not asking for $5.5 million a year, regardless of what you might read. That comes from Dean Lombardi, who would probably know such things.

Again, I'll advise the same thing I advise all the time. Pop some popcorn, read the rumors, enjoy them and try to forget about them the moment that you click to another page.

The Kings are negotiating with Johnson's agent, not his father, which is good for everyone. There's no real urgency because there's no need for urgency at the moment. There can't be an offer sheet and there can't be arbitration, so it's quite different from the O'Sullivan stuff from last year.

Sorry for the lack of posting of late, but I've been caught up in five other things and we're in that lull period right now. The Kings' management is scattered around the continent, and Lombardi is getting ready to hit the road again and visit with some potential draft prospects. I'd imagine things will start heating up in a week or so, but I'll stay on top of things throughout.

The Lecavalier reports aren't totally false, but they're old. More like a burning ember than an inferno, to give a mediocre analogy.

Oh, forgot one thing. I saw the item, as did several of you, about Tom Preissing selling his home. I asked Lombardi about it, but there's no other shoe waiting to drop, at least not at the moment. I'd still be surprised if he's Kings property by the start of training camp.

28What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:50 pm

davetherave

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Hradek and Rothstein ruminate on the royal resurgence of hockey in Hollywood.

YOUNG ROSTER READY FOR NEXT STEP
Kessel could lead Kings, but LA may have bigger stars in its eyes
EJ Hradek, Andrew Rothstein/ESPN INSIDER, June 23,2009


Plugging Holes - Los Angeles Kings

What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Los
The Hole: Offense

Los Angeles, a team with an average age of 26.1, is one of the potential up and coming teams in the league with a lot of young talent. The Kings had the worst offense in the NHL last year with an anemic -30.3
GVT. The Kings might have more first round picks than the Tampa Bay Rays on their roster with Alexander Frolov, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson onboard, but they are clearly missing a major piece on offense that would help them take the next step forward.

The Fix: Trade second round draft pick, C
Oscar Moller and D Colten Teubert for C Phil Kessel (RFA, Bruins)

Kessel's 15.3 total GVT and 11.8 offensive GVT would put him atop both categories for the Kings. The restricted free agent, only 21 years old, finds himself in a difficult situation with Boston. After resigning C
David Krejci, the Bruins left themselves only $5 million to work with for six roster spots. Essentially, unless they can find a way to clear cap space, it looks like Bruins already made a decision on which young center to retain. With $15 million in cap space for the Kings, this is a move they could afford that would help in the short term and in the long term. As for Boston, while it was above average everywhere else, the Bruins were closest to league average on defense, they had a pedestrian 1.9 defensive GVT.

Adding a cheap, young defensive talent would improve the Bruins defensive depth in the short and long term. Boston defenders
Steve Montador and Shane Hnidy are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents and Zdeno Chara is already 32 years of age. Oscar Moller averaged 1.01 points per game, 69 points in 68 games, in his first year in the Western Hockey League and 1.32 points per game, 83 points in 63 games, in his second season. He is generally regarded as the Kings top prospect, but Boston could use him to help offset the lost offensive production from the departure of Kessel.

E.J.'s Take: Kessel has a lot of razzle-dazzle in his game. The Bruins winger enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2008-09, scoring 36 goals and piling up 60 points. He also finished with an impressive plus-23 rating working in Claude Julien's tight two-way system. Still, there's a sense that he could be had via trade. And, I could see the Kings having an interest.

At this point, I think the Kings would want to wait and see what's available on the free agent market. In that case, they could add a significant player without having to lose an asset in return.
Marian Hossa or Marian Gaborik, a pair of ultra-talented wingers, could be among those available. The Kings might also be a viable trading partner for players like Vincent Lecavalier or Dany Heatley.

Andrew Rothstein is a writer for Puck Prospectus. E.J. Hradek is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.

Note: A mainstay of Puck Prospectus's metrics is "Goals Versus Threshold" (GVT). The stat blends an array of offensive and defensive figures to measure the value, in terms of goals, a player contributes above what the marginal player would over the course of the season. A marginal player is one that could be replaced with a player of equivalent skill, e.g. from the minors. For instance, Evgeni Malkin had an offensive GVT of +18.9, a defensive GVT of +4.5 and a total GVT of +23.4 for the 2008-9 regular season, meaning that Malkin was worth 23.4 goals more than a marginal player over the course of the season, or worth about 0.3 additional goals per game. In the team context, GVT refers to performance above an NHL average team. For the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings had a +30.8 offensive GVT, a +15.1 defensive GVT, a -21.5 goaltending GVT, for a +24.4 total GVT. Therefore, at even strength, Detroit was 24.4 goals better than the average team.

29What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:54 pm

SeawaySensFan

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That's a pertty smart deal actually. I think it's a given that Kessel will be on the move.

30What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:58 pm

davetherave

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Brayden Schenn is being compared by the RDS crew to Brian Trottier...if that's the case the Kings may very well return to royalty in the NHL.

31What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:41 pm

davetherave

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From TSN.ca, confirmed by MaxHockey.com, this afternoon:

The Los Angeles Kings made their first dip into the free agent market on Thursday, signing defenceman Rob Scuderi to a four-year, $13.6 million contract.

Scuderi, 30, tallied 16 points in 81 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season and helped lead the club to a Stanley Cup victory over the Detroit Red Wings last month.

In 300 career NHL games with Pittsburgh, the veteran blueliner has 39 points and 112 penalty minutes.

32What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:15 pm

beedub

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I'd give up a testicle if LA would offer that deal for heatley

33What's Next for the Kings? - Page 2 Empty Re: What's Next for the Kings? Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:17 pm

asq2

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The Kings have been pretty surprisingly quiet. They still need help offensively.

I'd make a pitch for Tanguay.

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