kings: alzner or kane?

[LAKings88]

the kings will most likely end up with the second pick this year if they do not trade down jump or get jumped in the lotto. there is great debate amongst kings fans over who would be the better player for LA to take. please weigh in with your opinion on the matter. i understand either of these two might go #1 overall as well. if the kings have the choice who should they take and why? would alzner be one of the highest rated d in previous drafts? should the kings draft for need? a little information from outside of the kings fanbase would be most welcome. thanks for your time.

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[no name]

Kane.

 

[Herby]

I'd be pretty pissed if the Kings pass on Kane.

Kane would be an ideal winger for Kopitar.

 

[Westguy13]

Drafting for need is the biggest mistake you can ever make in the NHL. Draft the best player always. I'd say Alzner though. I expect Kane to go 3-7. Top defensmen don't come around every draft. Not to mention a JJ-Alzner pairing could be fun to watch.

 

[Reaper45]

Turris. Just a hunch.

 

[LAKings88]

Drafting for need is the biggest mistake you can ever make in the NHL. Draft the best player always. I'd say Alzner though. I expect Kane to go 3-7. Top defensmen don't come around every draft. Not to mention a JJ-Alzner pairing could be fun to watch.

honest question because i don't know to much about his game-is he really that good? what can you resonably compare him to?

 

[Westguy13]

honest question because i don't know to much about his game-is he really that good? what can you resonably compare him to?

Do I think he's that good? No, he's no EJ. He's a capable d man, strong in all areas of the game. He has good mobility but not quite as physical as some would like. I see him as a future top 2 d-man but not a franchise player or anything.

I'm just going between Alzner and Kane. I think there are other players that would be good choices at #2. I think Kane is overhyped. He's a very skilled kid but I don't see him in the top 2.

 

[Playa Hamm*]

We need defenseman in our pipeline.

However, if Patrick Kane is truly a better prospect than Alzner, then Dean has to take him. We can trade him or one of our other forwards later for defensive depth. If they are relatively close in terms of talent/upside, then I take Alzner.

 

[Westguy13]

Let me put it this way. For every 5 forwards with Kanes talent theres 1 defensmen with Alzners talent. Good forward prospects aren't a rarity. There for Alzner has more value to a franchise then Kane.

 

[kingpin_19]

Yeah, but I think its likely the Kings sign Jack Johnson next season. That gives them one blue-chip defenseman already, so no need to take Alznar. Likely to be Kane, unless Philly snaps him up first...

 

[kingpest19]

Yeah, but I think its likely the Kings sign Jack Johnson next season. That gives them one blue-chip defenseman already, so no need to take Alznar. Likely to be Kane, unless Philly snaps him up first...

It never hurts to have good prospects in the system no matter if they are forwards or d. Defense is the weak spot in the Kings system right now. That being said if they are comparable take the dman.

 

[Westguy13]

Yeah, but I think its likely the Kings sign Jack Johnson next season. That gives them one blue-chip defenseman already, so no need to take Alznar. Likely to be Kane, unless Philly snaps him up first...

Like I said earlier taking a player based on need is the biggest mistake a GM can make. Always take the best player available. That said there are better forwards in the draft then Kane. I really don't see Kane going 1st overall like alot of people on these boards.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Lombardi has said that if there is a defenseman who is equal to a forward, he will take the defenseman. If he feels that Alzner is as good as any other forward prospect in the 07 draft, then I don't see him passing up on him.

My personal opinion, I'd like to see Turris go #2. He is one of the youngest kids eligible for the draft and has more of a time frame to develop and progress into a top line center.

Look at how the Penguins drafted centers for the past three consecutive drafts. I think it has worked out pretty well for them.

 

[kingpest19]

Like I said earlier taking a player based on need is the biggest mistake a GM can make. Always take the best player available. That said there are better forwards in the draft then Kane. I really don't see Kane going 1st overall like alot of people on these boards.

If they feel that the player they are taking is the best player available while also addressing a need then you have to pick that player. And right now the Kings have decent depth at the forward positions while the blue line is thin. If DL feels that Alzner is the BPA and it addresses a need I will have no problem with the pick.

 

[Seph]

Like I said earlier taking a player based on need is the biggest mistake a GM can make. Always take the best player available. That said there are better forwards in the draft then Kane. I really don't see Kane going 1st overall like alot of people on these boards.

But that assumes there is a best player available. That's not always the case. This draft is unique in that there are a number of players with very little separating them, if anything at all, in terms of quality as a prospect. In the event that a team does not see any prospect as being better than the others, there's nothing wrong with going by need.

 

[Venom_17]

DL has a chub for Dmen. Can't see him passing on Alzner if he is there...probably trading down to get the kid.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Alexei Cherepanov is da man !

 

[Panopticon]

Both good choices. Depends on whether you want a really potent offense or a more balanced team. I think you guys have needs in both areas, but I would probably pick the D-man at this point (since they take longer to develope) and a forward next year (let's be honest, you'll be sucking next year as well... )

 

[pc_md]

Drafting for need is the biggest mistake you can ever make in the NHL. Draft the best player always.

If you got the 2nd overall pick. I guess you're right (assuming there is a BPA...). But when you got the 28th pick, drafting by need is a wise move.

 

[Panopticon]

If you got the 2nd overall pick. I guess you're right (assuming there is a BPA...). But when you got the 28th pick, drafting by need is a wise move.

But even at 28th, what if you need a defenseman and you can clearly see that there's a much more promising center available (than any D-man)?

Do you still take the D-man and pass on the talented center, or take the talented center and let him develope a while and then see if you still need a D-man and trade the developed center for a possibly better D-man than the one that you could've picked in the draft. Of course, things aren't this simple usually, but I don't see how it matters if it's the 28th pick or the 2nd.

This year, drafting for need in the Top 10 is probably easier than in years. The top 10 is pretty even in talent at this point (although there's not too many D-men in that top10 and if I needed a D-man I would take Alzner if he was available no matter who else was left). Hell, you could even draft for need with the first pick this year (maybe not for D or G, but at least you can choose between a C and a winger).

 

[hawksfan50]

Frolov Kopitar Kane --the Kings may have a deadly offensive threat with that combo ..they take Kane if he''s not off the board...they already have the LW+C --just need RW to complete the picture...the 2K's providing exceptional puck handling +pssing skills as well as good shooters,and Frolov the quintessential finisher..IF Kane gets on that line --look out--Frolov could get 60 goals...if Kane wet #1 however and LA drafted at #2--would they dare go to Cherepanov as the RW ? An all euro line? 2 Russkies on their top line? I wonder...they might instead go for 2nd good centre behind Kopitar (Turris,Gagner,Esposito) or go for Alzner to shore up their D...

 

[Eshutz Escors]

A lot of this may depend on what DL does between now and the deadline. If he is able to swing another Jack Johnson type deal, then perhaps he leans towards taking a forward. If not, then I suspect he would go after a d-man.

 

[mogs]

Wow. The Kings are going to be good pretty soon. They have Kopitar, Johnson, Frolov, Cammaleri, and whoever they draft this year.

Do they have a goalie?

 

[Juskevich]

Wow. The Kings are going to be good pretty soon. They have Kopitar, Johnson, Frolov, Cammaleri, and whoever they draft this year.

Do they have a goalie?

Jonathan Bernier
And don't forget O'Sullivan

 

[rajuabju]

And Tukonen. He's had an injury this year so everyone's forgotten about him... but he's still a top prospect.

Oh, and Lewis, and Boyle.

We're gonna suck this year. We're gonna suck next year. But after that, the future is looking pretty darn good.