GDT: 2023-24 season game 41 LA Kings vs Dallas Stars @5:00pm 1/16/24

[Kurrilino]

I do no think $7M is a top center anymore. More #2 money.

Elias Petterson and Tage Thompson instantly jump into my mind, not to mention Vilardi for $3.5M
I don't think we need a discussion here, who would we would rather have on our team

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not gonna lie - as big a Kopitar fan that I am, I wouldn't have advised discussing an extension till the season's end, precisely because of how he has been overplayed in the years.

Frankly, with how he has been playing lately, I was thinking he should consider retiring after this season... but because it's a 35+ contract, it would still count against the cap.

Blake just can't help himself with these trap contracts.

Not gonna lie this would be f***ing hilarious

 

[KINGS17]

That's the problem, but not for that reason.

Kopitar rightfully should be in the last year of his career. He has conserved his own energy for so long that he was able to buy a few extra seasons of high level play before running relatively dry. And he is still putting up good numbers, but his influence on the game is much, much lower than before.

The real question, and oh boy does this piss off Kopitar fans, is that wouldn't it have been better for the Kings if he hadn't played as conservatively for so long and really gone balls to the wall about 5-7 years ago?

6 years at 80% output versus 3 years at maximum levels of energy before hitting the wall. Its speculation for debate of course, but perhaps those teams after Lombardi left could have really used a catalyst instead of a captain who oozes "settle down". Kopitar went hard in 2016 and that was easily the best regular season hockey of his career, but he was a total non-factor in that first round loss. Not an easy question to answer.

The real question that pisses off Kopitar fans is "Would the Kings be better or worse off today had they traded Kopitar before giving him his 8-year, $80 million retirement contract?"

 

[Schmooley]

The real question that pisses off Kopitar fans is "Would the Kings be better or worse off today had they traded Kopitar before giving him his 8-year, $80 million retirement contract?"

His retirement contract is actually 2 years, $14 million. They had to get it done a year early along with Maclellans extension before they even talked to guys with already expired deals like Vilardi.

 

[King'sPawn]

The real question that pisses off Kopitar fans is "Would the Kings be better or worse off today had they traded Kopitar before giving him his 8-year, $80 million retirement contract?"

Since it doesn't address any of the actual problems, I don't see how the question does anything except expose your superficial ignorance.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

DD didnt have man strength at 18.. and this kid has a lot more offensive skill. I dont get why you keep beating this point.. Its a new dimension the team doesnt have.. actually offensive creativity from the point

I don't see how he is better than Spence? Spence has played going on 3 years of Pro and he's more ready than Clarke the knocked kneed D-man with the skinny legs and no Defensive awareness at least the NHL level...have seen him play and he's trying to catch up ,trailing and not showing he's a talent that was equal Doughty and Clarke going on 21! But that's my opinion, I could be dead wrong...Still think that if the Kings don't turn things around Blake is going to trade Doughty,Kopitar and anyone else that doesn't seem to fit for the youngsters...is it the right move...don't know...will Blake get anything worthy of those players...probably not

 

[AbsentMojo]

Not one person thinks Kopitar is bad. Kopitar to start the season was very good. There’s no mistaking that the reason for that was because the season was fresh and so was he. Kopitar is only playing bad right now because we have a dumb f*** as a coach who is playing him like a 24 year old center. It’s so painfully obvious that he’s exhausted that it’s crazy that Todd hasn’t done something to change that.

Its elder abuse. TM is an overpaid dinosaur retread loser... and thats being nice about it.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I don't see how he is better than Spence?

We havent seen him enough to know much. The team is having trouble scoring. Some offensive creativity from the blue line is a something the Kings have in short supply.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

We havent seen him enough to know much. The team is having trouble scoring. Some offensive creativity from the blue line is a something the Kings have in short supply.

I haven't seen a whole lot either but from what I've seen he doesn't have chemistry with anyone and he's going to be paired with Englund or Gavrikov...not sure either one can cover his Defensive deficiencies

 

[AbsentMojo]

I haven't seen a whole lot either but from what I've seen he doesn't have chemistry with anyone and he's going to be paired with Englund or Gavrikov...not sure either one can cover his Defensive deficiencies

Whatever the case you can expect TM to make the wrong move

 

[lumbergh]

Not one person thinks Kopitar is bad. Kopitar to start the season was very good. There’s no mistaking that the reason for that was because the season was fresh and so was he. Kopitar is only playing bad right now because we have a dumb f*** as a coach who is playing him like a 24 year old center. It’s so painfully obvious that he’s exhausted that it’s crazy that Todd hasn’t done something to change that.

I don't get the Kopitar is playing bad thing. He's just doing the same thing he has done for 18 years. Scoring at a nearly a point per game pace while playing against the opposing top lines, usually coming out on the + column. There's little sign that he's spent, and every time people say this, he just keeps on trucking.

Games 1-10: 5G 5A 10 points, +2
Games 11-20: 5G 4A, 9 points, +9
Games 21-30: 3G 9A, 12 points, +2
Games 31-49: 1G 7A, 8 points, +1

 

[King'sPawn]

I don't get the Kopitar is playing bad thing. He's just doing the same thing he has done for 18 years. Scoring at a nearly a point per game pace while playing against the opposing top lines, usually coming out on the + column. There's little sign that he's spent, and every time people say this, he just keeps on trucking.

Games 1-10: 5G 5A 10 points, +2
Games 11-20: 5G 4A, 9 points, +9
Games 21-30: 3G 9A, 12 points, +2
Games 31-49: 1G 7A, 8 points, +1

He looks like he's laboring more compared to earlier in the season, even though he's still putting up the points, which is my concern.

 

[tny760]

I don't get the Kopitar is playing bad thing. He's just doing the same thing he has done for 18 years. Scoring at a nearly a point per game pace while playing against the opposing top lines, usually coming out on the + column. There's little sign that he's spent, and every time people say this, he just keeps on trucking.

Games 1-10: 5G 5A 10 points, +2
Games 11-20: 5G 4A, 9 points, +9
Games 21-30: 3G 9A, 12 points, +2
Games 31-49: 1G 7A, 8 points, +1

while i agree that he's not "bad" he's definitely making "tired" mistakes that don't show up on the scorecard. pucks bouncing off his stick, poor passes into players' skates etc

i know that's eye test kinda stuff but i feel like also he tends to hit the scorecard early in games, empty netters aside, which i think lends itself to the overworked storyline

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't get the Kopitar is playing bad thing. He's just doing the same thing he has done for 18 years. Scoring at a nearly a point per game pace while playing against the opposing top lines, usually coming out on the + column. There's little sign that he's spent, and every time people say this, he just keeps on trucking.

Games 1-10: 5G 5A 10 points, +2
Games 11-20: 5G 4A, 9 points, +9
Games 21-30: 3G 9A, 12 points, +2
Games 31-49: 1G 7A, 8 points, +1

I mean I'd argue that 9 points +9 is a far better stretch than averaging 10 points +1.5ish since and that lends to the argument he's fading away from the scoresheet/special teams.

 

[lumbergh]

while i agree that he's not "bad" he's definitely making "tired" mistakes that don't show up on the scorecard. pucks bouncing off his stick, poor passes into players' skates etc

i know that's eye test kinda stuff but i feel like also he tends to hit the scorecard early in games, empty netters aside, which i think lends itself to the overworked storyline

Nope. Last 10 games he's hit the scorecard 6 times.

5-3 loss to Detroit: 1 assist in 1st period, 1 assist in 3rd period
3-2 OT loss to Florida: 1 assist late in 2nd period
4-3 loss to Washington: 1 assist in the 2nd period
4-3 SOL to Detroit: 1 assist in 1st period
3-2 SOL to Edmonton: 1 assist late in 1st period
3-2 loss to Vegas: 1 goal in 2nd period, 1 assist in 3rd period

1st period: 3 assists
2nd period: 1 goal 2 assists
3rd period: 2 assists

Pretty even spread.

 

[Sol]

I don't get the Kopitar is playing bad thing. He's just doing the same thing he has done for 18 years. Scoring at a nearly a point per game pace while playing against the opposing top lines, usually coming out on the + column. There's little sign that he's spent, and every time people say this, he just keeps on trucking.

Games 1-10: 5G 5A 10 points, +2
Games 11-20: 5G 4A, 9 points, +9
Games 21-30: 3G 9A, 12 points, +2
Games 31-49: 1G 7A, 8 points, +1

Don’t take this the wrong way but you aren’t watching closely enough if you think Kopitar now and Kopitar in the start of the season are the same.

 

[Schrute farms]

Hmmmm: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 & 31-49....one of these things is not like the other lol

 

[King'sPawn]

Hmmmm: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 & 31-49....one of these things is not like the other lol

I didn't even notice that. Good catch

 

[tny760]

41 games played though, just a typo

i'm just gonna be pedantic since he's being pedantic though, i'm splitting early game and late game as 1st/2nd and 3rd period. i'm not sure i'm considering 10:01 of the 2nd period to be the beginning of "late game"

 

[KINGS17]

Since it doesn't address any of the actual problems, I don't see how the question does anything except expose your superficial ignorance.

It addresses the biggest problem Kings management has in that they just can't move on from the remnants of a team that won a cup 10 years ago.

I and others told you the Kings wouldn't win jack with Kopitar and Doughty on the roster. Moving both of them when it was time would have set this organization on the path of a proper rebuild.

 

[King'sPawn]

It addresses the biggest problem Kings management has in that they just can't move on from the remnants of a team that won a cup 10 years ago.

I and others told you the Kings wouldn't win jack with Kopitar and Doughty on the roster. Moving both of them when it was time would have set this organization on the path of a proper rebuild.

Like mismanaging youth like they still are?

Kopitar and Doughty weren't the problem. But go ahead and keep deluding yourself that it was two players instead of an infrastructure and systemic issue. Clearly they were the only two things holding the org back.

While we're doing "I told you so", you happen to remember those statements? Of course you don't. Then you couldn't spin your narrative and pretend you know what you're talking about.

 

[LAKings88]

Dallas losing to Philly tonight. Such a strange league.

 

[Sol]

At least this settles the argument that I’ve had when the Kings started rebuilding. I felt that it was a bad idea to keep Kopitar and Doughty because we could have got some assets as well. I know we hoped at worst they could mentor the players, who knew they would still be immovable fixtures from the line up taking all the prime ice time.

Note to us, during a rebuild you trade everyone and not take chances with “mentors”

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It addresses the biggest problem Kings management has in that they just can't move on from the remnants of a team that won a cup 10 years ago.

I and others told you the Kings wouldn't win jack with Kopitar and Doughty on the roster. Moving both of them when it was time would have set this organization on the path of a proper rebuild.

Like mismanaging youth like they still are?

Kopitar and Doughty weren't the problem. But go ahead and keep deluding yourself that it was two players instead of an infrastructure and systemic issue. Clearly they were the only two things holding the org back.

While we're doing "I told you so", you happen to remember those statements? Of course you don't. Then you couldn't spin your narrative and pretend you know what you're talking about.

Regardless of how we feel about Kopitar and/or Doughty I think we can all agree that no one saw them both getting absurd minutes at this stage of their careers.

Even if you think they shouldn't have been on the roster this long to begin with, I'm sure you'll agree they're getting run into the ground, and if you DO think they should be on the roster, it's plain as day to see that THIS kind of reliance on them is unhealthy for the org.

So, you're both right that this sucks ass.

 

[King'sPawn]

Regardless of how we feel about Kopitar and/or Doughty I think we can all agree that no one saw them both getting absurd minutes at this stage of their careers.

Even if you think they shouldn't have been on the roster this long to begin with, I'm sure you'll agree they're getting run into the ground, and if you DO think they should be on the roster, it's plain as day to see that THIS kind of reliance on them is unhealthy for the org.

So, you're both right that this sucks ass.

I agree.

Let's not forget that I'm all about the prospects, getting fancy picks, etc. For all intents and purposes, my bias towards prospects should show how much I'd PREFER having Doughty and Kopitar traded for more picks and prospects.

But I believe that there's a process that organizations should follow to set their prospects up to succeed and do well. Part of that includes managing the minutes of Kopitar and Doughty, which the org failed to do and continues to do.

There should have been a gradual decline in minutes and utilization of the vets so they can buoy the prospects taking ownership.

The organization simply failed. It's not because they didn't trade Kopitar and Doughty away. It's because they depended on Kopitar and Doughty to be the players they shouldn't have been depended on to be 10 years later.