Austin Wagner signs a three year extension. Grundstrom also signs for 2 years! Update: Walker signs

[Sleeping Dog]

Grundstrom struggled with Todd's system last year early on. He needs to improve his defensive coverage, his main issue. He has good structure to his game, and should be a solid 3rd of 4th line LW in the NHL. He's almost a sure thing on the roster this year since he's no longer waiver-exempt. Congrats on his new deal. Kings will have to make a decision or two on which forwards will be protected in the expansion draft at the end of the season. It will be interesting. Big year for a lot of the 22-24 year olds.

Did LA make this a two way contract in year 1 to give them flexibility in case they try to send him down? I think he’d be quickly picked up if they did.

 

[cyclones22]

The Lizotte Wagner Kempe line was a good one last season. If those guys can play 13-15 minutes a night, I like the Kings third line next season.

I think the bottom six is actually very solid. Second line is going to be key to the season. If Vilarde shows out for the season, for however long it's going to be, then the Kings could conceivably challenge for the eighth spot. The Kings underlying numbers last year were pretty good. The difference was their terrible special teams. As the special teams improved, so did their play and record.

 

[BigKing]

That's just bad asset management, with the premium placed on RS defenseman.

I don't dislike Walker but I'm just not really high on him.

 

[regulate]

Did LA make this a two way contract in year 1 to give them flexibility in case they try to send him down? I think he’d be quickly picked up if they did.

Some of it is undoubtedly flexibility as far as costs go (one-way vs two-way), but I think it's just as much a "show me" to give him the incentive to earn an NHL paycheck and make the team vs paying him NHL money potentially at the AHL level if he did not. I agree there is a good chance he could be picked up, although sometimes it's difficult for teams to pick up players off the waiver wire when their rosters are essentially complete if he was waived at the last possible moment in camp prior to the roster freeze. I also think there is some incentive for Blake to keep him on the roster and not risk a waiver exposure (you know that would be on his mind) since he was the key player picked up in the Muzzin trade outside of the 1st round pick. Durzi wasn't the player they necessarily wanted, but had to settle for. They wanted Rasmus Sandin but TOR wouldn't budge.

 

[KopitarFAN]

I don't dislike Walker but I'm just not really high on him.

That's fine, but as an asset you can't deny that Walker fetches more in a trade than Wagner, and it's frankly not close. Again, asset management.

This of course could change drastically if they sign Walker to a deal worth $5M/yr.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think we need to be careful not to read too much into Walker's death based on last season's trajectory. The guy was absolutely dominating his minutes until he started getting Muzzin's old role, and that's when he tumbled a bit. He's still shown to be a very good 2nd pairing and absolutely dominant bottom pairing d-man. I don't see why it's a problem to have our RHD finally figured out, there's been a gaping hole there since Voynov and there's nothing imminent in the pipeline.

This forum has a big problem burying guys over 20-30 games of trending down.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Amazing that when the top RHD on the team is criticized for substandard play the most common excuse is he doesn't have the right partner.. meanwhile Walker's numbers are great when paired with everybody but MacDermid.

Walker/MacDermid was the second most commonly played defensive pair at even strength.

Sean Walker had a great season.

 

[regulate]

meanwhile Walker's numbers are great when paired with everybody but MacDermid.

I would argue he had a great first half, and a not so great to at times downright poor 2nd half. I love Walker's compete and skating, his D coverage is still is very prone to significant lapses from time to time, same as it was in the AHL. Concur that if he had a more solid partner than MacDermid his numbers would improve. Maybe Bjornfot will be that guy, we'll see. I think the Kings will offer Walker around $1.5 per for 2 or 3 years, my educated guess. He is eligible for arbitration. One thing for sure is, if the other Kings newcomer on D Matt Roy duplicates or exceeds his last season, he's going to get a much larger raise in 21-22. I think the Kings will try and lock him up long term, 4-5 years.

 

[All The Kings Men]

I would argue he had a great first half, and a not so great to at times downright poor 2nd half.

What a weird coincidence.

 

[Lt Dan]

...

 

[Jericho111091]

Solid signings

 

[kingsfan28]

Nice deal, plus he fills the void that Kyle Clifford left of "guy who's contract we can complain about even though he's making barely more than league minimum."

I was just going to say this . I never understood the Clifford contact hate acting as if HE was the cap problem on the team.

 

[kingsfan28]

I don't dislike Walker but I'm just not really high on him.

He's the new Lewis, only faster .

 

[Sparky206]

Not sure why everyone is so down on Walker. He had an excellent season. I know most love how well Roy adapted and improved throughout the season but I still think Roy just improved to Walkers level and Walker just sustained his play throughout the season.

I also loved the Kempe - Lizotte - Wagner line. They were noticeable every time on the ice, played with heaps of energy and drew a tonne of penalties. In some advanced stat their line was top 5 in the league mid way through the season. Theyre all still young and two rookies, give that line another 2 seasons and if they all improve to 10-15 goal scores its a formidable bottom 6 line.

 

[All The Kings Men]

Sparky gets it.

 

[Docgonzo]

He's the new Lewis, only faster .

With Clifford gone and Lewis not officially gone yet we do need to find new players to have irrational anger for.

Stoll is always who I think of when this rolls around. Admittedly he was falling off but so many people kept saying “he’s a third line center, we can replace him easy” and here we are 5 years later still no replacement while we have tried...Shore, Amadio etc etc

 

[BigBrown]

I think it's a solid bet that Grundström will be announced as a loan to a Swedish club shortly (most likely Björklöven).

 

[Basilisk]

Contract probably is attractive to Seattle as well.

Would that be the Seattle Lawless? Or the Seattle Proletariat? Or the Seattle Barbarians? I'm so confused!!!

 

[Token]

Björklöven

That has to be the best sports team name ever!

just tickles my Raver-Days youth.

 

[BigBrown]

That has to be the best sports team name ever!

just tickles my Raver-Days youth.

Hah!

The literal translation is Birch Leaves. But it's probably more fun to imagine it as some sort of tribute to the artist.

 

[Lt Dan]

the rumor on Wagners contract is 1.1 aav

 

[Stimpythecat]

I like these contracts.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think they're overspending on Wagner, big time. Blake could have saved .55 cents per year on that contract. He's such a dummy. Go back to paddle surfing and volleyball, ya beach bum!

 

[Statto]

I also loved the Kempe - Lizotte - Wagner line. They were noticeable every time on the ice, played with heaps of energy and drew a tonne of penalties. In some advanced stat their line was top 5 in the league mid way through the season. Theyre all still young and two rookies, give that line another 2 seasons and if they all improve to 10-15 goal scores its a formidable bottom 6 line.

I liked that line a lot and it suited Wagner most of all (I’m not yet convinced by Wagner, but like the contract). However Kempe also worked well with Vilardi and Frk, so I’m not certain as most seem to be that Kempe - Lizotte - Wagner are a lock as a unit. Do not get me wrong I’m not saying they won’t be, but much depends on whomever steps up to make LW on the roster, and who the best fit ends up being with Vilardi and (possibly) Byfield. I think it’s more likely Kempe lines up along one of those guys.

 

[The Tikkanen]

the question I have for those fans who say teach Wagner how to finish is who in the Kings organization can teach him? Maybe that's a problem?