Speculation: If you could do one drastic change what would it be?

[KINGS17]

Can we kidnap Tippett?

Well, he can cry almost on cue, which might be useful to a team near Hollywood.

 

[Rorschach]

Stay the course.

Sutter is notorious for using the regular season as his plaything for prepping for the playoffs.

 

[jml87]

I think Carter would be the PERFECT center between Pearson and Toffoli. Carter already had tremendous chemistry with Toffoli last year in the playoffs, no reason to think that'd disappear. Pearson's style is more of a crash and bang type player who can also skate, thus complimenting two shooters in Carter and Toffoli.

Carter would be a fantastic mentor for both of these players and lead by example, on and off the ice. I could also see opponents isolating this line to shutdown, opening up a lot of room for Kopi and/or Richards' lines. Either way it works.

Frattin may be the invisible man this season but he still has a skill set uniquely situated on a line next to Brown and Richards. All three players have wheels and can get in on the forecheck. That line would be hellish to play against considering the forecheck potential there. Richards' smarts anchors that line, too. The only thing I would worry about is that they're a little undersized, cumulatively.

This thread asked for drastic changes - that's one of them.

I still don't like Carter at Center. As I've said before his shots go down when he's playing center since he's setting up the play rather than simply putting the puck on net. When he centered the last four games (possible factor of injury but it seems this is a nagging injury so I'm not sure how much it effects his shooting) he's had 11 shots on goal. With Richards centering, the four previous games he had 21 shots on goal. The thing I worry about with Carter is that he feels like he should be passing more as a center. But with Richards centering, all he worries about is his strength which is skating and shooting. Unless he's surrounded by equal players of his caliber, I feel like he's going to spend more time trying to set others up rather than simply score goals. And if we lose Carter's goal scoring, that's a real problem.

 

[Fishhead]

Can we kidnap Tippett?

Why downgrade? Tippet is like Andy Murray. He can get lots from a patchwork roster, but that's about it. I don't get the love for the guy, at all.

He was the coach of a stacked Dallas team that earned 111, 97, 112, 107, and 97 points over a 5 year span. 3 of those years, they couldn't get out of the first round.

Tippet has coached 10 seasons. He's only made it out of the first round 3 times. Meanwhile, Sutter has coached 13 seasons. He's made it out of the first round 6 times, with two WCF trips, a loss in the SCF, and a win in the SCF.

 

[gtwyc]

Natural selection on a few posters.

too down for this

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I still don't like Carter at Center. As I've said before his shots go down when he's playing center since he's setting up the play rather than simply putting the puck on net. When he centered the last four games (possible factor of injury but it seems this is a nagging injury so I'm not sure how much it effects his shooting) he's had 11 shots on goal. With Richards centering, the four previous games he had 21 shots on goal. The thing I worry about with Carter is that he feels like he should be passing more as a center. But with Richards centering, all he worries about is his strength which is skating and shooting. Unless he's surrounded by equal players of his caliber, I feel like he's going to spend more time trying to set others up rather than simply score goals. And if we lose Carter's goal scoring, that's a real problem.

That's a little too conjectural for me. If I'm not mistaken, Carter's 46 goal season with the Flyers was at C.

He'll get his shots, and if not, he'll create room for Toffoli, whom honest to goodness may have just as good of a shot as Carter.

 

[damacles1156]

Why downgrade? Tippet is like Andy Murray. He can get lots from a patchwork roster, but that's about it. I don't get the love for the guy, at all.

He was the coach of a stacked Dallas team that earned 111, 97, 112, 107, and 97 points over a 5 year span. 3 of those years, they couldn't get out of the first round.

Tippet has coached 10 seasons. He's only made it out of the first round 3 times. Meanwhile, Sutter has coached 13 seasons. He's made it out of the first round 6 times, with two WCF trips, a loss in the SCF, and a win in the SCF.

Been saying this for years about Tippet.

There is no doubt the guy can coach, but his post season record leaves a lot to be desired.

His teams in Dallas were Stacked....Stacked!!!!. They got bounced in the first round THREE times!!!

 

[jml87]

That's a little too conjectural for me. If I'm not mistaken, Carter's 46 goal season with the Flyers was at C.

He'll get his shots, and if not, he'll create room for Toffoli, whom honest to goodness may have just as good of a shot as Carter.

Yes, with the Flyers. Richards also had 30 goals and 50 assists that year. The top 6 production was amazing offensively for the Flyers that year, 192 goals. That's as many goals as the Kings had total in 2011-12. His normal season was 30-35 goals. Last year he had 26 and most likely would've had his first 50 goal season as a RW. Considering how many goals the Kings seem to score under Sutter's system I don't like possibly taking that away and putting Carter back at center. I can't be positive that Carter's goals would go down but I've just noticed when he's played at center on the Kings he's been less likely to shoot.

I'd rather just get a legit 2nd line LW through trade and then do a Pearson-Vey-Toffoli 3rd line.