LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Johnny Utah]

How do the Kings not call up Akil Thomas? He’s on fire and has some edge. Could put him with Lewis and Lizotte.

 

[All The Kings Men]

How do the Kings not call up Akil Thomas? He’s on fire and has some edge. Could put him with Lewis and Lizotte.

with 12 games left in the season and less than a handful of possible options actually available to them how do you propose they execute that move?

 

[Surf Nutz]

Kings now 13-7-1 under Hiller for a point % of 64%. 10th best in the league since the break. If you break the 21 games into 7 game chunks, the Kings have won at least 4 of all three 7 game chunks. Of particular note, they are tied for 3rd in GAA (2.3) since the break. 5th in team save% at 92.1% since the break.

Maybe not quite the high flying team they were before Christmas, but it looks like Blake pulled the right lever in letting McLellan go. Now on glide path to playoffs (98% probability, according to sportsclubstats.com).

They have good teams coming up.

It's nervous time.

They will have to elevate, to higher levels to collect W's

Icing more defenseman = better defense, obviously.

Could get that GAA down to 1.5 if they start rolling out a 9/9 lineup.

Witty.

But you know the record with the 12/7, right?

 

[kilowatt]

with 12 games left in the season and less than a handful of possible options actually available to them how do you propose they execute that move?

If there’s less than a handful of possible options, then what are they? And perhaps if they planned to sit Kaliyev the rest of the way, they ought to have traded or waived him so that other guys would be able to step in? Moverare’s 7 minutes a night as the extra defenseman seems like a good candidate to get sent down.

 

[Surf Nutz]

How do the Kings not call up Akil Thomas? He’s on fire and has some edge. Could put him with Lewis and Lizotte.

He just stole Byfields goal of the year award in OT against the Wranglers!

I think I developed all timers watching it.

 

[All The Kings Men]

If there’s less than a handful of possible options, then what are they?

While Grundstrom is on LTIR they can bring up Thomas if they assign Turcotte or Moverare to Ontario.

Those are the only two players eligible to be sent to Ontario.

I repeat

The only two players currently on the Kings roster that can be assigned to Ontario are Jacob Moverare and Alex Turcotte.

Assuming Grundstrom returns during the regular season, which seems likely, I believe they will need to assign Moverare and Turcotte in order to be cap compliant.

At that point they will have 13 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies and no cap space for players like Akil Thomas.

I don't think it's impossible that they recall someone like Akil Thomas for a game or two or if there are injuries that require an emergency call up but with both the Reign and the Kings heading into their respective playoffs I suspect the amount of recalls "just to see a guy" will probably be limited.

And perhaps if they planned to sit Kaliyev the rest of the way, they ought to have traded or waived him so that other guys would be able to step in? Moverare’s 7 minutes a night as the extra defenseman seems like a good candidate to get sent down.

That's all hindsight and hypotheticals. I don't know what the plan for Kaliyev is or why they've chosen to deploy the players they have in the manner they have... I just know what I think are their limitations in the near future.

Once the playoffs start.... it's a whole new set of rules and regulations.

 

[kingsfan28]

Pretty sick goal by Akil:

 

[tny760]

like geno's from the other side

that's cleeeeeean

 

[DyslexicTom]

with 12 games left in the season and less than a handful of possible options actually available to them how do you propose they execute that move?

Build a time machine, go back in time, and not make the PLD trade. Or better yet, go all the way back, not hire Blake to be a GM to begin with, and do a true rebuild in earnest after they got swept by Vegas in 2018.

 

[KingsOfCali25]

While Grundstrom is on LTIR they can bring up Thomas if they assign Turcotte or Moverare to Ontario.

Those are the only two players eligible to be sent to Ontario.

I repeat

The only two players currently on the Kings roster that can be assigned to Ontario are Jacob Moverare and Alex Turcotte.

Assuming Grundstrom returns during the regular season, which seems likely, I believe they will need to assign Moverare and Turcotte in order to be cap compliant.

At that point they will have 13 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies and no cap space for players like Akil Thomas.

I don't think it's impossible that they recall someone like Akil Thomas for a game or two or if there are injuries that require an emergency call up but with both the Reign and the Kings heading into their respective playoffs I suspect the amount of recalls "just to see a guy" will probably be limited.

Don't they only have 4 recalls to make after the TDL passes and the Kings already spent 2 on Turcotte and Moverare. You'd have to figure that Clarke gets one spot, so they will have to choose between Fagemo and Thomas unless they can use an emergency recall with an injury like Turcotte?

If I'm reading the rulebook correctly.

 

[King'sPawn]

Don't they only have 4 recalls to make after the TDL passes and the Kings already spent 2 on Turcotte and Moverare. You'd have to figure that Clarke gets one spot, so they will have to choose between Fagemo and Thomas unless they can use an emergency recall with an injury like Turcotte?

If I'm reading the rulebook correctly.

That's correct.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Build a time machine, go back in time, and not make the PLD trade. Or better yet, go all the way back, not hire Blake to be a GM to begin with, and do a true rebuild in earnest after they got swept by Vegas in 2018.

Rob Blake would invent time travel

and go back and trade for PLD instead of Fiala

 

[dman3474]

Once the playoffs start.... it's a whole new set of rules and regulations.

Which is the perfect time to see how rookies do in the NHL!

Not directed at you ATKM, just at the “plan” in general.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I would sent Turcotte down and recall Thomas - Akil has a game that better translates to the playoffs. Turcotte is brittle.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I would sent Turcotte down and recall Thomas - Akil has a game that better translates to the playoffs. Turcotte is brittle.

It kind of doesn't matter since they're just going to be picking splinters out of their ass on the bench anyway

frankly I'd rather they all play big minutes in the AHL then just sit here and rot for the NHL AND AHL playoffs like they did previously with Byfield Vilardi Kupari and Kaliyev

Hell rankly would have been nice if they would have just sent Kaliyev down before instead of waiting for waiver eligibility to hit to REALLY motherf*** him

everything this org does they do on hard mode

 

[kingsfan28]

It kind of doesn't matter since they're just going to be picking splinters out of their ass on the bench anyway

frankly I'd rather they all play big minutes in the AHL then just sit here and rot for the NHL AND AHL playoffs like they did previously with Byfield Vilardi Kupari and Kaliyev

Hell rankly would have been nice if they would have just sent Kaliyev down before instead of waiting for waiver eligibility to hit to REALLY motherf*** him

everything this org does they do on hard mode

I was thinking about this too. If they were so down on his play away from the puck, they should've sent him down to work on it before he hit the 180 game mark or whatever the rule is. They could've even pulled a Vegas and sent him down for "conditioning" at some point I believe.

 

[kingskring]

And finally!

 

[Surf Nutz]

I took someone else's word for it on the Kings schedule being softer , later in the season.

Perusing the schedule now, I see teams all above the Kings in the standings as the upcoming opponents , for the most part.

Hugely important games against potential round one opponents to boot.

Seems the Kings will have to stay solid and elevate to a higher level once again.

I do like the way they are getting to the middle more and getting the puck to the net with bodies there.

It needs to continue.

Shot volume from the perimeter be damned.

Keep your heads up boys!!!

 

[FSL KINGS]

This take in bold is just wrong.

Even if your assessment of Kopi is correct, Danault, Byfield, and Kopitar down the middle still would've been a viable option. It's basically the same scenario they're in now except you have Byfield as a center instead of PLD (which is a pretty significant improvement IMO). Your argument for that not being a viable option is basically "then Kopi would be missing a speedy winger to carry his lack of foot/movement speed" - Even if that became true there were other options on the table not named PLD and not costing $8.5m.

• Kings could've used part of the money they saved on PLD to acquire a speedy winger to help 'carry' Kopitar
• Kings could've pushed Kopitar down the lineup to 2C or 3C if his movement speed was really that much of an issue - Replacing him with Byfield.
• Kings could've signed / traded for a good 'budget' 3C so they could keep Byfield on Kopitar's wing

It's insane to me that people are still trying to convince themselves acquiring PLD was a 'solid acquisition'. We traded a top 6 forward (granted, with injury issues), a middle 6 winger, a bottom 6 forward, AND a 2nd round pick for a guy who's a -16 and on pace for 37 points.

And to make matters worse, we signed that guy to an 8 year, $68m contract - greatly complicating our cap situation.

I'm not trying to be a PLD hater - I hope he turns it around. Who knows, maybe he has a rough first year in LA but picks things up next year. But at this point, knowing what we know right now, it's pretty ridiculous to call that trade anything other than a failure.

Yes, I get the cap will go up. I'd also be concerned with dropping $7-8m/year on a big name goalie. I said from the end of the playoffs last year Korpisalo wasn't/isn't the answer. And I get that Vilardi deals with injury issues. None of those things make the PLD trade 'solid' or even remotely successful. It's the kind of trade that gets a GM fired. Let's stop pretending otherwise.

Playing on a line with JAD (1G, 3A) for most of the year will absolutely tank your stats.

11,55,24 down the middle, Who's getting stuck with JAD & Laferriere? That's either Kopi or Byfield. At that point we're discussing buying our Kopi & Bustfield depending on who got stuck with JAD.

Speedy winger? Aren't we all complaining that the King's need a goalie & not another forward?

PLD, look at his career stats & not what Todd managed to get out of PL on his way to getting fired.

+/- : get stuck on a line with a guy that managed one goal this year for the King's & complain about negatives piling up because no goals are being scored. Quick question, where is PL on the list of primary assists this year for the King's? That's with JAD tanking his line.

PL's been heating up recently. Nice assist to Moore the other day.

The best part is 7 more years!!!!

 

[tny760]

man this site is performing extremely poorly last few days right? feels like it's loading on a 56k modem

 

[Omni Owl]

man this site is performing extremely poorly last few days right? feels like it's loading on a 56k modem

This site has always been wonky, I still get the page zoomed in every time I load a new thread or forum section. Its running extra shitty lately tho...

 

[chris kontos]

man this site is performing extremely poorly last few days right? feels like it's loading on a 56k modem

Worse. They need to sell more adds NOT

 

[kingskring]

man this site is performing extremely poorly last few days right? feels like it's loading on a 56k modem

The hamsters that they pay to run the site have gone on strike

 

[YP44]

I would sent Turcotte down and recall Thomas - Akil has a game that better translates to the playoffs. Turcotte is brittle.

Would Thomas need waivers to go back down when Grundsrom is healthy?

If so at this point leave him in the AHL, but call up for the playoffs if someone goes down.

 

[Johnny Utah]

JAD has still not played in Nashville.