LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[kingsholygrail]

Remember when Parse played on the top line for a few minutes? What about when Purcell got multiple chances in the top 6? Voinov coming in and making JJ expendable? Toffoli and Pearson getting attached to Jeff Carter? King and Nolan adding some much needed zest to the bottom 6? Doughty playing with O'Donnell his whole rookie year? Kopitar playing his way into the top line after a handful of games? Simmonds forcing the team to make a spot on the wing for him?

I remember. I know what it was like to have dreams once. But not anymore. Not with this team.

Remember the drama when Purcell went to Tampa Bay and scored some goals for a couple seasons?

 

[bland]

I agree. I think he’s in the correct spot in the lineup but would benefit from the right partner. Sean O’Donnell or a Left shooting Matt Greene would be perfect. It definitely needs to be that type. In fact Clarke would fit with that type of guy also, if Spence is 2nd pair.

They have two perfect options in Anderson and Gavrikov, with a stylistically identical Moverare.

There are already so many answers available to the questions at hand, but the worst general manager in team history insists on creating totally unnecessary problems.

They started the rebuild too late and left it too early. All of the tangential decisions to that one, significant mistake are just the children of that stupidity. Stupid trades, stupid extensions, stupid developmental decisions.

They aren't just debatable - they are flat out stupid choices. Blake is a bonafide failure who wasted a bounty of assets and potential in favor of deals that wouldn't have moved any needles even if they worked out to their best outcomes.

 

[chris kontos]

Id love to see AEG clean house on the entire surf club management team but whos to say if AEG is even paying attention? As long as the org is making money, maybe they'll be ignored

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Spence is a fantastic depth defenseman. But like everyone else on this team, management insists on getting the absolute least out of him.

 

[kingsfan28]

Spence has almost doubled LaDue's career in NHL points, and Durzi was getting 8 more minutes per game (plus he had as much powerplay time as Doughty on the top unit).

Maybe nut sacks shouldn't be the only criteria to evaluate quality of play.

My main issue has been his lack of ability to run pp2. No matter what you think of Durzi, he could always carry the puck in and get it on net, or find an open guy. He was effective from day one. There is no threat with Spence at the point.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

We’re so in excited about this postseason we haven’t even created a playoff thread yet LOL

 

[AbsentMojo]

Turcotte w 3g tonite

 

[bland]

My main issue has been his lack of ability to run pp2. No matter what you think of Durzi, he could always carry the puck in and get it on net, or find an open guy. He was effective from day one. There is no threat with Spence at the point.

Spence has hardly been the issue with the 2nd unit. His puck movement has been very good, but I do agree his shot lacks power.

And besides, the point of a rebuild/retool/whatever is to introduce skilled young players into the lineup. You aren't supposed to be contending - these players need time and reps in those conditions in order to grow. That's where Blake keeps screwing up over and over. The team has holes, drafted the kinds of players to grow into those spots, but over-spends on bandaids that put the potential longterm solutions on an unnecessarily slower boil - that all ultimately yields the same immediate results you could rightfully expect by just playing the kids anyway.

Durzi would have been a fine 3rd pairing defenseman, just as Walker was more than competent in that role. But the Kings have two higher ceiling players at lower cap hits that need to be groomed for top 4 roles - including PP minutes. That growth won't be linear, and Spence has had a strong first full year in the league.

 

[King'sPawn]

My main issue has been his lack of ability to run pp2. No matter what you think of Durzi, he could always carry the puck in and get it on net, or find an open guy. He was effective from day one. There is no threat with Spence at the point.

Not sure I agree with his lack of ability to run it. He's decisive without being reckless. His biggest flaw is his shot. It lacks power and placement (which I consider different from accuracy; I see accuracy as a shot getting into the net and placement as getting the puck through traffic or setting up a tip).

Durzi is very similar to Joe Corvo. Good for 40ish points from the blueline, particularly with a good shot, but regularly caused issues with bad misplays and misreads.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Id love to see AEG clean house on the entire surf club management team but whos to say if AEG is even paying attention? As long as the org is making money, maybe they'll be ignored

Someone clearly pushed Blake to fire McLellan

 

[Statto]

Someone clearly pushed Blake to fire McLellan

Based on?

 

[tny760]

Based on?

personally i thought it was pretty obvious from blake's pressers, he seemed he was about to cry waffling on about how he spent hours talking to him, went from (paraphrasing) "his job is safe" at the end of january to sacked at the beginning of february

i think he opened his fat mouth saying that todd's job was safe and AEG gave him the ole peepee slap and let him know that HIS job isn't safe so saving his own ass becomes the priority

silence at the tdl, etc, i think there's more than just one smoking gun

 

[Statto]

personally i thought it was pretty obvious from blake's pressers, he seemed he was about to cry waffling on about how he spent hours talking to him, went from (paraphrasing) "his job is safe" at the end of january to sacked at the beginning of february

i think he opened his fat mouth saying that todd's job was safe and AEG gave him the ole peepee slap and let him know that HIS job isn't safe so saving his own ass becomes the priority

silence at the tdl, etc, i think there's more than just one smoking gun

I’ve heard many guys in leadership roles say the coach is safe and fire them a week or two (sometimes a couple of days) later. So I took absolutely nothing from those statements because in the moment he could say nothing else. I’d go further and say if it wasn’t his call he would have gone at the same time - that’s how most businesses would work anyway. If his hands were tied there’d be zero point in him being there. If they kept him under those circumstances we have much, much bigger problems than Blake.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I’ve heard many guys in leadership roles say the coach is safe and fire them a week or two (sometimes a couple of days) later. So I took absolutely nothing from those statements because in the moment he could say nothing else. I’d go further and say if it wasn’t his call he would have gone at the same time - that’s how most businesses would work anyway. If his hands were tied there’d be zero point in him being there. If they kept him under those circumstances we have much, much bigger problems than Blake.

Taking your take at face value, the concern I have is Blake changing his mind in a couple weeks on a major decision. The big problem is having no conviction about the coach’s ability to fix a spiraling team in a critical season during a losing streak that came out of nowhere.

 

[johnjm22]

I’ve heard many guys in leadership roles say the coach is safe and fire them a week or two (sometimes a couple of days) later. So I took absolutely nothing from those statements because in the moment he could say nothing else.

This is exactly correct. There was nothing else Blake could possibly say. He said what he was supposed to say.

As usual, fans read too much into comments,.

Same thing with Cal Petersen. Blake showed faith in him publicly, so people around here thought he wouldn't be traded.

 

[DoktorJeep]

This is exactly correct. There was nothing else Blake could possibly say. He said what he was supposed to say.

As usual, fans read too much into comments,.

Same thing with Cal Petersen. Blake showed faith in him publicly, so people around here thought he wouldn't be traded.

Blake gave both Cal and Todd $5M per year for…reasons.

That explains his dis ambiguous comments about both once the shit was all over the fan and spattered along the walls.

Excusing his obviously wrong comments as par for the course is massively ignoring “context”, the normal first refuge of apologists.

Not saying you and Statto are the torch bearers here, but you’re adding to the echo chamber that ultimately advocates for the status quo.

 

[Statto]

Blake gave both Cal and Todd $5M per year for…reasons.

That explains his dis ambiguous comments about both once the shit was all over the fan and spattered along the walls.

Excusing his obviously wrong comments as par for the course is massively ignoring “context”, the normal first refuge of apologists.

Not saying you and Statto are the torch bearers here, but you’re adding to the echo chamber that ultimately advocates for the status quo.

Let’s be clear if we crash out in the 1st round Blake has to go, maybe even the 2nd depending on how we go. So definitely no torch here.

I’m just saying that even if Blake was sharpening the axe he had to say what he said. Anyone in his position would.

In UK football (soccer) it is affectionately known as the ‘dreaded vote of confidence’ as it is too supportive in the circumstances and usually guarantees a sacking is imminent.

 

[johnjm22]

Blake gave both Cal and Todd $5M per year for…reasons.

That explains his dis ambiguous comments about both once the shit was all over the fan and spattered along the walls.

Excusing his obviously wrong comments as par for the course is massively ignoring “context”, the normal first refuge of apologists.

Not saying you and Statto are the torch bearers here, but you’re adding to the echo chamber that ultimately advocates for the status quo.

Some of you guys take every comment you hear from players and staff literally and apply no social intelligence at all.

Blake said what he was supposed to say. You show faith in your guys publicly until the end; regardless of whether or not you're planning to move them.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Let’s be clear if we crash out in the 1st round Blake has to go, maybe even the 2nd depending on how we go. So definitely no torch here.

I’m just saying that even if Blake was sharpening the axe he had to say what he said. Anyone in his position would.

In UK football (soccer) it is affectionately known as the ‘dreaded vote of confidence’ as it is too supportive in the circumstances and usually guarantees a sacking is imminent.

Blake ain't going anywhere and there are no Englishmen on the AEG Board of Directors

 

[Sol]

Blake ain't going anywhere and there are no Englishmen on the AEG Board of Directors

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

 

[tny760]

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

 

[Surf Nutz]

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

Old Bustfieldio!

Speaks again.

From a historical perspective of what I have seen from you, if you put money on your predictions, you wouldn't be here because you couldn't afford internet.

Judging from your comments, I thought cigarettes were the currency where you got parked.

Grandpa said never bet with those that would never pay.

Blake will be here to start the 24/25 season to be clear.

 

[Statto]

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

I’m having to guess what you are replying to but if Blake’s isn’t fired after a 1st rd exit then that just proof that he’s simply been following Luc’s instructions strategically. It’d be demonstrating that it was Luc’s decision to end the rebuild too early and/or that he’s incompetent by not making the change.

 

[Schrute farms]

Put money on it darling if you’re so sure

Just like: TMac isn't going anywhere. He was given an extension for a reason and will be here through the 24-25 season.

 

[tigermask48]

Just like: TMac isn't going anywhere. He was given an extension for a reason and will be here through the 24-25 season.

I keep forgetting about this one. That was the big argument when people began wanting him fired wasn't it.