Speculation: LA Kings with heavy interest in Landeskog

[ScoreZeGoals]

Guys, please remember that this is our Cup window. IMHO, when Carter stops being an offensive threat, the window is CLOSED.


Thus, any 18-year-old who hasn't even set foot in the AHL should be dealt for assets that can help us win NOW.


Realistically, how long has Carter got? Three years? Four years?


Carter turns 33 this year. Is he gunna be on pace for over 40 goals when he's 37? We need to get our immediate term assets in place NOW and have done with it.....

A team with one playoff win in two years and is a boarderline playoff team in the third season is not in any kind of Cup window

 

[Quattro]

The only guys I would move either Muzzin or Martinez for is Wayne Simmonds...

Really? How about McDavid?

 

[BigKing]

It's a not about trying to alter anyone's play. Do you think the Kings players you just mentioned couldn't play on the Hawks because "they can't alter their play"?

It's just about human nature. Sometimes things get stale and you need to make a change. It can be refreshing.

This is nothing new. I'm sure you've been watching hockey as long as I have (20+ years). We all know what a team looks like that needs a coaching change. The Kings are starting to resemble that. I'm not saying for sure just yet, but it starting to look that way.

I thought Sutter was done after last season as far as being an effective coach for this team. Like most coaches, he does have a shelf life. Whatever your thoughts are on the 2015 locker room incident, I felt that was a sign of a team that was tired of being ridden by this guy.

I really felt he signed an extension because of Chris and still feel that was the primary reason to stick around. The money helps and he still has to at least like coaching, but Chris is somewhat of an institution at this point.

So he's a hard ass, right? I feel he really hasn't been this season and is softer in the press. He's not a total pushover or anything, but I feel he's been a bit softer and a bit resigned to the fact that this is not a great team. Maybe he's playing it a bit lighter to try to stretch out that shelf life?

He coached the longest in SJ at 477 games when including playoffs and was fired during a poor start 24 games into the season after winning the Pacific. He will be at 494 total games with the Kings at the end of this season, barring playoffs.

I don't think Sutter gets fired. If Sutter was a goalie, DL wouldn't pull him during the middle of the game and embarrass him. Sutter will get to do a "I just don't have it in me...the farm...etc..." and walk away. I could definitely see this happening if they don't make the playoffs this season.

I do think a change could help the team short-term; however, I don't think he is a real problem. They don't have the horses to play his system effectively with Quietar out there and Quick on the shelf. It's hard to say they look like a team that needs a coaching change when the team has has major lulls under him in previous seasons as well, including in 2014. I think that January of '14 was worse than any stretch this season.

The problem is there doesn't appear to be any real shot in the arm available to increase scoring while not detracting from the defense. That's where the poor drafting, asset management and big contracts kick in.

Darryl Sutter is just another footnote to Kings history without the Carter and Gaborik trades, Toffoli's emergence and Pearson's call-up. To a lesser extent, you can toss in the Nolan/King call-ups in 2012 and Voynov being ready to go so the Carter trade can work.

Voynov drafted in 2008. Jumps in 2012.
Toffoli drafted 2010. Jumps in 2013 and picks up steam in to 14.
Pearson drafted in 2012. Jumps in 2014.

So we are looking at guys that are NHL ready, and producing in key spots, within four seasons. So that means the Kings should have someone from 2013 really producing. There is ZIP coming from that draft year to help out this season and it very much remains to be seen if anything of value will come out of that draft as Brodzinski is it at this point. It's a bit of a stretch to expect a '14 pick to be paying dividends right now, but I do think a lot of people were banking on Kempe being a good NHL'er by this season since Lombardi was walking on water at the time of the selection, his first AHL playoff was awesome and we were spoiled by recent drafting history.

The Kings were barely, if at all, a playoff team at the time of the Carter trade and influx of Monarchs. They were a ****ing joke offensively in '14 until the Gaborik trade and Pearson/Toffoli catching on. They are pretty damn similar again. Strong on team defense and can't score except they don't have a guy in net that can routinely steal games even if he has been so much better than expected.

Long story short: Lombardi and Co. flubbed the 2011 and 2013 drafts. Drafting is even more important when you start winning and have to pay everyone. You can have a great core with great players but that won't stop things from becoming stale. Even really good looking married couples get bored of the usual sex: some stop having sex and others maybe spice it up by going to a public place to find that thrill again.

The Penguins left the bedroom that wasn't working for them and took it outdoors to the park or beach or something. The Kings need to do the same but I'm not sure they can muster anything more than maybe trying out the kitchen counter at this point.

 

[deaderhead28]

Guys, please remember that this is our Cup window. IMHO, when Carter stops being an offensive threat, the window is CLOSED.


Thus, any 18-year-old who hasn't even set foot in the AHL should be dealt for assets that can help us win NOW.


Realistically, how long has Carter got? Three years? Four years?


Carter turns 33 this year. Is he gunna be on pace for over 40 goals when he's 37? We need to get our immediate term assets in place NOW and have done with it.....

Actually Carter turned 32 this month.Born: January 1, 1985 (age 32),

 

[BigKing]

Actually Carter turned 32 this month.Born: January 1, 1985 (age 32),

This is a young mans game now, no doubt. The cap almost demands it.

 

[Trolfoli]

No it wouldn't. A single player isn't enough to turn an offense around.

The only singular move that could have large impact on the team would be a coaching change.

Other than, it will take a combination of things coming together at the right time to get the ship righted. (Which I think is possible).

Yup, that's it.
Gaborik/Kopitar/Lewis
Pearson/Carter/Toffoli

The problem here is that Lewis shuts down the top line. Just watch all the times Kopitar passes to Lewis who then doesn't see Gaborik and just makes a weak shot. In the Sharks game there were multiple times Lewis got the puck in the offensive zone and killed the play. This is why King is up there in practice. In today's game you just don't get that many chances. Kings can't afford players on the first/second line killing the chances they do get in the offensive zone with control of the puck.

With the top line effectively shutdown all the other team has to worry about is the 2nd line. Which doesn't even have Toffoli right now, but whatever. More a best case, everyone healthy scenario.

Adding an actual top 6 wing, say E.Kane because his name shorter then other guys.
Kane/Kopitar/Gaborik
Pearson/Carter/Toffoli
Now you have 2 full top 6 lines. This would have a huge impact. On top of that you'd be left with Dowd/Brown on the 3rd who have shown the ability to occasionally get a goal.

It isn't about adding 1 guy, it's about crossing a point of infection or tipping point. This is part of the reason Lucic was so effective and the Kings scoring jumped to mid-range in the nhl.

Thought I'd leave this here. Buffalo's LHD situation.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/GARTHS-CORNER/McCabe-Injured/6/82286

Left defenseman Jake McCabe, he of the Patrik Laine collision heard round the world, suffered a shoulder injury on the first shift of the game...

Justin Falk now becomes the only healthy lefty in the BUffalo organization. The cupboards are bare in Rochester.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Yup, that's it.
Gaborik/Kopitar/Lewis
Pearson/Carter/Toffoli

The problem here is that Lewis shuts down the top line.

Lewis has more 5v5 goals than Kopitar and Gaborik, and almost has more than both combined.

Lewis and King are 3rd and 4th on the team in 5v5 goals. Why do people complain about them?

 

[Trolfoli]

Lewis has more 5v5 goals than Kopitar and Gaborik, and almost has more than both combined.

Lewis and King are 3rd and 4th on the team in 5v5 goals. Why do people complain about them?

Watch Gaborik. Watch him in the offensive zone. Watch when Lewis ends up with the puck and has no clue where Gaborik is. Gaborik is getting to good spots and his linemates aren't finding him. Gaborik still has one of the better shots on the team and there are 2-3 times pre game guys can't get him the puck. It's frustrating, especially when losing close games.

It's like seeing Carter behind the goal line on the PP. Take one of the best shots on the team and put him somewhere on the PP where he can't score from.


I mean other then that I have no problem with King/Lewis, but if you want to improve scoring it needs to change.

 

[kingsfan28]

I don't think it would help.

This roster is in need of health first of all, that isn't Sutters fault.

Unless we are going to blame Sutter for all the injured players.

Also the Kings/AEG probably have way too much respect for Sutter, they would allow him to retire, on his own terms. Probably at the end of the season, if it came to that at all.

So if you're ownership, you'd be willing to throw away a season do to questionable coaching decisions and lack of spark by the team out of loyalty? After last seasons meltdown blowing a 12 point lead, I was surprised Lombardi extended his contract.

 

[damacles1156]

So if you're ownership, you'd be willing to throw away a season do to questionable coaching decisions and lack of spark by the team out of loyalty? After last seasons meltdown blowing a 12 point lead, I was surprised Lombardi extended his contract.

They could have just not offered him a contract at all. That thought never entered the Kings mind, at all it appears.

The Kings are not going to fire Sutter in a season where Quick is out day one for most of the season.

Kopitar is injured(clearly), Toffoli has been out.

It's a miracle the Kings have, as many wins as they do.

 

[theMajor]

So if you're ownership, you'd be willing to throw away a season do to questionable coaching decisions and lack of spark by the team out of loyalty? After last seasons meltdown blowing a 12 point lead, I was surprised Lombardi extended his contract.

that meltdown is on the players, not Sutter. the core of this team is 100% responsible for that

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

They could have just not offered him a contract at all. That thought never entered the Kings mind, at all it appears.

The Kings are not going to fire Sutter in a season where Quick is out day one for most of the season.

Kopitar is injured(clearly), Toffoli has been out.

It's a miracle the Kings have, as many wins as they do.

I agree, but if the Kings miss the playoffs again I expect Sutter to retire

 

[Trolfoli]

I agree, but if the Kings miss the playoffs again I expect Sutter to retire

Remember that conversation Sutter had where he was talking about seeing what the D was going to look like before he re-upped with the Kings? The plan was to give heavy development time to Forbort/Gravel. No one knew how that was going to go. I'd say Sutter considered missing the playoffs before he signed the deal.

 

[KingCanadain1976]

So if you're ownership, you'd be willing to throw away a season do to questionable coaching decisions and lack of spark by the team out of loyalty? After last seasons meltdown blowing a 12 point lead, I was surprised Lombardi extended his contract.

With the amount of injuries this team has had They will get a pass no matter what happens the rest of the season. This team gets healthy and hot at the right time no telling how deep they can go.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

With the amount of injuries this team has had They will get a pass no matter what happens the rest of the season. This team gets healthy and hot at the right time no telling how deep they can go.

I agree with Kingsfan28 because I'm more leery of Sutter's coaching than many right now (I think he's a fantastic coach with a great system but I think his shelf life is spent), but I 100% agree with you here, the whole organization is gonna give DL and SUtter a free pass for icing a competitive team in the 50th anniversary season in context.

I don't think Sutter returns regardless though. ANd I wonder if DL kicks himself to another position turning the reigns over to Futa.

 

[damacles1156]

I agree with Kingsfan28 because I'm more leery of Sutter's coaching than many right now (I think he's a fantastic coach with a great system but I think his shelf life is spent), but I 100% agree with you here, the whole organization is gonna give DL and SUtter a free pass for icing a competitive team in the 50th anniversary season in context.

I don't think Sutter returns regardless though. ANd I wonder if DL kicks himself to another position turning the reigns over to Futa.

I wouldn't be excited about Futa, he is hugely responsible for the poor draft results since 2011 (so far). The 2014-16 class can turn that around.

 

[deaderhead28]

(new article) NHL Radio Replay: Hoven On Kings-Avs Trade Talks, Untouchable Prospects, All Star Game In LA and more.


http://mayorsmanor.com/2017/01/nhl-radio-replay-hoven-on-kings-avs-trade-talks-all-star-game-in-la/

 

[AnThGrt]

(new article) NHL Radio Replay: Hoven On Kings-Avs Trade Talks, Untouchable Prospects, All Star Game In LA and more.


http://mayorsmanor.com/2017/01/nhl-radio-replay-hoven-on-kings-avs-trade-talks-all-star-game-in-la/

Eklund has a higher hit rate lol

 

[KingsFan7824]

Remember that conversation Sutter had where he was talking about seeing what the D was going to look like before he re-upped with the Kings? The plan was to give heavy development time to Forbort/Gravel. No one knew how that was going to go. I'd say Sutter considered missing the playoffs before he signed the deal.

Agreed. If he wanted to retire after the team had a down year, he could've done it in either of the previous two seasons. He's got a 2 year deal with an option for a 3rd. I would say he's in until at least his option. If they're in the same place next year, then he gets out, and goes back to his ranch. If they're back in the contender status, he's ready for another go. Don't wait on him being fired.

 

[lordjedediah]

Lewis has more 5v5 goals than Kopitar and Gaborik, and almost has more than both combined.

Lewis and King are 3rd and 4th on the team in 5v5 goals. Why do people complain about them?

Lewis has 1 goal in his last 19 games. Dwight King hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 1 and hasn't had a point since Dec. 15.

They may be 3rd and 4th on the team in 5v5 goals but that doesn't mean that they are suddenly untouchable.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Lewis has 1 goal in his last 19 games. Dwight King hasn't scored a goal since Dec. 1 and hasn't had a point since Dec. 15.

They may be 3rd and 4th on the team in 5v5 goals but that doesn't mean that they are suddenly untouchable.

That wasn't his point. The point is that Kopitar is playing like garbage, and that's why the team is in the position it's in. It isn't due to injuries, it's due to not getting results from the slew of terribly overpaid players who were expected to provide more offense.

 

[lordjedediah]

That wasn't his point. The point is that Kopitar is playing like garbage, and that's why the team is in the position it's in. It isn't due to injuries, it's due to not getting results from the slew of terribly overpaid players who were expected to provide more offense.

Double edge sword. Kopitar is playing awfully but also isn't given the tools to succeed. Trevor Lewis and Dwight King are not and never will be top-6 players.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Double edge sword. Kopitar is playing awfully but also isn't given the tools to succeed. Trevor Lewis and Dwight King are not and never will be top-6 players.

I don't think anyone is expecting them to, but sadly, their production matches up with those who are supposed to be top six forwards.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Listen to the Mayor he is dead on. The roster is STALE.

Too many bottom 6'ers. Why are they playing Setogucchi? King? Lewis? Why haven't they dealt one of Clifford, Nolan or Andreoff? Why haven't they called up anyone at forward from the AHL?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Listen to the Mayor he is dead on. The roster is STALE.

Too many bottom 6'ers. Why are they playing Setogucchi? King? Lewis? Why haven't they dealt one of Clifford, Nolan or Andreoff? Why haven't they called up anyone at forward from the AHL?

Reminds me of when they signed two stiffs in 2012 in Ethan Moreau and Trent Hunter. Goes to show you Dean's judgement in talent when he goes after players like that. Now the roster is full of them.