Willie Mitchell

[Herby]

I predict Willie is going to sign a two year deal with us for 2 mil.

He'll slowly slide down the depth chart

If he signed for that cheap the Kings could afford two years.

 

[HYORI 1963]

If he signed for that cheap the Kings could afford two years.

How is 2M cheap? And no, we don't want Willie for 2 years, cheap contract or not.

 

[Ron*]

Either Martinez or Voynov will most likely be traded.

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.
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Martinez scores the OT game winner for both the WCF and the SCF and you say he will most likely be traded. SMH

Interesting from the guy who wanted OT in the first place.

 

[KingsFanInRI]

wonder if coaching is an option for him, especially if John Stevens gets a job elsewhere (have heard he may be a candidate for least one of the vacant jobs)...

 

[HYORI 1963]

.
.
.
Martinez scores the OT game winner for both the WCF and the SCF and you say he will most likely be traded. SMH

Interesting from the guy who wanted OT in the first place.

It's business, nothing personal brah!

 

[Herby]

How is 2M cheap? And no, we don't want Willie for 2 years, cheap contract or not.

How many veteran defenders are making $1.5 mill in the NHL? Look it up, not many. And Mitchell was still pretty productive on a championship team.

That cap increase that you guys all think is going to let the Kings keep everyone is only going to drive up the price for anyone hitting FA.

Now while I think you are crazy when you say guys like Kopitar and Doughty will leave 8 figures on the table in the prime of their careers, I actually could see Mitchell signing with the Kings and leaving a few hundred thousand on the table rather than go elsewhere. He is 37 after all.

 

[HYORI 1963]

How many veteran defenders are making $1.5 mill in the NHL? Look it up, not many. And Mitchell was still pretty productive on a championship team.

That cap increase that you guys all think is going to let the Kings keep everyone is only going to drive up the price for anyone hitting FA.

Now while I think you are crazy when you say guys like Kopitar and Doughty will leave 8 figures on the table in the prime of their careers, I actually could see Mitchell signing with the Kings and leaving a few hundred thousand on the table rather than go elsewhere. He is 37 after all.

That's probably because you're not factoring in that Kopi and Doughty will probably want to retire a king. So, in order to retire a king, and keep the team SC competitive, you gotta give. It's really a win/win situation. You're just making too much of a big deal over money.

 

[Herby]

That's probably because you're not factoring in that Kopi and Doughty will probably want to retire a king. So, in order to retire a king, and keep the team SC competitive, you gotta give. It's really a win/win situation. You're just making too much of a big deal over money.

Plenty of players have spent their entire careers with one team while still making their fair market value or very close to it. As Deeshamrock already told you, the whole winning culture thing is a two way street, part of being a winning team is taking care of your best players.

The numbers you are throwing out for Kopitar and Doughty are 20+% discounts for the Kings, ten figure numbers. I really don't think DL would insult Kopitar with the kind of numbers you have thrown out, especially when Kopi's closest comp in the league is going to sign for 9-10 million the year before Kopi hits FA.

 

[KingsHockey24]

It's business, nothing personal brah!

You're crazy.

 

[HYORI 1963]

Plenty of players have spent their entire careers with one team while still making their fair market value or very close to it.

Give me a handful of names.

As Deeshamrock already told you, the whole winning culture thing is a two way street, part of being a winning team is taking care of your best players.

It is a 2 way street. For some reason, you have it in your head that if a player isn't being paid FMV, they are somehow being taken advantage of, and that's not true.

The numbers you are throwing out for Kopitar and Doughty are 20+% discounts for the Kings, ten figure numbers. I really don't think DL would insult Kopitar with the kind of numbers you have thrown out, especially when Kopi's closest comp in the league is going to sign for 9-10 million the year before Kopi hits FA.

I'm comfortable with under 8M. However, I'm MORE confident that it's not going 9M+ like you've suggested.

 

[Temid]

I think LA will want to keep one of them:
1. Mitchell retires, free cap space is used for Green. If that contrat is 2 years max then its good for the team i think. Helps developing younger players, gives us continuum etc.. But im thinking Green would want more then 2 years and that could be a problem.
2. Green wants longer contract and there are more 'desperate' teams then LA and we cant/wont match their offers. Convice Mitchel taht retirement can wait a year or two and keep him.

Im thinking 2nd option is more probable.. Green prolly has last chance to get a nice, fat, 3-4 year contract and i think the lenght is more a of a problem then money for LA. Maybe..

 

[Captain Mittens*]

How is 2M cheap? And no, we don't want Willie for 2 years, cheap contract or not.

Dean loves depth

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I predict Willie is going to sign a two year deal with us for 2 mil.

He'll slowly slide down the depth chart

I hope you're right. Mitchell is also eligible to be paid performance bonuses as well, which would be a wise move to give him based on how many games he can appear in.

I really can't imagine veteran players are going to be happy being part-time players like that for an extended period of time. Especially high compete players like Willie Mitchell or Matt Greene that want to be out there with their teammates and contributing on a regular basis.

I think when you find yourself stuck in that situation, like Greene did this year, you play the part of the good teammate and don't rock the boat. As a free agent with options on where to go, however, I doubt Greene would willingly volunteer to play the part of the spare wheel again if he has a chance to be a full-time contributor somewhere else.

For the sake of player development though I kind of think that letting McNabb get regular ice time and struggle through the inevitable rookie mistakes will be more beneficial then letting him sit as a healthy scratch.

Muzzin during the regular season was driving people bananas as they broke him in, but by the end of the year and into the playoffs you had more people than not singing his praises and pretty much pardoning all past sins.

How about a cost effective #6 and #7 tandem of Brayden McNabb and Andrew Bodnarchuk? That would certainly free up $6,450,000 from not re-signing Mitchell and Greene to use towards a Gaborik re-signing, for example.

I agree with what you are saying concerning a player like Greene since this is his first shot at unrestricted free agency and he's not that old and has a few more years left in him. It's just that it was his play and injuries that limited him over the past couple of seasons, and you are probably right in saying that he will likely command a bigger contract if he walked away because someone is going to overvalue his contributions to the two championship runs.

With McNabb, he's going to have to learn to become another Mitchell/Regehr type defenseman because the Kings are set with puck movers on the blueline with Doughty, Muzzin, Voynov and Martinez. We know with who is already under contract that Muzzin and Doughty will remain on the top pairing and Regehr and Voynov will be slotted right behind them. That leaves Martinez, who is left handed, having to play with McNabb, who is also a left handed shooter.

I know Martinez did play on the right side when he was paired with Mitchell when Greene was scratched, however, I think the preference by Lombardi and the coaching staff is to have a left-right shot on each pairing. Either way, at least we have seen Martinez demonstrate the ability to play on his off-side.

McNabb will certainly get games in this season but I'm not sure if he'll appear in 70+ games. I guess it all depends if he blows away the coaching staff and proves that he's ready for full time duty.

 

[losingsand]

would love an affordable one or 2 year deal for Mitchell.
But i have a feeling a team will massively pay for a 2 time cup winner
with lots of character, experience, and isn't slowed down..
didn't seem too fatigued in the CHI and NYR series.

EDMONTON has the cap room and some young D that could use Mitchell or
Greene, to help out w/ Nurse.

the UFA pool is weak this year and not sure if we have anybody in the minors
overdue for a spot.

 

[MsMeow]

The Kings can do what the Flyers did with Timonen. His new contract is $2 million with a 750k bonus after 10 games, 250k after more games up to a total of $1.5 million in bonuses if he plays, I believe, 65 games. Mitchell would get less than $2 million to start since Timonen is still the Flyers #1 dman while Mitchell is around 4th or 5th.

 

[Primakov!]

The Kings can do what the Flyers did with Timonen. His new contract is $2 million with a 750k bonus after 10 games, 250k after more games up to a total of $1.5 million in bonuses if he plays, I believe, 65 games. Mitchell would get less than $2 million to start since Timonen is still the Flyers #1 dman while Mitchell is around 4th or 5th.

I always looked at games played performance bonuses as being questionable since it could quickly escalate into a point of conflict between the player and coach that forces management to step in.

So here's a hypothetical situation.

The player's performance is iffy, not too bad yet not all that great either -- a real up and down season with consistency. The coach decides to bench the player for several consecutive games.

The player thinks they should be playing or at least afforded the opportunity to work through the issues on the ice. The coach disagrees, which trigger accusations that his games played totals are purposely being kept low so as to not pay him what he's due.

GM now has to step in as the mediator to either talk to the coach or the player and if it can't be resolved to move him to another organization.

 

[Rorschach]

I'll sign both of these guys if the price is right. If they want their old salaries then cyas. I think Mitchell will be the most reasonable since he got a year for free.

Mitchell, I'd hire him into the organization too.

 

[Reclamation Project]

It's business, nothing personal brah!

 

[ADifferentTim]

1. would love an affordable one or 2 year deal for Mitchell.
But i have a feeling a team will massively pay for a 2 time cup winner
with lots of character, experience, and isn't slowed down..
didn't seem too fatigued in the CHI and NYR series.

2. EDMONTON has the cap room and some young D that could use Mitchell or
Greene, to help out w/ Nurse.

3. the UFA pool is weak this year and not sure if we have anybody in the minors
overdue for a spot.

1. One of the farmboys from Manchester is overdue; I would miss Willie, but I just see him, moving on. Either way, I am thankful for his contributions to the Kings.

2. Yup, I too see that as an immediate reality. I don't know why, but for some reason, I do realistically see Matt, staying; chemistry with Stoll is a major factor, a la Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

3. I just hope any pre-existing chemistry in Manchester gets carried over in Los Angeles; the tandem of Tyler and Tanner is a case in point. I would love to see that in defense/blue lines.

 

[deaderhead28]

It has also been speculated that Regehr may also call it a career.With that said if true then add another 3 mil to be freed up.Gaborik and Dean start discussions on a new contact this week.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

I think Greene is gone. He's 31, this is his last sizable contract, he's going to want money and years. I can see some team giving him 3.5 for 3 or 4 years (they will regret it, but I can see it happening). Mitchell is a pretty easy scenario, one year contract max and he will probably get about 3 million, otherwise he retires.

 

[Trolfoli]

Mitchell around 2M would be nice.... Some other team will offer more so it comes down to if he wants to stay. Mitchell has had massive injury issues the last few years. If he did come back I'd like to see him split a lot of games with Regehr... keep both their games played down in the regular season to hopefully have them less banged up come playoffs.... at 3 M it just seems like there could be a better option out there.... AMac got 5M so maybe not?

Greene I don't see coming back.... well except Sutter... he lost his spot to Martinez in the regular season.... We can all imagine how hard that was for Sutter to play Martinez over Greene...

Schultz.... Wouldn't mind him getting a cheep contract for a 7D. Guy was a solid call up.

 

[LAKings88]

It has also been speculated that Regehr may also call it a career.With that said if true then add another 3 mil to be freed up.Gaborik and Dean start discussions on a new contact this week.

This would be the best scenario for LA.

I think Greene is gone. He's 31, this is his last sizable contract, he's going to want money and years. I can see some team giving him 3.5 for 3 or 4 years (they will regret it, but I can see it happening). Mitchell is a pretty easy scenario, one year contract max and he will probably get about 3 million, otherwise he retires.

From interviews on tv, Greene sounds like he really wants to stay.

 

[KingsFan7824]

If any of the players want to stay, the less they make on their new contract, the more likely it would happen. It's a San Antonio Spurs situation. You can't restructure deals in the NHL, so a guy like Gaborik will probably have to take a little less than he could otherwise get. Greene and Mitchell, they're older, they've been injured, their play has slipped a bit. They've both been substantial parts of these 2 Cups. They owe the Kings organization nothing. However, they both also know what's in that locker room.

I'd like all 3 of those guys back, because I'm a sucker for sentimentality.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I know we just won our 2nd Cup with both Mitchell and Greene,

I don't know how you keep both of them, while moving forward trying to improve,

You pick one, and keep him, Greene played exceptionally well in the SCF series, but at times before that, he was benched for Schultz,

Mitchell has injury issues and is 37,

You can't have both of them back, and continue to move forward,

I would keep Mitchell, and let Green go, keep McNabb up as the 7th Dman, and rotate three of them - Mitchell, Regehr, and McNabb.