Play The Kids

[SnoochieBoochie]

Its been a long time since I've posted. Been watching what's been going on. Here's my point. I would rather watch Kaliyev, Byfield, Turcotte, Bjornfot, and maybe in Faber play and struggle, then watch the Kings play good enough to get the 8 seed. If the dark ages taught us anything, its that you win cups with a core that's played together. I know Blake and McLennan have said the rebuild is over, but let's face it, it's only over when our blue chip kids play and develop. Let's have some damn fun this season.

[LAKingSteve]

Its been a long time since I've posted. Been watching what's been going on. Here's my point. I would rather watch Kaliyev, Byfield, Turcotte, Bjornfot, and maybe in Faber play and struggle, then watch the Kings play good enough to get the 8 seed. If the dark ages taught us anything, its that you win cups with a core that's played together. I know Blake and McLennan have said the rebuild is over, but let's face it, it's only over when our blue chip kids play and develop. Let's have some damn fun this season.

Not yet, can't burn off a year of the ELC. They'll get plenty of playing time next year, the Kings need some of the other kids (Amadio, Luff, Grudstrom, etc) to play now and see if they can make it at this level. Patience, the Kings know what they are doing far better than any of us.

[Helvetica]

here's the thing, some of these guys probably need to develop, and rushing them into the NHL doesnt necessarily accomplish that. The whole premise here is you give them as much opportunity as possible to prove they belong right now, otherwise, they get to go back and work on your game at a level that allows them to improve and realize growth. Additionally, burning a year of players' contracts is simply poor asset management. We've seen now that the current trend, and simply a smart approach to the business of hockey, is to properly manage your cheaper assets, because they're what allow you to hold onto higher priced players and still remain competitive.

[salami]

While perhaps pleasing to us fans who want a sneak preview, that could be the worst thing for the organization. And not just the on ice product, but for the business side, the reputation of the club, and the development of the kids themselves. I'd rather wait until the kids are ready, the contract related attrition has occurred, and the team is in the financial position to afford it (not salary cap, but P/L). These will be over the next year or two, and I think the additions of Byfield and Turcotte's skillsets bring it down to 1-2 years, from 2-3. What I'm seeing from Blake and Co. is exactly what I think needs to happen, and coming from me (a self-proclaimed Blake loather), that's a huge vote of confidence. Of course, I don't run an NHL franchise, but that's the beauty of being a fan, we can theorize about these decisions with absolutely no ramifications.

[RagBone]

while perhaps pleasing to us fans who want a sneak preview, that could be the worst thing for the organization. And not just the on ice product, but for the business side, the reputation of the club, and the development of the kids themselves. I'd rather wait until the kids are ready, the contract related attrition has occurred, and the team is in the financial position to afford it (not salary cap, but p/l). These will be over the next year or two, and i think the additions of byfield and turcotte's skillsets bring it down to 1-2 years, from 2-3. What i'm seeing from blake and co. Is exactly what i think needs to happen, and coming from me (a self-proclaimed blake loather), that's a huge vote of confidence. Of course, i don't run an nhl franchise, but that's the beauty of being a fan, we can theorize about these decisions with absolutely no ramifications.

qft!

[LAKingSteve]

On the other side of the argument, Dennis Bernstein shared this tidbit for what it's worth:

The last five 2nd overall picks went immediately to NHL after being drafted (Kakko, Svechnikov, Patrick, Laine, Eichel).

Three played at 18 (Laine, Svechnikov, Kakko) so this “Byfield’s not ready” take...ehhh.

[Rogie-Vachon]

It's a delectate balance that the organization (Blake / Luc) need to look at. There's basically 3 layers:
CORE guys (we know the 5)
Young but some experience guys (Iafallo, Wags, Petersen, etc)
Very young guys that the Kings can keep around if we keep the amount of games at a minimum to keep them around an extra year. (Those 18-19-20 year old guys)

Blake not only looking at this year...but in reality 2022 - 2023 and beyond. The have a plan...sticking to it is imperative. Think of the Islanders from the 80's. Good mix of older guys & young studs. They dominated.
I'll take serious Cup runs in 2-3-4-5 years.

[Helvetica]

On the other side of the argument, Dennis Bernstein shared this tidbit for what it's worth:

The last five 2nd overall picks went immediately to NHL after being drafted (Kakko, Svechnikov, Patrick, Laine, Eichel).

Three played at 18 (Laine, Svechnikov, Kakko) so this “Byfield’s not ready” take...ehhh.

When scouting reports came in on Byfield, virtually everyone said, "he's very good, has a very high ceiling, but he's young and still developing. He's not a lock to make the team out of camp". Hell, several scouts said he was potentially the best player in the draft. Lots of guys that go in the top 5 go in the top 5 because they are more polished. Some guys go high because they're NHL ready. Some go because they have incredible potential. From the 3 you mentioned, Svechnikov cleared waivers this morning. It doesn't always work out. There's a perfectly legitimate argument for not playing Byfield and burning a year off his ELC this season. This rush to the NHL mentality is going to get some players and teams in trouble. There's absolutely no reason he needs to be here this season if he doesn't demonstrate that he can hang. He'll certainly get his game sin, but i don't really understand the argument that he needs to be here this season. Why?

[DryKing]

When scouting reports came in on Byfield, virtually everyone said, "he's very good, has a very high ceiling, but he's young and still developing. He's not a lock to make the team out of camp". Hell, several scouts said he was potentially the best player in the draft. Lots of guys that go in the top 5 go in the top 5 because they are more polished. Some guys go high because they're NHL ready. Some go because they have incredible potential. From the 3 you mentioned, Svechnikov cleared waivers this morning. It doesn't always work out. There's a perfectly legitimate argument for not playing Byfield and burning a year off his ELC this season. This rush to the NHL mentality is going to get some players and teams in trouble. There's absolutely no reason he needs to be here this season if he doesn't demonstrate that he can hang. He'll certainly get his game sin, but i don't really understand the argument that he needs to be here this season. Why?

Agreed. While it may be possible for Byfield to jump straight to the NHL and find success similar to Dach last season, I'd prefer to see him be given time to develop at the lower levels and show dominance in the AHL (once eligible) before stepping into the NHL. I still wonder how much better of a player Hughes or Kakko would have been if they hadn't gone straight to the NHL but rather have been given time to develop at a lower level. That said, there are prospects ready to make the jump to the Kings who hopefully get the shot this season.

[Reg or Rog?]

It all depends on the team's long-term goals and overall philosophy...and sometimes desperation, or lack thereof. There's the 'thrown in at the deep end, sink or swim, trial by fire' ideology, and there's the admittedly smarter, safer route, and that's the way Blake will likely play it: Give the kids time to develop.

As much as I'd love to see the kids play, now, as I lack patience, I don't see the need to rush them. And this is the perfect season to let that happen. Patience is not only a virtue, but it makes good business sense regarding our youth movement.

Having stated all that, I'd love to see what they can do now...but I sincerely doubt that will happen.

In the meantime, the puck drops in 56 hours. Can't wait................