2022 Offseason Thread

[Bollocks]

Tkachuk is ("would be") the turnkey winger for AK + QB. The Kings are going to roll 3 lines massively and just punish other teams' weaknesses.

For QB to succeed he needs some real talent, grit, and experience on his side. Unfortunately AI doesn't cut it.

For me, a winger (it'll never be Tkachuk...) for QB is the #1 priority by a HUMUNGOUS margin right now.

Our D will be much better with Drew back, more stability and the younger guys continuing to improve. Still need one more upgrade on the wing.

Obviously AI would have to be moved in any deal...but really all the focus needs to be on finding on someone to play with QB + AK....

Assuming that we are rolling:

Fiala - Anze - Juice
Thousand Oaks - Phil - Arvi
AK - QB - ??? (Need an improvement over Iafallo....)
Grundy - Lizotte - Lemieux (whoever...)

That leaves Iafallo + Kupari + Vilardi PLUS PLUS to find a suitable winger for QB. Kupari has looked promising but the Kings need to go all in on supporting QB.

Kopitar needs to play with Kaliyev and Iafallo. This gives you Moore - Danault - Arvi (all around solid hockey) + Fiala - QB - Juice (youth + poise) + Kaliyev - Kopitar - Iafallo (possession + checking) and then final line of whoever shows the best chemistry in camp (Vilardi, Kupari, Grundstrom, Lizotte, Lemieux, Lias).

We don't really need Tkachuk for QB to succeed. He can have two of the best wingers on this team in order to preserve chemistry and balance between the top 3 lines. I still hope a couple of forwards get traded for a defensive help. That's what this team really does need more so than anything else. Granted, Iafallo would probably have to get moved due to cap, so insert one of the young guys on Kopitar's wing.

What the Kings now have is a very balanced roster. No super standouts, but just a really solid lineup. If two kids step up in a significant way this year compared to last year, we are golden.

 

[Statue4Deano]

I think given the cap, Tkachuk is a moot point. I don’t like the guy, but he would make this team better and DD would have to get over it (and he would.) and for those of you saying you wouldn’t want a player like this, reminder: we literally have a guy who but someone last year lol.

There's several ways to make his 7M cap hit fit. Quick's 5M and Walker's 2.6M would be the easiest route. Or Calgary could retain salary for an extra asset. Now his cap hit starting next season would create a challenge but again it's not impossible. Consider how difficult it's been for Blake to find a top 4 left shot d man. Changing course on that pursuit and grabbing a legitimate top line winger who fits the age window and the Kings preferred game style seems prudent if Calgary likes our prospect pool and Tkachuk would accept a contract extension.

 

[Statue4Deano]

Kopitar needs to play with Kaliyev and Iafallo. This gives you Moore - Danault - Arvi (all around solid hockey) + Fiala - QB - Juice (youth + poise) + Kaliyev - Kopitar - Iafallo (possession + checking) and then final line of whoever shows the best chemistry in camp (Vilardi, Kupari, Grundstrom, Lizotte, Lemieux, Lias).

We don't really need Tkachuk for QB to succeed. He can have two of the best wingers on this team in order to preserve chemistry and balance between the top 3 lines. I still hope a couple of forwards get traded for a defensive help. That's what this team really does need more so than anything else. Granted, Iafallo would probably have to get moved due to cap, so insert one of the young guys on Kopitar's wing.

What the Kings now have is a very balanced roster. No super standouts, but just a really solid lineup. If two kids step up in a significant way this year compared to last year, we are golden.

What is the goal for next season? Make the playoffs again or do the Kings actually want to compete for the Stanley Cup? This roster even if you factor in minor improvements has no shot against a team like the Avs. If the goal is to just make the playoffs again then yes by all means sit on your hands let the kids develop when the old guard ages out. If the goal is a Cup run then there's a still a huge talent gap between the Kings and the best teams in the West. Adding a player the level of Tkachuk to this group will cause big waves in the conference and the league.

 

[Illegal_Stick]

There's several ways to make his 7M cap hit fit. Quick's 5M and Walker's 2.6M would be the easiest route. Or Calgary could retain salary for an extra asset. Now his cap hit starting next season would create a challenge but again it's not impossible. Consider how difficult it's been for Blake to find a top 4 left shot d man. Changing course on that pursuit and grabbing a legitimate top line winger who fits the age window and the Kings preferred game style seems prudent if Calgary likes our prospect pool and Tkachuk would accept a contract extension.

I just think the main way to do it is (as you mentioned) Quick’s salary and I don’t see how you can let him go when Petersen (despite his pay) may not be ready. Do you see a way without Quick involved or do you trust Petersen? I’m a no on both.

 

[What party?]

I'm always interested to see the way people have written him off as a playoff performer. I can't stand the guy, but there are a lot of legends who took a while to figure out how to play in the playoffs. Good players find a way, he will eventually be a good playoff performer, he's a hard worker not some floater. Don't want the guy on our team, but it has nothing to do with concerns about his playoff stats. Yzerman comes to mind as someone who was not able to compete in the.... no I can't do it, I can't compare Yzerman and Tkachuk. I'm out. I tried.

 

[05/29/93]

What is the goal for next season? Make the playoffs again or do the Kings actually want to compete for the Stanley Cup? This roster even if you factor in minor improvements has no shot against a team like the Avs. If the goal is to just make the playoffs again then yes by all means sit on your hands let the kids develop when the old guard ages out. If the goal is a Cup run then there's a still a huge talent gap between the Kings and the best teams in the West. Adding a player the level of Tkachuk to this group will cause big waves in the conference and the league.

This coming season might be thought of like the 2010-2011 campaign. The Kings had made the playoffs the year before (which was the stated goal; anything on top of that was gravy), but now the challenge that year was to make the playoffs again and hopefully advance further. They were on that trajectory until Kopi broke his ankle late in the year. They still did make the playoffs though.
Now, as for this year's goal, a Stanley Cup? Dream on. However, making the playoffs again and winning a round or two, with the younsters (QB, Kaliyev, Durzi, Bjornfot, etc.) making noticeable improvements, IS a realistic and attainable goal.

 

[Clif]

There's several ways to make his 7M cap hit fit. Quick's 5M and Walker's 2.6M would be the easiest route. Or Calgary could retain salary for an extra asset. Now his cap hit starting next season would create a challenge but again it's not impossible. Consider how difficult it's been for Blake to find a top 4 left shot d man. Changing course on that pursuit and grabbing a legitimate top line winger who fits the age window and the Kings preferred game style seems prudent if Calgary likes our prospect pool and Tkachuk would accept a contract extension.

Two things. Tkatchuk is going to Arbitration and will make 9M minimum this season.

Also Blues Athletic reporter Jeremy Rutherford reported that CAL rejected Kyrou, Krug, and a 1st for Tkatchuk. Think on that.

A rare player in a class all of his own but it’s not in the cards. Be happy we got Fiala.

 

[Statue4Deano]

Two things. Tkatchuk is going to Arbitration and will make 9M minimum this season.

Also Blues Athletic reporter Jeremy Rutherford reported that CAL rejected Kyrou, Krug, and a 1st for Tkatchuk. Think on that.

A rare player in a class all of his own but it’s not in the cards. Be happy we got Fiala.

We have no idea what Calgary is looking for in return, right? That offer puts a band aid on a sucking chest wound. Gaudreau jumping ship to Columbus has to put the fear of God into Treliving. Adding Kyrou would be great but we've got to acknowledge he is a significant step down from Tkachuk. Heck of a player but he's just not nearly as productive and has a significantly different play style.

With Gaudreau and Tkachuk leaving that puts Calgary directly in the blackhole where they should still make the playoffs next season but the average age of their roster is not young or cheap and there's no help coming in the prospect pipeline. That inflexibility is the perfect recipe to go from contender to sinking ship very quickly.

While I don't think Blake has the stomach for a Tkachuk size trade I do think he has the ammo. A young talent infusion is exactly what Calgary needs to extend their contender window. Guys like Kaliyev, Turcotte and Kupari make a lot more sense than a 31 year old defenseman like Krug. And if Calgary wanted a productive winger next season the Kings do have Arvidsson locked up for 2 more seasons. Now I imagine any Kings trade for Tkachuk would need to include Byfield and I can't imagine a scenario where Blake lets him go, thankfully. But if Rob could sell Brad on any of the other youngsters in the organization maybe there's a fit...

 

[DarkLeftHand]

I posted a trade scenario in the Athletic article asking what Calgary fans thought of a trade involving chucky to la for

Kempe(goal scoring winger)
Iaffalo(defensively skilled winger)
Durzi(up and coming pp2 qb)
Vilardi(skilled center stuck behind logjam)

My thoughts are that the Kings would obviously need to clear cap space equitable to 9mil or so, which sending Kempe and iaffalo does, plus Durzi is a guy who might not re-sign for low enough amount, and vilardi seems like a guy who could benefit from a change of scenery. That being said, if Calgary refused kyrou/krug/1st, then I doubt that my list gets anywhere close, and I?m not sure that anything we?ve got to sweeten that offer short of Byfield being introduced into the conversation. Even with that said, I feel that Calgary is in win NOW mode, or rather, they were before Gaudreau snuck out the back door. Now with chucky announcing his intention to dept asap, I think Calgary would be foolish not to entertain a serious rebuild. I don?t think they have the prospect talent internally to replace those two guys after this season, so unless their hope is to take one last kick at the can with Tkachuks last season in a flames sweater, they might as well look to the future. Perhaps that?s where the blues offer falls short, with a young player like Kyrou plus a future 1st, but an aging veteran like Krug. I think they need to decide if they want productive roster players to mix in with their current lineup, or just a bunch of bonafide futures, and they can start looking to trade out anything not bolted to the floor because their forward batch is fairly old

 

[DryKing]

Also Blues Athletic reporter Jeremy Rutherford reported that CAL rejected Kyrou, Krug, and a 1st for Tkatchuk. Think on that.

It's a good start, but Tkachuk is worth more than that (and I'm not sure having Krug in there is really something Calgary would want). I think he'll end up in STL, it's just a matter of when. It'll also be interesting to see if Calgary can use that open cap space to sign a player such a Kadri.

If I'm Calgary, I'd be looking at making a deal with the Rangers.

 

[Clif]

It's a good start, but Tkachuk is worth more than that (and I'm not sure having Krug in there is really something Calgary would want). I think he'll end up in STL, it's just a matter of when. It'll also be interesting to see if Calgary can use that open cap space to sign a player such a Kadri.

If I'm Calgary, I'd be looking at making a deal with the Rangers.

Of course you do - your boy Laf is there. And I think you’re onto something.

 

[Clif]

We have no idea what Calgary is looking for in return, right? That offer puts a band aid on a sucking chest wound. Gaudreau jumping ship to Columbus has to put the fear of God into Treliving. Adding Kyrou would be great but we've got to acknowledge he is a significant step down from Tkachuk. Heck of a player but he's just not nearly as productive and has a significantly different play style.

To be fair no one has Tkachuk’s playing style and produces like that. He’s a class of his own. CAL just needs points back and Kyrou put up 75 and is Tkachuk’s age. The only player we have in that category is Fiala. Yeah…

I posted a trade scenario in the Athletic article asking what Calgary fans thought of a trade involving chucky to la for

Kempe(goal scoring winger)
Iaffalo(defensively skilled winger)
Durzi(up and coming pp2 qb)
Vilardi(skilled center stuck behind logjam)

Dead on that Kempe and AI would have to go back for cap reasons+. I was thinking those two plus Clarke and 1st in 2023 would be minimum to start - and likely wouldn’t be enough either.

Problem with all this is that Tkachuk is a true game changer and a significant upgrade over Kempe, sure. But you don’t use your best assets to improve Kempe and still don’t fix LD. Doesn’t make sense.

 

[What party?]

Did someone already cover this (forgive me if so,)but if Blake pulls the trigger and we magically land Matthew, what happens to our defense issue? Is it also magically fixed?

 

[DarkLeftHand]

Not sure it needs much fixing if everyone can manage to play a relatively full season.

Anderson - Doughty
Walker - Roy
Edler - Durzi
Moverare(7th)

That leaves Spence, Bjornfot, Grans, Nousiainen in the AHL waiting for a spot should someone go down. Only thing truly missing is size/snarl from the backend, but honestly I’d rather earmark the ‘tough guy/deterrent’ types for 3rd and 4th line forwards, as it’s easier to disguise a roster deficit(or guy sitting in the box for 5mins) there than it is on a defensive pair

 

[Helvetica]

we arent getting Tkachuk.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

Did someone already cover this (forgive me if so,)but if Blake pulls the trigger and we magically land Matthew, what happens to our defense issue? Is it also magically fixed?

Not sure it needs much fixing if everyone can manage to play a relatively full season.

Anderson - Doughty
Walker - Roy
Edler - Durzi
Moverare(7th)

That leaves Spence, Bjornfot, Grans, Nousiainen in the AHL waiting for a spot should someone go down. Only thing truly missing is size/snarl from the backend, but honestly I’d rather earmark the ‘tough guy/deterrent’ types for 3rd and 4th line forwards, as it’s easier to disguise a roster deficit(or guy sitting in the box for 5mins) there than it is on a defensive pair

 

[xLAxKingsx]

Did someone already cover this (forgive me if so,)but if Blake pulls the trigger and we magically land Matthew, what happens to our defense issue? Is it also magically fixed?

Matthews in LA would be great. Why would our D be an issue? It seems like the staff currently might go with what we currently have.

To early to buy a Matthews sweater?

 

[What party?]

Matthews in LA would be great. Why would our D be an issue? It seems like the staff currently might go with what we currently have.

To early to buy a Matthews sweater?

Finally the clown car doors have opened and the off-season good times can begin!

 

[Ice24]

we arent getting Tkachuk.

The Kings might get him, however "we" as in you and me, no way do we have the assets to acquire him.

 

[Pickle_Pucks]

QB + Grans + Thomas + Iafallo + 2023 first.

In a heartbeat you make that move.