Elliotte Friedman: Chychrun May Be Available

[VCRW]

im not sure they take maatta for a 4th. Additionally, if we give up a defenseman in the trade, and then also send maatta as well, we're suddenly pretty light on the blueline. Certainly there are options, but that's additional assets going out and potential trades to make.

At this point, I would take Moverare on the left side over Maatta. Moverare is younger, faster and plays smarter - plus he comes in at 6' 3", 210 lbs.

 

[jt]

im not sure they take maatta for a 4th. Additionally, if we give up a defenseman in the trade, and then also send maatta as well, we're suddenly pretty light on the blueline. Certainly there are options, but that's additional assets going out and potential trades to make.

I'm pretty sure they'd take him. I mean, why not? He's hardly due any cash at all and he's a UFA at the end of the year.

Or trade a 3rd or 2nd with Maatta...and then trade another pick or Shafigullin, Grundstrom, or someone for another 7th D if you think Wolanin and Strand can't cut it until Edler is back.

It's an easy enough problem to solve.

As for the D I think they've got enough depth without Maatta. Let's say they trade Bjronfot in a Chychrun deal, this would be their D:

Anderson/Doughty
Chychrun/Roy
Edler/Durzi
Extras: Wolanin, Strand

That seems fine for the playoffs.

 

[Helvetica]

Anderson/Doughty
Chychrun/Roy
Edler/Durzi
Extras: Wolanin, Strand

That seems fine for the playoffs.

Is Edler actually coming back? I had seen a comment that he may not. I honestly do not know. But yeah, you're probably right. If there's a move to be made, there's ways to make it happen. At the end of the day, i think the Chychrun trade needs to happen for the Kings, and you simply deal with the cap ramifications. If it keeps you from getting a scoring winger at the deadline, so be it.

 

[Helvetica]

At this point, I would take Moverare on the left side over Maatta. Moverare is younger, faster and plays smarter - plus he comes in at 6' 3", 210 lbs.

the way the season has gone, im a little weary of trading away a defenseman with experience, even if it is maatta. We've had so many injuries and issues with covid, ive been appreciating the depth.

 

[hokiecat]

I agree with all but the "If the Kings can play half as good as they did last night, Blake needs to make the move." If he can, Blake must make the move regardless of how the Kings play. This is a young defenseman, he'll be in his prime for the next 5-7 seasons, when the kids will fully take over the team and Kopitar & Co. are retired. This is a long-term move that would set up the team for years, so it should not depend on what happens this season.

Great point. I guess I meant that the odds of a 2022 first round pick being a lottery pick are a lot lower if the Kings : 1) have Chychrun on the blue line and 2) play like they did last night. The roster still has a lot of teething pains but it looks like the time is now to start making some moves.

And great point that this could be a hockey trade which pays benefits for many years to come.

 

[jt]

Is Edler actually coming back? I had seen a comment that he may not. I honestly do not know. But yeah, you're probably right. If there's a move to be made, there's ways to make it happen. At the end of the day, i think the Chychrun trade needs to happen for the Kings, and you simply deal with the cap ramifications. If it keeps you from getting a scoring winger at the deadline, so be it.

I sure don't know if he'll be back but if Dooley is right that it's a fractured ankle, that takes 6-8 weeks to heal and then it just depends on how much ligament/tendon damage there is but even that should be around 8-12 weeks. He was hurt on 12/11. 6 weeks would be 1/22 and 12 weeks would be 3/5, so he should be back this season. I suppose if he couldn't make it back at all that might change whether Maatta should be moved. But even with him, is it really that big a step down from him to Wolanin, Strand, or even Moverare? Maybe even Faber when his season is over. Anderson can play LD so if Maatta's replacement is a RD, that still works.

 

[jt]

I'm not so sure Klinberg would be such a good idea. He's going to need a big-money, long-term deal and he's 29 already.

I guess it's got to be explored but I'm fading him. He's not the guy he used to be and has become too much of a PP specialist. While that's exactly what the Kings need, his price would be too high IMO because someone will trade the Stars a package that assumes he'll re-sign for 8x9 or something.

For a guy who's 29, he's just not worth it.

 

[jt]

Which might be OK. I would look at any Chychrun deal AS the "deadline" move...because beyond that really only true Cup contenders get involved and the Kings are far from that. This is a move for the future....

jom

IMO they should go after a sniper wing rental like Hertl or Reilly Smith too.

I disagree that the Kings are "far" from from being a true Cup contender. They have the core of a team that can win if they add another high-end D and sniper wing. Quick is playing fantastic, Doughty is playing great (and would likely be even bettter if he had another top D to take pressure off him), and even though Kopi has slowed a bit he's still a legit 1C. With Kempe emerging and guys like Arvidsson, Danault, Moor, and Lemieux coming around, they've got a great core. Add Chychrun and Hertl/Smith and they can go somewhere. At the very least they could make the playoffs so the kids learn how different playoff hockey is from the regular season and what they need to learn/do to succeed.

 

[jammer06]

I saw on HNIC tonight that Klingberg has asked for a trade. He's looking for 8 years, 63 million and Stars don't have the room. Blake should see what it takes to get this done. Dallas is probably spending too much on Lindell and Suter rather than paying their star players. The Kings would be overloaded on RD (or you could say they could run a top pair guy all the time).

Klingberg has to be viewed as a rental, the only reason to move on him is for this year. I don't see how spending assets make sense there. He's going to cash in on a money up front contract and then hope that when he's 35 his contract is so cheap in actual dollars that it will be moot if he's still playing. Dallas would be fools not to trade him somewhere in the east with the logjam of contending teams looking for that last push. At 4.25 million he should be able to fit under the cap by the deadline as his daily hit 21,250 isn't the end of the world if these guy in the Atlantic have been making those paper moves all season.

 

[jt]

Klingberg has to be viewed as a rental, the only reason to move on him is for this year. I don't see how spending assets make sense there. He's going to cash in on a money up front contract and then hope that when he's 35 his contract is so cheap in actual dollars that it will be moot if he's still playing. Dallas would be fools not to trade him somewhere in the east with the logjam of contending teams looking for that last push. At 4.25 million he should be able to fit under the cap by the deadline as his daily hit 21,250 isn't the end of the world if these guy in the Atlantic have been making those paper moves all season.

He does by the Kings. But some team will be willing to trade for him as a keeper they'll re-sign for 8x9 (give or take) and the Kings shouldn't match that because they shouldn't re-sign him.

 

[santiclaws]

and even though Kopi has slowed a bit he's still a legit 1C.

I don't think he's a legit 1C on a contending team and I'm not sure he should still be the 1C on this team; Danault is better at this point, and the gap is widening. After bursting out of the gate with six goals, he has 3 goals since October 23 despite being on the top PP unit, and he just doesn't look good in the offensive zone at all lately. He's skating with a piano on his back and he's not making good decisions with the puck. He's a team-worst -8. Maybe he's going to discover the fountain of youth, but he's slowed more than just a bit this season.

 

[jt]

I don't think he's a legit 1C on a contending team and I'm not sure he should still be the 1C on this team; Danault is better at this point, and the gap is widening. After bursting out of the gate with six goals, he has 3 goals since October 23 despite being on the top PP unit, and he just doesn't look good in the offensive zone at all lately. He's skating with a piano on his back and he's not making good decisions with the puck. He's a team-worst -8. Maybe he's going to discover the fountain of youth, but he's slowed more than just a bit this season.

That's a reasonable position. I sure thought he'd have better numbers now that Danault (and Lizotte too) has been taking pressure off him, but I think it's all still there and he can be a 1C on a contending team. I also think that's all going to start resolving itself as guys like Byfield, Kupari, and maybe Turcotte start getting more ice time.

Regardless of whether Kopi is a 1C on a contending team, I think a center lineup of this can definitely make the playoffs and even make a deep run.

Kopi
Danault
Kupari/Turcotte
Lizotte

IMO, the problem isn't the centers, it's the lack of enough scoring wings (and a second high-end D).

 

[jammer06]

He does by the Kings. But some team will be willing to trade for him as a keeper they'll re-sign for 8x9 (give or take) and the Kings shouldn't match that because they shouldn't re-sign him.

That's fair, not sure that a cap contending team could offer more than a hockey trade team. Still it wouldn't surprise me to see him in a rental situation since I think Dallas will hold to the last minute

 

[jammer06]

That's a reasonable position. I sure thought he'd have better numbers now that Danault (and Lizotte too) has been taking pressure off him, but I think it's all still there and he can be a 1C on a contending team. I also think that's all going to start resolving itself as guys like Byfield, Kupari, and maybe Turcotte start getting more ice time.

Regardless of whether Kopi is a 1C on a contending team, I think a center lineup of this can definitely make the playoffs and even make a deep run.

Kopi
Danault
Kupari/Turcotte
Lizotte

IMO, the problem isn't the centers, it's the lack of enough scoring wings (and a second high-end D).

I disagree only because I can't see a team with Lizotte as he's currently playing make it on a deep run. If he was a 6 min a night energy guy and some pk time, maybe. But not at 10-12 mins a night he's getting now.

 

[fonze]

maybe bergy will bring the knowledge and experience trading to get this deal done

 

[jt]

I disagree only because I can't see a team with Lizotte as he's currently playing make it on a deep run. If he was a 6 min a night energy guy and some pk time, maybe. But not at 10-12 mins a night he's getting now.

Do you really think he's that much worse than Oskar Sundqvist (Blues) or Jay Beagle (Caps) who were the 4th line centers on Cup winners?

 

[jammer06]

Do you really think he's that much worse than Oskar Sundqvist (Blues) or Jay Beagle (Caps) who were the 4th line centers on Cup winners?

He would definitely be miscast in the roles those guys played on those teams

 

[Helvetica]

Do you really think he's that much worse than Oskar Sundqvist (Blues) or Jay Beagle (Caps) who were the 4th line centers on Cup winners?

tbh, i think he's been better than i expected, and better than he gets credit for. But ive worried about him getting crushed all season, and that risk probably goes up in the playoffs. But ive grown to love what hes been able to bring to the Kings this season. Curious if he can move to wing as well. But what would you rather have at this point? Kopitar/Danault/Byfield/Turcotte or Kopitar/Danault/Turcotte/Lizotte? Granted, Turcotte may not be here for much longer, but i think that's a stronger group down the middle, even if it's probably not a long term solution.

 

[santiclaws]

Regardless of whether Kopi is a 1C on a contending team, I think a center lineup of this can definitely make the playoffs and even make a deep run.

Kopi
Danault
Kupari/Turcotte
Lizotte

IMO, the problem isn't the centers, it's the lack of enough scoring wings (and a second high-end D).

Well, that's a bit of a six of one, half dozen of the other issue with the wings. You'd have less of a need for scoring wings if you had more scoring from the center position - and they tried to address that issue by acquiring Arvidsson. I've come around some on Lizotte; he still isn't an ideal 4-th liner center in my opinion, but overall that fourth line is terrific, due in large part to the revelation that the play of Lemeiux has been and the discovery of his two-way game in the AHL by Kaliyev.

The lack of a legit high-end D-man to complement Doughty is an issue separate from the forwards, but I don't see this team making a deep run without solving that problem along with the lack of forward scoring problem. Aside from acquiring a defenseman, I think the Kings are counting on the solution to the scoring problems from inside the organization. If Byfield/Turcotte/Kupari/Kaliyev start chipping in on a consistent basis, you don't need any one of them to light it up. Scoring by committee can work.

 

[Helvetica]

Well, that's a bit of a six of one, half dozen of the other issue with the wings. You'd have less of a need for scoring wings if you had more scoring from the center position - and they tried to address that issue by acquiring Arvidsson. I've come around some on Lizotte; he still isn't an ideal 4-th liner center in my opinion, but overall that fourth line is terrific, due in large part to the revelation that the play of Lemeiux has been and the discovery of his two-way game in the AHL by Kaliyev.

The lack of a legit high-end D-man to complement Doughty is an issue separate from the forwards, but I don't see this team making a deep run without solving that problem along with the lack of forward scoring problem. Aside from acquiring a defenseman, I think the Kings are counting on the solution to the scoring problems from inside the organization. If Byfield/Turcotte/Kupari/Kaliyev start chipping in on a consistent basis, you don't need any one of them to light it up. Scoring by committee can work.

I sort of agree with this, and i want to tack on that i think a Chychrun type trade is a massive boost to the team, and id sort of like to see what they can do without also trying to bring in scoring help (which as you mentioned has already occurred to some extent). At some point, these forwards have to grow, and bringing in another winger sort of helps and hinders a bit. If we dont get Chychrun, and there's no other defensive help coming, then perhaps you look for a mid tier scorer to help make a playoff push, but im not sure i do both.