hokiecat
Super Star
The Kings won't be out of it. We're stuck in the mushy middle but still better than 3 teams in the division pretty easily. At worst, we will be in the wild card race.
Kempe Contract Watch Thread
- Thread starter LAKingSteve
- Start date
symbology
TEAM LGK
I kind of agree with you, or want to agree with you. However, the Kings were owned by the Devils. The Devils lost to the Sharks 5-2 and are losing to the Ducks 4-1, (currently 1 minute left in the 3rd.)
I bring this up to attempt to get clarification on which 3 teams in the Pacific are going to stay in the Kings dust?
I think at best this is a wild card team. (unless they get their collective heads extracted from you know where).
DryKing
Power Forward
It's way too early to tell. Kings could be a wild card team, or completely miss. In terms of roster, they should make the playoffs but coaching still seems like a huge handicap.
SJ could do big things but likely will flounder a bit as the season progresses, taking a big step forward next season with more experience. They do have the potential to make a run, though.
Calgary doesn't seem like much of a threat to get things together this season.
Vancouver and Seattle seem to be on par with the Kings, with the remaining teams in the Pacific being a step above. I actually think the Kings have a stronger roster than Anaheim this season, but Anaheim has one of the best coaches in the league who is really elevating them.
Next season, the Kings will be a longshot to make it out of the bottom of the Pacific unless they pull off some great FA acquisitions/trades.
LAKingSteve
Super Star
Remains to be seen if the Ducks can keep up this pace...I don't think they will. I believe that as of this AM, Kings were out of a WC spot. Time will tell...and it could be "out of it" or some clear indication or change of path/plan that leads to more of a rebuild. The wild card in all of this will be Kempe and if at some point he says F it, I'm not signing here so you better trade me.
VCRW
Classic player
I think Kempe and his agent are already at that point. I don’t expect to see Juice in a Kings uniform after the deadline.
Kempe has done everything the Kings have asked of him since he was 18. He made himself into an offensive star on a bad offensive team. He also became one of the top 2-way forwards in the league.
And management low-balled him…
He is going to end up on an Eastern powerhouse with a chance to play for a Cup.
With each passing day, I'm thinking that may be the best thing for the Kings. Yes, it means another retool if not rebuild, but this team is no where near a Cup contender. Heck, trade Doughty while they're at it. He won't bring back as much as he would have earlier, but he'll still bring a nice return. With Kopitar retiring, that will cut the last strings to the Cup teams, and really force the Kings to move into a new era.
Pickle_Pucks
Top Forward
And I surely couldn't blame him. Treated like shiii by management. And yes, he IS one of the top 2 way players in the game. His numbers will increase at whatever team he ends up on. Every single King that moves away sees a bump in their numbers, time and time and time again...it's the "system"!
I just pray we can get 2-3 nice controllable assets to try and build around and not try and plug the hole and make a deal for say, Barzal. Vomit.
It's going to be a long long long 5-6 years at minimum. QB isn't the guy, nor is Clarke. JUST one decent skating prospect in the system who could boom or bust.
And it to make it all worse, it wouldn't surprise me if the Ducks fly by us this season and SJ comes close...
symbology
TEAM LGK
The one thing you forgot to mention. They Kings need to rebuild the front office first.
I am not sure that is the best thing for the Kings, but I would not be totally shocked if we see it.
ICE24
Super Star
The Kings have played a lot of hockey in the past two weeks especially on the road. Just when they set their bags down, they are playing another game and then another. At least when they play the Jets, they will have had two consecutive rest days before that game. Let's see what happens. If they get smoked again, the LGK meltdown and panic will happen.
VCRW
Classic player
People need to get their heads around this. Those 2 “can’t miss” prospects turned out to be pretty average. Add in Turcotte and the frustration increases. Greentree can’t save this roster either.
Kings drafting has not yielded anything close to expected or even satisfactory results. That leads me to believe that cleaning house in the front office as well as behind the bench, and a total team tear down is the only way moving forward.
Follow Anaheim’s lead. Blow it up!
McSorleyFan
3rd Line Winger
after next season DD, Foegele, Danault, Forsberg, and Kuemper may be gone. If Kempe is gone this season, the blow up will happen then.
Pickle_Pucks
Top Forward
We can get some nice assets for Danult, Moore, Foegle...I think we could get a very nice return for Drew considering the cap situation. A vet Dman with his aura / experience would be coveted by a team on the cusp...
All our players that move on go on to produce higher point totals every single time. I think Drew is checked out but has another good 2 years in him in the right environment. Would Montreal, Detroit, the Islanders be extremely interested if they continue playing good hockey? I surely think so...
Of course you can't trade everyone, but the fire sale needs to start NOW.
VCRW
Classic player
It's not that they are busts. Both will stay in the NHL. It's their ceilings that are under question.
It's the old eye test... looking at Hockey IQ plus the natural talent. Q has abundant talent in so many areas, but is often lacking in situational awareness. He is capable of making spectacular plays, but lately he has been playing like pinball - a rover. He needs to minimize the randomness to become more effective. He also needs to develop a dangerous shot - something that is a necessary tool for a 1C. Love the kid but he remains a mystery as to which direction his career will take. If he can channel all that energy in a more efficient package, we all may get our wish.
And Clarke's skating is not getting a whole lot better in terms of strength, speed and agility. He is especially vulnerable when skating backwards and defending with his body. He should have taken lessons from Gavi about using his stick as his best defensive weapon. I don't see enough in Clarke's raw game to envision him as the next RD1. He may be a serviceable NHL pro for many years, but he is no Makar or even Makar-lite. Seems he was a bit over-hyped.
But both guys are young enough to last through a rebuild and emerge in their prime.
symbology
TEAM LGK
A 2nd and 8th overall draft pick being labeled as "pretty average" players sounds like they are being called a couple of busts to me.
I pretty much agree with the rest of what you have said. I think we are a few of LGK'rs that bring up Clarke's lack of skating ability. No matter what Fox says about his edgework.
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DryKing
Power Forward
I'm probably in the opposite camp when it comes to Clarke. I wasn't super excited about the pick, though the players I was hoping the Kings might pick up were already off the board (Johnson and Edvinsson). To me, Clarke seemed too one dimensional and more of a PP specialist than even a middle pairing defenseman given his weaknesses. I also questioned his attitude as he came off, in my opinion, pretty arrogant and immature. Since joining the NHL, though, I have been impressed with how much he has grown and how hard he works for it, and really like that he is able to get under the opposing team's skin. His skating is still a big weakness, but I think he can overcome that with experience and be a solid middle pairing D who excels in critical moments (PP, goalie pulled, shootout). On the flip side, I was super excited about picking up Pinelli in the second round that year who, so far, has been a miss.
Byfield still looks like a future L1 Center to me, and Turcotte looks like a future L2/3 Center with his size/strength playing a key factor. At worst, I can see Byfield becoming a solid 2nd line 2-way center, and Turcotte becoming a 3rd line faceoff specialist (which worked out pretty well for Stoll). I don't consider either of those picks to be misses.
Greentree is another solid prospect with skating concerns. I do agree with you that our prospects seem to all be a bit niche, which isn't optimal but can excel with the proper team composition and strategy.
DryKing
Power Forward
Anyone who thinks Byfield is pretty average simply had way too high of expectations. We knew we weren't drafting Crosby or McDavid.
VCRW
Classic player
If it ends up that Byfield = 2C, Clarke = 3/4, and Turc = 3C, that's less like becoming a superstar and closer to the mean among NHL players. In other words, each of them would not playing up to expectation given their draft position. That is definitely not a bust. Case in point would be Trevor Lewis. He never played up to his first round selection but was invaluable in the 2 Cup wins. But #55 and #92 have infinitely more offensive skill than Lewie but I am sure you get what I'm saying.