PLD and how I learned to quit worrying about the bomb
- Thread starter jammer06
- Start date
STONE
My goal is to stop yours
And they actually said, and I quote "I just haven't seen him impose himself physically" REALLY?? Which tells me they haven't watched many Kings games, at least full games, because about the only thing he does consistently is impose his strength, on the boards, or trying to split D.Fast forward to 16:00
Mccarthy: Dubois should've figured it out by now
NHL Network correspondent Dave Mccarthy joins Simon Tsalikis and Luca Scott on the Morning Show to talk about the LA Kings not getting much out of their off-season acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Dallas Stars having depth, the Leafs embarrassing 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and more.www.tsn.ca
Agree 100%.
Johnnysuede71
3rd Line Winger
I dunno. When asked about Dubois McLellan always says ‘he’s adjusting’. To be devil’s advocate for a second…PLD was supposed to be our 2nd line center…with elite talent (Fiala) or at least very good talent (Arvidsson) on either side while he found his way into a very intense and meticulous system of playing team hockey. Instead he’s spent most of the season on a line with a fresh-faced likely career bottom-sixer in Laferriere…who while showing some skill and spunk is quite frankly just happy to be there…and a one trick pony in Kaliyev who has pretty much shown us who he is and that we shouldn’t expect anything more. Combined those two wingers have 20 total points in 30 games. How much of that can you pin on PLD? I personally feel he is being Ill-used and should have been given more time to develop chemistry with more top six guys. Perhaps the emergence of Trevor Moore has also thrown a wrench in the process …but this is a very talented player who in spite of some so-called personality issues has really not been given a fertile environment to shine up to this point. Vilardi was a malcontent and a whiner and it’s pretty clear that in spite of his obvious skill set the team had grown tired of his whole vibe. I’m happy for his success in Winnipeg but with Conner out he’s become the beneficiary of exactly what PLD needs: Top line minutes. I’m still being patient. There will be a situation where PLD will shine for a stretch this season and we’ll all go…‘Oh right…OKAY.’ (See Quinton Byfield). The dude has been a 60-70 point player his entire young career. He didn’t just start sucking for no reason. Let it ride.
Ps- Vladi…please come back ASAP. You are obviously greatly missed.
Ps- Vladi…please come back ASAP. You are obviously greatly missed.
DryKing
Power Forward
I have to be honest, I am really tired of the excuses being made for PLD when it comes to his wingers. Fact is, he had our highest scoring winger on his line and failed to produce during that stint. Fact is Kaliyev, who is being called out in your post, has a higher PPG average than PLD. This is simply not acceptable when it comes to the fact, once again, that PLD is making $8.5m per season which equates to 10.2% of our cap space.
I personally think PLD will turn things around and will end up being well worth the money we are spending on him, but let's stop making excuses for him and keep it real - he needs to improve his game and get better. At the end of the day, his shortcomings are on him.
Johnnysuede71
3rd Line Winger
I couldn't find anything in my post where I said PLD shouldn't or couldn't be playing better. I was just describing a situation I've been observing where a previously very gifted young player who produced at a high level in two other markets where he supposedly didn't want to be and couldn't wait to leave...gets his 'dream job' and salary....and then suddenly turns into half the player he was before? I think we all agree that's what's HAPPENING...but regardless of how much he is overpaid...any ideas as to WHY that might be the case?? Something more than 'he just needs to get better' maybe?
DryKing
Power Forward
I've answered this question previously. In WPG he lived off the PP and was only so so when it came to even strength (averaging 40.5 even strength points between his two full seasons in WPG). That said, the easy answer is PP time. Place him on PP1 and his numbers will come back in line with what he demonstrated in WPG.
The bigger question, though, is how do we get him to be more effective when it comes to even strength. Even in his best season (18-19) he only had 52 even strength points which is hardly elite. Hard to think that the Kings didn't know this going in, so they obviously were looking for him to stand out either physically, in the defense zone, with leadership or with heart.
DryKing
Power Forward
Kempe has actually been having the best season of his career. Perhaps you mean his goal scoring is down, which is true, but that is mainly due to having two players on his line who are also scoring goals (allowing him to both score and be the set up man).
Pickle_Pucks
Top Forward
All judgement on PLD should be reserved until he has a couple proper wingers to play with. He is absolutely hamstrung with a couple questionable, incomplete players.
AK is a one trick pony that doesn't offer much at all outside of ripping a one timer on occasion.
Laff has shown some nice signs but he probably belongs in the AHL for now.
If Arvy comes back healthy and Blake can (somehow) deal for a legit winger to join Arvy + PLD and it's an entirely different 3rd line.
AK is a one trick pony that doesn't offer much at all outside of ripping a one timer on occasion.
Laff has shown some nice signs but he probably belongs in the AHL for now.
If Arvy comes back healthy and Blake can (somehow) deal for a legit winger to join Arvy + PLD and it's an entirely different 3rd line.
kingnut
Top Forward
If Arvy comes back that 3rd line becomes a lot more dangerous. Ok with Laff, but agree in AK
kingnut
Top Forward
LMAO
DarkLeftHand
Super Star
Can’t help but think with better timing, we probably could have landed Jack Eichel for a very similar asset package to what we traded for this dud..
waynet
Top Forward
PLD +/- is worst, by far, of the regulars at -7. Fiala is the only other negative, -2. PLD wingers are at 0 (Laff) and 5 (AK). This suggests there is more to the PLD puzzle than winger woes. That said, he's not a reason the Kings are slumping. His play has been consistently
from day 1.
