***Preseason Gm 1 GDT LA Kings @ Utah Hockey Club TONIGHT 6:00pm on NHL Network***

[ICE24]

It’s tough to find a big -strapping -muscular defensemen with skill.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

It’s tough to find a big -strapping -muscular defensemen with skill.

where do i sign up tho i dont match any parameters
hurricanes are interesting btw

 

[ICE24]

where do i sign up tho i dont match any parameters
hurricanes are interesting btw

We got a lot of rain and wind, however, I imagine you felt it worse than we did. I have to head back to CA next week to put the home on the market. I may not be back until the moving truck is loaded and driving across country. This afternoon the sun was out and tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny as well.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

Yeah and Clarke is 6’2”. He got in a couple fights last season. He’s not that fragile.

I can’t argue re: the extent he got hit in the AHL. I didn’t see those games. What I will say is I don’t think the AHL is any safer than the NHL. If he survived that season I’m not going to white knuckle it every time he’s on the ice with the Kings.

Seriously.. ask Turcotte how safe the AHL is!

 

[Bollocks]

Seriously.. ask Turcotte how safe the AHL is!

Yep. I imagine there are quite a few factors when it comes to AHL style of play being riskier:
- higher number of tough (and dirty...and desperate to make it) guys that lack talent
- less media exposure of dirty plays and dirty headhunters and less "stardom" money is at stake with the NHL being increasingly protective of (budding) star players (though not always successfully)
- possibly less strict suspensions/easier to hide/more difficult to identify dirty plays due to worse camera coverage

 

[Earl]

Couldn't the same be said of Spence or even Mikey to some extent? Neither are big boys. Clarke will get there. May just take a few bumps and bruises along the way.

I'm not necessarily saying it's a long term problem but I think the problem up until now is in every league he's played in since a kid probably is that's he's never had to learn to avoid hits as he's been the best skater in the league whereas now he's not even the best skater on his team. You could tell in the rookie tournament it was absolutely the Ducks strategy to run him every chance they got and I saw a fair amount of his AHL games and that seemed to be the strategy as well. He's not a small player by any means but he's got to learn how to be more evasive or he won't last very long and I rarely see Spence get hit like I do Clarke and Mikey seems to enjoy the contact!

 

[DarkLeftHand]

I'm not necessarily saying it's a long term problem but I think the problem up until now is in every league he's played in since a kid probably is that's he's never had to learn to avoid hits as he's been the best skater in the league whereas now he's not even the best skater on his team. You could tell in the rookie tournament it was absolutely the Ducks strategy to run him every chance they got and I saw a fair amount of his AHL games and that seemed to be the strategy as well. He's not a small player by any means but he's got to learn how to be more evasive or he won't last very long and I rarely see Spence get hit like I do Clarke and Mikey seems to enjoy the contact!

I don’t think anyone at any point in his career has ever accused Clark of being the best skater on any team..

I say that in jest, as I’m fully aware that you mean the best player in terms of being the most effective, or prolific scorer. Of course, the history of professional hockey is littered with former players whose skill got them to the very cusp of NHL success, only to find them lacking the foot speed to keep pace at the highest level of the game. In Brandt’s case, he’s got the brains to play, but unless he gets his skating improved, he’s going to have limited upside for the Kings in the long run.

The shame of it all is that, during our last run of depressed years, the resulting coveted high end draft picks will likely have only netted us a 2nd line center, a 3rd pair defender who is more of a PP specialist, and a third line grinder forward..