State of the Team - 10 game... make that 12 games played...

[Helvetica]

I had wanted to look at the team at the 10 game mark, but things got away from me. Which is fine. They've been playing well and maintaining a win streak, so it's worth evaluating these two extra games.

Let's start with the bad:
• Other than opening night, they looked like a lottery team for a decent stretch there, and i'm sure that can be attributed to several factors, but for me it comes down to experience and confidence. This team is quite young, and they're going to be prone to making mistakes. And because of all that, they are going to struggle with confidence. It's a vicious cycle, and i suspect we'll see quite a few more ups and downs this season as the kids learn to park and ride. When the team is playing poorly, it's real easy to spot. They're chasing, scrambling, completely disjointed. They struggle to connect simple passes, and they basically spend entire shifts fighting to clear the puck before the opposition dumps it back into the King's zone and the cycle continues.

• The Defense - Without two of their top 4 guys, this is not a good defensive unit. Average at best. Between Maatta, and whoever they roll in for the 6th man, it can be really scary at times. But they seem to be doing a decent job you say? Not really, and i'll touch more on that in a moment. The Kings Defensemen have a collective total of 21 pts on the season. 7 of those are from a guy that's been injured for the past 8 games. One guy. Has a 3rd of the defensive units points. In 4 games... That's bad. Want to know what's worse? The Kings Defensemen have a collective 1 goal. One. Goal... guess who scored it?

The Good:
• Danault. My god, Danault. I have to think any fears about how he'd fit and what he'd be able to contribute to this team have been assuaged by this point. And it appears that the combo of him and Iaffalo is going to be instrumental in dragging this team to the playoffs if that happens. I had my fears about breaking up that line with Kempe, but so far, Athanasiou has fit well. So at this point, it seems like Danault and Iaffalo are capable of driving that bus without help. This line, to me, is the heart of the Kings right now, and it harkens back to the days of 2012 where the Kings would just swarm in the offensive zone and win those puck battles. It's obviously not as physical of a line, but they get the job done and it's fun to watch. But Danault has brought something the Kings needed. Not to knock Kopitar's effort. He plays hard every single game. But Danault seemingly brings that same effort in a more visible and infectious package. While Kopitar quitely goes about being the best player on the team. Danault's effort somehow always catches more of my attention. You can watch him make reads before the play develops. You can see him skating hard at all times. It's just so damn sexy to see guys play that consistently well. Huge props to Blake for going out and getting this guy. I honestly did not know nearly enough about this guy as i should have.

• The forward group - It was definitely rocky to start (again, youth) but they've looked pretty strong these past 6-8 games. Passing is crisp. Speed is good. They have been attacking and i give them a lot of credit for relieving pressure on our patchwork D. I think this season's success will rest almost entirely on how the forward group performs. If they can continue to drive play, and keep the ice tilted, it will go a long ways towards mitigating this team's weakness in an average defensive group. I dont want to suggest our D has been ****e, but it's not what is winning (or losing) our games.

• the Kids - I like what i'm seeing. I do not expect them to play well every night. That comes with the territory. But there is skill there. There is effort there. Consistency... we'll see. And as much as l like Kaliyev's shot and overall play, i think i got to give the lead to Kupari here. We are going to have guys coming back from injury, so it's going to be a battle for spots. If i have to choose between Kupari and Kaliyev, i think im going with Kupari right now.


Going Forward/The Questions
• One of the big issue is foresee in the next month or so is, "where does everyone fit?" It's mostly a question for the forwards, as assuredly Doughty will be right back on the top line. But we have the following guys likely to start trickling back in over the next month or so... Arvidsson, Vilardi, Andersson, Byfield? So, i imagine they'll send Byfield to the AHL for a bit to condition. But at some point, im sure he'll be coming back to the club. But that leaves three guys who have all essentially guaranteed roster spots in Arvidsson, Vilardi, and Andersson. And i would not have expected to be saying this before the season started, but of those three, Vilardi has looked like the odd man out. Hell, if i had to choose, right now, between Vilardi and Kupari... im taking Kupari. Something has to give here. And ive said before, but Blake needs to start looking at moving a couple forward prospects or we risk guys getting disgruntled and/or leaving. Blake cannot allow our prospect pool to rot. He needs to convert some assets into an area of need.

• The Vets - Kopitar started strong. Still looks good. He's slowed a touch since that torrid pace in the first week. But all signs point to him being fine. Brown... oh captain my captain. There are some things he's doing well. But there are some things he's not doing well. He has the most shots on goal and the lowest S%, which is actually impressive because without looking that up i would have assumed Arvidsson would be leading in both categories. And the passing... yikes. But he has been real good at blocking shots, and i like what he's doing as net presence on the PP, even if i think he should probably not be on the PP. Doughty? looked good to start. Who knows how he'll be when he gets back. Quick? looking better than i think most would have expected. Edler? Playing crafty hockey and it's saved the team on several occasions. All in all, i think the vet group i splaying as good as you could have hoped. Can they maintain this level for the entire season? Can coach find ways to get them a bit more rest? Kopitar is currently sitting at nearly the exact TOI as last season. Can he play that through 82 games+ at this age? It's a big ask. Fortunately, we have Danault now to shoulder some of the responsibility, and so far the difficulty of Kopitar's minutes seem to be reduced a bit. He's getting a bit more time in taking draws in the offensive zone.

• Goaltending - Again... what can the tandem of quick and Cal give the team. I think this is probably the second most important issue after the forward group. Can the pair continue to elevate each other to above league average goaltending? They've been much better of late. Do they wind up simply disrupting eachother's flow? We know what Quick is capable of. Can Cal take a step forward? He shown that he has the skill to be a top goaltender in the league. Can he develop the focus and consistency to actually hold down that role? This could wind up being a big sore spot for Blake going forward if we tie this much money in two goaltenders that cant provide better than league average right as the team is starting to put **** together and make a push for the playoffs.

• and finally... Vilardi. Wasn't expecting to have to make this bullet point, but i think it's fair, at this point, to question just wtf is happening here. On the one hand, he's worked extremely hard to get back to a point where he could even play in the NHL. On the other hand, he's been called out by Blake directly for needing to dedicate himself to improve his physical conditioning. He's been healthy scratched this season and last. His FO% is god awful, and you simply cannot play center in this league if you can't win faceoffs. He's got skill. He has high end skill. His hands are great. His vision and patience are both fantastic. But right now, he seems like the obvious candidate to move to wing... or be traded. Even if there were not questions of effort and attitude, i dont see any way he stays on this team at the center position simply due to his poor faceoff%. It can't be done. You cant trust him to take defensive draws. You cant trust him in crunch time situations. The only time he you can be comfortable letting him take draws is 5v5 in the offensive zone, and even then, you're practically conceding possession of the puck. What to do with Vilardi seems like it's shaping up to be the big drama for the Kings this season. They've already had some major injuries and shown they can actually weather that storm. Where does this guy fit on the team?


Overtime
• Iaffalo - I need to give some credit to Iaffalo. He's played much better than i thought he would. I had him pegged as a third line guy, but he's showing that 2nd line is a definite possibility. And scoring aside, he's really taken his game up a notch on the Danault line.
• Edler - playing better than i would have expected. He's everything they said he was. Slow, but crafty. Smart enough to think his way out of a bad situation.
• Maatta - still bad. I thought he'd be set up to have a bounce back year. He's been... ok. But again, i think the forwards need to be given a ton of credit for making this defensive group look passable. Maatta will be the first guy down when Drew gets back (i hope).
• I thought at the beginning of the season this team had a chance to make the playoffs. I think they are currently playing better than i maybe even expected, but the flipside is that teams like anaheim and SJ are also playing better than expected. The pacific is weird right now. I still think the Kings can make the playoffs, and i feel like, of the 3 CA teams, the Kings are more likely to sustain the early successes.

 

[santiclaws]

If i have to choose between Kupari and Kaliyev, i think im going with Kupari right now.

I don't think it's a particularly close call. It's not that Kaliyev has been bad, but Kupari has really elevated his game and is doing a lot of little things well in addition to having those great wheels and some nice hands.

I agree that Blake may need to look at moving some players. In addition to the players you mentioned, JAD, Turcotte and Frk are also knocking at the NHL door. I think Frk deserves at least one more look considering how well he's been scoring. I'd love to have him as the 4th forward on the PP unit with that howitzer from the blue line the Kings simply do not have otherwise. And yes, Vilardi looks like a prime candidate for a "change of scenery" type of move, although he's definitely at the low end of his trade value at the moment. Maybe they can get some help on the blue line. They'll need it even after DD comes back.

Brown is not an NHL first-line player anymore. I understand he makes Kopi comfy, but the Kings need to move on. We'll see what happens when the team starts to (hopefully) get healthy. I would like to see him moved down to the third line and audition a few players to see who else can play well with Kopi.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

Iafallo and Danault are the near future of this team I think, I like Kaliyev quite a bit, haven't noticed Kupari much, Brown is.. Brown. Overall I obviously like what I'm seeing and hope things just continue as they are. I'm hoping the 5 losses in a row were growing pains and this streak is representative of the team going forward. We'll see. At least they're fun to watch right now.

 

[Helvetica]

I don't think it's a particularly close call. It's not that Kaliyev has been bad, but Kupari has really elevated his game and is doing a lot of little things well in addition to having those great wheels and some nice hands.

exactly. He hasn't been bad. But Kupari has been better and the roster spots are going to be limited. Nice problem to have, but to circle back to your other point, we haven't even talked about guys like Frk, JAD, and Turcotte. People are asking when will Frk get his shot? Im sure many of us are also hoping to see Turcotte soon. And JAD looks like he could potentially carve out a bottom six role at some point. But where do you fit them in!? It would be really nice if Vilardi somehow magically excelled on the wing and all these questions of effort could somehow resolve themselves. Because having his skill on the team is exactly what we need.

 

[Greg33]

It is critical that the coaching staff understand the "WHY" this team is playing right now and more importantly, gelling at this moment. Not necessarily an Xs and Os or system thing but the playoffs are going to depend on it.

They are playing like a team now and they weren't during the losing streak.

 

[Helvetica]

It is critical that the coaching staff understand the "WHY" this team is playing right now and more importantly, gelling at this moment. Not necessarily an Xs and Os or system thing but the playoffs are going to depend on it.

They are playing like a team now and they weren't during the losing streak.

Im sure there were some tweaks that needed to be made, but im going to chalk it up to just a poor start to the season. They started slow and im sure it took some time, for the younger guys especially, to build some confidence. I mean, we all saw it. They simply were not good. They were not playing aggressive. They were missing assignments and positions. And they were struggling to pass. They looked like a team that hadnt gotten mentally ready in the preseason. They're obviously going to lose some games, and a few slumps wouldnt be surprising. So it'll be interesting to see how they lose those games. There were some well played games during the losing streak, and you expect that. If they lose games because they played poorly, then you probably have to start looking at the specifics and the individual players to figure out why.

 

[aragorn]

It is critical that the coaching staff understand the "WHY" this team is playing right now and more importantly, gelling at this moment. Not necessarily an Xs and Os or system thing but the playoffs are going to depend on it.

They are playing like a team now and they weren't during the losing streak.

Hmmm.. Could it be because Doughty is missing? Teams sometimes figure out how to play when a big piece is missing. What happens when he comes back?

 

[VCRW]

Brown is not an NHL first-line player anymore. I understand he makes Kopi comfy, but the Kings need to move on. We'll see what happens when the team starts to (hopefully) get healthy. I would like to see him moved down to the third line and audition a few players to see who else can play well with Kopi.

Except for that one big hit, Brown is now a shell of his former self. What is the point of playing him on Kupari's line? He plays no defense. His passing/receiving has been atrocious. And his 4.2% shooting stat is laughable. He will be an anchor on any scoring line.

I can't see a clear future for #23 when Arvidsson returns. 9-11-33 should be the top line.

 

[Helvetica]

Hmmm.. Could it be because Doughty is missing? Teams sometimes figure out how to play when a big piece is missing. What happens when he comes back?

it's certainly possible that his injury helped galvanize the team to some degree, but there's no way to measure that, and i don't expect anybody on the Kings would argue the team is better without him. When he comes back he's going to be right back on the top line taking top line minutes. How that affects the team remain to be seen, but i think, on the whole it's a net positive to have him back, and if it allows us to potentially sit a guy like Maatta... that should also be helpful. Kings have said they like the Anderson/Bjornfot pairing, but it will be interesting to see how that resolves itself. I would expect the pairings to revert back to what we saw in the lineup, with a vet sitting alongside a younger guy.

 

[DryKing]

it's certainly possible that his injury helped galvanize the team to some degree, but there's no way to measure that, and i don't expect anybody on the Kings would argue the team is better without him. When he comes back he's going to be right back on the top line taking top line minutes. How that affects the team remain to be seen, but i think, on the whole it's a net positive to have him back, and if it allows us to potentially sit a guy like Maatta... that should also be helpful. Kings have said they like the Anderson/Bjornfot pairing, but it will be interesting to see how that resolves itself. I would expect the pairings to revert back to what we saw in the lineup, with a vet sitting alongside a younger guy.

Totally agree that Doughty will jump right back into his old position but it seems like the defense has become more disciplined without him with everyone player their position, knowing their role and really buying into the system. I wonder if it has anything to do with Edler stepping into more of a leadership role on the backend in Doughty's absence.

 

[rajuabju]

I dont think Cal is a bad goalie, but I dont get what everyone keeps saying about he's been so good / borderline great. I havent seen it from him with any level of consistency. I see him as a very league average goalie in the 10-15 spot as compared to other starters. He's generally fine, but I cant recall many / any instances where's he's stood on his head and stolen a game we should have otherwise lost.

 

[Helvetica]

Totally agree that Doughty will jump right back into his old position but it seems like the defense has become more disciplined without him with everyone player their position, knowing their role and really buying into the system. I wonder if it has anything to do with Edler stepping into more of a leadership role on the backend in Doughty's absence.

coach has specifically commented on Edler's vet presence back there. I'd imagine too, that the defense has made a conscious effort to simplify and stay disciplined. We've seen some guys jump into the rush, especially bjornfot, but its not something we've seen a ton of with Doughty out. Additionally, i still feel very strongly about the play of the forward group. I think they deserve a ton of credit for being aggressive, but also lending a ton of support for the D. But yeah, Edler has been really good about staying within his means, and i think his style and presence are definitely counter to a guy like Doughty who's a bit more outspoken and sort of emotional to some degree. It will be very interesting to see how the defense reacts and adjusts when Doughty returns, i agree. If they can take what they've learned in his absence, and integrate that when he returns, it would go a long way towards realizing a playoff berth this season.

 

[Jran]

i think KEMPE is so overated ....and i think we have so many assets we can actually put a great trade for a 2-3- d-man together....this team will go no where with this management...we will be lucky to make playoffs...Im really over this style of hockey...games without heart...yes the game has changed not for the better...IMO. and sitting through these games of hockey pong really suck...I love my Kings...but AHL is much better to watch live...

there used to be so much more than just skating to hockey...bummer

 

[Helvetica]

Doesn't seem like you love them that much actually...

 

[Statue4Deano]

The Kings look like the prototypical pesky, pain in the ass 7th/8th seed who ultimately lose in the 1st round but they make the 1st/2nd seed work their tails off every game. Very similar to the 2009-10 Kings team who pushed the President's Trophy Winning Canucks to 6 games.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

The Kings look like the prototypical pesky, pain in the ass 7th/8th seed who ultimately lose in the 1st round but they make the 1st/2nd seed work their tails off every game. Very similar to the 2009-10 Kings team who pushed the President's Trophy Winning Canucks to 6 games.

yuck

 

[Sultanic]

Except for that one big hit, Brown is now a shell of his former self. What is the point of playing him on Kupari's line? He plays no defense. His passing/receiving has been atrocious. And his 4.2% shooting stat is laughable. He will be an anchor on any scoring line.

I can't see a clear future for #23 when Arvidsson returns. 9-11-33 should be the top line.

Dustin Brown has zero PP points this season despite being stapled to the first unit. Kempe has just two PP points, the same as Tkachev who has only played 4 games.

 

[VCRW]

Dustin Brown has zero PP points this season despite being stapled to the first unit. Kempe has just two PP points, the same as Tkachev who has only played 4 games.

Brown is a passenger on the PP. Whatever movement is generated by PP unit 1 comes from Kempe. Apples and oranges.

 

[Ice24]

Except for that one big hit, Brown is now a shell of his former self. What is the point of playing him on Kupari's line? He plays no defense. His passing/receiving has been atrocious. And his 4.2% shooting stat is laughable. He will be an anchor on any scoring line.

I can't see a clear future for #23 when Arvidsson returns. 9-11-33 should be the top line.

Arvidsson? That is a stretch.

 

[Helvetica]

Arvidsson is a bit of a difficult case for me to evaluate. Personally, from what ive seen this season, i think he still deserves time on the top line. He has decent speed, and a ton of hustle. He works hard. You can also see the skill. But his decision making hasn't been the best with the puck. His shot selection has been a little questionable, and he's tried some 1-on-1 stuff that has also left me scratching my head. With that said, its been tough to evaluate because he's new, and has been injured. I think he still deserves more time to develop some chemistry on that top line, but i mentioned it earlier in the season in one of the game threads... he looks like he's playing a different game from the one Kopitar and Brown are playing. Agaian, that might resolve itself with more time, or it may wind up simply being a poor fit. Hard to tell. But he does look like a guy that should be getting more minutes than a 3rd or 4th line role, at least to me... I imagine we'll get to see him more once the Kings start their stretch of games at home.