2017 Offseason Thread

[smackdown380]

If they move Carter to Kopi's wing, I wonder if we can afford Bonino after Toffoli and Pearsons contract extensions. Somewhere around $4M per year?

Bonino & the Pens: will there be an extension?

Perhaps Kings move the 11th pick and Gaborik to clear space for a offseason signing?

 

[LoCal Kings]

Interesting proposal from a Bolts fan rag, Muzzin for Palat straight up:

2017 NHL off-season: Trade ideas for the Tampa Bay Lightning

I'd be OK with it as long as something else comes with Palat - if Muffo's perception is that high around the league, defenders always cost more than forwards. I wouldn't mind a decent close to NHL ready prospect or a 2nd round pick in addition.

Palat would need to be signed however, he just finished up a 3 year/$10 million deal. I think a slight bump to $4.5 million would be appropriate.

Good link. I imagine the rumor mill this year will be a lot more furious heading into Expansion. Absolutely right that Tampa should be looking to trade top forward before Expansion. They have too many forwards that Vegas would easily take.

Another team with an interesting situation heading into Expansion is Carolina. They have 3 young D-men who all played regularly this year, and exempt from the Expansion Draft. According to Cap Friendly, they only have 3 other defensemen who meet the requirements of exposure. So, what does Carolina do, only protect 2 defensemen? Or trade for some 7th defensemen who meets the exposure requirements? But I think the article's suggestion that Carolina would give up another piece in the imaginary Pesce for Palat swap is backwards. It should be Tampa giving up another piece for a R-shot defenseman who is expansion exempt.

 

[smackdown380]

The Regin lost last night to the Gulls but it was bizarre. The starting goalie (Campbell) didn't dress, the backup Zatkoff got hurt in warmups. After allowing 3 goals, Flinn (Zatkoffs backup) was pulled and Campbell end up playing after all.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

The Fourth Period :: Los Angeles Kings :: Kings getting calls on Bishop

3rd Rd pick just for negotiating rights is pretty nice. I would almost rather Vegas sign Bishop and then that covers any lost players.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Interesting on Lightning. They have a ton of young talent that there is no way they can keep. Could be nice trading partner for forwards for sure.

I'm not sure what to think about Muzzin. If you can bring in a nice haul, then by all means trade him. But since D are at a premium, I am torn on how the d will settle in if he's moved. The group as a whole took a big step forward from the previous year (Even though the forwards took two steps back). Watching St. Louis this Playoff run and they have 3-4 guys who are huge and mobile. Almost all of their offense is generated from the backend, or involves their d in some way. They're still the Blues, so they won't do anything, but their d has been impressive to me. Same with Ryan Ellis of Nashville. That guy can really play and has been extremely effective in these Playoffs. I just miss those days of having those perfect pairings (beating a dead horse).

 

[PuckinUgly57]

If they move Carter to Kopi's wing, I wonder if we can afford Bonino after Toffoli and Pearsons contract extensions. Somewhere around $4M per year?

Bonino & the Pens: will there be an extension?

Perhaps Kings move the 11th pick and Gaborik to clear space for a offseason signing?

In order to afford Bonino, there will need to be some significant salary moved to gain space. You figure Toffoli and Pearson will both be in the $3.5-5 million range ($5 million being the top end on a long term contract in my estimation, paying the premium now to “buy out” whatever years of UFA either player is giving up. Both are eligible for 8 year contracts and are young enough where it would be warranted) and even moving out a Muzzin ($4 million) or Gaborik ($4.875 million) still leaves about $3 to $4 million needed to go after Bonino so more moves would need to be made.

If the Kings had some decent prospects on ELCs to hold the fort and create space while moving more dollars that would work but I don’t see it. Kempe and Brodzinski are both young players learning. I’m thinking in Sutter talk here but I don’t think they are ready for full time T6 duty. But who knows what Stevens has in mind, everything is up in the air right now.

The best move would be to somehow lose Brown’s contract but we have talked about that redundantly for several years now. It’s going to be the hardest contract to move for LA no matter what barring a claim from Vegas.

While Carter can play wing, I think he is most effective down the middle because of size, speed, skill and face off ability. He is more of a shooter than a passer, which is unusual in a centerman, but it’s also a nice offensive weapon to have. He isn’t bad at all distributing pucks either but that isn’t his forte.

My question would be who would become the 2C? The Kings don’t have another centerman who I feel would be able to do what Carter does. I’m still trying to figure out if Kempe is a wing or a center because they used him in both situations this past season, Nic Dowd isn’t quite T6 material, and then we have guys like Lewis and Andreoff who shouldn’t be considered for that role.

Suggestions?

 

[smackdown380]

Send Brown to the minors and hope he doesn't clear waivers?

 

[LoCal Kings]

I know it still sounds crazy, but there is always the wild card of Voynov. If they get him re-instated (after Expansion Draft), then Kings have a bargaining chip. Its not saying its the moral thing to do. But I am just saying I think its gonna happen. From a P.R. standpoint, I'm thinking the Kings will have a trade in place so he is dealt 5 minutes after NHL re-in-statement. East Coast team.... Tampa or Toronto. Maybe even Washington cause they seem to have no problem with morally challenged folks in that town.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Send Brown to the minors and hope he doesn't clear waivers?

I wish, he would most likely clear and then he is assigned to Ontario but most of his money is still on the NHL roster.

Can't bury contracts anymore under the new CBA (the Wade Redden rule I explained earlier in this thread I believe) - NHL minimum salary in 2017-18 is $650,000 and teams get an additional $300,000 on top of that so they would only get $950,000 in cap relief.

Brown would still have close to $5 million hitting the books which really doesn't help LA much.

 

[Psych3man]

I know it still sounds crazy, but there is always the wild card of Voynov. If they get him re-instated (after Expansion Draft), then Kings have a bargaining chip. Its not saying its the moral thing to do. But I am just saying I think its gonna happen. From a P.R. standpoint, I'm thinking the Kings will have a trade in place so he is dealt 5 minutes after NHL re-in-statement. East Coast team.... Tampa or Toronto. Maybe even Washington cause they seem to have no problem with morally challenged folks in that town.

What the league has done to Voynov and the Kings is absolutely criminal. First the league kept the team in limbo and with no cap relief for most of the season, until Lombardi finally forced them to make a decision by letting him practice. Then Voynov cooperated with all the penalties, including time served, and is still being prevented by the league from earning a living, including banning him from this year's world championships (are you kidding me?). The man should be reinstated so he can earn a living, and the Kings, who were not part of the crime in any way and completely innocent, should be allowed to have their asset back. There are athletes who have done way worse, including in the NHL, who are allowed to earn a living commensurate with their abilities and teams allowed To employ them. How this has continued to play out this long is absolutely ridiculous.

(Before the uproar about domestic abuse, I have been a full-time private practice clinical psychologist for over 25 years and have helped well over a hundred victims so I am well aware of the crime and its effects. We live in a country that believes in justice requiring punishment, rehabilitation and the importance of giving the opportunity to prove you've learned your lesson once you've served your time--to say nothing of the ability to earn a living once the requirements are satisfied. Playing hockey has nothing to do with the crime, it's not like he is a licensed marriage therapist or a policeman. Making Voynov and the Kings into an amplified example has gone way past what was deserved and has had devastating effects on the player and the team with no opportunity to demonstrate it won't happen again. I will stop short of calling it in-American but an argument can certainly be made it approaches if not exceeds that standard.)
(And yes, I would say the same if Voynov was originally a member of my most hated team, the Blackhawks)

 

[PuckinUgly57]

What the league has done to Voynov and the Kings is absolutely criminal. First the league kept the team in limbo and with no cap relief for most of the season, until Lombardi finally forced them to make a decision by letting him practice. Then Voynov cooperated with all the penalties, including time served, and is still being prevented by the league from earning a living, including banning him from this year's world championships (are you kidding me?). The man should be reinstated so he can earn a living, and the Kings, who were not part of the crime in any way and completely innocent, should be allowed to have their asset back. There are athletes who have done way worse, including in the NHL, who are allowed to earn a living commensurate with their abilities and teams allowed To employ them. How this has continued to play out this long is absolutely ridiculous.

(Before the uproar about domestic abuse, I have been a full-time private practice clinical psychologist for over 25 years and have helped well over a hundred victims so I am well aware of the crime and its effects. We live in a country that believes in justice requiring punishment, rehabilitation and the importance of giving the opportunity to prove you've learned your lesson once you've served your time--to say nothing of the ability to earn a living once the requirements are satisfied. Playing hockey has nothing to do with the crime, it's not like he is a licensed marriage therapist or a policeman. Making Voynov and the Kings into an amplified example has gone way past what was deserved and has had devastating effects on the player and the team with no opportunity to demonstrate it won't happen again. I will stop short of calling it in-American but an argument can certainly be made it approaches if not exceeds that standard.)

(And yes, I would say the same if Voynov was originally a member of my most hated team, the Blackhawks)

I was actually in the same boat regarding the league and Voynov, but I when I looked again the timeline is this. My mind has changed on how the league handled this and I don’t think they did anything wrong:

10/20/14 – arrested
10/21/14 – indefinitely suspended by NHL
11/20/14 – officially charged with DV
11/21/14 – league approves cap relief ($4.18 million) under the Bonafide Long-Term Injury Exception in the CBA
*12/2/14 – NHL fines LA Kings $100,000 for allowing Voynov to practice with the team
7/2/15 – convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail
9/3/15 – ICE takes him into custody after serving his sentence (released early on Good Behavior)
9/9/15 – ICE confirms they intend to deport him after “a comprehensive review of the case”
9/17/15 – Voynov self deports to Russia. Contract comes off the books but he gets paid for it

The Kings played 14 games between the time of his arrest (10/20) and cap relief (11/21) which did set them back financially a bit, not being able to dress 6 defenders, a 1 game call up of Schultz if I recall, just all kinds of financial jerry rigging to field a team.

I no longer agree however that Dumbo let him practice to get the league to give him the cap space because that happened almost 2 weeks before the fine. I actually am not sure what the purpose of letting him practice with the team was for, the language the league used was ambiguous so I can see both LA’s reasoning for letting him practice and the league’s for laying the hammer on them.

The Kings took a PR hit as a result, as a franchise who didn’t take DV seriously especially in the wake of the horrible elevator beating by Ray Rice. The Kings just went through Stoll and Richards too so the league probably looked at them like “great, not again with these idiots”.

The NHL did not want to be seen as trying to hide it under the rug like the NFL (Rice was a big money maker for the NFL if you recall) did and the Kings were probably expected to uphold that image.

* This is where I am confused because he was allowed to use the team facilities and work with personnel but they also state he was not permitted to participate in any team related functions. Wouldn’t just BEING at the facility when the rest of the Kings are be a “team related function”? Very vague language that can be construed in different ways.

 

[LoCal Kings]

And the following season, Patrick Kane wins the Hart Trophy......

Just wonder if they actually get Voynov re-instated, are the Kings thinking about keeping him? My thoughts were they would trade him away immediately. But if they have another deal in the works involving Muzz or Martinez, then maybe the Kings are considering keeping Voynov. R-shot d-men seem to be at a premium in the NHL. Rare as chicken lips.

I guess its all hypothetical until we know there is really a chance he gets re-instated.

 

[LoCal Kings]

I wish, he would most likely clear and then he is assigned to Ontario but most of his money is still on the NHL roster.

Can't bury contracts anymore under the new CBA (the Wade Redden rule I explained earlier in this thread I believe) - NHL minimum salary in 2017-18 is $650,000 and teams get an additional $300,000 on top of that so they would only get $950,000 in cap relief.

Brown would still have close to $5 million hitting the books which really doesn't help LA much.

I think I read cap relief is going up slightly to $1,050,000.

 

[smackdown380]

This guy who has been pretty good, broke down the offseason and Kings financials. Some interesting scenarios but likely we lose Lewis, buy out Greene, LITR Gaborik. Fill some spots with the young guys but as has been said, is the sample large enough to say any of the young guys are T6 material?

LA Kings 2017-18 Salary Cup Crunch: Summer Work Underway

 

[smackdown380]

In addition to above, this why he thinks Lewis is taken in the expansion draft

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think I read cap relief is going up slightly to $1,050,000.

Good catch, it is going up to $1,025,000. 2017-18 minimum salary is $650,000 but the NHL add on is $375,000 (not $300,000 like I kept putting down for some reason).

Still not a good enough incentive to bury Brown (or Gaborik) unfortunately.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

And the following season, Patrick Kane wins the Hart Trophy......

Just wonder if they actually get Voynov re-instated, are the Kings thinking about keeping him? My thoughts were they would trade him away immediately. But if they have another deal in the works involving Muzz or Martinez, then maybe the Kings are considering keeping Voynov. R-shot d-men seem to be at a premium in the NHL. Rare as chicken lips.

I guess its all hypothetical until we know there is really a chance he gets re-instated.

Personally I don't think Voynov is ever coming back to the NHL. It's a pipe dream, no team is going to want to touch him. I have not read anything ever even insinuating the Kings have any intention of bringing him back or trading his rights, I think that is fan buzz more than anything. They seem to be done with him altogether and is not part of any future plans.

It's one thing when you're Patrick Kane, it's another when you're Slava Voynov.

 

[Vegas]

Personally I don't think Voynov is ever coming back to the NHL. It's a pipe dream, no team is going to want to touch him. I have not read anything ever even insinuating the Kings have any intention of bringing him back or trading his rights, I think that is fan buzz more than anything. They seem to be done with him altogether and is not part of any future plans.

It's one thing when you're Patrick Kane, it's another when you're Slava Voynov.

100% agree.

 

[smackdown380]

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

This guy who has been pretty good, broke down the offseason and Kings financials. Some interesting scenarios but likely we lose Lewis, buy out Greene, LITR Gaborik. Fill some spots with the young guys but as has been said, is the sample large enough to say any of the young guys are T6 material?

LA Kings 2017-18 Salary Cup Crunch: Summer Work Underway

"– New contracts: The big two that need to get taken care of are Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson. We’re going to assume Toffoli’s new deal comes in around $5.5M per season and Pearson’s will shake out around $4.25M."

I personally can't justify Toffoli at $5.5mil/year. The game is too fast for him to be $5.5 million/year effective. Pearson also iffy at $4.25M, but at least he has size and speed.