Official Off Season Discussion Thread

[lasportzphan]

Only a mere formality till the off season begins....

A lot of money may come off the books if they make some moves.

 

[histkng23]

Certain players need a strong message sent to by management about their play level, or they need to be shipped out. Brown had a terrible season, regardless of the theory about his homelife. Richards is making too much to be a 4th liner, so either he needs to be shipped out, or he needs to have his contract restructed in some fashion to where he isnt taking up so much space in the cap. Voynov didn't come to camp in good shape, and it dogged him all season, will need to be moved to sat down & given a stern talking to by Deano. But priority #1 has to be to rebuild the blue line. The Kings can't wait for the likes of Forbort & Gravel to make it or not. I love Greene, but he simply isn't the same since his back injury at the start of 2013. Same with Mitchell, I think he'll be gone though anyway. Regher is way too slow anymore, he'll be easy to move because he only has one more year on his contract. The jury is still out on Muzzin, he has some decent moments sprinkled in with some really bad moments. He's not strong on the puck at all, yet his size, mobility & shot can be attractive for a young team wanting to get into the playoffs. At this stage I thought Doughty would be better & he seems to have plateaued. He's solid, but has lapses here & there. But that might be a product of who he's paired with.

IMO, the keepers on this team are Kopitar, Carter, Doughty, Quick, Stoll, and maybe Voynov. The rest I feel should be eligible for movement if it is felt that it would be an improvment.

 

[Fox4Kings]

I really like Gaborik. He and Kopitar really work well together and I'd love to see them have a full season on a line together.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

I really like Gaborik. He and Kopitar really work well together and I'd love to see them have a full season on a line together.

The problem there will be to convince him that by staying in LA he has a legitimate chance for a Stanley Cup. That is no doubt his primary motivation factor in going anywhere. That's providing some idiotic GM doesn't offer him a guaranteed long-term big money deal that he just couldn't refuse.

Ox

 

[lasportzphan]

Certain players need a strong message sent to by management about their play level, or they need to be shipped out. Brown had a terrible season, regardless of the theory about his homelife. Richards is making too much to be a 4th liner, so either he needs to be shipped out, or he needs to have his contract restructed in some fashion to where he isnt taking up so much space in the cap. Voynov didn't come to camp in good shape, and it dogged him all season, will need to be moved to sat down & given a stern talking to by Deano. But priority #1 has to be to rebuild the blue line. The Kings can't wait for the likes of Forbort & Gravel to make it or not. I love Greene, but he simply isn't the same since his back injury at the start of 2013. Same with Mitchell, I think he'll be gone though anyway. Regher is way too slow anymore, he'll be easy to move because he only has one more year on his contract. The jury is still out on Muzzin, he has some decent moments sprinkled in with some really bad moments. He's not strong on the puck at all, yet his size, mobility & shot can be attractive for a young team wanting to get into the playoffs. At this stage I thought Doughty would be better & he seems to have plateaued. He's solid, but has lapses here & there. But that might be a product of who he's paired with.

IMO, the keepers on this team are Kopitar, Carter, Doughty, Quick, Stoll, and maybe Voynov. The rest I feel should be eligible for movement if it is felt that it would be an improvment.

This is a solid overview, but I would disagree with Doughty a bit. I think you are being harsh. To me, Doughty is dynamic and maybe only one other player (Kopitar) could have that title applied to him as well. Doughty can change a game on one skate down the ice all on his own. He's a top defensemen in the league and I look forward to this Kings building around him.

In hindsight, the Kings won their cup in the perfect window. Some organizations have a window and still miss their chance. Years of going deep in the playoffs take their toll.... Mitchell and Greene a prime examples. Mitchell maybe should not even be playing anymore.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I really like Gaborik. He and Kopitar really work well together and I'd love to see them have a full season on a line together.

I do too, his goal the other night was a bright spot on an otherwise shithole of a game. The way he went to the net and roofed it backhand is something some of these forwards need to do more of.

Back to Hist's post, I agree for the most part although I think there are more keepers that should be added to the list. To keep it simple however, guys who need to be moved are:

Brown - has been a 50 point guy from 2009-2012 but very inconsistent his entire career, 6 months of good play from January to June 2012, utter garbage since. He will make $5.8 million next season and should not have been given that contract and can still be moved by June 30, 2014. The time has come to change the leadership and get some new blood in. My money is on him being moved - it will be very unpopular but necessary.

Mitchell/Greene - age and injuries have simply caught up to them. Total team guys, did their job when it mattered (2012). Thank you very much for the Cup and I hope they land somewhere to be veteran leaders. Me thinks Greene keeps playing somewhere but Mitchell retires.

Clifford - completely debunked my theory that he would hit that next level and potentially be a T6 forward. Love him but he's ineffective.

Toffoli - send him down for some major seasoning or move him. Non factor and headed down Patrick O'Sullivan Drive otherwise.

Muzzin - has all the tools, minimal brain. On the fence.

Regarding Richards, unless I missed something, his contract (no contract), can be restructured. The Kings will need to either move him entirely, participate in salary retention, or he will need to step up to the plate big time. Love the guy, but he has not been particularly good on the offensive side of the puck since he got here. I definitely expected more.

 

[histkng23]

Puck, just to be clear, were you meaning Richards (all NHL contracts) can NOT be restructured ala NFL contracts? I have been disappointed with Richards since the latter half of 2013. I chalked that season up to the lockout & the condensed schedule, but dude has just been MIA for far too many extended stretches this season. Its beyond frustrating seeing a guy who was a two-time 30 goal scorer with Philly, come here & still in his prime can't even put up 15 goals, let alone dictate any aspect of a game anymore. I will never forget him laying out Burrows at the end of game 1 against the Canucks, but I think someone on a different thread posed an interesting scenario about him not being the same since the hit he took against the Blackhawks last year.
Clifford I think the team developed him incorrectly. With regards to the makeup of the team his rookie year, his size & physicality were needed too soon. I feel he would have been better served to develope a year or two in Manchester before he was brought to the big club. I don't doubt his heart, but for him to still be on a 3rd line (at best) and be as ineffective as he is, is frustrating.
Williams I don't know what happened to this guy. He was HUGE last season in the playoffs, started the season great, but since December I don't think I've heard his name mentioned hardly at all. He used to be amazing at going into the corner and come out with puck, but now that rarely happens.
Toffoli I feel needs to be moved now, simply because I don't feel his value is going to increase much, given his age. He could still fetch a solid T4 defenseman at this stage. Although if you move Williams, he might work well with Kopitar, maybe. But I agree, he needs more seasoning in Manchester.

 

[smackdown380]

I do too, his goal the other night was a bright spot on an otherwise shithole of a game. The way he went to the net and roofed it backhand is something some of these forwards need to do more of.

Back to Hist's post, I agree for the most part although I think there are more keepers that should be added to the list. To keep it simple however, guys who need to be moved are:

Brown - has been a 50 point guy from 2009-2012 but very inconsistent his entire career, 6 months of good play from January to June 2012, utter garbage since. He will make $5.8 million next season and should not have been given that contract and can still be moved by June 30, 2014. The time has come to change the leadership and get some new blood in. My money is on him being moved - it will be very unpopular but necessary.

Mitchell/Greene - age and injuries have simply caught up to them. Total team guys, did their job when it mattered (2012). Thank you very much for the Cup and I hope they land somewhere to be veteran leaders. Me thinks Greene keeps playing somewhere but Mitchell retires.

Clifford - completely debunked my theory that he would hit that next level and potentially be a T6 forward. Love him but he's ineffective.

Toffoli - send him down for some major seasoning or move him. Non factor and headed down Patrick O'Sullivan Drive otherwise.

Muzzin - has all the tools, minimal brain. On the fence.

Regarding Richards, unless I missed something, his contract (no contract), can be restructured. The Kings will need to either move him entirely, participate in salary retention, or he will need to step up to the plate big time. Love the guy, but he has not been particularly good on the offensive side of the puck since he got here. I definitely expected more.

I read an article that summarized states Richards hit his prime and is done. Though he is south of 30, he style of play has caught up to him and he can't be as effective anymore. He won't return to the old Richards we saw, he has just slowed down.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Puck, just to be clear, were you meaning Richards (all NHL contracts) can NOT be restructured ala NFL contracts?

To the best of knowledge - and I am not as well versed under this CBA as I have been for the last few over the last 20+ years because I simply don't have the time with 4 munchkins - no NHL contract can be restructured.

Once it's done, it's done - the only form of cap relief on an existing contract is salary retention, where the acquiring team and the moving team split part of it (Gaborik - the Kings are only on the hook for $750,000).

This is why I am so adamant about moving Brown. His new contract (8 years/$47 million) will absolutely kill the Kings at the level of play he has shown the last 2 seasons.

 

[Kings4OT]

Brown can go, Mitchell can go, Toffoli can goto Manchester, Greene as a 6-7 dman ok, Voynov has taken major steps off a cliff, Muffin meh, King was playing decent and disappeared, Richards I was complaining about months ago, RR bye, Williams totally disappeared- liked him a lot but what the fuck happened, Fraser never did more then he was doing so no reason to send him down, Cliffy never made the next step or actual even learned to walk...shame.

Kopi - just great
Carter- money
DD-at least has talent
Gabs-would like to see for a whole season in LA
Nolan-Have always liked his fire, has shown some skill
Lewis-Need a few of these guys
Martinez- Just fine if LA can get him a decent partner
Stoll-stupid penalties but at least he tried to play in the post season
Pearson, Vey give em a shot

I would love to get Burns, I think he has been great since being moved to F.

 

[ouendan1]

Bump.
You all better start eating some crow!!!

 

[histkng23]

Glad to!!

 

[lasportzphan]

Crow never tasted so good

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Nom nom nom nom.

DINNER DINNER TWO TIME CUP WINNER!

=)~~