Dustin Brown

[johnson]

Kings fans:

Dustin Brown quietly did something pretty amazing for a friend of mine that is dealing with the later stages of incurable cancer. He's a huge Kings fan and his family emailed Dustin and he made something pretty special happen for him.

Seems like a class act. I'm not usually a Kings fan, but hard not to be right now. Hope you don't mind if I take a ride on the bandwagon a little big. Go Kings!

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

You are more than welcome. Our team can always use more fans. Even if it is only for the rest of these playoffs. Odd to see your combo of favorite teams. 2 Arizona teams but the Sabers over the Coyotes. Upstate New York transplant? And yeah Brown quietly does a lot of stuff in and around LA for kids especially. Doesn't get a lot of publicity about it and that is most likely his choice.

Ox

 

[PuckinUgly57]

He's really active in the community here in Los Angeles, I think the off-ice work he puts into the community is a wonderful thing.

Him as a player however...totally different story from this Kings fan.

 

[pete6835]

Trade him

 

[PuckinUgly57]

All for it. His new contract kicks in July 1 (8 years/$47 million, $5.875 million cap hit) and that is brutal for a guy who essentially has become a B6 forward. From what I have researched he does not have an NMC of any kind, so that is good.

Yes, he's the face of the franchise, captain, drafted and developed here, won a Cup here and heavily active in the community but that doesn't mean he is off limits. He is still here to play hockey and he has done a shit job of that the last 2 years and plateaued about 4 years prior to the 6 months prior to the Cup.

His time is done here, he isn't effective anymore and he's basically a checker. I'm sure the Islanders can be duped to taking him to make sure they are in compliance with the cap floor, plus the NY connection. They need a veteran leader who is relatively young and he makes perfect sense to me going there. The Kings won't be getting Tavares or Okposo out of it or anything (saw somewhere Tavares may be unhappy and wants out? Didn't read the article, just saw the link so I don't know if it was rumor or something more substantial) but they will be freeing up a ton of cash to improve the T6 and get a B6 player who is more in line with the salary for that type of position.

He has been useless yet again these playoffs.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

Not that I would be heartbroken were Brown to be traded but I just don't see it happening. Shoot it would free up enough cap space to allow Gaborik to be resigned. That's a positive. Of course that would be up to Gaborik wanting to stay. Seems like a no-brainer but sometimes hockey players do odd things when it comes to where they sign their free agent contracts.

Ox

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Not that I would be heartbroken were Brown to be traded but I just don't see it happening.

I don't think a lot of us saw Visnovsky, Robitaille or Norstrom being traded either but it happened. I don't add Blake to this list because it was very likely he was going to be traded because of his contractual demands. Robitaille and Visnovsky essentially were traded out of nowhere.

Visnovsky is the guy closest to Brown in terms of circumstances regarding contract, so I can totally see it happening. All 3 guys were popular and long time Kings. Robitaille was first traded to Pittsburgh because the Kings vowed to get tougher and Norstrom was ending his career pretty much after being in LA 13-14 years.

Visnovsky was 2 days short of starting his new 5 year/$28 million deal that had an NMC and boom...in comes Stoll and Greene, huge in terms of changing the culture of the Kings and also in the 2012 Cup run. Visnovsky also never really regained his offensive touch after being traded and the injuries continued. Dumbo not only dodged a major league bullet there financially, he also got two integral pieces of the Kings the last 6 years.

I'm putting money down that Brown is being shopped, and something might happen at the draft.

Shoot it would free up enough cap space to allow Gaborik to be resigned. That's a positive. Of course that would be up to Gaborik wanting to stay. Seems like a no-brainer but sometimes hockey players do odd things when it comes to where they sign their free agent contracts.

Ox

This has been Gaborik's best chance at a Cup in over 10 years, when the Wild had that fluky run to the WCFs only to be shut down by Anaheim. He has made his money over the years but was always a centerpiece of just about every team he played for. In LA, he is a good complementary player and has flourished with Kopitar. In fact, Kopitar just mentioned the Kings have never had a "natural LW, LH shot with speed" during his time in LA and it adds a dynamic the Kings needed.

Looking at what's out there on the market, considering Gaborik I feel likes LA and the success he is having, the pressure really isn't on him as much as previously in his career and how this team still has a window to contend for a while and I'm saying he takes less money annually than he earns now ($7.5 million) and stays in LA. I would not only be shocked if he didn't, I would call him one stupid individual. He's 33 and his time is running out to win a Cup and this is the best shot he's ever had.

My guess: 2 years/$9 million max.

 

[Psych3man]

My guess: 2 years/$9 million max.

I hope you're right, Puck. It sure is fun watching Kopitar and Gaborik operate together.

Now, if Sutter can just figure out how to use the speed of Kopitar, Gaborik, Carter and Doughty to enter the opponent's zone on PP we win another Cup. (I don't get why this is such a perpetual problem, but it is the one hole in Sutter's system.)

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think it's a team system problem more than Sutter's, the whole team is geared and built to play possession hockey. The personnel developed, acquired and continuously drafted are of this mold, the Kings are a handful of teams who use metric-based statistics to build their team. They look for players who are good along the boards, maybe stronger than they look, hang onto the puck, etc.

Because of that, the PP is designed to be a similar type of component of the system. If the Kings played the speed game, they would lose because most teams are a lot faster than LA (overall). Thus they try the dump in and recovery method which is good but not great; it has a lesser percentage of being successful than just having a bunch of guys who could just skate in and set up.

The execution needs to be perfect, which many times it is not, which is why we see the quick ins and then a quick out with the other team recovering and dumping the puck.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I hope you're right, Puck. It sure is fun watching Kopitar and Gaborik operate together.

It is for sure, these two seem to have a natural chemistry. Dumbo has been chasing this guy for years, and now we see why.

Their games complement each other very well, Kopitar is so strong and so hard to move off the puck which buys Gaborik time, and his signature move is sneaking into the high slot and ripping off shots. This allows that to happen and his speed opens things up for Kopitar and whoever else is on the RW.

Would have been nice to get this guy a few years ago but he wouldn't have come for so cheap. The Kings essentially got him for next to nothing.

Speaking of nothing...anyone see Matt Frattin lately? I don't even know how he finished the season in Columbus.

 

[histkng23]

Frattin astonishingly (sarcasim) couldn't crack the BJ's regular lineup. He ended up playing only 4 games the rest of the season. Amazing that Dumbo only had to give up Frattin & a pick for Gaborick, even if he's only a rental. What a STEAL!!!

 

[pete6835]

This has been Gaborik's best chance at a Cup in over 10 years, when the Wild had that fluky run to the WCFs only to be shut down by Anaheim. He has made his money over the years but was always a centerpiece of just about every team he played for. In LA, he is a good complementary player and has flourished with Kopitar. In fact, Kopitar just mentioned the Kings have never had a "natural LW, LH shot with speed" during his time in LA and it adds a dynamic the Kings needed.

Looking at what's out there on the market, considering Gaborik I feel likes LA and the success he is having, the pressure really isn't on him as much as previously in his career and how this team still has a window to contend for a while and I'm saying he takes less money annually than he earns now ($7.5 million) and stays in LA. I would not only be shocked if he didn't, I would call him one stupid individual. He's 33 and his time is running out to win a Cup and this is the best shot he's ever had.

My guess: 2 years/$9 million max.

There is an article about signing Gaborik after a buyout of Mike Richards.

Link (Sportsnet)

 

[Psych3man]

There is an article about signing Gaborik after a buyout of Mike Richards

Interesting idea, but I'd rather get rid of Brown and his contract than Richards. Having him as a center and all the other things he does seems too valuable to buy out.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Interesting idea, but I'd rather get rid of Brown and his contract than Richards. Having him as a center and all the other things he does seems too valuable to buy out.

Agree with this.

While Richards production has declined, he is still a solid defensive presence, and he makes big plays at a lot of critical moments it seems. At the very least, he isn't a liability or a non-difference maker. Brown isn't doing much one way or another, and it makes sense to buy him out over Richards if they can't move him. That would be something, buying someone out before the contract even kicks in.

Buying out Richards also creates a 2C hole again, and none of the centers left are viable in that position. Maybe the Kings slot Carter in there full time, but either way it creates a hole in the T6 where the Kings are short as is one player, and if Gaborik doesn't sign, two - and that's before a potential buy out of Richards.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Not sure if anyone saw this:

Marian Gaborik the king of all trade-deadline pickups | Hockey | CBC Sports

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

Not sure if anyone saw this:

Marian Gaborik the king of all trade-deadline pickups | Hockey | CBC Sports

Thanks puck. Funny reading some of the comments. What is it with Canadians? If the team isn't based in Canada they aren't interesting to watch? Shoot I'd venture to say the Kings have as many, if not more, actual Canadians on their roster than the Montreal Canadiens.

Ox