Ehrhof reportedly placed on waivers

[Psych3man]

Finally! Guy was awful. Another move coming soon?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Looks like it's a cap clearing space for sure. With Greene on LTIR and gone for the season that leaves McNabb, McBain, Muzzin, Doughty, Martinez and Schenn as the T6 so something tells me a move for a defenseman is in the works. Can't play McBain nightly as a T6 defender.

I'm not too mad at the guy, he was a low risk/high reward signing in the absence of having a veteran defender after the Voynov departure and no real options considering the lack of cap space without moving someone off the roster (keep in mind he was signed last summer when the Kings were almost maxed out on cap space). At least Dumbo didn't sign him to the Dan Cloutier Special or anything like that.

Had he even remotely approached 40 points he would have been considered the steal of free agency, but since he didn't do much at $1.5 million it's no big deal, not many veteran defenders can be found for that much wwho have the ability to be a mobile offensive defender.

I think he will be picked up by a team, I wouldn't be surprised to see Edmonton take a crack at him for the rest of the season.

 

[pete6835]

He was a tad bit small. Love him jumpin' into the play, but he would be washed out.

 

[davnlaguna]

Gravel said to be on a call up.
I think they are hopping he just isn't worse

 

[PuckinUgly57]

He was a tad bit small. Love him jumpin' into the play, but he would be washed out.

He was never a physical defenseman his entire career, I wasn't expecting him to be a typical "Kings defenseman" as we are accustomed to seeing them these days. You have to have a mentality to be physical, no matter how big or small you are, and he does not have that and it shows when he goes into the corners.

He had some productive years in SJ and mostly in Vancouver but his play went south in Buffalo and especially after a series of concussions between them and Pittsburgh. I was hoping he could have at least show some glimpses of that player, but I think he is probably in his last year or two in the league.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Gravel said to be on a call up.
I think they are hopping he just isn't worse

Gravel has shown some great strides in Ontario, at first I was a little surpised they didn't call up Forbert again but they probably wanted to get a look at him. He will be 24 in March, so he is running out of time to make the big club. He is a solid defender at the AHL level, much of the mold of Mitchell (looks for the first pass, not a chip off the glass kind of guy and very good with his stick like Mitchell was) and defensive defender. LH shot too like him.

He needs to put on some weight if he wants to be a Mitchell however, I think the guy is something like 6'4" and under 200 pounds. Good skater too, so hopefully we get a look at him. He cannot be added to the roster until Ehrhoff's situation is closed (picked up or demoted) since he would be the 24th man but I don't expect Ehrhoff to be on LA's roster any longer so it's just a formality.

 

[davnlaguna]

Could be a call up for trade reasons as well. Showcase him and try for Ladd or some other pending UFA

 

[davnlaguna]

He cleared waivers :O

May still get traded, but no one took him for free

Also Gravel might be trapped in AHL because Kings need a 3rd goalie more

 

[pete6835]

Budaj being called up now

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Both guys were recalled and expected to be in the lineup tonight, I'm pretty sure Budaj was an emergency call up since there is no other back up goaltender.

Gravel is already on the roster so expect him to play tonight:

Kings Roster - Los Angeles Kings - Team

My guess is Shore, Pearson and McBain scratched again tonight.

 

[davnlaguna]

Yep
They were not sure if they could use the emergency back up so they weren't sure if Gravel would be officially called up.

 

[pete6835]

GDT - Kings down 3-0 --- 14 minutes in