Green to have surgery.

[CaptHowdy00]

Kings defenseman to have surgery Thursday

 

[davnlaguna]

Oh yeah
Kings are paying some guy named Greene
Will they call up someone from Onertio?

 

[pete6835]

Oh yeah
Kings are paying some guy named Greene
Will they call up someone from Onertio?

They did it's AA or Weal, back when the season started. AA completely useless

 

[Kings4OT]

I forget about Greene until I notice someone needs to be cleared out in front of Quick

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I forget about Greene until I notice someone needs to be cleared out in front of Quick

Definitely, he is the only defender the Kings have who decleats people in front of Quick. While the defense has been pretty solid overall, I also think having one of those physical defenders is important when playing teams who have big forwards not to mention patrolling out there if some teams decide to take liberties with other players - you know Greene will drop the gloves no questions asked.

Also not sure if you guys caught this:

Lombardi has been relatively active, however, scouring the market in search for a top-four defenseman and a depth forward with an eye for the net.

The Fourth Period :: Los Angeles Kings :: Kings unlikely a match for Marleau

Makes sense, we all knew the defense was going to take a hit with Voynov gone and Regehr retiring. The defense has played well overall, but I feel uneasy, like too much is going right and they are playing above their heads. I'm just waiting for that one thing to happen that will spiral everything downward because on paper they should not have the numbers they do. But that's just me.

Defensive depth has been reduced counting on guys like McBain, Ehrhoff (where's the offense bro???) and Forbert in place of Voynov and Regehr. The Kings have 1 legitiate T2 defender in Doughty, a bunch of T3-4s in Martinez, Muzzin and Ehrhoff and then bottom pair defenders like McBain, Forbert, Greene and McNabb. Not going to win a Cup with that group playing important minutes - especially the last 4 - you need at least 2 T2 defenders minimum and Voynov created that void.

A T4 defender who is being shopped is Travis Hamonic of the Islanders but he requested a trade to be closer to home for personal reasons. I'm assuming it's a seriously ill family member.

Good place to start seeing who may be on the move would be General Fanager and look for RFA or UFA defenders in summer 2016.

 

[davnlaguna]

But at what cost.
Trading picks and prospects for rentals can kill a team.
Kings need new young talent so they can afford the aging cup winners.
Lucic is here for this year only and the Kings paid for that
Sekera has come and gone as well as a pick and a prospect for nothing now.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

But at what cost.
Trading picks and prospects for rentals can kill a team.
Kings need new young talent so they can afford the aging cup winners.
Lucic is here for this year only and the Kings paid for that
Sekera has come and gone as well as a pick and a prospect for nothing now.

I'm pretty sure you can kiss someone like Pearson goodbye and a prospect like Weal or Mersch too. Just the cost of doing business, and the object of this business is winning.

A lot of it comes down to salesmanship too, Dumbo isn't a slouch when it comes to dealing with other GMs. He has flat out mugged some other GMs during his tenure here (Williams for O'Sullivan comes to mind immediately, as well as Visnovsky for Greene/Stoll - all 3 players coming this way played key roles in winning that first Cup. The net result of Bernier to TO was getting Gaborik, and he was key to the second Cup) so I wouldn't put it past him to sell high on a guy like Pearson - has potential, but not proven - and get something much more valuable in return.

Looks like Yandle (29) and Byfuglien (30) will both be UFAs next summer. I would prefer a RH shot so that would be Byfuglien, too many southpaws on defense currently, but Yandle is the better skater and all around defender IMO. Plus Byfuglien makes some extremely boneheaded plays some times. The pro is he can used up front too if necessary. But being UFAs, unless there is a deal in place these guys would be rentals and as you said, the Kings have paid a price for success by risking a rental and not having it worked out for them to stay.

In 2017 Shattenkirk, a legitimate RH T2 defender but smaller, is a UFA but I'm almost positive the Blues will a) work something out with him unless his demands are absurd (currently makes $4.25 million) and b) they will not want to send him to the Kings, who have had the Blues' number for several years now come April.

On the RFA front, there's not much in 2016 or 2017 that makes you go hmm so I think if any trade is made for a T2, it will be a guy under contract in his mid/early late 20s who is here for the long haul.

Also I don't think Lucic is going anywhere, I think Brown is and that money will be spent on Lucic.

 

[ouendan1]

Also I don't think Lucic is going anywhere, I think Brown is and that money will be spent on Lucic.

I'll start by saying I would love for the Kings to keep Lucic and get rid of Brown.

But who do you think will take Brown and that glorious contract of his without the Kings retaining a decent chunk of it? Remember, LA isn't paying all of Lucic's salary this season (about half I believe). You have to figure he is probably looking at another 5-6 million dollar deal (maybe more if he hits UFA). That adds an extra 2-3 million or more to the cap. With Kopi's AAV next year due to jump an extra 2.5-3 million, How do you make it all work?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'll start by saying I would love for the Kings to keep Lucic and get rid of Brown.

I think anyone who is rational and not a Brown licker would say the same thing. His contract is no different than Richards' was; a liability and roadblock to being competitive in the not too distant future.

But who do you think will take Brown and that glorious contract of his without the Kings retaining a decent chunk of it? Remember, LA isn't paying all of Lucic's salary this season (about half I believe). You have to figure he is probably looking at another 5-6 million dollar deal (maybe more if he hits UFA). That adds an extra 2-3 million or more to the cap. With Kopi's AAV next year due to jump an extra 2.5-3 million, How do you make it all work?

That's the big question. I think it can be done but there will be some movement.

Currently there will be $14.925 in free cap space from all the UFAs (Kopitar, Lucic, Lewis, Ehrhoff, McBain and Enroth). Most of that will go to Kopitar, if it's that $9.75 million we are reading then that will leave $5.175 millon to resign Lucic and replace another defender with Ehrhoff most likely gone.

Brown absolutely needs to go, and even if there is a 50% cap share that gives the Kings $8.1125 million to work with. That's not enough to replace Lucic, Ehrhoff and Lewis, not to mention whatever RFAs need to be signed too. Thus either guys on the team already need to improve and expand their roles (Pearson and King for example) or there will be losses elsewhere off the roster (Pearson again).

I think the Kings top 2 priorities heading into next season are:
1. Get Kopitar signed
2. Get rid of Brown and his full contract which gives the Kings a max of $11.05 million to work with off the UFAs + Brown being moved (haven't even considered what would be coming back yet simply for numbers' sake). This number is assuming Kopitar is signed.

Number 2 is easier said than done but possible; if the Kings were about to move Richards to Edmonton or Calgary (although we don't know what was worked out, if there was salary and how much to be retained) then Brown can surely be moved as well. Easiest targets would be developing teams with guys on their first contracts mainly who need a high priced veteran to be competitive as well as stay cap compliant.