Gucci

[Kings4OT]

Saw he was placed on waivers, I thought he was doing ok...much better and more noticeable then most of the other b6....too bad IMO

Ladue sent down as well.

 

[LoCal Kings]

Too bad for Setoguchi. Thought he was due for a multi-goal game.
Gotta figure Nolan is coming off IR. But no word about either him or Greene.
Perhaps another Ontario forward will get a call-up.

 

[davnlaguna]

I think LaDue sent down to get some games in while the Kings are on a 5 day break.
Setoguchi was sent down to make room for Quick?? Maybe

 

[PuckinUgly57]

^^ agree. I think LaDue is either getting his shot to stay on the roster but needs to keep playing while the Kings are on hiatus and also Quick is ready to come back very soon - he practiced in full gear last week I believe.

Hopefully Setoguchi gets recalled after the deadline and the Kings are looking or have a good shot at making the playoffs. Great story between his comeback and Budaj this season, it would be nice to see them get rewarded for it.

I think the Kings are going to protect Forbert, Doughty, Muzzin and Martinez (if one of them isn't moved for T6 help) and then McNabb and Greene will be exposed since Gravel and LaDue are exempt. The issue now is with Greene, he has only played in 26 games this season and 3 in 2015-16 - I have to look but his current IR status may make him ineligible to be exposed.

This is LaDue's shot to show he belongs for 2017-18 or he is getting showcased because of his age.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

^^

I think the Kings are going to protect Forbert, Doughty, Muzzin and Martinez (if one of them isn't moved for T6 help) and then McNabb and Greene will be exposed since Gravel and LaDue are exempt.

Which forwards do you think the Kings protect if this is the case?

Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli?

Expose everyone else: Gaborik, Brown, Lewis, Nolan, King.

I guess that's okay. I would actually hate to lose Lewis. He's one of my favorite players overall.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Which forwards do you think the Kings protect if this is the case?

Kopitar, Carter, Pearson, Toffoli?

Expose everyone else: Gaborik, Brown, Lewis, Nolan, King.

I guess that's okay. I would actually hate to lose Lewis. He's one of my favorite players overall.

That would be my guess for the 4 forwards. I wouldn’t like to lose Lewis either, he is a heart and soul player and is a very affordable $2 million for another 3 seasons. He is an absolute steal for an expansion team, and captain material.

I don’t think either Andreoff or Shore bring to the table what Lewis does and has for the last 5 years here but I do think I see a similar player in Dowd, give him some time. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis is who Vegas is eyeing; I think we would all love to lose the Gaborik or Brown contracts but it will be a long shot.

King would be exempt I believe because he will be a UFA but I’d try to lose that clown as quickly as possible. He showed us some promise his first year or so here, then I hung on like an abused GF the next 3 years because he showed some signs of possibly turning the corner now and again (and would stall out keeping that hope alive) but now he is completely on my “your time in LA is done” list - get you and your creepy sneer out of LA.

I like what we have seen from Nolan this season, he seems to have stepped up his game and is not only being a disturber but is sjowing some decent hands and playmaking ability too. I would much rather hang onto him and move King, even if for a 3rd round pick or a throw in in a bigger deal.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yeah I agree with that assessment. Nolan has been given an expanded role, and he seems to be making more of it. Much better than getting one shift a period, and usually ending up in the penalty box.

I think a general shift in personnel this offseason is probably due, so it would be amazing on so many levels to see this team make another run. I see changes coming aside from those guys mentioned above. Gotta get younger and faster to keep up with the new NHL. The core guys will adapt and thrive, and it'll be nice to add complimentary pieces.

But we'll see what happens.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I have to be perfectly honest in saying the west seems very weak this year. San Jose would still probably be the favorite in the west, but there are serious weaknesses on every team this year.

I could easily see any west team being an underdog in the final. Capitals (I know they choke every year, but last year I really think they just got beat, and didn't choke. Pitt was a very good team). Caps and Pens seem very strong.

 

[Kings4OT]

I have usually been in the Nolan camp, I think he has shown often in his career he has that playmaking ability and decent hands....just good enough to come up short most times. I think he needs some real polishing to give him the step up I think he could handle. Would definitely suck to lose Lewis, I would go as far to say that the Kings will really start to decline without him. He does so much and I don't think Dowd or any of those guys will fill his skates enough. On D, meh I really like Greene but the dude cant stay healthy which is a shame as he has been one of the few that can really clear the net. King, ya I never liked him and he showed brief glimpses that I was wrong but I should really hi-light brief. I dunno about sending Gucci down for Quick, wouldn't Zatkoff be a better choice if that's the case?

 

[LoCal Kings]

If the Kings do protect the 4 d-men, then there is still a chance Vegas tries to come to terms with pending UFAs in Budaj, or maybe McNabb. If one of them signs with Vegas during their special free agent window, then we don't have to lose another player to Expansion.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

If the Kings do protect the 4 d-men, then there is still a chance Vegas tries to come to terms with pending UFAs in Budaj, or maybe McNabb. If one of them signs with Vegas during their special free agent window, then we don't have to lose another player to Expansion.

That would be nice in LA’s case but the UFAs are Purcell, Scuderi, Gilbert, Budaj and King. Not exactly a great bunch.

I’m pretty sure they will pick up a better goalie than Budaj early on and of the rest only King seems like he would be attractive to Vegas because he is versatile, big, and can play up and down the lineup. Purcell sucks, Scuderi is old but could be a veteran presence and Gilbert is a decent depth defender.

Greene and McNabb are both under contract for 2017-18 ($2.5 million, $1.7 million respectively), both fulfill the defender requirements (40 games prior season or 70 games prior 2 seasons – current season is tossed out) and both will be UFAs in summer 2018. Even with Greene on IR he qualifies for exposure because he miraculously played in all 82 games in 2014-15 (I had to look at his stats, he is hurt so much I can’t even remember what seasons he has played for LA after 2012 or so). The issue here is he is injured so much in recent years he may be deemed a “career threatening injury” player in which case LA cannot expose him.

I think McNabb is working himself off the roster to be honest – hasn’t really developed and then Forbert and Gravel have played very well, better than McNabb has in the last 2 seasons. I don’t see a lot of mistakes by those two guys even for being inexperienced. Add in McNabb’s missed time with the broken collarbone and those two have taken full advantage of showing what they can do on McNabb’s minutes. They deserve to be NHL regulars and that makes McNabb expendable.

Of these two and if they don’t pick up a defenseman earlier I can see them taking McNabb, which would be addition by subtraction and then winning again for LA – contract is gone, McNabb is gone and no one else is at risk. But Greene adds that culture and leadership, he was integral in teaching the Kings how to win when he first arrived so who knows, he may fit the locker room bill and is a relatively cheap $2.5 million for one season only.

It’ll be fun to see who Vegas picks, I remember when we used to check the ESPN page in 2000 to see who Minnesota took. It’ll be a different draft this time around with the new rules and salary cap requirements.

 

[davnlaguna]

I think Vegas will pick as many dmen as they can.
They have to pick 30 players. Only 23 make the team.
They will have to trade 7 guys or maybe lose them to waivers.
Lots of teams will protect only 3 Dmen. So there will be many #4 guys.
Dmen will fetch better draft picks
Wait until after the expansion draft and outbid for a goalie or A dman UFA.
Then trade 8 or 9 guys and load up your farm

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I stand corrected too, looks like they do count the 2016-17 season, not exclude it. Greene is no longer eligible to be exposed in the draft unless he somehow plays 14 games of the remaining schedule.

Not going to happen.

 

[smackdown380]

Package King/Gaborik and fleece a team lol. I mean Deano did get Gaborik for Frattin/ picks if I am not mistaken?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Yup, Matt Frattin/conditional 2nd in 2014 or 2015 and conditional 3rd round pick but it ended up being two second round picks because of the conditions (win 1 round or Gaborik resigns - both happened, Kings won the Cup and Gaborik stayed).

Frattin...yikes. That dude was horrible.