PLD

[Kings4OT]

Even with the gimme points, buster cant play the position.....thats the problem

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I definitely think he is a better player than he was a year ago, but I agree he doesn't look like he will be an impactful C. He's in C3 right now in sheltered minutes, he's not facing T6 competition like Dunno and Kopitar are but he's better than a C3 so it makes him look good. Look back at Kopitar 4 years after he was drafted - 2009 - and you can clearly see the difference between a franchise center and a center who plays hockey.

I almost believe the Kings may be stuck with a M6 guy and not a T3 guy which is what you expect from a 2OA.

 

[Kings4OT]

Crazy to think that the megga, super skilled, super fast, super agile, totally better Legend, still needs like 40 points in 30 games just to match the production they got from PLuG. Doable sure especially if Legend can play all those games.....could happen.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Couple tid bits:

- if he plays in ALL of the Jets' remaining 33 games, he will hit 62. Which is still 1 less game than he played for LA last season which was a career high
- to match his 2022-23 output (41pts, 23G/18A), he needs 21 points in 33 games or .64 PPG every game left
- currently has 20 points (11G/9A, .69 PPG ) in 29 games. 20% of that came in one game against LA on Dec 13 (1G/3A). So in the remaining 28 games he has 16 points or .57 PPG. That one game vs LA really padded his stats.
- hasn't scored a goal since Jan 16, those are Buster numbers.

Gabriel Vilardi Stats And News

Get all the latest stats, news, videos, and more on Gabriel Vilardi.

www.nhl.com

Other components:
- Iafallo is on pace for 30 points, he had 36 last season as a King
- EuroHOS has 1 assist in 21 games (he's injured still)

I'm not trashing on the guy, and certainly PLD hasn't delivered as anyone expected but The Legend has also disappointed as well in Winnipeg this season.

Not sure how him, Iafallo and Kupari's pedestrian numbers combined (39 points) gets swept under the rug but PLD is smoked publicly on an almost daily basis.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Couple tid bits:

- if he plays in ALL of the Jets' remaining 33 games, he will hit 62. Which is still 1 less game than he played for LA last season which was a career high
- to match his 2022-23 output (41pts, 23G/18A), he needs 21 points in 33 games or .64 PPG every game left
- currently has 20 points (11G/9A, .69 PPG ) in 29 games. 20% of that came in one game against LA on Dec 13 (1G/3A). So in the remaining 28 games he has 16 points or .57 PPG. That one game vs LA really padded his stats.
- hasn't scored a goal since Jan 16, those are Buster numbers.

Gabriel Vilardi Stats And News

Get all the latest stats, news, videos, and more on Gabriel Vilardi.

www.nhl.com

Other components:
- Iafallo is on pace for 30 points, he had 36 last season as a King
- EuroHOS has 1 assist in 21 games (he's injured still)

I'm not trashing on the guy, and certainly PLD hasn't delivered as anyone expected but The Legend has also disappointed as well in Winnipeg this season.

Not sure how him, Iafallo and Kupari's pedestrian numbers combined (39 points) gets swept under the rug but PLD is smoked publicly on an almost daily basis.

I want to agree with all of this, but the reason PLD gets smoked is because of his cap hit and term. All of the guys above the Jets could get away from within a year or two as the absolute worst case scenario, but Kings have enough invested in PLD that if it doesn't work out, it could really derail them for most of the next decade. There are many many factors in there, and lots of time left to see, but that would be my opinion on why the criticisms aren't completely unjustified.

But Winnipeg is going to have a tough decision on Villardi in two years. How to properly assess his value.

 

[Kings4OT]

I want to agree with all of this, but the reason PLD gets smoked is because of his cap hit and term. All of the guys above the Jets could get away from within a year or two as the absolute worst case scenario, but Kings have enough invested in PLD that if it doesn't work out, it could really derail them for most of the next decade. There are many many factors in there, and lots of time left to see, but that would be my opinion on why the criticisms aren't completely unjustified.

But Winnipeg is going to have a tough decision on Villardi in two years. How to properly assess his value.

He gets smoked because he signed the deal that was offered him? Then he gets smoke for playing the position given to him by the coach? Then he gets blamed for just about every loss the king's get...... I mean he's been set up to fail from the very Beginning imo, We will be very lucky if he just doesn't say fuck it and collect his paychecks for the next eight years

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

He gets smoked because he signed the deal that was offered him? Then he gets smoke for playing the position given to him by the coach? Then he gets blamed for just about every loss the king's get...... I mean he's been set up to fail from the very Beginning imo, We will be very lucky if he just doesn't say fuck it and collect his paychecks for the next eight years

I mean, I feel like you've become the resident PLD apologist, but yes, all of those things.

This is not to say Blake is not the MOST to blame for everything, but PLD's history has been one of disgruntled underachieving Diva. Didn't like Columbus and underperformed as top 5 overall pick. But it was understandable because he was in Columbus. So then he gets swapped for Laine, who was similarly unhappy in Winnipeg. So what was he in Winnipeg? Underperforming Diva who wanted out. Every summer it was rumors of how he wanted to go to Montreal and wouldn't be resigning. So he gets his big trade thanks to Blake, and comes to LA. I remember that Roenick interview about him like "Dude, all you've done is whine since you've been in the league. Time to shutup and produce". Remember the Stanley Cup tour he was put in when he came here? Dude was throwing out first pitch at Dodger Stadium, showing up at basketball games. They rolled out the red carpet for him.

Do I agree with you on his usage being suspect? Yes. I was all for McLlelan being booted because we gotta see what we have here. I mean, we'll see how it all goes down here in a few years, but the PLD trade as a whole has the potential to put this team back almost a decade. Blake already messed up the Petersen signing, so that lead to dead money on the books for Provorov and loss of assets.

So yeah, I blamed McLlelan and Blake, but PLD is for sure 3rd on that list. If we're sitting here two years from now with a new coach and new GM and PLD still produces nothing, then we'll see what's up.

 

[Kings4OT]

I mean, I feel like you've become the resident PLD apologist, but yes, all of those things.

This is not to say Blake is not the MOST to blame for everything, but PLD's history has been one of disgruntled underachieving Diva. Didn't like Columbus and underperformed as top 5 overall pick. But it was understandable because he was in Columbus. So then he gets swapped for Laine, who was similarly unhappy in Winnipeg. So what was he in Winnipeg? Underperforming Diva who wanted out. Every summer it was rumors of how he wanted to go to Montreal and wouldn't be resigning. So he gets his big trade thanks to Blake, and comes to LA. I remember that Roenick interview about him like "Dude, all you've done is whine since you've been in the league. Time to shutup and produce". Remember the Stanley Cup tour he was put in when he came here? Dude was throwing out first pitch at Dodger Stadium, showing up at basketball games. They rolled out the red carpet for him.

Do I agree with you on his usage being suspect? Yes. I was all for McLlelan being booted because we gotta see what we have here. I mean, we'll see how it all goes down here in a few years, but the PLD trade as a whole has the potential to put this team back almost a decade. Blake already messed up the Petersen signing, so that lead to dead money on the books for Provorov and loss of assets.

So yeah, I blamed McLlelan and Blake, but PLD is for sure 3rd on that list. If we're sitting here two years from now with a new coach and new GM and PLD still produces nothing, then we'll see what's up.

I for sure have become the only person to say give him a chance. I also said if he get a chance and does nothing o k And gave him the nickname PLuG. The legend gets a few goals in a few games and Most of kings fans eruptsaying how much the dude sucks. Maybe he does, I would not have traded for him. But if I did trade for him , I would put him in a situation to be productive

And really you will never be happy with him if 25g 60p Is under achieving for him.... He's never going to be mc jesus

 

[Kings4OT]

but the PLD trade as a whole has the potential to put this team back almost a decade.

To me this is the most important part of what you have in that post, Because I one hundred percent agree with this. It is also why I won't shut up about putting this guy in a Position to be successful..... Because if he isn't then the kings won't be either.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Since it's an 8 year deal, I sort of hope to wheels just fall off this team even more and they clean house. Get someone tougher to coach these guys next year/year after. Get rid of Blake obviously. Try to salvage this situation.

I am not even really harping on the stats. I said it before with a guy like Evander Kane just being a pest or influencing the game in other ways. Even Pancakes Penner who was just a big body come playoff time. Maybe partly due to his being on the 3rd line, but he seems to cruise a lot, and doesn't seem to want to be that player to make an impact. But I go look up his stats right now, and they're definitely underwhelming. The whole team isn't good enough right now, but man, I probably would take 25 goals and 60 points. He's at 11 goals in 49 games just seems like something is missing.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I mean, he'll definitely get all the chances, since he's here for a long time, and I hope it turns around. Something is so off with this team since December and I am not even sure anyone can say what it is.

I mean, Fiala could be added to this list of big money trade and signings maybe not panning out.

Supposed to be dominating teams up the middle with Kopitar-Danault-PLD, and so you can't say there isn't some talent to work with. Just feels like if they take any longer to figure to it out, it's another year older for Kopitar and Doughty, and this team doesn't have all this youth pushing like they thought they did before.

I don't know what happened, but it feels like Gavrikov got hurt, and this team just started to slide. Then even when he came back, they never stopped sliding. That's another guy who is only signed for two years, so he's gone after next year. Felt like the window was maybe this season and next to really make a push (I personally felt next season was the big one to make a push).

 

[Kings4OT]

Any window they may have had is closing, arvidsson will shake up the lineup hopefully enough. They still roll out the same lines over and over. And I get you should just be able to produce anywhere... But that's just not the reality. There isn't many players that get tons and tons of points playing that third line roll. My biggest issue with all of it is that the kings just don't change it up. Why do they keep doing the same thing over and over? And over again game after game after game. Move the guys around. Let's see what the fuck he can even do in the job that they pay him to do..... But instead it's the same thing night after night

 

[Kings4OT]

I mean hell, Put him on the second line let's see what he does with moore..... He has more goals than dunno does And with less opportunity.... He just has less assists because more was putting them away night after night for a while.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Yeah I don't know. Tough to get behind this team when they keep doing the same line stuff. I actually got excited for Turcotte and his first goal. Been forever since we could get excited about a young player. Maybe that's just my memory. Clarke could be exciting. Laferriere had a hot start and we all sorta got excited about that.

 

[Kings4OT]

I would think if they start throwing different guys together. You might see different chemistry or see different holes, But when things stay the same , you can watch the game and know it's gonna stay the same

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

That part that still bugs me, especially as the rumors of the PLD trickled in and it hasn't happened yet, was that Blake didn't even qualify Vilardi and then basically created a bidding war with himself for PLD. I didn't hear about any other teams even wanting PLD. Then Blake just kept building this crazy package to go get him.

 

[Kings4OT]

That part that still bugs me, especially as the rumors of the PLD trickled in and it hasn't happened yet, was that Blake didn't even qualify Vilardi and then basically created a bidding war with himself for PLD. I didn't hear about any other teams even wanting PLD. Then Blake just kept building this crazy package to go get him.

Oh yeah exactly, He has a history of being a problem. Why would you try to out bid or even bid for that?