Random Kings Articles

[PuckinUgly57]

Still like leipsic.....

He has grown on me for certain, my belief was he would be nothing but more B6 fodder in an already jammed up crappy B6 but he has some speed, is feisty for a little guy and is more creative than I thought he would be. He's been a pleasant addition, another one of Blake's low cost/high reward risks.

He will be an RFA at the end of the season and is making case to get an MQO which hopefully spells the end of some other guys who have been far less productive over the last little while as Kings.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Muzzin's asking price has been set by LA:

Asking price for Jake Muzzin

There’s no guarantee the Kings will move Jake Muzzin but they’re certainly in listening mode. And the asking price I’m told right now for the talented top-four blueliner is a first-round pick plus a prospect.


It’s a high price but it should be. The 29-year-old is a top-notch defenseman and he’s signed for another season next year at a reasonable $4-million cap hit.


I think contending teams are hoping that the price lowers closer to Feb. 25. But keep in mind, the Kings don’t have the move the guy. They like him, too.

LeBrun Notebook: CBA talks remain positive despite World Cup...

Makes sense, pretty much what we all expected. I think Martinez will be in a similar boat.

Also, apparently Derrick Brassard is on the block as well. That one is strange, the Penguins went really hard after that guy in 2018 but he hasn't really gelled well. He is a legitimate C2 but Rutherford has him as a C3 with Crosby and Malkin as the T2 centers.

If Carter truly is being shopped, I think that may work for LA. Move Carter to the Penguins and he slots in immediately as a high end C3 and Brassard could be a temporary C2 solution in LA as he will be a GIII UFA this summer. If he performs well, he gets a new contract in LA. If not, he hits the UFA market.

Clears up a spot for a new C2, which the Kings need, also gets Carter's cap hit of the books the next 3 years. Of course Pittsburgh would need to agree to this given Carter's age and contract but if the details work out it could be a good for for both teams.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I'm not a huge Bernstein fan but damn, this is spot on and scathing.

Kings at 45: It’s A Cruel Winter — The Fourth Period

"WD-40" is gold. I guess there is the connection to why I call him Slick Willy. Blake and Robitaille shat the bed bad with this pick of a coach even if it is interim.

 

[Kings4OT]

Kings always so good in early games

 

[Kings4OT]

Its 7 - 0, nobody even playing. Whole team looks like they went out all night and went straight to the game from the club.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Went to Pollys Pies for lunch and then haircuts for the boys. The kids salon had a 2 hour wait so I was hoping to catch a little bit of it somewhere over lunch.

No dice so I was checking the phone, every time I checked I just saw the goals racking up until the TD score. Unbelievable.

This team has no guts, no heart, no fight, no pride. Just get traded away already so we can get this show on the road towards reconstruction.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Another good one from The Athletic regarding Martinez. This has been a series, the case for/against trading certain players. So far they have covered Martinez, Toffoli*, Quick and Muffo. I'm sure Carter is coming up soon, and I'll post the Quick one after this.

Rebuilding the Kings: The case for and against trading Alec...

Rebuilding the Kings: The case for and against trading Alec Martinez

Going from a team with Stanley Cup aspirations to a seller means having to make some tough decisions. And for the Kings, those tough decisions could involve trading fan favorites this year.


Longtime defenseman Alec Martinez may fall into that category.


The well-liked blueliner was picked by the Kings in the fourth round of the 2007 draft and has developed into a nice, under-the-radar member of their core – being part of both of the organization’s Stanley Cup squads.


Furthermore, he was involved in two of the best memories of the Kings’ most recent Cup run – scoring the overtime-winners to both send them to the Cup final and ultimately win the trophy.

As excellent as his tenure has been in Los Angeles, he’s a guy who could probably net some sort of return as a defenseman still in his relative prime that a contending team could want to add.


This year, Martinez has three goals and 11 points in 36 contests while playing 20:40 per game.


Of course, the Kings could see Martinez as the right type of guy to bridge the previous generation of players to the next generation.


So deal or no deal?


With the Kings likely moving toward an inevitable reset, Lisa Dillman and Josh Cooper are examining some of their potential trade chips.


The case for trading Martinez

Dillman: Acquiring Martinez would be a thoroughly acceptable alternative for NHL general managers shopping at the Jake Muzzin mart and finding it too pricey.


As colleague Pierre LeBrun recently detailed, the acquisition cost for Muzzin looks like it is going to be steep. Why potentially mortgage the future when a top-four D-man like Martinez is an option?


Martinez, a left-hand shot, can play both sides and has done so. The contract is reasonable ($4 million cap hit) with two years remaining after this season. He has won two Stanley Cup championships with the Kings and showed something when he answered Team USA’s call for the World Championship in 2018.


For some teams, a player signed for an additional two years is a plus. He’s not a rental and if you think you are just entering your window of opportunity, you would be getting a top-four defenseman for the next three playoff runs.


Cooper: If you’re a team with Stanley Cup aspirations looking to help your blueline, you could do a lot worse than Martinez.


As Lisa pointed out, any team that called the Kings about Muzzin and found his cost to be too steep should ask about Martinez. He can play a lot of different styles and in many different situations, so fit shouldn’t be an issue wherever he goes.


At $4 million per year for two more seasons after this one, he’s not a rental, which could increase his overall value in general for L.A. That number may be high to a team like the Kings that are a few years away, but not a team that could actually use Martinez in the playoffs now.


His 2.4 blocks per game rank fifth among players who have played at least 35 games. While it’s been found that blocks can be an overrated stat, a guy who is willing to sacrifice his body to make a play is vital in the postseason.


So yeah, while the Kings appear to be heading toward the draft lottery, sending Martinez to a team that could use him – and getting a longer-range asset in the process – could help them for the future and makes the most sense for L.A.


The case against trading Martinez

Dillman: The remodeled or reshaped Kings defense – whatever you want to call it – is going to need someone with experience during inevitable lean times.


Someone has to stay around, right?


If Muzzin moves on, as many expect, it might behoove the Kings to retain Martinez for the next stage. On the plus side, there has been no outward signs of decline in his game at 31.


(He will turn 32 on July 26.)


As we like to say, plus/minus is not the last word when it comes to performance, but the fact Martinez is a plus-two in this dismal Kings’ season is a minor miracle.


He’s a good player at a reasonable price. If you’re going to keep someone around, you want him to be cost effective … a cost effective option in an era where prices are going up, up and up.


Cooper: The leadership argument plays with Martinez big time, in my opinion. He’s a phenomenal pro and understands the best aspects of Kings culture as well as anyone. If you want someone to teach the next generation of Kings defensemen what it takes, he would be on the short list of options.


I agree with Lisa in that he’s not in decline and should play well for the duration of his contract. Granted, anything can happen between now and then, but for the role he plays, he seems to have the type of game that shouldn’t drop off that much.


Also, there’s a bit of a sentimental reason for keeping Martinez in that he did score the Stanley Cup winning goal in 2014 as well as the goal that got them to the Cup final in that run. Jazz Hands forever!


Trade score

Let’s evaluate the likelihood of the player moving based on his contract, age and skill level, using a score of 5 to 1, with 5 meaning he is highly attractive for a trade and 1 meaning he is not attractive for a trade.


Salary: 3


A contending team looking for a do-it-all puck-mover can do worse than $4 million per year. That being said, there are probably available defensemen who come at a lower price.


Age: 2


Martinez is 31 years old. As we pointed out, he’s not in any sort of noticeable decline, but he’s not that young either.


Ability: 3.5


Martinez is relatively underrated in that he plays over 20 minutes per night, gives hard minutes and can also move the puck. He’s not an elite defenseman, but he does a lot of things well.


Market

Any team looking to add reasonably priced veteran blueline depth would make sense. The Wild had been rumored to be interested in Martinez before. It feels like the Maple Leafs are always rumored on blueliners – yes, we know we mentioned them in our Muzzin trade piece – and someone like Martinez could help stabilize that group as a player with a winning pedigree.

*fuck this guy. I'm so done with him he has almost reached J-Blow status for me because of so many similarities. His new handle is "Slam Dunk Toffoli" because if it isn't slam dunk, this guy isn't scoring.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Rebuilding the Kings: The case for and against trading Jonathan Quick

Timing is everything when it comes to making in-season goalie deals.


The reason you don’t see many starters move at or near the trade deadline is that it is hard to find a fit.


For instance, it seemed like such a good idea when the St. Louis Blues acquired then-Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who was on an expiring contract, in a blockbuster trade at the deadline in 2014. The best-laid plans backfired and the Blues lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Blackhawks.


Still, surely, someone will push their chips all in again to acquire a big-name goaltender at the deadline. Could Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick be that missing piece for a team making a championship push?


As for the last-place Kings, they have to contemplate anything and everything — even trading Quick, the heart and soul of their two Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 and Conn Smythe winner in 2012.


“There’s something about the guy,” Kings defenseman Alec Martinez told The Athletic in December. “If I’m in a life-or-death situation and it depends on one hockey game, Jonathan Quick is going to be my choice every day of the week.”


With the Kings likely moving toward an inevitable reset, Lisa Dillman and Josh Cooper are examining some of their potential trade chips.


The case for trading Quick

Dillman: Yes, there was a Kings player leading the NHL in two meaningful categories – goals-against average (2.21) and save percentage (.930) on Jan. 10.


Hello, Jack Campbell.


Even before Campbell moved into the top spot, it’s clear the Kings are in a highly enviable position when it comes to goaltending depth. And how often have you heard the words “enviable position” when it comes to the Kings in this disappointing season?


Not only do they have Campbell, but they also have gifted youngster Cal Petersen, who has showed he is well ahead of schedule in his 11 NHL appearances this season. This depth means the Kings can move Quick sooner rather than later, now that a rebuild is inevitable. Quick is one of their most valuable trade chips, a franchise player with a reasonable cap hit ($5.8 million) and one without a no-move or no-trade clause.


Here are more reasons to move him: Quick has been injured twice this season and he turns 33 in a few days (Jan. 21). Trade him while he is healthy and the focus is on his lengthy list of accomplishments, not his latest injury layoff.


Cooper: Are Campbell and Petersen legit alpha No. 1s like Quick? Who knows. Do I think they have potential to be? Absolutely.


Give them the opportunity now to compete and see which one has the best shot to be the Kings goaltender of the future.


Quick’s trade value should be decent. Some contending teams with goaltending issues may see him as a missing piece — kind of like the Blues in 2014 with Miller. The idea of trading a No. 1 in midseason doesn’t happen often, but it’s not a foreign concept. All it takes is one GM — like St. Louis and Doug Armstrong back then.


Also, as Lisa pointed out, goaltending is the only spot where the Kings would be dealing from a position of strength.


Furthermore, Quick doesn’t have trade protection, so he can’t control his fate. This makes dealing him a much easier play than someone with a clause where he can call his own shots.


The case against trading Quick

Dillman: It all comes down to whether the Kings can get full value for Quick. As we’ve noted, it is hard to move a starting goaltender in the middle of the season.


The Kings are certainly capable of pulling the trigger on trading their franchise goaltender, who happens to be the reigning Jennings Trophy winner. But they need to get a decent return if they are going to make such a dramatic move.


I don’t think the return is there right now.


Let’s face it: This is not a great time to be a seller in the NHL. The Kings are better off waiting until the offseason to make a move with Quick when there might be a better chance of getting A-minus prospects rather than the B-plus variety.


My other rationale for not trading Quick has little to do with cap numbers and advanced statistics. There are the X-factors: his fire, competitiveness and absolute hatred of losing. Who can forget those choice few expletives in Pittsburgh before Christmas?


The kids who are going to be part of the rebuild are like sponges, learning on the fly. They all don’t need to start acting like Quick, of course. But who better to learn from someone who is handling this season with a snarl, not a smile?


Cooper: I think Lisa’s last two points are spot on. Quick is considered a phenomenal teammate and a great leader.


He’s an absolute workhorse and someone that the Kings’ two younger goaltenders can look up to. Campbell seemed thrilled to be at Quick’s side during the NHL Awards a year ago when the Kings and Quick were given the Jennings Trophy.


Quick also helped recruit Petersen — a potential replacement — despite the fact that there was a possibility they could overlap in L.A.


Give Quick another year, or at least let him go through this season, to continue to guide them and show them what it takes to be a solid pro.


Since Quick has come back from his latest injury, he’s held a .914 save percentage, which actually isn’t terrible considering how mediocre this Kings team has been all around.


Lastly, even though he’s about to turn 33, in my opinion he’s still one of the most entertaining goaltenders in the NHL. In a possible rebuild, the Kings will still need talented players for their fans to pay to watch. For my money, Quick is still an incredible draw and worth the price of admission.

Trade score

Let’s evaluate the likelihood of the player moving based on his contract, age and skill level, using a score of 5 to 1, with 5 meaning he is highly attractive for a trade and 1 meaning he is not attractive for a trade.


Salary: 2


The common refrain about Quick is that his $5.8 million salary is trade protection in its own right.


On top of that, he has four years left on his deal. That would take him to age 37 — not exactly a good year for a goaltender who plays his explosive style.


Age: 2


Quick turns 33 in January. It’s not super old for a goaltender, but he’s not that young either. That being said, an argument could be made that his age is a plus in regards to big-game experience for this year and potentially one more year before a real decline could kick in. He would be going to a contender most likely anyway, and that team would probably be looking more short-term than anything.


Ability: 5


Quick’s talent is still undeniable.


Market

Which potential playoff-bound team could use a goaltender with Quick’s skill and leadership? The Colorado Avalanche?


If the situation in Columbus between Sergei Bobrovsky and the Blue Jackets becomes more of a thing, would Quick be a fit? Would the Philadelphia Flyers look to add Quick, simply because former Kings GM Dean Lombardi works there as an exec now and has never hidden his admiration for the player?