Vilardi on assignment

[CaptHowdy00]

he’s being sent to Ontario for a conditioning assignment.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

he’s being sent to Ontario for a conditioning assignment.

It's progress....?

With how the season has gone, I'm cool just letting him take whatever time he needs, and hopefully be ready for next year's training camp.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Definitely progress, just see how he does. He was a risky pick as it was because of the back issue, hopefully he doesn't suffer any set backs - he has already started the last 2 years on the Kings' Opening Night roster on IR. A third year next fall and it may be time to part ways.

It was a midday game today from my understanding, did anyone happen to catch it to see him?

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I think it's 10am in Bakersfield. I read Reign play 3 in 4 nights or something like that.

Imagine being this highly touted Canadian prospect, and the high levels you played at, and then your "pro" debut is a 10am game in Bakersfield. Welcome to the big leagues, kid!

 

[davnlaguna]

I think it's 10am in Bakersfield. I read Reign play 3 in 4 nights or something like that.

Imagine being this highly touted Canadian prospect, and the high levels you played at, and then your "pro" debut is a 10am game in Bakersfield. Welcome to the big leagues, kid!

If he was Canadian, they would have called a national holiday and televised the game on the Jumbotron in the town square

 

[Psych3man]

He is Canadian, born in Kingston, Ontario

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Bakersfield....yikes. What a first stop for your NHL career.

Mrs. Puck's cousin got married about 3-4 years ago in Kernville*, about 50 miles east of Bakersfield. It's a beautiful place for those who have never been there, the population is about 1500, it sits on the Kern River and it has a very connected, small town feel to it. Everyone knows everyone (which can be a good and bad thing).

I had never met this cousin before, and all she said leading up to it was "we're going to a wedding in Bakersfield". I cringed at the thought, knowing my own experiences passing through that shithole. We take the 5 to the 99 and then exit into Bakersfield and the entire time I'm driving I'm looking around at the poverty, crack heads and hookers all over the place and it's only 11:30am at this point.

We kept on going however and I finally asked her when are we going to stop and she says we have about another 40 miles to go and then tells me it was Kernville. I was so damn relieved to hear that it wasn't even funny, and her aunt is loaded too so we lived like kings for a few days there.

As for Vilardi, I hope Bakersfield didn't ruin his career thinking he will have to live in this type of dump and I certainly hope he didn't spend the night there in any of the hotels.

* a year after the wedding, we went back up for a family camping trip. We pretty much took over the Frandy Campground with about 40-50 family members. Leave it to my damn kids to somehow lose their ropes tying their inner tubes together and a mass of kid cousins started floating away. Me and my cousin were amazingly the most sober of the bunch (shocker, I know) so we had to get this elaborate rescue mission underway to get about 8 kids. We covered probably about 3 miles of river before we finally were able to secure them and get them all to shore.

I'm not even sure how we pulled it off but at the end somehow I got hooked on a tree sticking out of the water and my ass (literally) took a beating when the rushing water slammed my tube onto the rocks.

Good times.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Clifford doesn't travel to Detroit; Vilardi out tonight, evaluation Monday - LA Kings Insider

Not saying it's his back...but it's his back. He got injured again. Dude is looking more and more like a serious bust.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

How could they not have evaluated him before the draft?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

They did, they took the risk of having a top 3 talent (prior to the back issues) taken at 11th overall.

Worked last time with an unknown/risk (Kopitar - no player had come out of Slovenia before him so talent or not NHL teams passed on him and LA took him 11th overall in 2005) so they rolled the dice again.

We all understand the "buy low" concept but this franchise sure seems to keep drafting for need in the 1st rounds it seems rather than take the best player available. You can always trade the player for a need but teams systems and philosophies change constantly so a player drafted for a need 3 years ago may not be a good fit today.

Obviously it's too early for the 2017 draft but Nick Suzuki was drafted by Vegas 2 spots after Vilardi but is highly touted and was deemed an untouchable until the Pacioretty trade but more importantly injury free and is doing well, in 2016 Dumbo took Clague who looks to be a project (2nd round pick however, no 1st because of the Sekera trade), it's littered throughout the picks over the years if you look close enough (Hickey in 2007 at 4th overall, a defender expected to go between 15-25th in a weak draft with Voracek, Couture and McDonaugh still on the board before 12th if you really wanted a defenseman).

I sure hope he plans out for LAs sake as well as for his long term life wellbeing but his situation should be a very serious concern for LA.

 

[LoCal Kings]

Back to Juniors. Sure hope Vilardi gets healthy. Take his time, don't rush it.

Article did mention the Kings won't be burning a year of his ELC by returning to Juniors now. I'm guessing this means come 2021 Expansion, Vilardi will still be within the 2-yr pro period and thus "exempt" from the draft?

Trying to look on the bright side down here in LoCal.....

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Vilardi ruled out of World Juniors, it's his back again. He was not present for practice on Monday, he went offsite for medical treatment.

Canadian winger Gabriel Vilardi out of world juniors with back injury - Sportsnet.ca

I think it's getting real close to fish or cut bait on this guy. His health and livelihood is more important than anything, he is only 19. Muzzin had back issues as well early on in his career and recuperated but that may not be the case here with Vilardi.

This was a home run pick by LA, not looking good at all. It's too soon to determine whether the draft class was a success or not but LA probably should have picked someone else.

2017 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

 

[davnlaguna]

Saw (on Facebook I think) that Luc is sending him to JRs to finish the season.
This is a failure of the medical team. Trying to get him playing before he was healed. This lead to not favoring one thing and causing another injury.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Not sure what other injury it could be, all I have read is it's his back and it seems like a chronic injury.

Officially sent down to the OHL but will not play, sent for assignment purposes only to get healthy. Best wishes young man.

 

[Psych3man]

How old Kings of you...