Kings Off-Season Preview: Minor Addition
by RudyKelly on Jun 1, 2009 3:04 AM PDT
17 comments
We went over the possible major additions the Kings could make on Saturday; now I want to go over the possible minor additions the Kings could make.
The Kings have the following young talent at the forward position: Ted Purcell, Oscar Moller, Trevor Lewis, Brian Boyle, Brad Richardson, Matt Moulson (whatever happened to him?), Marc-Andre Cliche, and whoever they draft in the 1st round. With the exception of Cliche and Moulson, everyone listed is supposed to be a top-six player. The problem, of course, is that the Kings' top 6 will probably look like this next season:
Brown-Kopitar-(Free Agent Acquisition)
Frolov-Stoll-Williams
In the bottom six, the only people guaranteed jobs are Michal Handzus, Wayne Simmonds, and Raitis Ivanans/Kevin Westgarth. The holes are: checking line left winger, bottom line center, and agitating right winger. It's funny to say, but I don't see Oscar Moller or Ted Purcell fitting either position. Moller will likely spend most of next season down in Manchester, which is a good thing, but I don't see where Purcell fits into this team. Is it Manchester again for him, does he get poached by another team (which would be a great pick-up for an enterprising GM), or do the Kings just let him go? It'll be interesting to see.
Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds were fantastic last season and helped the Kings drastically improve their goals allowed. The only thing missing for them is a right winger that can pitch in a few goals and can maybe go to blows every once in a while. The Kings could hope Moller, Richardson or Moulson can grow into that position, but I don't think the Kings can really afford to take that risk. I'd much rather they go after a free agent. The name'll sound familiar:
Travis Moen.
I would absolutely love Travis Moen on the Kings. He could fill in the exact same role he took on the Ducks and would fit in perfectly with Handzus and Simmonds. Of course, he's going to re-sign with the Sharks so that sucks, but maybe Dean can work some magic.
That's the only person I'm going to mention. I'm not going to make a big list of options because, to be honest, I don't really think there's anyone else that's worth it. Maybe the Kings can trade Purcell and pick someone up, but I'm not going to make the effort to look them up. Do you know anyone?
I see the Kings doing on of two things to fill that 4th-line center position: either re-signing table tennis champion Derek Armstrong or opening the job to either Brian Boyle or Trevor Lewis. Boyle is getting his last, last, last shot at making an NHL roster, while Lewis has completed all of his steps in getting to the NHL and deserves a look. I think Boyle will win the job early and then give way to Lewis as the season goes along.
The fourth line right winger position I don't really care about, just please do not put John Zeiler there. Give it to Richardson, or Moller if you want to keep him up, or even that Clune guy that everyone was jacking off to last training camp. Just not John Zeiler. Please.
On defense and goaltender, I don't really see the Kings signing anyone. I'd like to see the Kings sign a defender that can play solid defense and protect Jack Johnson, but that's just me being greedy. There is a spot vacated by Denis Gauthier, but the Kings can just open that job up to Drewiskie/Hickey/Voynov/Piskula/Harrold/Preissing and call it a day. The Kings have 3 goaltenders (Jonathan Quick, Erik Ersberg, and Jonathan Bernier) that are all on 2-way contracts so they have plenty of flexibility there.
***
The Kings are going to have a fairly quiet off-season. They need to make one major acquisition (people seem to agree that Marian Gaborik is the best choice) and one minor acquisition (a checking left winger like Travis Moen) and that's pretty much it. Here's how I see the Kings looking next season if everything goes according to plan (because that's guaranteed to happen):
Brown-Kopitar-Gaborik
Frolov-Stoll-Williams
Moen-Handzus-Simmonds
Ivanans-Boyle-Richardson
Doughty-O'Donnell
Greene-Quincey
Hickey-Johnson
Quick
Ersberg
I know it's suprising to look at a team that's 5th from last and saying, "Hey, we don't have to change that much," but I really don't see much room for change. Remember, this is best-case for the Kings, in my opinion. I'll get into what I think about this line-up in a little bit, but I just want to submit one question to you: does this look like a playoff line-up to you?
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I think they can make the playoffs without those guys
IMO that depends on what teams like DET, VAN, SJ, MIN, and DAL do. They should all have some significant changes, and if they all somehow have less points next season then they had this season, that statement would be true.
I have to think ANA, EDM, CBJ, and CHI all improve though.
COL will improve, but might not be threat anytime soon regardless.
SJ and DET aren’t losing enough points to drop out of the playoffs. MIN/DAL in particular could, but they weren’t in the dance this year anyways, and VAN might slide a bit. If the Kings are going to make the playoffs, its going to be because of teams like EDM/CBJ/NSH taking falls, and more than that, LA being good enough to take advantage.
I don’t think Rudy’s lineup here makes the playoffs, unless a goalie cements his status as a top 10 NHL goalie. With another RFA acquisition like a Lucic or a Clowe or something, in addition to this lineup, I might put them in the playoffs, but even then, its a tough road. That 4th line needs to be made into more of an asset than a liability.
http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.
I don’t think Anaheim is going to be better. Edmonton is only going to be better if they can play that young goalie with too many names, because Roloson is older than shit and they traded Garon. Who knows what Vancouver is going to do and Dallas proved they’re not that good without Zubov. Also, Min is up in the air without Lemaire (that rhymes!) and Gaborik.
I don’t think Anaheim is going to be better.
I am not talking about the ANA team in the playoffs, because those wins do not count againt LA’s reg. season. I am refering to the ANA team that was sitting in 12th place with 15 games remaining.
If ANA does not improve on that, and finish higher than 8, then my only guess would be the owners got sent to prison.
Perhaps most people think Marian Gaborik is the best choice, but I disagree. If any team should learn from their mistakes with injury prone players (Demitra, Ziggy, Deadmarsh, etc.) it’s the Kings. Maybe after Hossa wins his Cup he’ll want to go somewhere with cap space and nice weather?
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The problem with some of those other players you list is that the Kings relied on those guys and were making them long term pillars of the franchise, or at least trying to. If you keep the commitment real low, like a 1 or 2 year “show me” deal, its essentially a no risk-situation. Obviously, if you can get a Hossa on the team, you go for it, but I think Gabby is a pretty good bet on a short deal.
http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.
The problem with that is you don’t have any leverage to say that with unrestricted free agents. Maybe Gaborik because you have to be an idiot to give him a long term deal, but then again many GM’s are idiots.
by Nut on Jun 1, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think I get what you’re pointing at here, by “don’t have any leverage to say that with UFA’s”. With Havlat and Gaborik, there’s no question that there are significant injury risks there. If they sign a one year deal as a “show me” kind of thing, then they can build up buzz for a big payday the next summer. Sure, maybe there’s some idiot out there with a 6 year $36M deal with Gabby’s name on it, but if thats the case, then its all irrelevant, because you weren’t going to get him for any less than that. Obviously with other guys who aren’t damaged goods, this is a moot point, because theres no reasonable expectation to be able to lowball them.
http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.
If you keep the commitment real low, like a 1 or 2 year "show me" deal, its essentially a no risk-situation
Ugh. Sounds like Ladislav Nagy & Valerie Bure all over again. No thanks…
2009 LA Kings Hockey: thanks to Joe Sakic's snowblower, WE'RE BETTER THAN THE AV'S!!!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jun 1, 2009 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions
That’s like saying, “Giving Manny an option, that sounds like JD Drew all over again. No thanks…”
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
True
2009 LA Kings Hockey: thanks to Joe Sakic's snowblower, WE'RE BETTER THAN THE AV'S!!!!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jun 2, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Rudy, I added a photo of Gaborik to the top. Incredible player, but there are going to be questions after he basically checked out on his team.
I think you can go with youth up front before going that route on the blueline. I was looking into a Johnny Oduya.to SJ rumor yesterday, and in my opinion that move would be much more beneficial to the Kings.
What do you see as a priority, adding offensive punch to the top of the lineup, or adding defensive depth to help solidify a young goaltending tandem. And if the Sharks pull the trigger on Travis Moen, would the Kings be interested in a Mike Grier?
I would like to add another defenseman (so Johnson can be shielded by O’Donnell) but I’d rather add a good, defensively responsible forward than another defenseman. Basically, I trust one of Drewiskie, Hickey, Martinez, Voynov or Piskula to do well as a 6th defenseman than I trust Moller, Purcell, Lewis, Boyle or Moulson to become a 3rd-line forward.
I agree with you that youth does better at forward than it does on defense, but the difference is that our defensive prospects are sooooo much better than our forward prospects.
Can Mike Grier play left wing? I love him and having he and Simmonds flanking a sullen-looking Handzus would be the height of comedy, but I wasn’t sure if he could play the opposite wing.
The West Coast is the Best Coast.
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