Post-Game Talk: Kings drop series to Oilers

[Little Psycho]

Kopitar shouldn't be relied on #1 center duties full time. Guy has A LOT of mileage on him and it's pretty darn obvious he's worn out. Getting Danault was smart by Blake but i don't think he saw it coming that none of the kids were able to take the 3c full time. We have glaring holes for forwards and goaltending.

 

[cyclones22]

I said this in another thread, but if the Kings management make decisions this off season to help Kopitar then they're doomed to fail. He is no longer a centerpiece of a playoff team. He is a supporting player now and should be treated as such. No more changing his linemates to get his game going. Prime Kopi it would have been the opposite, place wingers on his line to get them going. Those days are passed.

Blake did a great job in the off season and brought in Phil and Arvy. Those guys are big-time contributors and two parts of the best line on the team. The team delivered on his playoff expectation and promise to begin the season. But now the dilemma is how to sustain this and elevate higher. This is a turning point off-season for him.

They sacrificed some youth development for 7 playoff games. To be clear I am 100% happy with the Danault and Arvidsson acquisitions. Brown is gone, AA should follow him and probably a few other RFAs. TMc needs to do real youth integration this time, I'm sick of this requirement to start working in the mailroom before giving any responsibility for our top prospects. At some point you need to really start investing in your kids and not pampering your older players.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Ok so a handful of posters on here(including myself) were critical with the way the development staff brings up forwards in comparison to defensemen. This goes back years. This is the year I think we can put that debate to rest. This team needs a new development staff to bring out the skill in the forwards we draft and not have them all become 3rd-4th line plugs.

Yamamoto was drafted in 2017 with the 22pick.. We have the #7 and #11 pick in that draft that ate popcorn during this series.

That's a horseshit take if you want to use THAT as shot at development,

#7 OA from that draft, that we didn't touch until 2022, not even in the f***ing organization, but yea, let's use him as a poster boy for bad development......f***ing brutal.

#11 OA from that draft, that we did draft, had MAJOR injury issues, and major skating issues, but it set his development back a year at least, if not two,

But let's use the #22 OA pick who JUST THIS YEAR BECAME RELEVANT......as what, a way to show Edmonton of all organizations are now developing prospects right?

f***ing brutal take.

 

[Mats26]

That's a horseshit take if you want to use THAT as shot at development,

#7 OA from that draft, that we didn't touch until 2022, not even in the f***ing organization, but yea, let's use him as a poster boy for bad development......f***ing brutal.

#11 OA from that draft, that we did draft, had MAJOR injury issues, and major skating issues, but it set his development back a year at least, if not two,

But let's use the #22 OA pick who JUST THIS YEAR BECAME RELEVANT......as what, a way to show Edmonton of all organizations are now developing prospects right?

f***ing brutal take.

Keep defending the poor development, you are doing a better job of it. This team will eventually trade most of the kids for better pieces because we are lucky if 1 of them becomes a PPG player. Meanwhile around the league kids are producing. If only we take what we do for the D and make it work with the forwards, we wouldn't be in this mess. I guess it might be too much for some people to admit it, but it is what it is.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Keep defending the poor development, you are doing a better job of it. This team will eventually trade most of the kids for better pieces because we are lucky if 1 of them becomes a PPG player. Meanwhile around the league kids are producing. If only we take what we do for the D and make it work with the forwards, we wouldn't be in this mess. I guess it might be too much for some people to admit it, but it is what it is.

Where in the world did you get I was defending anything? You had a piss poor take, and used piss poor reasoning for that take, if you want to make a point, USE BETTER EXAMPLES..... using a prospect that we didn't acquire until 2022, and say see,....we didn't develop him....is f***ing idiotic.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Is it though? It was a disappointing season. Cool they made the playoffs and took a beatable team to 7 games. But to me, it was a disappointing finish after being ahead of the Oilers for much of the year, disappointing injuries, disappointing performance by the kids, another disappointing performance by the PP and PK. Disappointing distribution of ice times for a team in transition. I mean Troy Stecher plays in the playoffs but the kid who’s known for his steady defensive play doesn’t suit up for a single playoff game? How’s Bjornfot’s confidence going to be next season? Or Vilardi? Now the kids are expected to be the guys taking over and they’re going to have to learn on the fly instead of learning last season and carrying that into this year.

I don’t know, I guess it’s all about perspective, right? My thoughts are anyone who has the perspective that this is a ‘disappointing’ season is either ignorant or has unrealistic expectations. And then I would ask that person ‘what were your expectations?’

If you were disappointed this season, how did you feel about the last 5 seasons??

My take is this…yes, disappointing way to end the season only because I feel if the Kings had Doughty and Arvidsson, we win that series. Besides that, I’ve been thoroughly engaged and entertained for the past 7+ months….way more than I can say for the previous 5 years.

For all the whining about the kids not getting enough playing time, I say this: Most of these guys aren’t even old enough to buy beer, their time will come.

Kind of ironic, talking to a buddy of mine today who’s a big Ducks fan and I was asking him about his thoughts were on next season. He tells me that they really need to go out and acquire some veteran talent to play with all the kids, how they can’t put all the pressure on the kids, etc. Just thought it was funny because that’s exactly what the Kings are doing but so many people here have an issue with it.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I don’t know, I guess it’s all about perspective, right? My thoughts are anyone who has the perspective that this is a ‘disappointing’ season is either ignorant or has unrealistic expectations. And then I would ask that person ‘what were your expectations?’

If you were disappointed this season, how did you feel about the last 5 seasons??

My take is this…yes, disappointing way to end the season only because I feel if the Kings had Doughty and Arvidsson, we win that series. Besides that, I’ve been thoroughly engaged and entertained for the past 7+ months….way more than I can say for the previous 5 years.

For all the whining about the kids not getting enough playing time, I say this: Most of these guys aren’t even old enough to buy beer, their time will come.

Kind of ironic, talking to a buddy of mine today who’s a big Ducks fan and I was asking him about his thoughts were on next season. He tells me that they really need to go out and acquire some veteran talent to play with all the kids, how they can’t put all the pressure on the kids, etc. Just thought it was funny because that’s exactly what the Kings are doing but so many people here have an issue with it.

DL was perfectly fine in trading Purcell for a couple playoff games. He was fine with bringing in crybaby Smyth if it meant the team got a tiny bit better. He had no idea he would get Richards when he got Smyth. It was all about making the team a little bit better today. Laughing stock JMFJ was a major part of the team until the day he got traded. He thought he was more clever than everyone when he took Hickey. Murray, DL knew him from Philly. Hextall, DL knew him from Philly. Sutter, DL knew him from SJ. The Cups mask all of that nepotism and just make the playoff type moves. Old man Ryan Smyth isn't winning you anything, but let's get him anyway.

All that matters is winning. You win, you're right and smart. You lose, you're wrong and dumb. That's all it is.

 

[Reaper45]

I don’t know, I guess it’s all about perspective, right? My thoughts are anyone who has the perspective that this is a ‘disappointing’ season is either ignorant or has unrealistic expectations. And then I would ask that person ‘what were your expectations?’

If you were disappointed this season, how did you feel about the last 5 seasons??

My take is this…yes, disappointing way to end the season only because I feel if the Kings had Doughty and Arvidsson, we win that series. Besides that, I’ve been thoroughly engaged and entertained for the past 7+ months….way more than I can say for the previous 5 years.

For all the whining about the kids not getting enough playing time, I say this: Most of these guys aren’t even old enough to buy beer, their time will come.

Kind of ironic, talking to a buddy of mine today who’s a big Ducks fan and I was asking him about his thoughts were on next season. He tells me that they really need to go out and acquire some veteran talent to play with all the kids, how they can’t put all the pressure on the kids, etc. Just thought it was funny because that’s exactly what the Kings are doing but so many people here have an issue with it.

I think we look at things differently but the same really. And you can’t compare the Ducks to the Kings. They need to add veteran talent to their young team now because they let the kids play and grow and learn for a full season. Even while rebuilding the Kings didn’t do that. At the first whiff of a tough stretch the kids on the Kings get sent down to Ontario for a season, or swapped to wing. If Zegras struggled, guess what, he got to stay in the lineup and play to his strengths.

 

[lumbergh]

If Vilardi doesn't get into the top 6 by the beginning of next season, he should be traded for an established star winger. Vilardi + 1st for ___________.

That blank should read Mark Scheifele. Probably will take an additional piece, say a Sean Durzi or Kupari?

 

[Lt Dan]

Pain Heals. Chicks dig scars, Glory lasts forever

 

[KingsCourt]

the kids have to step up, we cannot rely on Kopi for offense anymore

 

[SettlementRichie10]

the kids have to step up, we cannot rely on Kopi for offense anymore

It really doesn’t get any simpler than this right here.

Blake spent years hoarding picks and putting together the best prospect pool in hockey. It’s time for at least one of these kids to step up.

 

[cyclones22]

And it's time to actually play them in the roles they were drafted for. You don't recruit and hire the hot shot graduate from the Ivy League school and stick him in the freaking mail room because he needs to learn the ground level workings of your company. Imagine sticking your most promising medical resident in the OR with your worst surgeons and expecting him or her to one day be good enough to be chief of surgery. Most of the successful NHL franchises do it the same way, they surround their best prospects with veteran TALENT to skate with. But the Kings think they've somehow found the secret formula to developing forwards when they haven't in ages.

 

[The Butcher]

Still digesting that wild series.

The mature and rational side of me wants to root on the team that beat the Kings....


But I'm finding it hard to be happy for any success for Evander Kane and the team that employs him. I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck he will do something awful to totally screw his team at some point this spring.

 

[AbsentMojo]

And it's time to actually play them in the roles they were drafted for. You don't recruit and hire the hot shot graduate from the Ivy League school and stick him in the freaking mail room because he needs to learn the ground level workings of your company. Imagine sticking your most promising medical resident in the OR with your worst surgeons and expecting him or her to one day be good enough to be chief of surgery. Most of the successful NHL franchises do it the same way, they surround their best prospects with veteran TALENT to skate with. But the Kings think they've somehow found the secret formula to developing forwards when they haven't in ages.

Good analogies lol .. it seems the Kings development culture is based on systems and playing the system...maybe a more military style ethic. Where I would prefer for the more talented players to be treated more like art school - let them be creative and make mistakes and for certain dont suck the life out of their talent.. I recall Kopi before and after Terry Murray.. he was so much more creative and fun to watch pre-TM than after.. but do we get the cups without the 2 way fwd mentality? Maybe we still do because the team was loaded with smart defensive forwards like JW and Richards. I guess the point is - is the org stuck in a rut with the values that they thought got them the cups in 2012/2014

 

[YP44]

That's a horseshit take if you want to use THAT as shot at development,

#7 OA from that draft, that we didn't touch until 2022, not even in the f***ing organization, but yea, let's use him as a poster boy for bad development......f***ing brutal.

#11 OA from that draft, that we did draft, had MAJOR injury issues, and major skating issues, but it set his development back a year at least, if not two,

But let's use the #22 OA pick who JUST THIS YEAR BECAME RELEVANT......as what, a way to show Edmonton of all organizations are now developing prospects right?

f***ing brutal take.

come on now, we all Edmonton is known for their development.
Gabe was thought of as a steal at 11 at the time. I was not in favor of acquiring Andersson from the Rangers, and he has done nothing to show me he was worth it.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

come on now, we all Edmonton is known for their development.
Gabe was thought of as a steal at 11 at the time. I was not in favor of acquiring Andersson from the Rangers, and he has done nothing to show me he was worth it.

My sarcastic meter is damn near broken today....so.....I stand by what I said lmao

 

[cyclones22]

Good analogies lol .. it seems the Kings development culture is based on systems and playing the system...maybe a more military style ethic. Where I would prefer for the more talented players to be treated more like art school - let them be creative and make mistakes and for certain dont suck the life out of their talent.. I recall Kopi before and after Terry Murray.. he was so much more creative and fun to watch pre-TM than after.. but do we get the cups without the 2 way fwd mentality? Maybe we still do because the team was loaded with smart defensive forwards like JW and Richards. I guess the point is - is the org stuck in a rut with the values that they thought got them the cups in 2012/2014

Most fans, including myself on occasion, are freaking hypocrites. For some reason they view sports as a completely different world than reality. When it's not. Some of the same principles of success and development are not any different. Hell you see it all the time when fans expect or hope that a player takes a hometown discount on an extension, when faced with the same opportunity in their profession they'd be like hell no.

The Kings development path for forwards is not innovative, it is counterintuitive. I've been giving management the benefit of the doubt for the last 8 years in top of 30 other years of frustration. That's a lot of goodwill for 2 Cups, but It's fair to question their methods until successful results can be repeated. There's little to no track record for blind trust at this point.

 

[Herby]

Most fans, including myself on occasion, are freaking hypocrites. For some reason they view sports as a completely different world than reality. When it's not. Some of the same principles of success and development are not any different. Hell you see it all the time when fans expect or hope that a player takes a hometown discount on an extension, when faced with the same opportunity in their profession they'd be like hell no.

The Kings development path for forwards is not innovative, it is counterintuitive. I've been giving management the benefit of the doubt for the last 8 years in top of 30 other years of frustration. That's a lot of goodwill for 2 Cups, but It's fair to question their methods until successful results can be repeated. There's little to no track record for blind trust at this point.

The Kings did give Vilardi a season as the 2C, so it’s not like every prospect hasn’t been given a shot.

Agreed on the last part, the Kings development path is very strange compared to other teams. I would say the vast majority of NHL teams would have handled Vilardi, Kupari, Turcotte and Byfield all differently. If you choose to develop your high draft picks significantly different than the more traditional and proven ways and then produce poor results it’s fair to place a lot of the blame on the GM.

Really love what Blake and the scouting and development teams have done in the later rounds, arguably the best in the league. But a card is judged by the main event, not the prelim fights.

 

[King'sPawn]

come on now, we all Edmonton is known for their development.
Gabe was thought of as a steal at 11 at the time. I was not in favor of acquiring Andersson from the Rangers, and he has done nothing to show me he was worth it.

I'd actually argue that Edmonton is worse than the Kings in development. They struggle even with their first overall picks, and have had several lottery/top five picks. If not for McDavid, this franchise would be a borderline lottery team.

However, it's still pretty damning that even though Edmonton can't develop jack, they still averaged almost 17 minutes of ice time per game in the regular season from Yamamoto.

 

[YP44]

I'd actually argue that Edmonton is worse than the Kings in development. They struggle even with their first overall picks, and have had several lottery/top five picks. If not for McDavid, this franchise would be a borderline lottery team.

However, it's still pretty damning that even though Edmonton can't develop jack, they still averaged almost 17 minutes of ice time per game in the regular season from Yamamoto.

Sorry was being an ass. Edmonton's development is shit, and in no way do I think LA is at the same level if ineptitude.

 

[kilowatt]

The Kings did give Vilardi a season as the 2C, so it’s not like every prospect hasn’t been given a shot.

Agreed on the last part, the Kings development path is very strange compared to other teams. I would say the vast majority of NHL teams would have handled Vilardi, Kupari, Turcotte and Byfield all differently. If you choose to develop your high draft picks significantly different than the more traditional and proven ways and then produce poor results it’s fair to place a lot of the blame on the GM.

Really love what Blake and the scouting and development teams have done in the later rounds, arguably the best in the league. But a card is judged by the main event, not the prelim fights.

And Vilardi put up the fourth-best rookie season among forwards since the lock out, behind only Kopitar, Kempe, and Toffoli ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[King'sPawn]

Sorry was being an ass. Edmonton's development is shit, and in no way do I think LA is at the same level if ineptitude.

Sorry should have known you knew lol

 

[FeartheFur]

It’s as simple as two of the “kids” need to step up next year. I’m talking Byfield and Vilardi. Play them 15 minutes a game not 6. It’s time to sink or swim boys. I’m still intrigued by Turcotte though. I think he eventually takes Lizottes spot…

 

[kilowatt]

It’s as simple as two of the “kids” need to step up next year. I’m talking Byfield and Vilardi. Play them 15 minutes a game not 6. It’s time to sink or swim boys. I’m still intrigued by Turcotte though. I think he eventually takes Lizottes spot…

Where though? If we don't bring in any other forwards, our top six will likely be six of the following seven players: Kopitar, Kempe, Danault, Arvidsson, Moore, Iafallo, and Kaliyev. The drop off in ice time after the top seven this year was pretty significant. You're probably looking at about 12-13 minutes per game for third liners who get PK time. Unless Byfield and Vilardi are playing in the top six, there's just no way for them to get those minutes. It's not just the Kings either, pretty much every team has about seven forwards who play 15+ minutes per game, and the rest are usually under 13.

And I've got to be honest, I don't see Vilardi on the team next year. I think we package him for an upgrade on defense. Maybe something like Vilardi, Durzi, and our first for Chychrun or Provorov? I could see us trading Walker to Buffalo for a guy like Ryan Johnson too.

Assuming no other moves, maybe we pair one "rookie" with two veterans on each line (like we wanted all f***ing season)?

Kempe - Kopitar - Kaliyev
Moore - Danault - Kupari
Iafallo - Byfield - Arvidsson
Lemieux - Lizotte - Grundstrom

Anderson - Doughty
Chychrun - Clarke
Bjornfot - Roy