Defender Destinations

[PuckinUgly57]

Just was perusing the interwebz and reading about teams and their needs and came across the Hurricanes. They have some glaring needs - a defenseman and a T9 forward mainly. Pitkanen is on the shelf and Rutherford doesn't believe he will be ready by the opener and is looking at options.

Something to keep an eye out for since the Kings will move at least 2 guys before training camp by hook or by crook.

My money is on either Muzzin or Martinez and one of King or Nolan will be gone.

 

[davnlaguna]

I dont disagree. The problem is what do the Kings get back. Picks and prospects is all they can take. With the Kings forced to sell and so few buyers I would get out the KY

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Picks and prospects is all the really need at this point in time, I would be surprised to see an NHL caliber body coming back unless it was some sort of package deal. The Kings need to shed bodies, not acquire any.

For the 2014 and 2015 Drafts, the Kings do not have a guaranteed 2nd round pick. They dealt both theirs in the Regehr trade, and Toronto owns the option for 2014 or 2015 pick that was sent to LA in the Bernier deal. They will have only one 2nd round pick in both those drafts barring any other acquisitions.

I can see Martinez or Muzzin netting a 2nd round pick - Martinez for proof, Muzzin for hype. The glut of defenders definitely lowers negotiating power for Dumbo but I'd pull the trigger on this deal for either guy in a flash based on needs.

Prospects wouldn't be bad either, never hurts. Dumbo hoarded goalie picks during the initial rebuild hoping one would pan out because LA had sucked at developing their own goalie until Quick emerged. Granted Quick wasn't his pick - he was Taylor's - but the methodology worked.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him take the same approach since the NHL roster is set for a while and prospects shouldn't be making the team barring injury, the Kings hypothetically should be a top 5-10 team for the next several years resulting in lower draft picks and grabbing as many picks increases the chances of developing an NHL player while the current NHL team holds the fort.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Speaking of picks. From what I heard and read, the Kings have about 3 to 4 years, before they need to worry about replacing older players.
That being the case, if there are no pick that far out, the Kings will be a very old team (by hockey standards) with no picks. If we do not win another cup in the next few years that will be a hard pill to swallow. So I'm wondering if there is a long term plan in place for this eventuality?

 

[davnlaguna]

The Kings have a few younger guys in the system. I doubt the team they have now will be the team in 5 years. Mitchell i will need to be replaced soon. Too many missed games to suggest he will have a long career. The problem is that the young guys want to make the money now. If they can't make the team in LA they will want to be traded to a team that will play them.

No order to the above sorry
Just meant there are players in the system and there will be spots for them. Maybe not in LA

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Speaking of picks. From what I heard and read, the Kings have about 3 to 4 years, before they need to worry about replacing older players.

The Kings are one of the youngest teams in the league, pretty sure in 2012 they were in the top 4. I think the Kings' window is beyond 3-4 years, possibly 5-6. Of course guys will move in and out - I expect Stoll to be gone after this contract, Mitchell, etc. - but a majority of the team will still be young.

It's a catch 22 for a player being drafted by LA; you just got picked up by one of the best developmental organizations in the league but you will be biding your time honing your craft for a while. Eventually you may want to be traded so you get a shot at the NHL and make the bucks - I think we should call this Bernier Syndrome.

That being the case, if there are no pick that far out, the Kings will be a very old team (by hockey standards) with no picks. If we do not win another cup in the next few years that will be a hard pill to swallow. So I'm wondering if there is a long term plan in place for this eventuality?

The exodus Dumbo conducted when he first arrived completely cleaned the slate for where the Kings are now. Remember the days of thinking Karlsson, Pushkarev, Tukonen, Ryan etc were all considered top prospects? The current staff obviously knew better than Taylor's staff (Al Murray - who was overall pretty terrible the 15 years he was in charge of that stuff) and started from the ground up. The prospects in the system are much better than they were, so that is the plan.

As guys get older and moved out, since the quality is better of the prospects since 2006, they should be developed and brought up. It's going to be perpetual, constantly shuffling - guys in, guys out. I don't see Dumbo holding onto guys beyond their productive years like Taylor was guilty of.

This is also where a solid scouting staff is key. The Kings are primed to be successful for a while, which means they will be getting lower draft positions (hopefully - this means the season went well) which means not as talented picks will be left to draft.

Scouting will play a huge role to find that guy taken at 194th overall (6th round) who can turn into a T6 forward or T4 defender. The Wings had a knack for this because of that exact reason with guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk, but they have slipped in recent years. While still grabbing NHL quality players, they haven't hit a home run like those in a while.

 

[Fox4Kings]

I think with continued success, LA will just be a place that players will want to come and play. I think before we relied so heavily on the draft because we couldn't land a free agent. It was by draft or get lucky with a trade. With where the team is at now, the draft is not so vital. If you land a stud, sweet. But perennial playoff teams do not rely on draft at all really.

 

[davnlaguna]

I think with continued success, LA will just be a place that players will want to come and play. I think before we relied so heavily on the draft because we couldn't land a free agent. It was by draft or get lucky with a trade. With where the team is at now, the draft is not so vital. If you land a stud, sweet. But perennial playoff teams do not rely on draft at all really.

Hope you are right but until a guy chooses LA over some team in the East we will never know

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I think with continued success, LA will just be a place that players will want to come and play. I think before we relied so heavily on the draft because we couldn't land a free agent. It was by draft or get lucky with a trade. With where the team is at now, the draft is not so vital. If you land a stud, sweet. But perennial playoff teams do not rely on draft at all really.

Disagree with this.

All good teams are built through the draft and supplemented by FA signings and trade. All recent Cup winners - Hawks, Kings, Penguins, Bruins - same model. The Kings built around Kopitar, Brown, Quick, Doughty, etc. and added by trade (Williams) or FA (Mitchell).

The ramp up period to establishing a core/base stinks, there will be a lot of suckage (see LA), but once that is established it sets the tone for future years. It takes a lot of screwing up to regress when you reach this base level but there have been GMs who have done it.

Perennial playoff teams do not rely on the draft for players right now, but they do still try and draft well to make sure they have quality replacements when the current NHL players move on and the team starts to slide a little.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Hope you are right but until a guy chooses LA over some team in the East we will never know

Scuderi did exactly that. He had a lot of offers when he initially signed in LA in 2009 but stated he chose to come to LA because of what he saw and how the team was being built.

I don't believe it was the money either because he took the same identical contract (maybe even a few hundred thousand less) to go back to Pittsburgh.

Tells me when he wants to play somewhere, it''s by choice and not financial factors.

 

[pete6835]

Carolina needs a D guy with Joni Pitkanen out for the season.

TSN

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Carolina needs a D guy with Joni Pitkanen out for the season.

TSN

Prompted this whole thread. The Kings just found a trading partner. The two teams have a history too with Westgarth and Williams.

There are UFAs still out there like Hainsey, but a guy like Martinez or Muzzin would be a better long term option.

 

[ouendan1]

ugh, my lack of posting here has been directly related to my job

I've done every shift imaginable these past few weeks (just last week I worked 10pm-7am, 8am-5:30pm, 3:30am-12:30pm and 2pm-11pm. All in the same week)

but regarding Dmen, I think Lombardi will wait a few days into camp and see how things are going, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Martinez be the odd one out. just my .02

 

[pete6835]

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed veteran defenceman Ron Hainsey to a one-year, $2 million contract.

oops