Here is the next installment from Saturday’s Town Hall Meeting:
PRICE OF ADMISSION FOR 1ST FIFTEEN PICKS IN THIS YEAR’S DRAFT:
“You would have to blow someone away to get a pick that high.” (Hextall’s take on trading for 1st round draft picks 1 thru 15.)
HORRIBLE ARENA FOOD:
The year end surveys fans completed showed this as one of the bigger complaints. The Kings are listening and there will be talks to this week to address both quality of foods, closed concession stands and ability to serve lines more quickly. The quantity of complaints provides ammunition to address this and make changes.
KINGS’ NEW INFRASTRUCTURE:
Much has been made of the fact that the Kings now (finally) staff only hockey people 24/7 running every part of the franchise. Previously, AEG staff wore many hats for the various sports and their other ownership interests. Chris McGowan confirmed that this is a permanent change. The money spent to create the (much needed) infrastructure is a permanent change.
PROSPECT UPDATES:
1. Trevor Lewis:
He is still both green and up and down in his play. While Hextall said nothing definitive, it appears he is at least one year away from being NHL ready.
2. Davis Drewiske:
He is a solid AHL player who needs to improve before he will make the NHL jump. More specifically, he needs to improve his ‘feet’. (I may have taken down that wrong.)
3. Scott Parse:
He was hurt most of last year. He was a tough college player.
4. Patrik Hersley:
He spent last year going up and down between the ECHL Reading Royals and the AHL Manchester Monarchs. As of right now, he is listed on the roster of the Royals, not the Monarchs. (The Royals made a run of it in the post-season with Taylor in net.)
5. Richard Petiot:
At one time, he had tremendous potential. Between his ACL tear the prior season and last season when his game went flat, both Petiot’s agent and the Kings feel a change of scenery is best. He will become unrestricted July 1 and he will not be back.
6. Joe Piskula:
He needs to work on both consistency and reading defensive zone coverage. The Kings project him to be a #5 or #6 defenseman only – if he makes the transition to the NHL game.
7. Drew Bagnall:
He needs to work on his skating. He too, is projected at best to be a #5 or #6 defenseman only – if he makes it to the NHL. (Last Town Meeting, Hextall said he saw some of Norstrom’s nastiness and toughness in Bagnall. Apparently Bagnall doesn’t have enough of Norstrom’s defensive attributes now – my perception of Hextall’s more current remarks.)
NATURAL TRADING PARTNERS – PREDATORS AND ISLANDERS:
Of all the young defensemen I read Kings’ fans coveting, bar none the Predators’ Weber and Suter are at the top of most fans’ wish list. The most Hextall would say is that Lombardi has spoken to ‘most teams’ and that current discussions are to lay a foundation for draft day (or 48 hours before the draft) trades.
WHEN WILL O’SULLIVAN, KOPITAR AND JOHNSON BE SIGNED LONG TERM:
Both Johnson and Kopitar are signed through next year. The team cannot extend them until July 1st this summer. (At the prior round table, Hextall said these extensions will be ‘expensive’.) Lombardi and Hextall are consciously leaving cap room for their extensions. They both (rightly) believe that doing otherwise leave the Kings open to an offer sheet they won’t be able to match.
O’Sullivan is an RFA now and will be re-signed. (Nothing more helpful than that was said.)
ACL INJURY RECOVERY OF PETIOT AND HANDZUS:
Hextall sees this is as a 18 month recovery. Petiot’s problems are deeper than knee and between the ear stuff. His inability to read plays better is the biggest reason he won’t be a King in a month.
As to Handzus, he is 12 months into his 18 month recovery. The Kings see Handzus as a #3 center. He is not suited to #2nd line center duties and would only succeed there if he had strong wings to support him.
ROOKIE GAMES:
Fans want to see the kids up close and personal. One individual asked for a pretty cool thing, an AHL pre-season game in Los Angeles with the Monarchs against whomever. This was the first time anyone ever asked McGowan to investigate this. If it can be worked out logistically, he will take this suggestion very seriously.
Right now, there are two pre-season games with Kings’ rookies vs. Coyotes’ rookies. Last year, the games went down in Arizona. Every other year, though Hextall didn’t say it would happen in September, the games would be local. He potentially sees the notion of a double header with the rookies playing at 4:00 and the big club playing at 7:00.
MY TAKE:
Of the prospect updates asked of Hextall, it was less than comforting that none of these players appear ready for prime time for more than one season, admittedly my perception only. Right now, the players pegged as ready for prime time are Boyle, Purcell, Harrold, and maybe but questionable for Brady Murray, John Zeiler and Matt Moulson.
The team’s best marketing tool now is the future – the problem is the future isn’t the hockey equivalent of next season. How patient are fans? We will find out soon.
Carla Muller
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