When Assistant Coach Dave Lowry was hired by Los Angeles a couple weeks ago, there were some groans because he wasn't seen as a progressive hire. This was in part because he didn't enjoy significant success running the Flames' power play from 2009-12 -- in that time,
"Calgary ranked 17th in the league with a 17.4 % success rate."
However,
Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, who has watched Lowry evolve as a coach over the last decade with the Hitmen, Flames, and Victoria Royals, offered a more optimistic outlook:
I can tell you a bit about how he used the power play in Victoria, as I saw them quite a bit over the last few seasons (the Flames have had a few kids there).
Lots of emphasis on speed and puck movement, in terms of getting into the offensive zone quickly and moving the puck around so that the opposing PK didn't have a lot of time to get their feet settled. If they couldn't create a chance off the rush, they tended to rely on quick passes around the perimeter to open up lanes across the middle. It worked reasonably well, granted against junior PKs, but I figure they'll start off with something like that and work from there.
I'm a big fan of the hire. Lowry's extremely smart and is one of those guys that has gone from place to place and really soaked up ideas.
He became quietly a lot less rigid in how he did things, by my observation. More able to adapt and go with the hot hand, for example, rather than shoving guys out there that weren't working as well.
Victoria was Lowry's last stop, so hopefully, LA is another step forward for him.
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A couple days ago, the Kings inked Tyler Toffoli to a reasonable three-year, $13.8 million deal. The annual cap hit will be $4.6 million.
If there's any solace to a disappointing lottery season which saw Toffoli slump, this is it. If he had enjoyed the campaign that we had expected, he would have cost a lot more.
As we saw in 2015-16, when Toffoli rang up 31 goals, the winger has the ability to vastly outperform this contract. Rob Blake may rue not locking up any of Toffoli's UFA years.
That said, Blake was in a difficult position. LA obviously doesn't have a lot of cap space. And there are still some questions about Toffoli, after a poor year -- is he the potential star who we saw a couple seasons ago or the inconsistent scorer from the most recent campaign? I'd venture to say that he's a perennial 30-goal guy who will approach 40, but it's fair to say his true value is still up in the air.
From Toffoli's perspective, he doesn't want too much of his future compensation dictated by a poor season which he played with a nagging knee injury.
This agreement is a win-win for both parties -- Los Angeles might have a player who will outperform his contract in the short term, while Toffoli has a chance to re-establish his value before he hits unrestricted free agency.
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One highly-regarded WHL prospect probably won't make it to Los Angeles at #11, while the other seems tailor made for the Kings... well, for their last regime.
At 6'2", 178, Cody Glass is very projectable. One NHL scout who I spoke with was impressed with the centerman's ability to create in dangerous areas, describing him as a "catalytic player."
His Portland Winterhawks Head Coach Mike Johnston has compared him favorably to Ryan Johansen, while lauding his 200-foot game.
Justin Froese, Head of Western Canadian scouting for Future Considerations thinks "the developmental curve and style of play shadow Mark Schiefele to a degree":
Glass is a player who sees the ice extremely well and can process the play quickly. He is a fluid passer and functions off the rush and in tight coverage. Possesses a good shot when he opts to shoot and often finds himself in prime scoring areas thanks to his vision.
Froese goes on to describe Glass's meteoric rise this season:
The rise of Glass was one of the most surprising and unexpected stories in the league this year. After being cut by Team Canada from the Hlinka tournament last summer, Glass seemed to undergo a reconstruction of his game and turned into a leader instead of a role player. The development was fast and furious as Glass went from 27 points as a rookie to 94 this season as the team's number-one center...
Glass is a kid who could go anywhere from #3-15 in this draft based on the parity of the class, but he has among the highest ceilings...
(Future Considerations' 2017 NHL Draft guide
is out now!)
However, there are some areas of concern.
Sean Shapiro elaborates:
The biggest concern with Glass is his skating. He’s quick and doesn’t look out of place in the WHL, but his mechanics are way off. He has a short and choppy strides, which act like a restrictor plate as he tries to reach top speed. (Wrong Side of the Red Line)
(For more about Glass and other Draft prospects, check out Sean's excellent
Wrong Side of the Red Line...and please donate!)
Froese adds:
Despite putting up a smooth 32 goals, his passing game is the bread and butter of his game as he was admittedly too unselfish at times, passing up on shot attempts to be the set-up man...
Not an overly physical player or aggressive on the body and should inevitably show more tenacity with added body weight...
The Hockey News spoke with a scout who echoes Froese:
He needs to raise his compete level. His work ethic is good, but when it comes to digging in, he has to raise his game.
(
The Hockey News excerpt from May 29, 2017 Draft Preview issue,
available now.)
There's a good chance, however, that as Glass as buffs up, his battle will also get bigger.
As Glass breaks the ceiling of his draft potential, Michael Rasmussen remains one of the more polarizing prospects -- at least among pundits.
An NHL scout who I spoke with insists "a lot of people seem to like him." He's "in the mix." This scout had particular praise for Rasmussen's two-way game.
Froese breaks down why people like the 6'5" center in the lottery:
Plays the size game well and moves very well for his large frame. Has a good passing game and can utilize his hands in accordance to the play at hand to complete plays and create for his teammates. Deadly around the net and finishes on a lot of pucks in deep. Rasmussen is willing to play in the defensive zone and is only starting to use his body to be a physical force.
At the same time, the Future Considerations head scout illustrates the concerns with the hulking pivot's game:
Durability could be in question for some teams after he missed time this season due to multiple injuries even though his ailments were not correlated. For me, I have issues seeing him as a high-end point producer with only average hockey IQ. He is a guy who seems to need space to be effective on the rush...
Putting up 32 goals is an impressive feat for any draft-eligible junior player, but breaking it down, there are some concerns regarding Rasmussen's offensive production. According to WHLStats.ca, Rasmussen's 5-on-5 production accounted for only 43.64% of his total offense (16 goals and 8 assists), doing most of his damage with more time and space on the powerplay. Despite the tools and fixation on his ability to play with his frame, he is more of a bystander than a focal factor at evens, making me doubt the translation into an elite producer...
Froese's NHL comps may be among the least ambitious that I've ever seen for a likely lottery pick:
Statistically, his NHL comparable is former player Erik Christensen, but stylistically, I think that he could be a Martin Hanzal/Brian Boyle-type of player. Like I said, Rasmussen doesn't convince me he has the sense and skill to carry a team's offense, but could be the big resilient body that contributes offensively by being an effective net front presence.
Needless to say, Rasmussen's fate, this June, but more importantly, in the future, will be fascinating. A number of mock drafts have him going to the Kings at #11 -- so he may well end up being LA's problem -- or prize.
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Check out my draft previews for possible Kings' first-round picks -- I'll have about 15 individual profiles up by June 23rd:
Owen Tippett
Nick Suzuki
Robert Thomas
Martin Necas
Juuso Valimaki
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