Jason Lewis: The Los Angeles Kings Deviated from a Plan of Success in 2015-16

Roland McKeown, Valentin Zykov, 1st round pick and a 3rd round pick

for

Andrej Sekera (UFA) and Kris Versteeg (Probable UFA)

Canes kinda took a big bite out of the Kings' prospect pool with those deals.

I did NOT like giving up McKeown at all. Zykov hurts too (I did like getting Versteeg but not by giving up Zykov. Oh well at least Chicago gave up a 1st and Dano and Danault for Ladd, Weise, and Fleishman and oh yeah Sharp and Johns for players they ended up trading away

Roland McKeown, Valentin Zykov, 1st round pick and a 3rd round pick

for

Andrej Sekera (UFA) and Kris Versteeg (Probable UFA)

Canes kinda took a big bite out of the Kings' prospect pool with those deals.
- BINGO!

collin miller wasnt good enough to play for the bruins and weal will never make the nhl.

In a perfect world this summer... Trade Carter (love him by the way) + Brown (hate him) + Gaborik (getting too old) and sign Stamkos

collin miller wasnt good enough to play for the bruins and weal will never make the nhl.
- masterhans

Colin Miller played 42 games with the Bruins this year at age 23, with 16 points, a 15:48 ATOI, and a plus-50% possession rate in his rookie season.

http://www.hockey-referen.../players/m/milleco02.html

#NotGoodEnough

In a perfect world this summer... Trade Carter (love him by the way) + Brown (hate him) + Gaborik (getting too old) and sign Stamkos
- kidninja

why on earth or any other planet would you even think of trading carter? hes got one of the most cap friendly contracts in the league for what hes worth. and hes been named to canadas roster. they must think hes ok.

Roland McKeown, Valentin Zykov, 1st round pick and a 3rd round pick

for

Andrej Sekera (UFA) and Kris Versteeg (Probable UFA)

Canes kinda took a big bite out of the Kings' prospect pool with those deals.
- BINGO!

Correction: Sekera, Versteeg, and...1 playoff win.

I think what bites the most about these combined trades is the timing. In 14/15, the Kings didn't make the playoffs but traded for Sekera and then couldn't re-sign him before he joined the Oilers. Had the Kings kept McKeown and that first rounder, perhaps they could have put together a better package for a defenseman at the deadline this season. Not saying it would have made a huge difference, but if DL had more chips he might have done better than Scuds.

Colin Miller played 42 games with the Bruins this year at age 23, with 16 points, a 15:48 ATOI, and a plus-50% possession rate in his rookie season.

http://www.hockey-referen.../players/m/milleco02.html

#NotGoodEnough
- Jason_Lewis

well we'll see coming up. he would have never played for sutter

Colin Miller played 42 games with the Bruins this year at age 23, with 16 points, a 15:48 ATOI, and a plus-50% possession rate in his rookie season.

http://www.hockey-referen.../players/m/milleco02.html

#NotGoodEnough
- Jason_Lewis

youre better informed than me. why do you think he was included in the deal? is sutter consulted? seems like trading the fastest skater hardest shot guy means he had major flaws for the kings system, like weal and o'neill. just my guess

Colin Miller played 42 games with the Bruins this year at age 23, with 16 points, a 15:48 ATOI, and a plus-50% possession rate in his rookie season.

http://www.hockey-referen.../players/m/milleco02.html

#NotGoodEnough
- Jason Lewis

He was a healthy scratch for all but 3 games in the final 2 months of the season on a team with less defensive depth than the Kings.

#NotGoodEnough

why on earth or any other planet would you even think of trading carter? hes got one of the most cap friendly contracts in the league for what hes worth. and hes been named to canadas roster. they must think hes ok.
- masterhans

Its cap friendly however we would need to unload salary because Stamkos will demand 10 mil a year and we just dont have the cap space for it. Plus you would have to sign Tofolli the following season and he's going to demand 6-7 million that year. It just makes sense

Its cap friendly however we would need to unload salary because Stamkos will demand 10 mil a year and we just dont have the cap space for it. Plus you would have to sign Tofolli the following season and he's going to demand 6-7 million that year. It just makes sense
- kidninja

You can't have more than one forward making over $10M. If you want Stamkos, you have to trade Kopitar.

i dont know. is stamkos twice as good as carter? no, i say no. if you could have carter and toff, or stamkos who would you want? easy for me

i dont know. is stamkos twice as good as carter? no, i say no. if you could have carter and toff, or stamkos who would you want? easy for me
- masterhans

If you could have Stamkos and Toffoli I would take it in a second. Stamkos is 26 years old. I love Carter, he's one of my favorite players but I'm looking more of the future, Carter is on the decline. Also need to get rid of Gaboriks and Browns contracts.

If you could have Stamkos and Toffoli I would take it in a second. Stamkos is 26 years old. I love Carter, he's one of my favorite players but I'm looking more of the future, Carter is on the decline. Also need to get rid of Gaboriks and Browns contracts.
- kidninja

wont deny i was baffled by gaboriks contract but im not sold on stamkos being better than carter. for me the kings need to replace voynov and thats becoming painfully obvious with the decline of the team structure since the time we lost him

If you could have Stamkos and Toffoli I would take it in a second. Stamkos is 26 years old. I love Carter, he's one of my favorite players but I'm looking more of the future, Carter is on the decline. Also need to get rid of Gaboriks and Browns contracts.
- kidninja

I don't disagree with having to get rid of Gaborik and Brown. Gaborik has some trade value, but you can't get rid of Brown via trade unless you're willing to take on some dead salary in return or package him up with more valuable prospects. We can't afford to to take back any salary, so trading Brown would probably cost us Kempe, which obviously isn't an option.

If I were DL, I'd try to package up Gaborik with McNabb, and trade for a 3C like Leo Komarov from Toronto. Toronto has said that they're willing to take on cap unfriendly contracts as long as there's some young talent or draft picks coming back the other way. Toronto is set at center with Kadri, Nylander, and now Auston Matthews, so Komarov is expendable. Gaborik gives them some veteran leadership and McNabb gives them some NHL ready defensive talent. Komarov only has two years left on his contract at a cap friendly $2.9M, and his contract will be off the books before Doughty's new contract goes into effect. By that time, players like Dowd, Shore, and/or Kempe should be ready to take over at 3C.

With Gaborik off the books this off-season, Lombardi has some space to go out and sign a top pairing free agent defenseman to play alongside Drew Doughty. The contract can't be for longer than 3 years, and can't be more than about $4.75M. This likely keeps us out of the Keith Yandle sweepstakes, but will let us pursue some veteran options like Dan Hamhuis or Brian Campbell. They don't need to be franchise defensemen, but they need to be capable two-way type defensemen capable of playing top-pairing minutes.

According to expansion rumors from a few days ago, when Las Vegas comes into the season next July, teams will be required to protect players with NMC, but players with NTCs will be able to left unprotected. This is likely how we'll have to get rid of Brown. My guess is that he becomes the first captain of the Las Vegas Aces.

Our lineups for the next two years would look like this:

2016-17 lineup ($73.6M cap hit)
Lucic-Kopitar-Brown (Lucic $5.75M cap hit)
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
Mersch-Komarov-Lewis (No, I didn't forget King. He gets traded for futures.)
Clifford-Andreoff-Nolan
Shore/Dowd

FA Defenseman/Doughty ($3.75M to FA defense)
Muzzin/Martinez
Scuderi/Greene
Forbort (Forbort over Gravel because of waiver exemption, Gravel first call-up)

Quick
Budaj

2017-18 lineup ($73.6M cap hit)
Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli ($6.25M to Toffoli)
Pearson-Carter-Kempe ($3.25M to Pearson)
Mersch-Komarov-Lewis
Clifford-Andreoff-Nolan
Shore/Dowd

FA Defenseman/Doughty
Muzzin/Martinez
Forbort/Greene
Gravel

Quick
FA Goalie ($1M)

wont deny i was baffled by gaboriks contract but im not sold on stamkos being better than carter. for me the kings need to replace voynov and thats becoming painfully obvious with the decline of the team structure since the time we lost him
- masterhans

I think Stamkos is easily better than Carter, but he's not $5M better than Carter. If we were in the market for a franchise center, then I would say go for it, but we already have Kopitar. Carter is a great cap-friendly 2C.

youre better informed than me. why do you think he was included in the deal? is sutter consulted? seems like trading the fastest skater hardest shot guy means he had major flaws for the kings system, like weal and o'neill. just my guess
- masterhans

Because it meets the NEED category for LW instead of the WANT category. Lucic>Miller

LaDue just signed and Gravel looked very good when he came up.

I think Stamkos is easily better than Carter, but he's not $5M better than Carter. If we were in the market for a franchise center, then I would say go for it, but we already have Kopitar. Carter is a great cap-friendly 2C.
- tkecanuck341

i agree

I think Stamkos is easily better than Carter, but he's not $5M better than Carter. If we were in the market for a franchise center, then I would say go for it, but we already have Kopitar. Carter is a great cap-friendly 2C.
- tkecanuck341

"His scoring depth was essential for a Kings team that started to see an aging Dustin Brown lose production"
Dustin Brown has been losing production for three years. He's not starting to, he's lost it.

"His scoring depth was essential for a Kings team that started to see an aging Dustin Brown lose production"
Dustin Brown has been losing production for three years. He's not starting to, he's lost it.
- DiggerCal

Fair point. Let's just say this year, or rather, after last season it hit sort of a critical point. It could be no longer ignored or left unreplaced.

I don't disagree with having to get rid of Gaborik and Brown. Gaborik has some trade value, but you can't get rid of Brown via trade unless you're willing to take on some dead salary in return or package him up with more valuable prospects. We can't afford to to take back any salary, so trading Brown would probably cost us Kempe, which obviously isn't an option.

If I were DL, I'd try to package up Gaborik with McNabb, and trade for a 3C like Leo Komarov from Toronto. Toronto has said that they're willing to take on cap unfriendly contracts as long as there's some young talent or draft picks coming back the other way. Toronto is set at center with Kadri, Nylander, and now Auston Matthews, so Komarov is expendable. Gaborik gives them some veteran leadership and McNabb gives them some NHL ready defensive talent. Komarov only has two years left on his contract at a cap friendly $2.9M, and his contract will be off the books before Doughty's new contract goes into effect. By that time, players like Dowd, Shore, and/or Kempe should be ready to take over at 3C.

With Gaborik off the books this off-season, Lombardi has some space to go out and sign a top pairing free agent defenseman to play alongside Drew Doughty. The contract can't be for longer than 3 years, and can't be more than about $4.75M. This likely keeps us out of the Keith Yandle sweepstakes, but will let us pursue some veteran options like Dan Hamhuis or Brian Campbell. They don't need to be franchise defensemen, but they need to be capable two-way type defensemen capable of playing top-pairing minutes.

According to expansion rumors from a few days ago, when Las Vegas comes into the season next July, teams will be required to protect players with NMC, but players with NTCs will be able to left unprotected. This is likely how we'll have to get rid of Brown. My guess is that he becomes the first captain of the Las Vegas Aces.

Our lineups for the next two years would look like this:

2016-17 lineup ($73.6M cap hit)
Lucic-Kopitar-Brown (Lucic $5.75M cap hit)
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
Mersch-Komarov-Lewis (No, I didn't forget King. He gets traded for futures.)
Clifford-Andreoff-Nolan
Shore/Dowd

FA Defenseman/Doughty ($3.75M to FA defense)
Muzzin/Martinez
Scuderi/Greene
Forbort (Forbort over Gravel because of waiver exemption, Gravel first call-up)

Quick
Budaj

2017-18 lineup ($73.6M cap hit)
Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli ($6.25M to Toffoli)
Pearson-Carter-Kempe ($3.25M to Pearson)
Mersch-Komarov-Lewis
Clifford-Andreoff-Nolan
Shore/Dowd

FA Defenseman/Doughty
Muzzin/Martinez
Forbort/Greene
Gravel

Quick
FA Goalie ($1M)
- tkecanuck341

Not bad, going after Blakes job??