Well, it was interesting. Alexander Frolov, playing on the first line, looked strong on the puck, but he usually does. The problem is, he did exactly what Terry Murray predicted he might do. He often passed the puck out of trouble, instead of trying to take it to the net (or just putting it on goal), and other times did a nice job with puck possession down low, but it didn’t lead to a scoring opportunity. Kopitar and Williams combined for 14 shots, but only a couple could really be called quality chances. Frolov had one shot on goal, in the final minute.
So, with roughly three weeks and six days left before Ryan Smyth returns, who do you want as the first-line left wing?
(NOTE: The poll has changed to add Wayne Simmonds to the mix. Please vote again, if you were one of the first 200 to vote…)
Again, with the schedule the way it is, Smyth won’t return for 5 weeks (if it’s indeed a month).
My problem with FroFro isn’t his play one-on-one with the puck, it’s his inability to find open seams. He fails to find the pass in the open seam and he fails to skate and take a shot in the open seam. When was the last time you saw FroFro one-time a shot in the slot? Seems like never to me.
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I think they should give Simmonds a go. If I remember correctly he played a couple games on the first line?
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never ceases to amaze me…
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Raitis is on there as a joke surely?
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Frolov plays too slow for Williams & Kopitar. Both Williams & Kopitar play better when they are moving at close to full speed. Frolov holds the puck too long forcing his linemates to slow down. He is much better with Handzus. Simmonds should play with Williams & Kopitar.
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I think it is Fro’s chance to sink or swim in regards to playing how TM and the DL want to see him play. So I vote for him to get his chance. If he does as well as most of us think he can then great. If he falls flat and does not play at the level the Kings need then they can say we tried and trade him. Either way its on him and his desire to play the way the Coaching staff wants him to.
A lot of us were wondering why he was on the 3rd line when he was the teams leading scorer last season. Now is his chance to show he is a top line player. But I think he should at least get a few weeks of playing time on the line before we start talking about changing it up. If at that point it looks like it did last night then he needs to live with his 3rd line status. Dont get me wrong I am a Fro fan but reality is reality.
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Can we talk Adam Deadmarsh out of retirement? He would be a great fit on that first line, haha. Maybe try Simmonds, see how he feels on his opposite wing. I like the thought of bringing Moller up, but I think hes too small to play that role.
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SIMMONDS! Is definitely the best choice…especially since he was playing with smyth and kopitar early in the season when williams was injured.
Frolov should play what he was playing…he really is scared to shoot the puck he has to move faster and shoot the puck more often versus trying to always pass to someone else…he’s the guys whose supposed to be scoring not passing
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Simmons is strictly a grinder and a good one, but has no creativity whatsoever as a playmaker, which is needed for Kopitar/Williams
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Without someone in front of the net, the #1 line is not going to continue to score at the previous rate…
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It was soo frustrating last night watching that line dominate in terms of puck possession and time in the attacking zone, but not come away with very many Quality scoring chances and no goals.
I say keep it together for a game or two more and see if the time of possession turns into goals; if not I think we need to look to Chicago for a guy like Sharp or Versteeg.
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I think the key thing is the puck movement comment. Smyth, Kopi and Williams have been befuddling the D with quick short passes as they enter the zone as well as good puck movement down low on the cycle. Smyth is also particularly good at bringing the puck from behind the net quickly. As another reader posted, Fro is slow in his movement with the puck in possession behind the net. That being said, he made many good passes to the point last night and was making more, quicker short passes than he had been doing with ‘Zus and Simmonds. I was surprised it was ‘Fro moved up rather than Simmonds in the first place but ‘Fro deserves at least a few games to gel with those guys now that he’s there.
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Hey RJC
It’s “I’m Just Saying” 1
You 0
Lets hope that turns around quickly! Thanks for listening
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the results of this survey are another clear indication that many people misunderstand how and why certain lines are constructed the way that they are. It is not always the case that the best players are all on the same line. There are various factors that contribute to this decision: (1) position – LW, RW, C (2) style of play (3) depth of position – how many “good” centers or LWs do we have? (4) spreading the scoring. In Frolov’s case, I doubt very much that DL and TM believed that Frolov would excel on the 1st line – “hoped” would be more like it. But based on their statements both before last night’s game and today indicate that they understood that Frolov’s style of play would not fit well with Kopitar and Williams. He is a puck possession player – hard on the puck, hard to get off the puck and most effective behind the goal, in the corners, on the wall. Kopi needs a player in the crease to create screens so that he can pick corners and a player to do the dirty work (JW)- get in the corners, first guy in on the check or second on the puck. Frolov provides neither of these. Purcell is an “ideal” choice if he would simply kick it into a higher gear – we’ve seen his ability to be the Smyth type player but for some reason he is unable to do it on a consistent basis. I also like Simmonds in this role – he needs to be unleashed on defenses to make them stutter, cough up the puck and get it to Kopi or JW in the slot. My prediction is that you see Frolov back on the 2nd or 3rd line and either Purcell or Simmonds move up in his place.
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sorry I just looked at the percentage rather than looking at the total survey responses. I apologize for jumping the gun but the justification remains.
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Fro is amazing, his puck control along the boards is probably one of the best in the league. He is so hard to knock off the puck it is scary. That being said I tend to agree with the poster above in that Fro slows down the line with his possession skills. I have alternate theory that Fro uses Stickum or some other illegal substance that keeps the puck on his stick. This why he has trouble passing and shooting. It seems like there is a magnetic field with his stick and the puck. I love Fro but he is not a sniper. When I watch Fro it looks like he is grown up playing with kids trying to play keep away.
I say let him go a few games to get in a groove with KopiStar and Williams and if the point production is not there then let Simmonds go crazy.
Williams was great last night, by the way.
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People- it is still early enough in the Smyth injury to make a move and get a Sniper….
Please be aware that even after Smyth’s return after missing 15-17 games and a month or so of conditioning its going to take him a few games to get back into the swing of things.
Go pull Salami fronm the Ducks for a draft pick. He can score with his eyes closed and wont cost us much. Please pull the trigger now or risk falling out of the chase by New Years. Scoring 1 or 2 goals will not do it. Even if you play hard and compete for the 60 min a loss is a loss…
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That line needs some grit, but unfortunately, Simmonds is a right winger, so he won’t work there.
Frolov should be traded already!
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I voted for Moller.
I really don’t think you can judge Frolov as the first-line LW from one game. Yes he did what Murray and most of us thought he would and it didn’t work, now it’s up to him to show us something different and find a way to make his game be successful. I’m not sure he can but he deserves a couple of games to try.
Second choice would be Teddy Purcell. Put him in there give him every opportunity to succeed. I’d love to see him show the scoring abilities he had in lesser leagues at the NHL level. But I don’t think he can. Give him a chance and if he doesn’t show everyone what he can do send him down, trade him, proceed without him.
I love Moller! When he came back after the injury last year he as a different player. Maybe he was still hurt, maybe he was scared but I believe he will get back to the player he was coming out of camp last year. That kid drove the net like a mad man. He’d never met a shot he didn’t like, or wouldn’t take. That kid would look great on the first line.
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I have been skeptical of Frolov’s ability to fit into the dyanmics of this team. However, last night he played well in the style he plays and still gets critical comments made about him.
I thought TM wanted him to be a puck possesion player-that’s why he was paired with Handzus and Simmonds against the other team’s top lines. The idea was to keep the puck away from the other team’s best players and maybe get a little offense as well. Isn’t that what he did most of the night? Okay, on the line with Kopitar he is now supposed to be something different. Frolov played hard last night especially in the first two periods. If he doesn’t fit in then DL should move him. I feel a bit sorry for him. Last night the effort was there but he still feels the wrath. What is he supposed to do, become Ovechkin?
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“I’m just saying” – why would we give up a young, improving, and teachable player for a nearly 40 year old, soon to be retired scorer who plays almost no defense and has absolutely no incentive to learn or play within our system? I understand your desire to win “now” but those of us who have been around for many, many years are willing to do this the right way – so that we won’t just be successful for one year, but for many years to come.
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A guy who wants to shoot it:
Moller
Loktionov
Parse
Simmer
Fro moves down to play with Stoll/Brown. Parse plays with Zeue/Simmer on the third line. Purcell gets sent down. Done.
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The sad thing about Fro is that he doesn’t have great speed to get around opposing players. Yeah, he’s a beast at puck control but doing that doesn’t create scoring chances. The defense can just let him face the board and hold onto the puck all day. He’s not going to score if he’s doing that. He needs to start going to the net and shoot the puck. That’s why he fits so well with Zeus and Simmonds b/c the all are pretty good at puck control but at least Zeus and Simmonds will go to the net with the puck.
Fro is a good player but he’s not a difference maker. Yes, he has a few 20 & 30+ goals for a last place team is different than doing that for a winning team. He could as good as anyone but it doesn’t look like he has the desire or hunger to be the best…sadly, he is what he is…an enigma…
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Any chance you could add Robitaille to the poll?
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Why not
brown-kopitar- Williams
frolov-stoll-purcell
Parse-handzus-simmonds
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I think having Parse join the top line will bring more creativity which is what Kopi and Williams need on their line. Smyth was creative with the behind your back pass, from behind the goal and while digging the puck out of the boards. If you’ve really watched Parse’s play, he is a lot similar to Smyth in those area’s, plus he is not intimidated by bigger bodies along the boards or in front of the net, plus he loves to go to the net which is what makes Smyth so valuable to any team. I voted to give Parse a chance and see what happens.
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I know it’s a little off topic, and i’m not sure if anyone has posted this yet…
But on nhl.com they have a little trophy tracker article that has Terry Murry as runner up for the Adams trophy, here’s what it says…
“Terry Murray, Los Angeles Kings — Armed with an interesting blend of kids and veterans, Murray has done an excellent job of getting everyone on the same page and creating a buzz for the Kings thus season. He has shown patience when needed and has been unafraid to kick some tail, as well.”
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Fro needs a longer chance on the first line.
Simmonds was a turnover machine last night and non existent.
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We realize Simmonds is a RW, right?
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So – is this fast becoming Cammalleri-gate? Lets bench Fro again and bring up a Monarch like Moller to get some more NHL time.
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wow…
after only one game…?
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How ’bout Brown?
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In that NHL.com article it also has doughty as a Norris runner up
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last night was a difficult night to judge the play of the first line. coming back from a long raod trip and facing a good defensive team with a newly constructed line is an unfair criteria. philly was very good at clogging the passing and shooting lanes, and they were sealing the crease area very well. we had lots of shots, but few good scoring chances.
frolov was frolov and we will see how it plays out. the last few seasons there was some chemistry between fro and kopi when they were together.
simmonds disappeared for all intents and purposes last night, so why is he the choice to replace fro? i love simmonds, but basing the first line on last nights game hardly seems to be be a case of “let’s dump fro and put simmonds there”. the notion is that fro did not play well last night, so let’s make a switch; if that is the argument then the same thing needs to apply in terms of the replacement. if the discussion is that fro will never fit, then that is an entirely different discussion.
again, basing the future worth of a first line with fro strictly on last nights game is rather silly when you consider the schedule and opponent.
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I too voted for Parse. Fro doesn’t go to the net because he shies away from the contact. I’m tired of seeing his little girl smile after he gets face washed or bent over by a crosscheck. It comes back to toughness. The Kings were bullied last night, by Hartnell, Pronger, even Richards wasn’t afraid to get up after being hit and put a glove in our captains mug. What is going to happen if/when they make it to the playoffs? They dont have the nastiness/chippiness to survive! Last night pissed me off not because Fro didn’t get a shot until the final 2 minutes, but rather because the Kings are a meek team who are going to continue to be pushed around by any team that wants to push them. Raittis needs to go, bring in an enforcer that garnishes respect or one that isnt afraid to let some people know what’s up!
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Let’s give Fro a little time at the first line.
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Anybody know whats up with Hickey. Scratched again last night!
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I think fro should be given a few more to show what he is made of. But i do think Simms would be a good fit cause of his speed and attck on the puck. I like fro always have, but im not sure if he has the heart to pull it threw.
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brown!
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We already know what Fro is made of – sugar and spice and everything nice. Why is everyone acting as if Fro is a 3rd year player and we’re not sure what he’s about??? We know him already! Keep him with Zues and let someone else THAT WE DON’T KNOW ALREADY
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…have a chance with the first line.
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I don’t understand why Fro “deserves” a chance to mix with the top line when the guy played EXACTLY as predicted before.
What on earth makes you guys think he’s gonna play any different two weeks from now?
The only thing Fro “deserves” at this point is to be paid to be on the ice.
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Stuart,
I completely agree. DL contradicts himself when he speaks of toughness but does absolutely nothing about it…
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DL is after talent right now. Hopefully soon he’ll get us some role players.
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I have a hard time wanting Moller up here. He’s talented, don’t get me wrong, but isn’t it a little embarrassing when he ends up on his ass after trying to run someone? He’s got heart, but does that make up for his lack of physical ability?
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I said it yesterday, I’ll say it again today. Move BROWN to the other side, back to where he had his greatest success (and, with Kopitar for that matter) and let the rest of the mediocrity play out the way it will…
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Stuart said:
“DL is after talent right now. Hopefully soon he’ll get us some role players.”
Why can’t he go after both toughness and talent?? Tough players are easy to acquire, low cap hit, and will take this team to the next level… Even calling up Clune and playing him with Ivanans would help. I just want him to add a tough player or two, or maybe three already! DAMN!!!
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Obviously, the Kings don’t have a bunch of left wingers to move around in that position, so someone’s gonna have to move to the left–that bolsters the idea trying someone in a new role.
Frankly, I think the guy you’re looking for is Parse. He’s worked hard (not the Simmonds hasn’t) and they really need someone who’s done his share of banging lately. Parse is playing like that guy. In essence, I think “try something different” but not crazy. Who played left wing when Parse and Purcell played on the same line? If it was Parse, there you go!
I think it’s reasonable to bring a winger up to replace the missing body, too.
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I want to hear reasons from the 8 people that voted for ivanans
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It turns out it was Parse that played left wing to Purcell’s right wing, but Purcell has played left wing too. I say one of those to, and I give the edge to Parse.
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Frolov – The chemistry was there.
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Simmonds replaced Williams because he was a similar player for that role on that line. Now, the discussion is “who best replaces what Smyth does”? I see Smyth as mainly a playmaker who goes to the net, gets gritty goals. Fro fills the playmaker role, not necessarily the “goes to the net” role. But, who does both? I don’t see anyone on the current roster who does both. Brown may do some of it, Parse maybe would do some of it. Purcell does not seem to be able to find the back of the net these days.
This discussion is a bit premature in my view. Give Fro a few games and we will decide what Plan B is.
For anyone who thinks Raitis is even worth discussion, give me a stinking break, please.
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boy, that didnt take long. so these efforts over the last couple years are finally starting to show a legitamite contending hockey team. and we’ve hit our first bump in the road. we’ve acumulated some talent, can we now say its time to look at the option of a trade? and i hate doing this cause its completely pointless for us to throw out trade scenarios, but looking (quickly) threw my latest hockey news at rosters and left wings, a short list of possible guys that would fit our needed role for a month that teams may be able to part with:
steve sullivan – nashv. never has enough scoring so they may not part w/ him
ryan malone – i know he has kind of a ridiculous contract that would be counter productive to the bigger picture, but TB would like to dump it, most likely
alex burrows – hasn’t had the production he showed late last year playin w/ the sedins and got his new contract, VAN may want to move him
jason chimera – big body that could do what smyth was gettin done
rod brind’amour – another grit kind of guy that could hold the job down, dont know if he played on williams line in CAR, but he also has extra intangibles (cup, leadership) that may be helpful
anyways, we’re just looking for a complimentary part to play w/ willy and kopi for a month, keep this thing moving in the same direction. at least it gives us something to talk about besides 3 goals that philly scored that should have been saves.
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I think it’s ignorant to conclude that Frolov is a bad choice after 1 game. He brings a lot to a line, and it’s just as much a case of Kopitar and Williams adjusting to him as him adjusting to them.
Of the choices, I think Handzus and Parse lacks the offensive capabilities and speed, Purcell and Moller lack the strength, and Ivanans and Richardson are just not good enough players in any way.
That leaves Simmonds or Frolov. Simmonds will provide a more Smyth-like presence with his gritty play. Frolov will provide time and space with his ability to hold onto the puck. Either will work, but it’s probably easier for the line to adjust to Simmonds right away because he fits more with the dynamic already established.
Whatever happens, I just hope Brown doesn’t end up there somehow, he ruins all lines that rely on puck possession with his tendency to carry the puck into the zone and shoot it right away, before anyone is remotely close to the net.. Happened all last year the games he played with Frolov and/or Kopitar.
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Hey I’m just saying
I didn’t realize there was a score being kept. The only reason I made any comment is because you were stating a collapse without Smyth like it was done deal. If I stated that it wasn’t going to happen definite than sure you can keep score. But for the time being, you’re just playing with yourself.
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Who should be the Kings’ first-line left wing?
Sean O’Donnell
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Wayne Simmonds? Give me a break.
Frolov is the no brainer choice.
Simmonds is overrated.
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Slow down everyone. The world as we know it did not end last night. The team was simply reminded of what happens when you miss assignments and allow an opponent to get momentum after a 5 on 3 kill.
Fro will never be Smyth. Of course, almost no one in the NHL will ever be Smyth, so stop crying that Fro didn’t crash the net, make a no-look backhand pass for a one-timer, and cure disease in the same shift.
At this level, the speed of the game and the skill of the players force skaters to rely on instinct. Fro’s instinct is puck possession and control, and he’s damned good at it. He’s not going to suddenly become a crease-crasher.
We wouldn’t be having this discussion if two defensive positional breakdowns did not occur with Flyer goals resulting. The tenor of the comments would be of the “Fro controlled the puck well and didn’t hurt the line, and we outshot Philly by a wide margin, so good for us and on to the next game” variety.
So, realities–Smyth is out for a month. Fro’s not going anywhere. No one’s going to give DL a Getzlaf or equivalent right now in a trade. The team has genuine talent. It’s early in the season and the players are going to have to get used to a little adversity. Good teams figure out how to deal with reality. I think this team, this coach and this GM will too.
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Please tell us, anthony, where Simmonds has been “overrated.”
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Get this straight. Fro hurt the line. He didn’t shoot, and he didn’t make any assists. At least his line mates put it on the net.
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I’m no Fro fan but after watching the replays isn’t it fair to say that Doughty had a weaker game. Yeah he gets the PP goal but on the 1st Philly goal he releases on the guys stick and let’s the guy skate unimpeded to the loose puck. Zues wasn’t much help either..
On the 3rd goal his partner O’Donnell fails to tie up Riemer. So yeah I wish Fro was able to help generate more goals. But those defensive breakdowns are what killed us. I would have been happy w/ a 2-2 game going to OT or SO.
The 2nd Philly goal was also a result of bad D not tyiing up stick/guy in slot and focusing on puck carrier behind net. That one was Simmonds/Zues though not Doughty.
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condensed snipit of what i said above:
malone, sullivan, chimera, burrows, brind’amour
possible pieces attainable (maybe) that would be a poor man’s smyth for a month
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Nobody wins games without scoring any goals. I saw a lucky soft goal in the first period help the Kings gain a little bit of composure until they failed to score on the 5-on-3, and a power play goal in a desperation 3rd period. You can claim defense lost the game, but it’s not like they gave up six goals. They gave up an average night’s fare. It’s mostly on the offense.
That said, they spent most of their energy running around, so maybe you could say some of that cost them on offense.
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Cmon Dl give moller a shot! he’s got speed to burn and a nice shot, kopy deserves better than frolov!
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Where’s PakiFro? Did he change his name? (snicker).
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The fact that Anthony said its a no brainer…now I’m confident that my Simmonds vote was correct!
Obviously you have to put someone there, but I don’t think anyone can fill the shoes of Smytty…He’s that valuable.
I voted for Simmonds because the style that Kopi and JW play is a high tempo..get in the zone and get to the net style of play.
Fro is comfortable playing keep a way, more than an up-tempo style.
I think Fro should get the chance to show he belongs there, but in the end, Simmer’s probably the best option.
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Has anyone heard any trade rumours or if DL is looking for anything right now?????
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Rich – You should have put Brown in the survey.
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Keep Fro in and work on chemistry, or put Simmonds there if he can do what he did when Williams was out.
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Simmonds is not a LW! As fun as it sounds it is not that easy for some of these guys to switch from one side to another.
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Ah, Brown. Can’t understand why he is not on the list…
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Why did some vote for Ivanans? (I didn’t vote for him, but…)
A. No one on the other teams would even look cross-eyed at Kopi ever again let alone touch him.
B. Comic relief.
C. The voter just got out of major brain surgery
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D. Anthony found code for a “voting bot.”
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Ha Ha whos this anthony guy?, how come you guys give him such a hard time?….lol
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RJC76
Playing with myself? I hope that we can survive these next few weeks. That is a statement no team should have to make. Good organizations do not put their team or fans in that position. Yes injuries are unfortunate and are going to happen, but when they include 2 of your top 5 players you dont just hope you can pull through. You go and make a deal to help put a turicate on the bleeding. You dont bleed out then call 911 it does not work that way. Also I am not asking for a trade to get Salami because he is 40 and cant play defence. I am saying he is the kind of player you can get cheap enough to patch a hole for now. And yes RJC76 there is a scoreboard and I am hoping to lose that score. I want us succeed but when 16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs and one of the top markets in the country cant do that for 6 staight years, it is unexceptable and good organizations would never let it happen.
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I cant believe that our top scorer for the last couple years is an experiment!
What other teams leading goal scorer would be considered an experiment or risk on their top line. ONly a AEG, DL and TM run company would.
I already asked santa for a couple quality players for Christmas
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I HATE THIS POLL
This is such a non issue. Frolov is where he belongs, case closed.
Instead of focusing on shots from the 1st line, let’s focus on secondary scoring.
Our captain, Dustin Brown, is going to back to being useless. Where’s the effort? Where’s the physical game? Frolov gets so much flack for nothing, yet Dustin Brown gets a free pass.
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Wtf people, the captain needs to be on the 1st line. Brown isn’t Ryan Smyth but he is tough, goes to the net, and score. Some of you people need to get a clue
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It’s probably obvious that I may say this, but I voted for Teddy, but it makes sense. This is the player they think that Purcell is. They fully believe that he needs to play with great players. If they truly believe that, this would be a prime time to test it out.
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I agree with KingNewfie. I think he needs to opportunity to play with 1st line players. I think he needs the chance to use his skills with higher caliber players.
He did do a lot better last night than he has been doing on the 4th…
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Looks like “Anthonyy” learned how to spell “Anthony”!
Simmons overrated? Dude, please layoff the Budweisers!
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simmonds line 2, brown line 1. why wasnt brownie even on the list? Fro has a mean shot he needs to be more confident with it. Seems like he relys too much on his body positioning and his wrap around move which seems like it is 0-20.
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hey how about this PP line:
frolov-kopitar-johnson
doughty-stoll
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frolov was the best King last night in all areas.
The problem right now is a slumping (hurt?) Kopi.
Williams was excellent last night, but maybe he’d help another line produce more.
I’d like to see some different looks for a period or so.
Fro/Stoll/williams
Parse/Kopi/Brown
If Fro is traded, Colin Wilson, mike Fisher, Milan Lucic are some guys I’d like to hear discussed.
But I’d rather keep Fro.
Last night,we out-Philly’ed Philly, and still lost. That tells me we’ve got the wrong philosophy. Of course, it doesn’t help to make huge defensive errors.
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Scooter, i totally agree with you. we don’t have ideal players to play with Frolov.
However, two players who i feel could play well with Frolov are Stoll and Purcell. Due to our coaches insistance on having Stoll on 1st PP this has completely inhibited our ability to find a secondary line. People keep saying yes but we have scored the 3rd highest amount of goals however, we have no 5on5 line besides line 1 due to our 1st PP. If we changed our 1st line PP we would find a second line. Get with it Terry!!!
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J-oc
I would like to see that line!
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tell me you’re joking? How would this line address any problems? Our problem is no line 2. I feel it relates due to Stoll not being 2nd line PP centreman. This would certainly aid in further 5 on 5 success. I don’t see how splitting up current PP1 Forwards would help.
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Simmonds does not have first line skills. We saw that in the last few games he played when Williams was out. Frolov does not fit well with Kopitar and Williams because he has a much slower game and hangs onto the puck too much. Put Brown there.
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Frolov played a very strong game last night. The line had 15 shots on goal. He played very well at the end of last season with Kopitar and Williams. Give the guy a break.
Some of the trade ideas sound great except for the fact that the team with the players that we are supposed to go out and get (Sharp and Versteeg????????) probably are not in any hurry to hand them over to the Kings. It does take two to make a trade.
While we are dreaming lets get Ovechkin, Crosby, and any other all star that we think we need. I am sure that all of the other teams in the league are anxious to assist the Kings in becoming the Stanley Cup Champion.
While we are in the panic mode we could bring any of the minor league prospects up and they would suddenly become top line stand-outs. Unless of course they performed like minor leaguers, which they all are at this point.
This team is currently near the top of the league in point production. They are playing very good hockey. There are injuries to key players but for the first time in many years there is depth on the team and it is way too soon to panic.
As for Frolov, he is exactly the kind of player who would excell in the playoffs. In a hard checking game his puck possession skills and scoring ability would be very valuable. On another team he would probably get much more power play time. All you fans who want him gone, be careful what you ask for. If he does get traded to a team that the Kings meet in the playoffs you may have to eat your words.
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gary,
i’ve put down 3-5 names four times today, all seem attainable, reasonably. in no specific order:
steve sullivan
jason chimera
alex burrows
rod brind’amour
ryan malone
they all have their own situation, ie. NASH never has enough scoring so they may not want to part w/ sullivan, malone has a ridiculous contract that could be counter productive to the big picture… but a semi-skilled role player, a poor man’s ryan smyth would be a nice band-aid. we have the resources.
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Jayhay, As for your suggestions I will offer the following: Sullivan is a small player with skill. He has a history of scoring but as you say, Nashville might not want to part with him. I would also believe that he would command more than he is worth. I don’t think he is the type of player who excells in the playoff due to his small stature.
Chimera is a big fast player who has stone hands. His scoring ability is limited.
Burrows, I have to admit I do not know much about him.
Brind’amour is an older player who I thought was a center. He has leadership qualities similar to Smyth and is probably available considering his teams current situation. As for whether he is a better fit in the short term than Frolov, I doubt it. I admit I like Frolov so I guess I am biased.
Malone is a stud. I would love a guy like him on the team.
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Rich, Is it now your job as a Kings employee to stir the pot on the Frolov issue? He plays one game on the top line without scoring and you post this? Just the title seems to suggest that this “experiment” is a bad idea. I would have thought that you would have given at least a couple of games with no production before taking a poll on who should be on left wing on the top line.
I don’t know what productive purpose could have been served with such a premature posting. If the line scores two or three goals a game for the next couple games what next?
I hate to question you personally in this public forum, but it really seems that you have it out for Frolov on this one.
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I disagree with your assessment Gary. Rich is merely trying to be the vehicle for us to share our opinions. Rich did not suggest that the ‘Experiment’ was over and he also had Fro was an option in the poll. He’s not asking who ELSE should be on the top line. He merely gave us the figures and asked us who we feel should be there after each game.
I wouldn’t mind doing this poll after EVERY game that is played before Smytty’s return and track popular opinion.
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That’s an excellent idea, actually KingNewfie. I’m sure that if Fro begins to put passes on people’s tape and produces himself, popular opinion will definetley shift.
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I blame all the Kings woes on Terry Murray’s sufficating defensive system that does not play to the Kings strengths.
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How about switching Harrold back on D and put JJ up on the top(or checking) line? This would give us a look at how he would do as a forward… based upon his defensive play so far in his career, maybe this is the position he should be playing in the NHL. Or at least it would give him a different perspective which might help when he switches back to D.
Rich,
Has Murray tried experimenting with this in practice?
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