There is a lot of competition for spots in training camp this year, but along the way, Terry Murray is dropping some hints. As earlier posted, Murray noted that he expects Davis Drewiske to earn a spot, and today he mentioned Kevin Westgarth as a player he expects to see as the fourth-line right winger.
That’s really no surprise. Murray prefers to have a traditional “enforcer” on the ice, and when Raitis Ivanans signed with Calgary, Westgarth inherited that role. At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Westgarth certainly has the physical tools, and he has the credentials, having totaled at least 165 penalty minutes in each of his three seasons with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs.
So while there don’t appear to be any strong challengers for the spot, Westgarth said he’s not holding a sense of entitlement.
“I’m coming in with the mentality that I haven’t done anything yet,” Westgarth said. “I haven’t played a season in the NHL, and that’s my goal. That’s everybody’s goal, but coming into camp and talking to Hexy [assistant GM Ron Hextall] and the coaches, I’ve had some points to focus on, with conditioning and especially my skating, but also just being professional and taking care of all the little things on the ice in order to become a dependable player. The rest, I suppose, is kind of up to me, and I’ve proven, at least at the AHL level, that I can take care of my teammates and provide that physical presence. I definitely look forward to showing that at this level.”
Throughout last season, and during the summer, Kings management and coaches stressed the need for Westgarth to improve his skating. That was a problem for Ivanans, whose lack of mobility sometimes led to awful offensive-zone penalties, and Westgarth said he’s been aware of not being a liability because of his skating.
“Absolutely,” Westgarth said. “It’s been a long road. I think every year of the last 20 or so that I’ve been playing hockey, it’s been somewhat of a focus. For sure, the last couple years it’s been a huge, concerted effort, to make sure that I’m there after practice working on skating and, when I come here in summers, make sure I get in some skating. I’m just working on those little things that can help me become a more effective player for the Kings.”
Would love to see Westy step up & take a spot. Agreed on Raitis’ skating difficulty causing breakdowns & penalties.
I always like having a enforcer around, so players don’t take liberties with our guys.
Kevin know long division………….
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holly Reply:
September 19th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
@Kingsfanone,
He also knows sport psychology.
But on a more serious note, his skating ability last season was way beyond where it had been ever before. He’s never going to be an amazing skater, but if you put him next to Ivanans, well, there wouldn’t be a contest.
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luc20rules Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 6:55 pm
@holly, Going up to the other teams goon after he takes a cheapshot on one of your stars is not the right answer. You have your enforcer and/or other tough players check one of the other teams star(s) until there enforcer comes out to answer. After all its the enforcers postion to fight, just going after him is just what they want. Although the immediate reaction sends a message too.
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Westy looked good on Saturday. The skating was an improvement on what Raitis brought to the ice.
He also seems to be wide as a semi. When they did the tip-in drills, he was a massive wall in front of the goalies and was quick enough to catch the spare change in front of the net.
I’d expect him to put a few points on the board based on the effort he put down in camp.
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Go for it Westgarth, its yours if you work hard enough. Will be a upgrate from last few years. We need him on the ice.
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Westgarth is fine, and he has to be an improvement skill wise over Ivanans, but for nights when we want to go Detroit style, I would like to see Clifford fill that role. Our fourth line has been completely useless for years, other teams do get some secondary scoring from the fourth line from time to time, we get absolutely nothing. For us to grow as a team, this is important.
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holly Reply:
September 19th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
@regulate,
It’ll still be a year or so before Clifford is ready for full time, I think. Plus, I don’t know that I’d consider him a heavyweight, really. More of a scrappy middleweight. It’d be nice to see them both out there patrolling.
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regulate Reply:
September 19th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
@holly,
I didn’t say he was a heavyweight, I said when we go Detroit style (no enforcer). Clifford is no slouch, I watched him destroy 6’6″ Howe from Phoenix in the rookie tourney. Is this Temple City Holly by any chance?
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Westgarth can’t be worse than Ivanans. Went the whole season without socring a point. And yes, he frequently took bonehead penalties.
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YEAH WESTY! Looking forward to seeing you as head of security this season, go get ‘em big guy!
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Westgarth will be a huge improvement over 41.
He can actually score, which 41 didn’t do for two years I believe….
I agree that Clifford and even Simmonds can do the Detroit set up..
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pucktime Reply:
September 21st, 2010 at 12:39 pm
@714KINGS, As much as I agree Westy should be a strong offensive improvement over Ivanans, I have to say that Ivie did score a few goals for us, in fact in two separate games where we were behind and flat, he was our first goal, which really motivated the team and we ended up winning those games ;o)
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I don’t post much, but I just want to see if my fingers still work. Although I don’t post often, I do read this blog several times a day. One thing I have noticed is most of the negativity has disappeared and I sense that like me, the posters here just chomping at the bit for the season to have started yesterday ( or last week).
I have not been this enthused since maybe the start of the 1994 season. ( I thought they would be repeating 1993). This season WON’T be a let down. Way to go DL and GO KINGS!!
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puck73 Reply:
September 19th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
@Old Codger, The 93-94 and 94-95 teams were a disaster and you can blame Melrose and the “Crook” for that. First, they traded Corey Millen for a 4th round pick to New Jersey. After that trade, Granato and Donnelly were never the same. Also, letting Mcsorely go and putting Warren Rychel in the heavyweight role was something I have never forgiven the “Crook” for. Poor Warren, he was a middleweight and was forced to take Marty’s role on the team. In the 93-94 season, Warren took frightfull beatings from guys like Twist,Ewen,Grimson,and Probert. Other teams were getting even with the Kings and hitting Gretzky as much as they could without a true enforcer around.
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Dominick Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 12:11 am
@puck73,
Highway Robbery! In August we traded McSorely for Shawn McEachern, then by Febuary we traded Sandstrom and McEachern to Pittsburg for McSorely back along with Paek. I still grit my teeth over that one.
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Westgarth is an improvement on Ivanans for sure. In watching Westgarth’s fights, there is one clear statement… the guy is nuts and loves fighting no matter what kind of punishment he takes! He gets rocked time and time again to the point where few could still stand, and then he gets second and third winds, keeps dishing it out and taking more. Guys like this are really scary. Ivanans did not provide such a terrorizing presence. If Clifford makes it, added to Simmonds (and perhaps Clune) Kings have greatly improved enforcement.
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I’m a fan of Westy. I was at TSC this morning and when he took that spill in front of the net during the 3 on 2 drill, it was obvious he still needs a lot more work to be consistent. He also has a near-collision with Richie which had me holding my breath.
Off-Topic: I was also at TSC on Monday afternoon for the second half of the final day of Rookie Camp. As I was leaving, who did I see? Rob Blake was walking in… My first thought was cool. He’s trying to make amends. And then I saw the SHARKS logo on his duffle bag. WTF!!!! He dare enter TSC with that damned thing!?!?!?!? How F-ING hard is it to get a generic duffle… ESPECIALLY if you’re someone like him????? Just as I thought I may be wrong, he proves he really is the douche of the decade.
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gene Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 8:53 am
@ArmChairKingsFan, I agree 100%. Blake does not deserve to be anywhere near the Kins TSC or even mentioned wtih the word Kings. He is a jerk and should never have his jersey hosted up at Staples. Stay away Blake. Go back to San Jose or Colorado where you belong.
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The tough thing about watching Raitis in the past was that he had ZERO on ice presence after 30 seconds of shift time if he haden’t locked up by then. That, and the fact that he was over 260 lbs and scared NOBODY around the league, and you just cant have that. I mean, Dan Carcillo is more intimidating an opponent over the course of three periods, and he’s not even 6′ tall (without skates)..
Kings havent had an enforcer come up from the system/minors in how long, 15 years? Im gonna say Matt Johnson was the last, and his only ‘notable’ contribution was a 20+ game suspension for that career ending brain-buster on Jeff Beukeboom.
Im hopin Westy can have a good run here in L.A.. Once again, Westgarth FTW! lates, ~ T.Von.
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tuan jim Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 1:11 am
@von_swine,
I disagree. Ivanans was a legitimate enforcer and he DOES get respect around the league. The very fact that Calgary — not usually thought of as a team that gets pushed around — picked him up for this season is evidence that he’s known for fulfilling that role reasonably well.
No, he desn’t score points. But he’s not exactly put on the ice to score points. And in the playoffs his forechecking was surprisingly good. As for his penalties, they weren’t all boneheaded. He’s a coarse, tough player and not a gentleman. That kinda guy is gonna go to the box.
Naturally, if Westgarth can give you what Ivanans gives you and give you some skating and scoring as well, Ivanans is expendable. But the jury is still out on Westgarth — both as to his toughness and as to his hockey talent. I hope he comes through for us.
But don’t discount Ivanans. When we play the Flames we may well regret not keeping him for another year.
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KC23 Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 4:38 am
@tuan jim,
Not buying it. Flames have serious cap issues and Ivans was cheap. Ivans sees Westgarth in his rear view mirror and he takes what he can get before he runs out of options.
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tuan jim Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 8:09 am
@KC23,
Cap issues? Then why spend over a half-million dollars on a guy who can’t skate, can’t score, takes boneheaded penalties, and gets no respect as an enforcer?
I realize a five hundred grand contract is “cheap” in some circles, and Sutter has the reputation of a spendthrift who’ll piss away his dough on has-been or no-future players. But there’s no sensible reason for the Flames to pay ANY price for Ivanans unless they legitimately think he’s worth the money.
I really hope that Westgarth is everything the fans want him to be. But RI is definitely one tough sunuvabitch and he performed that role well with the Kings.
von_swine Reply:
September 20th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
@tuan jim, Calgary have had troubles w/the enforcer role since Chris Simon left trying out McGratton, Godard and Prust, all of which had a 1-2 season stint before moving on. Los Angeles DID get pushed around w/Raitis in the lineup more than enough times for me to stomach, so I still dont think that dude had ANY intimidation factor w/other heavyweights. Orr, Carkner, Shelley & Boogaard are the top tier now, and I dont see Raitis hanging w/any of that crew punch for punch. Whatevs, it’s only hockey right?
Westgarth FTW! ~ T.Von.
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I agree with the posts about his skating ability but don’t forget that Ivanans is one tough dude. He rarely ever lost a fight and had a huge physical presence when needed. I think he is one of the toughest players in the NHL, and a scary looking dude. His best quote, night after night, was “hey… want to fight?”
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Though I would rather have another legit scoring threat at RW (even if it’s on the fourth line)and leave the enforcing to the Dmen, TM has his heart set on Westgarth, so I’ll have to hope his recent skating work somehow translates into some solid scoring chances. Just not holding out much hope for that happening.
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