Murray discusses Moller’s development

Will the fifth time be the charm for Oscar Moller? Four previous times, since the start of the 2008-09 season, Moller has made the Kings’ roster, only to be sent back to the AHL. That’s certainly not uncommon for a young player, but it seems as though Moller has been something of a head-scratcher for the Kings, in terms of figuring out where to use him. I asked Terry Murray today about Moller’s development, and his opinion as to what Moller needed to do in order to become a consistent NHL player…

MURRAY: “For me, he’s going to have to put numbers up on a fairly consistent basis. He’s a skilled hockey player. He can play in pretty much every situation. Along with that kind of a job description, there are points that need to be put up. It’s just a matter of getting through the learning process of pro hockey and learning how to do that. His first year he made the hockey club, he earned the right. He played well. He ended up going to the World Juniors and getting hurt and I thought — and not only me — as coaches, we felt he just didn’t bounce back to that same level of play. He’s physically stronger. He’s quicker today. His first stride, which is something I was always watching closely, to me it improved in training camp. So with that, he’s inching closer to being a player who is going to play in the National Hockey League on a regular basis.”

Question: A lot is made about his size, but you’ve talked about body control being a bigger factor. Is it less about his weight and more about the way he controls his body on the ice?

MURRAY: “It’s all about angling, positioning. It’s all reading and putting people in the right position. When you’re playing without the puck, you’re putting people in the position that you want them to be in. It’s not the idea that he needs to knock people off the puck. It’s about being on the right side of people, so they’re not going to have an easy route to recover pucks or to get to the net or continue a cycle. That’s just part of playing the game that you have to make adjustments to, as a smaller player. He will get that part of it down. He’s a character person, a great guy, and he has worked very hard at his game. I think it’s all going to fall in place, and it’s not too far away for him.”

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