Jack Johnson’s new seven-year contract extension with the Kings means that he will be around a while, and so will Drew Doughty. The question then, going forward, is, what does the on-ice future hold for each of the young defensemen? Should they play together, or be split up and help form two strong defensive pairings? Terry Murray has gone back and forth on this over the past couple seasons, and the current look has Doughty with Rob Scuderi, and Johnson with Willie Mitchell. That’s not necessarily what Murray has in mind for the long-term future, though…
MURRAY: “Our dream pair, obviously, is with Jack and Doughty. It just seemed to fall off, and that’s a result of team play. It’s no fault of any one player. I would like to see it eventually get back to that and see where it goes. We’ll see how we’re going to respond here, but certainly those are two young guys who can play big minutes and match up against anybody. With what they bring to the game, it would be ideal for us to let them grow together as a future tandem in the National Hockey League. They love to play with each other. They have expressed that to us several times, that it’s a great look for them, a nice feel. We just have to get it through some time here. Hopefully it ends up there.”
They are too inexperienced to be consistently reliable defensively together. Keep it to the PP only this season.
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bulldog13lak Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 3:39 pm
@tornado12, Agree, they will get better together, but for now PP only please.
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sasKing Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
@bulldog13lak,
Absolutely. The thing that’s bothered me is that Dewey and Stoll are on one PP unit, while Jack is usually with Martinez on the other one. I think it makes sense to have a lefty-righty combination on the blueline to set up one-timers. Why we go righty-righty and lefty-lefty is odd to me.
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USHA#17 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
@sasKing,
Maybe it has to do with the way they want to open lanes but you ask a good question.
USHA#17 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
@tornado12,
Agree, currently they are better apart then together.
The may change as they mature or if the style of play in the NHL changes where you want ALL the defensive pairs to be offensively oriented.
But for now, due to their offensive nature, each requires a stay-at-home guy to cover their back side.
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I believe that is the first time we’ve heard that they have expressed to management they love playing with each other.
Interesting.
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I actually like the pairing. It’s an early glimpse of 2 future stars. Mistakes? yeah. Inconsistancies? yep. Experience doesn’t come without a cost.
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USHA#17 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
@Dominick,
Well said.
There are a lot of rookies along with first, second and third year players on this team.
Hoping by the end of this season players will have improved enough to be able to absorb more rookies and continue being successful next season.
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Off topic, but Frolov is having season-ending surgery after an injury in yesterday’s Rangers win over the Blues. And this after rumors that the Habs wanted him too.
I hope Fro signs with someone decent over the summer– hell, I wouldn’t even mind seeing him go to Pittsburgh to play on Crosby’s wing just to get his game back– because he is a really talented hockey player who seems like a very ncie guy, but obviously somewhere along the way he forgot how to play the game.
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Jason4Kings Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
@Garrett,
Over the years watching Frolov he always seemed so easy going. Big smile, looked like he was having fun even when the team was losing.
I love that in a person, hate it in a King’s player.
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sid the kid Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 12:24 am
@Garrett, i’ve always liked frolov, even when the naysayers were calling for his head. he’s got great talent, and forgetting about this year’s talent, last year and before he was one of the most skilled players on the team
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I like them split up. Together on the power play. Doughty’s pass to Stoll last night was awesome, more please! Martinez is also really looking good in my opinion. I’m no expert, but i don’t see much to dislike about him.
Just looked at the west standings and although it has us in 8th, there’s 3 teams below us with the same point total, Sharks, Hawks, Coyotes.
Must win our division! I think we can do it. No more losing streaks.
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Dominick Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
@Jason4Kings, We’re actually 7th with 2 more wins than Minnasota. No more losing streaks.
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Jason4Kings Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
@Dominick,
Yeah, interesting. I was just looking at the NHL.com standings. I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around the new deal with not counting shoot out wins or whatever that is.
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Dominick Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
@Jason4Kings, Yeah, the whole thing is lame. Maybe I’m just stubborn.
Dominick Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
@Jason4Kings, Oh yeah, Thehockeynews.com has us 7th.
As time goes by it is increasingly more evident that TM doesn’t know how to use his personnel. He will change his mind about this several times, rationilize it, stumble into some good and bad games both using them together and not; look puzzled on the bench when things go badly and eventually probably get replaced by a more demanding coach.
TM should stick to coaching systems and let someone else (not Kompon) make the personnel decisions.
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USHA#17 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
@Crown Royal,
Its interesting. I coached with a guy who had a knack for looking over a new squad and after one practice and quickly knew what the line would be…and it usually worked.
Me? I always had to fumble around a bit.
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Crown Royal Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
@USHA#17,
My issue with Tm is partly his need to force players to fit his system with no thought to what they can do above and beyond. He’s so rigid that all creativity is stifled. Think about the Red Wings who have at least three great players. Not one of those three were first round picks. They play within the system and yet excel with surprising play. TM is like Lemaire who can’t see the bigger picture. TM sees the system, but not the players. He needs to see the players and integrate them into the system in such a way as to help them flourish. Kopitar, DD, JJ, and Loktionov have potential greatness in them. TM seems to lack the imagination to get them there.
I was posting weeks ago about letting DD and JJ play together. I don’t think the problems they were having recently were so much about them as it was about the forwards. The lack of a true second line center and an elite sniper on the wing has been killing the Kings more than anything. This isn’t entirely TM’s fault. It’s imperative that Lokti and Schenn (who still needs skating work despite his great performance at the WJC) take the next step, and quickly.
After so many years of frustration I want greatness from the Kings. The potential is there but still out of reach… I’m pinning my hopes on DL, not TM.
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puck73 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
@Crown Royal, Great analysis on Terry Murray. I agree with a lot of what you said. I especially dont like his treatment of Harrold. I personally feel that when Mitchell was out for a while that Harrold should have been playing more instead of Drewiske who turns the puck over in his own end more then Harrold.
sid the kid Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 12:21 am
@Crown Royal, where is your proof that TM is the way you describe him? everything you know is from what he says after the game. you haven’t been to the team practises, you haven’t skated on the ice and had to face his criticism, you’re not in the locker room between periods. i think your conclusions about the coach are pure conjecture.
you may be a long time kings fan, like myself, but don’t let your frustration cloud your judgment or your reasonable hopes and expectations
Chip Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 12:34 am
@Crown Royal, Do you and USHA#17 have a newsletter? Can we all subscribe to gain from your obvious knowledge?
Crown Royal Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 9:03 am
sid the kid,
TM has been a coach for a long time. These are not observations about him drawn over just one or two seasons but over many years of observing his teams.
Johnson never passes to Doughty have u realized? ever since the Olympics
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Hadley Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
@Paul G, Our man Johnson is a minus five so far this season, Doughty is a plus thirteen. You would think an 18-goal differential would almost be mathematically impossible for two guys who play together
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Michael_DD8 Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 10:59 am
@Hadley,
Damn!!! Im glad you see that too!! I swear Jack could go D to D, To drew in the open slot, but instead he wrists it. Its not a bad gig, but sometimes you gotta hand doughty the puck to rip it!
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Firstly, I hate to have anyone refer to them as the “dream pair”. Totally inappropriate at this stage. They haven’t proven much yet – just show potential. They have not lived up to the hype yet we keep telling them they have already attained that status.
Keep them split up so they can continue learning from the veterans. They have alot to learn.
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puck73 Reply:
January 9th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
@crashin’ da net, Agree, they are young and still are growing.
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Dillon Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 2:47 am
@crashin’ da net, plus when his own coach calls it a dream pair, you’re just giving DD negotatiin leverage. if u keep treating him like a god even when hes fat on doughnuts, 1 – hell have less incentive to stop eating doughntus, and 2 – hell start to believe hes a god (and gods should be able to eat doughnuts so why cant i when im just gonna be so amazing anyway no matter what?), and hell want to get paid like one.
TM and DL should be, albeit tactfully, treating him like ‘we’re not sure if last season was maybe a fluke to some extent, u still have a lot to prove. being an nhler isnt about playing well one season, its about playing well season after season. we aren’t comfortable giving someone 7 mil a year who is this inconsistent and not committed. we want the best for u, but uve gotta show us something. ur still a very great defenseman, but ur not a top 10 guy this year, or close. u still have a lot to prove.’ u dont say that to him outright, but thats how u gotta treat it to the media, thats how ur attitude has to be, u know? u keep saying hes amazing and a dream defenseman no matter what, and ur gonna have a hard time on the negotiating table. they already said they didnt want to give kovy 100 mil cuz doughty would ask for that, (which is why they only offered him 80 mil, because they are comfortable giving doughty 80 mil). u need to take a step back from that.
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Dream pair? are you kidding me TM? dude, these two guys, despite their clear potential and talent/skill at what they do good, suffer from the same major drawback that any defenseman could have–thinking that he is primarily an offensive player. this is the problem doughty has. he enters the zone, drives deep into it, fights along the boards where a forward would normally fight for a puck, loses the puck, and needs to scramble back so as not to get caught. in the meanwhile at least one forward needs to act like a defneseman in order to cover for dd.
jack johnson. also has positioning issues like dd, but at least he can shoot from the blue line and has good puckhandling skills. he also thinks he is primarily an offensive player. he too, drives into the zone and refuses to stay close to the blue line during power plays.
both players need to realize that they CAN be two way players, but they need to be PRIMARILY d-men. you need to look at the big picture, hang back a bit, and anticipate the opponents’ offensive moves. do that, and this pair will be a dream pair in the future. but for now it’s more like nightmare
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look for JJ’s performance to go down for the rest of this year. he just got signed to his contract, and everyone knows that players play for a contract, then for the cup. JJ has posted to his site a comment analagous to ‘unless you win the cup, the season is a failure’. so you’d think that he’s a guy who’se going to play for the cup every year, right? we’ll see how true that is this year, now that he’s got his contract. let’s see if his caliber of play is going to rival his potential for hte rest of this year, now that they’ve penned his contract.
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Linda M Reply:
January 10th, 2011 at 10:06 am
@sid the kid, You obviously have no idea how competitive Jack Johnson is or how much he hates losing. If anything, I would think his game will get much better now that he can focus solely on playing hockey and not worry about negotiating a contract. The fact that Johnson signed a reasonable contract extending in to his UFA years, when he likely would be offered more than 5 million, illustrates that he’s not a paycheck first player. Obviously, players want financial security and the 400 game benchmark, but Johnson’s new contract is certainly not a high overpayment. The last contract he signed was extremely reasonable too. You clearly don’t know him, so don’t pretend you know how signing a long term deal will affect his work ethic. You do know that unlike most players, Jack doesn’t take summers off from training? He’s the most committed player I’ve ever seen when it comes to being physically ready to compete. His actions are a complete contrast to your concerns.
It seems most fans have trouble having two young future stars on this team. Instead of constantly trying to figure out who’s better between them, I suggest we learn to enjoy them as players as they both get better and better. It’s not a contest, it’s a blessing.
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JJ and DD played on the same pair in the 4-0 win vs the Sharks, and were a fantastic pairing. I think they can do; they just need to do it consistently. I don’t think there’s a rush because the dd/scud jj/mitch or dd/mitch jj/scud pairings aren’t too shabby either. I think breaking them up beats Scuderi and Mitchell together. That pairing has limitations
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I prefer them complementing stay-at-home guys individually. I also like the idea of each running a power play unit.
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