Forum answers IV

The fourth set of the Open Forum questions and answers is on the horizon…

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neil asked: one more..(thanks) there is alot of comments about the Kings being too young this year….wont they even be younger next year if Schenn,Lotki, etc etc…play and we lose Zeus,Williams etc….If we are younger next year ……what can we expect???

Answer: I would only say that the word “young” is not always synonymous with “inexperienced.” If people talk about the Kings in terms of being “too young,” what they should really say is “too inexperienced.” A 24-year-old player, who has never played in the NHL, can be more problematic than a 22-year-old player with two years of NHL experience. So, to that end the Kings, to a large extent, are getting more experienced as they get younger, if that makes sense.

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Paul asked: Your gut feeling (or maybe you know something we don’t)…… Alex Frolov NHL or KHL next year?

Answer: I don’t know anything you don’t, but my gut would say KHL.

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KingTrojan asked: 1. Do the Kings have a traveling post-game award in the locker room similar to that of Pittsburgh and Washington as was documented on HBO’s 24/7? 2. In general, do the Kings players have a positive or negative view of Donald Fehr? 3. When a player/coach/executive is fined by the NHL, does their fine go to the charity of their choosing? Or by default does it go to an NHL-funded charity or team-funded charity like Kings Care? 4. Who makes the line changes at the bench during games? I rarely ever see Terry Murray talking or interacting, so is it Kompon or Stevens that taps the shoulders? Also, how does a player decide to take a long shift like we see Kopitar or Handzus do many times per game? 5. Lastly, how is it covering the Kings on so many outlets? You have Kings.com and the Insider, plus constantly setting up feeds for Twitter and Facebook, all while staying as updated as you can. I’m sure that you must to a degree piece your game stories together from Insider updates, and vice versa, but how difficult is that? What does a normal “Rich Hammond” day look like?

Answers: 1) You can find a longer answer earlier, to the same question, but in short, no, I’m not aware of any comparable “award.” 2) I’ve heard nothing but positives so far. From all I’ve gathered, he made a positive impression when he visited the team in training camp. I’m sure some individual players have been following the process, and Fehr, closer than others. 3) In terms of NHL-issued fines, the money usually goes to the general NHL Foundation, the league’s charity arm, which then might use it in any number of ways. 4) The decisions, ultimately, belong to Terry Murray, and he would make the calls, but in terms of actually interacting with the players on the bench in that situation, Kompon would handle the forwards and Stevens would handle the defensemen. In terms of long shifts, that’s almost always a “feel” thing for a player. A player will regularly stay out if, by instead going to the bench, he would put his team in a bad situation defensively or if he would be giving up a scoring chance. 5) That’s hard for me to answer, because it’s my routine, you know? I’ve sort of settled in, so I don’t think of it as being difficult. There really is no “normal” day. There are different types of days. There are home game days, home practice days, travel days, road game days, road practice days and (rarely, but always appreciated) days with no games or practices. They all sort of come with their own unique schedules and challenges. In a back-to-back game situation, I might end up working pretty much every waking hour over those two days, but it evens out eventually.
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uclaemt asked: I’ve read/heard that DL refuses to make offers to RFA’s because he wouldn’t want other GM’s to do the same to him…with a weaker UFA market this summer could you see DL breaking with his philosophy and making offer sheet to RFA’s?

Answer: Just to be clear on the question, that philosophy isn’t really unique to Dean Lombardi. It’s quite rare for teams to try to poach each other’s RFAs. You might see it happen once a year, and there’s usually some attempt at retribution to follow. That said, I’d still be surprised if Lombardi put that target on his chest, knowing that players such as Doughty, Simmonds, Bernier, etc., might end up in the same situation soon.

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Cowboy Bill asked: Rich, have you ever asked Lombardi if he regrets getting rid of Matt Moulson and Brian Boyle? Seems like they blossomed into the players the Kings thought they would be, but had to go to another team to do that.

Answer: I would ask him if I thought there was even a 1.5-percent chance that he would say, “Yes.” I think the answer to your question is more along the lines of what you suggested at the end. Sometimes, players just need a change of scenery. It has worked, to a good extent, for Boyle and Moulson. Not so much for O’Sullivan and Purcell. So it cuts both ways.

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jayhay asked: my questions have to do with this years draft. 1) how many 1st, 2nd, 3rd and total picks do the Kings have? 2) i heard, during last years draft, that 2011 is considered a very deep draft, but recently i had heard/read that is now considered rather thin. what do you know it to be oh wise one, or is it just in the eye of the beholder? 3) last year the Kings clearly targeted Forbort by trading up. obviously too early too tell, but do you see the Kings going with the best talent available or targeting a certain position, and if so, what position makes sense (considering what is already in the system)? 4) finally, what is your thoughts on the perception DL drafts players that, not only meet a talent level, but as well as a character/leadership/2-way play level?

Answers: 1) To the best of my memory/knowledge, there hasn’t been any movement involving the Kings’ 2011 draft picks, so at this point they would have one pick in each round. 2) and 3) I’ll be completely honest with you, and I won’t even try to give you a half-hearted answer. Until I read your question, I hadn’t even given 30 seconds of thought to this year’s draft. It’s really beyond my scope right now, so I would have to defer to some reporters who focus themselves on tracking prospects year-round. 4) I think it’s very accurate to say that character is a major part of what Lombardi, in particular, looks for in players. Does he over-emphasize it? Perhaps, although I think that’s more true in terms of trades and free agents, as opposed to draft picks.

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Shakes asked: 1) Can we get an edit button for our comments 2) It would be awesome if there was a calendar on the side of the main page, so that people could click on dates and post meet-ups, available tickets, and whatnot for future games (so they don’t get lost in separate blog postings). it would be an incredible way for us fans to organize ourselves in a centralized place

Answers: 1) I really don’t know if, within WordPress, there’s a way to do that. And honestly, I don’t know if that’s an avenue I would go down anyway. Without going into too much boring detail, the commenting system is set up in such as a way as to limit the amount of spam and discourage people who have so much time on their hands that they utilize it by trolling a hockey blog. Allowing the editing of comments would be problematic. 2) This is a great idea. I’m going to make a note of it and explore ways to do it within the context of the blog.

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Kevin asked: Do you think Martinez will go back to the AHL anytime soon?

Answer: Based on the past few weeks, and the trust Terry Murray seems to be showing in Martinez, I’d have to say no.

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JackKentCooke asked: 1. Status of Dowdy contract talks, 2. Who is Dowdy’s agent? What is hisreputation? 3, Not asking you to confirm or deny that AEG is selling the Kings, but what reasons are offered by those who believe they are for sale that AEG might want to sell? 4, Whom would you rate as the top 5 NHL coaches and in what order? 5 same as abovefor general managers/broadcasters/hockey arenas? 6. Who are your 5 favorite non- King NHl players to interview? 7. Is Heidi in a relationship? Are you? 8. What does Terry Murray do to relax, if he ever does? 9, Have you ever spoken with Phil A of AEG? And, if so,,,,,? 10. Are you writing book? 11, who has been speculated as possible Buyers of the Kings? 12, Are you still reading?

Answers: 1) Dowdy? 2) Drew Doughty is represented by Don Meehan’s group. It’s one of the biggest, and well-regarded, agencies in the NHL. 3) Just so I’m clear here, you’re asking me to comment on the motivations and rumors put forth, by anonymous people, about a hypothetical sale? Thanks, but no. 4) I really don’t know what criteria I would use to rank a top five. The first name that comes to mind is Barry Trotz, for the consistency and success he has had in Nashville. I have a lot of respect for that. 5) and 6) Respectfully, I really don’t have time to rank a top five in every category. I like the Canadian arenas because they offer good views. 7) I’m not sure how these are Kings-related questions. 8) During the season, I don’t think he does. 9) No, I’ve never met him. Have seen him at Staples Center, though. 10) Nope. 11) Nobody. 12) Sort of.

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Ducks suck fatties asked: first off thank u for what u do day in and day out for us. Now the business… I have read and heard from a few different outlets now that someone in the kings lockerroom recently asked to be traded however none of said outlets have cited a source. Is there any truth behind this or am I losing sleep over nothing? I understand if u are not at liberty to confirm or deny this, but if u are, who was it?

Answer: First, please change your name. I wasn’t aware of it until now. Thanks. Second, when you wrote this — “none of said outlets have cited a source” — you answered your own question better than I ever could.

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Kostamojen asked: 1) I believe the only current mandated camera angle is the goal overhead camera. Has the NHL considered requiring one or two cameras at crossbar height so Toronto has the undisputed evidence they need to overturn bad calls on the ice? What is the likelihood of the NHL requiring additional camera angles?
2) Has the NHL considered switching the point system used in international play:
Regulation Win – 3 points
Overtime Win – 2 points
Overtime Loss – 1 point
Regulation Loss – 0 points

Answers: 1) First, to directly answer your question, no, I’m not aware of the NHL considering adding any additional cameras. It’s not a bad idea, but given the varying setups of NHL arenas, I’m not certain how there could be uniformity with those cameras, or how they could be positioned without impacting the views of some fans. For the most part, the games are televised, and the folks in Toronto have several camera angles available for every play. I don’t know that we’re going to see a whole lot change there, in terms of mandated cameras. 2) I like your proposed system. If it was put to a vote, that’s exactly the system I would choose. To play devil’s advocate, people would say it’s too confusing to the casual fan, but I don’t think so.