Just to clarify/consolidate some of the Marco Sturm stuff, he’s on waivers and teams have until 9 a.m. to put in claims. If no teams put in a claim, Sturm will remain with the Kings, and Terry Murray and Dean Lombardi both said today that, in that case, Sturm will play tomorrow against Colorado. That is, overwhelmingly, the most likely scenario. A player clearing waivers does not automatically mean he’s destined for the minors, and it does not automatically mean a corresponding move is coming. In fact, by itself, it means nothing, other than that a team has flexibility in terms of what to do with the player. In the Kings’ case, they’re at the 23-man roster limit. If they make a trade, and end up with 24 active players, they would need to make a short-term move until the roster-limit rule vanishes on March 1. If Sturm clears, the Kings could send him down to create that roster space, if needed. Anyway, this is multi-faceted so I hope that made sense. Here’s what Sturm said after practice today about the situation, followed by Murray’s thoughts…
STURM: “There’s not a lot to say. Obviously it’s a roster move, like they did with me earlier in Boston, so I’m just going to have to wait and see. Hopefully I’m going to be a King again tomorrow at the game.”
Question: And that’s the plan, right? You’ll play if you clear?
STURM: “Yeah, exactly. So we’ll have to wait and see, but I like it here and hopefully I’ll be able to play again tomorrow.”
Question: There have been some fits and starts since you were traded here. Has it been frustrating in a way?
STURM: “Definitely. It’s been frustrating, pretty much the whole year for me. I know I can play better too, but for right now I’m sometimes limited. But again, I think I feel better. I’m going in the right direction. It just needs time, and I hope I can prove to all the guys in here that I can play better, too.”
Question: Last night looked more comfortable for you last night than the previous game. Is that how it felt?
STURM: “Definitely. I felt better. I felt more comfortable. I had more jump. So yeah, definitely much better.”
And Murray’s thoughts, starting with his perspective on the Sturm-on-waivers situation…
MURRAY: “The plan is that he will be in, and play tomorrow. This has no effect on my decision as the coach of the team, as far as his ability to be a player for our hockey club. The plan is that he will be in the lineup tomorrow.”
Question: Do you need to talk to him at all, just to make sure his mindset is OK?
MURRAY: “I know Dean had a meeting with him this morning, and reviewed all of the thought process that went into it. There will be — after we get done with our workout here, in the off-ice part of it — a brief conversation with me, as far as, `How are you doing? How are you feeling? Are you ready to go tomorrow?’ He went through the practice fine, and he will be on the line with Kopitar.”
Question: Do you just need to see more scoring there from him?
MURRAY: “On the on-ice part of it, we need more. He’s a player going through a situation — as you all know — with an injury, coming back, getting himself physically ready to play. He’s been through the skating club for a couple of weeks. My view of it is that his conditioning is good. He’s ready to get going. Everything is on page there. Now it’s putting it all together on the ice, and being a good player to play on the top line and contribute to the hockey club and help us win games. I certainly could use more on that, but he’s a player who can show me that veteran-player composure, making plays, carrying the puck, use his speed, his asset, and that’s what I’ll be looking for again tomorrow.”
I hope he clears and stays with the Kings…hes a good veteran to have around come playoff time, even if hes just playing on the 3rd or 4th line.
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kennynakamoto Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
@Sebastian, was it just me or did sturm seem to be faster out there, like skating up fast on the rushes? but thats about it, he never carried the puck or took shots but it seemed like the skating and quickness was there. i hope he stays to i have good feeling about him.
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Rumors that the Kings no longer want Sturm appear to be premature. This is all about Dean Lombardi practicing a bit of trade-fu, or maybe roster jiu jitsu.
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Geez what a tough run it’s been for Sturm. It can’t be easy coming back from that type of injury and on top of that expected to fulfill expectations in a short period of time. I wish him luck where ever he ends up.
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CupRun2011 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@blueliner, Agreed, and you can’t say DL/TM haven’t given him a chance…getting the coveted LW1 role is huge, much better than “press-box”.
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What's the frequency, Kenneth? Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
@CupRun2011, There are chances and there are chances. For a guy coming back from a serious injury, sometimes the best chance to get into the flow of things is not being on the top line and having the expectations that come with it.
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Unless a big trade goes down that “makes sense”, I like Sturm and think he’ll continue to recover and give the Kings something come playoff time… This is just DL doing his thing and being prepared for possible options.
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Sounds to me like Dean is trying to pull whatever trade he may be working on without giving up a roster player. So if the trade gets made, Sturm gets assigned to make room and then gets recalled on 3/1.
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Shows the class of management to speak with him and be right up front with him. Avoiding any confusion that might give Sturm the wrong impression about the move, and possibly effect his play.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
@Dominick, Agreed that it shows class. No doubt. But there’s no way it gives Sturm confidence in what they think of him. The message is clearly that he’s expendable.
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Dominick Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
@wavesinair, I suspect that they were pretty confident that he won’t be picked up, and let him know that. I also suspect that Sturm knows and understands the buiseness enough to see it for what it is, a buiseness decision.
I have no way of confirming that so, I could also be way off.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:48 pm
@Dominick, I wish I understood the business aspect of it! I don’t get it.
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@wavesinair,
Given the unstated background buzz that Sturm has been underwhelming in his rehabilitation efforts post-surgery, perhaps that message is a good one to have delivered…
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Dominick Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@wavesinair, Sorry for the spelling error. I suck.
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The horse is dead, time to stop beating it… Next headline please!
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jkking Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@2hitnik, this is a good move. no one will take a dead horse.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@jkking,
Don’t they put horse meat into some hot dogs?
Give me a Kosher Dog anytime…
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Stagger Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,
& God Knows what else they put in those things. . . .
Shakes Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@2hitnik,
when can we start commenting about Loktionov again?
Free Lokti.
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Bill M. Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
@Shakes, Probably tomorrow when DL trades Lewis and Martinez and a pick for David Booth, which will require that Lokti come in on the second line for scoring touch, and stoll/zus can handle defensive/faceoff duties.
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gene Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
@2hitnik, Those KW haters havent said anything today. Are they backing off???????????????????
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CB14 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
@gene, If KW doesn’t play, and TM isn’t planning on playing him, then there is no use in complaining about him. I’m not a KW hater, I just don’t like when he plays.
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Great stuff, Rich. Thanks for keeping us in the loop. DL continues to prove he is as crafty as they come. I hope all this info doesn’t come back to bite us in the form of a team picking him up just to screw with us.
After reading Kopi’s postgame comments last night, it seems like they’re starting to gel. Maybe Raccoon Jesus is just towing the Company line, but… I think he enjoys playing with Marco.
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tornado12 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
@Doughty99, Raccoon Jesus? Now thats funny
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
@Doughty99,
Raccoon Jesus?
ROTFLMAO!
Now, would that be a Kings’ #11 Jersey Foul?
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Kingme20 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
@Doughty99,
I am sooooo stealing Raccoon Jesus. That’s awesome.
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Between this, and the Halpern for Purcell trade, we can at least all agree, Dean Lombardi is certainly fallible.
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Pumpernicholl Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
@Marc Nathan, Actually I have no idea why any part of the Kings moves with Sturm this season show evidence of “fallibility.”
“Shrewd” and “prudent” are the words that come to mind regarding both the December deal for Sturm as well as the current temporary roster procedure.
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DougS Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
@Marc Nathan,
And your point is?
Everyone is fallible, even the smartest and the most capable. Branch Rickey made his mistakes, too. If you look at Ken Holland’s record, I’d bet $ to donuts you could also find a move or two that didn’t turn out well.
Besides, as Pumpernicholl says, your point (if indeed you’re actually making one) has no bearing on Sturm’s situation. He got the guy for nothing and he’s making a prudent move in case the chance to make a deal comes up.
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jet Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
@Marc Nathan, I tmay not have worked out yet, but you have got to love the risk/reward value.
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BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
@Marc Nathan,
Last I knew, only God was infallible…
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sid the kid Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, turns out he’s fallible too, he let his son die…
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Jamesonafterawin Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, Let me see this God thing you speak of!
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I sure hope we are not trading our future for a player like the following for a two year period with a much larger contract….
-richards
-penner
-hemsky
-talbot
….if LA trades any youth for one of these guys they are crazy, crazy….trade the players on the down slide like…..
-smyth
-handzus
-stoll
-greene
are we kidding about trading any player under 23 along with draft picks for anyone mentioned above, com’on
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rick Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
@Harty, You really wouldn’t give up an unproven minor league player (or 2 or 3 for that matter) for any of the four proven players you listed????
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Harty Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
@rick, they would have to be on the Ontario, California team….we are in position A with our youth on the big team and AHL team, only problem with youth you typically get one cup and then you have to unload big salaries. (Chicago, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, etc)
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
@Harty, i think Greene shouldnt be up there or Symth i know he old or stoll i give up handzus Williams their last year here Williams might not be staying with the Kings
so matter as well trade a person that most likely going to leave then having players that might be staying with the Kings
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fsd1 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@KingsFanFTW, yes, lets get rid of the heart and grit on this team
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Jamesonafterawin Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
@fsd1, Yes, lets get ride of some provin scoring to bring in some likely scoring!
Crashin'da net Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@fsd1, If we done not keep Willie were are idiots.
Gary Livingston Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
@KingsFanFTW, If you watch Williams on the bench and in practice with the team it would be hard to not expect him to resign if the Kings make him an offer. He is always smiling big and playing as hard as he can. It looks like he loves it on this team.
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Harty Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
@Gary Livingston, I like Williams however not sure the kings will or can keep him around for one or two years
king lopez Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
@Gary Livingston, And he has come a long way from the last two years. Go Willi!
Harty Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
@KingsFanFTW, smyth is not the guy for us, get something while he worth something as this play will not last
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jess Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
@Harty,
Unbelievable you would choose smyth, zues, stoll or greene as guys to trade first. Then when the young guys you’re talking about finally blossom into contenders you would trade them off to preserve the younger talent once again? Sounds like your idea of the LA Kings is to be a summer camp for the rest of the NHL… Vet prsence on teams win playoffs and get cups.
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2 things:
1) Lombardi would have to add 2 players, making 25, because he could have just sent down Martinez for day and not expose Sturm. This way it gives him 2 options, not just one.
2) Why not just waive him, assuming he’s not traded, when a trade goes down? Can’t the trade simply be delayed until a player clears waivers to clear space? Or does this have to do with salary as well? Someone please answer this…
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
@wavesinair, i think this has to do with something with Salary cap
cause if they trading and they dont put martinez down or clifford to the minors
and put Sturm on Waviers got to be Salary Cap
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brian spain Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
@KingsFanFTW, The kings aren’t anywhere near the top of the salary cap.
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fsd1 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
@wavesinair, am i wrong to think on the 28th we can have more players on the roster?
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wavesinair Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
@fsd1, yes, but after the deadline, on the 1st. not sure technically when this takes effect.
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Two things stand out for me in that interview:
1. “I like it here.”
2. “I hope I can prove to all the guys in here that I can play better, too.”
Definitely not saying “Poor me!” He wants to be here and play for the other guys on the team. That, to me, shows a true professional. I like that attitude and admire him even more for it. I was rather ambivalent to Sturm the person and I wasn’t much warmer to Sturm the player, but that shows a lot about the guy, in my opinion. I hope he can stay.
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deanna Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
@KingsFan in OC, I was a big fan of his when he played in Boston. He always had a positive attitude, no matter what. The Bruins’ players hated to see him traded. It’s been a tough go for him this year. I hope it all works out for the best for him. I hope he stay’s a King.
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KingsFanFTW Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 2:56 pm
@KingsFan in OC, i agree i hope he stays
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USHA#17 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:21 pm
@KingsFan in OC,
Hey, he’s not a dud, he’s a proud hockey player who is recovering from a sever injury. Its a long road that requires a lot of dedication.
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KC23 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
@KingsFan in OC, DL seems confident that no one will pick up his contract is what it seems like to me. Sounds like Sturm thinks the same. I’m hoping he stays because we are so thin at the LW position.
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Send him to the Reign! They’re making a playoff run also!
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Knee injuries are tough. When your knee stiffens up you really are limited in what you can do. And there’s nothing you can do about when it stiffens up… On happier notes, Clifford seems like he is doing a lot better in the offensive zone. Seems like he is really making more chances out there. Lewis too. Good to see. I’ll predict Lewis picks up some goals before the year ends. He’s had a few chances. Just no luck and those darn NHL goaltenders aren’t cooperating with him.
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jet Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
@vicarious, I have been fortunate on teh knee side of things. Is it unusually that he would play better on the second night of a back to back?
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KC23 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
@vicarious, I noticed a marked improvement in Lewis and Clifford’s game when Poni was playing with them. That line looked very good yesterday.
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Sounds like Sturm wants to be a KING.
i like that about him
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Take him, somebody, anybody.
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Raitis Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
@Arthur,
Why would you want someone to take him? He hasn’t played bad for coming back and we wouldn’t get anything in return.
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I just think its funny how like even when Sturm first came on as a King everyone was expecting to just start scoring right out of the gate and no one besides a few people out there ever even gave him a chance even when he is coming back from a pretty bad injury
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KC23 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
@kasey9, I just consider it a way to tell the weekend fans from the veteran hardcore King fans. Those that just dismiss Sturm are just ignorant of how important Sturm can be and likely is to our chances this year.
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kennynakamoto Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:48 pm
@kasey9, i knew he wouldnt play well, i mean come on look at our team (williams, zeus) LOL if someone thought he was going to come in and start scoring then they are smoking something.
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kasey9 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
@kennynakamoto, Williams is doing ok Zeus is just flat out slow this year but its hard to bag on him either because when he makes a stupid mistake its always like he makes up for it the next shift if anyone needs to start scoring its not Sturm its Zeus people should starting bagging on him for not scoring lol
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Stuart Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
@kasey9, you know what may very well happen with MS, he gets these next 15-20 games to get it going and then gels come PO time… makes my mouth water!
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jess Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 5:31 pm
@kasey9,
The tough thing is that Sturm is a good guy but bottom line is knee issues are “recurrent”. This makes it difficult to count on a key position for an entire season let alone the playoffs.
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If he clears waivers and we send him to the minors, wouldn’t he have to clear AGAIN if we wanted him back? (and then could be had for half price?)
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USHA#17 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
@Darrell,
No, don’t think so.
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wavesinair Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
@Darrell, I think that’s totally accurate.
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Strum’s a professional. He knows the business end of things. The ATL might pick him up, but it’s a long shot. This post season run we should have both him and Lokti on the club.If DL pulls the trigger then also a top 6 player. Things are looking up for the club. We are playing our best hockey of the year. My hope is that we are not peeking to soon. We need to continue with our edge. Teams are beginning to take notice that the Kings are for real. Earlier this year things weren’t looking to good. Now we are playing hard and with a toughness that makes it a joy to watch. For me lately I’ve also enjoyed watching Stoll play. Dude is everywhere. He’s like this little Nat that won’t go away. He doesn’t stop and always seems to be going after bigger players, hitting them with “wise” shots. He’s made me a fan of his game. Brown also has picked up with the hitting. That’s what makes this team go. Big Hits!!!!! Simmonds last night was unstoppable once he got low. This team is playing great and it’s in their hands now. They control their own destiny, thanks to a road trip full of heart. Keep it Rollin Kings!!!!!
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Sturm is a good guy but objectively and concerning the on ice product he was, from day one, giving up little to get little.
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KC23 Reply:
February 25th, 2011 at 3:51 pm
@Bobby Scribe, The “giving up little” has been established, but the “getting little” jury is still far from out. Don’t be surprised when Sturm hits his stride and some chemistry with Kopi and suddenly Sturm starts looking a lot like Stole and Williams.
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I actually don’t think Sturm is that bad at all. Many qualifyers there. He was picked up for next to nothing, so that’s my expectation of him. He exceeds those expectations. He had a decent amount of goals for a guy coming off an extreme injury. A guy who waives his no trade clause -even if he wasn’t playing there deserves a little better treatment than becoming the whipping boy of the coach and GM. How could he be that bad as to simply not want him? That’s Purcell status, whom Kings coach and GM had half the goals and twice the games played before they got rid of him. He has even more goals per game with us than Richardson -who, although fast, isn’t much else.
Bottom line: he is a 3rd line guy who Murray wanted in a top six role too soon.
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For the cap experts: how is salary like Sturm’s calculated against the cap? This year’s max cap is $59.4M. I understand how how a player’s cap hit is calculated: total $/# of years.
My understanding is that a team’s salary expenditures are calculated on a daily basis from the first day to the final day of the NHL regular season.
So does that mean, for cap purposes, when a player like Sturm joins a team at the midway point of the season only half of his cap hit ( 3.5/2 =1.75) counts toward the team’s overall cap max?
For example, a team begins the season $1M under the cap. Also the team has 1 roster spot available. At the season half way point, the team still has the 1 roster spot and has made no roster changes. So the team still has $1M in cap space. If the team then tries to bring in a player whose cap hit is $2M, will the move put the team over the cap max? It seems to me that the cap expenditure for the team at the halfway point is only $1M so the team could fit such a player at the cap max. (This does not take into account any future seasons where the team would have have to get back under the cap at the start of the next season.)
If this is the case, then while Sturm has a $3.5M hit since he joined the kings around mid season his actual cap expenditure for the kings is around $1.75.
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Bad move by the kings. Sturm has a lot to offer if someone would have a little patience with him. Don’t forget the gruesome leg injury he suffered as a Shark (thank you very much touch-icing). He’s never been quite the same player since – but he is still a very good player and I think you will see the Caps benefit greatly from him come playoff time.
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