ALEC MARTINEZ
This season: 60 games, 5 goals, 11 assists, 18 penalty minutes, 15:17 average ice time.
The good: It was a bit of a surprise, in late November, when the Kings assigned Jake Muzzin to the AHL and called up Alec Martinez, who hadn’t made a lot of noise in training camp and was off to a solid but unspectacular start in the AHL. Well, the Kings knew best. Martinez stepped into the lineup and looked comfortable from day one. His skating, good shot and all-around good hockey sense made him a good fit with Matt Greene and made him a valued contributor on the power play.
The bad: To be expected from a 23-year-old rookie defenseman, Martinez had his share of uh-oh moments and a couple substandard games, but he bounced back from those nicely. Like all young defensemen with puck-moving ability, Martinez has to be wise in terms of deciding when to jump into plays and take chances.
Going forward: This time last year, Martinez ran the risk of getting lost in the shuffle, given the high number of defensive prospects in the Kings’ system. Martinez needed to open some eyes in the organization this season, and he did. Is it enough to hold off prospects such as Muzzin and Viatcheslav Voynov next season? The training-camp battle should be intriguing, but Martinez gave himself a big leg up with his strong performance this season.
Martinez was one of my favorite players to watch this season. I think he did very well, and makes a great pairing with Matt Greene.
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- ViC - Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:57 am
@jordan, I agree 100%, I love Martinez style of game
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Eric Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
@- ViC -,
Out of curiosity, what do you love about his game? He’s a decent skater, but doesn’t do anything overly good. He’s also not physical whatsoever.
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markisonfire Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
@Eric, He is a less physical Kyle Quincey. But for a third pairing role and a dirt cheap contract, he excels at his position.
luthco1 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@Eric, 76 games, 11 goals, 29 points, 68 penalty minutes, 25:39 average ice (doughty)
60 games, 5 goals, 11 assists, 18 penalty minutes, 15:17 average ice(martinez)
Pretty damn good for a kid
Ravens Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
@Eric, Nobody gets the shot through the defence from the blue line like Martinez, and he’s quick, has good hockey sence, he had nearly half the ice time as Doughty and more than half the points of Doughty
Cowboy Bill Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
@jordan, he was one of the few defensemen who put the puck on the net consistently.
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O-Dawg Reply:
May 9th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
@Cowboy Bill, I agree with most…Martinez was a nice surprise. I wonder who the two idiots are that gave him a F grade?
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I think we put a package together with JMFJ as a centerpiece for a scoring forward we need and move Martinez up. Its time to get Muzzin or Voynov a chance with Greener.
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rick Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:53 am
@mckinggolf, Totally agree. Posted the exact same thing yesterday.
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Pesus Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
@mckinggolf, Maybe we dont have to take away from out current line up. I think phili would be intrested in our goalies from manchester, maybe get one of thier skilled forwards. NJ needs a future netminder and can use some D men.
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mckinggolf Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@Pesus, I’m not sure that NJ would send Parise in any deal to us, and if were not getting him in return there’s no deal. As far as Phili goes I think we have to come up with more than prospects to land any of their skilled offensive players.
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number 6 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
@Pesus,
Fraid not mate. Why would Philly want Another unproven goaltender to go with their nice group that they already have….? Unless they’re thinking of starting a recording group or something.
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I like the kid a lot and feel he slots in perfectly as a third line puck moving defenseman. It fills a perfect box. To me the dream was always Offensive Defenseman box 1 Doughty, Offenseive Defenseman box 2 Hickey and box 3 Martinez. Hickey hasnt lived up to his draft status thus far and Voynov might have that box 2 ability.
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Token Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 11:53 am
@orphios, Good take. My wet dream is to have 5 puck movers and one stay home. That would be a game changer.
Fortunately for us, that’s what we got in the pipeline.
I see Voynov stepping up real soon.
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jet Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
@Token, you hidding a wings jersey under that beard?
glad to see the picture back
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I was unenthused when Martinez was brought up to replace Muzzin. I remembered Martinez lackluster performance during the 2009/10 season but I have to admit that he was solid from the get go and made a fan out of me. I like that he didn’t hesitate to shoot the puck and he seemed reliable all season. Like the prior post, I’m itching to see Voynov in the lineup (as well as Muzzin) which means someones got to go to make that happen.
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Dominick Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
@HeyChief, I actually gave Martinez the nodd last summer, because I thought he was already exposed to the NHL the year before, and Muzz wasn’t. Marty had a better idea of what to be ready for. I actually, almost swallowed my words when Muzz stuck around a little while, and Marty started in Manchester.
I suspect it will be the same for Voynov, as it was for Muzzin, in that Muzzin, and Hickey have already been exposed, and will be more prepared next time. Voynov will still have to get some exposure to figure out what it takes in the NHL. I’m not saying he couldn’t come in and blow everyone away, which would be awsome too. DD did it.
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I have to say, when we first saw him last year, I thought he was dud. But as is the case with many of these young players, that stint benifited him immensely. He performed above and beyond my expectations this year. What surprised me most, was his ability on the physical side of things. He isnt DB, but is strong in finishing his checks and pinning players along the boards. He reminds me of a young visnovsy with more size (im sure this time, I looked it up). He sees the ice well, makes good strong breakout passes and for the most part made good choices with knowing when to pinch. I think DD and to a lesser extent JJ could pick up a thing or 2 from his ability to get the puck through from the point. It doesnt always have to be a full wind up slapper, sometimes just a quick wrister on net! He should put on a bit more muscle this summer and be even stronger next year. He needs to work on his positioning a bit in the D zone, as he can get caught out of position at times, but MG was there to help him when he was. I gave him a B+
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Don’t see the strong defensive positional play in him. Martinez was on ice and out of position on several key Shark goals in the playoff series: chasing the Sharks in the 3 on 2 break in one OT game losing goal by Palvelski, for example. Kings need to look elsewhere on the blue line.
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Adam Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@joe,
that was Dustin Penner “chasing”, if you want to call it that, on the OT goal
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Stuart Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
@Adam, I think DP was chasing on the Sackaguchi OT winner. In game 1 IIRC Marty fell down in the O zone and then it came back the other… it’s all a haze now, I think my brain has locked that away where all the bad things go.
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tornado12 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 2:41 pm
@Stuart, Sackaguchi…LMFAO…can I use that one?
mrbrett7 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
@joe, There is more going on out there. Especially on a 3 on 2. You can’t expect one guy to cover 2, sometimes 3 guys.
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number 6 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
@joe,
and you may want to consider that as for breakdowns in the playoffs A) it was his first playoffs B) even if it had been the regular season he was still a rookie C) it takes time for a defenseman to develop and look at all the tools and D) most importantly, he had a vast amount of company as 2/3 of the team if not more joined him in the breakdown.
If that starts to happen, you look more to your vets and your talisman (DD) to pull everything back together.
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luthco1 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
@joe, Uhum, cough doughty
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Something I wondered at the trade deadline why we weren’t able to make a deal with Dallas for James Neal. We could have afforded to give them the D player (not named Doughty) for him and we would have received a better and younger scoring LW than Penner. IMHO.
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Helvetica Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
@mckinggolf, maybe they didn’t want to deal Neal?
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KDinUT Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@Helvetica, Just not in the division maybe as Neal ended up a Penguin at the deadline . . .
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mckinggolf Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
@KDinUT, That could be, but I thought I heard that we never really tried. Was DL worried about sending one of our D to Dallas? I do think we could have given a better package to Dallas though.
DLB Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
@mckinggolf, I don’t know if Dallas would trade in division, but Neal had 1 goal in 20 games with the Pens, regular season. 1 goal in the playoffs. He needs a Richards type to set him up.
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Kings x Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 7:21 pm
@mckinggolf, Interdivision
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I was impressed by Martinez this season.
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Solid player and was hardly ever a liability…gave him an A
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Solid – A Kept the usual rookie mistakes to a minimum.
I think his offensive upside is huge. Not afraid of shooting the puck on a team of players who seem to hate to shoot makes him one of the MVP on the team.
Now that he has one full season under his belt, I expect we will see a huge jump in his offensive numbers next season.
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BobKnob Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
@Barry’s Mullet,
I agree.
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luthco1 Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, exactly, not afraid to shoot the puck
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Kings x Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
@Barry’s Mullet, Experience and confidence and he will be that much better
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Another example of the DL method of player development. I was one of the few who wanted to bring him up at the beginning of the season. there is still a ways to go, but he has shown the willingness. A
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I gave him a C, but that’s based on objective criteria. Subjectively, I would give him a B.
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Is Alec Martinez actually Latino? I think Oscar Moller tweeted that he was Mexican. its nice to have some ethnic diversity in the NHL and on the Kings consider the diversity of the city. Kid played very well for his rookie season. Whatever he did last off-season, he should do it again and he will be back much better. I think he learned the lesson not to jump up in overtime of the playoffs.
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holly Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
@Sebastian, I believe he’s a Spaniard.
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Stuart Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
@Sebastian, someone said he’s part-spaniard not Mexican. I haven’t looked into it but I’d have to agree based on the fact that Mexicans name their kids AleX not AleC.
just sayin.
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Token Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
@Stuart, He is the direct descendent of “Indigo Montoya, you killed his father, prepare to die”, the great, great, great grandson of Maximus Decimus Meridius!
Yeah, The Spaniard.
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Stuart Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
@Token, LOL! In-con-CEIVE-able!
IceGuy Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
@Token,
“I donn think that means what you think it means.”
Dominick Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
@Token,
“I know something you don’t know”……….”I’m not left handed”.
B+. One of the best we have at getting the puck to the net from the point. DD and JMFJ could learn a thing or two from him.
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He gets an A from me.
He’s probably the best unexpected surprise of the season. He was strong all year and didn’t make the big uh oh’s. Hopefully he gains confidence and can use that shot of his even more next season.
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mckinggolf Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
@Dan H., Agreed!
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Alec Martinez was a real surprise for me this season. Like Trevor Lewis, he also made this team at age 23. I really like the way Mark Morris trained him at Mamchester. Who knows, maybe this guy is a keeper. I am still pumped to see what Hickey, Muzzin, Voynov, Deslauriers, and Foebert will look like in camp !
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Love the kid, as well. More upside than not. BTW- where were all these graders whn I was in school
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I gave him a B+
He stepped up nicely this year…similar to Lewis.
Both were prety much at the end of the road as far as Kings prospects. Both took the leap to becoming quality NHL players.
Playing along side Greene certainly helped the transition..One more reason why Greene’s such a valuable commodity.
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Martinez really surprised me, i missed the preseason and first couple of months of the season but as soon as i caught the first game i could, i was already saying “who is this guy?!” For being a rookie he is pretty rock solid, like Rich said he had his share of uh-oh moments but no more than anyone else. The few plays I’ve seen him join the rush he makes great plays, he has a great shot and moves the puck effectively. I wish he was a little better in the playoffs, but give him a couple more years he should be great. In my opinion, unless Voynov or Hickey can show an amazing training camp, the kings have their defensive pairings set for a couple of years.
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B+
Not bad for a fellow alumnus of Miami University!
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Johnson is not going anywhere and Martinez will be good trade bait to be part of a package to land us a top-6 forward. Martinez did well in during the season but in the playoffs, he got really exposed in Game 4 since he was responsible for 2 goals in that game.
C+
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Marbles Reply:
May 5th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
@Marbles,
Forgot to add, I believe Voynov will do well in training camp earn a stop with the Kings. This will make Martinez expendable.
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Martinez was one of the biggest surprises for me along with Lewis. I thought he played well on the 3rd pairing with Greene and was very valuable on the 2nd team power play. I thought he had a nice year and could be a possible 2nd d-pairing guy in the NHL which is more than I thought he could be.
I continue to think that Martinez could be good trade bait. With some very good players behind in Manchester that are also puck-movers I think Martinez did enough this year to warrant interest from other teams. He would be a relatively cheap option for someone’s blue line and if he could net us a skilled forward (perhaps in a package deal) I would make the deal.
I really think Voynov needs to get a shot this coming camp to see what he has to offer. I think it’s safe to assume that one of Voynov/Muzzin/Hickey can take Martinez’s spot without much if any drop off.
I gave Martinez a “B” for the year – a nice surprise.
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Definately one of the biggest surprizes I’ve ever had in a young King defenseman. The year before he looked lost and confused, but when he came up this year he looked solid from day 1 and was better than average on the point on the PP.
This made me know that our AHL development team is intact and doing well. Very impressive improvement. I give him a solid B. The sky is the limit next year and it wouldn’t shock me to see him put up JJ/DD type numbers offensively and hopefully DD type numbers +/- wise.
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At the beginning of the season, I thought DD44 was good, then I thought Muzzin was than DD44. After Marty replaced Muzzin, I thought it’s a bad move, but at the end of the season, I think Marty as good as Muzzin. Hopefuly both of Muzzin and Marty can play with us next season.
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1,033 votes, and not a single F. Ducksfans are taking the day off. lol
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B+. Definitely solid player all around. Great vision, actually gets his shot through traffic, plays well positionally, and usually makes the right play. Only knock I’d say he has is maybe his size. Could stand to bulk up a little bit of muscle, but that’s about all he needs to work on.
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not only was martinez good, he made greene play better too.. whatever it was they became the most reliable pairing out there the second half of the season.. i wondering what the scoring chances are with johnson out there.. his -21 could have been worse if it wasnt for quick and bernier… if you want a defensive minded team bye bye johnson.. voynov,muzzin, hickey.. one can take his place
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But will Kings resign him?
Since he played 60 games past season the QO needs to be a oneway deal, according to CBA.
Isn’t it better to let Voinov do the same job for a whole lot smaller contract?
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