Going forward, as we deal with this oh-so-intense Carmageddon stress, here’s the fifth set of the open forum questions and answers…
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bbb7 asked: (1) Is there a list of activities considered too ‘dangerous’ that contracted players cannot partake in them during the off-season? Like skydiving or race car driving? (2) Will there be a new ‘homage to the blogger’ salute that goal-scorers will use this year to replace the typing motion one from last season? (3) If the police arrest a mime, do they still have to tell him he has the right to remain silent?
Answers: 1) As I understand it, most professional-sports contracts do have some type of clause prohibiting dangerous activity, although those clauses aren’t universal. I’m not aware of the specific activities, but it’s fair to assume they would be the standard high-risk physical activities. 2) Not sure, you’d have to ask the players that. I mean, they’re the ones that come up with that stuff, you know? 3) Yes. But what happens when the mime has to enter a plea in court?
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king lopes asked: what number will MR wear?
Answer: Still 10.
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Happy Lappy asked: Rich, can you delay your vacation until I can come up with a question?
Answer: Yes, no problem. Wait, you just asked a question though. Bye! Incidentally, hope to see you at one of the suite games this year.
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MacSwede asked: Q1: How come the Kings have not organized a public press conference for the signing of Gagne and bringing in Richards? I mean, when they put on their new jerseys and so on. I here the other teams that did big trades/signings have done so. It is because Richards is on vacation in Canada? When Jeremy Roenick signed I remember they did so. Q2: Jack Johnson got a little breakthrough last season, but he still has a terrible +/- (I know, that stats are what they are). Do you think that JJ together with Doughty is the two pieces that Kings should build their defence around? Much like Kopitar/Richards is for the offense now? This has always been the plan as I understand, but as of now I think JJ has to step up even further to prove that. Q3: Any chance we could follow you on twitter sometime? (Do you have an account, or will someday?) Q4: Will you travel with the team to Europe for the NHL Premiere? I will be at the game in Stockholm, and would really like to say hi to you. I write for a Swedish fanpage, so I will have a presscard or what you call it.
Answers: 1) This was sort of asked and answered above, but those things are sort of just photo-op events. To ask two guys who live on the East Coast to fly all the way out here, just to have their pictures taken for 30 seconds, isn’t really feasible or fair. Both were very gracious in terms of answering media questions by phone. And, as you probably saw yesterday, Gagne came out to scout houses so he had his press-op moment. 2) Yes, I think those are clearly the two defensemen to build around. Jack Johnson is 24 years old. Many defensemen are just getting their start in the NHL at that age. So I wouldn’t worry too much about him needing to “step up” or “prove himself” right now. He’s doing just fine for his age. 3) There’s a feed of blog posts at @LAKingsInsider. Other than that, I have a great venue to express myself here, at more than 140 characters at a time. 4) I’m not sure if I’m traveling with the team, per se, but I will be there. I have no idea what the media setup will be like, though, so I’ll just be going with the flow.
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kb asked: Rich – Recently i was lucky enough to spend some time with the stanley cup. it was amazing since i’ve wanted to see the thing since i was 8. (no i didn’t touch it!) if you want to see a pic of me and cup all you gotta do is google “stanley cup mariposa” and click images and i’m the one in the white shirt about to pounce the cup! nice! yay! go me! anyways – MY QUESTION IS: Rich – If you could spend A Day with the Stanley Cup what would you do?
Answer: I’m not sure. Maybe take it to Tommy’s and have them fill it with chili-cheese fries.
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Osaka asked: I remember you did a scouting excursion with Mr Lombardi a while back and if I remember correctly you did pretty well (ranking the player high that Dean had ranked high). Could you resfresh my memory what are the different criteria that a player is evaluated? Is there a certain skill or trait that Dean values over others? It seems to me lately that the Kings have gone for more rounded players instead of of guys who might be exceptionally gifted in one aspect but not so much in other. Would you say that is a fair observation? With your past scouting experience, who jumped out at you in prospect camp?
Answer: Well, the players are evaluated through just about every criteria possible. If there’s one thing that the Kings, under Lombardi, have leaned toward, it’s probably that subjective “compete level.” I say subjective because there’s no statistics to back it up. It’s something that scouts/coaches/management observe and get a feel for. And no, honestly, I wouldn’t say that the Kings have made any type of change in terms of the type of players drafted. To be certain, there’s been more of an emphasis on forwards. As for the last part, I’ll refer you to the half-dozen questions above, along the lines of “Who was good at camp?”
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jonjon asked: hey rich, it seems we have a few holes we can fill on this team at the forward position. im thinking its probably going to happen from within so my question: if we do go that route, out of all the prospects *cough* kozun or toffoli *cough* do you think is most ready/likely to make the team this upcoming season?
Answer: Again, I’m not sure where the holes are. You’ve got a clear top six, then you’ve got Clifford, Stoll, Richardson, Lewis, Parse, Westgarth, Loktionov, and we haven’t even got to prospects. If you think a prospect is going to beat out guys such as Parse or Loktionov, then OK, I’ll go with you on that, but I wouldn’t say there are any holes to be filled, and certainly not “a few.” It will take something rather extraordinary for one of those prospects to make the NHL roster.
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donjon asked: any chance kings vision will release that presentation they showed richards?
Answer: I don’t know, but given that he didn’t sign with the Kings, I sort of doubt it.
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Osaka asked: Can you name a couple players on the Kings who for you are great to work with? I don’t know what would make your day more enjoyable from a players’ perspective: good quotes, makes himself available, polite, serious, lighthearted, positive, negative, curtious, rude….?
Answer: A variation of this topic came up at the rink the other day. This might sound like fluff, but the truth is that once you’ve covered other sports — and by “other sports” I mean baseball — all hockey players are great to deal with. They really are. It really wouldn’t be possible to single out a handful of guys, because they’re all quite good to work with. Some of them are more quotable than others, but there isn’t a single guy in the locker room who I couldn’t sit down with and have a pleasant conversation. In general, players who are considered the “best quotes” are the ones who come up with witty observations or have the ability to put things in perspective without using a lot of cliches. Justin Williams is the one name that pops in my mind, as an example of the above.
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PaulHB asked: I’m not sure if you’d know the answer to this or if it’s a question best saved for Jim Fox if he gives us another question/answer session this year? Why doesn’t Bob Miller (or Foxy for that matter) ever get to do any national TV games? Doc Emerick and the other guys that VS and NBC use are ok but it’s a real east coast bias. It would be nice to hear Bob on some games.
Answer: I really don’t know how those contracts are done up, or even if those guys would want to do national games instead of doing Kings stuff. I know that Jim, during the playoffs for a couple years, did some national stuff for NHL Radio, but just speaking from what I know, I haven’t had the sense that they are really itching to do stuff beyond what they enjoy, which is the Kings.
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Poorman asked: I’m sure you’ve received some other journalist job offers since you’ve been doing this blog. Two Questions: 1. Does your contract allow you to do other jobs in addition to this 1, and 2. Can you share some of the other offers you’ve received and/or turned down. Thanks!
Answers: 1) I could do some minor freelance work that doesn’t compete with what I’m doing here, but to be honest, I don’t really have the time or desire to go out and do other stuff. This keeps me quite busy enough, really. 2) No, respectfully, I don’t think making that stuff public does any good for anyone.
Carmageddon: all hype or a well planned event?
[Reply]
Bill M. Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@friarking, I’m going to go with the latter.
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UglyinLA Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
@friarking,
I’m going with well planned hype.
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regulate Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
@UglyinLA,
Y2K all over again. A huge waist of money and manpower that could have been done at half the cost (planning and staffing wise anyway). Local government and media as usual, making every minor detail into an end of the world event. Lord help us when something bad actually does happen. Next up, Storm Watch 2011!
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fourtunato Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 6:35 am
@regulate, Just another way for the government unions who are destroying our state to rip off taxpayers in order to get more overtime pay for their constituents and more dues money for themslves.
In the Net Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 8:56 am
@UglyinLA, Yet if they didn’t do anything, it would have been a freaking nightmare and we’d be all over them for that. I guess they can’t win either way.
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DesertKing Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@friarking,
Secret government unit building a secret underground complex for secret missions requiring even more secrecy. Or it could just be the normal thing where the state of California and the city of LA are blowing a lot of money in an a way that is inefficient and completely disruptive to life.
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PaganHagen Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
@DesertKing,
It’s a microwave gun
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crashin' da net Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
@PaganHagen, already have one. makes you feel like you’re on fire (kinda like when a VAN player crosschecks your defenseman into your goalie so he can get open for an easy redirect. hate those gingers.)
Goring 19 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
@friarking, well planned media overkill
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Go on vacation already!
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As always, Thanks!
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rich, i know i said it wasn’t exactly a “question” but, did you really have to ignore it? i mean, some questions you answered more than once. i thought it was a reasonable request that deserved a response. maybe it’s just my ego that’s a little hurt…
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“Rich – If you could spend A Day with the Stanley Cup what would you do?
Answer: I’m not sure. Maybe take it to Tommy’s and have them fill it with chili-cheese fries.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha…..hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha……………………hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
I’m laughing because I totally related to this. I love chili cheese fries! A stanley cup full of chili cheese fries would be the ultimate luxury.
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RoyalPain Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@Bill M., I think the chili would eat through the metal. Maybe it could be used as a tarnish remover.
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Kenny44 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@RoyalPain, No way. I think Tommy’s chili forms a composite that binds to metal to make it even stronger. They’ve had the same pot cooking at Rampart since they opened. No need to ever wash it or even take it off the burner for any reason, just keep fillin it with chili. The danger of using the Cup that way is “once a chili pot, always a chili pot”
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FrustratedKingFan Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
@Kenny44, I. JUST. WANT. THE. CUP…. FORGET THE CHILI FRIES, AND THE CHAMPAGNE, I JUST WANT TO STAND UP AND CHEER WHEN THE KINGS FINALLY RAISE THE CUP. IT’S BEEN 32 YEARS FOR ME… PLEASE, MAKE IT HAPPEN! GO KING GO!!!
Voice Of Reason Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:52 am
@Kenny44, NEW TOMMY’S IN VENTURA Soon…! 101 and Victoria Bl.
jet Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
@Voice Of Reason, Sound like jury duty just got better
Darrell Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
@RoyalPain, The Cup imbibes only that which strengthens it.
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I read something saying the Kings haven’t spoken with Doughty since june 23rd. Sorry if this is old news aha
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Rich, you rock! Thanks for answering even the most foolish of questions! Some of the questions and many of your answers made me laugh! We are very fortunate to have such an articulate writer (you) keeping us informed. Sorry that people don’t read the other questions before asking the same questions over and over. You’re a better man than me for not verbally slaying some of these folks. (If you’re reading this, I’m probably not referring to you). Have a great vacation Rich!
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Subby Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
@Brownkingsfan, what number is Richards wearing? Haha. Jkkkk
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jet Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
@Brownkingsfan, this is so true. hey, i wonder who looked good at camp
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Subby Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
@jet, haha oh me too ;p
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I’m not worried about Doughty, but DL has changed his tune from earlier this year, when he preached signing Doughty early so he didn’t have to worry about it over summer and could focus on getting ready for the upcoming season. Didn’t go as smoothly as he anticipated.
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KC23 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
@IStillBelieve, It takes two to tango. Kind of silly of Dean to think it would get done early with dd’s high powered agent.
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Darrell Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 5:57 pm
@KC23, Don’t forget the Union.
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I realize that Doughty has an agent who’s job is to maximize Drew’s paycheck. But ultimately, Drew has the final say. I would think that Drew can easily say, Don (Meehan), I’m satisfied with the Kings’ offer of $6.5M per year. Let’s just sign it so that I can be an LA King.
The fact that $6.5M is not enough for Drew tells me that its all about the money and not the Kings.
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KC23 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:32 pm
@UglyinLA, Tells me that DD’s not a fool to just take the first nugget thrown out before pre-season even gets started. Only an idiot would do otherwise in DD’s position IMHO. Signing now does zero to help the team.
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UglyinLA Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
@KC23,
Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Signing him now does zero to help the team. In fact, why bother signing any key players to a contract before pre-season. Wait till the last moment. Its a lot more fun not knowing how much money the Kings have left to spend.
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Utahking Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
@UglyinLA, I gotta agree with you on this, seem’s to me that most of the guy’s took a little less to stay, DD you listening…
UglyinLA Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 6:15 pm
@UglyinLA,
From what I saw last year, there were five other guys busting their assses behind the blue line (Kings- 5th best defensive team in 10/11) plus the two Jonathans. I didnt see anything on a consistant basis that would warrant Drew making the top dollar on the team.
In addition, he seemed very timid after coming back from his concussion. He was targeted by our opponents on many occasions last year. Every time he got smacked it made me cring. I’ve been a hockey fan for over 40 years and I played recreationally for three. I notice the little things as do most avid and rabid hockey fans.
Lindros was never the same after his first concussion. Beukeboom never was the same. Crobsy will never be the same. Even our promising enforcre Ryan Flinn never came back from his. I’m not boding ill on anyone. I’m just saying that a car’s market value diminishes after its been in a wreck.
Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:54 am
@UglyinLA,
Dude are you even a Kingsfan. DD’s not busting his ass? He lead the entire team in minutes played, so I’d say he contributed more than any other defenseman we have.
Also, your comment “The fact that $6.5M is not enough for Drew tells me that its all about the money and not the Kings” is absolute garbage. No facts there at all, and your super natural extra sensory perception powers are a joke.
UglyinLA Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:08 am
@Dominick,
Am I a Kingsfan? Dont make me bust out my purple and gold.
Drew is good. Is he dominant? You tell me.
I have an issue with this statement: “I think he’d be happy to stay if we agree upon terms that are acceptable to him.” – agent Don Meehan.
Drew’s happy for the right money, otherwise, what? He’ll pick up his bag and leave? Is that what Meehan is suggesting? But its not just the words of an agent. Meehan statement implies that its really Drew’s position and Meehan is just repeating it.
BobKnob Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:16 am
@Utahking,
Players signed on the cheap, because there were good players waiting to take their spot.
Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
@UglyinLA,
Your reading way too much into a statemnet that could apply to anyone who is having a contract negotiated. What’s he supposed to say? “He’ll be happy with what ever the Kings offer, because he doesn’t care”.
Exactly what position is that anyway? Not even Rich knows, but you seem to have everything sorted out, including a phsycological profile on exactly what DD’s demanding. As far as I know no one has released any information on what DD actually wants. Even Gagne has terms that will make him sign. Didn’t mean Gagne’s a jerk if the Kings didn’t match them.
number 6 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:16 pm
@Dominick
Go Dom…… Go! Go!
UglyinLA Reply:
July 21st, 2011 at 6:48 pm
@Dom,
Think I’m reading too much into Meehan’s statement, try this.
Tomorrow, walk into you bosses office and tell him you want a big raise. Tell him “Hey boss, I think I’d be happy to stay if we agree upon terms that are acceptable to me.”
Let me know how that goes.
CanadianKing Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
@UglyinLA,
And how do you know he was offered 6.5mil? Or that he turned down 6.5mil?
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UglyinLA Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
@CanadianKing,
I read its believe to be more than 6.5. How do I know? I dont know for sure. I got the info on a website from some rumor monger named Helene Elliot.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ducks-kings-notes-20110713,0,6588123.story
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Ravens Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:34 pm
@UglyinLA, I love the sarcasm, it’s valid to feel the way you do, many do, but I think this is what most people thought would happen, so i guess this is normal contract negotiatons now
USHA#17 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 9:27 pm
@UglyinLA,
I also question if DD is worth really big money at this time. Is he just a future great or a future one of the greatest…
There are however other considerations. The collective bargaining agreement is set to expire and will be reconfigured. The cap and where it will go is on everyone’s mind as well as securing a consistent future for the Kings in the near and long term. In addition things are starting to shift as to the way teams are structured in terms of free agents and building from within.
The Doughty signing may take a while. Nothing surprising or suspicious about it. But I will say this, he is in a position to ask for a good contract but if he gets greedy, let him go for a top forward.
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jonjon Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:32 am
@USHA#17, he’s obviously going to be one of the greatest if ever comparison he draws is of nick lidstrom. i think its the same thing rich said about johnson. most defensemen dont even get a start until theyre 24, so its really hard to gauge a guys performance so young. look at martinez, not the skill doughty has but he has maturity doughty doesnt and you can completely see that. my opinion, he and his agent are in a great position to ask for a big contract. is he worth it right now? probably not, but its silly to even think of letting him go. cant wait for this to be over
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rumpa#19 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@jonjon, A buddy of mine said he read that they are now DD is the only focus now and that the deal will likely be done in the next week .Hope thats true but i dont know where he read it and theres a lot of rumors out there.
Rich thank you for all your fine work and effort. Best in all sports. Three questions please? You say in your opinion the roster looks pretty filled up. Who do you think has a chance to be on the 21 thru 23 position? #2 does it look like the Manchester club will be alot different this coming season? #3 Again in your opinion is the kings roster as it looks now tuff enough? Alot of the teams out west have added alot more tuffness and guys who drop the gloves. I.E. the Flames day before yesterday added that guy from the Devils. Thank you.
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Eric Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
@gene,
#3 is a good question. The Kings, as they stand currently, are not tough enough. If the Kings want to come out of the West, they most likely will have to go through the Canucks, and we all know the way to beat them, i.e., rough them up like the Bruins. But, no matter who the Kings play in the playoffs, toughness and grit will be the determining factor if the Kings will be able to advance, since they have the skill… A tough 3rd liner to fill in for Simmonds, like Clarkson in Jersey, would look wonderful on the Kings, along with a tough fourth liner to play with Westy (Winchester?). The blue line could use a monster instead of Martinez. Look at the Bruins, especially their blue line. Every guy was willing to stand up for his teammates and himself, with the exception of Kaberle.
The Kings’ blue line has nobody to fear. Yeah, Mitchell will fight, but he’s one punch away from ending his career. Nobody’s scared of Greene, due to the fact that the guy can’t fight. Doughty and Johnson will not fight, neither will Scuderi. Same goes to Martinez.
In short, the Kings need two tough forwards and one monster on the back-end to do some damage in the playoffs…
[Reply]
Belexes Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
@Eric,
I like your way of thinking. The west has gotten alot tougher.
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Osaka Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
@Eric, It depends on what you call tough, define tough. Is it fighting? Taking a hit? Giving a hit? Simmonds wasn’t exceptional at any of those things so we didn’t lose any toughness with his departure. I think we got tougher. I know Richards isn’t the biggest guy in the world but you won’t find many guys tougher than him in the league. He isn’t affraid to drop gloves with guys bigger than he is. Clifford is about as tough as they come, Westy is a legit heavyweight, Brown is amoung the league leaders in hits every year, Kopi can handle the boards or traffic areas as well as anyone, Green is a physical defenseman, JJ is underrated in the physical game IMO, DD showed a nasty side to his game this year (a lot of fans complained about him taking too many penalties)….. I don’t see where we are lacking. We don’t have some fool like Ben Eager running around taking stupid penalties putting our team down a man all the time but the Kings do play a big game and can stand with anyone. I know the grass always looks greener somewhere else but the Kings have one of the toughest teams in the league. They don’t have any player that plays soft or needs protecting (unless Lokti plays) so the need for one dimentional players taking penalties is not there.
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gene Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
@Osaka, Sorry but I disagree. The way LA is now in the play offs they will get run. They do not have enough big bad asses playing.
Osaka Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 2:17 am
@gene, By who? Who is so bad?
FrankinVA Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:34 am
@Osaka,
Maybe Whiskey has gotten the hint with his two year sit on the bench the 2nd half of the season. I think he knows the guys in Manchester may have the inside track for #6/7 spot unless he brings the physical/body check game too. The rest of his game is ok, but he needs to step up in the physical part of his game. He is a big, strong player who has felt up to now that he doesn’t need that. So I can see him being a breakout player this year. He has to, if he doesn’t he’ll be traded or sent down. Cann’t wait for the start of the season. Go Kings!
gene Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 8:33 am
@Osaka, Lets see; Bruins, Rangers, Leafs, Flyers, Flames, Oilers, Black Hawks, Ducks, Islanders.
All are big and physical. The Kings will never get passed the first round unless they add some more big and physiclal players.
jonjon Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:46 am
@gene, dont tell me you just called the oilers and the ducks physical. they shouldnt even be in the same sentence as the flames or flyers. go watch some hockey. the bruins didnt beat the canucks by fighting, they forechecked the crap out of their defense and ended up injuring a lot of them, you could see by game 3, even though VAN won the first two games they were hurting already. the kings made it pretty close to getting past the 1st round this year, its hard to say we would have lost with kopitar in the line up. look at it this way, the kings went to the shootout 12 times. that means they were able to shut down teams for 65 minutes a lot of the time, we arent a bad team at all. kings problem is scoring. we need the big goals, the game 7 ot winner, the game 5 tying goal, we need the push back and we need it on the score board.
rumpa#19 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 10:54 am
@Osaka, Chara,Seidenberg,Boychuck,Ference.Hard to call the KIngs that tough.Mich,Greene,JJ DD.WE could give muzzin a try,but Forborts not ready for two more seasons,and we traded away Tuebert.We are tougher than most think but the B’s are freaks.
Eric Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:16 am
@Jonjon,
Its not necessarily fighting but the threat of getting beat down in a fight. You pick on a Bruin, play dirty, bite fingers, and you’ll get challenged by practically the whole team, whether it’s Lucic, Thornton, Horton, Campell, Marchand, and five out of their six D. The Kings will get pushed around and intimidated by a tougher team, like the Ducks, B-Hawks, Flames, Blues, and even the Canucks will intimidate the Kings and get Unser their skin with the likes of Burrows, Kessler, and Lapierre. Clifford can’t so it all and Westgarth barely plays. Doughty is a puss, as is Johnson, Martinez, and Scuderi. If you want to see Doughty, JJ, Kopitar, Williams, Gagne take a beating a risk getting injured, then by all means the Kings should dress the team as is.
All you have to do is take a look at the recent cup winners, besides the Wings. Ducks, Pens, hawks, and Bruins had way more toughness than the Kings. They won it with grit and toughness sprinkled with a little skill…
gene Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
@Osaka, JonJon I know more about hockey than you every dreamed about. You have no clue. The KIngs are far from a physical team. They dont even compare with 2/3 of the rest of the league when it comes to being physical. If they make the play offs they will get run period.
Osaka Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
@Everyone Who are we pushed around by? I didn’t see any team intimidate or manhandle the Kings last season. We beat Boston the last 4 times we played them!
Eric Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
@Osaka,
You can’t compare the regular season to the playoffs. Come on man, seriously?
A seven game series against a physical, tough, in your face team like the Bruins against this King lineup will be extremely taxing on team. Can you imagine how much of a beating Doughty, Johnson, Kopitar, Williams, Gagne, Martinez, and Lewis will take? No matter how tough the a team is, the opposition will come at you. But, when they come at you and your star players, you better be ready to answer back.
The aforementioned players will get intimidated by a tough physical team. Its just the way it is. Why Lombardi doesn’t address this already is dumbfounding…
Clearly, one of the main ingredients to win the Cup has been documented by nearly every Cup winner… Just go out and bring a player like Clarkson to sub for Simmonds bring another tough guy to play with Westgarth, and a monster on the blue line. Now that the Kings have the skill, they need to bring in players to protect it.
Besides Westgarth and Clifford, they don’t have anybody to stand up for themselves or teammates. Sorry, but Brown refuses to stand up for himself/teammates, which is a shame because he is after-all the captain. Maybe Mike Richards will teach him that the captain should stand up for his teammates and himself?? Like I said previously, nobody’s scared of Greene.
Even the Oilers went out and bulked up. The Blackhawks did the same. Sharks acquired Vandermeer. Stars signed Godard. Flames signed that guy with the real long name… The Kings traded away Simmonds and resigned Martinez…
tuan jim Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 4:01 am
@Eric,
I share your concern.
My fetish — repeatedly so constantly on this site that it has come to be regarded a morbid symptom of mine — has always been SIZE.
Big guys don’t need to be tougher than average. Just being big keeps them from being pushed around. Even the toughest SOBs, the scrappiest fighters, don’t like tangling with SIZE. It saps too much energy.
So if we can’t find that Danny Maloney to give us edge, at least let’s import something about six-and-a-half feet in length, hopefully with at least the number of pounds — 217 — that Ali had in his second fight with Liston. That much mass does not get knocked off the puck or out of the crease unless it collides with greater mass. Simple physics teaches us that.
(Yes, I realize that Brian Boyle is a major exception to my argument, but he IS an exception. The basic principle is still fundamentally sound.)
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Eric Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
@tuan jim,
Size is great, but its the toughness and grit to me that are more important. You could have a big guy like Frolov who’s as soft as anybody or a guy like Mike Richards who’s small but is tough and gritty. I’d take the small tough guy over the big soft guy any day of the week.
Puckn-A Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:04 am
@Eric, I’ve seen Jack Johnson fight, he was able to handle himself.
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Eric Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
@Puckn-A,
How often does he stand up for himself or teammates?
I recall him getting into a couple of fights against Carbomb in his rookie season, but not much since then. Face it, JJ is not a fighter, nor will he stand up for himself or a teammate. I’ve seen him, just like Doughty, walk way and turn his back after the whistle when its gets rough. He does this almost every single time. But, I understand that’s not his game. Thats why they need another guy there to help out Greene and Mitchell, take a load off their backs…
number 6 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
@Eric,
Wait I need to take a puff of my pipe……………………………………………………………………..
very good point you raise. Light hearted I may be, but you Are right.
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Eric Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
@number 6,
I appreciate that. Glad somebody actually agrees and hopefully appreciates what tough guys bring to the team…
I agree, Rich, top 6 is set.
Bottom 6? Stoll, Richardson, Lewis, and Clifford are likely locks.
That leaves 2 openings. (Westgarth, Parse, and Loktionov are not locks)
Westgarth will not play every game. Loktionov? Not ready for 82 games in the NHL; you and I both know that. Parse? The jury is out. None of us have ever seen him prove himself in the NHL. Flashes, yes, consistency or durability? No.
To me, there IS at least one hole to fill. Not to mention, you can Always improve your team, even if you already have a full roster. Lombardi should go out and sign a reliable, veteran bottom 6 forward, because it might be best for the development of Loktionov to not have him be with the Kings yet, (on the 4th line, getting little ice time, with not the most skilled players), and it will allow the Kings not to have to rely on Parse and Westgarth to play every game. I think another roster addition, not from within, is necessary, just not a huge one.
Stoll, Richardson, Clifford, Lewis, Westgarth, Parse, Loktionov is not a bad group, but only 4 are locks. I would like to see another “lock” somewhere in there.
One more thing, to all Kings fans. Having Stoll in your bottom 6 forwards is quite a luxury, as he has been labeled something of a 2nd Line Center in his career. The Kings are making out there. Kind of like how in Pittsburgh, when Crosby and Malkin are healthy, having Jordan Staal center the 3rd line is a major luxury. (When Malkin doesn’t play on Crosby’s wing)
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USHA#17 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 9:37 pm
@Scot, Loktionov is ready. He was in the process of breaking out until the Marco mess. A bad dust up.
Westgarth clearly figured it out in the playoffs. He might be handy.
Parse will always play under a cloud of what might have been. Hate to say it but I think the rink where he trained in was build upon a burial ground.
The hole. RW6.
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Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:00 am
@USHA#17,
Lokti is not a left winger, which is where he was playing when the Marco mess happened. He had a game at center and showed remarkable improvement, but we’re all stocked up there at the moment. My main worry with Westy is speed. Not just his footspeed, but how he see’s the ice, and Parse was slated to be a top left winger before his injury, and as long as he’s healed 100%, there’s no real reason to think he won’t make a legitimate push to secure a spot on the left. He’s had 1 major injury, but now that he’s healthy nothings changed, except that Penner is in his way.
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Rich, I do not know if you’re taking anymore questions, but if you are- here are mine: 1) do you have any plans or ideas to improve this already amazing blog? Maybe giving some of the more trusted and seasoned visitors the ability to create their own threads for discussions on the side, maybe a chatroom type of thing so we can all discuss on going games and what not? 2) who is your favorite visitor in terms of entertaining/most insightful Comments? (Visitor being us, the fans) 3) what’s your favorite number? One that you would like on a jersey that might be given to you at an upcoming suite night? Thank you for all that you do for us, Rich!
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Rich, go on vacation already so that Doughty will sign!
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Rotoworld says this today in terms of what is going on with the Doughty hold up:
Drew Doughty and the Kings haven’t made any progress on contract talks over the past few weeks and the blueliner is waiting for the club to contact him to resume negotiations.
Speaking on behalf of his client, agent Don Meehan reiterated Doughty’s interest in remaining a King, saying “I think he’d be happy to stay if we agree upon terms that are acceptable to him. And those are our instructions, to negotiate with L.A. on that basis to secure something that he’d be happy with.” It is believed the Kings have offered a nine-year contract at a rate of $6.5 million per season, but that seemingly won’t get Doughty to sign on the dotted line. With an abitration hearing upcoming between the Predators and Shea Weber, it’s possible the Doughty camp would like to use the results of that as a comparison for their ongoing negotiations. Stay tuned.
I sure hope the Preds lock up Shea Weber for under $6 million. Then Doughty and his agent look like idiots and don’t have a stronger bargaining chip. He then would have wished he took the $6.5 million a year for however many years he would think is reasonable.
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UglyinLA Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@Todd,
“I think he’d be happy to stay if we agree upon terms that are acceptable to him.” – agent Don Meehan.
I don’t think there’s a veil large enough to fit that threat.
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USHA#17 Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
@Todd,
I have to agree. Right now he is just very good, not great. He may become a great, but meanwhile who pays for what might be?
I hope he signs but $6.5? Uhhh…
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LAPD line Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 7:03 am
@USHA#17, If you expect a guy to sign long-term, I think you have to pay for what he is projected to become. For a long term deal, I don’t think 6.5 or 7 is too much, as long as we are talking 10 years or so. For a 3 or 4 year deal, I wouldn’t pay him Kopi money. Maybe 5 mil.
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Ahh. Today is Blissmaggedon in Oregon.
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KingsFanInPortland Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
@Mike in Oregon, Yes it is Mike
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Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:06 am
@Mike in Oregon,
I tried to google “Blissmaggedon” and nothing came up. What is it?
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rumpa#19 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:04 am
@Dominick, No 405.
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Mike in Oregon Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:14 am
@Dominick, Hi Dominick. It’s the cousin of Carmaggedon. Go Kings. Like reading your comments.
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Rich,
Do you know of any, or can you check in to any plans to stream any of the pre-season games here and/or in Europe?
thx
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Hi, Rich,
Q1: Do you follow any gourmet food trucks on Twitter? If so, which are your favorites? Q2: Do you know if any of the Prospect Camp invitees impressed the Kings enough to get a contract offer (likely minor league deal w/Monarchs or Reign)? Q3: I can definitely see how the Kings value “compete level” in drafting, but, do you personally think that approach has any holes? Q4: Do you think a player’s “compete level” directly correlates to a player’s approach to personal conditioning (wanting to be able to play at their highest possible level)? Q5: I know that individual players mature at their own rate, but, how long do you personally think a prospect should be given to make the NHL roster before you would trade them to another team for a fresh start? How do you think your timetable would compare to Lombardi’s?
Thank you!
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RICH!! what is your opinion on the new jerseys and why do you think so many kings fans hate them while other fans from other teams like them?
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Subby Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
@TYLER, so many? Not really. If so many people hated it it wouldn’t be selling as well as it does. I admit I think its a great ALT jersey. Not main but it’s still pretty cool. I think people just hate that its not purple and gold. But that’s practically our fourth jersey.
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TYLER Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 10:32 pm
@Subby, i am not one of the haters..i love the new jersey..it just seems like every comment about them is negative
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Subby Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@TYLER, I see them but overwhelmingly so I this most kings fans lime them. Remember not all king fans read this blog.
rich — can you throw up a blank thread every few days while you are on vacation thx
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Rich-
Your Stanley Cup answer cracked me up. Enjoy your vacation.
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ahaha great!
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It is easy to see why Kyle Clifford has become a fan favorite but it seemed late in the season as if players used more patience when fighting him. We all know that this hurt him twice and maybe reminded how quickly we could lose a player to a concussion. Do you if the Kings staff has asked him to work on his fight skills a bit using some strategy compared to last years just pounding his opponent. He is tough and can handle a lot but so could Adam Deadmarsh.
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Eric Reply:
July 16th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
@Christian T,
I’ve been thinking about that for quite some time. He really needs to take some lessons just to make sure he has a long career. But, for a 19 year old fighting men, he did excellent. I would assume every aspect of his game will improve with time, including his fighting skills. If Simmonds is not replaced with another fighter, then Clifford will fight plenty…
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Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:17 am
@Eric, Simmonds was replaced by a guy named Richards. That is something that Richards is known for also, and he’s quite good at it.
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Eric Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 7:12 pm
@Dominick,
Richards and Simmonds are two completely different players that play two completely different roles. Richards is a 1st/2nd line center that scores 30 goals per year. Simmonds is a 3rd line, gritty forward full of character and toughness. One of his main roles on the team was to stick up for his teammates while at the same time get in the face of the opposition.
Richards, although he gets into a few fights per year, is more like Matt Greene when its comes to fighting, if you get my drift? The guy can hardly fight, but kudos for him actually sticking up for himself and teammates.
The Kings need a Brad Winchester/David Clarkson type for the 3rd line. I want the Kings to be a team to be feared in multiple ways. Now they have the skill that can put the opposition one of their heels. Its now time to bring the toughness, mean streak, and grit to put the opposition on their other heel.
Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:15 am
@Christian T,
During the season it was mentioned that he works on this with Westgarth after practices quite a bit. He was still a rookie, so he hasn’t worked on it as long as some of the veterans that rocked him last season. Just like his playing, he’ll probably improve on his fighting as he improves on his playing, and vice versa. Good to see he’s game for it. “No fear” is something you just can’t teach.
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gene Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 2:23 am
@Dominick, Almost every team in the west bulked up on fighters, the kings are going to get run if they dont get another tuff player. Brown needs to be replace as captain. Richards would be a great captain becasue he would stick up for his players.
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Eric Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 9:50 am
@gene,
I agree regarding Brown, but I don’t think Richards should get the C since he had trouble being the captain of the Flyers. I think a more plausible choice would be Matt Greene. Yes, he’s a horrible fighter, but he’s willing to lay it all on the line, whether its blocking a shot to the face, getting pummeled in a fight, or throwing hard hits…
I don’t like it when the Captain backs down and doesn’t stick up for himself or his teammates.
Great captains- Iginla, Webber, Getzlaf, Doan, Chara.
Bad captains- Brown, Sedin
Is there a chance to get more interviews and information from the Kings trainer? As the Kings move forward I think their success as a team will have a lot to do with fitness(and I’m not just talking about Penner). It might be a great part of your blog during the slow times to show the different types of training for individual players or circumstances. It might also help the local hockey playing kids see how serious they need to be to get noticed in North America.
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This will sound like a “dumb” question if there is such a thing… But can someone please answer.
If Doughty gets signed to an offer sheet in the $7M/y range by another team and the Kings match it, does the team that attempted to sign him have to pay a penalty? I am aware of a team needing to compensate the team if they take the player, but am wondering if there is any penalty for signing the player to the offer sheet.
Reason im asking is…. What if a team like Edmonton(Tambo is exactly best friends with DL) believes the Kings will match any offer sheet Doughty is signed to, and signs him to a 8M/y contract just to screw us?
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Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 8:16 am
@DBking,
No, there isn’t any penalties for offering a contract to any RFA’s after July 1rst. I gaurentee you though, Taylor Hall would be holding out on his next negotiation knowing the Kings would be looking to jack the price up on Tambellini. I suspect it wouldn’t stop there either, for the next 10 years.
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DBking Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 8:43 am
@Dominick, Right… Thanks
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jet Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
@DBking, wow, imagine having the number one overall pick the nest 4 years. DD2 in, DD1 out
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the Stanley Cup filled with chili cheese fries….be still my heart
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I know this is a silly question and no part of me actually thinks it’s possible in any way shape or form but here is a question for fellow bloggers and rich if he is still taking questions:
How many of you would trade flat out DD for stamkos. Say they are both locked up for 9 yrs and the same cap hit. Just a flat out swap. And for those of you who will counter with “well then we have a hole in out D” say, for the sake of argument, his contract leaves us about 2 mil under the cap to snag a dman. Or we can promote from within to fill the void.
And let me daytime again: I do not think this is in any way possible. I just wanna see what people think.
For the record… I would do it.
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Tmik Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 8:52 am
@Cortex949,
This is funny, cause just waking up,
I had the strangest dream that I woke up, came on this blog and found out that LA Traded DD’s Rights to Tampa for Stamkos’ Rights.
I Was flabbergasted, i had no idea what to think!
Then I woke up.
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Rich,
Do you and/or any of the Kings’ non-player employees have access to the training facilities/gym/ice when not used by the players? All that travel can’t be great for your health…?
Why the management, at best, aloofness to the purple jerseys that were clearly a hit with the fans?
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puck73 Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:14 am
@5buckcolonnade, In reference to the jersies, Rich already had a poll on this site where eveyone voted on which jersey they wanted the Kings to wear, and it wasnt even close. The black and silver jersies form 1988 to 1998 won going away…landslide ! Also, if you are old enough to remember, those jersies set sales records in the NHL that still havent been touched to this day.
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Dominick Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:22 am
@puck73,
Love those jerseys. I also love the Shield jerseys, and have always wanted to see one in white. Word is the new 3rd is the home plate jersey in white. That is just a rumor still (I think).
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54FIGHTING Reply:
July 18th, 2011 at 8:37 am
@Dominick,
Not a rumor.
Bodoe Reply:
July 17th, 2011 at 9:14 am
@5buckcolonnade, Well, the practice ice in El Segundo is a public Ice Rink. They have both NHL and Olympic size rinks there. I’ve skated plenty of times on the ice the Kings practice on.
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