Kings announce signing (not that one)

Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 September 2011, 9:50 am

Kevin Westgarth agreed to a two-year, $1.45-million contract extension today. Westgarth will make $700,000 in 2012-13 and $750,000 in 2013-14.

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144 Comments

Sean says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:51 am

Tease

[Reply]
gene says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:53 am

Awesome, great signing. Go Westy

[Reply]
MadMatt Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
@gene, Westy looked great in training camp. It seems like the other players really like him as well…. can you blame them?

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TradedForAPick says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:53 am

Nice Rich…

Though I am actually glad to see Westie hanging around

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DesertKing says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:54 am

Great, if Westie gets that much, DD is now going to want 7.5 per year. Actually, Westie is worth that much just based upon his performance at the Kids Q&A.

[Reply]
gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 9:55 am
@DesertKing, Kings player love him and want him in the line up. Great signing

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USHA#17 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:44 am
@DesertKing,

…and the last two playoff games…he looked like he got it.

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uknojata says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:55 am

“not that one” is there someone else on the team that isn’t signed yet? i haven’t heard a thing about it. welcome aboard westy.

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Eric says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:55 am

Good signing. Glad he’ll be around for at least three more years.

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Belexes says:

September 19, 2011 at 9:57 am

Nice!

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crosschecked says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:03 am

Well, now that THAT is done…..

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Sammuch says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:04 am

What a waste, can’t skate or pass the puck very well. At least he can fight well. But in today game you need some skill to be a tough guy…

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Kings Fan Since72 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:07 am
@Sammuch, Right on……Can you say Clifford? I rest my case. DL is dumb.

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dMan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:10 am
@Kings Fan Since72, Seriously?

Clifford himself admits they’re not in the same weight class.

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dMan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:16 am
@dMan, let’s say Clifford is out again with concussion problems – what’s your Plan B?

Weasel Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
@dMan,

Not only that but Clifford has a chance to be a productive player if he can avoid injury. And that boy is all heart and no defense so every time he fights I cringe. 1/10 concussions in hockey are related to fighting. So, all that considered we do need a beast like Westy — otherwise a more talented guy is going to get crunched.

AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:17 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

DL is dumb? The guys that basically rebuilt this team into a contender? Sorry, I think I’m going to trust his instincts over yours on this one.

[Reply]
gr81scores Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
@Kings Fan Since72, Do you really want Clifford to be the guy? He’s not in the same weight class. Besides, I’d like to see Clifford stay on the ice to help the team.

[Reply]
Chewy Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
@Kings Fan Since72, I guess DL will never do anything right….he has built a great team….will he still be dumb when we win the cup?

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LomitaKingsFan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:17 am
@Sammuch, He did have that nice assist on Penners goal in the playoffs last year. For an enforcer he is pretty decent with the puck.

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:18 am
@LomitaKingsFan, Agree 100%

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StillneedDewey FKA PakiFro Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Sammuch,

I hope he plays like he did in the playoffs. He was as effective as you’d hope an enforecer would be with no actual fighting. He was skating, shooting, passing, and backchecking. If he can do that in the regular season, I’ll be happy with him getting his 5-8 minutes a night.

On a side note, i think he actually is a great locker room guy. At least thats the sense i got from the fanfest videos.

[Reply]
AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:22 am
@StillneedDewey FKA PakiFro,

haha, I like you new handle…

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RoyalPain Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:55 am
@AZ King,

I hope it doesn’t keep growing, though.

StillneedDewey FKA PakiFro Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:15 am
@AZ King,

Thanks.

@RoyalPain,

I’ll have to keep adding FKAs until Rich limits the charachters allowed.

Stang Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
@Sammuch, Totally agree

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Kings Fan Since72 says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:04 am

Fail. I am sorry Kings fans, he’s a cool dude, but his hockey on the ice is terrible, I’d rather have a new fast talented rookie make the squad, than fill it with a slow no hockey skill fighter. The Kings have Clifford to become that guy with skills. To me DL just wasted money. His type are not needed. He has been the worst thug in Kings history, to not know how or when to choose to back up his teamates. Clifford wastes no time, and knows when and what to do. I enjoy fights, but he has no brains, and no place on the Kings. A entertainment fight for the audience is worth $1.45m? Stupid DL. Whoever says great signing doesn’t know jack about hockey. I can’t believe what I am seeing.

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Bill Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:13 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

No skill or not, the guy went to Princeton. Unlike DD, he could probably actually make a living in the world outside of hockey, unlike many of the players these days that have no degree. I wouldn’t say he has no brains, maybe rephrase that as he’s lacking in hockey sense. Plus, I highly doubt you would tell him he has no brains to his face.

The Kings need toughness and having Westy will allow Clifford to not have to step in and be the tough guy all the time and can actually show some of his skills like he did vs. San Jose in the playoffs last year.

Even with DD unsigned, the Kings have a lot of talent. All that talent must be protected.

[Reply]
dMan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:14 am
@Kings Fan Since72, how many minutes you think Westy is going to be playing a night?

Think about this for a little – let it sink in.

You may not agree with the signing, but frankly to call Lombardi stupid in two short posts shows an incredible lack of insight and respect.

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uknojata Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:37 am
@dMan, your 100% correct. it cracks me up when people freak out about westy being in the line-up. his ice time is so limited and he is a big improvement over Ivananas IMHO. The guy doesn’t take a bunch of bad penalties, he can keep up with the play and is smarter than the average enforcer.

i gotta say, i really like how terry used him last year. when we played finesse teams like detroit he usual scratched him, but put he in the line-up for the more physical matchups.

clifford is a stud, but a heavyweight he isn’t. im glad that dl sees the value in keeping a true enforcer on the roster.

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johnjuan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
@dMan,

Right, so instead of having 4 usable lines which go along way keeping everyone fresh for a 3rd period charge we roll three lines and are out of gas. I for one hope he only plays a few games against select teams but he will never be an enforcer like the McSorelys of old. A team has to be tough and not rely on individuals who only fight another teams “toughguy”. The game is to fast now and head hunters face major suspensions and fines. I kind of like him but he is a whole in the rotation.

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AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:15 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

I like the signing, and I know a lot about hockey…Guess you’re wrong.

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AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:18 am
@AZ King,

Oh and I think DL knows quite a bit about hockey also, and I’m pretty sure he thinks it’s a great signing too…

[Reply]
gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:19 am
@AZ King, agree 100%

gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:16 am
@Kings Fan Since72, Cliford said in the kids press conference he was not a heavy weight fighter; he only wanted to fight players his size. The heavey weight job belonged to Westy. So why do you want to put that pressure on Clifford and get him hurt?

[Reply]
Shotongoal Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:17 am
@Kings Fan Since72, I agree that Westgarth needs to learn when and where to choose his battles. There were times last year that he dropped the gloves at inopportune times and it cost the Kings some momentum, or caused the momentum to swing. With that said though, he does bring some value to the lineup. I do not want to see Clifford have to play the enforcer role all of the time. One, because it takes him off the ice too much and may cause unnecessary injuries, and Two, because I think he is more valuable to the team in other roles. Every team needs that enforcer type to put in the lineup against certain teams, Clifford’s NOT that guy, Westgarth is. And, as with other younger players, he will grow into his role and become more adept at it. Even being a “goon” takes time and experience! I wouldn’t call it a “great” signing but, a necessary one.

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:18 am
@Kings Fan Since72, That was me and I know hockey alot longer than you do. You have no clue.

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RobSD Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:19 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

Clifford has too much potential to be getting KO’d as much as he did last year. I do agree that it’s a waste of money. We have so many big guys now that we will not be pushed around by the bigger teams. I would much rather see a younger guy with some skill getting a chance. I think towards the end of last year though we saw Westy really step it up and create some opportunities.

[Reply]
Eric Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:35 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

I’m sorry, but if you don’t understand this signing, then you’re the one that knows nothing about hockey…

[Reply]
Barry's Mullet Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:51 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

I agree with everyone….nice signing by DL! You need an enforcer like Westy to protect your assets which have grown nicely over these last couple of years. The kid has skills and should not have to shoulder the entire job of protecting his teammates. And we certainly don’t want him missing games because of a concussion or broken finger from a fight where he was clearly overmatched….that’s Westy’s job!

[Reply]
He Shoots, He Scores Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:56 am
@Kings Fan Since72,
He’s a Princeton guy, so I’d probably revise your statement to “SEEMS like he has no brains” – he’s a smart guy, but he can’t skate.

[Reply]
jess Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:41 am
@Kings Fan Since72,

Me thinks the white courtesy phone will be ringing for you this season on this one. I was never a fan but he looked great in the playoffs and looks like he could be even stronger this year. Besides he can always provide a fresh face to punch so Cliffy does’nt get banged up:)

[Reply]
bbb7 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:45 am
@Kings Fan Since72, I’m not a fan of Westy, but I dont mind the signing, as insurance. It seems, tho that all you have forgotten what a non-factor Westy was all last season. He almost NEVER fought and changed momentum, never intimidated the skill players on the other teams and pretty much all his fights were staged bouts that were meaningless. He was a TAD better in the playoffs and if we see that Westy he might be an asset but I’m not convinced. The days of the non-skilled enforcers are over.

[Reply]
Stang Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
@Kings Fan Since72, Yeah and he looks so stupid after a fight skating off cheering and laughing. Apparently he is a real nice guy but that doesn’t win cups.

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jason Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@Kings Fan Since72,
This team need to have someone who can protect the player look at the ducks u are a lot less likely to want make a run at a player when he sitting on the bench knowing if you take a shot then guess what here he comes and you are not living through this one for taking a shot. This is a small contract and doesn’t do anything but prove if you do your job and what is ask in the off season we will find room to sign you.
If anybody ever say i know about hockey. Then you don’t know anything because you would have a job in hockey
Come on this league is still about proctect to player and have gritty players that are willing to throw there body around for the team
Don’t love it Don’t hate it but hey aleast we have somebody who can get the job done when we need to.

[Reply]
LAPD line Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
@jason, My main problem with Westy is he won’t go fight the guy that just took a shot at our player. He will go to their enforcer and politely ask if he would like to go. I just don’t see that as much of a deterrent. He did look much better in the playoffs, and if he builds on that he will be ok.

[Reply]
Deke'r Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
@LAPD line, That’s probably because if he did go after the “cheap shooter” he would be assessed an instigator penalty, these days the tussels must be agreed upon and the enforcers are the ones. It’s meant more to fire the team up than to get even for a cheap shot.

mash-ola Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
@Kings Fan Since72, Yeah, no offense, but although he may be smart and a nice guy off the ice, the on-ice skills and what he brings to the table are the bottom line, and I am not a big fan of Westgarth. He hustles, but his skating is poor, his skills moreso (and cursed unfortunately with hands of stone). As for his fighting, I have seen better from guys in his weight class. It’s nothing personal, but I think with the depth the Kings have, they could find someone with some toughness and a better skill set.

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Jamesonafterawin Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
@mash-ola, Dudes that take his talent in to question, 65 NHL games and what, 5 minutes in each of them. So you might want to take that into concideration when judging his talent level on your favorite team, or is it?

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Cynic says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:05 am

Im guessing the extra $200K/year (avg) means a little more to Westie than to Drew, yet Westie is the one who signed.

#BitterAndGrowing

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markisonfire Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:10 am
@Cynic, truth. Then again, Westgarth is a Princeton grad and a pretty smart guy. He could probably find decent work outside of the NHL.

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Michael J. says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:06 am

Way to get our hopes up… Just to see them come crashing down.

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DesertKing Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:12 am
@Michael J.,

You gotta believe that Rich is sitting in his office smiling and buying stock in blood pressure medication

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OC Hip Check says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:07 am

I know everyone hates Westie but I actually like the signing. I like having westie around and I think the guys in the locker room do too. Yea there are more than a couple guys that are better that could have taken his place but they aren’t going to be as intimidating to the other team.

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:13 am
@OC Hip Check, Dont say everyone, he is a needed player and I for one am glad TM and DL agree also. He is a team player who works hard and has improved his skating and shooting every year he has been a King. Then there is DD. IS 100% into himslef not the team. Comes to camp out of shape and has his worst year last year. What does he do, asks for a contract that is way above what he should get. Go Westy.

[Reply]
OC Hip Check Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:26 am
@gene, ok maybe not everyone. Lol. Personally I like Westy. According to the other guys he is good to have in the locker room. So I think this is a good signing.

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Eric Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:36 am
@gene,

Well said.

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:11 am
@Eric, Thank You

Osaka Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
@OC Hip Check, Not everyone, great signing.

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markisonfire says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:08 am

What do you mean, Rich? THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! YEA WESTY!

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cjms says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:11 am

Cripes, I read that as $14.5m.

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Chuck says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:13 am

YOU GOT ME RICH!!!! You TEASE!!!

Anyway, glad to have Westgarth back in the mix. As for the Westgarth haters, a team’s got to have an enforcer, so don’t give us this BS about a young/fast rookie taking his spot. Clifford is NOT an enforcer, he’s a middle-weight…

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Ian says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:13 am

Nice to see a guy who went to Princeton putting it all on the line for a fraction of what others are making/requesting/demanding. Now THIS is a guy who loves this sport and this team. Way to go Westy!

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:12 am
@Ian, You are right on. Well said Go Westy

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Cynic says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:18 am

I’m calling it now. The first meeting of the Kings & Ducks should be hailed as the “Princeton Death Match”. Smartest fight in the NHL.

Kevin ‘Westy’ Westgarth vs George ‘Stache’ Parros

Talk it up on Twitter using #PrincetonDeathMatch

Lets see how many Insiders use Twitter. (I am at @Paincorp1)

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AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:23 am
@Cynic,

I can’t bring myself to get on Twitter, but you can count me in.

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DesertKing Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:34 am
@Cynic,

WSorry, since I am not a bird, I won’t tweet.

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Cynic Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:39 am
@Cynic, I just started twitter and it took a while to get me to do it. It’s cool as long as you don’t let it interrupt your life. Lots of bonus info gets sent through twitter that you usually don’t see in the rags until much later. It’s the best reason I can find to be on it. Plus, sometimes you get to dialogue with people you normally would not get to.

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kennynakamoto Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:52 am
@Cynic, lol yah i dont Tweet at all, all I do is follow people to see whats going on in the hockey world and the rumors going on.

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Chris Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
@Cynic, HAHA nobody tweets. (I do not either). When ever I get a tweet update it’s from this forum. Just to get some updates sooner I would, but haven’t yet.

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friarking says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:19 am

Good for him. He really started to win me over towards the end of last season and into the playoffs…plus he’s an Arrested Development fan

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Dom says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:19 am

“Thanks” Rich….
No need for the morning Joe anymore…

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AZ King says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:20 am

Westy played very well in the playoffs. Hopefully he’s able to build on that a little more.

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LF13 says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:22 am

You got me there, Rich. I was like ouyeah doughty signs yeah and then oh no it’s not him. Otherwise I like this signing. I think Westy improved his game a lot since the beginning of last season and I hope he improves a little bit more so he can fight and play, not just fight.

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puck73 says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:31 am

Congatulations Westgarth ! NOW, for more important news. This is a remonder for next monday night at 7pm til close, a pizza get together for the people on this site at Nicks Ristorante. 2300 Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa. Cross streets Harbor and Wilson in the Home Depot shoppimg center. We have gotten some good feedback on this, and are expecting a decnt crowd out there.
Look forward to meeting some of you for the 1st time, and others yet again ! See ya there.

[Reply]
Chris Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
@puck73, Is this just to get together? I don’t see a preseason game or anything on Monday.

[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:47 pm
@Chris, Yes. You are invited Kings fan!

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Simarosa says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:33 am

That’s great for Westy. This is the headline that we are waiting for “Kings announce signing (that one)”

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BigSeeGas says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:38 am

Rich you old scoundrel!! my heart skipped a beat.

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Galen says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:40 am

So his salary is equal to 25 days of Doughty’s holdout.

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Galen Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:42 am
@Galen, 28 days

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vplaza says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:41 am

Not a bad signing. It seems some people are expecting a bit too much from Westy. He’s not a high skill player, but he gives minutes that are needed in a game. Plus, he seemed to get better towards the end of the year and especially in the playoffs.

No, he’s not going to dazzle anyone, but he plays solid minutes on the ice and makes it so that Clifford doesn’t have to take on the whole league.

This signing doesn’t make or break the team. It just solidified it and ensured continuity.

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Sammuch Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:54 am
@vplaza,

Yes we have clifford, but forgot that Brown a good fighter and the new big EM can fight too. greene can kick some buns too! So there is 4 guys that can take care of there teammates.

You need both in today NHL, skill a toughness… Westy is a good guy, but slow skater too!

[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:01 am
@Sammuch,

You do realize how much those guys are being paid compared to Westy, right? Those are skill players whose job isn’t to fight. In fact, I can’t recall when DB dropped the gloves. I think it’s unrealistic to expect to have skill players good at fighting for $700K.

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Sammuch Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
@vplaza,

Brown is known for checking, skill, and his toghness on the ice and he will drop the gloves, thats part of his game. I talk to Brown a little over a year ago and he stated to me how if he gave up that part of the game, he would not be able to play his game, the way he wants too… Look at brown getting into at least a 10 fights this year. He average about 8 fights a year. More when he was Cliff age.

Skill and toghness is what EM, JB, cliff, Greene, MR, all have. Bobby Clark was a lot like Brown and Richards and belive these guys know when to drop the gloves…

IF you can’t skate in today game your +/- will – !!

vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@Sammuch,

You’re really comparing apples to oranges here. The guys you mention (outside of Clifford) don’t average nearly as many fights as Westgarth does. Maybe put together, they all have the same number of fights as Westy, but come on, you are okay with your skill players fighting more and possibly getting injured while doing that? That makes absolutely no sense.

Greene had 2 last year. EM had 2 in 2009-2010, Brown had 1 in 2009-2010, Mike Richards had 2 last year, and Jonathan Bernier? Westy had 15 last season. Clifford had 18.

It seems totally unrealistic to me to expect your skill players to pick up that type of slack and want them to fight as much as Westy does for this team. No one says Brown needs to give up that part of his game, but looking at it, it really isn’t part of his game given how rarely he drops the gloves. According to Hockeyfights.com, he averages fewer than 3 fights a year.

AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:02 am
@Sammuch,

Personally I don’t want Brown fighting, he’s way to valuable to be risking an injury (or even sitting in the box for 5 minutes). The last few times Greene tried to fight he got injured, so let’s not encourage him. I wouldn’t call any of the guys you mentioned a true enforcer. If it comes down to it I would rather have Westy doing the fighting because loosing him for any reason impacts the team the least. Knowing Clifford can do it helps, but I don’t want him carrying a most of the load.

I’m not concerned with Westy’s skating speed. That’s not what he’s on the ice for.

[Reply]
gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:14 am
@vplaza, Very true and great statement

[Reply]
dan says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:41 am

Goes to show a guy with a degree from Princeton understands it is better to sign a guaranteed contract for a little less than he may get on the open market and not wait. DD doesn’t have the princeton degree to fall back on. He is one injury away from coaching peewee hockey. He better workout or leave his house for fear of getting hurt and getting nothing.

[Reply]
kngfan004 says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:46 am

Kind of dissaponted here that DL has not gone out and signed an enforecer…Westie is a good guy but not what you would call a true enforcer…no one in the league is afraid of him. In actuality he lost every fight he was in last year but one…and that guy wasnt in his weight class… Raitis as much of a liability was the best insurance policy the Kings had. Only haad to play 3 minutes a game and was one of the feared enforcers in the league…

[Reply]
tim chaney Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:32 pm
@kngfan004, ivanans couldnt do the job either and he was out of here. forever a minus when he was on the ice. didnt his season end last year when his clock got cleaned in calgary? yeah, i take westgarth over that guy anytime…

[Reply]
Rtwing7 says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:49 am

Nice! Hey Rich, please tell me the rumors about the Kings sending Scuderi to the Habs to free up cash to sign DD are not true?????

[Reply]
friarking Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:53 am
@Rtwing7, I don’t like the sound of that. If he’s putting the team in this position that forget it.

[Reply]
AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:56 am
@Rtwing7,

They’re not true, feel better

[Reply]
Sammuch Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:58 am
@Rtwing7, Say thank you DD, someone has to go guys if DD gets anywhere 6.5 or higher. I knew this was going to happen this year, so one of the young D’s can also will make the team as training camp shows who is ready to play the NHL!!

Mitchell or Scuderi will be gone come Nov 1st.

[Reply]
AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:05 am
@Sammuch,

How do you figure that? We have the cap space to sign DD for the price to Kings are offering, that’s not an issue. DL wouldn’t offer it if he couldn’t afford it.

Also DL is not going to trade Scuderi or Mitchell just to make way for a young d-man.

[Reply]
BrokeKingsFan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:05 am
@Sammuch, No way either of those two will be gone before thier contracts expire! NO WAY!!!

[Reply]
rcinscv Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:50 am
@Sammuch, IMO the one moist likely to be gone Nov. 1st the immature one, adding more talent to the stockpile and removing a potential cancer in the locker room, not that I know what the real comments are in private.

[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 10:59 am
@Rtwing7, That would be a HUGE mistake. Example..how did the Kings do in the 25 games without Willie Mitchell? Answer…not real good !

[Reply]
Cynic Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:21 am
@Rtwing7, Scuderi is way too funny to have his humor wasted in Montreal.

Absolutely not true.

[Reply]
Chris Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
@Cynic, According to what I read, we are at $55MM with a $60MM cap WITHOUT DD. Something has to give. I am not giving my opinion on who it should be, but just throwing that our there

[Reply]
Cynic Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@Chris, Maybe this will help:

http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=17

Cap is $64.3Mil. We have $9.343Mil in space right now. We’re fine, but we give too much to DD and we’ll not have a lot of wiggle room for future acquisitions, especially at the deadline.
pat says:

September 19, 2011 at 10:59 am

If I had a one year contact with that amount of money.. I would be happy

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scvking says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:01 am

I see we have a lot of positive comments about the Westgarth signing. Can’t say I am falling in line with them.

I get that he is the fighter, which saves Clifford from taking a beating and risking injury.

I also get that KW did perform better in the playoff series than he did in the regular season.

And, I get that we are talking about 4 minutes a night.

If that is enough, I guess I am hard pressed to disagree.

But, we have a ton of talent in camp this year. There are guys who can do a variety of things, and can bring toughness.

Much like last year where KW was handed a spot out of the gate, we seem to be doing it again, only this time the gift is two years. From appearances, the Kings have a lot of battles that will sort themselves out in camp and some guys will be on the wrong side of the decisions. This signing tells me that there is no competition for the role that KW plays, and I don’t know that I get this.

Do we have no one in camp who can fight?

Someone mentioned the nightly Parros/Westgarth fight—I am alone in thinking that those exhibitions have become silly and ridiculous?

Maybe this signing is unworthy of even these comments, but, two years? One kind of stretched the imagination for me.

[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:35 am
@scvking,

The 2nd best fighter the Kings have is ALEX ROACH. But he’s only 19 and not signed to Manchester….YET!!

Really hope he makes it.

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GoKings Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 11:03 am
@scvking, I completely agree. these fights are absolutely ridiculous. lets get back to hockey, fight if there is reason, not because “hey, I’m big and you’re big”. its a joke. They hardly even try to play the sport. And if they are trying, there is no reason they should be part of an elite club as NHL players are.

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BrokeKingsFan says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:02 am

I have gone on record as not particularly being a Westy fan but if TM is going to insist on carrying a man of his stature than im good with the garth man. I like Westy as a person, seems like a real cool guy, just wish he could at least keep up with Mitchell and Greener with thier stellar offensive production.

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Brown23 says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:06 am

Waste of money.

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GkingsG99 says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:07 am

It is what it is, just one small signing, get over it. IMO.

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pesus says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:14 am

Like the dude but Im not a big fan of his game. That being said Im not in the locker room, if our skill players play with more confidence cuz of westy then by all means this is a good sign.
l

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Gustavo says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:27 am

I like this signing.

Westy is well liked among his coaches, peers, fans and management. He’s not going to skate circles around anyone, but he’s good at his job. Protecting his teammates and neutralizing the other team’s goons.

Or would you rather have the likes of Fedoruk / Alberts (Vancouver), Parros (Quacks), Eager (Edmonton) and others taking cheap unchallenged shots at our top liners?

Unless and until the NHL bans fighting, players like Westy will play a role.

See you all Wednesday at Staples…:)

GKG!!!!

[Reply]
AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:31 am
@Gustavo,

I didn’t think it was possible, but I actually agree with something you said

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Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:38 am
@AZ King,

LOL, even a broken clock is right a couple of times a day, uh?

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gene Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:33 am
@Gustavo, Agree 100%

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Sammuch Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:36 am
@Gustavo, Diffently like to have Parros back on the team. Better skater and not bad on D.

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Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:41 am
@Sammuch,

Well, we can wish all we want. I want to see Alex Roach to fast forward to age 23 (19 now), 6’5″ (6’4″ now) and 250 lbs (230 now). But can’t have that either, can we?

We have Westy. I’m happy.

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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:39 am
@Gustavo, I saw a comment you left on a terrible article on yahoo that was bashing on DL about the DD situation. I cant remeber the writer but the the guy is a tool! anyway….it was a good comment.

[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:44 am
@BrokeKingsFan,

Thank you. The tool is Lambert. He posts agent written articles in Yahoo Sports. He claims DD is the best player in LA and the Pacific Division.

If that isn’t an agent written and paid for article, I don’t know what is.

[Reply]
kevco says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:28 am

No wonder we couldn’t get the deal done with DD, all the time and effort DL has been spending on this contract. Now maybe we can focus on DD.

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KingsFanFTW Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 11:37 am
@kevco, this contract wasnt the problem Doughty is Doughty problem of his contract..

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kevco Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
@KingsFanFTW, yes I know, was only kidding

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KingsFanFTW Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
@kevco, oh LOL sorry ><
tornado12 says:

September 19, 2011 at 11:49 am

does anyone know how good a fighter Hunter is? he sure has the frame to take on the heavyweights, but doesnt have one season over 100 PIMS

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Marc Nathan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
@tornado12, I guess you’ve missed his 25 and 20 goal seasons in the NHL… the guy is a scorer, not a scrapper…

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tornado12 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@Marc Nathan, no I didnt miss that, but some guys can score and scrap…ever heard of Bob probert?

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mash-ola Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
@tornado12, He’s more in the mold of a big Dustin Brown. Loves to hit, not much of a fighter, and he has good hands and decent hockey IQ. Don’t expect him to be the team’s enforcer or you will be disappointed…

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crashin'da net says:

September 19, 2011 at 12:02 pm

Good signing. He’s under-appreciated.

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Sammuch says:

September 19, 2011 at 12:23 pm

Now if you replace Westy with Hunter now we are talking, can fight skate OK and not bad on D

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AZ King Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@Sammuch,

Don’t really recall Hunter fighting a whole bunch, but I could be wrong.

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Nyck says:

September 19, 2011 at 12:23 pm

I think people criticizing Westgarth, are really not considering that last season was his first in the NHL. “He can’t pass, he can’t score, he can’t skate”, if he weren’t in the role that he is, I think people would be giving him a lot more slack. He’s never going to be a goal scorer, but for an enforcer, he actually has some skill, he showed it his last season in Manchester putting up some pretty good numbers. We let everyone else get acclimated in their first couple years, let him work on some things, he’ll be just fine I swear.

[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
@Nyck,

Exactly. And they didn’t overpay for him, just paid market value. He showed promise at the end of the season and hopefully, he builds on it.

Again, I think people are expecting way too much out of this specific roster spot/role and, importantly, cost.

[Reply]
Zamboni says:

September 19, 2011 at 1:15 pm

Have we still not signed Kovalchu–errr, I mean, Doughty yet?

[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
@Zamboni,

Doughtychuck?

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Stang says:

September 19, 2011 at 1:44 pm

I enjoyed watching Jay Wells pummel Tim Hunter, Tiger Williams, Otto, scrap with Dave Brown, Brendan Shanahan and even Marty McSorely. But he could skate, check pass and shoot also. Westy is kinda one dimensional, he can kinda fight. But hockey has changed a lot and refs are looking for bad hits. We need more power plays and a scorer instead of a goon so we can score more.

[Reply]
Harrison Merkin says:

September 19, 2011 at 2:16 pm

Hey Rich, Just wondering what was in my last post that prompted you to omit from this blog. No profanity. No insulting language directed at the team, the players, the organ-i-zation or anyone on this blog. Seemed to me to be a relatively well thought out post that hit a couple key points of optimism. Curious.

S.

[Reply]
Rich Hammond Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
You didn’t have any comments omitted.

[Reply]
Harrison Merkin Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@Rich Hammond, oops….wrong thread ~blush~ I felt so left out Thank you kind sir.

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Paul G says:

September 19, 2011 at 2:43 pm

Bad signing…..he’s a heavy enforcer and that type of enforcer is dying out in the NHL
The new breed of enforcers are guys like Jordan Nolan and Kyle Clifford….guys who can actually skate and pop a few goals

[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
@Paul G,

Neither Clifford nor Nolan are big enough to deal with Fedoruk, Eager or Parros.

[Reply]
Nyck Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
@Paul G, that’s not true, if Jordan Nolan played a season at the level that Westgarth did, they would almost look like the same exact player, except Westgarth is tougher.

[Reply]
rick says:

September 19, 2011 at 4:37 pm

Hard for me to accept that we can pay this guy (who adds next to nothing to the team in my view) almost $1.5 million, but are squabbling with Doughty over $200,000 per year. I know I oversimplified it, but just doesn’t seem right to me.

[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
@rick,

If you want to crunch some number I propose you look at it this way.

Westgarth will be making in the next 2 years exactly 10.67% of what the Kings have offered Doughty for the next two years as part of a longer contract.

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

[Reply]
Kings Win, Ducks Lose says:

September 20, 2011 at 9:13 am

I’m a little surprised at the timing of this signing, it would probably be a massive dent in the hopes of a few guys in camp who would love to fill the 4th line/enforcer role starting next season… Why not wait until after camp is finished? That being said, Westgarth is one of the boys, and I’m glad he is being rewarded by management…

[Reply]
GoKings says:

September 21, 2011 at 10:50 am

Really? people are pumped on this? what good is this guy? he cant skate, cant handle the puck, cant even fight and as far as i know thats what he’s here for. Clifford can play hockey and fight. I dont know of another player in the nhl that skates worse than Westgarth. If he is a good guy to pay this much to keep in the locker room do that, don’t dress a waste of a roster spot.

[Reply]