Justin Williams, who missed camp yesterday because of flu symptoms, is expected to be back on the ice for his scheduled session this afternoon.
Two players dodged bullets this morning. Jordan Weal went down after getting hit under his eye and went to the locker room in discomfort but returned a few minutes later. Robert Czarnik limped off the ice and walked to the locker room with assistance but later returned.
Colin Fraser (foot) and J.F. Berube (hip) did conditioning skating.
Nothing new to report on the Drew Doughty front.
Are they even talking? Drew should be losing a lot of sleep right now…
[Reply]
Weasel Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
@Steve S.,
Well he is definitely losing that $27K a day I guess.
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
@Weasel, No player is getting payed right now (technically). Their contracts are based on regular season games. Camp, pre-season, and post season are not figured into their salaries. For intstance, if Kopi didn’t play in the playoffs last season, he doesn’t lose any pay because of it. If a player (say DD) doesn’t participate in camp, he does not lose any salary. Camp is volentary just as the playoffs are.
Salaries are based off of regular season games and the pay is doled out accordingly.
[Reply]
dMan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
@Dominick, it was my understanding that this condition has changed this year. At least this is what Lombardi seem to infer when he talked about the 275 days which included training camp.
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
@dman,
He did infer that, but the rules are clear on where the money is contracted.
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:09 pm
@dMan,
for instance, Williams will not lose money because he was out sick and missed 1 day of camp, and have to file for thousands with his insurance because of lost wages.
kostamojen Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
@Steve S., Drew should be losing sleep over it. I know I am!
[Reply]
kennynakamoto Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@kostamojen, lol he probably is while his agent just sits there and chills….. poor us!! lol
[Reply]
Steve S, Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
@kostamojen, As embarassed as I am to admit it, I am too. I find myself checking this blog every hour to see if there have been any developments…
[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
@Steve S.,
He should be skating, signed or not.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
@Steve S.,
Sadly, I think this is now firmly in Meehan’s hands, not Drew’s or Dean’s. I have a feeling that the agent want’s to make sure he comes out on top of this one so that he can attract clients in the future. He already got Stamkos a heck of a deal and he’s not about to let DL get the best of him.
Add to this the bad blood between them over the San Jose situation and Kopitar’s decision to dump Meehan, and that makes for an Agent willing to go to Defcon 5 regardless of what’s best for his client or the team (like he cares about that at all).
The only way this gets resolved is if DD says “enough” and realizes that Meehan is in it for Meehan, not DD.
[Reply]
LaKingBob[chi] Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
@vplaza, perfectly said It is now in DD HANDS.Come on Drew just do iT !!!
[Reply]
LGK Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
@vplaza, I agree 100%. Come on Drew wake up man FIRE MEEEHAN and deal with DL yourself.
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
@LGK,
Or get Kopi’s agent or even have JJ deal for you. You’re ego is being fed by this agent who knows that if he gives in to DL now, he will have a harder time landing top clients down the road.
Steve S, Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
@vplaza, Well then, in reference to your last sentence, it seems high time Drew says “enough”…
[Reply]
vplaza Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
@Steve S,
That would happen only if DD decides to take it out of his agent’s hands. Otherwise, if he tells Meehan that he’s got his blessing to do whatever, then this isn’t going to end well since, again, I think Meehan is it it for his own benefit, not DD’s.
Thats good that Williams only had the 24 hour flu!
[Reply]
Whether its fair or not, I am just getting more and more pissed at Drew Doughty than anyone else. This is HIS contract, his life. He should be in camp, no excuses.
[Reply]
I wish GMs had team sweaters, too.
I’d proudly wear DL’s to every game this season
[Reply]
Bill M. Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
@Gustavo, Why not make one? you could put his name on it and use the number “1″. As the head honcho, why wouldn’t he be number one?
[Reply]
Gustavo Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
@Bill M.,
Das right!!!
[Reply]
DaveinSD Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@Gustavo, very good idea but let it be this year’s 3rd jersey with purple, basically last year’s home jersey. Please no home plate jersey.
[Reply]
puck73 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
@Gustavo, Totally agree, he is my favorite King.
[Reply]
Who cares about Drew? It’s gonna happen when it happens. More important How does Richards look? Can’t wait to see him in the line up at frozen furry?
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:21 pm
@king-goph, Perspective! Where’s the like button.
[Reply]
Hey Rich,
Quick question.
The Kings are the ‘home’ team in both regular season games in Europe. This doesn’t mean they have 39 games @Staples Center, does it?
[Reply]
Quisp Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
@kevin from toronto,
yes
[Reply]
Shotongoal Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
@kevin from toronto, it suuuure does mean that!!! And, even more exciting for season ticket holders is that we get to pay for 41 games!!! What a DEAL!!!
[Reply]
tornado12 Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
@kevin from toronto, not on NHL 12
[Reply]
kevin from toronto Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
@tornado12, haha Yes!
[Reply]
Assuming Drew intends to hold out through camp and into the season there is no reason to panic. We have 4 defenseman that we could platoon in the 6 slot that would buy us at least 30 games. None of whom are a replacement for DD of course but each one brings a particular skill set that could be a wet dream for our match-up minded, line juggling savant of a coach. Are you telling me that Muzz, Hicks, Voynov and DD2 couldn’t hold down the fort for a bit? Given the fact that we are going to roll 3 if not 4 solid lines game in and game out I’m thinking we’ll be just fine. Fine enough to be on the winning side of more than our fair share over that span. Now tell me that sitting back and watching your team kill it while your agent continues to derail your present if not your future wouldn’t be enough motivation for Drew to rethink his position. I love me some Doughty and am as enamored with his skill set and potential as anyone. At the same time I’m just as frustrated with the flip pass at the blue-line that even the dude standing at the urinal knows is coming and the belief that he posses the closing speed to ol’e wingers at the blue line. Bottom line is that this team with him is scary good. This team without him is……still scary good. Let us just relax and enjoy the ride. GKG GDLG
[Reply]
nykingfan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
@Harrison Merkin,
I can only say I hope you’re right, but I don’t think so.
you mentioned 4 guys….2 who have never played an NHL game. 1 who played a few with the Kings but was sent back down because he wasn’t ready, and one who couldn’t crack the top 6 for the Kings for the past several years.
Given all that they’ve done over their NHL careers, you sound pretty positive that they can step in seamlessly. I love your optimism..I’ll leave it at that.
We’re a cup contender with him, we’re a marginal playoff team without him.
I’m as big a fan as anyone, but I refuse to put on blinders and go with blind faith. When you lose your best all around D’man, you dont just slip in a couple of minor leaguers and expect there to be no great loss.
[Reply]
Harrison Merkin Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 3:38 pm
@nykingfan, By no means am I saying that we’ll be fine in the long term sans DD. Nor am I asking a couple of minor leaguers to take his minutes. I’m simply saying that we can band-aid the situation long enough to get his attention and if nothing else add fuel to that legendary competitive fire of his and get his ass under contract.
[Reply]
The Doughty watch is ridiculous. Someone needs to blink and soon.
I really don’t care which side blinks. the objective is to win the cup, something that won’t happen without him.
I still believe that the Kings are holding the line becuase of upper management. DL’s a pretty smart guy and has brought up numerous times what happened in SJ when Nabakov and the other dude held out. He lost his friggin job over it. I can’t see him risking another job and a shot at the cup if the gap isn’t that wide unless his bosses are telling him not to go over the $6.8.
The scary part is even if he signs with a week left in camp, how long until the hammy or groin pull takes full effect? that will be as bad as him holding out. Those things have a way of lingering throughout a season and potentially wrecking a season.
It’s time the greed and posturing stop and someone do the right thing for the fans…we don’t give a crap whether he’s the highest or lowest paid on the team as long as he’s on the ice helping the Kings win the cup!
[Reply]
kevin from toronto Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
@nykingfan, great point. If a player’s injury overlaps in to the season, they come back and are almost guaranteed to pull a groin or something. They go from light work out to (aside from Dustin Penner) %110. It’s a perfect recipe for a trip on the IR.
[Reply]
Bluecoconuts Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
@nykingfan, Lombardi wouldn’t be standing firm if AEG wasn’t behind him 100%… AEG has been in the sports business for a long time, Meehan doesn’t scare them. I’m sure they told DL they got his back and to stay strong.
[Reply]
Belexes Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@Bluecoconuts,
And AEG will remain 100% behind him, right up to the point where they fire him.
[Reply]
nykingfan Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
@Bluecoconuts,
AEG may be behind him, but who is the one pulling the purse strings? Is AEG telling him he can’t go over the $6.8 mil (if that’s the numer)?
Either way, the Kings team and its fans are the ones who get screwed if DD isn’t signed or gets hurt because he was late coming to camp.
I know how some people have tried to say that guys like Voynov or Hickey can move into the lineup, but when you lose your best, it hurts and it hurts bad.
We all know…take a look at what happened when we lost our best forward Kopi?
We weren’t close to being the same team. It was nice that guys tried to step in, but they weren’t kopi and neither Hickey or Voynov is close to being DD.
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
@nykingfan,
I think AEG is backing Dean, not the decision. If Dean were to change his mind, AEG would stand behind him 100%, because it’s his decision.
I agree with you on missing DD in the line up. This guy is #1. He’s not a #6, or a #7. He is a #1, on the Kings, or mostly any other team in the league. JJ is a very close #2, and is the most likely candidate for replacing DD (if DD doesn’t start the season), but he is not at the level of a DD. No one on the team is (as far as defenseman go). We can survive (maybe even be good, but not better), but that doesn’t mean DD’s replaceable, yet many suggest that.
my question: if kopitar was making 6m then would DD want 6.2m just so he can be branded as the highest paid king????
[Reply]
tony Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
@michael, why do you have to turn that question in to an anti-Doughty post? How about I turn it into an anti-Kopitar post: If Doughty gets paid $7 million is Kopitar going to be upset he is ONLY making $6.8 Million? What you all don’t realize is Kopi signed his deal when the Kings were UNDER the SALARY FLOOR so we OVERPAID HIM. He may be worth $6.8 Million now but look it up-he was overpaid the first couple of years of this deal.
[Reply]
michael Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
@tony, you make a valid point but if kopi was a free agent this past summer he would easily of gotten 7m…whatever his numbers have been for the past 2 seasons….
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:27 pm
@michael, That is kind of the point. 6.8 is not a hard number on Kopi’s worth, and has nothing to do with DD wanting more than 6.8. Tyring to say it’s more than Kopi is useless because anybody who has watched Kopi knows he’s worth more, and those that say DD isn’t because Kopi doesn’t make that much is fruitless.
Also, Kopi could care less if DD makes more than him, and I doubt DD is just trying to beat Kopi in salary. That is just the fans take on things. There are no confirmed reports of DD ever saying that, ever.
CheezyPoofs Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
@michael, probably… but I think he’d ask for near $7M regardless because of Weber’s salary. Maybe in his mind he’s giving the Kings the discount because he thinks he’ll be the the best defenceman in the league for the next 10+ years.
If any of you were GM, would you pay $7+ per year for THE best defenceman in the league? Probably. So my guess is that Doughty is thinking this… and viola! We have a hold out.
[Reply]
anyone know if the preseason game against the coyotes will be streamed online?
[Reply]
When you ask a buddy if he would like a beer you ask him if he’d like a BREWSKI. What do you say if you offer him a DONUT? ……………..Hey ya want a DREWSKI??
[Reply]
From ESPN’s Craig Custance:
“I checked in with Kings GM Dean Lombardi on Sunday to see if there was any possibility of a Doughty trade, and he completely shot down the notion. So the ball is in Doughty’s court, where the talented defenseman is weighing a seven-year deal that would be worth $6.8 million per season, says Pierre LeBrun.”
Fortunately no one’s brought up trade rumors today, but this hopefully stops anyone else from trying.
[Reply]
Dominick Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
@Eric K, Good job. If I read don’t read another trade the selfish punk type post for 1 day, I’d be happy.
[Reply]