KYLE CLIFFORD
This season: 81 games, 5 goals, 7 assists, minus-5 rating.
The good: It’s easy to forget that Clifford didn’t even turn 21 until halfway through this season. Listed at 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, Clifford isn’t a monster on the ice but he uses his size effectively and he’s fearless. Clifford isn’t afraid to stick his nose in a difficult situation in order to protect the puck or protect a teammate. Clifford’s crash-and-bang forechecking brought good energy to the fourth line, which is where he spent a bulk of the regular season as Colin Fraser’s left winger, and Clifford also has the offensive potential to move up into a third-line role if he can prove himself to be a more consistent goal-scorer.
The bad: Clifford played 81 regular-season games, but suffered a concussion in Game 1 of the first round, after a hit from Vancouver’s Byron Bitz, and played only two playoff games after that, as Brad Richardson (and then Simon Gagne) stepped in. Clifford was a surprise standout in the 2011 playoff series against San Jose, and it was widely predicted that he would take a big step forward this season, and perhaps be a 15-goal scorer. Instead, he scored five goals this season. Perhaps, as Darryl Sutter indicated, expectations were too high on Clifford this season, and he needs more time to grow into a role.
Going forward: Given the deep group of forwards expected to return to the Kings next season, there’s nothing guaranteed for Clifford. Perhaps that’s a good thing. Clifford made a big impact in the 2010 training camp when he fought for — and eventually won — a spot on the roster. Now, with left wingers such as Dustin Brown, Dustin Penner, Simon Gagne, Dwight King and Richardson on the roster, and fellow “tough guys’’ Kevin Westgarth and Jordan Nolan battling for spots, Clifford will have to show something in camp. The Kings love his attitude and work ethic and believe he has a bright future.
He is what he is. He seems to have limited game, but plays good minutes as a fourth-line banger who sells out for the team without being asked. He’s the closest thing we’ve had to Laperriere since Lappy was let loose. Personally, I think you need a guy like this on the roster, even if you have a guy like Jordan Nolan and a guy like Kevin Westgarth.
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Clint Reply:
July 14th, 2012 at 8:48 am
@What’s the frequency, Kenneth?,
Anyone who didn’t rate Clifford as at least a B doesn’t watch the game very closely. This guy gives his heart and soul to each game…much like Laperriere…I see also see him as a Granato or dare I say it…maybe even a Taylor…guys who never took a shift off. Sure he needs to work out the kinks…but you can literally see him improve from game to game. He was awesome and it was a shame he didn’t get back into the finals round. He deserved it
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C’mon “F” graders. What are you waiting for? Ya haters.
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In my opinion, Clifford had at least two concussions the last two seasons. I think the fight with Reaves the season before last resulted in a concussion. Regardless, after the fight with Reaves, he’s playing and fighting much more tentatively. Since Reaves, he only has only clearly won one fight out of his last 16, although there have been many draws since Clifford just kind of plays defense and grabs.
I hope he can get back to his reckless and more physical style he showed the first season, otherwise I think he’ll be out of a job. I respect the fact that he wants to play more cautious so he doesn’t get needless concussions, just don’t think it is working out for him.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
@BringbackButchGoring,
Those are some really good points you raise.
It seems that it might be time for Cliffy to reinvent himself, work hard on his passing, receiving, shooting and skating, and work on winning a place for his talents rather than just his toughness.
The good news? He’s still very young, and without doubt energetic and eager.
I would love to see the Big Red Dog keep striving and rise to eventually cement a place in the Kings lineup.
Go KFC, Go!!!
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
@Duncanz, No question, that KO (or more accurratley “K the F O”) Cliffy suffered clearly has become a mental hurdle, and I’m not sure he has cleared it yet. Clifford was a purebred badass before he got handled, I really hope he can get back on track. Keep working hard, and good things should happen.
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dtalker Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
@Duncanz, Clifford, Nolan, Westgarth all need to improve their hits (not fighting) and checking skills to play with the Kings. Look at Dustin Brown and Simmonds as examples early in their careers. Fighting while necessary during the season is not a big factor in the playoffs. That is why Nolan was playing regularly instead of Clifford and Westgarth. I am waiting to see Clifford and Westgarth actually finish some of their checks with some heavy hits which will benefit the team more than fighting some goon for 2 minutes on the opposing team. Fighting has it’s place in hockey, but you need to do more for the remaining time you are playing in the game.
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von_swine Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
@BringbackButchGoring,totally agree Clifford has not been the same player after Reaves ripped his heart out in their fight. and (personally speaking of course), if he’s not fighting upwards of 17-25 times a season, then he’s useless. a player like Cliffy HAS to be always mixing it up and taking guys off the ice. Kelly Buchberger didnt have a very good winning % overall for his bouts, nor did Jeff Odgers, but those guys were HUGE team guys and fought many a time against guys they knew were out of their league & CLiffy is no longer doing that. Id like to see a turn around for Cliffy, but have no prob getting rid of him for cash and equipment like we did ala Doug Zmolek,.. another thing about Cliffy is he seems to ‘over’ shift and get caught out there too long. that’s where he picked up some O zone penalties last year,..
I dont have any hate for Cliffy, but I gotta put the F on his term paper. he’s not Rick Tocchet/Gary Roberts/Pat Verbeek,..he’s just Kyle Clifford.
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Crown Royal Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 8:01 am
@BringbackButchGoring,
He may have had more than two concussions. Brookbank bloodied him and beat him up pretty good as well as the two obvious ones and even in other fights he may have taken some damaging blows. He fought a lot in Junior hockey so he may have gotten tagged there once or twice. The heavyweights now are so big and are beyond his weight class.
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where has Harty been??? To me…a good 4th liner with potential to move to the third line.Next season with DS as coach from the start,it will be interesting if Clifford can take the next step up.DL wants 3% improvements from everyone…I want to see 10 to 20% increase in Clifford’s game…
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Duncanz Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
@neil, you missed it?
The @Harty family has already voted!
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Harty Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 8:43 pm
@Duncanz, hey guys, been hanging around the home pool, cup comes later this summer to Ayr. Love it……
B+ all the way with hopes for a A rating next year.
The only disappointment I will share is KC didn’t get near the chance that others got again on the 3rd line. King included, he didn’t come out scoring like crazy and he stayed why I don’t know opposed to Kyle there at the beginning of the season he got 3 games and then Murray moved him around to 4th quickly.
Hey we won the cup, but if Cliffy isn’t going to play, TRADE HIM TO MONTREAL, PLEASE…they could really use him for sure. Young, tough, fast, and given the right linemates he will score 15 or 20 golas. But leave him on the damn line longer then 3 games man, geez.
Also happy summer Neil, Duncanz enjoy its damn hot in Ontraio Canada, several days over 100 degrees this week and more to follow. All pool, just swim….
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neil Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 10:17 am
@Harty, glad to hear from you….
Duncanz Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
@Harty,
I Gotta move up to Ayr, ON!
Down here in the good ol’ SW USA it’s positively arctic in comparison.
Looking forward to hearing about your “Day with the Cup”, in which your pool will no doubt play a major supporting role, before that move to Le Centre Bell comes through and we lose you to ‘L’Initie de Les Habs’!
I had to give him a C. He needs to learn how to play with “controlled” aggression and not take the penalties he does. I like him but it’s gonna be hard to crack this roster and play on a line regularly. We have a lot of talent. His youth is one thing he’s got going for him and gives him a lot of time to grow.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
@plywood, C+, for pretty much the same reasons. if he does become a 15 goal scorer, great. but his game will always be effort, grit and muscle…hopefully smarts too.
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Cliffie is the best. True working man’s hockey player.
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“C”
Kyle filled a roster spot this year and had a few great moments, most noticably his goal vs. Nashville. Unfortunately, most of his time on the ice was rather pedestrian.
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I like Clifford but he’s getting too many concussions way too early in his NHL life. The Kings have to play Nolan and King. Nolan and King can skate (Clifford is an above average skater as well)have pretty good hands, and Nolan has surprisingly good puck skills. Nolan can play, and has played center. Both Nolan and King are bigger than Clifford.
Clifford is a good guy to have in the organization but it’s difficult to see him making an impact this season with too many wingers including King and Nolan who should be playing ahead of him. He needs to get better and not take so many penatlites. He has the potential to be a solid third line winger but it’s too soon to know if he will become that or fade out of the NHL with concussion issues never having realized his potential.
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still too many unnecessary minors. bad penalties are a real pet peeve
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Kyle Clifford is my favorite kings player! He brings something too the ice that nobody else can! The kings would regret getting rid of him. He WILL do great things! My #13 Clifford jersey was the best purchase I have ever made! I love you cliffyyyy!!!!! :’)))) you are always #1 in my book!!!!
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
@Kate, wife/girlfriend?????
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
@neil, Maybe just a fan…they have been known to buy a jersey.
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Kate Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
@neil, I wish…just a #1 fan! Lolol
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Hadley Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
@Kate, I love Kyle Clifford. He is a very classy young man. In an interview about the importance of playing in the NHL, he chose instead to laud his brother for having a Ph.D. in something like marine biology.
Without Clifford and Westgarth, the Kings are not very tough. They will be exposed as such on some cold December night against a tougher team.
Kate Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
@Hadley, agreed! With more ice time and opportunity….he is GOING to score! No doubt about it!
It takes a team to score a goal, not just one player! I had the honor of going to a flames game in february…he was the MVP of the game with a Gordie Howe hat trick! Made my life! 
It’s nice to see other kings fan on here who appreciate a good hockey player when they see one! :’)
I gave him a C+ which is what the majority did. He’s a good 4th liner and didn’t play more in the playoffs because of how effective Richardson was, not that DS didn’t trust him. The problem was he was asked to play 3rd line minutes at times last year and it wasn’t really a good fit. If it comes down to keeping Westgarth or him, I hope it’s him.
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he’s the guy that will be looking over his shoulder come training camp….
i gave cliffy D+/C-….and it’s more due to his concussions and inconsistent play when he was called upon….
the kings thought that clifford would replace simmer this year on the the third line wing…but cliffy just didn’t have a good season and the injuries didn’t help…
i thought RICH’S analysis was perfect…if cliffy wants to secure his spot on next year’s squad, he needs to shows us more of what he did during the 2011 playoffs…he has the potential to be a solid third-liner in this league -that’s gonna be his limit….but if he doesn’t show us a glimpse of the spirited play he’s portrayed in the past and another prospect outplays him, he’s as good as tradeable material…
i hope he can stay healthy and make a nice impact come next season, but he’s got to elevate his game big time….
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KC23 Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@variable, Pretty much dead on imho. It became clear last year that Clifford’s early success was likely the result of Simmond’s strong play. Once Simmonds was gone, so was Clifford’s success. Simmonds goes to philly and plays with more talent and his numbers go way up.
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B for the Big Red Dog. He did his job for the most part, but he has a lot of room to grow. I wouldn’t mind seeing Clifford get some time on the top two lines in Manchester to work on his offensive side of the game, especially if Gagne decides to play this year.
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I would trade for a top 3 or 4th round draft pick if offered…
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 2:26 pm
@neil, He would fetch a 1st round pick and Dean still wouldn’t trade him….youngest guy on the team, give him a chance. Scouts pick not on the now factor but looking out how good can that player be down the road. You wouldn’t make a very good scout Neil.
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
@Donald, dont agree…not a first round talent….Kings fans…have a take???? Post below…..would you trade Clifford for a first round pick????
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JD Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
@neil, Seriously doubt he would bring a first round pick, always liked him, but like other people pointed out, he hasn’t been the same since reaves, he’s going to have to have a great camp to make the roster next year
Crown Royal Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
@neil,
I like Clifford but would trade him for a first round pick without hesitation.
KC23 Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:08 pm
@neil, In a heart beat I would trade Clifford for a 1st round pick, but that is some wild wishful thinking.
regulate Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 5:50 pm
@neil,
I would trade him for a first round pick, especially in next years draft, in a nano second.
His upside is a third liner, and that may be generous.
BringbackButchGoring Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:49 pm
@neil, Clifford is at best a 2nd round at this stage of his career and coming off a down season and concussion. Bernier would be a first round but despite all the hype about his trade value, I’d be surprised if we would get more than ten to fifteen type first round pick. That said, that might be good enough to get someone that in two years might step into a 1st or 2nd line position with the Kings for several years.
wes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 7:19 am
@neil, Kyle Clifford for a 1st round pick– Dean Lombardi would almost certainly do that deal. I would. But it’s tough to imagine another GM making Dean that offer.
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
@Donald, You are both wrong. If DL could get a first for him (which I very much doubt) he’d do it in a heartbeat. On the other hand even up for a 4th? That’s too extreme the other way, you’re giving up someone that IS an NHL player (granted probably a career 4th liner) for someone who is unlikely to ever make the NHL (yes some low picks even become stars but those are very much the exception).
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Michael J. Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@neil,
So would most other teams’ GM’s.
We’re only a couple of chapters into this kid’s story. I say lets keep reading…
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I gave him a “C”. I thought he was just average…tentative when he got in fights, and seemingly affected by his past concussions, which is understandable. But, if he’s going to be effective and earn a spot on this team, he has to get back to the Rookie Clifford way of playing…with somewhat reckless abandon, and putting the competition on notice, that they can’t take runs at our skill guys without dealing with his brand of retribution. His effort is always there, he was just so much less effective this year. And, he did take a lot of awful penalties. I can’t see him cracking the top four lines playing like last year.
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he wasnt what i expected this season, but he still has pretty good puck skills, and was great playing with nolan (and of course the fraz)- B hope to see him earn a spot with nolan on that fourth line again
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C He has not played as good as last season and after his major penalty he is afraid to be the big tough guy…sorry cliffy
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I gave Clifford a “C” Look he was OK during the regular season and played well during his short playoff run. He may have to watch his back because noe that we are on top many of our younger guys are going to be pushing for playing time with the big club. Lewis is going to have a break out season soon and Westgrath is due to show that he belongs also. We can’t say enough on how well Nolen And King played, so Clifford has some work to do. I like the kid and love the way he goes after it, but it seemed as if he took a few games off last season. I want every King player to play up to their talent level and Clifford is a hard working player who if given the chance could be a soild player for years to come. With that being said he will be traded along with Burnier in some player movements during the trade deadline.
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Hutch Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
@King Charles of Salt Lake, I agreed. Clifford and Bernier will get dealt at some point.
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The question is…did he peaked in the playoffs??? or was that just a sign of what he can do??? 157 games in the NHL(not counting playoffs)12 goals…a minus 15 on a team with great defense and a great goalie.A player that the Kings could easily replace next season….I dont see him as a difference maker(i.e. Lewis or Frazier)for the 4th line.
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
@neil, Role player Neil……do you ever watch an NHL game and they say that was such and such’s 1st goal since 9 months, 14 months etc and they still play in the NHL. It’s not all about scoring as any Scout will tell you.
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@Donald, That was my point…he doenst score and he doenst play great defense(minus 15)..he doenst make a difference like lewis and Frasor does.Frasor and Lewis are non-scorers but their play makes a difference..cliffords doenst..IMO….
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KC23 Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
@neil, It was a sign of playing with a very talented forward named Simmonds imho. Once Simmonds was gone so was Clifford’s effectiveness.
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I’m still trying to figure out what Clifford did to be anything above a c-? I know that’s not an option, but he regressed this year so I don’t understand why people are giving him B’s.
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Save, Hrudey! Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 3:38 am
@KingsFanInPortland,
Agreed. Like the kid overall, but hasn’t shown much to prove he’s above a C.
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I really liked Clifford his first season, but last season was no better than a D+ in my eyes. Big disappointment physically, plus/minus and scoring. He’ll do well to make the roster this year.
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JohnD Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
@KC23, I agree, D+. I think he plays in Manchester this coming season.
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Question?….how was Nolan/Gagne any better, more physical.no, scoring..no, skating..no….Kings might trade him….if he WAS eligle for waivers would another team grab him?
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KC23 Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
@Donald, Gagne is obviously a MUCH better scorer. Have to take into account games played. Nolan had a better plus/minus.
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
@KC23, just talking this years playoffs
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Gustavo Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
@Donald,
Nolan and Clifford play with the same level of physicality. The huge difference is in the penalties they take.
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:16 pm
@Gustavo, Who can also draw more penalties?
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:45 pm
@Donald, Oh c’mon. That is REALLY stretching it. Nolan and Clifford were both healthy. Clifford sat and Nolan played.
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
@Donald, So Nolan played all 20 games and Clifford played 3 and we win the cup but how was Nolan better? Oh yeah I forgot to actually look at the stats. Nolan had a goal and was a plus, Clifford didn’t have a goal and was a minus.
You lost me.
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
@HockeyNerd, Exactly….1 goal in 20 games is nothing to brag about and by the way the 4th line didn’t win the cup
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:57 pm
@Donald, During reg season both had .15 gpg avg.
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
@Donald, I am not getting your point. I didn’t brag, I said the facts do not indicate that Clifford was better. And BTW the 4th line DID win the cup. We rolled FOUR count em’ four good lines, something our opposition did not do. Once again: when both were healthy Clifford sat and Nolan played. Why? Because Nolan PLAYED BETTER. No, Nolan is not and never will be Dustin Brown but he is a better FOURTH LINE player and yes the fourth line matters!
Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
@HockeyNerd, Nolan’s gpg avg dropped to .05 during playoffs…..need anymore help?
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
@Donald, Iam going with the coach on this one…Nolan is better then Cliffy…at the moment. IMO Cliffy really hasnt done anything that any 4th liner on any team could do.At this point Cliffy is a dime a dozen…Now the future??? Who knows..look at what King and Nolan did..No one saw that coming..This is why we watch Sports…Players can come out of nowhere…
Duncanz Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
@neil,
By the same token, who’s to say that Cliffy won’t rise again?
I like the comment by @Michael J., above where he says the book on Cliffy is not written yet.
I’d be disappointed if Kings were to dispense with him before he truly had a chance to blossom in this league.
“The fans” have been critical in the past for moving players on that then go on to realize success elsewhere.
A word to the wise; don’t jump the gun by closing the book on young guys like Kyle Clifford.
None of us would want to be judged only on what we had done before the age of 22.
That’s before many get out of college, after all!
HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
@Donald, And Clifford to 0.0! You are trying to make a point with zero, zilch, nada no evidence of any kind whatsoever.
kingsfaninportland Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 11:47 pm
@Donald, I don’t know what to tell you man. If you’re only judgement is goals scored, you’re missing more than half of what makes a hockey player a player.
Nolan last year showed he was better on the forecheck, a better grinder, cycled better, faster, and wasn’t nearly as lost as Clifford was on the ice.
I guess none of that means anything to you if he can’t score though.
Paul Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
@Donald, wasnt there concussion issues that kept cliffy out of the playoffs…
IMO King is a better scorer…but that could change..but right now King is better…Nolan or Cliffy???Toss up…
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:27 pm
@neil, and look how bad King looked last year when called up….everyone was down on him….man how the tide turns.
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
@Donald, Nice to see Brownie step it up in playoffs!!
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:42 pm
@Donald, You are right..King was the most improved king(no pun intended)imo. If Cliffy can show that improvement that would be awesome…right???
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Donald Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 4:51 pm
@neil, yup…at 2 years younger
Cliffy is one of my favorite players for his tenacity mostly, but he has yet to bring the A Game to the table for which he can. I gave him a C+ and if he plays to his potential this next season then i will grade him higher. Cliffy you are better than you play, bring it on…
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He will not make the team this year…too many stronger 4th line players available as long as they stay healthy
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
@Jeff, I’d rather have him than Westgarth though.
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D+ I am over the guy. He has gone backwards and should stay in the press box.
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C+
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I still would like to experiment him at center with dKing on the left and jNolan on the right. Seems like a forth line that’s physical AND can score. Like I said before we’ll call it The Tree Line=strength and height!!
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To Duncanz and others….It is sometimes hard to remember that Cliffy is only 21…DD is also very young..We (fans,media,etc)sometimes get spoiled by players before they are the age when they should blossom.Thats one ofm the great thing about the Kings…Young but experienced.We dont know if King,Nolan or Cliffy are going to get better or that was their peak.If those three players can improve..then watch out!!!
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Duncanz Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
@neil, +158
!)
(figure that one out
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neil Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
@Duncanz, you got me….Cant figure it out..Help me!!!!! lol…
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KJ Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 10:54 pm
@Duncanz,
Cliffy – #13
Nolan – #71
King – #74
13 + 71 + 74 = 158
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KJ Reply:
July 7th, 2012 at 10:57 pm
@KJ, But why?
Duncanz Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 1:03 am
@KJ, Correct, sir, and because I thought that was @neil’s best post of the day.
Love Clifford. Dudes raw, always has a chip on his shoulder and just a straight grinder. Sure, he didn’t live up to his expectations regarding his goal scores ability,isn’t exactly disciplined, gives up a lot unnecessary minors that has cost us games because of that, but, I still have faith in this animal that Sutter will approve off. Hope so at least.
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Clifford should play next season in Manchester, where he could hone his offence AND defence. He needs to play big minutes, 15 -20 per game, not 4th line minutes. Monarchs head coach Mark Morris is a good teacher and a honest and fair person.
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I gave him a D+..very disappointing season as far as I could see. Perhaps the expectations were set high especially after last years playoff series, but he seemed to be a step slower this year and didn’t use his physicality enough. He seemed to be chasing the play for most of the season and was still prone to bad penalties.
With the emergence of Nolan, I’m not sure there’s going to be a spot for Clifford next year. He’s going to have to play lights out in camp to earn any type of regular playing time.
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So, Richardson or Clifford next year….who can bring more since everyone thinks Nolan is a lock.
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rogiesbackup Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 10:50 am
@Donald, I think they should be interchangeble…depends on who we are playing that night. Nice to have a “modular” team.
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neil Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 11:10 am
@Donald, who ever is playing the best at the time…training camp will be good for all the 4th line types…Also we didnt have injuries last season(per se) so its good to have depth…
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I think his game is almost spotless, except for some bad plays in the dZone. He’s demonstrated his good hands like the break away goal that Scuderi fed him … that was a Kopitaresque goal 5 hole!!
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Donald Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 10:55 am
@rogiesbackup, and his breakaway goal against Nashville that Nolan fed him.
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Kyle is a decent young player with fire in his belly & you can’t coach that. He is young and his upside potential is pretty alluring. He will never be a 20 goal scorer in this league, but a gritty banger in the 3rd or 4th line. On a weaker team, maybe a 2nd liner. The Kings would be best to package a guy like this with JB at the trade deadline with a team desperately need a goal minder for a playoff push. Draft pick might be in the 20-10th pick range for both players or look at a team heavy with left wingers and get a 20 goal scorer. Clifford’s concussions are not a huge concern yet, but they will be if he has another one from a trading teams perspective. It’s not personal here, it’s a business move.
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I really like players of Clifford’s type; hard-working grinders. That’s the impression I got of Dustin Brown when I first saw him play in 2003 and things turned out great for him. These guys are willing to put in the time and work to improve. Cliffy is so young, we don’t know how he will turn out, but I think he deserves at least more time to develop. If that means time in Manchester, then thats where he should play next year. I agree that it is too soon to trade him away. He showed alot of promise and just had a slow year.
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BringbackButchGoring Reply:
July 8th, 2012 at 6:01 pm
@snickoless, I agree that the blue collar players like Cliffy are fun to root for and certainly think he should stay in the King’s system. He’s only going to get better. Simmonds had a slow 2nd year as well then scored 28 last year so perhaps Cliffy will have a bounce-back year.
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Cliffy is a MONSTER I love his style of play and he is going to have a standout year I can feel it Go Cliffy Go Shut up the haters
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nykingfan Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:04 am
@Cliffy13,
Haters?
Everyone’s giving an opinion on him, just like you.
I’m not going to say I read every post, but the ones I did read, there was no hatred for Cliffy.
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4th line Cliffy-Fraser-Nolan but I think cliffy should be with stoll I think they would click very well
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Kings have some depth and I think Clifford will be a very good player for them. I could see him playing 2nd or 3rd line LW. Some of his goals have been of the highlight variety…Good Luck to Cliffy!!!
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Clifford played a good season, but I’m giving a B because of occasional bonehead play; I did like the physicality though, and I feel that he will do better in the seasons to come.
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‘The poll did not load correctly’ Ha! I have that problem from time to time as well.
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With the emergence of Nolan and King and even Fraser, Cliffords spot is gone!
I think he has great potential but he is an energy guy that can fight a bit…not an enforcer! Good skater that needs to learn to finish his checks and not be a punching bag when he fights.
I think he winds up in Manchester and gives this team that much more depth in case of injury. Let him develop his game down there and wait for a spot to open up.
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@cac90277 @Cliffy13
WELL SAID!!!
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remember him SCORING IN THE 2011 SEASON?!?!
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but then KING & NOLAN is a huge UPGRADE FROM CLIFFY… i think other teams will benefit more from his toughness
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They need to keep clifford. He’s a team leader. Either cliff or westgarth.
THE SCRAPPERS!
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