Forum answers II

Here’s the second set of open forum questions and answers…

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Vahe asked: I really don’t think the Kings can take the next step and win a few rounds in the playoffs without a proven 40 goal scorer, with that said, do you think they need one to advance deep into the playoffs?

Answer: Well, let’s take a look at it. There were only seven 40-goal scorers in the NHL this season, and Washington had two of them. Ilya Kovalchuk split his season between Atlanta (missed playoffs) and New Jersey (lost in first round). Of the other six players/teams, Crosby (Penguins) and Marleau (Sharks) are going to the second round, while Stamkos (Lightning) and Gaborik (Rangers) missed the playoffs entirely. Based on that, I wouldn’t go all-in on the idea of needing a 40-goal scorer to go deep in the playoffs. I’d say it’s much more about depth, and having at least two scoring lines that are going to give pause to the opposing team when they try to match up.

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Khanon asked: Do you think dean Lombardi would like to add more toughness to the team? What’s your personal opinion- do the kings have enough toughness to do damage in the playoffs?

Answer: I think they feel they addressed the team toughness issue, in the long term, with some of the draft picks made last season. As for the other part, I’ll cut and paste the answer to a previous question, because again, I find it laughable that anyone would question the toughness of any NHL player. Here’s what I wrote earlier: “With all respect to question, I have to laugh a little when it’s suggested that hockey players lack “toughness.” I’m not sure how anyone could watch a hockey game, or even a practice, up close and question the toughness of any player. What I think you’re trying to say, and if you are, I’d agree with you, is that the Kings often are not assertive enough. The toughness is there, but you have to bring it out of yourself from the opening faceoff, and I think that’s where the Kings often went wrong this season, not only in the playoffs. But especially in the playoffs, you have to be the team that comes out, in the first five minutes, and says, “This is our game, and we’re going to dictate it.” Too often — and Terry Murray acknowledged this at different times — the Kings were the team that sat back and waited to see how things were going to go. To me, that’s a mental thing, not a physical team. If you saw the first period of Game 6, that was a Kings team that was flying all over the ice, hitting and shooting and skating. By the third period, they sort of stopped and watched. Regardless of whether it’s the players’ or coaches’ responsibility — or both — that needs to change. Some players in the system — an intense guy like Clifford comes to mind — might be able to help address that.”

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Dayman asked: why can’t i see any of the comments?

Answer: Because the blog has been having “bugs,” to say the least, and I’m even more frustrated than you about the frequency of them. I’m told it’s being worked on.

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Rod asked: Hey Rich, how do GMs, coaches, and management spend the off season? Are the front offices just as busy as during the regular season?

Answer: It’s sort of different, depending on the job. For the GM and the scouting staff, the offseason is probably just as busy as the regular season, at least the first couple months of the offseason anyway. Right now, they’ll transition into the draft, and Lombardi will go deeper into looking at free-agent and trade targets. That will take them into mid-July, if not a bit later, and by August, they’re starting to gear up for training camp. As for the coaches, their jobs are pretty much done now, but certainly they’ll spend a lot of time watching video, communicating with players, etc., to get ready for next season. For the next two months, though, the vast majority of the work will be done in the front office.

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Bill N. asked: First season on the road. Your thoughts? Also, curious. When out on the road with some time to explore for meals, did you try to get the local flavor, or do you stick with the tried-and-true national places? I’m sure the players and broadcasters have their favorites to steer you the right way … And any one of those places stick out as a favorite?

Answers: 1) Well, there had been prior road experiences for me, with the Kings, Dodgers and Lakers, but this was the first time in this scenario, and for a full season, so it was certainly different. My biggest general thought is just how much NHL players have to go through. Don’t get me wrong, they travel and lodge in immense style, but there’s still the matter of getting home at 3 a.m., after a tough game, and having to get up for practice the next day and for another game the day after that. I’m not saying anyone should cry for them, but I underestimated just how tough that could be. 2) Because the broadcasters are so “experienced” — not old, of course! — I tended to trust their judgment on what the good dinner spots were, and they didn’t disappoint. The only time I really branched off was Chicago, because I have my favorite places there, so that was the highlight for me. Gino’s East at night, Lou Mitchell’s in the morning. The place we went to in Scottsdale, Mastro’s, was pretty unbelievable. That was in October, and people are still talking about it.

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TB asked: Now that you’ve had a chance to sit down with both Bettman and Lieweke, and you had a chance to address their differences/disagreements…I’m curious to hear what you think about Lieweke’s argument that the NHL needs to get back on ESPN. I personally think he’s right, but at the same time, Bettman has successfully gained a full time commitment from VS. and its hard to argue against that. From your perspective as a member of the media, how do you see this panning out in the future? And do you see it ever causing any issues between the league offices and the Kings leadership group?

Answer: I agree with Leiweke. I don’t think Versus is the demon that some people make it out to be, and it does make me a bit uncomfortable that every sport has to bow to the “worldwide leader,” ESPN, but the fact is that if you want to get exposure for your product, there’s no better place to do it than on ESPN. I watch ESPN all the time. I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched Versus when there wasn’t a hockey game on. Ultimately, it’s up to the sport to sell itself, yes, but if one broadcasting vehicle gives you a significantly higher profile, it’s hard to argue against going with that network.

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sue asked: “Who selects the ‘Three Stars of the Game’ when it is the media’s call? At Staples, is the honor rotated between radio and TV guys or is it a group vote? I remember in year’s past they used to announce the media member who made the picks but now they just say it was done by the media.”

Answer: It varies greatly depending on the team/arena. Some teams have a dedicated person/people who select them every night. Some teams rotate it among various media members. In Chicago, they allowed every reporter to vote. As for the Kings, and Staples Center, I believe it is exclusively Nick and Daryl who make the picks.

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Bruce Moreland asked: with the likely departure of O’Donnel, Halpren, Modin, Frolov, and Jones, what do you think is the likelyhood that Alec Martinez, Thomas Hickey, Breaden Shen, and Loktianov (spelled it wrong I’m sure) make the team nest year? and do you think they are going to want to stay young or go out and find older experienced guys to fill those rolls?

Answer: Almost certainly a mix of both. It’s hard to see four (or more) players with no (or next to no) NHL experience all stepping in and filling roles on a team that will be expected to make the playoffs. At the same time, I can’t see four significant pieces being added from outside the organization. If we are, indeed, talking about four or five spots open, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that two young players could step in. Don’t forget names such as Moller and Voynov, in terms of players stepping in. I think they, along with Schenn and Loktionov, might have the best chances right now.

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Nitrohockey asked: Now that DL has seen this entire year play out, and has seen how we perform in the playoffs, How many of his “boxes” does he see as filled and how many, or how many more new boxes does he see that need to be filled? Where, in his opinion, do we need to go in order to be a Stanley Cup contender, and stay that way for years to come?

Answer: Lombardi pretty much answered this question in the last GM breakfast he did. The boxes are filled in, but you never — and especially today, in the salary cap era — can have a roster, look at it on paper and say, “OK, we’re set for the next five years!” The “box” thing was a matter of filling in needs in the organization and taking a long-term view. Now there might be a player in a box…let’s say Wayne Simmonds, just off the top of my head. He’s in that third-line “box” right now. Will he move up? If so, where? If so, who replaces him? I think I would suggest you move beyond the idea of the “boxes,” because they’re essentially filled. Now it’s a matter of upgrades, and keeping them filled (re-signing young guys). To that end, and to answer your second question, the biggest upgrades the Kings can make, in my opinion, are by adding a scoring winger and a top-four defenseman. On the wing this year, the Kings were counting on getting production from Alexander Frolov and Teddy Purcell. Frolov had 19 goals and Purcell…well, you know. The Kings, either through promoting prospects or bringing in outside players, probably need to fill two defensive spots: O’Donnell’s physical, “defensive defenseman” role and Jones’ puck-moving role. The latter will be easier to fill from within the system, I believe.

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Christine asked: I have heard Daryl Evans say many times on the radio that players on the ice need to police the game themselves. So then what are the referees for? What other sport would allow the players to decide the game by taking matters into their own hands? It’s not shirts and skins with the honor system out there. A final point I never hear mentioned by those who want the refs to swallow their whistles – the refs are deciding the game by NOT calling the penalties that should be called.

Answer: I think — and this is not easy for me, because you’re asking me to comment on quotes you’re attributing to Daryl that I didn’t hear — but I would think that Daryl is referring to the idea of players resolving personal battles among themselves. I really don’t think that anyone is saying penalties such as holding and slashing and interference shouldn’t be called, but you’re hearing a lot of people — myself included — saying that perhaps the answer to resolving some of these “illegal hits” is, in part, to let players resolve it themselves on the ice, whether it’s taking away the instigator penalty or whatever. The theory is that players should have respect for fellow players on the ice, and if there’s a problem with that, let them resolve it on the ice among themselves. Again, I didn’t hear what Daryl said, but I certainly don’t think he was suggesting that referees shouldn’t be calling penalties on the ice.

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neil asked: Thanks for everything…. Is the “reply” coming back..i like it…You mentioned that you have to wait till the end of the season to deceide if Quick is a #1…Well????

Answer: Sure, he’s a No. 1 goalie. The question is, what level is he going to reach? There are a number of step-ladder questions you have to answer about a goalie. Is he an NHL-caliber goalie? Is he a No. 1-caliber goalie? Is he a playoff-caliber goalie? Is he a Stanley Cup-caliber goalie? Quick answered the first question last season. He answered the second question this season. The third and fourth questions remain yet to be answered, and I suspect that, very soon, we’re going to be asking the same sort of questions, during the same period of time, about Jonathan Bernier.

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kq949 asked: If we want to travel to see a couple of away games next year, what city do you recommend for a great hockey stadium/atmosphere and local fun (besides NY & DC…we’ve been there)?

Answer: It’s hard for me to answer the “local fun” question because, usually, we stay relatively far from the arenas and I don’t really get a sense of the “fun factor” outside the arena before a game. In terms of the atmosphere inside an arena, you can’t beat any of the Canadian cities. Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto were all great this year. I’ve yet to see Montreal or Ottawa. Minnesota is great. Chicago has an amazing in-arena feel now, because the team is doing so well, but the arena is in a rough neighborhood far from downtown. I have a soft spot for Nashville, even though it’s not a great hockey market. I personally think it’s a fun city, and all the honky-tonk bars are right around the corner from the arena.