McLellan talks Bjornfot, Fagemo after 2022-23 Kings debut + Madden to ONT

Lots of good storylines last night, Insiders.

Even if overblown in the grander scheme of things, there’s been a lot to talk about over the last few days for the LA Kings. The Kings have made seven transactions over the last two days, with two players – Tobias Bjornfot and Samuel Fagemo – making their season debuts yesterday evening against Arizona. Both players collected a point in the victory, with Fagemo providing the primary assist on Carl Grundstrom’s game-tying goal in the third period, while Bjornfot had the secondary helper on Anze Kopitar’s game-winning goal.

Both players were solid in their 2022-23 debuts at the NHL level. Both players entered training camp with NHL aspirations. Bjornfot had spent the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign with the Kings, skating in 70 games to lead all LA blueliners as a part of a banged up group throughout the course of the season. Fagemo made his NHL debut in January, as he skated in four games with the big club amidst a 27-goal campaign at the AHL level with Ontario.

Todd McLellan was complementary of both individuals for their time in the American Hockey League early in the season, even if neither player had the standout training camp that was hoped for, that could have or would have landed either player on the NHL roster to open the season. On a team when the margin for error was slim considering all of the individuals vying for spots, waiver exemption and, at least in Fagemo’s case, the lack of a standout camp saw both players begin with AHL-Ontario to open the season.

Last night, however, things changed. With the Kings in search of a lefty-righty balance on the backend, they turned to a familiar face in Bjornfot. Not only is he familiar with the NHL club, but he’s familiar with his partner in Matt Roy, who he broke camp with a season ago on a defensive pairing. That certainly didn’t hurt his comfort level, as Bjornfot showcased his high-level skating ability and used it in a way that helped him to be assertive and effective in 18:53 of time on ice. He felt that his defensive game has progressed during his time with Ontario, working to be a trusted player in the defensive zone when he got his chance with the Kings. Last night, he got his chance and he made good on it.

“We wanted to see where we were at with lefties and righties, we haven’t been able to do that all year and Toby drew that straw,” McLellan said. “He’s been real good in the American League and I thought he was solid [last night]. He plays well when he uses his legs, when he’s active and he’s up, he’s back and closing. If he’s just kind of standing around, waiting for things to come to him it doesn’t go real well. [Last night] he used his legs really well.”

Regarding Fagemo, McLellan believes that he played his best NHL game of the season, between regular season and preseason action. Fagemo skated on a forward line with Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Carl Grundstrom and the three players combined on a goal in the second period. All three players came through the developmental system, playing with Ontario, a nice little sign on Ontario Reign Night on the promotional schedule.

“I thought that’s the best I’ve seen Sammy play this year,” McLellan said. “If anybody was there this morning, we talked about his training camp, we were really hoping he would be here full time, he didn’t have the camp that we anticipated he would and I’m sure himself. So, that is the best game that I’ve Sammy play, exhibition and regular season this year. Hats off to him for having an impact.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, CARL GRUNDSTROM!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Qm1PupB1pe

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 2, 2022

McLellan went on to talk about the notion that players like Fagemo come up to the NHL and have to learn to play a completely different role than they do in the AHL. It would be quite uncommon to see Fagemo on a fourth line with the Reign. He scored 27 goals last season and frequently featured on the first line or in the Top 6, not to mention on the power play, as opposed to in a limited, bottom-six role.

For a player like that, the hope is that in time, he develops into more than a player on the fourth line. He was drafted in the second round and has a heavy shot that the organization is hopeful will translate into a goalscorer at the NHL level. To get there, however, you have to work your way up and that requires a player to make an impact playing in the role he’s given, in Fagemo’s case on the fourth line of an energetic and tenacious unit.

Over the last few days, McLellan has now touched on a few areas as it pertains to players coming up and down from the AHL. Two quotes below, as they pertain to players needing to adjust to different roles with the Kings than they play with the Reign, as well as some thoughts on players playing in the AHL who could be playing in the NHL.

McLellan on Adjusting Roles
It’s one of the most confusing things that that all players have. You can be Quinton Byfield and be the second-overall pick and have a lot to learn and be a dominant offensive guy in a teenagers league. Then you get here and first of all, you’re not taking away anybody’s job right away, even Connor McDavid didn’t do that. Then you have to have a B game that you can bring, something else that you can bring, because the odds of you scoring and being really effective offensively right off the bat, night after night, aren’t as great as they wouldn’t be if you played against teenagers. So, that happens there. Sammy coming up, you have to adjust your game but you’re trained to have a backup game and you’ve got to be able to play with that.

McLellan on his relationship with Marco Sturm and how they interact with Marco’s new role
It’s pretty close. Marco doesn’t pull any punches, we sat for 45 minutes [on Tuesday] morning, Marco and I, and we talked about everything from players that are coming up to who is playing well there. We talked about some noses being out of joint at the American League level, because certain guys are being recalled and others aren’t. I told him a story when I played and that’s the worst thing, those are the worst words that a coach could ever use, but when I did play, every time that somebody else got called up and I didn’t, I thought I was getting screwed, the team screwed me. Eventually, in the back of my mind and I didn’t know any better, no one told me, but I started thinking about playing for another team. Okay, I’m with the Islanders, maybe next year I’ll go play for the Rangers, I’ll play for Philadelphia and guess what it did? It didn’t and it doesn’t work that way, your best chance is with your first team, so quit pouting and start playing. You can’t control who gets called up and who doesn’t and I think they have a little bit about there right now or players get sent down and their lineup gets adjusted, that’s life in the minors. If you don’t like it, then get get up here, so we talked about all of that……we talked about individuals. Quinton, we’re asking all the time, Clarkie, were asking and others that are down there, Madden, Dudas get asked about. We’re asking all the time. The great thing is, he doesn’t pull a single punch, he tells us exactly and he knows how we operate. This player is playing really well, you’ve got to be aware of it or nope, he’s not.

Additionally, forward Tyler Madden has been assigned to AHL-Ontario. Madden was recalled yesterday afternoon from Ontario, once a roster spot opened up with the Kings down to 12 forwards. McLellan has referenced Madden earlier in the week, in the quote above, as a player that he was asking about at the AHL level. He noted last night that Madden has had a good season to date, and that he earned the callup he got. The Reign play tonight and the Kings are off, so it makes sense to give him the game action. We’ll see how things shake out tomorrow and through the weekend, with Alex Iafallo close to returning and the Kings set to begin a six-game trip with travel on Monday, on which they will likely want more than 12 forwards available.