April 2008 Archives
I just got out of a long meeting with Dean Lombardi, Luc Robitaille, chief marketing officer Chris McGowan and vice president of communications Michael Altieri, who laid out next year's season-ticket prices. The Kings will have a ``blended'' increase of 5.66 percent, meaning that some prices will go up and others will come down (mostly up).
I'll attach a quick story I just wrote for our website, and I'll get into much more detail later, including some very, very extensive quotes. Problem is, I don't even know if or when this post will see the light of day, because our server problems are crippling this blog. I apologize for our inexcusable service and I thank you greatly for your continued support.
There will be a more extensive story in tomorrow's paper, which I will (hopefully be able to) link to on the blog. Here's the quick story for now...
Here's a new feature for the blog, and another great idea Don has brought to the table. It's 10 questions with Bob Miller and Nick Nickson, who give some open and honest opinions about some of the issues the Kings are dealing with these days. There will be a second part, with color commentators Jim Fox and Daryl Evans. Thanks to all involved!
Thanks to Don Fulton, who tracked down Brian Boyle this morning and got an update on the knee injury Boyle suffered while playing for Manchester this week. Boyle also talked about his progress as a player and his future. Here's the interview...
Alec Martinez, a fourth-round draft pick last year, has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kings. He's an under-the-radar prospect, but the Kings are quietly optimistic about his potential and view him as a future NHL defenseman. Martinez, 20, just completed his junior season at Miami of Ohio. Here's the press release from the Kings...
Is there any more fascinating player in the NHL right now than Sean Avery? It's hard to argue otherwise, whether you think Avery is entertaining or a detriment to the league. The Winnipeg Sun did a lengthy, interesting story on Avery:
Dustin Brown and Patrick O'Sullivan scored goals today, as the United States beat Sweden 5-1 in a World Championships warmup game in Maine. The U.S. opens play in the World Championships on Friday in Nova Scotia.
In other housekeeping news...be aware that there might be some issues with the blog today or tomorrow. We're switching servers, which ultimately will be a great thing but there is the possibility of some short-term headaches. Just wanted to make everyone aware in advance.
Also, make your vote count in the poll. I'll be passing along the results to Dean Lombardi. Maybe he will bow to the will of the people. Probably not.
We did this a few weeks back, but I'm interested to see if opinions are changing at all about which player the Kings should take with the No. 2 pick. You've had a chance to see the highlight videos and see the Central Scouting rankings, so has your mind changed at all? For the sake of argument, we'll assume that Steven Stamkos is going first. A wild guess...
Here's Nikita Filatov. The quality of this video is a little lower, but you should still get the idea...
Here's some Drew Doughty highlights, courtesy of a cool video done by Toronto Maple Leafs TV:
It occurred to me today that perhaps many people don't get to see highlights of these draft prospects we talk about so much. So I figured today would be a good opportunity to post some clips of these guys, and let you get a look at Zach Bogosian, Drew Doughty, Tyler Myers, Alex Pietrangelo, Luke Schenn and, yes, Nikita Filatov. We'll start with Bogosian. Stick with it, for the end-to-end goal in the final minute.
Thomas Hickey sat out part of the WHL playoffs because of a concussion, but that wasn't his biggest problem. Hickey had surgery this week to repair a torn ligament in his ankle and will be off the ice for 6 to 8 weeks. It's not known when exactly the injury happened, but Hickey definitely played for a while, knowing he was hurt bad. If you're the Kings, that's both admirable and terrifying. Hickey should be skating by the time the Kings have their prospects camp in July.
In his most challenging effort to date, Don Fulton finally tracked down Kings prospect Wayne Simmonds, and got a great interview for his effort. As I just finished telling Don, Simmonds is one of the players I'm most looking forward to seeing again, just to see how he has developed since last fall. Here's the interview...
Bud Holloway has been signed to a three-year entry-level contract. Here's the release from the Kings:
ESPN The Magazine has released its annual fan-satisfaction rankings. You probably won't be stunned to know that the Kings didn't fare well. Overall, the Kings ranked 107th out of 122 NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA teams. The Kings ranked 29th out of 30 NHL teams. Here are the categories:
BNG (Bang for the Buck): Wins over the past three years per revenues directly from fans
FRL (Fan Relations): Ease of access to players, coaches & management
OWN (Ownership): Honesty; loyalty to players and city
AFF (Affordability): Price of tickets, parking and concessions
STD (Stadium Experience): Friendliness of environment; quality of game-day promotions
PLA (Players): Effort on the field; likability off it
CCH (Coach/Manager): Strong on-field leadership
TTR (Title Track): Titles already won or expected -- soon
And here's how the Kings fared, out of 122 pro sports teams and out of the 30 NHL teams:
BNG: 112 overall, 27 NHL
FRL: 87 overall, 27 NHL
OWN: 102 overall, 28 NHL
AFF: 113 overall, 26 NHL
STD: 83 overall, 22 NHL
PLA: 108 overall, 28 NHL
CCH: 114 overall, 30 NHL
TTR: 109 overall, 29 NHL
So the Kings fared best in ``stadium experience'' and worst in ``coaching.'' So Marc Crawford finished just ahead of the Miami Dolphins' Tony Sparano, who has yet to coach a game. Interestingly, Andy Murray got major recognition. St. Louis' coaching rating was seventh in the NHL and 23rd overall, which put him just behind Super Bowl winner Mike Holmgren and just ahead of World Series winner Terry Francona. And right behind him was Wayne Gretzky. Interesting.
The NHL Central Scouting Bureau has released its final rankings for the 2008 draft...
1. Guess who? Steven Stamkos, center, Sarnia (OHL)
2. Zach Bogosian, defenseman, Peterborough (OHL)
3. Drew Doughty, defenseman, Guelph (OHL)
4. Tyler Myers, defenseman, Kelowna (WHL)
5. Luke Schenn, defenseman, Kelowna (WHL)
6. Alex Pietrangelo, defenseman, Niagara (OHL)
The list of top North American players can be found here
Because the Kings were on the road quite a bit at the end, and Daniel Taylor was on so many flights at the end, I never got a chance to talk to him about what his whole NHL experience was like. Fortunately, the Kingston (Ontario) Whig-Standard -- quite a name -- tracked him down and wrote a big article about him. It's a good read...
All the Kings goalies; Former Frontenac Danny Taylor's NHL debut a memorable one
The Kings have signed Oscar Moller to a standard three-year, entry-level contract. Here's the release from the team:
It's too early for this, but what else are we going to talk about? I was thinking about all the prospects out there, and who might fit where with the Kings. So let's take a look at the depth chart, as it stands now minus unrestricted free agents and including only ``established'' NHL players:
First line: O'Sullivan-Kopitar-Brown
Second line: Cammalleri-(BLANK)-Frolov
Third line: Calder-Handzus-(BLANK)
Fourth line: Ivanans-Armstrong-(BLANK)
First pairing: Visnovsky-Johnson
Second pairing: (BLANK)-Preissing
Third pairing: (BLANK)-(BLANK)
Goalies: (BLANK)-(BLANK)
So, how would you fill in the gaps? Free agents or prospects? Which ones? Here's a list of potential prospects:
Forwards: Brian Boyle, Marc-Andre Cliche, Matt Ellis, Gabe Gauthier, Trevor Lewis, Oscar Moller, Matt Moulson, Brady Murray, Scott Parse, Teddy Purcell, Wayne Simmonds, Lauri Tukonen, Kevin Westgarth, John Zeiler.
Defensemen: Peter Harrold, Patrik Hersley, Thomas Hickey, Alec Martinez, Joe Piskula.
Goalies: Jonathan Bernier, Erik Ersberg, Jason LaBarbera, Jon Quick, Daniel Taylor, Jeff Zatkoff.
If you'd like to re-sign any of the Kings' free agents, there's Rob Blake, Kevin Dallman, Jeff Giuliano, Jon Klemm, Ladislav Nagy, Brian Willsie.
In a rough end to a weird series, Manchester blew a 2-0 lead last night, lost in overtime and got swept by Providence in the first-round AHL series. Don Fulton did a recap and also caught up with Monarchs coach Mark Morris this morning...
Here another great interview from Don Fulton, with Jeff Zatkoff:
The blog server appears to be working today, so I'll give this whole posting thing a go. Don Fulton tracked down coach Mark Morris, whose Manchester Monarchs are in dire straits, down 3-0 to Providence and facing elimination tonight. Don also has an interview with Jeff Zatkoff ready to go. Here's what Morris had to say about the Monarchs' situation:
On being down 3-0 in the series.
"We've gotten great goaltending from both Bernier and Quick, and I don't think we have to hang our heads at all. We had those two goals disallowed (in Game 3), that in our opinion, were both good goals, and we didn't have a whole lot of things go our way. I really believe that we are really on the verge of winning any one of those games. These are the types of battles that are going to make these guys better hockey players."
On the absence of Brian Boyle:
"That was a huge blow. Brian is such a physical presence, guy who played half the season as a defenseman and still lead the league in rookie scoring. I can't say enough for what he has meant to our hockey club. There aren't too many 6-7, 250-pound people that can replace him. He's been a huge presence in front of the net on the power play, and a good face-off man. He knows how to distribute the puck and he is a hard guy to hold. My guess is that his recovery time is going to be too lengthy unless we are able to turn this thing around."
JASON LABARBERA
This season: 45 games, 17-23 record, 3.00 goals-against average, .910 save percentage.
Positives: Actually made it to the NHL this season and did a strong job during points of the season. His size (6-foot-3, 230 pounds) remains his clear strong point and his positioning is usually solid. When he's able to stay healthy and get in a rhythm, LaBarbera is able to build some confidence and is capable of long stretches of good play.
Negatives: LaBarbera has still yet to show that he can make it through an entire NHL season without significant injury or without being replaced because of substandard play. He tends to be a little streaky -- but most goalies are -- and while his size is a positive, it also limits his mobility.
Looking ahead: Once again, LaBarbera will enter training camp battling for a job. It's been the same way every season since 2005. LaBarbera would have to be considered the favorite to earn the No. 1 job, although certainly not an overwhelming favorite. He will have to hold off Erik Ersberg and Jonathan Bernier, and possibly others, in order to win the job outright.
Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $825,000 next season).
ERIK ERSBERG
This season: 14 games, 6-5 record, 2.48 goals-against average, .927 save percentage.
Positives: Surprisingly, Ersberg emerged as a bright light in an otherwise dark and grim goaltending situation. Before the season, the Kings believed Ersberg would need a full year of minor-leagues seasoning, but he had two shutouts in 13 starts. The rest of the goalies combined for one (LaBarbera) in 69 starts. For the most part, Ersberg looked sharp and composed and showed great rebound control.
Negatives: Ersberg's play generated a lot of excitement, and that's understandable, but it's also wise to remember that he had a 2.92 goals-against average in Manchester and hasn't yet dealt with the rigors of being a full-time NHL goalie. That's not to say he wouldn't thrive in that role, but what has he really proved at this point?
Looking ahead: It will be interesting to see what happens with Ersberg this summer. If things work out, Ersberg will at least be in the mix for a roster spot, with Jason LaBarbera and Jonathan Bernier likely serving as his primary competition.
Contract situation: Restricted free agent.
We'll do the last of the player evaluations today, with everyone's favorite position: the goalies. We're going to do a separate set of evaluations for the prospects, which will include Bernier and Quick. So why not start with...
-----
DAN CLOUTIER
This season: 9 games, 2-4 record, 3.43 goals-against average, .887 save percentage.
Positives: Well...hmmm. Cloutier did have one shining game, Feb. 21 against St. Louis, when he stopped 32 of 33 shots in a 5-1 victory. Then again, that game against the second-worst team in the Western Conference.
Negatives: It's easy to pile on Cloutier, but it's just been an unfortunate situation all around. He tried to play while hurt during 2006, and that's admirable, but his acquisition/signing was just a disaster, in every sense of the word. The one thing he can be blamed for is the way he turned on the organization, which publicly supported him throughout all his troubles.
Looking ahead: The summer could go in a couple different ways. The most likely outcome is that Cloutier will have the final year of his contract bought out. There's a chance he could end up in a long-term-injury situation, but regardless, it's almost certain that he won't be on the Kings' roster next season.
Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $3.1 million next season).
LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY
This season: 82 games, 8 goals, 33 assists, minus-18 rating.
Positives: This depends on which Visnovsky you'd like to talk about: the one who, during the previous couple seasons, established himself as a potential Norris Trophy candidate, or the one who looked tenative and overmatched this season. When he's on his game, Visnovsky is, pound-for-pound, a very strong defenseman with great puck-moving skills and good offensive instincts.
Negatives: So, what happened to that guy last year? It certainly looked like a new player on the ice this season, and not in a good way.
Looking ahead: It's hard to say what went wrong with Visnovsky. A popular theory is that he got overwhelmed, mentally, by the combination of a big contract extension (which kicks in next season) and the fact that he was named an assistant captain. The hope within the organization is that he will settle down and return to previous form.
Contract situation: Signed through 2012-13 (cap number of $5.6 million next season).
TOM PREISSING
This season: 77 games, 8 goals, 16 assists, minus-6 rating.
Positives: With Preissing's game, it's all a matter of expectation. He's not the fastest or the strongest or the biggest, but he manages to play a solid, responsible game for the most part. Any team expecting Preissing to log huge minutes or play the point on the power play is going to end up disappointed, but in a defined role, he's a solid veteran.
Negatives: A relative lack of size and strength will always hold Preissing back. At age 29, it's hard to see Preissing ever evolving into a top-flight defenseman or a reliable power-play contributor.
Looking ahead: Preissing is a solid fourth or fifth defenseman, and not a bad player at the price the Kings have locked him up at. The problem is the Kings need better defensemen around him, so that his ice time can be managed better and his mistakes aren't magnified.
Contract situation: Signed through 2010-11 (cap number of $2.75 million next season).
JON KLEMM
This season: 22 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, minus-5 rating.
Positives: Klemm has made a career out of being a grinder. He will never end up with many points, but does what is asked of him, which is to work hard, fill a handful of different roles and be a mentor for the younger players. Klemm did his most important work this season while serving as team captain for the Manchester Monarchs.
Negatives: In an ideal world, Klemm wouldn't even have played as much as he did for the Kings this season. There's definitely value in having a grinder, but Klemm is 38 years old and already had reached the point in which he was a marginal NHL defenseman. There isn't any real speed or offense in Klemm's game.
Looking ahead: It might be the end of the road for Klemm, unless both sides see value in bringing him back in a minor-league leadership role. Klemm basically did what was asked of him, although not much more.
Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.
I think most of you are aware that during his time with the Kings this season, Jaroslav Modry was dealing with his father's serious illness. Yesterday, Modry's learned of his father's passing.
Sorry for the lack of blogging today. It's been a busy day in the office...
Pascal Pelletier scored 9:01 into overtime as Providence beat Manchester 3-2 in the first game of the best-of-seven first round series in the AHL playoffs. Petr Kanko scored with just over five minutes left in the first period to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead, and after two Providence goals (one shorthanded), the Monarchs tied the game when Matt Moulson scored a power-play goal 9:30 into the third period. Jonathan Bernier played in goal for the Monarchs and stopped 34 of 37 shots. Tonight's game was played in Providence. The Bruins also host Game 2 on Friday.
Don Fulton tracked down Alex Pietrangelo, who has been out of commission recently because of a bout with mononucleosis. But Don tracked down yet another defensive prospect who might end up in the Kings organization in June...
Game 1 of the first-round AHL playoff series between Manchester and Providence starts just after 4 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. local time). The Monarchs, who finished fourth in their division, face the Bruins, who finished first. The Monarchs coach is indicating that Brian Boyle might return sometime during the series, but that seems vague. A key to the series could be whether Phil Kessel shows up. Kessel has been a healthy scratch for the Boston Bruins put could end up on the Providence roster at some point.
There's a webcast of the game, but you have to shell out $6 to watch it. Seems as though there might be free audio on the Monarchs' site, but I can't be 100 percent certain of that. Here's a couple preview stories from the two local papers:
Manchester Union-Leader: Monarchs prepped for playoff test
Providence Journal: P-Bruins are riding wave into playoffs
JACK JOHNSON
This season: 74 games, 3 goals, 8 assists, minus-19 rating.
Positives: Came into the NHL with tremendous hype that was almost impossible to live up to, but still managed a solid rookie season, particularly for a player who had never taken a shift above the college level unti late last season. Johnson clearly has the size, skating ability and physical instincts to be an impact defenseman, and he showed that at times this season.
Negatives: Again, expectations were high. Johnson was hyped as a Calder Trophy favorite heading into the season and never really came close to reaching that level. He admitted, late in the season, that not until the final month (before his broken foot) did he start to feel totally comfortable on the ice. The offensive instincts he showed at Michigan still need to emerge at the NHL level.
Looking ahead: There's certainly no hand-wringing among Kings management about Johnson. He's still considered a future franchise defenseman and he's starting to develop the type of leadership skills that could make him a team captain one day. With expected development, he should take a major step forward next season.
Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $2.15 million next season).
PETER HARROLD
This season: 25 games, 2 goals, 3 assists, plus-3 rating.
Positives: Hasn't made any dramatic improvements, but is slowly and surely establishing himself as an NHL defenseman with a solid all-around game. Harrold has displayed good puck movement in the defensive zone during his limited time in the NHL and totaled 43 points in 49 games with Manchester this season, so he has some offensive upside.
Negatives: Size and speed are two of the drawbacks in Harrold's game, but they won't prevent him from being an NHL player. He could stand to get a little stronger, which would help the team's overall toughness, and as he gets more experience, he should be better prepared to deal with the speed of the NHL game.
Looking ahead: Harrold seems likely, in the long term, to settle in as a fourth or fifth defenseman. With Johnson and Visnovsky already in the fold, the Kings need to sign or trade for at least one more strong defenseman to take some of the pressure off Harrold and allow him to thrive as he continues to develop.
Contract situation: Restricted free agent.
KEVIN DALLMAN
This season: 34 games, 3 goals, 4 assists, plus-4 rating.
Positives: The very definition of a role player, Dallman can step in after being scratched for a handful of consecutive games and play either center or defense. Never a flashy player, Dallman has solid puck-moving skills and some offensive skills. Managed a plus-4 rating.
Negatives: Dallman's size is considered a negative on defense, and he just can't seem to ``wow'' the coaching staff enough to earn a regular place in the lineup. More often than not, coaches chose Jon Klemm to fill a similar role.
Looking ahead: It's not unreasonable to think the Kings might re-sign Dallman in a seventh-defenseman role, especially since Klemm is 38 years old and since Dallman is well-liked by the Kings' younger players. Whether he can ever shed that ``spare defenseman'' label is another matter.
Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.
ROB BLAKE
This season: 71 games, 9 goals, 22 assists, minus-19 rating
Positives: At times this season, Blake was the Kings' best defenseman. A slow start, mostly caused by his recovery from offseason hip surgery, gave way to a period of strong hockey, which Blake was unable to maintain, in part, because of other nagging injuries. When healthy, Blake remains a strong physical presence on a team that lacks physical defensemen.
Negatives: Not uncommon for 38-year-old players, Blake is injury-prone and slowing down. He didn't come close to giving the Kings $6-million worth, but that contract was the Kings' fault, not his. Still plays well in spurts, but might no longer have the energy to maintain it for an entire season.
Looking ahead: Despite some uncertain moments during the season, on both sides, it seems as though Blake would like to return to the Kings and that the Kings would like to sign him to a short-term contract, far below the $6 million he made in each of the last two seasons. Blake still has some value, particularly as the Kings attempt to work in a new, young crop of defensemen.
Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.
The Manchester Monarchs have made it official: Oscar Moller and Bud Holloway have signed amateur-tryout agreements today. Here's the release from Manchester:
Here's the last of the forwards. We'll tackle the defensemen next...
-----
JOHN ZEILER
This season: 36 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-6 rating.
Positives: Zeiler's value comes in his ability to work hard in the corners, deliver hits, provoke opponents into penalties and play a responsible defensive game. He came out of relative anonymity in 2006-07 to earn a multi-year contract, and his value to the Kings clearly comes in an energy-line role.
Negatives: After an impressive 23-game stint in 2006-07, Zeiler signed a four-year contract and was on a two-way deal this season. He seemed set to hold down a regular role as a fourth-line winger, but never really got it going with the Kings even though he played almost a half a season in the NHL. His sophomore year lacked the same spark.
Looking ahead: Zeiler seemed to take a bit of a step backward this season, but with a salary of just over $500,000, he's a cheap and steady option in an energy-line role. Again, there should be considerable competition for those roles, so Zeiler's presence on the Kings' roster next season is far from certain.
Contract situation: Signed through 2010-11 (cap number of $543,750 next season).
BRIAN WILLSIE
This season: 53 games, 4 goals, 8 assists, minus-8 rating.
Positives: Never to be confused with a dynamic goal scorer, Willsie is at his best when he's playing a defense-first, energy-line role. His strong work ethic and responsible two-way play give him value, and he didn't complain when often made a healthy scratch.
Negatives: Showed some goal-scoring potential early in his career, but it never really materialized. Willsie is solid at several aspects of the game, but not really spectacular at any one thing. That makes him versatile but not particularly valuable.
Looking ahead: Willsie has probably run his course with the Kings, but should be able to find an energy-line role with a NHL team. He's good around the net, but won't attract significant attention unless he finds a way to put more pucks in nets.
Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.