Greene's Injury Changes the Summer Plan
by Quisp on Jul 31, 2010 1:01 PM PDT
in Could Happen
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PrintMatt Greene is out for 3-4 months. Maybe this means he'll be back in November. He's not going to be up to speed (Greene speed, that is) until January. So what, if anything, does his absence mean for Lombardi's options in August and/or opportunities for the prospects fighting for a spot?
Let's imagine for a moment that Lombardi simply does nothing and lets the prospects fill all the holes. And we'll assume (in this hypothetical) that prospects who have played NHL games win out over prospects who have not.
Scuderi - Doughty
Johnson - Drewiske
Harrold - Martinez
Voynov
Okay, well, that's not going to happen. Not only is Martinez the only prospect with NHL game experience, but the bottom three players are all of the same puck-moving type. The only even remotely "shut-down" guy out of these seven is Scuderi.
Maybe we'll do better if we open up the prospect pool, to allow for prospects with no NHL experience.
Scuderi - Doughty
Johnson - Muzzin
Hickey - Fransson
Drewiske
The bottom two pairs are better, but that's still not going to work. I can see Lombardi allowing two spots to be filled by prospects, but three is absurd, and without Greene's veteran presence, even two becomes questionable.
With Greene out for at least the first month, I think it makes sense to allow this to create more incentive for the kids to win a spot, because there will be this open for the first handful of games. But I think a likely scenario is that Lombardi will sign or trade for a veteran stay-at-home defenseman, and sign a depth defenseman, and let the prospects fight it out for the remaining one or two spots, none of which will require them to take on roles with pivotal responsibility.
Scuderi - Doughty
Johnson - [veteran stay-at-home guy]
[Muzzin/Hickey/Fransson] - [depth signing]
Drewiske
An example of what this might look like:
Scuderi - Doughty
Johnson - Tim Gleason
Drewiske
I think that idea looks pretty solid. Compare to last year's line-up, which was pretty good defensively, despite certain issues:
Scuderi - Doughty
Johnson - Jones
O'Donnell - Greene
Drewiske
It's also possible that Hickey (or, in any case, a second prospect) comes into camp and simply blows everyone away, making a depth signing unnecessary. Maybe Lombardi makes a trade to lock-down the "Gleason" slot, and waits for camp to see who rises to the occasion, knowing that he can always add the depth defenseman in October if he needs to (as he did with Kyle Quincey, Sean O'Donnell and Randy Jones). Yeah, now that I think about it, hat seems to fit with Lombardi's style.
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He won't do anything because he's so hesitant on making deals..
I would love Gleason or even Willie Mitchell/Andrea Lilja..
My question/real concern is why the fugg weren’t we in on James Wisniewski?!?!
There’s no way the Duck would want to fork up Wiz on the crosstown rival. They’d rather get nothing in return and send him to the island where people can forget about him rather than get a better return and be haunted by him for 6 games a season.
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by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions
My question/real concern is why the fugg weren’t we in on James Wisniewski?!?!
James Wisniewski is terrible.
Nope. If Wis sucked bad enough to be sent packing from the Ducks, we certainly do not want him on the Kings blue line
The Spirit of MeatTrain'10!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jul 31, 2010 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions
kovy...?...we really lost when we lure...
dan hamhuis….
in 1984, i was hospitalized for approaching perfection....
What makes you think Hamhuis was ever going to sign anywhere except Vancouver?
by VoluminousTuna on Jul 31, 2010 1:30 PM PDT up reply actions
I seem to recall
that Lomardi saying he did go after Hamhuis, and he took less to go to vancouver. I’ve had a couple of drinks so perhaps my memory is foggy. Anyone else remember something to that effect?
by -J on Jul 31, 2010 2:44 PM PDT up reply actions
Exactly
He gave them the hometown discount.
by VoluminousTuna on Aug 1, 2010 2:52 AM PDT up reply actions
What about witt?
Did the islanders just put him on waivers?
Yeah, he could possibly fit in as a shutdown tough guy like Greene, but if the Islanders don’t want him what does that say?
That was supposed to be a reply to kyle
Meaning “he” is Witt
He is on unconditional waivers and they have Wisniewski.
The Islanders dropping one and acquiring the other makes interesting food for thought, to be sure.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
by Joe Hockey Fan on Jul 31, 2010 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions
I think I’ve just gotten to the point where, as much as we’d like to have Gleason and Lilja… except for Blake and Robitaille, when was the last time the Kings signed a UFA we had previously let go? I almost get the feeling they wouldn’t want to come back (in the case of Lilja; I know Gleason’s still under contract.)
Although Gleason’s contract is cap-friendly, and if DL could give them a middle-round pick and/or a prospect, he could be had. I don’t know how serious a threat Carolina is to make the playoffs.
Denis Gauthier sucks at hockey... and life.
I think the Gleason suggestion was more of an example of the type of player, rather than a specific target.
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Internet rumor about us being interested in Regehr…there are a lot of rumors about the Flames, though, since they need to shed salary.
He’d have to waive his NMC, and I imagine the price would be hefty.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
But…oh yes I’d take him in a flash…
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
by Joe Hockey Fan on Jul 31, 2010 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions
It seems too nice, I don’t even want to get my hopes up. (Heh. Too late. DANG YOU, INTERNETS!)
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Agree 100%, but even so…
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
by Joe Hockey Fan on Jul 31, 2010 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Regehr is $4M. The Flames are $2M over.
Regehr would be a nice pick up but a solid hit, too. Kings have $12.8M to play with.
Given the role that he would play for the Kings, a $4 mil cap hit would not be outrageous. That’s pretty much what Scuderi makes.
Yeah, I think so, too. He would be a great long term fit, give us a killer defense once Greene returns.
We still need a solid 35 goal guy and room to land Doughty and Johnson going forward. Hopefully a good center and defenseman will come out of camp.
I’ll tell you, I am glad I not the one making the decisions. I either overspend or blow it being too frugal.
I like Regehr… in NHL 10 (which I seem to talk about a LOT here), I got him straight-up for Hickey.
Denis Gauthier sucks at hockey... and life.
KY – you traded Hickey to CGY?!? For shame!
The Spirit of MeatTrain'10!
by DodgerBlueBalls on Jul 31, 2010 8:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Whatever, I score like 12 goals per game anyway.
In all seriousness, I’m not that big a Hickey fan. I’d love to see him make it, because he was a high draft pick, but I just have the worst feeling he may be a bust.
Denis Gauthier sucks at hockey... and life.
Jury is still out on Hickey
His problem right now is that he basically lost all of last year due to two injuries, so it’s hard to judge his development right now. His prospects should be a lot clearer at this time next year.
Or he may surprise everyone in training camp.
I’m irrationally attached to Hickey because I saw him play…but I realize he might not work out in the NHL, or he might be traded to another team. It all makes sense. I just don’t like to think about it, because I’m weak.
Ohhh, I should never get attached to prospects. But I couldn’t help it. I had no idea he would be taken by the Kings.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Believe me, I remain hopeful about Hickey
Just saying that anyone inclined to give up on him at this point has to take account of the fact that he basically lost an entire year of development to misfortune. Let’s see what he can do when he stays healthy.
i don't think much will happen on the D front until camp
They’ll have a better read on Green’s rehab at that point. Depending on that, I think they may go after a depth signing. Given that there will almost 100% positively be several veteran ufa D-men (and those who other teams would like to dump b/c of salary) still available in late September, I don’t think there is any reason to panic and do something stupid (like trade hickey for brian campbell) at this point.
i don’t think much will happen on the D front until camp. They’ll have a better read on Green’s rehab at that point. Depending on that, I think they may go after a depth signing. Given that there will almost 100% positively be several veteran ufa D-men (and those who other teams would like to dump b/c of salary) still available in late September, I don’t think there is any reason to panic and do something stupid (like trade hickey) at this point.
With just one small subtraction on my part (and I’m sure it was said in jest, but some things shouldn’t even be said in jest) this.
There’ll be a lot of changes between now and camp, let alone now and season start. Patience is the key. If the Hawks, for example, walk away from Niemi and the $2.75 M (likely I’d say) or at the very least trade him; dominos will fall.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
by Joe Hockey Fan on Jul 31, 2010 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions
I can't believe I'm saying this...
but what about Hark! The …‘s Angel Call on D? I think that’s likely.
You know what’s really weird? I’ve read fans of other teams assuming we’re in the market for a goalie. Like, we might really want Nemo or Tim Thomas or something. Oooookay.
You know what we’re in the market for? EVERYTHING ELSE.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
This must be how the Islanders fans feel. “Oh look, a team with cap space. They must be dying to take our overpriced spare parts just to help us out.”
Tim Thomas? Really?
In Dinglebarn We Trust
people "out there" say the darnedest things, sounding clueless to those of us "in here"
all former soviet subjects love each other since they’re all basically the same anyway
all teams with rookie-ish goalies want your old dudes
all teams with “tons” of cap space want brian campbell and sheldon souray.
hockey is a brutal unsportsmanlike sport, because of all that fighting
Wait till this year.
And don't forget
the blue puck…we need the blue puck. Everyone knows this.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean
It's a clean machine
by Joe Hockey Fan on Jul 31, 2010 7:20 PM PDT up reply actions
soviet subjects
got the last 3 quisp, but what u talkin bout here:
“all former soviet subjects love each other since they’re all basically the same anyway”
I take it to mean the ruskies like to play together on the same team? Make plans in the offseason to join forces on a particular team? Ie: Volchenkov and Kovy?
Oh yeah, that was totally conspired. They’re worse than Selanne/Kariya.
by VoluminousTuna on Aug 1, 2010 2:57 AM PDT up reply actions
no, i'm just saying people on the outside don't see the differences that people on the inside see (about themselves)
so if you’re russian, or georgian, or ukranian, you don’t like being all lumped together by people on the other side of the world. sort of like, people ask me if I’m going back to minnesota for xmas, and i say no because i’m from michigan, and they have this look like, whatever, all the same to me, north and cold.
Wait till this year.
Oh, ha! I guess I was puzzled because I totally understand people being unfamiliar with Ukrainian history, but if you’re talking hockey, you should definitely know that contracts like Thomas’ are hard to move.
They should also know that because DL lost out on Kovalchuk, it doesn’t mean he is interested in Niemi’s “star power” instead. Ah, yeah.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
At least it’s not as bad as last year when we HAD to get a veteran netminder
by Nut on Aug 1, 2010 2:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Defense!
How about Kaberle? Conventional thought is we need a stay at home defenseman, but Kaberle is very steady and we have the cap space. Toronto loves big guys. They would probably do it for Trevor Lewis and Jordan Nolan.
by Why isn't Dave Taylor in the Hall? on Aug 1, 2010 12:10 AM PDT reply actions
Burkie probably thinks he could get more for Kabs… and he probably wouldn’t do it unless DL included Brayden Schenn.
Everyone says “Kaberle isn’t the ’stay-at-home defenseman the Kings need”. Maybe he’s not, but that doesn’t mean he sucks. I wouldn’t mind getting him. He’ll improve the team.
Denis Gauthier sucks at hockey... and life.
Thanks for the level headed analysis Quisp. Someone else posted on the same subject tonight and…the sky is falling
I know, he’ll write a post saying a bunch bullshit and then his next will praise Dean. Whatever gets the hits, I guess.
“The Kings are now terribly THIN on the back-end, they have ZERO toughness and teams can take liberties with Doughty and Johnson… so far.
“It has to be the RIGHT fit” – Shut up, Dean. No it doesn’t. It has to be a fit where our future superstars aren’t being taken advantage of. Period.
The fuck does that even mean? Who’s there to make sure someone doesn’t take liberties with Jack Johnson? JACK JOHNSON. And I think Doughty can take care of himself. I don’t even remember someone screwing with one of them, what is this imaginary problem the Kings need to solve?
Why even read that garbage?
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 12:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Eklund is unreliable and unfunny; Barry is much more reliable (e.g. Greene story) and frequently funny.
He tends toward “sky is falling” sometimes. factor that in. Just like you factor in that a rumor is a rumor. Nobody’s perfect, but he’s a kings fan with sources who blogs. That alone makes him worth reading. He doesn’t require you to reach the same conclusions he does.
Also, the fact that for some reason he is kryptonite to flyers is justification enough for checking him out.
Wait till this year.
Perhaps I overstated...
In saying that Mr. Barry was “a joke”; well, surely I did as I do not know the man personally and I am sure he’s quite nice. However he cannot seem to get past a seemingly elementary-rooted style of name calling and boisterousness that just deflates and detracts from the positives he does bring to the ‘table’. I don’t need to reach the same conclusions as him, that’s just silly-speak. It’s the repeated uses of “idiot”, “shut-up”, “moron”, etc, etc that get aimed at people that, for me, make much of what he writes ‘a joke’.
Hope that clarifies.
no, i know. you were using blog hyperbole voice.
that’s what he’s doing, too, I think. at least, that’s my interpretation.
Wait till this year.
Yeah. I don’t like the hysterics.
Still beats Ryan Lambert, though. Wish there was some way to filter him out of my Puck Daddy subscription on my Google reader.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
I should probably elaborate…
He reminds me of a troll on the boards, just saying crap to rile people up. No thanks.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Dont sell Fransson short
Swedish elite league is good and he put up really strong numbers last year. He is 25 and obviously a late bloomer. Havnt seen him play, but would imagine he has a head up on Hickey at al.
Not to mention 25 isn’t all that late for a D-man.
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions
I'd like the Kings to take a look at
trying to trade for Braydon Coburn. Philly is overstocked at D now with Pronger, Timmonen, Carle, Coburn, Mezsaros, Matt Walker, and O’Donnell. They just got OD, Walker, and Mezsaros so I figure Coburn would be a likely candidate for departure, especially since he had a mediocre year last year and Carle had a breakout. It’d be a lot to give up in return though. Start with Ersberg since they need a G, build from there.
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 9:43 AM PDT reply actions
Judging by what some Philly fans thought they would get for Gagne (Bernier, etc), I can hear their calls for Quick, Johnson, and Moller now!
Good thing the Philly fans don’t make the trades. Get on it DL!
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 1, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, they’ve really done it: Hawks sign Turco over Niemi.
I wonder how many players they’ll carry…
In Dinglebarn We Trust
Wow. I wonder what the feel in the locker room is going to be in a few weeks. Name tags may be required…
Turco’s slowing down a bit but it makes sense. Philly must be less than pleased.
Now people are saying the Sharks must want Niemi. That makes no sense to me. They already went out and got their Finn. They need D.
In Dinglebarn We Trust
He’ll probably end up in Atlanta, aka Chicago-South. Seriously though, this is the weirdest free-agent summer ever.
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 2, 2010 3:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Seems appropriate.
Are you an expert?!
www.prosportsblogging.com
by Great Ice-Pectations on Aug 2, 2010 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions
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