Jewels From The Crown: FanPosts

Kings' Reserve List - 50 Contract Limit [9/4 UPDATE]

2010-06-14T21:14:49Z

9/4/2010

Modin signs with Thrashers. Another team I will be rooting for this year.

9/3/2010

Added Willie Mitchell, updated David Kolomatis, officially said goodbye to Randy Jones.

Jump to chart:

7/17/2010

Richardson, Cliche, Clune, Elkins and Lewis (all RFAs) signed today. ~~Also, note that the table is now (somewhat pointlessly) sortable.~~

Also, I added a "team column." The number in parentheses, if any, gives the remaining years of eligibility (for juniors or college players).

6/28/2010

Added the draftees and changed Nic Dowd's status to NCAA, as he has apparently committed to St. Cloud State for the fall.

6/1/2010

I've been meaning, for a while now, to put together a master list of all the players the Kings have on their reserve list and what their contract statuses are. Because the details of such a list change frequently, I am always behind in updating. I am going to post the list over here in the Siberia that is "FanPost" land, so that everyone has access to it and can leave corrections in the comments. That seems like the best way to have the most accurate information in one place.

To reiterate the terms and rules, as defined in the CBA:

"Active roster" - a team must have between 20 and 23 players on its active roster. These players must be under contract (except in the case of amateur tryouts, like Schenn had last season).

"50 contract limit" - a team must have between 27 and 50 players under contract. There are some funky rules related to this, the main ones being that players playing in Europe and players under the age of 20 still playing in juniors, even if under contract, don't count against the limit.

"Reserve list" - a team may not have more than 90 players on its reserve list, which is the total of all players under contract and all unsigned draft-picks.

In the list that follows, there are some abbreviations.

xk = under contract, Kings roster

x = under contract

xelc = under contract (entry level)

x-eur = under contract, playing in Europe

x<20 = under contract, ELC, under 20 years of age, playing in junior

u = unsigned

dd = dearly departed (i.e. ex-Kings)

The numerals in front of the league designations are there only to make the chart sort properly. Ignore them or enjoy them. The "exp." column gives the year the contract expires, or, in the case of unsigned picks, it's the year they must be signed by (two years after their draft year, or, in the case of college players, either the year they graduate or -- if they don't stay in school -- four years after their draft year).

player	contract	league	exp.	next	team
Jack Johnson	xk	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Peter Harrold	xk	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Michal Handzus	xk	1NHL	2011	UFA	Kings
Justin Williams	xk	1NHL	2011	UFA	Kings
Erik Ersberg	xk	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Brad Richardson	xk	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Scott Parse	xk	1NHL	2012	UFA	Kings
Ryan Smyth	xk	1NHL	2012	UFA	Kings
Jarret Stoll	xk	1NHL	2012	UFA	Kings
Willie Mitchell	xk	1NHL	2012	UFA	Kings
Rob Scuderi	xk	1NHL	2013	UFA	Kings
Jonathan Quick	xk	1NHL	2013	RFA	Kings
Davis Drewiske	xk	1NHL	2013	RFA	Kings
Matt Greene	xk	1NHL	2014	UFA	Kings
Dustin Brown	xk	1NHL	2014	UFA	Kings
Anze Kopitar	xk	1NHL	2016	UFA	Kings
Wayne Simmonds	xelc	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Drew Doughty	xelc	1NHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Oscar Moller	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Kings
Jonathan Bernier	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Patrick Mullen	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Jeff Zatkoff	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Bud Holloway	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Andrew Campbell	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Alec Martinez	xelc	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Justin Azevedo	xelc	2AHL	2012	RFA	Monarchs
Thomas Hickey	xelc	2AHL	2012	RFA	Monarchs
Dwight King	xelc	2AHL	2012	RFA	Monarchs
Viatcheslav Voynov	xelc	2AHL	2013	RFA	Monarchs
Jacob Muzzin	xelc	2AHL	2013	RFA	Soo Grayhounds (0)
Colten Teubert	xelc	2AHL	2013	RFA	Regina Pats (0)
Andrei Loktionov	xelc	2AHL	2013	RFA	Monarchs
David Kolomatis	xelc	2AHL	2013	RFA	Monarchs
Martin Jones	xelc	3CHL	2013	RFA	Calgary Hitmen (0)
Brandon Kozun	xelc	3CHL	2013	RFA	Calgary Hitmen (1?)
Ray Kaunisto	xelc	4NCAA	2012	RFA	Northern Michigan (0)
Kyle Clifford	xe<20	3CHL	2013	RFA	Barrie Colts (1)
Brayden Schenn	xe<20	3CHL	2013	RFA	Brandon Wheat Kings (1)
Johan Fransson	x-eur	5EUR	2011	UFA	Lulea HF
Juraj Mikus	x-eur	5KHL	2011	RFA	Moscow Spartak
Trevor Lewis	x	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Rich Clune	x	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Marc-Andre Cliche	x	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
Corey Elkins	x	2AHL	2011	RFA	Monarchs
David Meckler	x	2AHL	2011	UFA	Monarchs
Kevin Westgarth	x	2AHL	2012	RFA	Monarchs
John Zeiler	x	2AHL	2012	UFA	Monarchs
Jeff Halpern	ufa	1NHL			Kings
Joe Piskula	ufa	2AHL			Monarchs
Gabe Gauthier	ufa	2AHL			Monarchs
Michael Pelech	u	2ECHL	2011		Ontario Reign
Nicolas Deslauriers	u	3CHL	2011		Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (3)
Linden Vey	u	3CHL	2011		Medicine Hat Tigers (3)
Jordan Nolan	u	3CHL	2011		Soo Grayhounds (0)
Jean-Francois Berube	u	3CHL	2011		Montreal Juniors (2)
Tyler Toffoli	u	3CHL	2012		Ottawa 67's (2)
Jordan Weal	u	3CHL	2012		Regina Pats (2)
Robbie Czarnik	u	3CHL	2011?		Plymouth Whalers (0?)
Podge Turnbull	u	4NCAA	2011		Wisconsin (1)
Garrett Roe	u	4NCAA	2011		St. Cloud State (1)
Nic Dowd	u	4NCAA	2013		St. Could State (4)
Kevin Gravel	u	4NCAA	2014		St. Cloud State (4)
Derek Forbort	u	4NCAA	2014		UND Fighting Sioux (4)
Martin Nolet	u	4NCAA			UMass-Amherst (0)
Constantin Braun	u	5DEL			Berlin Polar Bears (DEL)
Mikhail Lyubushin	u	5KHL			Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo (KHL)
Maxim Kitsyn	u	5KHL			Novokuznetsk Metallurg (KHL)
Jan Marek	u	5KHL			Magnitogorsk Metallurg (KHL)
Igor Melyakov	u	5KHL			Novokuznetsk Metallurg (KHL)
Andrei Shefer	u	5KHL			Cherepovets Severstal (KHL)
Brady Murray	u	5SWA			Lugano (Swiss-A)
Fredrik Modin	dd	1NHL			Thrashers
Randy Jones	dd	1NHL			Lightning
Teddy Purcell	dd	1NHL			Lightning
Sean O'Donnell	dd	1NHL			Flyers
Raitis Ivanans	dd	1NHL			Flames
Alexander Frolov	dd	1NHL			Rangers
Drew Bagnall	dd	2AHL			Wild
Daniel Taylor	dd	2ECHL			Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL)
Vladimir Dravecky	dd				n/a

CONTRACTS	44
UFA	3
RFA	0
unsigned NCAA	6
unsigned juniors	7
unsigned Europe*	8	*Mikus is signed but off-the-books, counted here
unsigned USHL	0
unsigned AHL/ECHL	1
SPC U20	2	ELCs for 18/19yr olds, don't count against the 50
TOTAL	68
(dearly departed)	9

Kovalchuk 20/20 Hindsight Poll

2010-08-29T18:16:09Z

Kovalchuk is like the Hindenburg, you can't look away as the thing goes up in flames. While the fat lady has yet to sing fans in LA have had plenty of time to formulate their thoughts, opinions and conclusions.

Now that (Kings) readers have been able to step back from the situation I wonder what their overall consensus is. I hope the choices are well enough delineated and varied to properly encompass your views. If not please add your specific viewpoint under "comments"; those agreeing can vote in the reply section.

Now that LA has the benefit of 20/20 hindsight in respect to Kovalchuk as a King what is your opinion?

Poll

What is your closing opinion of the Kovalchuk affair?

Kings MT Puckmore

2010-08-24T19:44:26Z

Anybody see the Kings edition of MT Puckmore of PuckDaddy from yahoo?

Any thoughts? Is there someone you want to see on there who isnt?

Can we do a future stars top 4 and who do you see making this type of list in say 5 years?

Talk amongst yourselves then post a comment!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Mount-Puckmore-The-four-faces-of-the-Los-Angele;_ylt=AuP8y7qEwJyaGpQkcNxCIGV7vLYF?urn=nhl-263148

The Kovalchuk Problem: Part 3 - The NeverEnding Story

2010-08-19T17:34:08Z

The third part in this installment was supposed to be the last, as in any traditional multi-part story, but perhaps comparisons to even the Lord of the Rings trilogy would not quite do justice to the length of the Kovalchuk saga, and it may be better reflected in a four part series. Or more. At this point, who knows.

Here are some basic facts:

The final offer from Atlanta (before last season's trade deadline) was 12 years, $101 million. Capt hit of $8.42 million per year. Rejected by Kovalchuk.
The final offer from the Kings was 15 years, $80 million in total. Cap hit of $5.33 million per year. Rejected by Kovalchuk.
The final offer from New Jersey was 17 years, $102 million in total. Cap hit of $6 million per year. Accepted by Kovalchuk.
The day after the signing was announced, the contract was then rejected- by the League.
Arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the NHL's voiding of the contract as a circumvention of the salary cap, making Kovalchuk a free agent once again.

Lou Lamoriello, after stating initially at the signing announcement, "This is within the rules. This is in the CBA. There are precedents that have been set. But I would agree we shouldn't have these," Was quoted after the rejection stating, "The contract complies with the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement."

League officials simply decided to put their foot down on this contract, marking it crossing the circumvention line, however blurry and confusing it is. Sure, an argument could be made that other contracts could be approached or even danced on the line, but there were not nearly as blatant, and if the Kovalchuk contract was allowed, what's to stop the trend from getting worse?

One frightening aspect is where this leads the situation for the CBA re-negotiation in two years is rather frightening, especially with the rumored involvement/interest of MLB strike orchestrator Donald Fehr and the NHLPA.

The entire ordeal reminds me of a completely real situation that I went through recently...I bought a great house a few years ago. Sweet piece of land and the building had a lot of potential. I put a lot of years of hard labor into it and now, I am sure that it is in better shape than ever.

I've really wanted to see what I could get for it and try to cash in and based on what some people have paid for similar houses in the last couple years, I think it's achievable.

I got a few bites but nothing that I was willing to work with. Unfortunately it's just not the best time. Nobody is willing to take a risk on high priced real estate right now I guess. I think it's worth what I am asking for it if not MORE, but nothing was happening at that price.

Now that it's been some time and it's still on the market, I don't know what to do. I can only hold out for so long before I need the money.

Should I lower my price even though I feel what I'm asking for is worth the work and money I've put in?Does the market value dictate what the house is actually worth?The basic principles of real estate and free market enterprise would say that it does. No one can dispute that.

There are more variables in the situation than just making comparisons to other properties. The economy, the interest rates, and the situation in the surrounding neighborhood and local community. All of these things fluctuate and they all affect what a house can be sold for.

The financial value of a professional athlete to a franchise is no different. When millions of dollars are at stake, simple statistics on paper just aren't going to produce a satisfactory result.

Yes. Ilya Kovalchuk is perhaps the most significant free agent in the history of the modern NHL, based on his age and ability. That cannot be contested. My house was in tip top shape, newly remodeled and overlooking the ocean; that doesn't mean anyone could afford it even if they wanted to.

Kovalchuk has now been a free agent this summer twice, each for over a week. I guess he has been technically a free agent the whole time, but for at least a few days everyone thought he was a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Sergei Gonchar was only a free agent for approximately 15 minutes.

Why?

For starters, Gonchar wasn't looking for a double-digit duration contract. Coupling the multi-million dollar figure with many, many years- over a DECADE in Kovalchuk's situation- makes it a risky investment, however sound it may look on paper.

At this point, the most likely scenario is for Kovalchuk to take a one year deal somewhere and try this thing all over again next summer.

And there upon a rainbow, is the answer to our neverending story.

Post Script: The best thing to come out of this so far has been the discovery of the music video for the theme song from The NeverEnding Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwF4PPoEWD4&fs=1&hl=en_US

This article was originally posted at CrownedRoyal.com, a Los Angeles Kings blog, and can be found here.

RIP Dan Avey

2010-08-18T20:58:00Z

Just a few words for Dan Avey, the former Kings TV commentator who recently passed away at the age of 69....Dan was a welcome relief in the grim early days of NHL hockey in LA, providing enthusiasm during the rare good times and a dry sense of humor to soften the reality of the frequent bad times.....My favorite was one night when the Kings were in Oakland, and Dan innocently commented, "If Oakland had a player who stayed around in the locker room and helped the trainers & equipment men clean up...would he be known as the Good Housekeeping Seal ? ".....

In 1968, the Kings had a rookie goalie named Gerry Desjardins; a writer named Bill Libby actually wrote a book about Gerry ("Rookie Goalie !" ), but he had a bad second year and was traded to the Black Hawks about the time the book came out. I was 13 at the time and fascinated with hockey and goaltenders in particular; and I wrote to Dan, asking how I could still get the book even though Desjardins was gone......Dan's response was to send me a new copy of the book, free of charge, with a nice note thanking me for my interest. Yeah, I know they probably had a hundred copies that they needed to get rid of somehow, but still the idea that he had taken the time to do that....I was then a hockey fan for life, and also got an early lesson in how "random acts of kindness" can make a difference in peoples lives...Thanks, Dan.... RIP

Scoring winger

2010-08-14T02:48:00Z

Why the heck haven't we signed stempniak? he scored 28+20=48 last year and lord knows we need the goals! plus, hes a hard worker and since he was with phoenix last year we should have scouted him right well. plus, hes only what, 26?? i think we can get him for 3 years/ 4.6 mil (if not less) and put him on the second line and have him fill in on the top line if we need that.

what do you all think??

I can fix the regular season schedule for better parity

2010-08-06T17:55:38Z

As it is now, we see Eastern conference teams in L. A. only once every two years. It was a great thrill to see the Kings come from behind against the Penguins and beat them at home, but with the current sked, that can't happen again until 2011-2012. Same with seeing Ovechkin, or Brodeur, etc. It ain't right and it ain't necessary.

The current way:

We play 6 division games (3 home, 3 away) against 4 opponents, 24 games. We play other Western Conference teams 4 games (2 home, 2 away) against 10 opponents, 40 games. We then play the Eastern Conference opponents once each, 15 games, with home and away alternating annually. That leaves 3 games for the NHL to scatter about, like, say, on Sunday maybe, where they have Chicago or Detroit play against Pitsburgh or Washington. You know, the ratings scam where it turns into a 4-team league and the rest of the universe wishes they could be like those teams when ~~the league grows~~ they grow up.

My Way:

We play each divisional rival 5 times, total 20 games. The home and away balances bi-annually. We play the rest of our conference 3 times, again with who gets the odd home game alternating annually, total 30 games. We now have 32 games remaining, letting us have two games against each of the 15 Eastern Conference teams, one home and one away, every year. The extra games are only two, distribution of which I think should be determined by a seeding system that puts the nearest two records against each other, so instead of the playoff style 1 versus 8, you would have 1 versus 2, and 7 versus 8, etc. Put those two extra games in-conference, with each team playing the team closest above them and closest below them in point total from the previous season. Conference Champ gets to play the team that was second, and since nobody was better than them, they get to play the team that was last. Sucks to be last, and you get props for being first. Or, Gary "Bettsy" Bettman could have that missing game be between the two Conference Champs, on, say, a Sunday on NBC... Or that could even be how it is determined who gets to play in the Winter Classic, instead of whatever bullshit system the League now uses. Make who plays in the Classic less subjective, and make it something earned.

Results:

We play all teams at home at least once. Crosby has to come here and whine every year, we get to see Simmonds pay back Malkin with an elbow to the head with 7 seconds to go in the game and Ovechkin has to get stopped by Doughty one-on-one when he tries his crossover move from the Right side, and Doughty simply matches the cross-over while simultaneously closing his skates to block the puck with his blades. Piece of cake.

We force the Eastern Conference to taste the "travel soup" we are forced to swallow. Even tho this would add slightly to our own burden as well, it is my opinion that it is better to go from us traveling a lot and them hardly at all, to us still travleing a lot and them traveling almost a lot. In other words, we already travel, and to make each Eastern Conference teams have to endure a couple of West Coast swings every year would establish nearer parity in that regard.

We change the Divisional season series format to a best of 5 games, and the Conference season series to a best of 3. A clear winner is established, good for marketing, better for fan smacktalk.

Teams still have 82 home games every two years. If they do it properly, teams would get 41 home games every year, too, but this is the NHL we are talking about. So, for example, they would have to balance the four Divisional 5-game-series where we get two home games in two of the series, and three home games in the other two series. The following year, we would switch which teams we get the 3 and 2 homers with.

Stats become more representative of actual League-wide proficiency and standing; individual stats as well as, and more importantly, the team point totals. Washington, by many accounts, had an inflated point total by playing in a weak division. This would be lessened significantly with my schedule. Crosby and Ovechkin would have to score more of their goals against Western Conference teams with better records.

Rather than diminishing rivalries, it is my belief that this will maintain existing rivalries and even make them more pronounced by having the Inter-Divisional best-of-5 format and the Inter-Conference best-of-3 format, while at the same time my format could also better establish new rivalries Intra-Conference. Who cares about New York's Islanders with the way it is? But if they came here every year, we might begin to care enough to keep a Moulson face-hair time-lapse photo array. Or from Tampa, we would get to see Stamkos fill out and mature, or see and boo Cammalleri, etc., etc.

Of course it will increase travel and therefore fatigue somewhat, and may enhance injury potential, but only slightly. And, if the current season schedule can be made to include a 2 week break for the Olympics with many of the best players participating in those extra games, from that perspective it seems much less problematic to add a few travel days. And, those days that are added to travel all the way East are balanced by the travel days subtracted by not going to Calgary, or Detroit, or any of the other same-conference teams we would be playing only 3 times instead of 4.

It could happen, it is irrefutably a more balanced schedule, and the fan reaction would generate dollars. I wish the League would look at it.

Midsummer Night's Scream: July/August Freak Out Session

2010-08-06T01:25:16Z

Before anything else - please pardon the awful title.

Yesterday, while dwelling in the dog days of summer, I was attempting to cheer myself up. I finally got everything arranged for Frozen Fury XIII and looked at the date- hey, we are into August. So I tweeted (because I am a moron):

reedkaufman

Frozen Fury is less than one month away. This is the best news of the summer. Need to get liver into shape.

Yes, I thought I was witty. I thought I was looking on the bright side. Most importantly, I thought I was right. I was not.

KatKealy

@reedkaufman Actually, it's less than TWO months away. I think you skipped a month there... It's only August. Frozen Fury is October 2nd.

And I crashed back to an August 4th reality.

Yet, the fact that it is ONLY August ironically does not quell the concerns about the current status of the Kings' roster.

Here's a little recap of the summer thus far:

July 1: The Kings MIGHT get Ilya Kovalchuk.
July 19: The Kings will not get Ilya Kovalchuk.
July 21: The Kings can maybe get Kovalchuk again but everyone west of Moscow hates him.
July 27: Alexander Frolov signs a 1 year deal with the Rangers.
July 27: The Kings sign Alexei Ponikarovsky to a 1 year deal.
August 2: The Ducks sign Andy Sutton to an affordable 2 year deal.
August 4: Frozen Fury has always been on Oct 2, which is really 2 months away.

Back to the current status of the Kings' roster. Here is how I see the lines breaking down:

Line 1: Center Kopitar Left Wing Smyth Right Wing Williams

Line 2: Center Stoll LW Ponikarovsky RW Brown

Line 3: Center Handzus LW Parse RW Simmonds

Line 4: Center Richardson LW Clune RW ???

D1: Doughty / Scuderi

D2: Johnson / ???

D3: Greene (INJ) / Drewiske

G1a: Quick

G1b: Bernier

So.. the forward lineup doesn't have too many holes, except for that sniper at left wing (which will now never arrive via anything but a trade that can disrupt the future), and someone to fill out the fourth line. Reports are that players like Kyle Clifford and Kevin Westgarth will get a shot, and you can count on Oscar Moller and Trevor Lewis to keep getting their chances as well.

The intriguing unmentioned possibility is Brayden Schenn, because his current development as it relates to NHL ability is unknown yet potentially significant, and where he would fit in on the depth chart is somewhat of a wild card. Most likely, IF he gets a shot on the big club, he'd start on the fourth line, but he is projected to become more of a top 6 forward, or a third-liner at worst. Let's hope that he will not be rushed into the lineup due to lack of scoring punch. Thankfully, in this manner management has been careful with most of the current prospects.

The goaltending situation is defined and sound. Quick will begin the season as the starter, with Bernier as backup or possibly a '1b' tandem type supplement. The names filling out this position make it the most appealing one the roster.

Defense. There are problems. Aside from having perhaps the best young defenseman in the league in Doughty, a great athlete in Johnson, and a top shelf defensive skater in Scuderi, Greene is on the shelf to start the year and no one else is experienced. This predicament is causing Kings fans to scream bloody murder, especially when cross town rivals the Ducks, sign perhaps one of the top two free agent defenseman available in Andy Sutton. So, unless management had already been in talks with the other, Willie Mitchell, the loss of Sutton for a meager 2 year $4.25MM contract is heart-breaking.

The upside is that the defensive prospect pool is quite deep. Thomas Hickey, Jake Muzzin, and Viatcheslav Voynov could potentially be ready to make the jump, but doing so out of necessity would, again, be a mistake. Even if, hypothetically, they are all ready to play at the NHL level, having more than one of them getting significant minutes could mean trouble. Young defensemen take a long time to adjust to the pace and skill in the NHL, and the Drew Doughty's of the world only come along but once a decade or so.

Of course, if I know this, the Kings front office knows this. The fact that the defensive roster is thin is not news to anyone, especially Dean Lombardi.

Though I am sure there is a plan to be enacted before the start of the season, that does not change the fact that we as Kings fans are justifiably nervous.

Think of it as anticipating your first day back at school, even when it's a school that you've attended before.

Sure, you'll see some familiar faces that will make you feel comfortable, but there are always some unknown variables that can cause a little uneasiness:

There is a new math teacher who comes highly recommended, what will the new text book be like?

There is a big new kid enrolling as well, and he's replacing the charismatic special Ed student that everyone liked but was an occasional nuisance.

The principal, however, is the same, and amidst any challenges and complications which may arise, he always proves to be clear-headed and methodical, even if it seems like he is doing so in a leisurely manner.

It's August 5th.

Dammit.

◊ Reed Kaufman

This article was originally posted on Crowned Royal, a Los Angeles Kings blog, and can be found here.

The Kovalchuk arbitrator

2010-08-05T16:15:32Z

Since I hadn't seen much about the arbitration thus far, I went looking for information on who our new System Arbitrator is. After doing some digging, I found that it's Richard I. Bloch, a 67-year-old arbitrator who's originally from New Jersey, but has lived in DC for years. He seems eminently qualified, based on his history (after the jump).

Bloch has an undergraduate from Dartmouth and hold both a law degree and an MBA from the University of Michigan. From 1971 to 1975 he taught Labor Arbitration at the University of Detroit. He was then the permanent arbitrator for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and was appointed by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as a member of the Foreign Service Greivance Board, serving as Chairman of that Board from 1978-1984. He was Major League Baseball's arbitrator from 1983-1985, and has served as a salary arbitrator for the NHL prior to this appointment. He also is the arbitrator between ALCOA and both the Aluminum Workers Union and the United Steelworkers, as well as between General Dynamics and all of their unions. Football fans may remember him as the arbitrator for the Terrell Owens/Philadelphia Eagles case, in which he looked at both the letter and the spirit of the CBA in making his ruling. From what I have seen, he seems like a very good choice for performing this arbitration.

Kings Milestone: Clean Sweep Complete

2010-08-02T06:03:38Z

The simple act of adding Alexei Ponikarovsky to the Kings lineup carries more significance then some LA fans may realize; The Lombardi "Clean Sweep" can now be declared complete. .

Frolov's departure marks a milestone in Kings history. With the exit of Alexander the final ghost of "Kings' futility past" is banished, old habits are exercised and the era of new expectations is delivered whole.

It was not two 30+ goal seasons that made Frolov a standout in LA, rather it was his yearly presence as a skilled player on a sub par team that made him a favorite. But, with plenty of sunshine, sand and empty training centers in LA who even bothered (other then perhaps Armstrong, Belanger or Laperriere)?

LA developed a League reputation as a haven for the lazy, under performing player. It was culture, bad habits formed easy. If a player longed for a Cup he had to leave this town...and then return for a rest. Of the lot only two proved to have the desire to be champions.

Meanwhile in LA old habits were hard to break. Look at Alexander's last year wearing purple He couldn't or wouldn't pass. He wouldn't follow instructions. Wouldn't amp up emotionally. And, for the first sixty games he didn't give a whit about playing defense, either. Boy, does that sum up the LA Kings 2003-2008 or what?

By seasons end the best to be said for Alex came from two defensive plays against Vancouver . Hail the new Alex, defensive monster, resurrected by a Miller and Fox struggling but finding little positive to say for him in the series.

Regardless of the spin Frolov & Co. tried to put on it, it not about the Kings or Murray. Alex sealed his fate by not exercising his past. The Kings are a new team with a new core, new values, new coach, new system and new attitude. But it was the same Alex.

His meter ran out in LA. Time to park in a new spot. Good move, timing is everything.

Good luck Alex you've afforded yourself a chance to reinvent yourself; but beware of redemption in the Garden, NY fans are more vocal and a heck of a lot more judgmental then LA fans...and they can be a touch inpatient.

Bye Alex. Good Luck and Thanks for the Memories!

Typical Off-Season For Kings

2010-08-01T15:23:35Z

Here we go Kings fans! The off-season signing you have all been waiting for. That one missing piece is finally here. The cog that will revive LA's triple crown line has arrived. The free agent who has the power to get that bad taste of the Jeremy Roenick signing out of your mouth has come. He is the offensive machine who goes by the nickname... The Big Disappointment?

Now LA has two frustratingly inconsistent big men.

Despite having money to spend, the Kings have yet again failed to convince any top free agents to call Staples Center their home ice. Since Patrick Marleau decided to stay with the Sharks, and, now pending successful arbitration by the players union, Ilya Kovalchuck accepted the ridiculously long 17-year contract with the Devils, the Kings turned to Plan C and acquired free agent left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Yay.

Read the rest at:
http://greatwesternforum.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/typical-off-season-for-kings/#more-990

Matt Greene Out Until At Least November: Time to Shop for D

2010-07-31T19:18:19Z

Matthew Barry broke the news Thursday about Matt Greene undergoing shoulder surgery that will have him sidelined 3-4 months for rehab. He also pointed out that when he suffered a knee injury last year that was supposed to keep him out 2-3 weeks, he came back after 10 days.

Still, it seems there is no possible way Greene will be ready for the start of the season, and this leaves the already thin defensive roster practically in a state of emergency.

Here is the rest of the Kings current roster of defensemen:

Drew Doughty
Rob Scuderi
Jack Johnson
Davis Drewiske
Peter Harrold

Drewiske played 42 games last year, and spent the later half in Terry Murray's dog house due to his lack of physicality. At age 25, Drewiske only has 59 NHL games under his belt.

Harrold is technically a utility player, and splits time between forward and defense. He is a reliable won't-screw-up fill-in guy for scratched players. He is not a player that anyone plans on for a full-time starting line-up position.

That leaves the Kings with THREE actual defensemen with at least ONE full season of NHL experience.

There are a few prospects that could be ready to make the jump:

Johan Fransson - Age 25 - Clearly has a good hockey name if nothing else. I've read mixed reports, though mainly very positive, but it is tough to compare the Swedish Elite League to the NHL. Hockeysfuture.com says, "An excellent skater with loads of offensive potential," but also, "can still improve his defensive game and at times he is a bit risky," yet, "Fransson led the entire team being +9 after the regular season, as a SEL rookie," but, "He is likely to spend at least another season in Europe." Who knows if the Greene injury changes that sentiment.

Thomas Hickey - Age 21 - Still very young for an NHL defenseman, but when I saw him at prospect camp last summer I thought he could be ready. His biggest setback is his injury problems suffered last season in Manchester. However, he came back in the playoffs without missing a beat and reportedly was one of the team's best players during their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. I would love to see him get a shot this year.

Alec Martinez - Age 23 - Perhaps Fransson's opposite in term's of hockey name. Still, reports from his AHL experience are always very high, yet his brief stint at the beginning of last season was cringe-worthy. Wouldn't be surprised to see management give him another shot, but Kings fans, including myself, would like to see what some of the other options are in the flesh.

Jake Muzzin - Age 21 - Kinda came out of nowhere (Signed as a free agent on Jan. 4, 2010) to challenge Hickey as top contender to make the big squad this season. Reports are that his size and grit make up for where he trails in skating and puck movement, though only slightly, to Hickey. Supposedly very good all around and plays with a Pronger-like edge.

Viatcheslav Voynov - Age 20 - Perhaps the most discussed Kings defensive prospect. Plays with a high defensive maturity level (think Drew Doughty but from Russia, not Krypton). Should have a solid NHL career, but most recently threatened to sign with a KHL team if he does not make the NHL this season. That fact might make it worthwhile to give him an extra long look, however, I'm sure that Dean Lombardi does not like that kind of tactic from a young player. Think about when Bernier was frustrated with being kept down before last season- what happened to him? He assigned to the AHL.

Though there is some decent, nay impressive talent to choose from, one would think that this option alone will not suffice. Lombardi needs to pick up at least one veteran defenseman to help fill out the roster.

But who?

There are still some free agents available. For example:

Kim Johnsson - Age 33 - 09/10 Salary: $5,300,000 - Holy crap. I had no idea he was making that kind of scratch. Probably only worth about half that, maybe $3.5MM, although I have always asserted that guys with feminine first names have to be bad-asses.

Paul Mara - Age 29 - 09/10 Salary: $1,675,000 - Competent defender. Limited offensive capabilities. Would at least be an inexpensive veteran.

Willie Mitchell - Age 32 - 09/10 Salary: $3,500,000 - Another warrior like Sutton, the one I think makes the most sense of all FAs. And strikes fear in the heart of Jonathan Toews, so that's a plus?

Shaone Morrison - Age 26 - 09/10 Salary: $1,975,000 - Similar to Mara, wouldn't excite anybody but would be another reliable defender. I'm against it purely due to the spelling of his name.

Brian Pothier - Age 32 - 09/10 Salary: $2,500,000 - Eh.

Ruslan Salei - Age 34 - 09/10 Salary: $3,275,000 - Good leadership qualities, stable defensive presence, not a complete slouch with the puck. Also not hugely intriguing.

Matthieu Schneider - Age 40 - 09/10 Salary: $1,550,000 - HAHAHAHAHA. HA. Honestly, could happen. Yikes.

Andy Sutton - Age 34 - 09/10 Salary: $3,500,000 - Physical presence, was probably overpaid but might be worth it for his wrath of unapologetic devastation.

Aaron Ward - Age 36 - 09/10 Salary: $2,500,000 - Think of him as a somewhat pricey replacement for Sean O'Donnell. Also has that one thing that GMs always look for, the uh, what's it called? Oh right, a Stanley Cup.

Sooo, that's about it. Yeah. Any defenseman that has offensive upside or above-average puck movement skills was snatched up on July 1. Remember that day? The day when many other teams actually signed free agents?

Perhaps, if there is any plus side to the Greene situation, it's that this will unquestionably force Dean Lombardi's hand to acquire another D-man. There is always the trade route as well. Many teams are in DIRE cap situations, and there is that Tomas Kaberle guy in Toronto, who can not only play D but SNIPE, that will probably not be sporting the Leaf come October.

Who are you hoping the Kings might sign for blue line help?

This article was originally posted on CrownedRoyal.com, a Los Angeles Kings blog, and can be found here.

The Days of Alexander Frolov Are Finally Behind Us; Ponikarovsky a King

2010-07-28T17:01:55Z

On Monday, multiple hockey writers were reporting that Alexander Frolov was close to signing a deal with the New York Rangers. Dmitri Chesnekov, famed Russian-American hockey reporter, was the main man on the case. Here's how it went down on my twitter stream:

dchesnokov

It's true that Frolov's agent said Alexander will sign a one year deal with the #NYR.

Praise Jebus! The Rangers? Ooh. I'm guessing $6.25MM per year.

dchesnokov

Frolov's agent blamed the Kings for marring Frolov's last season on purpose.

Come again? Yes, t'was the Kings plan to render him useless and then throw him out there every game. WHAT?!

CraigCustance

Was told Rangers and Alexander Frolov are "in discussions" but deal isn't done just yet.

Dammit. I hate you twitter.

dchesnokov

Just tried to get Frolov on the phone - got his voicemail.

Hmm. He was probably busy doing skating drills.

But let's go back to this one:

Frolov's agent blamed the Kings for marring Frolov's last season on purpose.

I've never had anything against Alex personally, until right then.

Let me back up.

In the 21st Century, the Kings have not had any consistent source of offensive production. Luc's 2nd stint ended in 2001, and the 3rd was slightly past his prime.

Ziggy Palffy was probably the closest thing there had been, with two 80+ point seasons, but was often injured and somewhat inconsistent.

Here is a list of names that evoke the same reaction from Kings fans as videos of dudes getting their groins attacked draws from empathetic males:

Jason Allison (injury)
Derek Armstrong
Scott Barney (29th overall pick)
Jaroslav Bednar (51st overall pick)
Jason Blake
Brian Boyle (26th overall pick)
Kyle Calder
Anson Carter
Craig Conroy
Jeff Halpern
Matt Moulson
Ladislav Nagy
Mark Parrish
Esa Pirnes (is also featured on the wesbsite Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians)
Teddy Purcell
Konstantin Pushkarev
Jeremy Roenick
Cliff Ronning
Pavel Rosa (50th overall pick)
Jon Sim (according to his picture was clearly a part of a special needs program that got him his break)
Martin Straka
Lauri Tukonen (11th overall pick)

... Just to name a few.

These guys were either high draft picks that disappointed or acquired based on some level of previous success, some more so than others, and some went on to have success elsewhere in the NHL after playing with the Kings, or simply hung around and underwhelmed for too long. It seems that management tried just about anything to get some help at goal scoring, even bringing in guys like Roenick, Carter, Nagy, Straka, but the most prevalent strategy was apparently poor drafting. Oddly that didn't quite pan out.

All of them played between 2000-2010. Seriously. That happened. Click on the names if you don't believe me.

And they ALL disappointed in Los Angeles.

Call it the lack of traditional hockey environment that so many people cite about LA.
Call it the infinite number of distractions a professional athlete can encounter here. Rachel Hunter?
Call it the sub-par ice surface (which is questionable).

But whatever you do, don't call it rare or unique, because it is clearly not.

With all this history of disappointment, the spirit of the comment by Frolov's agent is nothing short of infuriating.

And the Kings marred Alexander's last season by criticizing him, shifting him from the first line to the third, by benching him. You can't show a good game like this.

Of course, this is simply an agent's attempt to repair the reputation of his client. I completely get it.

But to even for one second suggest that the Kings were actively trying to lower Frolov's market value and sabotage his game is absurd and appalling. Goal scoring does not come easily in Los Angeles, and when a player has the ability to do so, there is no ****ing way anyone in the Kings' organization wouldn't do anything possible to nurture that ability so that it could help the team.

Yes, the facts are, that Frolov scored 32 goals in 2008-2009 getting significantly more playing time on the top line with Anze Kopitar, and only 19 in 2009-2010 playing on mostly the 2nd and 3rd lines.

But what many players like Frolov don't understand is the concepts of accountability and without-the-puck play. These are two things that coach Terry Murray deem very important. Because of this, he chose to give more ice time to players like Wayne Simmonds, Scott Parse, and Brad Richardson who are shining examples of these concepts. Sure, they don't light up the score sheets with regularity, but they don't have a $4MM cap hit either.

The common compliment Frolov receives among Kings fans is that, "He is great in the corners. It's impossible to knock him off the puck."

I can in no way disagree with this statement. It is impossible knock him off the puck, but that doesn't prevent horrible decisions made by the brain controlling the puck, like when he turns it over in the offensive zone on pretty much every shift.

I can see how it seems like I'm being hard on Frolov, and perhaps he takes more scrutiny when he doesn't produce because he has scored over 30 goals twice. But, it just seems like when he is out for a shift, if he doesn't score then he is a complete liability, because he will either turn it over in the offensive zone which will lead to an odd-man rush that he won't back-check for, or will be generally lackadaisical in the defensive or neutral zones and thus be completely useless. So yes, I am harder on Frolov when he doesn't score because if he doesn't, or doesn't contribute to a goal scored, then he is hurting the team while on the ice.

Yes, the same argument is made about many players, but the ones that can get away with it are the ones that continually score 40+ goals. Dany Heatley, for example.

Frolov, however, either skates strictly horizontally, or spends all his time in the corners and along the boards and expresses no interest in skating the puck towards the net, and I'm pretty sure I've never seen him stop skating anywhere within a semi-truck's length of the crease. Just doesn't happen.

This was especially evident once Fredrik Modin starting playing with the Kings. Sure Modin is not a perfect player either, but even in his first game as a King I remember having a moment of, 'Oh. That's how you take it to the net. Let's get this Modin guy on the 2nd line.' And indeed we did, for a while anyway.

As time progressed, the Kings kept developing or acquiring other players that found roles and fit in with the team, while Frolov was not making any effort to do so.

Wayne Simmonds came in and got to every loose puck, hit anything that moved, fought for rebounds, blocked shots, and made defenders think twice before taking an extra step with the puck. He also spend a decent amount of time last season on the top line because, and here is the operative phrase, he EARNED it. And not shockingly, when anyone plays with the top line center, his production improved.

Thus, while Simmonds doesn't have a clear-cut role at the moment, that is mainly because he can fit in almost anywhere.

Frolov, at this point, really did NOT fit in anywhere.

He is not good enough defensively to play with the comparatively slow-footed Michal Handzus on the third 'checking' line.
He is not fast or physical enough to play on the fourth 'energy' line.
And other players simply out-earned the spots on the top two lines.

With players like Brayden Schenn, Andrei Loktionov and Tyler Toffoli inevitably moving up the ranks, it was only a matter of time that the Kings no longer required the services of a Alexander Frolov, in order to favor a player that not only claims to want to be in Los Angeles, but shows it.

Tuesday:

StapeNewsday

Frolov signs a 1-year, $3-millon deal with #NYRangers. Turned down four years, $20-mil from KHL.

First of all, I'm not sure if that offer is actually official from the KHL, but I'm sure Frolov wanted to stay in the NHL either way.

Second, the 1-year term is certainly interesting. In a previous article discussing the free-agent market, I postulated that due to the lack of available wingers under 30, Frolov actually might receive a lucrative deal. It seems that his reputation was certainly in question and must be what sparked the comments made by his agent.

Note to NY Rangers fans: Remember Nikolai Zherdev? I hope you liked him. My guess is that Frolov will be the 2nd coming of his Russian comrade, only slower. Much slower.

Perhaps we should just be weary of any and all Russians, taking the above into account, as well as the whole Kovalchuk fiasco. I hate to generalize in such a manner, but it is perhaps at least something to consider.

DarrenDreger

Ponikarovski agrees to deal with the LA Kings.

Huh? Where the hell did this come from?

What did I just say about Russians? $#&@!

I suppose the bright side is that Poni is bigger than Frolov, listed at 6'4" 224 lbs. I am frightened by the label that is being used to describe the acquisition, however:

LAKingsHockey

Breaking News: The #LAKings have agreed to terms with four-time 20-goal scorer Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Wooo!!! 4 TIME 20-GOAL SCORER! Plan the parade!

I would list the names that you have never heard of that were four-time 20-goal scorers, but it would triple the size of the disappointing Kings forwards list.

Not sure why Dean just didn't re-sign Modin, a similar type of player with size and decent speed and hands. Maybe Poni was on the cheap.

DarrenDreger

Poni. 1 year. $200,000 signing bonus. $3 MIL salary with Kings.

Not to sound redundant, but huh?

Since Ponikarovsky was only able to bury 2 goals in 16 games alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, it seems that one day I'll be adding his name to the list from above.

What is also interesting is that the contract is the same deal that Frolov got from New York. The comparisons will be as endless as they will boring. Like an article in Motor Trend comparing the fuel efficiency of the Ford Focus to that of the VW Jetta. Joining in the immortality will be the comments like, "Well at least Lombardi did SOMETHING," or "This was the big off-season splash?" "Back up plan to Kovalchuk?" "Replacing one useless Russian winger with another?" Ok that last one was mine and may be less prevalent. But you get the idea.

The point of all this is that I almost feel like Dean made this move just to shut people up. So many have been clamoring about the fact that the Kings have not made one off-season acquisition, which is true, but the mantra of this team has been 'development' since Lombardi took over, and just because the team made the playoffs last year that should not change.

Realistically, even if the Kings signed Kovalchuk, they were not going to be cup contenders this year. The team is still far too young. Unfortunately for the impatient fans, we are still in the rebuilding process, albeit much further, and this is just one more step.

Bottom line: Inconsistent, disappointing, and unmotivated players will come and go. But management has succeeded in hanging
on to the young talent that prove that they want to be in Los Angeles.

Next step: Make Drew Doughty a King for life.

◊ Reed Kaufman


This article was originally posted on CrownedRoyal.com, A Los Angeles Kings blog, and can be found here.

Over?? The Fat Lady Sings: Deal Voided...LA, Newark Servers Crash...Will Parise Go on the Block?

2010-07-21T03:31:49Z

ts the gift that keeps giving.

An AP report indicates that the NHL rejected the 17-year, $102 million contract the Russian winger was offered to stay in Newark. Keep in mind this isn't quite "official" just yet, but it wouldn't be shocking if the deal upset many in the league offices. Here's more from that story.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because the NHL has not announced the decision to void the deal, the person tells The Associated Press on Tuesday night that Kovalchuk's contract is illegal because the years of low salary at the end of the contract were added for the sole purpose of lowering the cap hit.

The person added that no side believes Kovalchuk will play the final years of the deal at the low salary numbers that were agreed to in the deal. The star forward was slated to earn only $550,000 in each of the last five seasons of the contract.

Had enough, yet?

Thought it couldn't get any better?

Not enough time wasted, wives anger, children ignored?

Bets that Inside Kings Richie boy is cursing in his hotel room tonight.

League doesn't like the way deal is structured

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/

Update: Oh Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Dean Lombardi said tonight that the Kings would remain interested in signing Kovalchuk should the opportunity present itself, but it’s likely that the union will get involved and seek to uphold the deal." --Rich Hammond

But, guess what, read the fine print, penalties may apply. Aw, now NJ may have some problems making room for resigning so key players Could this prevent them resigning Parise? Wonder what DL is thinking.

LA Times "To interview him in person is to love (and proposition) him" --Lombardi (with certain liberties taken)

The Kovi Saga is over...

2010-07-19T16:11:03Z

Looks like the Kovi saga is done as he has signed with the Devils. Well lets see what the Devils are going to do and maybe this will open up the talks about Gagne? Who knows. What do you guys all think is going to happen now? It kind of sucks that the Kings didnt pull this one but lets see what DL has up his sleeve now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=5392170&campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_5392170

The Kovi Saga, Continues....

2010-07-17T18:05:44Z

As of right now, it appears the Kovalchuk saga is coming to an end. Even Rich Hammond is saying the same thing. The circle is ALMOST complete and soon the missing piece of the puzzle is in sight. And yet, There are still doubters that don't believe in the latest round of talks. When will the madness end? It's looking like this could end very soon, and yet it feels like an eternity in time for someone as hyped as Ilya Kovalchuk to get a contract with ANY team. Once the inevitable happens though, the ramifications will be HUGE! Until then, the waiting game continues.....

What lines if Kovi signs?

2010-07-17T09:34:19Z

I was thinking about this today and I'm a little perplexed about who I would like to see on the Kovi-Kopi line (if it should actually happen), since Smytie would probably move down to the second line. My first gut feeling is that I would like to see Simmer on the right, or maybe Willie, but then what do you do with the other lines? It seems to me that having Smythe and Brown on the 2nd line doesn't really work that well, since they both can park themselves in front of the goalie. Which led me to think that maybe Brownie would be a really good choice on the Kovi-Kopi line. He can create space for them, check the hell out of players going after Kovi and Kopi and also plant himself in the crease. I haven't seen anyone talk about this combination (and it probably doesn't really matter because TM will try every combo), but here is what I've kind of worked out in my head, as far as the forwards go:

Kovi-Kopi-Brown

Smythe-Richie-Williams (Richie can center can't he? Maybe not a 2nd line center. If not switch him with Stoll)

Clifford/Schenn-Zeus-Simmonds (Zeus can mentor either Clifford or Schenn like he did with Simmonds)

Clune-Stoll-Parse

Those would be some seriously good lines to roll. Every one of them has good offensive talent, defensive strength and someone parked at the front of the net. And I think Simmonds, Clune and Clifford/Schenn could enforce, if need be. Ideally, we get a d-man that could also be intimidating, but that is another conversation.

I'm a bit new at this (understanding the nuances of hockey and blogging). And I'm trying to start up any kind of hockey conversation because the whole waiting for Kovalchuk is making me a little crazy, and Quisp hasn't posted for a few days. I need hockey dialoge damn it!!

I guess Kovalchuk is good for business

2010-07-15T03:23:48Z

...because July already has the most hits/visits/page-views of any month on JftC, and we're only 14 days in. That's 29,000 visits and 51,000 page views. That may be a small number if you're Pension Plan Puppets, but it's big in these parts. The last two weeks have accounted for between 20 and 25% of our total traffic counting from day one.

Sydor hangs up his skates

2010-07-14T04:30:45Z

The news is too easily lost amidst Cirque du Kovalchuk's visit to Los Angeles, but Darryl Sydor announced his retirement today. And this is from nhl.com, so it's far more substantial than anything that has been reported about a certain Russian forward over the last 24 hours. Sydor is one of a long list of defensemen, going back to Gary Sargent, whom the Kings let go in their prime and could have used later on. This offseason, I had seen a couple of stray blog comments suggesting that the Kings bring him back to replace Sean O'Donnell, yet another d-man who left the Kings while still a youth and went on to bigger and better things. But I guess that's not going to happen now.

Happy trails, Syd. Enjoy your golden years.

Breaking News!

2010-07-13T23:26:26Z

As of July 13,2010 at 4:05 P.M. Breaking News from the PMS Show on KLAC 570 AM. inside sources say that Ilya Kovalchuk & the Kings have FINALLY agreed on a contract. The announcement will happen around noon tomorrow. They say it's a reliable source from the negotiations and the reason for the announcement tomorrow is because of the All-Star Game today. This info was said by Matt "Money" Smith at the beginning of the show.