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LA Kings Remaining Free Agent Targets

The Kings have already been able to bring back their Stanley Cup winning roster for next season. They still have $8.6m in cap space should they want to add any more depth at wing. A few names have already come off the UFA board but there are some intriguing options left. Assuming the Kings are not in on Parise we created a group of possible options that are still available. Let’s take a closer look at how they were used and how they might fit with the Kings.
Player Usage Chart:

Image083_medium

The big red dots mean a player is doing great at possession. The big white dots means he is doing not so great. The more they’re on the left, the more they’ve been put in defensive situations and on the right, offensive situations. The further north, the harder the competition they’ve faced, and softer competition to the South.


Alexander Semin

#28 / Left Wing / Washington Capitals

6-2

205

Mar 03, 1984



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Alexander Semin 77 21 33 54 9 56 2 0 1 183


Positives

Semin is a gifted winger who is coming off one of his least productive seasons. Still, among the remaining options at wing (outside of Parise) he was the most prolific scorer last season. He was used differently by Dale Hunter than he had been under Boudreau. He saw much easier competition under Hunter and, as you can see by the chart above, he is the only player in that group that played against “soft” competition. His possession numbers were still great (as they traditionally have been) but his point production suffered. One reason for this could be shooting luck. His PDO last season was a closer to normal mark of 1011 whereas in the three previous years he averaged an inflated 1039. An aspect of Semin’s game that has been underrated has been his defense. He wasn’t trusted in that capacity by Hunter but he has proven in the past that he can play against tough competition and still come out ahead. That could be a welcome boost to the Richards-Carter line as they are often tasked with the shutdown role. He could present one of the better value’s in free agency as he is probably in line for a large pay cut from his $6m cap hit.

Negatives

The obvious negatives for Semin are injury and inconsistency. He is a player that is seen by many to have not fully realized his potential. He also takes a lot of penalties, which is a red flag given that he starts most of his shifts in the offensive zone. Would such a streaky player with a tendency to take bad penalties do well under the current Kings’ regime?


Shane Doan

#19 / Left Wing / Phoenix Coyotes

6-1

228

Oct 10, 1976



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Shane Doan 79 22 28 50 -8 48 5 0 5 226



Positives

Doan faced the toughest competition of his career last season and still remained a 20 goal scorer at 35. He also suffered from poor shooting luck which is represented in his deflated PDO of 992. This could mean that he might be good for an even more productive season from a goal scoring standpoint. Also he was mainly centered last season by Daymond Langkow and Antoine Vermette. With the Kings he would likely be centered by a more skilled center which could also boost his numbers.

Negatives

Doan is 35 and will be seeking a multi-year contract. It is very likely that it would take an inflated contract to get him out of Phoenix. How much longer will he be able to keep up his current rate of production?


Jaromir Jagr

#68 / Right Wing / Philadelphia Flyers

6-3

245

Feb 15, 1972



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Jaromir Jagr 73 19 35 54 5 30 8 0 2 170


Positives

At 40, Jagr lead the Flyers in possession numbers while also facing the 3rd toughest competition of anybody else one our target list. Another asset is his ability to draw penalties while not taking very many himself. This skill is made even more beneficial when taking into account that Jagr is still a very productive player on the power play. The Kings do need help on the power play and Jagr might provide a big boost.

Negatives

Jagr was not trusted to play in defensive situations. His offensive zone start % is much higher than any winger left in free agency. The Kings don’t typically offer those kinds of minutes to their top 6 players.

If he came to LA his productivity could take a hit given that he probably wouldn’t be used in the same role. It is reported that Jagr is demanding a $4m contract. Would that amount be worth it for an aging one dimensional player?


Andrei Kostitsyn

#46 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

6-0

214

Feb 03, 1985



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Andrei Kostitsyn 72 16 20 36 -1 26 5 0 5 122


Positives

Kostitsyn is a good source of secondary scoring. He has scored 20 goals in 3 of his 5 seasons. Although he wasn’t used on the power play very often last season, he has been a very good player on the power play in the past. He has a quick wrist shot and a top-10 pick pedigree and could provide some help on offense without much of a cap hit.

Negatives

Kostitsysn has had some off the ice issues that don’t fit with the mold of what the Kings have been trying to accomplish in terms of player intangibles. He also has been a mediocre possession player throughout his career and doesn’t provide much of boost in terms of driving play. In addition his defensive abilities have routinely been called into question which also doesn’t seem like a fit given the Kings defense heavy emphasis.


Petr Sykora

#15 / Right Wing / New Jersey Devils

6-0

190

Nov 19, 1976



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Petr Sykora 82 21 23 44 4 40 4 0 6 170



Positives

Sykora was staked with the toughest job of anyone our target list. He faced the toughest competition by far and also started most of his shifts in the defensive zone. He ended up with the 3rd best possession numbers and even pitched in 21 goals. He was an extremely good value for the Devils last season at a $650,000 cap hit and probably would not require a large raise this off-season.

Negatives

His scoring productivity received a boost due to some beneficial shooting luck so his numbers were likely a little inflated. You shouldn’t expect another 20 goal season out of the 35 year old winger next season.


Niklas Hagman

#12 / Left Wing / Anaheim Ducks

5-10

205

Dec 05, 1979



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Niklas Hagman 71 9 14 23 -7 14 2 0 2 125

Positives

Hagman was given 3rd line minutes on the Ducks last season and was a middle of the road possession player for them. He managed 9 goals and 23 points last season but has suffered from very poor PDO for much of his career. He is a former 20 goal scorer and might have another one left in him if the hockey gods smile upon him.

Negatives

The Kings went this route last sseason with Trent Hunter and Ethan Moreau. That didn’t pan out. Will they try it again if they miss out on bigger names or will they be content to give some of the younger players in the system have a shot?


Daniel Winnik

#34 / Center / San Jose Sharks

6-2

210

Mar 06, 1985



GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2011 – Daniel Winnik 84 8 15 23 -11 52 0 1 1 184



Positives

Winnick had the most defensive zone starts of any one on out target list and also faced difficult competition. In that role he was still able to stay above water in the possession game. He is a penalty killing, bottom six forward who could add depth at a pretty cheap price.

Negatives

There is actually no shortage of players like this on the Kings roster. Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis, Dwight King all provide a similar role and the Kings may not see a need to add another.

Which available UFA Winger would you add to the Kings?

Alexander Semin 85
Shane Doan 152
Jaromir Jagr 10
Petr Sykora 46
Niklas Hagman 2
Daniel Winnik 2
Other (Explain in Comments) 3
Nobody. I like things just the way they are. 98

Talking Points