Gosh darn it, the Los Angeles Kings may strike out on the first few forwards they try to trade for, but they will get someone! At least, that seems to be the vibe. Is any upgrade a good upgrade, though? For that, we turn to a guy who LA might target if they miss on the Ladds and the Erikssons of the deadline: Dale Weise. Habs Eyes on the Prize has identified the Kings as the type of team who might want the forward, as one of several “defensive teams that could do with a helping hand on the other side of the puck.” The fact that Weise is available is kind of stunning based on the Montreal Canadiens‘ ambitions at the start of the season, but they’ve nosedived in the standings, and Weise’s performance has plunged as well.
And that’s a problem, because cheap scoring (along with some TRUCULENCE) is what Weise brings to the table. He’s put up above-average shooting percentages for a few years now, which can be attributed to (1) a willingness to get to the slot despite taking some punishment and (2) some above-average shooting from between the circles. His WAR on Ice shooting percentage breakdown shows his effectiveness in the last three years.
His possession stats, however, simply don’t keep up. Even in his breakout 2013-14 playoffs, in which he scored the first OT goal of the entire postseason and notched seven points in 16 games, his Corsi For% was a dreadful 39.4%. Six goals in October have faded from memory, with a total 2016 output of three goals in 17 games now lingering.
The easy part of all this is that, if Craig Custance is correct, the Kings pretty much know what they need to give up to land Weise.
The Dale Weise asking price, according to one GM last week, was a 2nd and 3rd round pick. https://t.co/RkwxhVTJpK
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) February 22, 2016
I would argue that, as with the other rentals we’ve gone over, there is next to no chance of Weise getting a new contract in Los Angeles. So the question is whether a second-rounder and a third-rounder is worth a few months of Weise and, more directly, a few months of someone who might add some goals but will also be a drag on possession. The Kings already acquired that guy last month, and they don’t need to do it again.
In the end, Weise might chip in a few goals, but the upgrade simply isn’t substantial enough to validate giving up the Kings’ highest pick in the draft and more. Pass.