News, Views and All Things Kings From a Longtime Fan.

Columbus winger Rick Nash could be a King if Dean Lombardi can discard his usual stinginess.

Game changers. There are not many of them in the NHL, and they’re rarely available at the trade deadline. When news of Rick Nash’s availability via trade broke earlier this week, the first thing that popped into my head was “We HAVE to do this. We NEED this guy”.

Nash is one of the NHL’s premiere wingers. He possesses an uncanny combination of size and pure skill that makes him special. He’s broken the 40 goal plane twice, and the 30 goal plane 4 times – his lowest goal scoring total since his rookie season was 27. And he’s done all this despite never playing with a legitimate playmaker type centerman.

Enter Kings center Anze Kopitar. Anze has been a 60+ point center in the NHL every season in his 5+ year career, without ever having the privilege of an elite, game-changing winger.

It’s a match made in heaven. Nash would likely break the 50 goal plateau playing on Kopitar’s wing. Kopitar would likely smash the 100 point plateau with a winger of that stature playing alongside him. It would make this Kings’ team much more than a potential contender. I believe it would put them over the top.

The Kings’ number one goaltender, Jonathan Quick, is giving up less than two goals a game (1.91 to be exact). He has given the team a chance to win in all but perhaps one of his 48 games played. The problem: His team is dead last in the league in scoring. Goal support at a withered clip of 2.10 per game makes Quick’s job the most difficult of any in the league. Even raising that average by .5 goals/game would give the Kings 12-14 more wins. That would give the Kings 89-93 points right now. They’d be the NHL’s top team by a very wide margin. Instead, scoring struggles have the Kings sitting at 65 points – good for 7th in the West, yet only 3 points out of first in the division behind a largely unimpressive San Jose team.

This year brought high expectations to the Kings. The acquisitions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne were supposed to improve scoring and make the Kings Pacific Division favorites. Right now, if not for the play of Quick, they’d be buried in the division cellar behind surging Anaheim. Having already made a coaching change (which I believe has generally been positive), the man who’s job is most at risk going forward is general manager Dean Lombardi.

Lombardi, when he was hired in the Summer of 2006, preached of a 5 year plan that would make the Kings legitimate Cup contenders. While he’s done a lot to build a winning culture, the obstacle between the Kings and a serious run at the Cup is but one: they lack a goal scoring winger with game changing capabilities. Guess what? One just became available.

Dean failed at getting us Hossa, Kovalchuk, and Brad Richards. While Zach Parise would look good in a  Kings uniform, I don’t see them making nearly a good enough offer to land perhaps the game’s best American born winger. But they can get Nash.

The biggest gripes about a potential deal for Nash I’ve heard from fans on social media is “it would cost too much”. Columbus needs a good young goalie and help on defense, something the Kings have in spades. For some, the idea of giving up Jonathan Bernier (who likely won’t ever be a number one in Los Angeles), Jack Johnson, a top 6 forward/top prospect/1st round pick seems preposterous. I think people stuck in that frame of mind are missing the big picture.

We already have an all-world goalie in Quick. True, he is a UFA after NEXT season, but I’m not worried about him walking. He’s a humble kid who got a big break with the Kings’ organization when he was off most other teams’ radar. The Kings gave him his shot in front of the highly touted Bernier back in 08-09, he took the reins and hasn’t let go. I believe Quick will be a King for life. He’s the organization’s best goalie since Vachon, and could easily be number 1 on that list as he continues to improve. The likelihood that Bernier ends up being even as good as Quick, much less better than, is very slim. And I like Bernier, but right now, there’s perhaps two goalies in the league better than Quick. You’re talking a few parts per million that Bernier eclipses that at any point. Yes, he’s a nice insurance policy but at less than 20 games a year, a capable veteran backup would more than suffice. That’s just the reality of it. Bernier is the team’s most valuable asset, and the time to use him to make the team better is NOW.

About Johnson: I like Jack. He’s having a better year, he’s going to beat his career best mark in goals if he scores just one more; and he’s cut his minus rating at least in half at this point. Every time Doughty is out for any reason, Jack gives us a glimpse of what he was made to be: A number one defenseman. Part of me hates the idea of dealing him, he’s a great guy and made a big commitment to the club signing a 7 year extension last season. But, Johnson’s age (24), along with the length and reasonable cap hit of his current contract make him a very valuable asset. He’s never going to get a chance to fulfill his destiny as a number one guy in LA. Unless, we deal our current number one…

I’ll go on record as saying, I love Drew Doughty. He’s a fantastic kid, with a childlike love of the game you can’t help but like. I do think this season’s performance is an anomaly for him, he missed all of camp over that contract dispute (or rather, his agent held him out for a bigger payday because he has a personal grudge with Lombardi). Doughty is a rare talent that any team in the league would love to have. That said…If Columbus GM Scott Howson calls me and says “We’ll give you Rick Nash for Drew Doughty”, I make that deal without blinking. Nash is a game changer, exactly the type of player the Kings need to get to the next level. With Slava Voynov, who is better suited to a top 4 role than a 3rd pair spot, more than NHL ready; and the fact that Johnson steps up his play by orders of magnitude every time Doughty is out of the lineup, while fans might be disappointed, it would instantly make the Kings a better team.

The other name that’s been thrown around in rumors regarding Nash is Captain Dustin Brown, another fan favorite. I love Dustin and would like nothing more than to see him be the first King to touch the Cup. He’s an outstanding human being, his work ethic and willingness to do the dirty work, as well as his presence in the community make him an important cog in the machine. But, Brown has been playing with a tentativeness to his game for several weeks. I have often thought to myself  ”He looks like he knows he’s on the way out”, though I have no legitimate info that would make that more than a hunch. If we all take our fan glasses off for a minute, would you rather have a top line of Nash-Kopitar-Williams or Brown-Kopitar-Williams? We all love Brownie but Nash isn’t going to come cheap. The Jackets aren’t going to beg to take Penner or Stoll off our hands, they’re going to want a roster player with value.

Provided it isn’t gross overpayment, I don’t mind giving up a lot to get Nash. As I’ve stated many times, he’s a game changer. There are very few of those in the entire league, and they’re rarely available. If we’re talking getting a guy like Nash, I think absolutely NOBODY on the Kings’ roster except Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick should be untouchable.

Acquiring Nash could help boost scoring, and help the Kings reach the promised land, Lord Stanley’s Silver Cup, without Jon Quick needing to put on the greatest display of postseason goaltending in NHL history. I’d bet Quicker would appreciate it too.

Ultimately, I think either landing or not landing Nash will be what decides Dean Lombardi’s future as Kings’ GM. He’s whiffed on three game changers so far. This is his chance to silence his critics and make the Kings a team opponents fear. If he fails, the Kings could well be another first round casualty (unless Quick steals at least one series). It’s likely that AEG cleans out the front office if that happens. Lombardi knows this. My hope is that he realizes in time that lowball offers, just as with big name free agents, don’t work with big trades. This move could define the franchise.

Time to put up or shut up, Dean.

GO KINGS!

JS

It's time for the Kings to replace Head Coach Terry Murray.

Dump and chase. Cycle, cycle, cycle. Shot mentality. Compete. Heavy board play. These are all Staples of Kings’ coach Terry Murray’s vocabulary. On the bright side, Murray has taken the Kings’ to the playoffs the past two seasons. But his four seasons as head coach have been marked by long stretches of inconsistent, underachieving play.

This past Summer, the Kings went out and acquired Mike Richards and Simon Gagne. On paper this team should be Pacific Division favorites and a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup. As of right now, the Kings have lost 5 straight games and have played perhaps 4 good periods in that stretch. It would be fair to say that the only two players who’ve showed up in every game they’ve played have been Anze Kopitar (on pace for a 104 point season) and Jonathan Quick. The rest of the roster has had moments where they’ve looked outstanding, but for the most part, looks far too comfortable. Unmotivated, with not nearly enough hustle.

Tonight, the Kings played in San Jose, a team that as usual has gotten enough verbal fellatio from hockey media to dry out Peter North. They haven’t been impressive much this season. Guess what? The Kings played well…for all of about 25 minutes. Sharks coach Todd McLellan made in game adjustments to counter the Kings strong play, and Murray sat smug faced on the bench and watched the team surrender 4 straight goals. It was reminiscent of game 3 of last season’s playoff series – Murray unable to keep up with in-game adjustments and the Kings losing as a result.

Is it a reach to say the Kings are playing like they’re trying to get their coach fired at this point?

I give Terry Murray credit, he has contributed a lot to the development of some of the younger guys. He instilled a defense first system that gives the team a chance to win most nights. He’s led the team to two straight playoff appearances. But, let’s look at the now. When you look at the Kings, do you see the man behind the bench that can lead them to glory? After much deliberation, I think, the answer to this question for me is decidedly NO.

It is the job of a head coach to get the most out of the players on his roster. GM Dean Lombardi has provided Murray with one of the most talented rosters in the entire NHL. He has depth at forward to rival any team in the league, a defense corps that most coaches would kill for, and perhaps the best goaltending tandem in the NHL. On paper, this team should not just be good, they should be dominant. They have, other than a handful of games, not been anywhere near that. Murray seems to be simply unable to get the best out of his players on a consistent basis. I’ve run out of excuses for him, and I’ve yet to see anyone provide any good statement of defense for him.

Simply put, it’s time for Murray to go. The Kings need a wakeup call right now, something to jolt the players into action. Murray isn’t capable of giving them that jolt. This is a team with Stanley Cup talent playing like a lottery pick club. This is unacceptable. The fans know it. The players have to know it (which is why I question whether or not this is a deliberate attempt to get Murray fired). Dean Lombardi has to know it. It’s time to make a change.

C’mon Dean. Each additional loss makes it that much more work to a punch a postseason ticket in the ultra competitive West. It’s time for the Terry Murray era to end in LA.

GO KINGS!

-JS

Kings celebrate Ryan Smyth's 2nd period goal in last night's 4-1 win over Nashville. It was Smyth's 1,000th NHL game.

Yeah, I know, it’s a Van Hagar reference. The goal is to be able to use a Queen reference sometime in June, and the way things have gone through 13 games, that would be a plausible prediction to make.

The haters can hate, and those who haven’t been paying attention will look at the NHL’s standing and claim it as some sort of mistake, some sort of farce. Let them. The simple fact of the matter is this: Right here, right now, the Los Angeles Kings are the best team in the National Hockey League. Believe it, Kings’ fans. We’ve been waiting a long time for this. Two weeks from now, the Kings’ may merely be leading the Pacific and holding a #2 or #3 seed in the West, but at the present moment, there is no team better.

So what’s contributing to the Kings success? Maybe the more pertinent question would be “what isn’t?”.

First and foremost has been the defense. I will admit to being a little biased, but I can’t remember seeing a more dominant, suffocating defensive unit in the post-lockout NHL. Opposing offensive juggernauts are kept the permimeter, their scoring chances limited. The backcheck has helped to eliminate opponents’ speed entering the zone. And when they find their chances, they’re left to face yet another formidable challenge: The Kings’ goaltenders.

If you had to name 3 goalies who have been dominant thus far this season, the obvious answers would be Tim Thomas of Boston, Jaro Halak of St. Louis, and the Kings’ Jon Quick. Quick is 8-1 with a 1.62 goals against average and a save percentage of .942 (94.2% for those following at home). He has been first star of the game 5 times in 9 starts this season, including a home shutout of Tampa this past Thursday. When it’s Quick’s night off, the bad guys have to face Jonathan Bernier – considered by many to be the best goalie playing outside the NHL prior to this season. Bernier has recovered nicely from an early case of the jitters and has looked solid. Like I said prior to the season starting, the Kings’ have one of the most formidable goaltending tandems in the entire league right now.

Then there’s the balanced scoring. Heading into this season, most cited the Kings’ primary concern as secondary scoring. Those concerns have been answered – loudly. The Kings’ second line has, not even arguably been their best all season – with Jaret Stoll, Ryan Smyth and Justin Williams accounting for 35 points (15G, 20A) thus far. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar on the top line have 6 and 4 goals respectively. The third “shutdown” line has contributed as well with Ponikarovsky, Handzus and Simmonds potting 2,2, and 3 goals respectively. 5 on 5 goal scoring has not been the issue – the Kings have both improved in 5 on 5 goals for AND against. All this without a goal from Drew Doughty or Jack Johnson yet.

While the Kings’ penalty kill has been nothing short of awesome (defense and goaltending will do that – they’re PERFECT at home through 6 games), the power play is still a bit behind the curve. Based on what we saw last season, they will get going sooner than later.

Then there’s the stuff not on paper. This is a TEAM, a tight knit group that cares about one another’s well being. They want to win for one another, they fight for one another, and they look to be enjoying every moment of it. The last two games have been case in point:

Thursday against Tampa, one of their notorious goons, Steve Downie, attempted a charge on Drew Doughty during the last half of the 3rd period (it was retaliation for a clean hit by Doughty a shift earlier). Downie, who had run away from Kyle Clifford 3 times prior in the game is the worst kind of gutless player there is – has a propensity for dives and cheap shots, but isn’t man enough to answer the bell when called on the carpet for it. He is alongside Matt Cooke in this category leaguewide, just a gutless, cheap shot, no talent bitch (of course, the Tampa fans are the only ones who don’t see it that way – no surprise). Thursday night, Willie Mitchell made him answer, rushing to the aid of his star defense partner- fresh off recovery from a concussion. Downie, in predictable fashion, didn’t throw a punch until Mitchell was restrained and then cried a river to the officials when Mitchell returned the favor. The message had been sent: If you f**k with one of us, you f**k with all of us.

Saturday the team wore mullet wigs to the morning skate and in the pre-game warmup to honor teammate Ryan Smyth’s 1,000th NHL game. Perhaps a small gesture, but it shows the tight-knit nature of this team. During the game itself, the Kings looked to be trying to get Smyth a goal on his milestone night early on, and it paid off when Smyth tallied to make it 3-0 Kings in the second period.

We’ve had some pretty good Kings’ teams in the past, but I can’t ever recall a group that played more cohesive than this one does. When Mitchell left the game in the second period, the defensive corps rallied and didn’t miss a beat. Drew Doughty and Davis Drewiske morphed themselves into masters of the shot block. I don’t know if I’ve EVER seen Drewiske play a game like that before – he was carrying the puck up ice like Drew and Jack, shooting the puck and effortlessly breaking up attempted passes. Kid is really coming into his own.

As a result of all of the above and more, the Kings are 6-0 at home. Their last two wins have come against teams that have historically owned the Kings at home. That this is changing shows that these are not your mother’s LA Kings. Not by a long shit. These are the 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings – and right now – the NHL’s best.

It might be early to start planning the Cup parade in downtown LA, but let there be no doubt: This team is for REAL.

GO KINGS!

-JS

I’m back from my blogging hiatus. As a fan, it took some time to cope with the first round loss to Vancouver. Fortunately, another exciting season is just around the corner, and I will be writing in the coming days some of my thoughts on what happened (Ponikarovsky, Mitchell), what didn’t happen (Kovalchuk) and what moves are yet to come.

On a side note – I’ve been having issues with dreaded SPAM on older blog posts. I am looking for a solution to this, if one doesn’t exist then I am going to consider moving The Throne Room to another platform.

Looking forward to another season. Go Kings!

JS

In the past several days, the situation surrounding (by the time you read this he’ll be forrmer) Thrashers’ winger Ilya Kovalchuk has gotten heated. Elliot Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada said earlier today that he felt the Kings were out of the Kovalchuk race due to asking price. Atlanta GM Don Waddell was rumored to be looking for 2-3 roster players, plus a prospect or high draft pick. When you further consider that Waddell was unwilling to allow teams to negotiate a potential contract extension, that asking price seems more than a little steep. Then, today TSN reported that Kovalchuk turned down a 12 year, $101 Million contract offer to remain in Atlanta.

Based on what it would’ve cost to land the sniper in Los Angeles, and on top of that, what it would cost to keep him there, it’s clear to me that Dean Lombardi made the right decision by taking a pass on Kovalchuk. My reasoning is as follows:

1. The Kings are a playoff team right now, as it stands. To give up 2-3 roster players and a first round pick would be to risk putting a chink in the armor of what has been a successful team this season.

2. Kovalchuk is one of the most talented offensive players in the league, but in Terry Murray’s system, everyone is expected to assume some defensive responsibility. I’m not convinced that Kovalchuk would do just that, and I’m not convinced his new teammates would like the idea of one player getting a free pass from backchecking (which makes his trade to New Jersey even more baffling).

3. With the contract offer Kovalchuk rejected from Atlanta, he’s heading to Russia to play in the KHL next season. If 12 years/$101 million isn’t enough, the only place your’e going to get more than that is good ol’ Mother Russia. This may explain in part Don Waddell’s refusal to allow other GM’s to negotiate a contract. While it’s been speculated for some time, any reliable word that Kovalchuk has the intention of playing overseas for 2010-2011 would’ve effectively neutered his trade value drastically.

When you look at what New Jersey has reportedly given up for Kovalchuk: defenseman Johnny Oduya, forward Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a 1st round pick in the 2010 draft – all for a player who’s bolting for Russia come July.

Dean Lombardi has kept intact a red-hot team, and still has the assets and cap space to pursue other options via trade between now and the March 3rd Deadline. TSN’s Bob McKenzie already reported that the Kings and Carolina had reached a deal for Ray Whitney to the point where Dean Lombardi was allowed to speak with Whitney’s agent, J.P. Barry about a potential contract extension. When the Whitney/Barry team demanded a 3 year extension in order for Whitney to waive his No Trade Clause for LA, Lombardi killed the deal. Another Smart move – Whitney as a rental or even for one season would be a nice addition, but not for 3 years as a soon-to-be 37 year old. I don’t believe Lombardi is done shopping, and I have little doubt that he will make a small number of quality additions to the Kings’ roster without sacrificing current roster talent.

Kings and Ducks play the third installment of the Freeway Face-Off tonight at 7:30.

Go Kings!

-JS

Thought I’d take a moment to pass on to you, the reader, that The Throne Room has advanced to round 2 of The NHL Arena’s first annual Kings blog-off, pitting this blog against 5 other worthy competitors. If those of you who enjoy reading the blog could or would like to, please take a minute to stop by the Kings’ Blog-off thread and vote for The Throne Room and your 3 other favorite Kings’ blogs on the list. Also, if you’re looking for a great place for Kings’ fans (or any fans for that matter) to engage in great hockey discussion, please check out the Arena. And as always, thanks very much for your support!

-JS

From Rich Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com:

It won’t be announced by the league until early December, but Kings officials have been told that Los Angeles will host the NHL Entry Draft next June. It’s still to be determined whether the event will be held at Staples Center or Nokia Center, but the dates will be June 25-26. By all accounts, it will be the same format, with the first round on Friday night and the rest on Saturday. Give credit to Kyle Woodlief of the Red Line Report scouting newsletter for first mentioning this…

SOURCE LINK

Pretty cool news. Now let’s hope the Kings keep up their solid play and it ends up being a later-first round pick.

-JS

According to Rich Hammond of LAKingsInsider.com, Rob Scuderi will be fined an undisclosed amount for his hit on Columbus’ Jason Chimera in the first period of last night’s game.

Columbus’ resident goon Derek Dorsett will not be fined or suspended for his role in the melee following the hit.

What this says to me about the situation is 1. The league did not see contact to the knee of Chimera by Scuderi. 2. The league saw no intent to injure and 3. If they don’t punish Dorsett for jumping the boards to join an altercation (minimum 10 game suspension by NHL rule) OR for abuse of TWO officials, they can’t justify punishing Scuderi with anything more than a fine. Also, three minor penalties against Columbus (not the least of which was a cheapshot sucker punch to the back of Frolov’s head by Chimera) that could’ve easily been considered intent  to injure went without any further disciplinary action.

While I’m sure the Columbus fans are likely still crying a river about what would’ve amounted essentially to a 2 minute penalty to Scuderi for “clipping”, I wonder if many of them have enough hockey knowledge to realize the break their team caught in Dorsett’s case? I’m still of the opinion at this point, that if BJ’s fans are going to cry over this, they should resort to watching a non-contact game like shuffleboard.

-JS

TORONTO – Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Sean O’Donnell has been suspended for the remainder of the Kings’ pre-season schedule and two regular season games as the result of a match penalty in a pre-season game against the New York Islanders, September 22, the National Hockey League announced today.

At 16:37 of the second period, O’Donnell was assessed a match penalty for delivering a cross check to Matt Martin of the Islanders.

O’Donnell will miss the Kings remaining three pre-season games (tonight and Sept. 26 against Colorado and Sept. 27 at Anaheim) as well as the first two games of the Kings’ regular season schedule. He will be eligible to return Oct. 8 vs. Minnesota.

SOURCE – NHL.com

Without TV coverage of the game it’s hard to judge, but Terry Murray and members of the team seemed pleased that O’Donnell came to the aid of Drew Doughty after what was deemed a questionable hit by Matt Martin of the Islanders. Terry Murray told Rich Hammond of Inside the Kings:

“The Islanders player came across and it was a situation where it was a shoulder hit to the head area, one of those late hits that needs to be taken out of the game, in my opinion. In that situation, O’Donnell responded to protect his teammate, and that’s a good thing to see. With the culture we’re trying to build here, that’s exactly what we want to see happen. It’s a great message to all of the players on the team.”

Martin, incidentally was not suspended for the hit on Doughty. What makes no sense to me is that the officials would rule this as “Intent to Injure”. In two cases last season, the Evgeny Artyukhin hit on Drew Doughty and the Evgeni Malkin hit on Wayne Simmonds – the officials could’ve easily deemed either or both “Intent to Injure”. In this case, Sean O’Donnell comes to the aid of a teammate after the opposing player delivered what the team considered to be a dirty hit, and the officials and the league decide to throw the book at him. It’s a frustrating double standard to be sure.

Kings at Colorado tonight at 6PM Pacific time. You can listen to the game on KTLK 1150AM in the Los Angeles area or stream it live HERE

-JS

Former King Left Wing and current Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille has been selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 1987 Calder trophy winner, considered by many to be the greatest Left Wing in NHL history; joins Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull and Brian Leetch in the HHOF’s class of 2009.

Robitaille played in 1,431 career NHL games, scoring 668 goals and 1,394 points, the most prolific totals by any Left Wing in NHL history. Lucky Luc got a Stanley Cup ring with Detroit in 2002.

Luc was and continues to be a huge fan favorite in LA. He’s my favorite King of all time that wasn’t a goalie. And he’s a great human being to boot. Even though he played seasons for the NY Rangers, Pittsburgh and Detroit, Luc was always a King at heart.

Hearty congratulations to Lucky Luc for his Hall of Fame selection today – as if there was any doubt.

(And as an aside – can we get Rogie Vachon in the Hall already? Seriously!)

Draft roundup to come this weekend.

-JS