LA AT 41: REPORT CARD TIME

LOS ANGELES, CA – Time files when you’re having fun. We are halfway home in the marathon that is the NHL regular-season and it’s timed perfectly to lead into what we hope is a happy, healthy and productive 2020.

It’s been an interesting hockey season for the home team, demonstrating behavior you’d expect from one in a rebuilding process. Some good nights, more bad nights, but optimism surrounds the team as the really bad nights have lessened over the last two months.

In the big picture, there is not enough talent on the current roster to put together an extended run to elevate this team to a level where they will be playing games of consequence in late March and early April. Towards that end, with 10 games left until their bye week that is just ahead of the All Star Game and 22 contests to go before the February 24 trade deadline, it’s incumbent upon General Manager Rob Blake to move as many marketable assets as possible to increase his June draft day inventory. At present, he owns all his seven picks and Calgary’s fourth rounder acquired in last season’s Oscar Fantenberg deal.

Inventory is important not only given the likelihood of selecting at the higher tier of the draft (presently third worst record but could legitimately pass four teams ahead of them), but also to use as trade barter – either in a package for established talent or for moving up on the draft board (how they were able to pick Samuel Fagemo, who is showing well in the World Juniors Championship).

But enough about what appears to be a bright future, it’s time to turn to the present and grade out the organization’s performance through 41 games with the reminder that this is for entertainment purposes only – no wagering allowed.

FRONT OFFICE

A caveat to start: the evaluation of management is not limited to this season, it’s inclusive of the body of work since its installation on April 10, 2017 - a span of almost 1,000 days. The majority of the grade will be for the President as opposed to the General Manager.

Luc Robitaille and Rob Blake – C

At some point, the core of the roster will stop being Dean Lombardi’s (and Dave Taylor’s) and become Luc’s. Though he came in promising change, he has done little to change the optics of the roster. Last season was an abomination to watch and the fans responded as they should, with their feet staying away from Staples since in numbers not seen since the early Lombardi days.

The organization has done next to nothing in free agency and the one big move they did make (L’Affair de Kovy) was terminated less than halfway through its contracted length. Though the product is better this season and it appears they have turned the corner ever so slightly, the reality is it will be five seasons into their tenure before the roster significantly turns and without any post-season success. They deserve full credit for undoing the Willie Desjardins hire by grabbing Todd McLellan.

Blake’s individual grade leans from towards “Incomplete” as I tie him specifically to the results of his four drafts that will determine the length and legacy his tenure as their ninth GM. Blake has pulled numerous small deals, 16 in total, but only one of real significance to the franchise’s future – the Jake Muzzin deal.

In retrospect, and for full transparency, he did trade an All-Star goalie – Darcy Kuemper – for Tobias Rieder and Scott Wedgewood. The grade will be impacted by his performance over the next 55 days and he tries to clear roster spots by the February 24 trade deadline and he has to win most of those trade for a passing mark.

I disagree with those who are clamoring for a regime change now, I am willing to give them the next 18 months to resurrect the franchise primarily through their drafting strategy.

COACH

Todd McLellan – B

The Toddfather started with a leg up on his grade given the mess Mr. “WD-40” Desjardins left behind on his way out the door.

At this point in the Robitaille/Blake regime, this is its best move and it’s not close (which includes the Drew Doughty extension). McLellan has re-established structure by getting buy-in from top to bottom in the locker room via a combination of teaching, transparency and tough love. Though the team had a very rocky start that had some who don’t follow the team closely questioning the hire, their play over the past two months particularly at 5-on-5 demonstrates his system is being assimilated.

The reason for the B grade is obvious, the team’s poor special teams play – while not entirely his fault (they simply need better players), even novices can see the lack of creativity on the powerplay and the continuing struggles with defensive responsibility on the penalty kill. Even with that gap in their game I reiterate that McLellan is the right coach at the right time for LA.

PLAYERS

Anze Kopitar – A. The Kings best player through 41 games and a deserving selection to the All-Star team – crafted by a bounce back offensive season. He is on track for a 30-goal campaign and with a little push he will be a point-a-game player by Game 82. Anze is top 10 in TOI for forwards, has a 56.2 faceoff win percentage and while you always want him to shoot more, his accuracy is on track to be a career best.

Drew Doughty – B. The fire that subsided last season has re-ignited with the presence of McLellan. Still a minutes eater (second to Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot for TOI), there is a definitive change to his game. Drew relies more on his passing game to create clean zone entries and exits and has massaged his passing by using the stretch pass and reducing his outlet passes. Offensively, though his shot output hasn’t increased over last season, his accuracy from dangerous areas are significantly better. In his own zone he remains elite at reading plays and anticipating passes. His statistical deficiencies are his continued negative +/- rating (-10) and while it’s not unexpected given his high time on ice on a losing team, his relative possession stats (Corsi and Fenwick) are negative as well. It may be a matter of limitations of the current roster, but I expect more from a player (think John Carlson, Alex Pietrangelo, Victor Hedman) with the fifth highest cap hit in the NHL.

Matt Roy – B. Another LAK late-round success story. Roy was a seventh-round 2015 draft pick who now gives a reliable 17+ minutes a night on the blueline and currently leads the team in +/- (+6). While Sean Walker gets most of the attention for his offensive game, Roy trails his output by only two points and has produced the same number of goals (4). Not a flashy player and likely a bottom pair defenseman on a better team, Roy has proven he can play in the NHL by building off last season’s debut with his first half.

Sean Walker – B. Another example of a player seizing an opportunity and improving season over season. A risk taker whose up-ice adventures don’t always pay off but makes things exciting, he has shown an increased commitment to defending this season. Unlike the steadier Roy whose ice time has been consistent, Walker’s ice time has exploded – almost a four minute a game increase to over 19 minutes a night. When you combine his cap hit with Roy, $1.45 million for the pair is great value.

Nikolai Prokhorkin – B. Simply needs more ice time in the second half as one of the more gifted players on the roster, his learning of the NHL game is catching up to the skill he possesses. Without question he has challenges in his own zone, but with a 29th place ranking for goals for, sometimes you must hold your nose and take the occasional missed assignment.

Kurtis MacDermid – B. Word traveled fast that you don’t want to mess with this cat. Another unexpected bright spot on the blueline, MacDermid has shown – fists aside – that a third pair defenseman need not be fleet of foot to play in today’s NHL. The coaching staff has sheltered him, putting him in situations where he is set up for small successes to improve his confidence (59.1% offensive zone starts) and as a result it has produced another significant lift in TOI to an surprising 13 minutes a night for another undrafted free agent.

Ben Hutton – B. Came to the party late (a September signing) and has produced as I expected – 18 minutes a night of play needed with Derek Forbort’s back woes, he has not been the subpar defenseman that his Vancouver critics held him out to be. One of the players who has mirrored the team’s improved play from the first 20 to the last 21 games (-5 to +5 rating), Blake may be better served to move him to a contender at the deadline than extending him as he is a unrestricted free agent at season end.

Kyle Clifford – B. Heart and soul player for this franchise. Will likely approach his offensive output of last season (21 points), but at the end of the day, goals and assists are inconsequential. He is a winning player who needs to be around to help mentor the next generation of Kings. Another unrestricted free agent at season end, will curious to see if a contender see value as to the intangibles he brings and if one does, what Blake will do. He badly wants to remain a King.

Alex Iafallo – B-. He’s tracking career-high in points and time-on-ice and is the glue guy on the team’s first line with Kopitar and Dustin Brown. While he’s one of the best forecheckers on the team and is responsible in his own zone, 6 goals in 41 games isn’t truly what a first line left wing should produce. Another player who can be part of the future in a lesser role (think LW3) with a more talented roster.

Jonathan Quick – B-. His start was horrible, looking like an over-the-hill boxer who suffered three knockdowns in his first three games (19 GA, .793 save percentage). But the last thing Jonathan Quick is, is a quitter. Like his team, December has been much improved, registering a save percentage of .925 or better in 4 of last 7 starts. Given some disappointing goaltending around the league, he could be a target at the trade deadline but with three years remaining on a deal that carries a $ 5.8 million cap hit, an in-season move looks much less likely than a Draft Day deal in June.

Jack Campbell – C. With a new coach in place and Quick’s aforementioned poor start, the door was left wide open for Campbell to walk through and seize the starting role – he’s failed to do so, starting only 14 of 41 games. While his win-loss record and goals against average is better than his goaltending mate, his save percentage is just .001 better than Quick. Credit him for staying on the path to secure an NHL job, there is not a better cat in the room than Jack but with his $675K cap hit this season (it elevates to $1.65M for the two seasons following) and with Cal Petersen in the wings, he can be a goaltending depth trade target both at the deadline and in June.

Dustin Brown – C. One of the players who hasn’t benefited from the coaching change, significantly lower production from his last two offensive campaigns that could be impacted further by his recent illness. Questionable usage by him on powerplay (should always be net front but has not), but he is one good streak away from being second in scoring behind Kopitar. Expect a better second half from him as he is personally dissatisfied with his performance so far.

Tyler Toffoli – C. A few weeks ago, Toffoli realized he was in a contract season and his numbers improved significantly... for a week. He has reverted to his offensive struggles with just one goal in his last five games. The days of the Toffoli we once knew are gone (dangerous finisher, 30-goal scorer) but that streak in mid-December does hold out hope that in a very week rental market for forwards, the return for a goal scorer – albeit now a 20-goal one – could be higher than most think.

Jeff Carter – C. Happier? Apparently. More productive? Marginally in a different role (winger v center). His point production won’t be much above last season’s 33-point campaign (tracking 40) but his goal scoring touch has reappeared albeit in a different form. His speed and sniper game has evolved into a one where he cashes in at the net (only 1 of his 12 goals have been scored above the faceoff dot), his goals have been timely (6 GWG ties him for the lead league) but his defense is almost non-existent. While a 24-goal scorer with a $5.27M cap hit would normally have value in a weak trade market, he turns 35 on Wednesday and coupled with the prospect of him walking away from the game if dealt out of LA to an unfavorable market, he likely to remain a King after February 24.

Blake Lizotte – C. How can you not root for this player? Undersized and unheralded as an undrafted free agent out of St. Cloud State, Lizotte willed his way on this roster, has stayed there and on some nights he is their second best center, in essence a better version of last season’s Brendan Leipsic. Good for him, not so good for the team and given the depth LA has coming in the middle (Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Gabe Vilardi and Alex Turcotte) it may be a short-lived Cinderella story but let’s enjoy the moment.

Michael Amadio – C. It probably didn’t help his cause early in the season when McLellan put Amadio in the same sentence as Joe Pavelski. Unlike overachievers I’ve noted, Amadio has done nothing to seize the opportunity to become the second line center behind Kopitar. He possesses a nice touch around the net but is in the midst of a six-game pointless streak. Needs to work on his faceoffs and consistency so with more than 100 NHL games under his belt he looks more like a future solid 4C for the franchise.

Alec Martinez – C. His first half was shortened by wrist surgery that thankfully wasn’t worse. Even before the injury, his offensive production continues to decline for a fourth straight season (0 goals, 5 assists). Was at the front of the line to be traded (Montreal with reported interest) until the injury setback but with him healing, a comfortable cap hit ($ 4 million) and strong leadership skills he still could be a former King on February 25.

Adrian Kempe – C-. I have a bet with a member of the local media that Kempe won’t score 20 goals this season and that steak is gonna taste good on someone else’s dime. Despite having all the tools to be an offensive impact player and being relieved of the responsibility of playing center this season, Kempe simply isn’t a top six forward in the NHL. Given the opportunity to be a difference maker on the first unit powerplay, he’s registered just two power play points in 40 games and only his ability on zone entries keeps him on PP1. In fairness, the season hasn’t been all bad, the combination of him with Lizotte and Austin Wagner has forged some chemistry if not goal production. A tip-off to his production came with his off-season contract extension, $2 million per season for three seasons numbers reserved for bottom six forwards.

Austin Wagner – C-. One of my favorite whipping boys this season. Speed to burn with unfortunately no hands to match. Routinely creates chances (only two shots less than Kopitar) but has gone in straight reverse from the player who registered 12 goals in 62 games last season. Maybe it’s confidence, maybe it was 17.8 shooting percentage that was unsustainable, but this player represents why shot creation and differential hasn’t translated into wins most nights this season.

Joakim Ryan – C-. A stopgap defender who should have his ice time reduced in the second half to get a closer look at Kale Clague. Has logged 19 minutes a night of average hockey but didn’t cost much and hopefully Blake can get a late round conditional pick at the deadline.

Trevor Lewis – C-. Tough to grade one of the old guard this low but should be a part time player once he returns from injury if he doesn’t get dealt at the trade deadline. A lifelong King and a solid citizen, but it’s hard to fathom Lewis is just two seasons removed from a 14-goal campaign. Could have value to a contender as a Swiss Army Knife-type player (can play all forward positions) and with unquestioned character, likely to be his final season in LA.

Ilya Kovalchuk – D-. In theory, it could have worked, in practice it was the biggest failure of the regime from a player perspective. What prevents him from getting an F grade is the possibility of his NHL career continuing with a legitimate contender and he proves to be a contributor. He was brought into score goals and you can argue he did (finished with 19 goals in 81 games) but the 35-year-old version of Kovalchuk is far from the 30-year-old version that departed the NHL. The only saving grace is that it didn’t cost the franchise assets that a Jeff Skinner or Max Pacioretty trade would have, and the cap hit for next season is meaningless given the organization’s lack of competitiveness for unrestricted free agents.

Those earning incompletes – Martin Frk, Matt Luff, Carl Grundstrom, Kale Clague, Paul LaDue, Tobias Bjornfort.

While there has been measured improvement over the past two months and the ship has been righted, the reality is that LA is projected to earn 72 points – exactly one point more than last season. As the headline read in my first column on this season, the Kings are headed for a different type of suck by the time we get to Game 82.

RADIO, RADIO

On a personal note, 2019 was a great year for content, highlighted by my continued hosting duties on SiriusXM this season under the rebranded The Hot Stove, the surprise success of Kings Of The Podcast, and my weekly spot on TSN Radio Montreal with Chris Nilan and Sean Campbell. I’ve not given enough love to my other regular radio outlet I regularly appear on, so as one of my resolutions I’ll do so now.

My customary spot on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg’s Don Vito Roundtable is hosted by Kevin Olszewski, an engaging and entertaining Manitoban. Kevin grabbed with baton from Rick Ralph, who was my first co-pilot on the station and the chemistry we’ve forged was instantaneous. Our conversations are more league-wide than LA-centric and here is my Monday appearance as we took a full spin around the NHL.