I don't disagree that Muzzin has potential. He could turn out to be great. However, if he turns out to be Jay Bouwmeester, the Kings won't be able to afford to keep him unless we ship out Voynov or take some of the budget away from the offense.

I'm hoping he turns out to be average so that he will stick around for $2.5MM or so. He's the best 5/6 option we've had in a long time. He's certainly better than the likes of Peter Harrold, Davis Drewiske, Mike Weaver, and Jeff Schultz.
- tkecanuck341

Makes more sense so your saying you hope he's better than Scott Barney and Steven Finn but don't want him to outgrow our budget. I think he will take a hometown discount when the time comes.

Everyone is giving Slava a hard time but honestly if he can regain his form from last season that is a steal of a contract. I think he came into the season out of shape and has been behind the 8 ball ever since.

Makes more sense so your saying you hope he's better than Scott Barney and Steven Finn but don't want him to outgrow our budget. I think he will take a hometown discount when the time comes.

Everyone is giving Slava a hard time but honestly if he can regain his form from last season that is a steal of a contract. I think he came into the season out of shape and has been behind the 8 ball ever since.
- QuicksEnnormous

I stuck up for Voynov on the LAKI blog a few weeks back and almost got laughed off the boards. He's not the same Voynov from last year's playoffs, but he's not a liability on the blue line either.

I stuck up for Voynov on the LAKI blog a few weeks back and almost got laughed off the boards. He's not the same Voynov from last year's playoffs, but he's not a liability on the blue line either.
- tkecanuck341

He definitely deserves a chance, to prove to his critics, that he is just in a temporary funk.

He definitely deserves a chance, to prove to his critics, that he is just in a temporary funk.
- dprice818

Did Voynov score the canes first period goal? Im at the game and it look like he deflected on net. On accident I'm sure.......other than that and a turnover he looks pretty good. Regher looks great today.

Did Voynov score the canes first period goal? Im at the game and it look like he deflected on net. On accident I'm sure.......other than that and a turnover he looks pretty good. Regher looks great today.
- dprice818

No, it went off of Regehr's glove.

No, it went off of Regehr's glove.
- tkecanuck341

Thanks I heard that on the post game. DD was a bad ass and Muzzin was great too.....only 1 mistake by him that I caught

I don't even know where to begin with this....

Jake Muzzin is the single best defenseman on the Kings (including Doughty) at getting the puck on net through traffic. Sure, he shoots into shinpads sometimes, but no more than any of the other defesemen on the team.

Jake Muzzin has 130 shots this season, and 62 shots that were blocked. That gives him a "good" shot to blocked shot ratio of 2.1:1.

Drew Doughty has 139 shots, and 67 blocked for a ratio of 2.07:1
Alec Martinez has 48 shots and 39 blocked for a ratio of 1.23:1.
Slava Voynov has 104 to 48, 2.16:1.

http://www.extraskater.co...t=shb&season=2013&team=la

So if you want to look at someone who shoots into shinguards, look at your buddy A-Mart.

I agree that Muzzin shouldn't be on a line with Doughty. Doughty lobbied for that pairing pretty hard at the beginning of the season, and when it was clear that none of the defensive-minded guys could keep up with the 26+ minutes that Doughty logs every game, they gave Muzzin a try. Like Lewis says, we desperately need a top pairing defensive-minded guy that is able to keep up with Doughty. Mark Giordano from Calgary would be my ideal pick, but he has a NMC and a few years remaining on his contract. Calgary is in the middle of a rebuild, so who knows if they would ask him to waive it for the right package of picks and prospects.

The Kings don't have the best GAA in the league for no reason. Some of the credit definitely deserves to go to the excellent goaltending that we have received thus far this season, but a lot of it goes to our defense. Sometimes the team doesn't show up and we have to rely on our goalie to stand on his head to bail us out. However, the Kings have 10 shutouts this season, 3 more than any other team in the league. That is 100% puck possession and team defense, which starts with the 6 guys on the blue line.

Finally, Muzzin is 2nd on the team behind only Doughty in Quality of Competition (the skill of the opposing players when he is on the ice).

http://www.extraskater.co...on=2013&team=la&min_gp=10

He has the best Corsi For % of the defensive corps by a wide margin.

http://www.extraskater.co...p&pos=D&min_gp=10&team=la

So while your subjective analysis may tell you that Muzzin "blows," evidence would seem to suggest that he does not.
- tkecanuck341

I totally agree with you, Giordano next to Doughty would be incredible. Every time I watch him, even on the lowly flames, he sticks out to me.

I also agree with you that, in the offensive zone, Muzzin can definitely hold his own. He has some creativity, and from what I've noticed is effective at getting pucks through. Like doughty, he does that patient drag wrist shot around forwards trying to block shots. Defensively, his coverage isn't horrible, but it's not good. My problem so far with Muzzin is the turnovers. His passing is pretty poor. I can't even count the number of times he fans on a pass and it creates a counterattack coming back.

I actually like martinez a lot more than most people do. He's much more responsible defensively than muzzin, is very, very fast, and does have some, even if minimal, offensive upside. Pretty strong too.

Another name I think the kings could and should target is trevor daley from the stars. Left hand shot, affordable contract (around 3 mil) with multiple years left, is fast (which the kings are lacking on D with mitchell and greene and regehr), and can move the puck. Not sure what it would take to get him though, or if the stars are definitely sellers at this point.

I don't even know where to begin with this....

Jake Muzzin is the single best defenseman on the Kings (including Doughty) at getting the puck on net through traffic. Sure, he shoots into shinpads sometimes, but no more than any of the other defesemen on the team.

Jake Muzzin has 130 shots this season, and 62 shots that were blocked. That gives him a "good" shot to blocked shot ratio of 2.1:1.

Drew Doughty has 139 shots, and 67 blocked for a ratio of 2.07:1
Alec Martinez has 48 shots and 39 blocked for a ratio of 1.23:1.
Slava Voynov has 104 to 48, 2.16:1.

http://www.extraskater.co...t=shb&season=2013&team=la

So if you want to look at someone who shoots into shinguards, look at your buddy A-Mart.

I agree that Muzzin shouldn't be on a line with Doughty. Doughty lobbied for that pairing pretty hard at the beginning of the season, and when it was clear that none of the defensive-minded guys could keep up with the 26+ minutes that Doughty logs every game, they gave Muzzin a try. Like Lewis says, we desperately need a top pairing defensive-minded guy that is able to keep up with Doughty. Mark Giordano from Calgary would be my ideal pick, but he has a NMC and a few years remaining on his contract. Calgary is in the middle of a rebuild, so who knows if they would ask him to waive it for the right package of picks and prospects.

The Kings don't have the best GAA in the league for no reason. Some of the credit definitely deserves to go to the excellent goaltending that we have received thus far this season, but a lot of it goes to our defense. Sometimes the team doesn't show up and we have to rely on our goalie to stand on his head to bail us out. However, the Kings have 10 shutouts this season, 3 more than any other team in the league. That is 100% puck possession and team defense, which starts with the 6 guys on the blue line.

Finally, Muzzin is 2nd on the team behind only Doughty in Quality of Competition (the skill of the opposing players when he is on the ice).

http://www.extraskater.co...on=2013&team=la&min_gp=10

He has the best Corsi For % of the defensive corps by a wide margin.

http://www.extraskater.co...p&pos=D&min_gp=10&team=la

So while your subjective analysis may tell you that Muzzin "blows," evidence would seem to suggest that he does not.
- tkecanuck341

Ok, I'm not too into Corsi and advanced stats, so what follows isn't intended to be critical, but honest questions.

First highlight: the link listed was for shots against blocked, by player. You have that to mean shots taken by Kings players blocked by opponents. How is "shots against blocked" not shots taken by opponents blocked by Kings?

Second: he is also first on the team in quality of teammates. Yes, he plays against some of the top players of the other teams, but he does so with four of the top Kings on the ice with him. Also, when you take into account that he is second to last on the team in TOI on the PK, and has one of the lower DZSt% (defensive zone starting percentage at even strength) it seems like a trend that the coaching staff is making a point of limiting his defensive responsibilities while boosting his time on attack.

All things considered that's fine for a developing Dman. It definitely is not alright for a top pairing, however. I understand that it does take more time for young D to develop than forwards, and some mistakes are acceptable from a developing D. That said, if we cut him some slack for his mistakes because he's developing then I feel we also have the right to question his high TOI. Conversely, if someone feels he's entitled to that TOI then how could those mistakes be accepted?