What stupid team is going to trade for a FA goalie?
- LAkings96

One that can sign him. The team would have spoken to the agent... Its a sports business thing.

maybe I'll be proved wrong, but why on earth do people think Vegas would take Brown?
Why would anyone willingly sign up for one of the worst contracts in the league? I do not buy cap floor argument, you can make some mid-tier player's life by giving him a one-off large payday any year you need to reach the floor, don't hamfist your future. If I did take a contract like Brown's, you'd be paying me some extras to do so.
I think we lose Mcnabb, and my off-the-wall prediction is that we lose Lewis. Veteran forward who's won, could step into a leadership role, and does not have a cap hit that will hurt (even if he's a tad overpayed).

maybe I'll be proved wrong, but why on earth do people think Vegas would take Brown?
Why would anyone willingly sign up for one of the worst contracts in the league? I do not buy cap floor argument, you can make some mid-tier player's life by giving him a one-off large payday any year you need to reach the floor, don't hamfist your future. If I did take a contract like Brown's, you'd be paying me some extras to do so.
I think we lose Mcnabb, and my off-the-wall prediction is that we lose Lewis. Veteran forward who's won, could step into a leadership role, and does not have a cap hit that will hurt (even if he's a tad overpayed).
- CrownedKing

Been asking this same question and here are the 2 answers I have got.

1) The team needs to be at the cap floor so they need some big contracts to make that happen.

2)The team would love to have a 2 time cup champion captain on there team.

One person swears that Brown will be the Captain of the Knights next year.

Been asking this same question and here are the 2 answers I have got.

1) The team needs to be at the cap floor so they need some big contracts to make that happen.

2)The team would love to have a 2 time cup champion captain on there team.

One person swears that Brown will be the Captain of the Knights next year.
- LAkings96

3) George McPhee traded Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat, so hope springs eternal that he's incompetent enough to draft Brown in the expansion draft.

maybe I'll be proved wrong, but why on earth do people think Vegas would take Brown?
Why would anyone willingly sign up for one of the worst contracts in the league? I do not buy cap floor argument, you can make some mid-tier player's life by giving him a one-off large payday any year you need to reach the floor, don't hamfist your future. If I did take a contract like Brown's, you'd be paying me some extras to do so.
I think we lose Mcnabb, and my off-the-wall prediction is that we lose Lewis. Veteran forward who's won, could step into a leadership role, and does not have a cap hit that will hurt (even if he's a tad overpayed).
- CrownedKing

You speak the truth. There are tons of downsides to taking Brown but I think the one and biggest upside is name familiarity and marketability. The owners know that Lewis ane McNabb will not get much interesr but Brown will. There are still a decent amount of Kings fans in Vegas as well who would be attracted to the captain of old. That's just my two cents.

Expected Goals For can be useful in that it suggests what you might expect from the team or its players in a different system. Comparing it to actuals Goals For, you can get a sense of how much a team's system is stifling or promoting goals. LA's xGF/60 is above average (9th-best) compared to the rest of the league, which suggests that they could have an above average offense, while their actual GF/60 is well below average (6th-worst). The difference between them, a dead-last xGF/60 Diff of -0.41, gives an indication of how much Sutter's system is holding back the team's offense.

For comparison, let's look at Nashville. Their actual GF/60 (2.93) is 0.30 higher than their xGF/60 (2.63). That checks out because we all know that Laviolette is an offensive-minded coach. He gets more offense out of his roster than an average (in the sense of promoting offense) coach would.

LA's xGF/60 is actually 0.15 higher than Nashville's, suggesting that their players ought to be capable of slightly outproducing Nashville's. Imagine if LA had Laviolette as coach and received the +0.30 xGF/60 Diff that he's getting out of Nashville. LA would have a GF/60 of 3.08, which would tie them with CBJ for 5th-best offense in the league. That's with a top offensive coach, though, which might not be what they get. Even just a coach who's average at promoting offense, which is more likely that Sutter would get replaced with, should vault them from near the bottom in GF/60 to the middle (i.e. the "average") of the league. If they were to retain much of their defensive training that they received from Sutter, though, an average offense with a still-above average (if not top) defense would be a solid playoff team.



Correct me if I'm wrong in your case, but whenever people bring this up, I get the impression that it's being chalked up to bad luck. Bad (or good) luck is an acceptable explanation if it happens once, twice or rarely, but if it's happening over and over again, it's not luck. Kopitar hitting an unusual number of posts this season is due to him trying to pick the edges of the net because he and the team are struggling to score. That will turn around not when his "luck" changes, but when he gets out of the funk that's impacting his confidence and decision-making.
- Osprey

The Preda are not as dysfunctional as us. They have a midget who can score that Sutter would never play. Their top 4 D are all good puck movers and skaters but not one is as good as Doughty while Muzzin and Martinez have horribly underachieved All in all, on paper, we are better than them. I'm sure their coach didn't call them a "middle of the pack", team from day one. Keep reaching for those stars Sutter.

As far as your comments on Kopitar go, didn't you say the reason Kope was hitting the poat all the time was because his aim wss off? Now it's becausa he's trying hard to pick corners? Who in theit right mind would shoot directly at the goalie? Well I guess only a Sutter coached team.

As far as your comments on Kopitar go, didn't you say the reason Kope was hitting the poat all the time was because his aim wss off? Now it's becausa he's trying hard to pick corners? Who in their right mind would shoot directly at the goalie? Well I guess only a Sutter coached team.
- verwustung

I'd like to take this moment to introduce you to our ex-cap

I'd like to take this moment to introduce you to our ex-cap

- Stu17

Haha! Yeah, true. He is still leading by example though because some other guys are doing it too.

Call me insane (many of you already do I'm sure), but I beleive Gabby can still earn his pay and produce around 20 goals for the Kings. He is stiffled in a sytem like the rest of the team where corsi is the be all end all.

Even with the xGF, it's still a joke. They have break away after break away and still show no creativity or passion.
- verwustung

While there is emphasis on shot volume (i.e.) Corsi in Sutter's system, there's space for creativity when you get in a dangerous area. How else would Gaborik have scored 27 just a couple years ago? I can tell you 100% that Corsi is not be-all, end-all for Kings organization.

On a breakaway, I doubt the Kings are thinking about defense i.e. have Sutter in their head. They simply haven't been converting. That's not on the coach.

Again, the idea of xGF is average player in that shooting position, what's the average shooting percentage? If the Kings have a below-average shooting % on breakaways this year, that's on the players.

So you're telling me the last time we finished dead last in xGF we won the Stanley Cup? That was my takeaway from this blog.
- tkecanuck341

The difference between them, a dead-last xGF/60 Diff of -0.41, gives an indication of how much Sutter's system is holding back the team's offense.

Even just a coach who's average at promoting offense, which is more likely that Sutter would get replaced with, should vault them from near the bottom in GF/60 to the middle (i.e. the "average") of the league.
- Osprey

LA's underperformance is many factors, not only Sutter. Sutter's system, in fact, should still bring out average scoring, at least from his more talented players. At least enough scoring to meet/exceed their ixG. As the article points out, Kopitar, Toffoli, and Gaborik had no problem outperforming their ixG before.

So you bring in a more offensive coach, give up a few more goals, and Kopitar, Toffoli, etc. still underperform their ixG? You're still in the same boat. While the individual counting stats look better, the team finish in the standings is probably roughly the same.

That's a long way of once again saying that the players I've highlighted are underperforming their ixG mainly because of themselves and not the coach.

Correct me if I'm wrong in your case, but whenever people bring this up, I get the impression that it's being chalked up to bad luck.
- Osprey

We've discussed this before, I believe it's more luck. If Kopi bounces back next year, and somebody asks him what's different, I believe he'll say some variation of I'm just getting the bounces this year.

LA's underperformance is many factors, not only Sutter. Sutter's system, in fact, should still bring out average scoring, at least from his more talented players. At least enough scoring to meet/exceed their ixG. As the article points out, Kopitar, Toffoli, and Gaborik had no problem outperforming their ixG before.

So you bring in a more offensive coach, give up a few more goals, and Kopitar, Toffoli, etc. still underperform their ixG? You're still in the same boat. While the individual counting stats look better, the team finish in the standings is probably roughly the same.

That's a long way of once again saying that the players I've highlighted are underperforming their ixG mainly because of themselves and not the coach.
- Sheng Peng

You appear to be assuming that, because those players played at a certain level under Sutter two or three years ago, they can play that way again. That neglects the fact that coaches tend to lose their impact the longer that they're with a team. After all, it's not just those three players that are underperforming. Nearly the entire roster is. It seems like a pretty big coincidence if they're all slumping at the same time and for an entire season more for personal reasons (including bad luck) than team-related ones (systems, tuning out or getting tired of the coaching staff and so on).

We've discussed this before, I believe it's more luck. If Kopi bounces back next year, and somebody asks him what's different, I believe he'll say some variation of I'm just getting the bounces this year.
- Sheng Peng

He may say it, but it won't make it true. Players can be remarkably naive about what they're doing when they're successful versus what they're doing when they're not. That's why coaches are so important, to tell them. When you have coaches that simply feed them cliches about luck, and the players repeat them, it just means that none of them realize what's going wrong, and that's how you go all season long without the problem being corrected (for him or the whole team).

If Kopitar is much better next season, it won't be because his luck changed over the Summer. It'll be because of the new season, a whole new optimism and, maybe, a new coaching staff. It'll prove that it was never due to luck, but due to his mindset (confidence and not carrying the mental baggage that this wasted season has built) and his actual play. If it were just bad luck, it would've corrected itself at some point this season.

Maybe next year.

This team was so boring to watch all year long.

Been waiting for the speed game to transition into this team but for that to happen DL and sutter must go. Get rid of the dump and chase bullpoop that no team plays anymore. It worked for the kings for only 3 years. It's officially a dead style to play and unfortunately, the kings still think it works.

Let's hope for a decent to good draft this year with their highest draft position since 2009 I believe.

Maybe next year.

This team was so boring to watch all year long.

Been waiting for the speed game to transition into this team but for that to happen DL and sutter must go. Get rid of the dump and chase bullpoop that no team plays anymore. It worked for the kings for only 3 years. It's officially a dead style to play and unfortunately, the kings still think it works.

Let's hope for a decent to good draft this year with their highest draft position since 2009 I believe.
- KINGS67

few and far between are the games where the kings play fast, hitting players in stride transitioning into the neutral zone with a head of steam. but even when they do, the bottom six are still dumping, chasing and grinding...that wont change until they actually put some skill in the bottom six rather than the heavy hitting plodders Sutter loves so dearly.

They're currently in a 3-way tie with Winnipeg and Florida at 77pts (winning both tiebreakers). Letting them pass them will improve their draft position from #11 to #9 (counting Vegas being slotted at #3). Then, there are Buffalo at 76, Detroit at 74 and Dallas at 73. Letting them pass them would improve their draft position to #6. That's probably the lowest that they can realistically go, since finishing at #4 would require both NJ and VAN to run the table (on top of LA losing nearly every game, though they're doing that already).

Right now, at #11, their odds of winning one of the top-3 picks in the lottery is ~10% (~3.3% for each spot). If they were to drop to #6, their odds would improve to ~23% (~7.7% for each spot).

http://www.tankathon.com/nhl
http://www.tankathon.com/nhl/pick_odds

While there is emphasis on shot volume (i.e.) Corsi in Sutter's system, there's space for creativity when you get in a dangerous area. How else would Gaborik have scored 27 just a couple years ago? I can tell you 100% that Corsi is not be-all, end-all for Kings organization.

On a breakaway, I doubt the Kings are thinking about defense i.e. have Sutter in their head. They simply haven't been converting. That's not on the coach.

Again, the idea of xGF is average player in that shooting position, what's the average shooting percentage? If the Kings have a below-average shooting % on breakaways this year, that's on the players.year.
- Sheng Peng

Look man, Sutter is killing these guys passion for the game and winning in general. It's like last night I was on Insider diacusaing Jimmy Carson with some older guys. They were talking about how we was a helluva player before he went to Edmonton. There, unfair expectations were placed on him and he lost his love for playing. The expectations placed on each individual player on the Kings I don't know but the Jimmy C effect is clear. They don't even fight for each other anymore. It's truly pathetic. The only one who even cared about getting to the playoffs is Carter, maybe a few plugs aa well but Doughty ia a great player but an idiot; far from any kind of leader.

Look man, Sutter is killing these guys passion for the game and winning in general. It's like last night I was on Insider diacusaing Jimmy Carson with some older guys. They were talking about how we was a helluva player before he went to Edmonton. There, unfair expectations were placed on him and he lost his love for playing. The expectations placed on each individual player on the Kings I don't know but the Jimmy C effect is clear. They don't even fight for each other anymore. It's truly pathetic. The only one who even cared about getting to the playoffs is Carter, maybe a few plugs aa well but Doughty ia a great player but an idiot; far from any kind of leader.
- verwustung

Why the hell are you a Kings fan?? Go away!!

Look man, Sutter is killing these guys passion for the game and winning in general. It's like last night I was on Insider diacusaing Jimmy Carson with some older guys. They were talking about how we was a helluva player before he went to Edmonton. There, unfair expectations were placed on him and he lost his love for playing. The expectations placed on each individual player on the Kings I don't know but the Jimmy C effect is clear. They don't even fight for each other anymore. It's truly pathetic. The only one who even cared about getting to the playoffs is Carter, maybe a few plugs aa well but Doughty ia a great player but an idiot; far from any kind of leader.
- verwustung

Don't know if you were being literal or not, but at the end of the game when Grybass took down Kopi and then forcefully face washed while he was on kneeling over him and Kopi actually showed a little passion and tried to punch back, I couldn't believe the non-response by the guys on the ice... Time was just about out in the game and the season has been over for about 7 days now... JUMP THAT MOTHER (frank)ER!!! Seriously left shaking my head after that.

Why the hell are you a Kings fan?? Go away!!
- arh777

We are all Kings, remember... it's natural to vent when the team is playing tin-man hockey for the last 3 weeks when the season was on the line.

We are all Kings, remember... it's natural to vent when the team is playing tin-man hockey for the last 3 weeks when the season was on the line.
- Stu17

I'm fine with criticizing but the OCD on Sutter is ridiculous. HE shares some of the blame but the players have to be held accountable for not performing. We're all Kings refererence is fine but aren't we that in the bad times? How soon we forget where we came from!

I'm fine with criticizing but the OCD on Sutter is ridiculous. HE shares some of the blame but the players have to be held accountable for not performing. We're all Kings refererence is fine but aren't we that in the bad times? How soon we forget where we came from!
- arh777

I don't know about you, but for THIS is a bad time. we'll be out of the PO for the 2nd time in 3 years and I don't see any relief coming next year. I also understand the constant banging on the FIRE DS drum gets old like 2 years ago, but at the same time I do feel that he is anti-in-game-adjustments and he puts too much weight onto consistently rolling 4 lines at certain critical parts of a game. I've been able to live with though as the team has seen success despite these things, but lately I've come to believe that he has lost room. He has ground in too much repetition and sticking with the system, about getting a ton of shots and playing the percentages, that it's all the boys do: shoot from anywhere just for the sake of getting towards the net. couple this with the overall lack of emotion from the players and IMO the lack of desire/hunger for giving it your all to win, and we have a very ho-hum team that cant just turn it on when it needs to be.
I'm not about to fire DS just for the sake of firing him, but if there is a coach that can blend the system with some offensive freelancing, I'd take a stab at it.

until they actually put some skill in the bottom six rather than the heavy hitting plodders Sutter loves so dearly.
- hiway39

This is something I'd like to see, more skill on the bottom-six. It doesn't mean re-making Sutter's entire thinking, but just one more solid two-way forward on the third line might make a world of difference.

This is something I'd like to see, more skill on the bottom-six. It doesn't mean re-making Sutter's entire thinking, but just one more solid two-way forward on the third line might make a world of difference.
- Sheng Peng

looked real good out there without Gaborik passing it to the other team all night

I don't know about you, but for THIS is a bad time. we'll be out of the PO for the 2nd time in 3 years and I don't see any relief coming next year. I also understand the constant banging on the FIRE DS drum gets old like 2 years ago, but at the same time I do feel that he is anti-in-game-adjustments and he puts too much weight onto consistently rolling 4 lines at certain critical parts of a game. I've been able to live with though as the team has seen success despite these things, but lately I've come to believe that he has lost room. He has ground in too much repetition and sticking with the system, about getting a ton of shots and playing the percentages, that it's all the boys do: shoot from anywhere just for the sake of getting towards the net. couple this with the overall lack of emotion from the players and IMO the lack of desire/hunger for giving it your all to win, and we have a very ho-hum team that cant just turn it on when it needs to be.
I'm not about to fire DS just for the sake of firing him, but if there is a coach that can blend the system with some offensive freelancing, I'd take a stab at it.
- Stu17

I don't disagree with what your saying however the skills are lacking when in front of the net. Lack of finish means no goals. If Sutter has to go so be it but the childish rant about Sutter gets real old!

This is something I'd like to see, more skill on the bottom-six. It doesn't mean re-making Sutter's entire thinking, but just one more solid two-way forward on the third line might make a world of difference.
- Sheng Peng

I disagree with this, as well as the insinuation that the "new" NHL doesn't allow for hard and heavy teams.

The problem is that the Kings no longer have the correct personnel to play the hard and heavy game like they did in 2012 & 2014. They've done a half-ass buy-in of the "lets get faster" craze that's going on, and in turn have sacrificed their identity as a grinding, punishing, possession team. Dustin Brown doesn't hit people anymore, hard hitting defensemen like Matt Greene and Robyn Regehr have been replaced by non-physical but positionally sound defensemen like Paul LaDue and Derek Forbort. Heavier grinding players in the bottom six like Dwight King (230), Jordan Nolan (220), and even Jarret Stoll (215) are being replaced by players like Shore (200), Dowd (195), Setoguchi (205), and Purcell (195).

The core of the Kings doesn't thrive on speed. In fact, their size is a nightmare for speedy teams like the 2014 New York Rangers. If the Kings want to compete for championships again, they need to start pursuing bottom-six players like Pat Maroon, Joel Ward, and Cal Clutterbuck. That Slepyshev kid from last night really impressed me. They need to replace their finesse wingers like Gaborik with freight trains like Lucic. Go get defensemen like Jamie Oleksiak (6'7", 255lbs) from Dallas and Nikita Tryamkin (6'7", 265lbs) from Vancouver as your bottom pairing defensemen. The Kings should be scoring a lot more dirty goals from the crease and getting only supplemental scoring from Jeff Carter. The fact that Carter leads the Kings in goals is not a good thing.

The Kings just aren't as hard to play against as they used to be. They either need to completely buy into the fast, skill game and get rid of Sutter for an offensive-minded coach, trade away slower forwards like Kopitar and Toffoli for speedy forwards, and lean on Carter, Pearson, & Kempe as the core of the new offense. Or, they need to embrace their identity as a heavy, grinding, possession-first team and go all-in on that identity.