Sheng Peng: Kopitar, Gaborik Set to Return; What's Going on with Purcell? Glad holiday tidings from Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik, but what does this all mean for the struggling Teddy Purcell?

It looks like the players around Purcell dont trust him. Hes often wide open and he wont get passes his way. He isnt doing anything to set himself apart from all the other avg to below avg players we already have. He also makes bone headed passes far to often. Same with Seto. If Purcell never played with Stammer he would of already been ran out of the NHL.

Id really like to see Pearson back with Kopi. The Kings really need to find a winger who can gel with Kopi. And Pearson started to do that before Kopi went down. Carter/Toff is a duo. Insert whatever winger with them. Need to build something with Kopi. Id be open to seeing if Purcell could play LW with Carter/Toff. Both of them can finish off his pass.

He also makes bone headed passes far to often. Same with Seto. If Purcell never played with Stammer he would of already been ran out of the NHL.
- poisondhearts37

Stamkos isn't Lemieux or Jagr where he can transform a linemate like that. I can accept that maybe, just maybe Purcell has been hit by a sudden, irrevocable decline, but he was a good player at his peak. Not a great one, but good.

Purcell is a creative, daring player, like say, Dowd. They will take a risk, and some times, it's not going to work and they're going to look bad. The difference, of course, is that this year, Purcell has looked way more bad than good.

I personally would like to see Purcell with Gaborik and Kopitar. It would create some really excellent forward balance and depth.
Purcell Kopitar Gaborik
Pearson Carter Toffoli
Brown Dowd Setoguchi
And the fourth line can be some combination of Lewis/Andreoff/Shore/Clifford/King. That looks like very solid forward depth with everyone in if that Brown/Dowd/Seto line keeps producing.

I personally would like to see Purcell with Gaborik and Kopitar. It would create some really excellent forward balance and depth.
Purcell Kopitar Gaborik
Pearson Carter Toffoli
Brown Dowd Setoguchi
And the fourth line can be some combination of Lewis/Andreoff/Shore/Clifford/King. That looks like very solid forward depth with everyone in if that Brown/Dowd/Seto line keeps producing.
- Andrew_Daddario

Happy Thanksgiving, Andrew!

Purcell-Kopitar-Gaborik could be dangerous. They kind of fit the Playmaker-Grinder-Shooter roles well...you don't think of Kopitar as a grinder, but he really is a great one, who happens to have golden hands.

If Setoguchi drops off or moves up, Purcell probably could fit with Dowd too. They played well together in the pre-season.

Dowd and Seto keep it up? Purcell starts to play like he always has?

Indeed, that could be some very solid forward depth. The team might have just one deep run left in it yet.

Happy thanksgiving to you to Sheng! I love talking some LA Kings hockey. Always gets me super hyped and I most definitely think the Kings have a couple seasons of legitimate cup contention status. Probably another 4-5 seasons of being contenders as long as we still have Kopitar, Toffoli, Doughty,Quick, Carter, Muzzin to name a few I think we'll be solid, and who knows we may get lucky on a few prospects. Loving the look of Gravel and Forbort.

What's the word on Quick?

Would LA do a deal with Brown + for Phaneuf+?

That's never going to happen... but wonder if there could a fit if there's a bigger package

Probably another 4-5 seasons of being contenders as long as we still have Kopitar, Toffoli, Doughty,Quick, Carter, Muzzin to name a few I think we'll be solid, and who knows we may get lucky on a few prospects.
- Andrew_Daddario

They should be a competitive team for a while, but Kopitar, Carter, and Quick are leaving their prime years. Doesn't mean that they won't be good, Carter looks plenty good so far this year, but we'll see. Hopefully Kopitar ages like Thornton.

What's the word on Quick?
- SRam19

Quick hasn't had any setbacks in his rehab so far. Still no timetable for return yet.

Would LA do a deal with Brown + for Phaneuf+?
- AlfieisKing

Not seeing it. A big thing is that Phaneuf has to be protected in the Expansion Draft...I think that's a non-starter for LA, who will be rolling the dice that Vegas will pick up Brown.

Would LA do a deal with Brown + for Phaneuf+?

That's never going to happen... but wonder if there could a fit if there's a bigger package
- AlfieisKing

We're pretty solid on defense. We definitely don't need the likes of Phaneuf fouling things up. We need a winger because alot of them suck currently.

We're pretty solid on defense.
- verwustung

I still have questions about how Gravel and Forbort will hold up against tougher competition, so considering another defenseman doesn't bother me. But certainly not Phaneuf.

I still have questions about how Gravel and Forbort will hold up against tougher competition, so considering another defenseman doesn't bother me. But certainly not Phaneuf.
- Sheng Peng

I have no question about either one of them really. They have more than held their own all season long, and they never take dumb penalties the way Greene always does. I have been particularly impressed with Forbort and his skating and shot blocking abilities. His prowess led to the go ahead goal by King the other day. Both of these guys are NHL defenseman, and good ones to boot. On top of that we have LaDue who is pretty much ready to play and MacDermid who should be ready soon.

Defense *clap clap clapclapclap*
Defense *clap clap clapclapclap*

Purcell just isn't a good player. He had one and a half seasons in which he overachieved and he's been generously considered a top-6 player ever since. What may look like highly skilled players getting the most out of him has just been highly skilled players carrying him. Players like Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis and Hall didn't need him. He needed them. That 56% Corsi For % with Kopitar is all because of Kopitar, not because they work well together. His 36% when apart proves as much and is reason, along with his nonexistent production, to worry that putting them together only handcuffs Kopitar.

I'm not sure why Lombardi or Purcell ever thought that a return was a good idea. It didn't work the first time and there's ample evidence at this point to suggest that he's much better suited to the Eastern Conference. He and Lombardi should've taken the hint when he briefly went back to the East at last year's trade deadline and saw his production improve. It was a low risk signing, so it was hard to complain too much, but it was never more than a low reward one, as well, and, unsurprisingly, the rewards have definitely been low.

https://youtu.be/t_xwiffYs2s

I have no question about either one of them really.
- verwustung

We'll see. Will be watching Gravel & Forbort closely during upcoming road trip. They didn't exactly flourish on last road trip.

What may look like highly skilled players getting the most out of him has just been highly skilled players carrying him. Players like Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis and Hall didn't need him. He needed them. That 56% Corsi For % with Kopitar is all because of Kopitar, not because they work well together. His 36% when apart proves as much and is reason, along with his nonexistent production, to worry that putting them together only handcuffs Kopitar.
- Osprey

They weren't "carrying" him. He meshed well with them. Very different things.

I don't question that Purcell needs a Kopitar-type more than that kind of star needs him. But those star players need support guys who can finish their passes or get them the puck. Unless you want Kopitar to have Lewis and King flanking him ROS.

The Purcell with/without Kopitar figures are much too small a sample size to "prove" anything. For me, it suggests that he was starting to find his game with a skilled linemate. To you, it proves he "handcuffs Kopitar."

We'll see.

It didn't work the first time and there's ample evidence at this point to suggest that he's much better suited to the Eastern Conference. He and Lombardi should've taken the hint when he briefly went back to the East at last year's trade deadline and saw his production improve. It was a low risk signing, so it was hard to complain too much, but it was never more than a low reward one, as well, and, unsurprisingly, the rewards have definitely been low.
- Osprey

It's not an East/West thing, Purcell was productive in Edmonton last season.

It was a low-risk signing, but if Lombardi was hoping for 40+ points, which Purcell has achieved in four out of his last six years (and in 2012-13, he put up 36 in 48 games), that sounds like a high reward for $1.6 million.

But yes, the rewards have been low so far, no doubt.

Fun, not going to happen trade idea: Purcell for Justin Williams? Both struggling this year, both with strong previous track records, both UFAs after this season.

They weren't "carrying" him. He meshed well with them. Very different things.
- Sheng Peng

When they're the only players that you "mesh" with like that with and it lasts only a season and a half, that's a pretty good sign that they were the ones really making things happen, IMO. Call it what you will. When support players play over their head for a period of time thanks to a couple of really good players, I call it carrying.

It's not an East/West thing, Purcell was productive in Edmonton last season.
- Sheng Peng

He wasn't as productive in Edmonton as he was in his stints in the East. With Tampa Bay and Florida, he averaged 0.66PPG. In Edmonton, he averaged 0.46PPG.

Fun, not going to happen trade idea: Purcell for Justin Williams? Both struggling this year, both with strong previous track records, both UFAs after this season.
- Sheng Peng

In hindsight JDub was the majority of the heart and soul in the room. Aside from Willie leaving I think Williams was a bigger blow then was realized.

When they're the only players that you "mesh" with like that with and it lasts only a season and a half, that's a pretty good sign that they were the ones really making things happen, IMO.

He wasn't as productive in Edmonton as he was in his stints in the East. With Tampa Bay and Florida, he averaged 0.66PPG. In Edmonton, he averaged 0.46PPG.
- Osprey

Purcell was very good in Tampa Bay for three seasons (51, 65, then 36 points in lockout season). Two and a half, if you want to halve the lockout year.

I never said that Purcell was as productive in Edmonton last year as he was in the state of Florida. Just that he was still productive there last year, especially with Hall. Not enough evidence of an East/West problem.

In hindsight JDub was the majority of the heart and soul in the room. Aside from Willie leaving I think Williams was a bigger blow then was realized.
- Stu17

"Majority" is a bit strong, but yea, Williams and Mitchell in the locker room were underrated losses. That stuff matters, even if we're not sure how so far.

They should be a competitive team for a while, but Kopitar, Carter, and Quick are leaving their prime years. Doesn't mean that they won't be good, Carter looks plenty good so far this year, but we'll see. Hopefully Kopitar ages like Thornton.
- Sheng Peng

I think there's a fairly high probability that Carter and Kopi stay effective even with age...Carter's plus speed is generated from those long natural strides and he doesn't play too heavy a game to wear himself down. Kopi's skating is also pretty fluid, but i do worry with his defensively focused game, he'll take more punishment over time.

Quick...well, I hope I'm dead wrong, but I have a hard time seeing that his best years aren't past him. His body can't keep up like this forever, and his style just doesn't scream efficiency and longevity. Hope he recovers in full...

I think there's a fairly high probability that Carter and Kopi stay effective even with age...Carter's plus speed is generated from those long natural strides and he doesn't play too heavy a game to wear himself down.
- hiway39

On the other hand, maybe Carter loses that speed, little by little. But who knows. I do have a good feeling about Kopitar.