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The Case for Gabe Vilardi

July 20, 2018, 10:32 AM ET [12 Comments]
Bobby Kittleberger
Los Angeles Kings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Maybe I don’t need to make a “case” for Gabe Vilardi. It’s simpler than that. I think he’s good and deserves a chance to play with the big club. He’s not as fast as I’d like to see, but that dude is a heck of a passer and finisher.

It’s likely he’ll get a nine-game look, but I think there’s room on the Kings' roster for him to get more.




Who could he replace?

I don’t mean to continue being down on Iafallo, but, lately...I am. You can check my last column on Ilya Kovalchuk’s lineup placement to see why. To put it simply, Iafallo spent a ton of ice time with two of the Kings' most offensively-productive players and finished the year with little to show for it.

Looking forward to the Kings' 2018-2019 lineup, which will already see a significant injection of offense, this leaves room for Vilardi to contribute.

Where would he play?

Even if it’s on the third line, I would rather see Vilardi get these minutes than Iafallo, which shouldn't qualify as a hot take. Give me the #11 overall (ranked top four that year) draft pick over the undrafted, underperforming free agent.

In that scenario, bump Iafallo down to the fourth line and scratch Kyle Clifford’s 1.6 million dollars. If Vilardi looks comfortable with the NHL pace, keep him up with the big club, and use him to spell Ilya Kovalchuk on the top line.

Vilardi shoots right and is listed as a center. But, I think he should slot in at the left side on both the first and third lines. He has the size and offensive awareness to at least contribute, if not flourish, and further solidify the club’s offensive makeover.

If he were to get 75 games like Iafallo, I would be willing to bet he’d score more than nine goals.
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