Ben Shelley: Reviewing last week's polls (May 19): Kings Edition

Futa parting ways sucks, don’t get me wrong, but it has been yanetti that has nailed the picks in recent years.

Futa was lombardi’a guy while yanetti is currently Blake’s.

I missed the poll on the expansion draft, but like others said, I don't think there's any way the Kings don't protect 4 defensemen. We learned from the Vegas draft that there was a premium on defensemen, and Vegas overwhelmingly took defensemen after the minimum number of positional requirements was satisfied.

Forwards: Kopitar, Kempe, Iafallo, and one of Lizotte/Grundstrom/Wagner
Defense: Doughty, Walker, Roy, Clague
Goalie: Petersen

Frk is not part of this team's long term plans and will not be protected.

Lizotte is the front-runner for that last protection slot as of now, but that could change depending on the play of Grundstrom and Wagner this year. If all three of them have quality seasons, then I suspect one of those three guys will be selected by Seattle, unless the Kings are willing to offer a sweetener to get them to take Quick.

In my opinion, a better option would be to identify which of those three guys deserves the final protection slot, then trade the other two. The Kings can then acquire assets instead of paying them to Seattle, and leave them with no other good options to take in the draft.

So lets say Grundstrom has a quality year, and Lizotte and Wagner both have pedestrian seasons. Lizotte and Wagner get shipped out for draft picks or draft exempt prospects. They go with the protection list I specified above. Now, Vegas's options are:

Brown, Carter, Frk, Amadio, Luff, Moore, MacDermid, and Quick

None of those options are worth spending a 2nd round pick to protect. If you want to throw in one of the picks that you got from trading Lizotte and Wagner to get them to take Quick's contracts off our hands, that's fine.

In my opinion, a better option would be to identify which of those three guys deserves the final protection slot, then trade the other two. The Kings can then acquire assets instead of paying them to Seattle, and leave them with no other good options to take in the draft.

So lets say Grundstrom has a quality year, and Lizotte and Wagner both have pedestrian seasons. Lizotte and Wagner get shipped out for draft picks or draft exempt prospects. They go with the protection list I specified above. Now, Vegas's options are:

Brown, Carter, Frk, Amadio, Luff, Moore, MacDermid, and Quick
- tkecanuck341

I doubt that a team would give up anything of value for players like that, especially Lizotte and Wagner. Everyone else will be in the same boat and likely have better players than that to protect. What team is going to trade for either of those because they're better than the 7th forward that they would've protected? If you're that badly off as a team, you need your draft picks more than LA does.

If a team were to trade for them, it'd be something low, like a 6th- or 7th-rounder. At that return, LA would be better off not trading them. After all, if you trade them both for two 6ths and Seattle takes, say, Amadio, you're out 3 players and left with only two 6th-round picks. If you don't trade either, though, the worst that can happen is that Seattle takes one, say Lizotte, and you're left with Wagner and Amadio. That's better than having two 6ths, IMO.

I doubt that a team would give up anything of value for players like that, especially Lizotte and Wagner. Everyone else will be in the same boat and likely have better players than that to protect. What team is going to trade for either of those because they're better than the 7th forward that they would've protected? If you're that badly off as a team, you need your draft picks more than LA does.

If a team were to trade for them, it'd be something low, like a 6th- or 7th-rounder. At that return, LA would be better off not trading them. After all, if you trade them both for two 6ths and Seattle takes, say, Amadio, you're out 3 players and left with only two 6th-round picks. If you don't trade either, though, the worst that can happen is that Seattle takes one, say Lizotte, and you're left with Wagner and Amadio. That's better than having two 6ths, IMO.
- Osprey

I don't know that I agree with that. Sure, last year Lizotte didn't have much value, but after the season he had, I think there are teams that would value his services. I'm not saying that someone would give up a high round pick for him, but I do think a team looking for an inexpensive 3C (Toronto) would consider swapping a younger draft exempt prospect of similar value for him, especially if they're one of the teams that is already planning on making a deal with Seattle to get them to select a certain player(s).

I don't know that I agree with that. Sure, last year Lizotte didn't have much value, but after the season he had, I think there are teams that would value his services. I'm not saying that someone would give up a high round pick for him, but I do think a team looking for an inexpensive 3C (Toronto) would consider swapping a younger draft exempt prospect of similar value for him, especially if they're one of the teams that is already planning on making a deal with Seattle to get them to select a certain player(s).
- tkecanuck341

I mostly meant that they wouldn't have much value after the season ended. If you're talking about trading them before the deadline, then, yeah, they'd have a little more value because the teams would get some use out of them even without having to protect them. I'm not sure that that value would make it worthwhile to trade, though, especially mid-season, when it might send a bad message to the other young players. Besides, Seattle might take Quick, anyways, so trading away kids that you will have to leave exposed could be unnecessary.