On a superficial level, it might appear that the Kings have regressed from last season, losing to the Oilers in 6 games instead of 7, but I draw several positive conclusions from this campaign:
1. The youngsters all got another season of experience, and all seem to be progressing -- even Quinton Byfield who was, it must be remembered, the youngest of his draft class.
2. Phillip Danault really is the home run he looked like last season, and his line with Trevor Moore and Viktor Arvidsson is really solid on both sides of the puck.
3. Unlike most players changing teams, Kevin FIala didn't require half a season or more to become a noticeable factor, despite being shuffled around from line to line and even occasionally position to position.
Now the negatives:
4. It's abundantly clear that the defensive issues and goaltending vacancy have to be settled.
5. We have too many young forwards who are NHL-quality or getting there to give proper playing time to.
This ACGM is an effort to create enough roster and cap flexibility to take a much bigger step forward next season than we did this year.
I'm not "giving up" on Alex Turcotte, but I'm trading him for two reasons: to give him a better chance to succeed, and to recoup the first-round pick sent away in the Gavrikov - Korpisalo deal. I think that the Black Hawks would be interested in him, have the roster space to keep him there, and are getting full value for transferring a late 2023 first to 2024. Los Angeles gets a LhD prospect at the position where the Kings are thinnest. (For those of my fellow Los Angeles fans who don't want to give Alex Turcotte up, Chicago might be interested in a prospect like Sam Helenius or Francesco Pinelli or Helge Grans, and there are others as well, due to the quality and depth of our prospect pool.)
The biggest problem the Kings face in the off-season, as I see it, is that we need at least $4 million in new cap space to address the weakness at LhD and lack of a starting G. Rather than trade Cal Petersen at a loss, or discard Viktor Arvidsson in the last year of his contract when his value would be diminished, I'm trading Alex Iafallo. His value is known to knowledgeable people despite his underrated status; I'm trading him to the Sabres because he'd be Buffalo's best two-way forward and I sense that they're going to be moving Viktor Olofsson this summer (for whom they will probably get a new second). Plus, Iafallo has local ties, and might well re-sign in Buffalo when his conract is up. I know that this idea is anathema to my Kings brethren, but we can get the maximum return for Iafallo and need to do so.
Finally, for cap and roster flexibility reasons, I'm trading Sean Walker to a team which needs a stopgap veteran RhD.
More than $7.5 million should be enough to acquire adequate LhD and G free agents. For example, Vladi Gavrikov might sign for $4.5 million AAV or less and Joonas Korpisalo for $3.25 million. Or we could get Ryan Graves for a little more and Korpisalo for a little less.
{Note that I began work on this ACGM before Erik Portillo was actually signed, or Alex Iafallo scored the winning overtime goal in Game 1.}
I'm sure you all will let me know how you feel about these ideas.
The Blackhawks trade is an interesting proposal. Phillips has looked very good in the AHL and in his limited time in the NHL he has shown flashes of promise. That said, we are quite stacked at LD and swapping one for a forward prospect is bound to happen at some point, and I think Turcotte could be on the radar. I just dont know how much value he holds, being 4 years post-draft and never having played a full season of hockey with great production.
Im not sure the Hawks would like to trade the 1st this year for another next year, as we already have 2 and potentially 3 1sts next year if the rangers make ECF.
The Blackhawks trade is an interesting proposal. Phillips has looked very good in the AHL and in his limited time in the NHL he has shown flashes of promise. That said, we are quite stacked at LD and swapping one for a forward prospect is bound to happen at some point, and I think Turcotte could be on the radar. I just dont know how much value he holds, being 4 years post-draft and never having played a full season of hockey with great production.
Im not sure the Hawks would like to trade the 1st this year for another next year, as we already have 2 and potentially 3 1sts next year if the rangers make ECF.
Let's revisit that last thought if the Rangers don't!
As a Habs fan, can't say I would be that interested in Walker.
Not sure he would be that much of an upgrade over the RHD we currently have (Barron, Savard, Kovacevic) and when you add Matheson, Edmundson, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, the Habs already have 8 defensemen on the roster (not even counting Wideman).
McDavid, Connor
250 000 $)
OldNYIfan, Hawksguy81 et Aussie_Blackhawk a aimé ceci.
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