News Clips

7-20-17

FROM LA KINGS INSIDER: Tuesday, September 12, and 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 13. July 19, 2017 But between September 9-12 at Solar 4 America Ice By: Jon Rosen at San Jose, the Sharks’ practice facility, San Jose, Odds And Ends: Olympics, Prospect Arizona, Anaheim and Colorado will gather for a Tournaments, Simpsons four-team prospect round robin tournament in which each team will play three games. In a report published Wednesday by the CBC, NHL teams learned this week that AHL players on two- It will be interesting to see if the Kings ultimately way NHL contracts will be allowed to participate in join such tournaments in the future. Los Angeles the 2018 Winter Olympics. previously participated in the Pacific Division Shootout, a four-team rookie tournament held Via Tim Wharnsby: between 2003 and 2006. That 2006 tournament featured a variety of names one would expect, such In a memo sent to the 31 NHL teams this as Anze Kopitar, Trevor Lewis, , week, the league outlined AHL players can Bud Holloway and, um, Yutaka Fukufuji. be loaned to national teams for the 2018 Olympic Games. But these players only can The book-ending 2003 and 2006 tournaments were be made available between Feb. 5-26, 2018. held in El Segundo, while the 2004 and 2005 events The Winter Olympics men’s hockey were held in Anaheim and San Jose. Though former tournament begins on Feb. 9 and concludes GM Dave Taylor saw the value in the tournaments’ with the gold-medal final on Feb. 25. ability to evaluate its prospects in game settings, , who followed Taylor, preferred the This turn of events may not have much of an two-off exhibitions against teams in Los Angeles’ impact on Canada’s roster. immediate geographical proximity. This was due, in is close to finalizing a series of exhibition part, to the team’s belief that development would be games in Russia next month with a roster better facilitated through their own practices and comprised of Canadian professionals playing development days rather than a number of games in in Europe. a short amount of time. With new executives atop hockey operations, it will be interesting to see if that As Wharnsby notes in the article, those exhibition evolves at all in future years; the structure for this games will give an early leg up on competition to year’s tournament was being laid before the Kings national team prospects currently playing in Europe, had made changes atop their organization. where preseason training is already underway. It is probably a wise move to hold off on purchasing From a September, 2002 LA Times article reporting your Kevin Gravel Team Canada jersey. that the former tournament was being planned:

______“I would be interested as long as it would be ______done the right way,” King Coach Andy Murray said. “We have a pretty good rookie Four Pacific Division teams are taking part in a camp here in July that has created a lot prospect tournament that will feature a format interest…. I would rather have the kids somewhat similar to the prospect tournaments held around [veterans] for 10 days like we do. I in Traverse City, Mich., London, Ont., and think the way we do it is pretty good, but if Penticton, B.C. The Kings are not among the teams they have a little tournament, say at the end scheduled to participate and will instead host the of the first week of camp, that would be fine. Vegas Golden Knights for a pair of rookie games at Some of these rookie things can get to be Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo at 5:00 p.m. on pretty goofy.”

Today’s game between the Ducks and Kings Top Prospects: Spencer Watson, Nikolai will be played without fighting. Prokhorkin, Michael Amadio, Alexander Dergachyov, Jacob Friend, Jacob Moverare, “That’s the only way you can play that kind , Kale Clague, Gabriel Vilardi, of a game,” Andy Murray said. “Otherwise Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Markus Phillips these kids are going to pound on each other. On the Rise: Spencer Watson – 2016-17 We want to see who can play the game. OHL: 41GP – 28G, 53Pts There’s no sense in them fighting. We know who’s tough.” Despite capturing two Stanley Cups within the past decade, the are a Still, tough guys Kip Brennan (Kings) and franchise with a very uncertain future. Cam Severson (Ducks) will play, even if on- Having missed the playoffs on two occasions ice shenanigans are not allowed. over the past three seasons, the Kings are, unfortunately, transitioning from a “Guys will do anything to make a hockey legitimate contender to a mediocre pretender team,” Bryan Murray said. “If we let them before our very eyes. fight, then guys are going to go out and do that to try to catch management’s eye.” Further, the team underwent a great deal of upheaval following their elimination from Those who’ve watched these rookie games contention, as both Darryl Sutter and Dean understand that they tend to get quite testy, and that Lombardi were fired and replaced by John players will do what is necessary to make sure Stevens and Rob Blake. Although the team’s they’re noticed, as referenced above. That’s a fancy main core continues to perform well, Los way of saying, “they fight a lot.” Angeles has been plagued by a lack of scoring from their young players and ______especially those drafted in recent years. ______In fact, dating back to the 2012 NHL Draft, Speaking of prospects, here’s a ranking of the 31 only Tanner Pearson has developed into a prospect pools. The Kings are right where they reliable scorer at hockey’s highest level for should be, but this is not a very good list. In the Kings, as many other promising players – fairness, these lists are extremely difficult to put Brayden Schenn, Jordan Weal, and Valentin together if you’re not a nationally credited, plugged Zykov, in particular – have either been in writer who communicates regularly with scouts, traded or have failed to progress as agents and reporters. But, like, Cal Petersen isn’t individuals on the ice. Fortunately, Los even included in Los Angeles’ notable prospects, Angeles fared extremely well in the 2017 Jordan Weal is listed as having a “sensational” NHL Draft, as the club was able to nab even though he is 25 and will no longer lethal young talent in the forms of Gabriel technically be a rookie this year, whereas San Jose Vilardi, Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Markus forward Kevin Labanc, who recently scored eight Phillips. goals in his 21-year-old season, is not listed. Troy Terry, who had seven points in the WJC and was Yet, despite the addition of these excellent well above a -per-game pace in his sophomore prospects, the Kings could possess an season at Denver, is not listed under Anaheim’s top incredible steal in Spencer Watson. A guys. It’s easy to pick apart outliers in lists like seventh-round choice in 2014, Watson these, but it shouldn’t be as easy to do so within 15 enjoyed yet another fantastic OHL campaign seconds of glancing at it. in 2016-17 and, having concluded his major junior career, is ready for professional Anyway, while we’re here, Brett Slawson’s view of hockey. With innate scoring abilities, Watson the Kings:

could be an excellent solution to a persistent The Kings will be offering travel packages at a later problem in Los Angeles. time. Additional information will be shared once it is made available. Meanwhile, as expected, Jacob Moverare was named to Sweden’s U-20 World Junior summer Why is the NHL going to China? development camp roster. ______July 18, 2017 By: Jon Rosen Meanwhile, an off-season Kings update was written Player Evaluation: Andreoff at NHL.com by former Times scribe Lisa Dillman. ANDY ANDREOFF ______This season: 36 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, ______70 minutes, -2 rating, -1.8% CF%Rel, 10:56 time on ice A non-hockey offering: The good: He wasn’t able to build off a 2015-16 That’s a great question, and it’s impossible to pick season that showed promise, but Andy Andreoff just one. (My daughter has a Pray for Mojo onesie.) deserved better than a goalless season. The versatile (Thank you, Lefty.) forward, capable of moving between the center and wing as influenced by match-ups and in-game Apart from “pray for Mojo,” I find these Simpsons performance, was likely to see regression from 10 lines highly entrenched in my own vernacular and goals on his first 60 NHL shots, and the law of those of my friends and coworkers: averages hit him hard. He actually finished with more than one on per game for the first “I like the way Snrub thinks!” time in his career, but the pucks just weren’t finding “Increase my killing power, eh?” their way into the back of the net. There were areas “Here’s your turtle back, alive and well.” in his game that showed improvement. He wasn’t “I’m so hungry I could eat at Arby’s!” hemmed back into his own zone to the same degree “It’s a perfectly cromulent word.” that he had in previous years as his CF% leapt from 50.5% to 53.8% (an improvement that smoothed out This was not a scientific study. Meanwhile, the a CF%Rel that had bottomed out at -7.6% and - Simpsons’ writers room is beyond these green doors 6.6% over his first two seasons). He won 41 of his and stuccoed walls. 69 faceoffs. His on-ice chances for and against were more balanced than in previous seasons, though he was on the ice for only six goals for amidst 367 July 18, 2017 minutes of five-on-five time. It was noted last By: Jon Rosen summer that for Andreoff to play regularly, “he’ll Individual NHL China Games Tickets On Sale have to command more than eight minutes and 34 Wednesday Night seconds of ice time per game,” and while his time on ice jumped a healthy 1:48, that was due more to Tickets for the 2017 NHL China Games, in which Darryl Sutter allotting minutes more evenly across the Kings and Canucks will meet for preseason the lineuprather than any additional assignments or games in Shanghai and Beijing on September 21 roles that Andreoff took on. It’s a role Andreoff has and 23, will go on sale Wednesday, July 19 at 8:00 become accustomed to, and was probably a bit p.m. PT (which is 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 20 better prepared for than during his debut season of at 11 a.m. in China), the NHL announced Tuesday. 2014-15. “You know, I’ve been there before, in and Tickets can be purchased by following this link at out of the lineup, so I think the most important thing the appropriate time. is staying positive, just getting ready for that opportunity when you get back in there,” he said.

Andreoff shows well in practice, where a number of Going forward: Andreoff again finds himself in regular observers have noticed a crisp release to a the position where he’ll have to compete to hold on wrist shot. Regularly unleashing that asset has to his spot, and really, whether or not he makes the become a challenge in games. “…You can practice team will be determined in very large part by what all you want, but it’s like that horse out on the track he shows during an exhibition campaign in which – he can run by himself in the mornings, but when his play will draw significant examination. There he runs with seven or eight other ones coming aren’t too many surprises left in what may be around the corner, it ain’t just a straight line,” Sutter uncovered, even if there may exist some loosely said. (He was speaking more towards a small group defined secondary scoring that has only of injured skaters rather than Andreoff himself, but intermittently surfaced. He’ll be in the complicated it does apply to Andreoff, and like, that was mix for a fourth line forward spot, and with Darryl’s best equine parallel of the year, so it’s younger, potential secondary scorers in Jonny included here.) A scrappy young player with some Brodzinski and Adrian Kempe vying for what could untapped but lukewarm goal scoring potential, be a third line role, Andreoff will likely align again Andreoff is a willing participant in many of the with the likes of Kyle Clifford, Jordan Nolan, Nic edgier aspects of the game and quick to come to the Dowd, Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis. There are aid of teammates. only so many spots to go around, but Andreoff, who The bad: Andreoff’s season was affected by a torn signed a two-year contractwith an AAV barely ligament and dislocated thumb in October that above what his qualifying offer would have been, is required surgery, and he wasn’t really able to an inexpensive and versatile depth option whose generate any consistent momentum after returning additional contract year may give other teams pause in December. There were some hiccups in if he’s unable to earn a spot out of training camp establishing himself and continuing to build upon a and hits the waiver market. He’s a good teammate, role he started to chisel out over the previous two a forechecker and a hustling role player capable of seasons. Though his team-high 1:56 PIM/GP is providing energy, but three seasons into his Kings buoyed by two major penalties, two 10-minute tenure, he’s either going to have to pick up where misconducts and a game misconduct, he still took he had left off after a promising end to his 2015-16 14 minor penalties in 36 games even though he season or be passed over by the newest wave of spent a slightly wider percentage of minutes outside roster hopefuls. Perhaps he will be among those of his defensive zone than in prior seasons. And who benefit from a coaching change, but really, though part of the identity he’s looking to craft with the additional emphasis on stimulating offense, contains hard, lunchpail-type minutes, he still hasn’t he might not have the longest leash as he again latched any regular penalty killing time onto his looks to more firmly establish himself in 2017-18. even strength efforts even though he received some shorthanded consideration during the preseason. As a result, he was a player who was replaceable in the July 17, 2017 lineup when the situation called for it. He sat as a By: Jon Rosen healthy scratch for at least three games in a row four Odds And Ends: Hajt To Buffalo, KHL Alums, separate times, including one nine-game stretch that Turgeon Video, Kings Care Notes bridged December and January. His 0.98 GF60 was the lowest on the team out of anyone who played SUCH GREAT HAJTS. Stick taps and happy more than 25 games (though his 1.31 GA60 trails to Chris Hajt, who has joined Phil Housley’s represents noteworthy success at helping to keep the staff in Buffalo as an assistant. This summer has puck out of his own net). More than anything strengthened Kings-Sabres ties. Though Terry calculable to a decimal point, Andreoff simply Murray wasn’t retained when Tim Murray and Dan wasn’t able to build on some blurry but apparent Bylsma were let go, Davis Payne was hired as the promise inherent in his sophomore season, and was club’s Associate Coach under Housley, who also back to jumping in and out of the lineup, as he did turned to Los Angeles’ top affiliate to continue to in 2014-15. round out his staff. Hajt has worked under Head Coach Mike Stothers for the last three

seasons, the first of which resulted in a Calder Cup en route back to Saskatchewan, is targeting several title, since his hiring in July, 2014. Hajt’s father, aspects of his game to refine. “I’m just looking for Bill Hajt, was Housley’s defensive partner when an opportunity at this point,” he told Friedman. “I’m during the early stages of the Hall of Famer’s going to be on the ice more this year, doing a little career. This is great for Hajt, a promising young more skills and skating. Any bit of improvement I coach and Blue Jays fan who returns to a city he can find.” It was noted that he’s in the process of spent much of his childhood in and one that’s a finding a comfort level with several teachers, one of much closer Rogers Centre commute than which I believed to be Dave Cruikshank, who Claremont, California. worked privately with Brayden McNabb (who was referenced in the story) as well as the Kings. There ESTEEMED ALUMNI. Speaking of former Kings were also excerpts of an exchange shared with John moving into new digs, Justin Williams was Stevens over Pierre Turgeon’s role and avenues in reintroduced earlier today in Raleigh after having which the Kings will attempt to cultivate additional signed a two-year, $9-million contract with the team offense. he won the 2006 with on July 1. SPEAKING OF TURGEON. He joined NHL More alumni news, with a KHL slant: Matt Frattin Network on Thursday: has signed with Red Star Kunlun, which plays out of LeSports Center in Beijing, the arena in which KINGS CARE UPDATE. Several community the Kings will play a preseason game against the notes to pass along: Blood and Pucks takes place at Canucks on September 23. (I’m told an Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on Fridays from announcement by the NHL on tickets and travel July 7 to August 18. Donate blood and platelets packages is coming soon.) Linden Vey will play for with the Kings, including Bailey and members of Barys Astana, a Kazakh-based team that has a the LA Kings Ice Crew, who will be at the hospital history of landing Western Canadians. Kevin from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on those Fridays, as Dallman (pictured above) has spent seven of the last well as Alec Martinez, who will make surprise nine seasons playing for Astana; he’s now a visits on select Fridays. Interest has been high, so Kazakhstani citizen who also plays for the national the hospital is no longer accepting walk-ins, but if team. He’s not quite an alum, but former Yalie and you’d like to donate, please call the hospital directly AHL MVP Brian O’Neill will spend another year at (323) 361-2441 to make an appointment. More with , where Jari Kurri is the general information is available manager. Brandon Kozun (also not an alum) will at lakings.com/bloodandpucks. return to Lokomotiv, Ben Scrivens is moving to Salavat Yulaev Ufa after one season with Dynamo Also: Join Bailey and the LA Kings Ice Crew for Minsk, and, of course, Damir Sharipzianov has been one of 11 remaining Summer Library Visits. A loaned to Nizhnekamsk, as reported earlier. schedule for the visits, where fans are encouraged to bring their kids for a reading of B is for Bailey, the 30 THOUGHTS. With executives, reporters and Kings’ new children’s book, is available other figures soon beginning to set up shop in their at lakings.com/storytime. It’s also not too late to lakeside cottages, we’re nearly at the point of the save the date for the annual fundraiser benefiting offseason where news and doings slow the Hydrocephalus Association and hosted by Daryl considerably. Elliotte Friedman filed his final 30 Evans. This year’s event, which travels through Thoughts column of the season, noting that when he Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, will be held returns in September that the column will become on September 9 and has been expanded to include a 31 thoughts to match Vegas’ NHL arrival as the 10K to the 5K. Information and registration is league’s 31st club. There’s some interesting talk available at lakings.com/race. about the $10M contract threshold and Matt Duchene’s future before the Kings (and an ex King, Also, Bailey is a doctor now: who is also named King) feature prominently. It was noted that Dwight, who spoke with Friedman

FROM NHL.COM

July 17. 2017 By: Lisa Dillman Kings maintain continuity with most of last season's roster intact New coach, GM, promoted within organization, look to get to playoffs

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is taking a look at where each team stands. Today, the Los Angeles Kings: The major changes for the Los Angeles Kings came at the top of the organization, with Rob Blake and John Stevens replacing general manager Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter after the 2016-17 season. Blake, promoted from assistant GM, and Stevens, who long was considered the coaching heir apparent to Sutter, give the Kings some organizational continuity, but at the same time, each has the ability to introduce some fresh ideas. The Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and in 2014 but have missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. Jonathan Quick was injured against the in the first period of the season opener and missed more than four months. The Kings finished with 86 points (39-35-8), eight points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. Los Angeles hasn't made any major roster changes. The hope is center Anze Kopitar, in his second season as , can regain his scoring touch. He had 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) in 76 games last season after he had 74 (25 goals, 49 assists) in 81 games in 2015-16. A re-energized Kopitar and a full season of Quick would go a long way in reversing last season's slide. Here is how the Kings look today:

Key arrivals

Michael Cammalleri, F: Signed on July 1 to a one-year, $1 million contract, Cammalleri is a low-risk, high- reward investment that could prove useful for the Kings. The 35-year-old had 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in 61 games with the last season. Cammalleri spent his first five seasons in the NHL with the Kings, and when healthy (he hasn't played at least 70 games since the 2008-09 season) he has the ability to score goals in bunches. If Cammalleri can find chemistry at left wing on a line with Kopitar, it would give the Kings greater scoring balance to support Jeff Carter's line. … Darcy Kuemper, G: The 27-year-old went 8-5-3 with a 3.13 goals-against average and .902 save percentage in 18 games for the Minnesota Wild last season. He signed a one-year, $650,000 contract July 1. ... Christian Folin, D:The right-shot defenseman signed a one- year, $850,000 contract July 1 to add depth to the roster. He had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 51 games for the Wild last season. Key departures Brayden McNabb, D: Selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft on June 21, McNabb was limited to 49 games and four points (two goals, two assists) last season because of injuries. … , RW: Tied with Joe Sakic for 15th in NHL history in goals (625), Iginla is an unrestricted free agent. The 40-year-old was acquired in a trade from the Colorado Avalanche on March 1 and had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 19 games with the Kings. … Matt Greene, D: The Kings bought out the final season of his contract June 23 after injuries limited him to 29 games combined the past two seasons. When healthy, he was a key member of the Kings' leadership group during their two Stanley Cup championship runs.

He had two points (one goal, one assist) in 26 games last season. … Ben Bishop, G: The 30-year-old was traded to the on May 9. He was acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 26 and went 2-3-2 with a 2.49 GAA and .900 save percentage in seven games for the Kings. On the cusp Paul LaDue, D: A sixth-round pick (No. 181) in the 2012 NHL Draft, LaDue made his NHL debut last season and had eight assists in 22 games. The 24-year-old had 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 38 games for Ontario of the and should be in line for a role on the third defense pair. … Jonny Brodzinski, F: A fifth-round pick (No. 148) in the 2013 draft, Brodzinski had two assists in six NHL games and could push some veterans for playing time this season. The 24-year-old was tied for seventh in the AHL with 27 goals last season and was second on Ontario with 49 points in 59 games. What they still need More scorers. The Cammalleri signing helped remedy some of the need for scoring (Los Angeles finished tied for 24th in the NHL with 199 goals last season), but the possibility that Marian Gaborik could have a longer than expected recovery from offseason knee surgery means Blake still may try to add more offense.

Pete Jensen's fantasy outlook Kopitar is coming off his lowest point total in a full NHL season. Have the Kings done enough to ensure a bounce-back season for their captain? The signing of Cammalleri is a low-risk, high-reward move, but their backup plan could involve Gaborik or Dustin Brown at left wing on Kopitar's line. Kopitar potentially could play with right wing Tyler Toffoli, an injury bounce-back candidate, but Kopitar is ranked unusually low (No. 70 in NHL.com's overall ranking) because of the holes in the Kings' top six. Projected lineup Tanner Pearson -- Jeff Carter -- Tyler Toffoli Dustin Brown -- Anze Kopitar -- Michael Cammalleri Adrian Kempe -- Nick Shore -- Marian Gaborik Kyle Clifford -- Nic Dowd -- Trevor Lewis Derek Forbort -- Drew Doughty Jake Muzzin -- Alec Martinez Paul LaDue -- Christian Folin Jonathan Quick Darcy Kuemper