April 2007 Archives

On Monday, I'll be putting in a call to Jeff Solomon, who handles the Kings' contract negotiations and salary-cap issues. Feel free to post or e-mail any questions you might have for him and I'll get answers, but please remember that it's hard for guys like Jeff to answer questions about specific negotiations if those negotiations are still taking place. I'll be talking to Jeff about Teddy Purcell, the kid the Kings just signed out of Maine, because, as a reader just pointed out below, Purcell seems to be a late bloomer who attracted a lot of attention. I know Scott Parse remains a topic of interest and there have been a couple questions about Brady Murray. Beyond that, feel free to offer any questions. I'll post the transcript of the call sometime Monday night.

The Kings today signed forward Teddy Purcell, out of the University of Maine, to an entry-level contract. Purcell, 21, had 16 goals and 27 assists in 40 games as a freshman this season and ranked third on his team in both categories.

Team USA opened the World Championships with an easy victory over Austria. Jack Johnson -- wearing the No. 3 he sported at the University of Michigan -- had one of Team USA's 47 shots on goal. Johnson had no goals, assists or penalties and it's not possible to tell, from the box score, how many minutes he played. USA plays Belarus on Sunday. Michael Cammalleri and Team Canada play tomorrow.

As a reminder, Manchester will try to end its first-round AHL series against Worcester tonight. The Monarchs lead the series 3-1 and play at home tonight.

Manchester failed in its bid to sweep Worcester and will try to close out the series in Game 5 on Friday in Manchester. In Game 4, Worcester's Tom Walsh scored his second goal of the game 12 minutes into the third period to break a tie and give the Sharks a 3-2 victory. Jason LaBarbera made 34 saves and Matt Moulson and Patrick O'Sullivan scored for the Monarchs.

In the QMJHL, Lewiston has advanced to the championship series after a sweep of Rouyn-Noranda. In the other semifinal, Cape Breton leads Val-d'Or three games to one. Lewiston won Game 4 by a final of 4-3. Jonathan Bernier had 27 saves and Marc-Andre Cliche had one goal and one assist.

Once again, the IIHF World Championships begin tomorrow. Team USA (with Jack Johnson) plays Sweden at 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time. For those interested, it seems that you can pay $4.95 to watch all of the tournament games via webcast at http://web.wcsn.com. I've never tried the site, so I can't say how reliable it is, but it's an option. Canada (with Michael Cammalleri) plays Saturday.

Sorry folks, I know it's been a few days between updates here but I've been here in Phoenix covering the Lakers since Saturday night so life is a bit hectic. But for those who haven't found the info elsewhere, here's a bit of a recap of how some of the Kings' prospects are faring.

Manchester is up 3-0 in its first-round AHL series against Worcester and can wrap up the series Wednesday. In Game 3 on Saturday, Jason LaBarbera stopped 26 shots in a 5-0 victory. Brian Boyle scored his first goal, and the Monarchs also got goals from Noah Clarke, Marty Murray, Patrick O'Sullivan and Matt Ryan.

Here (link) is a story from NHL.com on Boyle.

Lewiston is up 2-0 in its quarterfinal QMJHL series against Rouyn-Noranda. Game 3 is today. In Game 2 on Saturday, Lewiston won 7-4. Jonathan Bernier stopped 26 of 30 shots and Marc-Andre Cliche had one assist.

Starting Friday, we'll be able to keep track of Michael Cammalleri (Canada) and Jack Johnson (USA) in the IIHF World Championships in Russia.

In addition, Anze Kopitar led Slovenia to a first-place finish in its pool at the Division I World Championships. Slovenia finished 5-0, scored 29 goals and allowed five. That means Slovenia will move up to the IIHF World Championships (the big show) next year.

John Zeiler scored with 48 seconds left in the second overtime and Manchester beat Worcester 4-3 to a take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. Jason LaBarbera, in his first game back after a knee injury, made up for lost time as he saved 44 of 47 shots in 99 minutes, 12 seconds on the ice. The Monarchs also got goals from Tim Jackman, Patrick O'Sullivan and Matt Ryan. Oleg Tverdovsky had three assists, including one on the game winner. Game 3 is Saturday night in Worcester.

As I type this, Manchester is in overtime, tied 3-3 with Worcester in Game 2 of the first-round AHL series. Jason LaBarbera is back in goal for the Monarchs.

Things are a bit hairy these days, as I've been drafted to cover the Lakers during the playoffs, but I got a very helpful e-mail today from reader Darren, who has tracked down the playoff progress of several Kings prospects. Thought you all would appreciate the update he provided:

For Lewiston in the QMJHL, through two rounds:

Marc-Andre Cliche: three goals and nine assists in eight games.
Jonathan Bernier: 8-1 record, 2.42 goals-against average, .917 save percentage

In the OHL, London is playing Plymouth in the second round.

David Meckler (2006 draft, fifth round): 14 goals and six assists in 12 games for London.
Ryan McGinnis (2005 draft, sixth round): Four assists and 33 penalty minutes in 10 games for Plymouth.

Thanks, Darren...in addition, Lewiston opened the QMJHL semifinalsFriday with a 4-1 victory over Rouyn-Noranda. Cliche had two assists and Bernier stopped 16 of 17 shots.

Manchester won Game 1 over Worcester, 5-2. Oleg Tverdovsky had one goal and two assists (yes, really) and Peter Harrold, Petr Kanko, Marty Murray and John Zeiler had goals. Jeff Likens had two assists and Barry Brust stopped 27 of 29 shots. It was a messy game, with a combined 16 minor penalties. Game 2 is Friday in Manchester.

At the moment, Manchester leads 3-1 late in the first period behind goals by Peter Harrold, Oleg Tverdovsky and John Zeiler. To tie up a couple loose ends, Brian Boyle is indeed in the lineup tonight and Barry Brust is in goal, so Jason LaBarbera's knee is still an issue. As a side note, the game is being officiated by Jamie Koharski, son of NHL ref Don Koharski.

The American Hockey League playoffs get underway Wednesday, with the Manchester Monarchs playing in one of the three Wednesday games. Sixteen teams make the AHL playoffs and they're seeded in four divisional brackets. Manchester, which finished with the most points in the Atlantic Divison, will play fourth-seeded Worcester in the best-of-seven series. The Monarchs finished with the second-most points in the AHL this season, behind the defending champion Hershey Bears.

Here's a look at the playoffs, with the teams' affiliations added:

ATLANTIC DIVISION
No. 1 Manchester (Kings) vs. No. 4 Worcester (Sharks)
No. 2 Hartford (Rangers) vs. No. 3 Providence (Bruins)

EAST DIVISION
No. 1 Hershey (Capitals) vs. No. 4 Albany (Hurricanes, Avalanche)
No. 2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Penguins) vs. No. 3 Norfolk (Blackhawks)

NORTH DIVISION
No. 1 Manitoba (Canucks) vs. No. 4 Grand Rapids (Red Wings, Oilers)
No. 2 Rochester (Sabres, Panthers) vs. No. 3 Hamilton (Canadiens, Oilers)

WEST DIVISION
No. 1 Omaha (Flames) vs. No. 4 Iowa (Stars, Oilers)
No. 2 Chicago (Thrashers) vs. No. 3 Milwaukee (Predators, Oilers)

Manchester will be trying to win a first-round series for the first time in its six-season history. For those wondering, Brian Boyle has been playing center for the Monarchs, but that doesn't necessarily preclude him from playing defense next season, wherever he plays. You can bet Boyle will get a long look at the prospects camp.

It seemed to be only a matter of time once Boyle agreed to an ATO with Manchester, and now it's done. Brian Boyle signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Kings today. I'll cut and paste the release below.

The U.S. team for the World Championships will be announced at noon today, and the team will include Jack Johnson. As previously posted, Dustin Brown was selected for the team but had to decline the invitation because he was scheduled to undergo minor mouth surgery.

The Monarchs finished the regular season with a 1-0 overtime loss to Providence. Yutaka Fukufuji took the loss but saved 29 of 30 shots. In his second game, Brian Boyle did not record a point and had two shots on goal. The Monarchs, the top seed in the Atlantic Division, will open the playoffs with a seven-game series aginst Worcest. Game 1 is Wednesday at Manchester.

In addition, Jason LaBarbera has won the Harry ``Hap'' Holmes Memorial Award this season for lowest goals-against average. This is the second time in three seasons that LaBarbera has won the award.

Boyle made his debut with Manchester tonight in the Monarchs' 4-1 victory over Worcester. He had a minus-1 rating, took one shot and drew a minor penalty for roughing. Unfortunately that's about all you can tell from the boxscore, and I wasn't about to pay six dollars for the webcast of a minor league hockey game. Six dollars? It does look as though Boyle played forward, because the Monarchs had six defensemen in the lineup. He was definitely playing forward at the time of the goal, because Kemp and Tverdovsky were also on the ice.

For those who asked about a contract, and specifically why Boyle didn't sign an entry-level contract, Gann basically gave you the answer in a comment below. It's because the Kings want Boyle to play in Manchester, and he wants to play there as well. The fact that he's in a Monarchs jersey right now should tell you that an entry-level deal isn't far off, and might already have been agreed to in principle.

Brian Boyle signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Manchester Monarchs, which will allow him to join the team even though he has yet to officially sign with the Kings. The Monarchs have two games remaining in their regular season before the playoffs begin next week.

Jack Johnson, by all indications, has officially been selected to play for Team USA in the IIHF World Championships. The roster will be announced Monday, but on its website, USA Hockey features a picture of Johnson and says he will be included in a conference call after the team is announced. That's what you would call strong circumstantial evidence...

There were a couple things in the Union-Leader that I thought might be of interest to Kings fans. First, defenseman Jeff Likens, a college teammate of Joe Piskula, is performing well for the Monarchs and all but assured himself a spot on their playoff roster, according to coach Mark Morris.

The paper also made note of potential line pairings for the Monarchs, and a number of the names will be familiar to Kings fans:

Noah Clarke-Marty Murray-Tim Jackman
Lauri Tukonen-Patrick O'Sullivan-Trevor Lewis
Petr Kanko-Jeff Giuliano-Matt Ryan
John Zeiler-Gabe Gauthier-Matt Moulson

Sounds like a pretty good group, as far as the AHL is concerned.

Also, Jason LaBarbera apparently will be able to play in the playoffs

It's time to look at the Kings' goalies. Fill in your own punchlines below. Going back for one moment, thanks to a couple readers who pointed out that defenseman Peter Harrold is actually a restricted free agent this summer because of some fine print in the CBA. Now on to the goalies:

BARRY BRUST (2-4-1, 3.70 goals-against average)
Contract status: Restricted free agent
It's impossible to blame Brust for his struggles with the Kings. He's an AHL goalie at best who was thrust into a difficult situation. He had his moments with the Kings, although they were fleeting, and he has put up solid numbers in the minors, so hopefully he won't be too scarred by his experienced here. But with young goalies Jonathan Bernier, Jon Quick and Jeff Zatkoff all sitting in the Kings' organization, I'm not sure how much of a future Brust will have in L.A. The internal competition could be tough to overcome in the next couple years.

SEAN BURKE (6-10-5, 3.12 goals-against average)
Contract status: Free agent
Signed as a stopgap measure, at the height of the Kings' injury problems in goal, Burke provided an immediate boost but then showed why he was a 39-year-old goaltender playing in the AHL before the Kings grabbed him. Burke allowed at least three goals in each of his last 13 full games and lost his last 10 decisions. There's really not much analysis needed. At his age, Burke is capable of having a good game now and then, but his skills are eroding, as they do for every goalie at some point. Give him credit for lifting spirits in February, and pat him on the back for a solid career, but it's pretty much finished.

DAN CLOUTIER (6-14-2, 3.98 goals-against average)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
Looking back, it's easy to see that there was something wrong. Early in the season, even in preseason, Cloutier was shaky early in games and had problems defending the near post. He never looked like his former self, the guy who one had a 2.27 goals-against average in Vancouver. I'm not convinced he was physically ready to start the season. I'm not sure why the Kings thought it was worth giving him a two-year extension before he played a regular-season game. I'm also not sure why they didn't keep Jason LaBarbera around as a third goalie until Cloutier proved he was OK (which, of course, he never did). So it started bad, and got worse when the hip condition was discovered. Cloutier is, by far, the most important King going into next season. He should be 100 percent physically. If they can get him turned around mentally and keep him focused, he could be solid. Otherwise he will be a $3.1-million anchor.

YUTAKA FUKUFUJI (0-3-0, 4.37 goals-against average)
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent
Take what was said about Brust, and multiply it by two. Fukufuji wasn't even ready for the AHL this season, yet found himself in the NHL because of injury problems. Fukufuji's debut was fun, and got some attention because of his status as a Japanese groundbreaker. But I don't see much of a future in the NHL for Fukufuji. He showed some decent instincts but he's listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and, well, he's neither. He might serve as a decent depth guy for the organization, but don't count on seeing him in the NHL.

MATHIEU GARON (13-10-6, 2.66 goals-against average)
Contract status: Free agent
In two seasons, I never quite figured out Garon. There were times when I was certain he was on the verge of grabbing the No. 1 goalie spot, and then he immediately fell on his face or got hurt. Here's what I conclude from that: some guys are just better as a 1-A or backup goalie. They thrive in the role and things start to fall apart a little when they get the No. 1 spot outright. Garon might be in that category. He might. I'm not sure, and he might go to another team and prove me wrong. But it just seemed as though he had the capability to be brilliant in short bursts, but perhaps he's not the guy you want to rely upon for 70 games. From talking to him at the end of the season, I got the impression that Garon will move on, even if the Kings want him back.

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Even though he didn’t play for the Kings, it’s worth noting that Jason LaBarbera had a MVP-caliber season in the AHL and that he’s a restricted free agent this summer. Unless a major shakeup in goal takes place -- and I wouldn’t be stunned by that, knowing how frustrated Dean Lombardi has been -- I would fully expect LaBarbera to be on the roster next season, maybe even as the No. 1 goalie. It’s also worth noting that in the middle of the season, there were discussions about brining Bernier out of juniors to the NHL. Ultimately they decided against that, but it speaks to how desperate the situation was. So here’s the (brief) recap of the contract situations:

SIGNED THROUGH NEXT SEASON (OR BEYOND): Dan Cloutier
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Barry Brust, Yutaka Fukufuji, (Jason LaBarbera)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Sean Burke, Mathieu Garon

Again, thanks to everyone who has read and commented on the team analysis stuff. One of the fun things about doing this is getting some responses from readers who can add things that I have overlooked or just plain don't know. Along those lines, I wanted to share an e-mail I got today from a reader, who reacted to my analysis of Brian Willsie, which was mostly critical.

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It's not like I'm a supporter of Brian Willsie, but your analysis felt a bit incomplete to me. You identified that his overall minutes and shifts per game didn't change much from the year previous, which is true, but there was one key factoid you missed that might better explain his sharp decline.

With the Capitals
* 4 minutes 19 seconds of powerplay time per game.

With the Kings
* 43 seconds of powerplay time per game.

With Washington he played 82 games and had 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points. Of that he had 21 powerplay points with 8 goals and 13 assists, so at even strength he only had 11 goals and 9 assists.

With the Kings he played 81 games and had 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points. Of that he had 4 power play points with 2 goals and 2 assists, so at even strength he only had 9 goals and 8 assists.

The powerplay served as his bread and butter with the Capitals -- accounting for nearly half his 41 point total
from 2005-2006. So you take that away and he's exactly what Kings fans saw this season, a 20 point player. So it
might not really be a regression so much as Willsie merely being consistently mediocre, you could say.

A lot of people have been asking about Brian Boyle, and I've been holding off on posting anything until I heard something definitive, but unfortunately there's not much definitive to say. Word out of the Kings' camp today is that negotiations with Boyle have begun and that they're hopeful of getting a deal done. It doesn't seem that anything is imminent. The Jack Johnson deal took about three days to get done, but there was a sense of urgency there because both sides wanted to see him in the NHL before the end of the season. Boyle's comments in the Union-Leader indicate that he would like to play in Manchester this season, but it's far from crucial for either side. Boyle has talked about finishing his studies, so that's another factor.

Jeff Solomon, the Kings' director of hockey operations, is handling the talks, as he usually does. Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall are keeping tabs, but both are headed to Russia for the World Championships and to keep an eye on the Kings' interests overseas. This also means that my sit-down with Hextall and/or Lombardi has been delayed a bit, but will take place when they get back in town.

Thanks for the good reaction over the last couple days on the analysis. Today we'll get into the defensemen:

ROB BLAKE (14 goals, 20 assists in 72 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
When a player reaches his late 30s, it's probably time to start grading on a curve, but it's tough with Blake because those of us in Los Angeles remember the youngster who dominated in the mid- to late-90s. Those days are gone. There were plays Blake made (or more accurately, didn't make) that made me cringe throughout the year, especially considering his $6-million salary, but he remains a solid defenseman, a power-play threat and, perhaps most importantly, a mentor for Jack Johnson. Hopefully for the Kings, Blake's level of play doesn't slip again next season.

KEVIN DALLMAN (1 goal, 9 assists in 53 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
What you think of Dallman probably depends upon your expectation level. If you're thinking of him in terms of a top-four defenseman, you'll be disappointed. If you think of him in terms of a guy who can give a team a few solid minutes a night, he's not bad. He hasn't shown much offensive ability -- even though he's versatile enough to jump up and play forward if needed -- and he's not very big, but he moves the puck pretty well and doesn't take a lot of penalties. Ideally, he's a sixth or seventh defenseman.

PETER HARROLD (0 goals, 2 assists in 12 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
I know there's some debate about Harrold. Kings brass thinks pretty highly of him, and thinks he might be able to step into a lineup spot next season, but some fans are skeptical. It's hard to say. He didn't show a ton in his 12 games with the Kings, but remember that he had been out of college for just a few months and was an undrafted free agent. To go from that to cracking a NHL roster in his first pro season, well, he must have been doing something right. The book on Harrold is that he's a solid all-around player, and he showed some decent offense in Manchester. We'll probably get a better look at him next season.

JAMIE HEWARD (2 goals, 6 assists in 19 games with Kings)
Contract status: Free agent
He's a nice guy, but honestly I didn't see much here. The main upside to Heward is supposed to be his offensive game, and when he arrived there was talk of how he would help the power play, but as you can see from the numbers above, it didn't really happen. To Heward's credit, it's tough to join a team in midseason and feel comfortable, but it's not a stretch to think that the Kings can find a better replacement on the free-agent market this summer. Heward is doubtful to return, in my opinion.

JACK JOHNSON (0 goals, 0 assists in 5 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
Who? Is there a guy named Jack Johnson who people are interested in? Well, under any circumstances, five games is not sufficient time to judge someone, particularly because Marc Crawford gave Johnson essentially no instruction, by design. He didn't talk much to Johnson about his philosophy, or even what they wanted to get done on the power play. He didn't want to mess with Johnson's head. He wanted him to play with instinct and just get a feel for the game. So if Johnson looked a little lost out there at times, that's probably why. Now, did I see anything eye-popping from Johnson in those five games? No. But I also didn't see anything to make me question whether he will be a great NHL defenseman. The skills are there, but they need to be molded. He's a great skater with a great shot and great instincts. Those five games helped him immensely, from a familiarity standpoint, and he should benefit from training camp as well.

AARON MILLER (0 goals, 8 assists in 82 games)
Contract status: Free agent
A year ago right now, I honestly didn't know if we'd ever see Miller on the ice again. He'd gone through so much with his back, and the hip surgery seemed like a last resort. Well, it was, but it worked. Here's what I have to say about Miller: there are many nights when I didn't notice him. And that might sound like a slap, but it's actually a solid compliment, because I shouldn't notice him. Miller's game isn't built on offense, so you're not going to notice him in that end, and if you notice him in the other end, it's probably because he made a mistake. He exceeded my expectations this season and I wouldn't be surprised if the Kings brought him back on a one-year deal to be a steady veteran defenseman.

JAROSLAV MODRY (0 goals, 8 assists in 19 games with Kings)
Contract status: Free agent
I'm still trying to figure out how he ended up with a plus-1 rating with the Kings. If somebody has the answer, fill me in, because right now I'm thinking he did it with smoke and mirrors. I'm well aware that Modry is at the bottom of the ``most popular'' lists when it comes to all-time Kings, so avoid the temptation to jump all over me when I say that Modry wasn't awful. Perhaps my expectations for him were so low that
he was better than I expected. That said, there's not a place for him on this team next season. The same issues that plagued him during his first stint with the Kings are still there, and he was a throw-in on the part of Dallas in the Norstrom trade.

JOE PISKULA (0 goals, 0 assists in 5 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
Piskula is another guy, like Harrold, who is intriguing. I was a bit surprised to see him in the NHL this season, and he got sent to the bench when Jack Johnson arrived because I don't believe the Kings wanted two college kids in the lineup at the same time, but Piskula is going to run into the same problem next season. If Harrold makes the team, are the Kings really going to have Johnson, Harrold and Piskula, three kids, making up three-sevenths of their defensive corps? Doubtful. Unless Piskula has a brilliant summer and training camp, I think it's more likely that you'll see him in Manchester, for at least one year.

OLEG TVERDOVSKY (0 goals, 4 assists in 26 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
Well, that didn't work out too well, did it? Tverdovsky had a minus-10 rating in his 26 games and really didn't do anything to show he deserved to be in the NHL, which is why he cleared waivers and got sent to Manchester in February. The Kings would do backflips if they could get his $2.5-million salary hit off their roster next season, so don't be surprised if a deal is worked out for Tverdovsky to quietly go back to Russia, or something along those lines. Either way, it's almost certain he won't play for the Kings again.

LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY (18 goals, 40 assists in 69 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
No player has been hurt, on an individual basis, more by playing on a bad team than Visnovsky. On a better team, he would be an annual Norris Trophy candidate, or he would at least be in the discussion. The fact that he managed a plus-1 rating on a team this bad says everything you need to know. Well, not everything, because he also totaled 18 goals and 58 points. Consistency was a bit of a problem for him in the early years, but those days are gone. Everyone saw how things fell apart for the Kings (even more than they had) when Visnovsky missed the last couple weeks with a broken foot. He's a top-level offensive defenseman and at age 30, still has a number of quality seasons remaining.

MIKE WEAVER (3 goals, 6 assists in 39 games)
Contract status: Free agent
I'd put him in the same category as Kevin Dallman. If you're not expecting too much from Weaver, you might get a pleasant surprise. It's doubtful that he's ever going to get much better than he is, and his skill set is very limited. He's a guy who will bump people and mix it up, but is that really worth a roster spot? He's a good guy in the dressing room and might be worth keeping as a seventh defenseman, in that sort of role. It's odd. Marc Crawford made Weaver a healthy scratch for much of the season, but later in the year, when Weaver got some action, Crawford had some good praise for his game. Maybe he will get another one-year contract.

And here's a recap of the contract situations:
SIGNED THROUGH NEXT SEASON (OR BEYOND): Rob Blake, Kevin Dallman, Peter Harrold, Jack Johnson, Joe Piskula, Oleg Tverdovsky, Lubomir Visnovsky
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT: None
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT: Jamie Heward, Aaron Miller, Jaroslav Modry, Mike Weaver

Coming up tomorrow: Goaltenders.

At the risk of turning this into the Monarchs blog, I thought people might be interested in the fact that Trevor Lewis has scored two goals in his three games (edit: actually, four games) with Manchester. Doesn't seem as though the jump to the AHL has bothered him much. On Tuesday, Barry Brust saved 29 of 30 shots to beat Portland. Speaking of not having problems adjusting to the AHL, Scott Parse has two goals and four assists in six games with Grand Rapids. Thanks to reader Joey for dropping me a note on this.

Here's the second part of the analysis of the Kings' forwards. If you missed the first part, scroll down a little:

JAMIE LUNDMARK (7 goals, 2 assists in 29 games with Kings)
Contract status: Restricted free agent
Lundmark didn't get much of a chance with Calgary. In 39 games this season, he averaged 8 minutes, 37 seconds of ice time and totaled just four points, all assists. When he arrived in the trade that sent Craig Conroy to Calgary, he didn't receive much attention, but quietly went about putting together a solid two months with the Kings. At age 26, he could be a late bloomer. At one point, because of injuries, he was the Kings' No. 1 center. He did enough to warrant a return to L.A., ideally as a third- or fourth-line center.

ALYN MCCAULEY (1 goal, 0 assists in 10 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
For those who missed Val Bure, he was reincarnated this season in the body of Alyn McCauley. He never really recovered from last summer's knee surgery and after playing 10 games this season, he realized he couldn't contribute, so the Kings shut him down again. Judging by his past, McCauley's two-way play at center might have been a big help for the Kings this season, but we'll never know. If he's back to 100 percent next season, he's another guy who will be filling a third- or fourth-line center spot.

MARTY MURRAY (0 goals, 2 assists in 19 games)
Contract status: Free agent
Murray returned to Manchester in January, and don't count on seeing him in Los Angeles again, unless it's in another team's uniform. It's not that Murray did anything particularly terrible, but he's just a lineup filler. He was a decent passer and a decent defender, but for too long the Kings have filled their lineup with fourth-line guys like this, and given the current depth at forward, Murray is unlikely to return.

PATRICK O'SULLIVAN (5 goals, 14 assists in 19 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
Well, which O'Sullivan would you like to talk about? The one who started the season expecting the NHL to be easy, or the one who came back in January full of passion and ready to prove people wrong? It really was two different seasons for O'Sullivan, and he deserves a lot of credit for maintaining a good attitude when he got sent down in November. Marc Crawford was unhappy with his work ethic, so O'Sullivan spent almost three months in Manchester and returned as a much more complete player, not just a guy who waited for teammates to set him up for goals. His size remains a question, but O'Sullivan has the skill to be a top-six forward. If he maintains his work habits and clicks with a couple linemates, watch out.

SHAY STEPHENSON (0 goals, 0 assists in 2 games)
Contract status: Restricted free agent
There isn't much to say about Stephenson's game. He was only here for a week and I suppose, with his size, he could develop into a regular fourth-line guy. But here's what I'll remember about Stephenson. He's a really nice guy, and he was so excited to be in the NHL. The day before his first game, he was chatting with reporters at the training facility and trying to figure out which helmet to put in his bag. First he went with white, then black, then looked around and realized that he didn't have to pack a helmet. It's easy to get jaded in the media business, but it was fun to watch him. With dark hair and glasses, he could be a Hanson brother.

SCOTT THORNTON (7 goals, 6 assists in 58 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
I guess I expected more. I can't tell you how many nights, when I was trying to figure out the line combinations for The Hockey News, I just plain forgot that the line of Thornton and Brian Willsie had been on the ice. Thornton, a penalty-taking machine in his early years, has improved his discipline considerably since then but he's still prone to taking a bad penalty at an inopportune time. He's a big body who can cause problems in the defensive zone, and he's a respected guy in the dressing room, but for $1.5 million a season the Kings need more scoring, and seven goals doesn't cut it.

LAURI TUKONEN (0 goals, 0 assists in 4 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
The Kings seem to think Tukonen has a high ceiling. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, because I didn't get to see much of him in person, but his minor-league numbers have been less than overwhelming. He had 14 goals in 62 games in Manchester last season and 13 goals in 58 games this season, so it's hard to see how those numbers are going to translate into great success in the NHL, but who knows? Tukonen certainly has the body type to develop into a power forward, and he's certainly young enough -- he turns 21 in September -- to improve, so I'll be very interested to see how he progresses next season.

BRIAN WILLSIE (11 goals, 10 assists in 81 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
The Kings didn't make a big investment in Willsie -- he got a two-year, $1.7-million deal last summer -- but I have to believe they expected more for their money. Again, like Thornton he's a decent guy and a solid locker-room type, but he regressed from the 19 goals he scored with Washington last season, and not because of a lack of ice time, as Willsie was a regular on the Kings' third line. He totaled only one goal and one assist in his first 17 games, and three of his goals came in a four-game spurt in March when the Kings were already hopelessly out of the playoff race. Again, it's tougher to judge guys who play a two-way game, but the Kings need more offense out of him.

JOHN ZEILER (1 goal, 2 assists in 23 games)
Contract status: Restricted free agent
This analysis has been filled with guys who are described as third- or fourth-line pluggers, and Zeiler fits into that category as well, but something about his game intrigued me this season. I think he might be able to develop the style of game somewhere between Ian Laperriere and Sean Avery. The comparison isn't going to fit exactly, because Zeiler is different from both of those guys, but Zeiler is a guy who seems to relish that fourth-line, ``get in there and cause problems'' role. He's not big enough to put fear into opponents, but he's got a lot of energy and I'm wondering if he showed the Kings enough to get a contract this summer.

So that's that, 19 forwards. To sum up, here's a quick list of contract situations:

SIGNED THROUGH NEXT SEASON (OR BEYOND): Derek Armstrong, Dustin Brown, Alexander Frolov, Gabe Gauthier, Raitis Ivanans, Anze Kopitar, Alyn McCauley, Patrick O'Sullivan, Scott Thornton, Lauri Tukonen, Brian Willsie
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Michael Cammalleri, Jamie Lundmark, Shay Stephenson, John Zeiler
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: Noah Clarke, Tim Jackman, Tom Kostopoulos, Marty Murray

Coming up tomorrow: Defensemen.

Since the playoffs start tonight (sorry to bring up a sore subject, Kings fans) I figured I'd see what everyone was thinking, as far as who will be lifting the Cup in a few weeks. It's more wide open than I've ever seen it. In the West, I honestly believe everyone except Calgary has a shot, and I eliminate the Flames only because they've been so bad on the road this season. In the East, Buffalo has been the gold standard all season, but all it takes is one hot goalie to end that.

I'm going to go with San Jose taking out Vancouver in the West finals and New Jersey edging Buffalo in the East. Then I'll take the Sharks to bring the Cup to California for the first time. Really though, you could make a case for any of about 12 teams, and I wouldn't argue with you.

Here are the votes I submitted for the NHL awards. Not sure if I'm supposed to make them public, but oh well.

Hart: Roberto Luongo
Norris: Nicklas Lidstrom
Calder: Evgeni Malkin
Byng: Kristian Huselius
Selke: Samuel Pahlsson

The hardest choice, by far, was the Hart. I went back and forth between Luongo, Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin Brodeur. I didn't have a Vezina vote, so maybe that influenced my decision to pick a goalie. Ultimately I just thought Luongo made his team better than any other single player improved his team. I thought hard about Scott Niedermayer for Norris but Lidstrom had an outstanding year. I gave Kopitar a second-place vote for Calder and a place on my All-Rookie team.

The second part of the Kings' forward analysis will be posted soon.

Jason LaBarbera hurt his leg last Saturday -- this being hockey, that could mean anything from a bruised hip to a broken toe, although I believe it's a knee issue -- and is considered week to week. That's a big blow for a Manchester team that has designs on an AHL championship. The AHL playoffs start one week from tomorrow. Barry Brust has had a solid 2.49 goals-against average in Manchester.

As for more reinforcements, it wouldn't be a surprise to see both Brian Boyle and Marc-Andre Cliche in Manchester soon. Cliche is now under contract and now that the NCAA season is over, the Kings are free to sign Boyle. They're not expected to have the same types of problems with him that they've had with Scott Parse. Here's what Boyle told the Union-Leader on Sunday:

``I haven't been contacted yet (by the Kings), but I just arrived home after the (NCAA championship game) loss and spending time with my family. I expect to hear from (the Kings) this week. I really want to get back on the ice because I love playing and it will kind of take my mind off of what happened last night. I'd hate to see my studies go to waste and it would really benefit me to complete my final semester. Guys like Peter Harrold, Ryan Murphy, Jeff Giuliano and Brendan Buckley have kept me up to date. Physically, I'm fine and I'm looking forward to playing in Manchester. The building (Verizon Wireless Arena) was good to us (Boston College in NCAA Northeast Regionals) and I know the fans love their hockey up there. I can't wait to play again.''

The Kings will pick fourth in this year's Entry Draft. Chicago, which finished with the fifth-worst record in the NHL, won the lottery and will pick first even though the Blackhawks had only an eight percent chance of getting the top pick. Philaldephia picks second, followed by Phoenix and the Kings.

As promised, here is the first-ever Daily News Offseason Roster Analysis. OK, it's not that official, but it makes it sound that way, doesn't it? Anyway, it's just a way to keep track of who's coming back, who's (potentially) leaving, who's improving or getting worse and what the roster might look like next season. I'll start with the forwards. These are all the guys who played at least one game with the Kings this season and are still on the roster, as of the end of the season. Since there are 19 forwards, I'll break this down into two parts:

DEREK ARMSTRONG (11 goals, 33 assists in 67 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09
There can be debate about where Armstrong should play, and how many minutes, but there's no doubt that he's an important part of this team, particularly in the dressing room. Given all the young forwards on the Kings' roster, Armstrong is looked at as the elder statesman (even though he's only 33) and an outstanding dressing-room leader who the kids look up to. The Kings demonstrated their belief in Armstrong when they signed him to a two-year extension in February and prevented him from reaching the free-agent market. He's never going to have great speed or a great scoring touch, so don't expect it.

DUSTIN BROWN (17 goals, 29 assists in 81 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
The biggest statement this season came from coach Marc Crawford, who said he believes Brown can score 30 goals in a season. The way he finished, with four goals in his last nine games, suggests Crawford is correct. It's two things with Brown: it's a confidence issue, because he needs to have a better nose for the net and create opportunities for himself, and it's a product of him being a big hitter. The Kings don't want him to lose that part of his game, but they need him to add more offensive aggressiveness so that he can develop into the top-six forward that many believe he is.

MICHAEL CAMMALLERI (34 goals, 46 assists in 81 games)
Contract status: Restricted free agent
Given that Cammalleri is on the market this summer (somewhat, as a RFA) he picked a good time for a breakout season. This is probably the year that Cammalleri gets a multi-year deal, and it will be a good test of the Kings' commitment to him to see how contract negotiations go. Remember, this is a guy who former coach Andy Murray wasn't sure could be a NHL player, and that was just 18 months ago. Cammalleri had an injury-free year, and that's important because some questioned whether, at his size, he could ever been a top-level NHL forward.

NOAH CLARKE (2 goals, 0 assists in 13 games)
Contract status: Free agent
This is the third consecutive season that Clarke has gotten a brief look at the NHL, and although he has the potential to be a serviceable winger, it's probably not going to happen for him in L.A. He turns 28 in June, and although there have certainly been some late bloomers out there (Derek Armstrong) for one, the youth and depth on the Kings' roster at forward indicates that if Clarke is going to get a chance in the NHL, it's going to be elsewhere.

ALEXANDER FROLOV (35 goals, 36 assists in 82 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2009-10
Frolov continues to be a riddle wrapped in an enigma. He scored 35 goals yet all the talk about team MVP was between Michael Cammalleri and Lubomir Visnovsky. There's a reason for that. Even though Frolov had a 35-goal season and didn't miss a game, he's still yet to develop the ``wow factor'' that most thought he would display by now. It's there at times, and when it is, Frolov is something to see, but that game-to-game consistency is still a bit lacking. In one way, that's a positive. If he can score 35 goals and still leave people thinking he can do better, maybe better is in store. He still needs to be stronger on the puck.

GABE GAUTHIER (0 goals, 0 assists in 5 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09 (entry-level deal)
Five games isn't much of an evaluation period, as Jack Johnson supporters will tell you. Can he get better? Sure. Gauthier is only 23 years old, but he has an inherent size disadvantage and he's not particularly fast. He does have some offensive skill, as he showed at the lower level, but if he ever cracks the lineup it will probably be as a fourth-line guy, and those kind of guys are quite plentiful.

RAITIS IVANANS (4 goals, 4 assists in 66 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2007-08
I'll say this much about Ivanans. He's the one guy who, when he walks through the dressing room, I get out of the way, quickly. Ivanans was a good find for the Kings, and they recognized that when they signed him to a one-year extension in March. Ivanans knows his role. He's a fourth-line guy who will be called upon to drop the gloves, but in this new-era NHL, nobody can be one-dimensional. At times, Ivanans will swoop down to the crease and knock in a goal. He's a solid guy who fills his role capably.

TIM JACKMAN (0 goals, 0 assists in 5 games)
Contract status: Free agent
In the interest of full disclose, I admit that I'd forgotten Jackman played with the Kings this season, never mind in five games. Hard to say what the future holds for him. He's a big guy and he has the potential to cause problems for opponents if he evolves into a power forward, but I'm not sure the offense will ever be there.

ANZE KOPITAR (20 goals, 41 assists in 72 games)
Contract status: Signed through 2008-09 (entry-level deal)
The Great Slovenian Hope (at least as far as the Kings are concerned) came through with a strong season, especially considering he was 19 years old and had never played professionally on North American ice. There were times that he was good and times that he was downright dominant. Kopitar is already a top-line forward and will continue to improve, particularly on his work without the puck. Otherwise, it's a just a matter of smoothing out some rough edges, and the Kings should have themselves a franchise player.

TOM KOSTOPOULOS (7 goals, 15 assists in 76 games)
Contract status: Free agent
The Kings face an interesting situation with Kostopoulos this summer. His offensive potential is limited but he's beloved in the dressing room. When the Kings took Jack Johnson on his first road trip, Kostopoulos was his roommate. How much is that worth? Kostopoulos will draw offers from other teams, because he's a responsible, team-first guy, but how much are the Kings going to fight for a seven-goal scorer?

That's all for now, otherwise this post will be a mile long. Stay tuned for the other half. As always, you're encouraged to give your own comments about these guys.

As expected, the Kings have assigned Patrick O'Sullivan, Lauri Tukonen and John Zeilier to Manchester for the end of the AHL regular season and playoffs. It will be interesting to see how O'Sullivan performs back in the AHL. He took a big step forward when the Kings recalled him in midseason, so now he should be able to resume his strong play against weaker competition.

I know I said the roster analysis would begin today, but it will be tomorrow instead, since I find myself at Dodger Stadium today writing two stories.

It's funny how a six-month season, which seems so long and daunting in October, can go by so quickly. At least those of us, reporters and fans alike, who suffered through some bad hockey this season were rewarded with an exciting finish, as Anze Kopitar scored the game-winner with 53 seconds left and the Kings beat the Coyotes 3-2. I'm sure there were more than a few chuckles at the fact that Jeremy Roenick's penalty contributed to the game-winning goal.

The Kings will finish with the third-worst record in the NHL, which matters only for draft-lottery purposes.

I'll step away from all this tomorrow, and on Monday I'll start a position-by-position analysis of the Kings' roster, in its current form. We'll take a look at each position, where it stands now, where it will stand come free-agent time and what needs to be addressed. In a few weeks, we'll get into draft stuff and pick Lombardi's brain a bit about that, and then free agency will be right around the corner. Also, hopefully next week I'll sit down with Lombardi and/or Hextall and get a bit of a debriefing regarding their thoughts about the season. The summer will go fast.

Here's a couple quick thoughts on today's game, in no particular order. Feel free to add your own.

-- I forgot to mention this to Aaron Miller today, but a couple weeks ago, when I pointed about that he had yet to miss a game, he threatened (jokingly...I think) to cause me bodily harm if he should happen to get hurt. Well, Miller's season (and my limbs) remained intact. He made it through 82 games, as did Alexander Frolov. That has to feel good for Miller, who had gone through so much frustration over the previous three seasons with his various injuries.

-- When the Coyotes had their little dust-up with Mathieu Garon late in the game, who was the King who got five minutes for fighting? Jack Johnson. Very interesting. I take two things from that: 1) he wants to show that he's not going to get pushed around in the NHL and 2) he wants to prove something to his teammates, that even though he's gotten a lot of attention in a brief time, he's a guy who's going to put the team first. Good move on Jack's part.

-- How about the Kopitar bookends? He started the season off with a second-period goal against Anaheim and finished it with the game-winner in the last minute. He finished with 20 goals, a solid total for a 19-year-old who had never skated professionally on North American ice until this season. He had a good season and he still has a very high ceiling. I'm already interested to see who his linemates might be next season.

-- A quick Manchester update. Trevor Lewis scored his first goal on Friday and today, Jason LaBarbera had to leave the game with what seemed to be a knee injury. Check the Union Leader tomorrow for details on that.

-- Thanks to everyone who made this a fun and productive season, particularly Mike Altieri, Jeff Moeller and company. Life in the front row of the press box would be drab without Steph, who always appreciates a good blog plug, and Mike, who abandoned us to become a radio star. And thanks to you, the readers, for finding this page and for all your support and comments. We'll try to make it a successful summer as well.

The Kings just released their list of award winners from this season:

(As voted by media)
Most Valuable Player: Michael Cammalleri
Best Newcomer: Anze Kopitar
Outstanding Defenseman: Lubomir Visnovsky
Defensive Player: Derek Armstrong

(As voted by Kings players)
Most Inspirational Player: Tom Kostopoulos
Unsung Hero: Tom Kostopoulos

(As selected by Kings Care Foundation)
Community Service Award: Derek Armstrong

(As selected by Kings Booster Club)
Most Popular Player: Anze Kopitar

In the interest of disclosure, the media awards went exactly the way I voted. I think you could make a strong argument for Visnovsky being MVP, but otherwise I thought the choices were pretty obvious.

It was revealed last week that Michael Cammalleri will represent Canada at the IIHF World Championships, which begin April 27 in Russia. Cammalleri said that after Saturday's season finale, he will return home to Toronto for a couple weeks and then head to Helsinki for a short training camp.

Dustin Brown said he was offered a spot on the U.S. team but had to turn it down because he will be undergoing minor mouth surgery shortly after the season ends. Brown was on the U.S. team that lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden last year.

Then there's Anze Kopitar, who will represent Slovenia at the Division I World Championships. That's a tournament one notch below the other event. The tournament has two six-team groups, and the winner of each group will move up to the IIHF World Championships in 2008. Slovenia is considered a favorite in Group B, in which it will compete against Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania and Romania, and has a home-ice advantage since the Group B games will be played in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

``Everybody expects us to win it,'' Kopitar said. ``It's going to be fun to go home and play.''

Dan Cloutier accompanied the team on its recent road trip and got in some significant on-ice workout time. After the game in Vancouver, however, Cloutier took a detour to Colorado, where he was examined by hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon. Cloutier passed a ``sports-specific test'' that will allow him to accelerate his workout program.

``I'm pretty much cleared to do everything at this point,'' Cloutier said.

Cloutier is examined every six weeks, and if he chooses he could share flights with Rob Blake, since Blake had his hip surgery done in Colorado today. I asked Cloutier if he was certain he would be 100 percent for training camp.

``It's hard to say right now,'' Cloutier said. ``I'm actually pretty close to 100 percent as we speak, but am I going to be 100 percent in training camp? I think so but I don't know what's going to happen.''

That's not a very reassuring quote if you're the Kings, but at the same time, it's hard for Cloutier to feel definitive about anything. He thought he would be 100 percent for the start of this season, but clearly he wasn't. So the wait-and-see approach is probably the most prudent. For now, Cloutier said he will focus on intense summer workouts.

``I'll definitely be on the ice a lot but I will take it slow,'' Cloutier said. ``There are a lot of guys I like to work with in the summer, and I'll be skating a lot, but at the same time I don't want to go all out, because I'm still coming off surgery.''

It looks as though Patrick O'Sullivan, Lauri Tukonen and John Zeiler will be headed back to the Manchester after tomorrow for the AHL playoffs. As expected, Jack Johnson will not go. He said today that he will stick around Southern California for a week and get a chance to explore the area, then head back to Michigan for classes. There was never any serious thought that Johnson would play for Manchester.

I'll link to a couple articles from the Union-Leader, whose writer, Kevin Provencher, does a great job of covering the Monarchs. Kevin writes about the possibily of the Monarchs moving (slim) and the Kings establishing a top-level minor-league team on the West Coast (slimmer) and there's some fun stuff in there about LaBarbera. It seems he's become quite a hit in Manchester, and that's no surprise. I've missed having him around the dressing room this season because he's such a fun guy to talk to.

Monarchs president quells move talk
Counting down to a clinch