Forward analysis: Part 2

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.