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.