June 2007 Archives
Just got the anticipated call from Lombardi. You'll all be happy to know that he's been ridiculously busy this week, putting together his wish list and working in the ``war room'' to determine how realistic it is.
Any of you who have spoken with Lombardi are well aware of his sense of humor. When I started with a softball question about how he sees things shaping up Sunday morning, he answered with, ``Well, we expect to sign...'' and then ran off a list of about seven top-level free agents. I reminded him that he forgot to mention his offer sheet to Ray Emery.
Lombardi spent some time talking about the new free-agency culture, and how the lowered age has complicated things for GMs and made the signing period unpredictable.
``I don't think any of us know exactly how it's going to go,'' Lombardi said. ``You used to have all the 31-year-old guys out there. In the old days, you didn't have the Scott Hartnells of the world out there in their prime. Then when you give big money to those guys you have to project down the line and what it's going to mean for Kopitar and Johnson.''
I asked Lombardi about the fact that the Kings have been attached to many of the top free agents out there and asked him if it was safe to say that they would be aggressive when the signing period begins.
``When you use the word aggressive, I think it's safe to say that we'll be persuing some of those (high-profile) names,'' Lombardi said. ```That being said, it's all about the right player for the right price when you get to free agency. Sometimes you get into talks and you throw a big (salary) figure out there and you end up saying, `What did I do?' and you have buyer's remorse. You have to take the emotion out of him. On the other hand, I'm certainly not going to sit here doing nothing.''
The Kings are in an interesting situation. They're trying to build with young players, but they also have significant salary-cap room and significant holes to fill. In that spirit, I asked Lombardi about how difficult it was to toe that line, and how aggressive he is about adding free agents to a team that is trying to bring young players into the fold.
``You're constantly running through hypotheticals,'' Lombardi said. ``Ideally, we'd like to be going in with one or two holes to fill, but we have eight holes to fill. We want to be aggressive and fill one or two of them with this (free-agent period) opportunity and then project and say, `OK, this is what it's going to look like in a couple years.' It's almost like you're doing a mock trial.''
Lombardi has talked about classifying free agents as builders and bridges and has said that he would like to add two ``builders'' to the team this summer.
``A builder is a guy who fits in when you're a contender and also fills a hole now, with what you have, and as you fill in your other holes,'' Lombard said. ``A guy like that will still be around when you're a contender. Then with the bridge guys, they help that along. Part of being a contender is you have to learn how to win.''
Then, on to everyone's favorite topic, the goaltending. I wanted to be very careful, and make sure I had a clear understanding of Lombardi's thoughts about acquiring a goalie. And I heard pretty much what I expected to hear, which is that if the correct deal comes along, he would go for it, but it absolutely has to be the correct deal. He's not going to reach, and give up picks and prospects, just for the sake of getting a goalie this summer.
``We'll get a goalie as soon as he's there and we can get him at the right price,'' Lombardi said. ``You'd like to be able to build the team from the back out (starting with the goalie), but it doesn't always happen. We were in on the Vokoun thing but we're not in a position to throw around first-round picks. We're not in that position yet. When the right guy is there for the right price, we'll do it. If it happens tomorrow, we'll do it tomorrow.''
Without prompting, Lombardi brought up LaBarbara.
``Don't underestimate LaBarbera,'' Lombardi said. ``The more I hear about him, the more I like what I'm hearing. He's a guy who can allow us to be at the point where we don't have to give up those first-rounders.''
As for the ever-popular Jaroslav Modry, Lombardi confirmed what most of us basically figured, that Modry would accept a one-year contract. In Lombardi's view, he's a veteran who can bridge the gap.
``We just don't have the young defensemen right now,'' Lombardi said.
That's pretty much it for now. For those who had more specific questions, I apologize, but as fans I'm sure you'd much rather have Lombardi spend his time talking to agents than talking to me. As we head into Sunday, the Kings' cap figure sits at approximately $27 million. It should be a very interesting couple days...
Please keep the four-letter words to a minimum. Just kidding...
Modry got a one-year contract and Jeff Giuliano also signed a one-year deal.
Modry's signing means that Aaron Miller almost certainly has played his last game with the Kings.
Again, I'm supposed to talk to Lombardi today so I'll certainly bring this up.
The NHL announced today that the 2007-08 salary cap will have a roof of $50.3 million and a floor of $34.3 million.
How interesting is it that the Buffalo Sabres are now the most important team in free agency. It's hard to imagine they will lose both Briere and Drury. Briere is in Los Angeles because his agent, Pat Brisson, is based here. Drury also is supposed to spend the weekend in California, so...speculate away!
Well, that didn't take long.
The Kings have tendered qualifying offers to Michael Cammalleri, Peter Harrold, Petr Kanko, Jason LaBarbera, Richard Petiot, Matt Ryan and John Zeiler.
That means Barry Brust, Yutaka Fukufuji, Greg Hogeboom, Jamie Lundmark, Joey Mormina and Shay Stephenson have been cut loose.
I'm mildly surprised that Lundmark didn't get tendered, but other than that it went pretty much as I expected. Anyone surprised by any of this?
In the next couple hours, I expect to have the info regarding which players were tendered qualifying offers by the Kings. Hopefully there will also be some information about the developmental camp. The Kings have been oddly quiet about this.
Seriously folks, I'd calm down about the goalies. It would be much more productive to talk about which two impact skaters Lombardi might go after. I think Dean made a mistake by saying what he did about shopping for goalies, because I've talked to him several times about the situation and got the impression that he'd have to be overwhelmed in order to make a trade. He raised hopes about a deal, probably without intending to. Or perhaps he has changed his attitude since I last spoke with him about it. I'll certainly ask him later this week.
Lombardi made this comment to the Canadian Press at the draft today, in regards to the number of goalies available on the market and the Kings' potential interest:
``There's still some people I'm interested in but if it's not there, we'll do it right and develop our own,'' said Kings GM Dean Lombardi. "But I'm not done shopping.''
The only goalie currently on the market, or at least known to be on the market, who would seem to be a fit for the Kings is Manny Fernandez. That's just my opinion. From what I understand, Risebrough's asking price was pretty high this weekend, and that's why you didn't see the Wild deal Fernandez to someone, as expected. I would still bet against the Kings acquiring a goalie but it's interesting that Lombardi would publicly say he's interested.
Here's the news release from the Kings about today's picks, which also includes some additional quotes from Lombardi and quotes from a couple of the players who were drafted today...
Just got off the phone with Lombardi, who ended up making 10 picks over the two-day draft. I'll give you the comments from Dean and then give thumbnail sketches of the final four picks...
Of course, everyone is still talking about the selection of Thomas Hickey with the fourth overall pick. Lombardi brought it up himself today.
``I found out for sure that he wasn't getting by eight,'' Lombardi said, referring to the eighth overall pick, which was held by the Boston Bruins. ``That's why I knew we couldn't drop down too far.''
As for today, Lombardi gave a proper tongue-in-cheek ``Ask me three years from now'' answer when asked how the day went, but did say he was generally pleased with how the draft turned out.
``The key, for me, is the next step,'' Lombardi said. ``They all have potential. It all depends on how we develop and nurture them. Each one brings something unique to the table but all of them have parts of their game that need to develop.''
The Kings made only one move Saturday, and that was a pick swap that netted them the 95th overall pick, which they used to take defenseman Alec Martinez of Miami (Ohio) University.
``We had a little swap there because we wanted an extra pick in that layer and I was hoping to get a defenseman in that layer,'' Lombardi said. `` We said, `Let's add a player there' and we did and we didn't get sidetracked.''
Lombardi seemed most enthused about the second-round selection of center Oscar Moller, who was ranked No. 20 among North American skaters by Central Scouting. In addition to Moller's skill, Lombardi was highly impressed with Moller's attitude and potential as a team leader. But Lombardi chuckled at the idea that Moller was a ``steal.''
``It's kind of the same as Hickey,'' Lombardi said. ``It looks out of whack. We take Hickey and they say it's a reach. Then this other guy looks like a steal. If Hickey is out of whack, then I guess so is this guy. This kid, as a person, is great. I don't get too caught up in interviews, but I'm going out on a limb on this guy. Everyday you see him, it seems like he never has a bad day. He has all kinds of energy and loves to play. We were impressed by the fact that... it's unusual for a Swede to come over in his draft year. We talked to some of his (Swedish) teammates and we said, `Who's the leader of your team?' and they all said, `Oscar.'''
Here's the last few picks...
FIFTH ROUND, 124th OVERALL
Linden Rowat, goaltender, Regina (WHL)
Rowat had a 2.87 goals-against average in 52 games in his second season with Regina. He was ranked by Central Scouting as the fourth-best North American goalie in the draft, and here's the analysis from Central Scouting: ``A butterfly goalie with a consistent, hard work ethic... plays strong in the crease and challenges the shooter... has quick second-shot recovery... stops the puck well behind the net for his defenders and moves the puck effectively... needs to improve his ability to track the puck through traffic and screens... sometimes over committs to the shooter.''
FIFTH ROUND, 137th OVERALL
Joshua Turnbull, center, Waterloo (USHL), 5-10, 172
Central Scouting had Turnbull ranked 207th among North American skaters. In a recent article, Turnbull said he would play one more year of juniors and then play for the University of Wisconsin. Turnbull had 25 goals and 29 assists in 60 games with Waterloo last season.
SEVENTH ROUND, 184th OVERALL
Josh Kidd, defenseman, Erie (OHL), 6-4, 220
Kidd was ranked 79th among North American skaters by Central Scouting, although seemed to take a bit of a dip, since he was ranked 49th in the mid-term rankings. Kidd had nine goals and 18 assists in 64 games with Erie last season, which was his third season in the OHL. Erie coach Peter Sidorkiewicz told Hockey's Future, ``He's a big kid, but in saying that he's got pretty good mobility. He can skate well, he's got an NHL shot already. I think the biggest thing for him is to play assertive night in and night out. Sometimes he plays in between and I think when he figures out that he's got to play with authority he's very effective. When he starts thinking he just finds himself in between - he doesn't react instinctively.''
SEVENTH ROUND, 188th OVERALL
Matt Fillier, center/winger, St. John's (QMJHL), 6-0, 180
Fillier was ranked 49th among North American skaters by Central Scouting, so it's interesting to see that he dropped this far. In his second season in juniors, Fillier had 18 goals and 18 assists in 63 games, plus 118 penalty minutes so clearly he likes to mix it up a bit. Here's the Central Scouting analysis: ``A hard-working forward... shows leadership and has a steady positive influence on the play... has a physical presence on the ice and is very dependable defensively... needs to improve his consistency around the net.''
That's all, folks. I hope the blog was useful to everyone over the last 24 hours or so. Late next week, I'll catch up with Lombardi again and we'll get into free-agency stuff. In a couple hours, I'm heading out to watch the AEG-owned lacrosse team, the Riptide. I'm told I will love the sport. Maybe the Riptide has a goalie the Kings can borrow...
With their second fourth-round pick (109th overall), the Kings selected center/winger Dwight King out of Lethbridge of the WHL. (By the way, I just looked it up. He would be the first player named King ever to play for the Kings.) King is 6-3, 218 pounds and was ranked as the 104th-best North American skater by Central Scouting. His bio said he patterns his game after Joe Thornton. King had 12 goals and 32 assists in 62 games with Lethbridge last season. He is the brother of St. Louis' D.J. King.
Hockey News thought well of King and had him as their 79th-best prospect. ISS had him ranked 100th.
At this point, I'm going to step away for a while. The Kings are scheduled to make five more picks, so I'll recap them later, plus I'm told Lombardi will do a conference call after the draft concludes, so I'll post his comments then...
Fast and furious here...the Kings made a deal and acquired a fourth-round pick (95th overall) from Washington. They drafted defenseman Alec Martinez out of Miami University. Martinez is 6-foot, 188 pounds and just finished his sophomore season at Miami. He was a teammate of Kings goalie prospect Jeff Zatkoff. Hockey's Future had him ranked as the 12th best NCAA prospect in this draft, with this bio:
Alec Martinez, D
Sophomore, Miami University
6'1 205 lbs.
DOB: 7/26/87 Shoots: Left
NHL Central Scouting final ranking: N/A
2006-07 season: When Andy Greene (NJ) graduated last spring, the RedHawks were left to fill a big hole on their blueline and one player who stepped up was Alec Martinez. The Rochester, MI native helped guide Miami to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and led the team's defensemen in scoring with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists). Most recently, Martinez was one of eight Miami athletes (and the only hockey player) to be named a Strength and Conditioning All-American. Having completed his sophomore season already, Martinez will be 20 in July.
Talent Analysis: The growth and maturity of Martinez from his freshman to sophomore year has allowed many aspects of his game, including his ability to make his defensive partners better, to give glimpses of the tremendous potential that he has. Martinez's increased mass and strength have added power to his skating without impeding the fluidity in his strides or his foot speed. His willingness to shoot more and patience with the puck have helped increase scoring from the blueline. Two of Martinez's biggest improvements have been in his confidence and consistency.
Miami head coach Enrico Blasi's comments on Martinez: "Alec was asked to help fill the void of Andy Greene and he did that very well this year. We wanted him to grow and mature in a way that was beneficial to both him and our program. He's taken on new responsibilities and his attitude has been great. Alec is one of those kids that's smart and listens, and I see him growing even more going into next year."
With their third-round pick (82nd overall), the Kings selected center/winger Bryan Cameron out of Belleville of the OHL. Cameron (5-10, 175 pounds) had 33 goals and 25 assists in 60 games with Belleville last season. Central Scouting had him ranked 43rd among North American skaters and here's his evaluation:
``A skilled forward that plays with grit... is good in front of the net and can handle the puck well in traffic... has good vision and sees the ice well... needs to improve his play away from the puck... needs to be more consistent at both ends of the rink.''
Here's some of what McKeen's Draft Guide had to say:
``He's quite an instinctive player, but he's probably the most bi-polar player in the draft. One night he looks great, and the next night he looks completely out of sync. He's an excellent finisher, he gets into scoring areas and has a quick release. He's supposed to be a great skater and some nights he is, others he's not.''
Here's the transcript of an interview Cameron did with McKeen's:
For those who don't regularly read the Daily News' website, I figured I would provide a link to today's story on the Kings' selection of Thomas Hickey yesterday:
Lombardi turns Calgary native into a King
Here's a couple other stories out there this morning on Hickey:
The Kings' second second-round pick (61st overall) was winger Wayne Simmonds out of Owen Sound of the OHL. Simmonds is 6-1, 162 pounds and had 23 goals and 26 assists in 66 games last season. He was not ranked at all by Central Scouting, but Mike Futa, the new co-director of amateur scouting for the Kings, was the former GM of the Owen Sound team, so obviously he liked what he saw. Here's a story on Simmonds from a paper in Ontario. Seems as though he improved his stock quite a bit this season.
The Kings' first second-round pick (52nd overall) was center/left wing Oscar Moller out of Chilliwack of the WHL. He's 5-10, 185 pounds. Central Scouting had him ranked 20th among North American skaters...six spots ahead of Thomas Hickey. Moller is a native of Sweden and here's what Central Scouting had to say: ``A playmaking forward with a good work ethic... is a two-way player that competes every shift... has good skating ability and vision... anticipates the play well and handles the puck with ease... needs to improve his ability to fight through checks and play in traffic.'' Moller had 32 goals and 37 assists in 68 games in the WHL last season.
Some more scouts' quotes, from McKeen's Draft Guide:
``He's an undersized, highly skilled prospect who plays a strong all-around game.''
``He's good behind the puck, he's good with the puck, he's solid defensively. He's got a great shot, probably his best attribute.''
``He's not very big. Sometimes he doesn't come out with maximum energy level.''
``He is oozing with character and leadership qualities. He lacks speed; otherwise he's a top-end pick.''
That pick was about as popular as the finale of The Sopranos. I was stunned, frankly, but it will be fascinating to judge this pick in a few years, particularly since Alzner, the presumed top defenseman in the draft, was picked immediately after Hickey. In a few years, Lombardi will either look like a genius or...well, fill in your own word. Many of you already have.
Know this much, at least. I'm told that Lombardi and crew watched countless hours of film on these prospects, way more than the previous regime ever did before a draft. And that's not a knock on the previous regime, it's just what I was told. So Lombardi obviously saw something that made him want to take a risk this big. The internal debate, among front-office people, was whether to take Hickey or a particular forward, whose name was not disclosed. Lombardi said he had two or three potential deals that would have allowed him to move down, but they fell through. Take it for what it's worth, but Lombardi said he talked to an executive, one whose team was picking somewhere between No. 10 and No. 13, and that executive told Lombardi that his team would have taken Hickey.
I thought they would take Alzner because I figured they would take a defenseman and I thought they would take a defenseman who was more NHL-ready. Even so, I never thought of Alzner as being a ``Lombardi pick.'' It's too safe, too bland. Lombardi is a risk-taker who seems to enjoy going against the grain, and he certainly did that tonight. It's going to take a while for everyone to determine if he got the second coming of Rob Blake or Aki Berg.
It's a high risk-reward pick. It would have looked a lot better if Lombardi had been able to trade down a couple spots. But Lombardi picked with confidence, so maybe he will get the last laugh.
For now, here's a couple stories on Hickey:
I'll do my best to recap the Kings' picks as they happen tomorrow...
I've have some more stuff later, but I thought I'd post all the quotes before I hit the road. I'll say this much. The reaction at the draft party was pretty similar to the reaction on the blog...
LOMBARDI
``In publications, people might have had him 25 to 30, but there was too much buzz on him. That type of defenseman is hard to find. I kind of drew a line under a certain number and said, `I can’t go below that or I’m going to lose him.’ ... He would have ended up going from 10 to 13.’’
``I had a good interview (with Lombardi) at the combine and I got to know him. ... I'm looking forward to coming to the (developmental) camp.''
``It would have been nice to go down a little lower, but players like that are hard to find. That’s why (Kimmo) Timonen gets seven million. People find value in that kind of player.’’
``When you have a number of players in a certain layer, you lean toward position.''
``If anybody follows my history in terms of defensemen, I like players who can get up the rink in a hurry. I look at this as hopefully being similar to Stuart and Hannan in San Jose. In today's game, guys who can skate and get up the ice are important.''
``Karl is going to play in the NHL next year. He's more mature. Alzner is a very good player and a very safe pick. (Hickey) is riskier but the upside is higher.''
``I came down to two players: one defenseman and one forward. We really microanalyzed it.''
HICKEY
``I definitely was surprised. It’s not something I was waiting for. I was just getting comfortable in my seat. I thought there was a chance (to be picked) anywhere from eighth on.’’
``In a nutshell, I think I’m a two-way player who plays with a lot of grit and character. I started off a slot slow. There was a little more emphasis put on my defense but then I started getting more chances and offense. Our team started doing well and things started clicking.’’
I just learned that the Kings have bought out the contract of Alyn McCauley. That will mean a salary cap hit of $666,667 over each of the next four years. I don't yet have any context on why exactly this was done, although I'm sure it was a health-related issue.
UPDATE: It is indeed $666,667 over the next FOUR years, not two.
The quality of the audio was terrible, so here's Dean's first comments on Hickey.
``He does things that are very hard to find. Not only is he a good skater straight ahead, he's an east-west skater and he can get up the rink in a hurry. In today's games, the guys who can make plays and get it out of your own end, that's critical.''
``We think that with Hickey and Jack Johnson, we have two players who have the potential to be top-four players, similar to when we got Stuart and Hannan (in San Jose).''
``He had started moving up on the boards, and it was becoming clear that in that 8-11 spot, there were teams that were strongly considering him. I had two or three deals that would allow us to move down and get another pick, but I didn't want to move too far backward.''
``He started out slow and in January he started taking off again. He averaged a point per game then started to get better.''
``You can't do what everybody thinks. You have to put your work in and do what you think is best. We've got a good group of young forwards. You add Jack Johnson and a kid like this, at a critical position. I'm pretty excited about this.''
The fans downstairs, and out on the patio, are not pleased. Can't wait to see what Dean has to say about it.
For those who haven't seen it, here's the TSN.com profile on Hickey.
THOMAS HICKEY
Pos: Defence
Shoots: L
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 182 lbs.
Born: 2/8/1989
From: Calgary, AB
Team: Seattle (WHL)
RANKINGS
TSN: 13
CSB: 26 NA
ISS: 17
RLR: 26
McK: 29
THN: 22
The TSN Insider's Forecast: The book on Seattle Thunderbird defenceman Thomas Hickey has pages all over the place. Top 10. Top 20. Top 30. Second-round pick. Take your pick. There is wild divergence on the value of this smallish defenceman with good, if not above average, offensive ability. "Is he an offensive defenceman?" one scout said. "His point totals are okay, not spectacular." He is, however, clearly a good puck mover who in spite of the varied views is expected to go in the first half of the draft, if not the top 10. But if some of the teams in the first half of the first round who like Hickey like someone else a little more, Hickey could slide to later in the first round.
From NHL Central Scouting: A skilled defenseman. Positions himself well defensively and has good anticipation of the play. Able to skate the puck out of the zone and make good outlet passes. Controls the power-play with patience and is smart with the puck. Needs to improve his one-on-one containment out of the corners. Needs to be more consistent with his physical presence.
From ISS: Reminds ISS of a Kris Russell with less offensive ability. However, with saying that, Hickey still has offensive upside. Makes a good first pass out of his zone. Is good in both ends and uses his smarts to overcome his lack of size. Plays as a top four d-man used in all situations. Moves puck well - finds open man and then gets him the puck. Not afraid to battle and if check is there to be made, he will make it.
Year Team GP G A Pts Pim
2006-2007 Seattle (WHL) 68 9 41 50 70
2007 Playoffs Seattle (WHL) 11 3 4 7 4
The restaurant/bar where they're having the party -- The Highlands in Hollywood -- is a really nice place and quite large. I've only gotten lost once so far, and it's a little warm downstairs so we're tucked away in the makeshift media room upstairs.
A couple non-draft items: the new jerseys are in the room, and you'll all be relieved to know that there are no major changes. In fact, the only real change I notice is the removal of the colored stripe at the bottom of the jerseys. The ``Los Angeles'' is still there, but the color is gone. Other than that, it's just a change in fabric.
Also, Nick Nickson is in the room and is doing well. He said he's not quite at 100 percent but he's out and around, so that's a good sign.
The Kings have announced their preseason schedule:
Thursday Sept. 13 vs. Ducks in Anaheim
Saturday Sept. 15 vs. Ducks at Staples
Tuesday Sept. 18 vs. Sharks at Staples
Wednesday Sept. 19 vs. Avalanche in Denver
Saturday Sept. 22 vs. Avalanche in Las Vegas
I'll attach the full release below, as it also includes information on the Vegas game and the London games.
I'm looking forward to the draft party tomorrow. Hope to meet a few of you there.
Just wondering who everyone thought will be picked No. 4 tomorrow, assuming the Kings keep the pick. Not who you'd LIKE to see them pick, but who you THINK will be picked.
I'll go on record first and say Alzner -- presuming the top three are Kane, Turris and vanRiemsdyk -- but I certainly wouldn't be surprised by Voracek either. I'm torn, 60-40, on that one.
So who do you think? Alzner? Voracek? Cherepanov? Ellerby? Or will Lombardi surprise us and go with someone such as Gagner, Couture or Esposito?
Because of the interview-request demand, the Kings chose to have Lombardi do a conference-call interview rather than individual talks, so some of my more specific questions will have to wait, but I will pin him down sometime next week before the free-agency period begins.
I'll provide the transcript of the interview below, but a couple things... First, Lombardi joked that his staff was inside the hotel suite arguing when he stepped away to take the call. He sounded like he was half-joking, and I wouldn't be surprised it there's still some heavy debate about what to do with the pick. The Kings certainly aren't tipping their hand and it will be real interesting to see what they do.
Second, Nick Nickson was on the call, and it was good to hear him up and well. For those who are attending the draft party on Friday, I'm told Nick is scheduled to be there, so it will be good to see him.
OK, here's the transcript. I'm scooping myself here, since my story won't be in the paper until Friday, but hopefully you'll still read it then!
The NHL has announced four rules changes for next season. It's not mind-blowing stuff but a couple of them are interesting. The penalty-shot change is a good one, I think, and I'm curious to see how the faceoff-circle change might impact games. Probably not significantly, but it might in certain situations. Anyway, here's the changes:
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Rule 24 -- Gross Misconduct. The term “Gross Misconduct” was eliminated from the rule book. Any act that would have been assessed a Gross Misconduct penalty will receive a Game Misconduct penalty. Accumulated Game Misconduct penalties can lead to fines or suspension.
Rule 25 -- Penalty Shot. A player may be awarded a penalty shot if he is fouled on a clear breakaway outside his defensive zone (i.e., anywhere in the neutral zone or in the attacking zone). Previously, a penalty shot was awarded only when the player on a clear breakaway was fouled on the attacking side of the center line.
Rule 56 -- Interference. Referees were given discretion to assess a major penalty and a game misconduct when an injury results from an act of interference. Previously, only a minor penalty could be assessed for interference.
Rule 76 -- Face-offs. All face-offs must be conducted at one of the nine face-off dots painted on the rink. Previously, there had been instances, such as when a puck left the playing surface, which caused the face-off to occur on unmarked ice, parallel to the dot nearest the place where the puck departed.
TSN.com's draft stuff is out. They have Karl Alzner ranked as the fourth-best prospect but they have the Kings selecing Alexei Cherepanov in their mock draft.
Also, I got a hard copy of McKeen's Draft Guide. Good stuff. They have the Kings picking Alzner and they also have him as the fourth-ranked prospect.
They also had an interesting breakdown of draft-eligible players, based on their leagues they're coming out of. The categories are: smartest player, best skater, fastest skater, best shot, hardest shot, best body checker, hardest worker, best defensive forward and best hands.
In the WHL, Alzner ranked as the smartest player but wasn't in the top three in any other category. In the QMJHL, Voracek ranked as the No. 2 smartest player, the No. 2 hardest worker and was No. 2 in best hands. In the ``best of the rest'' category, Cherepanov ranked No. 3 in fastest skater, No. 1 in best shot and No. 1 in best hands.
I mention those three since they're the presumed top choices for the Kings if they keep the pick. I'm hoping to get Lombardi on the phone tomorrow for my Daily News draft preview story.
Here's the transcript of the Crawford interview on 570-AM (Lombardi is below, if you missed it a couple hours earlier). Not a whole lot new, since ``The Saw'' -- it always cracked me up when Jim Rome called him ``Evil Uncle Saw'' -- spent much of his time talking about goaltending. That's a subject that's been beaten more than Dan Cloutier.
Marc did have a nice answer about Jack Johnson and had some interesting stuff at the end about the young guys. The audio cut off, so if there was more, I apologize but I wasn't able to hear it.
Take note that Crawford already has Parse in a Manchester uniform. I thought that was funny, since the Kings have been so careful to say that they can't sign him until July 1. Read between the lines there. Deal = done.
Here's what Marc had to say:
On his offseason so far: ``We’ve been working extremely hard at trying to develop the players we’ve got and trying to assess the players that are available in the upcoming draft and also to assess the players that might be possibilities for us in upcoming free agency.''
On the challenges of playing kids: ``It is hard. It is also somewhat rewarding too, because we’re starting to see now some of the benefits of playing people like Frolov and Cammalleri and we’re excited about the future with players like Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar. On defense, we did have some pain in this past year, giving up some quality NHL players for some future NHL players like Jack Johnson. We know that Jack Johnson is going to be a big part of the Kings for a long time to come, so you can see the reward starting to come to fruition now.''
On the future of Jack Johnson: ``He’s got a lot of passion for the game. To play at the level that Rob Blake has played at for a lot of years, well, time will tell, but we think he’s got that capability and he certainly has the passion for the sport. I believe he plays a lot like Chris Chelios. Chris Chelios was a college player, played at Wisconsin, was weaned in the U.S. developmental program and basically has played forever. If we can have Jack Johnson keep developing, hopefully he will be a King forever as well.''
On the goaltending situation: ``You’re always better off if you get the save at the key moment. We have to be honest and say that our goaltending wasn’t where it needed to be last year. We do have some prospects and some great prospects in our organization. (Jonathan) Bernier is going to be a terrific goaltender some day. How long that’s going to take, I hope it’s not going to take very long. Jeff Zatkoff, who’s playing at Miami of Ohio, is a great prospect. Quick, who’s coming to us and probably going to play for our minor-league team this year, he’s a very good prospect. But all those guys, we’ve got to buy some time until they become those premiers NHLers. In the meantime we’re going to be looking at people like Jason LaBarbera, who had a great year in the American League this year. We’re going to be looking at Erik Ersberg, who we brought over from Sweden and who had a great season in the Swedish league and played on their national team in the World Championships. And on top of that, we’re also going to have a healthier Dan Cloutier, and we’re not going to make the mistakes we made last year, where we handed people a position. We’re going to have a battle for that position. We think that’s going to be a positive for the Kings and most of all for our fans. We’re going to do whatever we can to make sure we have the best people, whatever their credentials, in the right positions.''
On Dan Cloutier: ``It was a very trying year for him. On top of the injury that he came back from, the knee injury, last year he had a labrum problem and that really affected a lot of the movement that you need to have in a position where you’re going down on your knees and you’re in the butterfly position. It puts a lot of strain on the body and if your body can’t do it, it’s going to put you in a tough spot. Dan is healthy and he’s looking forward to the challenge. And again, we’re going to do him the best service of all, which is, `Hey, there’s no pressure on you, you’ve got to earn anything to get into the National Hockey League lineup this year, and you’re going to have as much of a challenge as say an Erik Ersberg or a Jason LaBarbera.’ They’re all guys who are going to compete for the position.''
On the future of Mathieu Garon: ``Mathieu is still our property. Does he feel it’s better to stay as a King and keep working his way up the goaltending food chain in our organization or is he better served to go off as a free agent? That will be a decision that Mathieu Garon will have to make for himself. We like Mathieu. We realize that we have to get better at the goaltending position. So he’s a possibility but he’s got options as well.''
On working with young players to get them NHL-ready: ``Manchester is going to serve us extremely well. Last year players like John Zeiler, who we saw for the last 20 games of the season, showed that they were ready to play. We’re hoping that players like Matt Moulson and Trevor Lewis, those kinds of players who played and had a cup of coffee at the American League level, are going to push for jobs. We’ve got some high-end offensive talented players who are going to be starting in Manchester next year. Scott Parse, who was at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and was a top scorer in college hockey, will be scheduled to start there. Teddy Purcell is a guy we signed out of the University of Maine and he’s got big-time offensive skill, along with a guy like Patrick O’Sullivan, who played part time for us. These are all big-time American League scorers and we’re hoping that we make the transition on up. We add to that character people like Brady Murray and John Zeiler and Tukonen. Those types of players are always looking to develop and get a step better.''
Finally got around to listening to a copy of the interviews done yesterday on 570-AM by Lombardi and Crawford. Thanks to reader Mike for providing easy links, and thanks to the person who posted the audio. I transcribed a few interesting parts of Lombardi's interview, and I'll get to Crawford's interview after dinner. (By the way, Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there). Lombardi didn't say anything groundbreaking, which shouldn't come as a surprise just five days before the draft. But here's a couple of the interesting areas he covered. Listening to that just reinforced my thought that the Kings might look to deal that No. 4 pick, IF the right circumstances were in place.
Lombardi also got into the free-agent situation and indicated that the Kings would be interested in two of the ``builders,'' as he called them, top-level free agents who will be around to help the team when it's ready to contend. If I'm a betting man, my guess is Lombardi's wish list includes one defenseman and one forward. As July 1 gets closer, we can talk about what names might be on that list.
Here's some of what Dean said:
On the premise that this is a weak draft at the top: ``I don't look at it as a weak draft, and remember, those picks can be used to move around.''
On what position he might target in the draft: ``It’s a cliche, but it’s still `get the best player.’ Particularly in our game, when you’re drafting 18-year-olds, if you try to get cute and draft by position, you’re going to be in trouble, because by the time that kid is ready... For an 18-year-old, you clearly take the best player.''
Dean's opinion of a couple of the top available prospects... first, Patrick Kane: ``Really talented. The one thing is how elusive he can be with his skating. You’re talking about a guy who can go east and west and turn on a dime. He’s really competitive and my guess is he’s probably the No. 1 pick.''
Next, James vanRiemsdyk: ``Van Riemsdyk is a really big kid, I don’t think he understands yet how good he can become. He’s as big as a power forward. I don’t think he has learned to play power forward yet but he almost has the skills of a small man. He’s got the potential to be the whole package.''
Next, Kyle Turris: ``Turris, he’s going to go to Wisconsin. Smart player, understands the game. He’s got the leadership ability. I think he probably projects as a good No. 2. He’s a guy who’s going to play in your top six, but he has also demonstrated tremendous character. He’s a real skinny kid right now. He needs to fill out so I think two years of college will do him good.''
Next, Jakub Voracek: ``He’s kind of interesting. This kid’s got a lot of talent. He was kind of a little bit of in and out this year. He really played well in the first round of the playoffs and then kind of tailed off a bit. He’s going to fill out. He’s a powerful skater and he’s got some tools, so I’m not sure if he projects in the top three but I think he’s a guy you can probably put in your top six.''
Finally, Alexei Cherepanov: ``Really a horse who’s got a lot of ability. He’s at times been a highlight film. I wouldn’t say it’s in the Ovechkin or Kovalchuk category but he’s got a lot of tools. The one problem you have there now is the rules in the Russian federation and the fact that the Russians are paying huge dollars to keep their players. As good as he is, he throws a bit of a monkey wrench into the analysis because one, you have to sign him or he becomes a free agent after a couple years and two, even if he does want to come over you’ve got Russian teams over there paying three million dollars, tax free. In terms of the player, if he was an American or a Canadian, he would probably be mentioned for the number one pick, but it’s a hard one to gauge right now.''
On the free-agent market: ``We're going to be a player, but we're going to be a player for the right player and the right price. ... When you go into free agency, you've got fillers, you've got bridges and you've got guys you build with. I'm hoping to get one or two guys you can build with, and what I mean by that is a guy that can be here when in fact those young players start to come through the lineup and can still be a part of a contender. Then you've got your bridges, that help the young players that you've got become better players, then your fillers might just be one-year deals. ... What I'd really be happy with is getting one or two guys who might be builders. ... It's got to be the right player and the right price.''
On the challenges of winning with a young team: ``When you're a good team, it's easier to break in the young players because you're not expecting them to get it done. There's not that pressure on them, so when they rise it's like a bonus. ... The problem you have is with the old Islander mode, where they played at their kids at once and then they lost confidence and had to be traded. That's the struggle here. You want to have that core, and then when the kids come up you can put them in a safe role and then if they're ready to produce, great, but if they're not, they're still learning and gaining experience from guys that are winners. New Jersey was notorious for that. They could bring kids in when the spotlight wasn't on them and they could rise on their own volition. That gets harder when there’s 30 teams out there, when there’s a cap out there, but to me that’s the ideal scenario.''
That's all for now. I'll break down Crawford a bit later. Any thoughts?
First of all, a big thanks to all of you. I found out the other day that this blog, out of all the Daily News sports blogs, ranked second in hits in May, behind only Scott Wolf's USC juggernaut. That's ahead of the Lakers, Dodgers and Angels, all of whom were actually PLAYING GAMES in May. So thanks to everyone for their continued interest.
Obviously things are a little slow right now, but with the draft coming up, one week from tonight for the first round, I thought it would be the right time to start throwing some stuff out there. I've gotten a few e-mails, inquiring about who I think the Kings might pick, and I think it could go in a couple different directions.
Assuming that the first three picks go as planned -- Patrick Kane, Kyle Turris and James VanRiemsdyk, in some order or another -- the Kings can go in a couple different directions. If the Kings are thinking defense, Karl Alzner is the probable pick. If they're thinking winger, Alexei Cherepanov, Sam Gagner and Jakub Voracek will all probably be there. What to do? Cherepanov is probably the best raw talent, but the Russian transfer issue is a problem (although hopefully it won't be when it comes time for him to sign).
For what it's worth, the mock drafts out there that I've seen have the Kings taking either Cherepanov or Voracek. Cherepanov is the top-rated European skater in the draft, while Alzner, Gagner and Voracek rank fifth, sixth and seventh among North American skaters. Just going on instinct, I would say it will be Alzner. Why? Only because Lombardi seemed more concerned about his depth on defense than on the wings.
At some point this week, I'll do my best to get some member of the front office on the phone. Until then, here's some stuff:
NHL.com did this article on Alzner and it also includes a nice bio of him.
Here's a feature on Gagner and a couple quick profiles on Cherepanov and Voracek.
Want to judge for yourself? NHL.com has helpful video scouting reports so you can get acquainted with all the top prospects.
FInally, Shane Malloy did some painstaking work on a mock draft. In one week, we'll all get to see how close he came!
I'm told that the Kings cannot sign Scott Parse until July 1. Why? Still not 100 percent sure, but I'll try to get a definitive answer on that. I know there were some rumblings today that a contract got signed. That will take another few weeks, but it's safe to say that things are looking good for Parse and the Kings.
Also, I got it confirmed that the uniform color and logo won't change next season. I've yet to see what they will look like exactly, but if you saw the All-Star Game, you have some idea.
I've received a few e-mails over the past few days, and since a lot of them are on the same subjects I figured I would just answer them here. Please remember, these are NOT Dean Lombardi's answers, they're mine, and they're conclusions I've come to after talking to people in the organization and thinking things through myself.
-- I know there's a lot of support for bringing over Giguere, but I'll be stunned if it happens. The fact that the Kings signed Ersberg out of Sweden tells me that they're going with LaBarbera, Cloutier and Ersberg (if needed). Otherwise, with all the goalies in the system, there's no need to sign a Euro to a one-year deal. Giguere is going to want a long-term deal, and the Kings are going to want to start working their young guys into the fold. Finally, and most importantly, do you really think Burke would let Giguere walk to the Kings? Burke is a savvy guy, and that would be a nightmare for that organization. He will overspend to keep him if it means keeping him from the Kings.
-- Now, if we're talking about Manny Fernandez, who has two years left, then I might be able to see that. That's just speculation on my part, but some speculation is more realistic than other. Regardless, bringing in any goalie (except LaBarbera) would mean buying out Cloutier and I have no indication that the Kings are willing to do that right now.
-- There's been some talk of ``now that the Ducks won, the Kings MUST get better.'' Not so fast. Lombardi has a plan and that involves building the organization from the ground up. He's not going to panic and bring in four big-time free agents just because the Ducks won. You can bet there was some big-time irritation in El Segundo this week, but there's not going to be an emotional reaction on the part of the Kings. Bottom line is, if you believed in Lombardi a week ago, you still should. If you didn't, nothing will change. Don't form your opinion on him based on whether or not he ``reacts'' to the Ducks' victory, because here's your answer right now: he won't.
-- I can absolutely see the Kings trading their first-round pick if the right offer comes. The Kings are much, much higher on the 2008 draft than the upcoming one and at the spot they're picking, there's no can't-miss pick there. And remember, Lombardi made a big splash on draft day last year. When you're talking about trades, or possible free agents, you have to think defense. If you look at the organizational depth right now, defense is a big problem.
-- I'm not aware of any changes to the Kings' uniforms for next season. The change to the Reebok, tighert-fitting sweaters doesn't mean that the Kings will have to change anything in terms of logo or color.
I understand that some of you won't want to read about the Ducks, so if so, this is your cue to move along. In fact, I'll invite you to read my story about the Kings and Ducks, and where they sit relative to each other. That's what you call a shameless plug, my friends.
For those who would like an insight of what it was like after the Ducks' victory tonight, I thought I would share....
Dean Lombardi was kind enough to step away from a meeting to talk to me for a few minutes regarding the story in tomorrow's paper. I got a chance, at the end, to ask him about the prospects who are facing contract deadlines, and I got a couple updates that I thought would be of interest.
Most notably, Dean said progress has been made with Scott Parse, particularly in the last few days, and the Kings now seem optimistic about getting a deal done with Parse. They have until Aug. 15 to finalize a deal.
Also, the Kings will not sign Jan Marek. Instead, they will receive a third-round pick in the 2008 draft.
Negotiations are continuing with goalie Matt Zaba, who also faces a mid-August deadline.
David Meckler is likely to sign an AHL deal.
Ryan McGinnis will re-enter the draft and Joe Ryan will return to juniors.
Those are the names we were able to run through. Time to get ready for Game 5...
The buzz around Anaheim today? It's about the Stanley Cup, yes, but it's also about a report indicating that the NHL might soon expand into Las Vegas, with a team owned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Where's the tie to the Kings? With AEG, of course, which reportedly would be interested in building and/or operating an arena in Las Vegas. Here's a link to the story from the Sports Business Daily.