Just to tie up a loose end from yesterday, I’m not aware of any complications as far as Rob Blake’s recovery from hip surgery. He had the surgery in early April and faced about three months of recovery, so I don’t believe there will be any issues entering training camp. I haven’t heard about any complications, so he should be fine. I saw Rob at the draft party in June and he didn’t seem to be in any discomfort.
Now, on to Cammalleri. Oh, and just to tie up another loose end, Mike’s agent never returned a call. I made a request, through Kings PR, to talk to Mike and it was respectfully declined. No surprise there, given the circumstances. He will certainly be one of the first players I talk to when training camp opens.
I think everyone is curious to see what type of season Cammalleri will have. I don’t think anyone has to worry about Mike sulking and taking any frustrations from the arbitration process into the season. If anything, as Dean Lombardi said this month, Mike would probably use it as motivation, as he is one of the most fiery competitors on the team.
Cammalleri had a breakout season in 2006-07. He had 34 goals, eight more than his previous high, and 46 assists, 17 more than his previous high. Almost half of his goals (16) came on the power play and he managed a plus-5 rating on an awful team. By almost every measure, it was a successful season. The question is, can he do it again? And beyond that, can he get better?
Cammalleri turned 25 in June and should be entering his prime years. He went through some rough spots early in his career, when he frequently landed in the doghouse of former coach Andy Murray, who took Cammalleri to task for a perceived lack of toughness and consistency. Cammalleri seems to have overcome that, and based on his physical talents there’s no reason why he can’t be a consistently high scorer in the NHL going forward. An 80-point season is nothing to sneeze at, but Cammalleri can stamp himself as an top-level scorer if he improves.
The issue with Cammalleri, as raised by Lombardi and many readers here, is leadership. Can Cammalleri take that next step and become a team leader? It wasn’t so much an issue in the past couple seasons, when guys such as Norstrom, Miller and Conroy were around. Now, it’s time for some of the younger guys to step forward, and Cammalleri’s name is at the top of that list. Lombardi said it himself, in so many words. Goals are nice, but a guy like Cammalleri also has to take responsibility for winning and losing, and now’s the time for that.
Based on what I’ve seen, it’s coming. Under Murray, Cammalleri was a bit bland in public, most likely because he was afraid to say the wrong thing. Last year he seemed to become a bit more confident and is always available in the dressing room to be a team spokesman. That’s important, as far as team leadership. At the end of last season, Mike was very vocal about his optimism for the future and his belief in the young players. That’s the kind of leadership the Kings will need from him, even if this turns out to be another challenging season.
Your thoughts?
