Monthly Archives: April 2008

Player evaluation: Willsie

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BRIAN WILLSIE

This season: 53 games, 4 goals, 8 assists, minus-8 rating.

Positives: Never to be confused with a dynamic goal scorer, Willsie is at his best when he’s playing a defense-first, energy-line role. His strong work ethic and responsible two-way play give him value, and he didn’t complain when often made a healthy scratch.

Negatives: Showed some goal-scoring potential early in his career, but it never really materialized. Willsie is solid at several aspects of the game, but not really spectacular at any one thing. That makes him versatile but not particularly valuable.

Looking ahead: Willsie has probably run his course with the Kings, but should be able to find an energy-line role with a NHL team. He’s good around the net, but won’t attract significant attention unless he finds a way to put more pucks in nets.

Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.

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Player evaluation: Tukonen

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LAURI TUKONEN

This season: 1 game, 0 goals, 0 assists, even rating,

Positives: Despite some ups and downs in his pro career thus far, he’s still a part of the Kings’ plans and it’s easy to forget that he’s still only 21 years old. When he’s playing consistently well, Tukonen uses his size to get to the net and is strong on the puck. He has the potential to play on a scoring line.

Negatives: Tukonen is about to complete his third season in the AHL and still hasn’t make a significant impact. His goal totals have actually decreased, from 14 to 13 to 9. Consistency has been a major issues, and the other parts of his game aren’t quite strong enough to make up for a lack of offensive production.

Looking ahead: It’s time for Tukonen to make a statement. Given the strong depth at the forward positions in the Kings’ system, he runs the risk of getting buried if he doesn’t make himself stand out soon. The talent is there, it seems, but he needs to show something next season.

Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $885,780 next season).

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Player evaluation: Thornton

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SCOTT THORNTON

This season: 47 games, 5 goals, 3 assists, plus-1 rating

Positives: When healthy, Thornton was a responsible two-way player, capable of providing gritty play. At times, could be one of the few players with the desire to mix it up a little bit. A respected locker-room leader, Thornton never expressed frustration at his situation, which included injuries and limited ice time.

Negatives: Injuries took their toll on Thornton, along with the general complications of being a 37-year-old player. Never the fastest player, Thornton had slowed down considerably and, at his best, had become a fourth-line winger by the end.

Looking ahead: Those looking for Thornton in September will have to search bike trails. Thornton, who is a cycling enthusiast, has said he is almost certain he will retire after 17 NHL seasons.

Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.

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Player evaluation: Purcell

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TEDDY PURCELL

This season: 10 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, plus-2 rating.

Positives: Got only a brief taste of the NHL, but that experience should pay off later, when he cracks the NHL lineup for good. Purcell totaled 25 goals and 58 assists in 67 games with Manchester, oustanding numbers for a first-year professional player. There’s every reason to think that Purcell’s offensive skills will translate to the NHL

Negatives: There’s the lack of NHL experience, but every young player goes through that. In general, Purcell will have to show, on the NHL level, that he’s not just a one-dimensional player. Adding some bulk to his 6-foot-3 frame will help in that quest.

Looking ahead: Last summer, Dean Lombardi had Purcell penciled in as a potential top-line winger. At the time, that seemed optimistic, but given Purcell’s tremendous success in the AHL this season, it no longer seems like a huge stretch. Purcell will have every opportunity, this summer and during training camp, to earn a spot on the Kings’ roster.

Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $1.35 million next season).

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Player evaluation: O’Sullivan

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PATRICK O’SULLIVAN

This season: 82 games, 22 goals, 31 assists, minus-8 rating.

Positives: O’Sullivan’s improvements have been well-documented, and he deserves a ton of credit from transforming himself. Once a top prospect, he was in danger of falling out of favor with the Kings, but he worked himself into a role as a top-three forward. O’Sullivan developed into a strong defensive player and began to fulfill his great offensive potential.

Negatives: There’s a lot of excitement about O’Sullivan’s season, and rightfully so, but it’s wise to remember that he still has plenty of room to improve. This season was a strong start, and he should only get more comfortable playing alongside Anze Kopitar (if the Kings keep him there) but O’Sullivan will need to take another step forward next season.

Looking ahead: If O’Sullivan can continue on this upward path, the Kings have a keeper. After some initial questions, O’Sullivan proved himself to have a good attitude and a strong desire to win. He certainly has the ability to be a top-six forward for years to come.

Contract situation: Restricted free agent.

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Manchester update

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The Manchester Monarchs concluded their regular season Saturday and are now preparing for a first-round series against the Providence Bruins, starting Wednesday in Providence. The Monarchs finished with 88 points, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, while the Bruins finished first with 117 points.

Here’s the series schedule. I found it interesting that the series goes 2-2-2-1. Providence gets four of the first six games at home, but the seventh game would be at Manchester. Interesting setup…

Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 16 – Manchester at Providence
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 18 – Manchester at Providence
Game 3 – Sat., Apr. 19 – Providence at Manchester
Game 4 – Mon., Apr. 21 – Providence at Manchester
*Game 5 – Fri., Apr. 25 – Manchester at Providence
*Game 6 – Sat., Apr. 26 – Manchester at Providence
*Game 7 – Mon., Apr. 28 – Providence at Manchester

Here’s today’s story from the Union Leader:

Monarchs Insider

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Player evaluation: Nagy

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LADISLAV NAGY

This season: 38 games, 9 goals, 17 assists, minus-2 rating.

Positives: In spurts, Nagy showed the offensive creativity that led the Kings to give him a one-year contract last summer. He’s still a creative offensive player with good hands, and had be been able to stay healthy, he might have been a 20-goal scorer, a plateau he reached in each of his first three full NHL seasons.

Negatives: He couldn’t stay healthy. A neck injury took Nagy out of the lineup in mid-January and he never returned. Injuries played a big part this year, but Nagy’s goal totals have decreased every season since 2003-04, from 24 to 15 to 12 to nine. Even when healthy, he probably produced at a level a bit lower than the Kings expected.

Looking ahead: Given his neck injury, and Dean Lombardi’s hint-dropping about bringing more prospects into the fold, it seems highly unlikely that the Kings have Nagy in their plans as a top-six forward next season. If he’s healthy, he will get a contract from another team and might be able to rebound.

Contract situation: Unrestricted free agent.

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Player evaluation: Murray

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BRADY MURRAY

This season: 4 games, 1 goal, 0 assists, minus-2 rating.

Positives: Murray made his biggest strides during the summer and during training camp, when he impressed with his strong skating and work ethic and earned the No. 4 center role. Murray appeared in only four games with the Kings and, typical of a coach’s son, he played an intelligent game and was a bright figure in the dressing room.

Negatives: Size — Murray is listed at 5-foot-9, 180 pounds — will always be an issue for him to overcome, as will injuries, it seems. Beyond that, does Murray have enough offensive upside to justify giving him a roster spot compared to other prospects. If he makes it in the NHL, it will be because of his grit, not his scoring touch.

Looking ahead: Murray will probably enter training camp in roughly the same position as last year. He will have a chance to earn an energy-line role, but the competition will probably be even more fierce this time.

Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $942,400 next season).

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Player evaluation: Moulson

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MATT MOULSON

This season: 22 games, 5 goals, 4 assists, plus-2 rating.

Positives: There is some potential here. Moulson got bounced back and forth, between Los Angeles and Manchester, four times this season, but he managed some quality play in both leagues. In just 57 games with the Monarchs, Moulson totaled 28 goals and 28 assists. He seems to have a solid all-around game.

Negatives: Does he have top-six forward potential, and can he bridge the gap between the AHL and the NHL? There are a lot of players who put up strong numbers in the AHL but can’t make it translate to the NHL. Moulson’s challenges are to prove he belongs and prove that he deserves the ice time that might go to a younger prospect. Moulson could help his cause by packing on a little more muscle.

Looking ahead: This is a crucial time for Moulson. It’s very possible that he can take a step forward and earn a spot on the NHL roster, but if he doesn’t, he runs the risk of being pigeonholed as a talented AHL player who doesn’t have the chops to move up. The opportunity should be there for Moulson to earn a third- or fourth-line role.

Contract situation: Restricted free agent.

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Player evaluation: Kopitar

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ANZE KOPITAR

This season: 82 games, 32 goals, 45 assists, minus-15 rating.

Positives: Almost too many to list. After an excellent rookie season, Kopitar played all 82 games and improved his numbers in almost every category. By all accounts, he’s a hard worker, a good teammate and a potential team leader. On the ice, he’s creative, strong on the puck and has tremendous vision and great hands. What else is there?

Negatives: Someone would have to be fairly creative to come up with a major negative in Kopitar’s game. Kopitar’s main challenge will be to continue to improve, make his teammates better and fill a team leadership role.

Looking ahead: Kopitar is the Kings’ unquestioned No. 1 center, and the only remaining question is, “How good can he be?” It’s almost shocking to think he doesn’t turn 21 until August. His ability to play at a high level will be crucial if the Kings are to

Contract situation: Signed through 2008-09 (cap number of $955,867 next season).

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