Player evaluation: Purcell
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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About the bloggers
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews.com.
$1.35 Million for a minor league player. Wow
Our GM is as generous as he is gentle & kind.
I'm pretty sure he has a 2 way contract but that is a lot of money for someone unproven at he NHL level.
Hey Rich,
Is this a 2 way contract.
And if it is, how much will he actually earn in the minors.
Excellent job you're doing.
As always.
Remember.. there was a bidding war for this guy, and Lombardi is the one who came away with him. That should account for the salary figure.
Purcell was a free agent and as such he could go anywhere he chose, therefore some serious money had to be offered because there were alot of GMs after him. Great pickup by Lombardi.
I believe all entry level contracts are two way deals.
is it more than a guy like this is normally worth? of course. was it the right offer in that situation? absolutely.
i look forward to seeing this guy regularly on the ice by New Year's Day.
AHL rookie salaries are less than 75K/year. Can't complain about that.
Great kid, great investment, another shinning piece in the King's youth puzzle.
yes there was a lot of teams after Purcell but he chose to go with LA and Lombardi now has a great young player on his team and I hope that he will get to stay there now and not be sent back to Manchester again.
Purcell is to good of a player to lose.
yes there was a bidding war for this guy and L A should keep him there now so he wont decide to go elsewhere when the time comes to make that decision.