Season wrap-up

deadlines deadlines deadlines! this article is remarkably quick. thanks for the free preview

Cammalleri did miss most of the season due to injury, so let's not beat him up over those numbers, 80 to 47.

Awesome read, Rich.

I'm writing pretty much the same thing (not text, the story idea) for my school paper.

Rich, I think you mean the Kings will NOT enter next season with a clear No. 1 goalie.

Good article.

The goalie situation should improve, as LaBarbera, Ersberg and top prospect Jonathan Bernier will be in the mix, but for the fourth straight season, the Kings will enter training camp with a clear No. 1 goalie.

Did you mean "without" a clear No. 1 goalie.

Whoops! Thanks for the correction there, folks. I made the change.

I've never ever bet against the kings yet but I think I just might tomorrow. A win for the ducks would ensure home ice and a loss for the kings might mean a 50 50 chance at the number 1 pick. It seems like the best bet of the day, but it feels very immoral.

Hey Rich,

Back in the pre-season, when we were all trying to divine how well the Kings were going to do this year, I made a comment somewhere in which I coughed up a lame little algorithm which basically said, take the number of goals from Handzus, O'Sullivan and Calder and multiply by two (or something) and that's how many points the kings will finish with. That's not exactly it, and I've been trying to search the blog to find the post/comment. The problem is, your little blog search thingie returns only errors for me, both in Safari and Firefox. Is there any way for your blog tech guru or whoever to dig it out at your end, or point me to a better way to search? I'm dying to know how wrong I was, and going through each post manually has proved to be too much work ecven for an OCD person such as myself. Thanks, in any case.

quisp...here's your comment from September:

``I expect (and will enjoy) another log-jam from 5th to 10th at the end of the year. Honestly, I think the question should be, will the Kings be a part of that log-jam. I think they will. Whether that means landing at #5 or #10, it's impossible to predict meaningfully. But I think they will be there. Wishful thinking has me guess they will be #7 and play Anaheim in the first round. Kopitar will lead in points. Brown might give him a run for his money, if he collects assists from Kopitar and Cammy all year. In goal? Bernier. 50 games. Also, I predict the Kings' final point total will equal the number of goals this year by the following five players: Nagy, Handzus, O'Sullivan, Calder and Murray. i.e., if the three veterans have career years (25 goals apiece) and the rookies get 20 and 10 each, that's 105 points. If they crap out (15 goals apiece for the veterans, 10 and 5 for the rookies) that's 60 points. Short version, if those guys are good, the team will be good. If they suck, look out below.''

I think it might have been take goal totals for O'Sullivan Nagy and Handzus and double the total to arrive at Kings final point total. Which I think would be 74. And the Kings are at, what, 71 now? Of course, who knows what I really said.

Uh, yeah let's do hold Cammalleri accountable, because after the first 10 games he pretty much disappeared from the scoresheet.

When Cammalleri isn't scoring he isn't doing much of anything else.

Rich - I believe that Carolina was eliminated from the playoffs tonight...

Rich, great read. ONE CORRECTION - as of right now, Carolina sits out of the playoffs in the 9th position. Washington jumped up to the 3 spot with the Hurricane's loss tonight. If the Caps win or get into overtime tomorrow, they are in and Carolina stays home.

One point I would like to make about this is that I don't see it as a step backward. True, the Kings are lower in the standings but they increased their points and wins total (in fact, they out-perform the last place teams of the last couple years by 10-15 points.) I would say that this team is better than last year. Even out 7 goalies are better than the group they used last campaign. Sure, it's a half-baby-step forward, but it is better than going backwards. Going backwards would have been trading a couple of the young guys for Darcy Tucker, or something equally as ludicrous.

cammy plain and simple stopped working. go back and watch the first month of the season against vancouver in B.C. He scored a goal wher he worked his ASS off to get to the front and beat the D-man to the loos puck. I just dont see the desire.

He'll be a free agent a year from now, so conventional thinking tells me he'll have a pretty good year, considering he's got a lot to prove if he wants a good contract (years, location and $$$ of course).

Maybe it's a confidence thing, or intimidation after that minor scrap he got involved with in nashville that bruised his ribs. He's a tough little guy and from what Rich tells us he is a very competitive, firey guy.

Playing with the kids next year, purcell, moulson (who is so much like luc robitaille its stupid. the kid just sniffs the front of the net like a k-9) and boyle etc. He's got one more year to prove himself, in an important year nonetheless, so lets see...

I agree that the season has been a step backwards but I have to note that the Kings have 5 more wins and 3 more points than last season with another game to play. Weird, huh?

The theme of the team has been how much young talent they have, and THN just rated the King's as having the 5th best prospects in the league. Pretty good I must say...not to turn them into NHL players....

Rich, this is the first year I have had the benefit of reading your blog. I now wish I had heard about it sooner and I honestly think it's a "must read" for any Kings fan out there. It's amazingly thorough and constantly provides excellent information.

Thanks for everything you, Matt, Don, Jill and everyone else on your team has done.

How much young talent do they actually have in
Manchester would be my question especially on
defense. Last year Monarchs
had 110 points and cruised
into the playoffs and this
year they are in a struggle
for the last spot.Off last
year's Manchester team how
many players played a full year in LA. I came up with
Jason Labarbera. So if there is so much talent down there why has there been such a big drop off
in standings?

Ah, well, clearly I was way off. Except in the sense that in general Handzus, Calder and Nagy sucked and the Kings tanked. Also interesting that my definition of the veterans "crapping out" was fifteen goals apiece, and they managed 9,7 and 7, therefore merely aspiring to my definition of crapping out.

i think everyone has to come to understand that it is very likely that the kings will not make the playoffs next year. what drastic changes will occur to suddenly make this team a bona fide playoff team? given this, i think the kings are better served next year by not making the playoffs with the manchester kids filling out the 3rd and 4th lines than not making the playoffs with vets. Sprinkle the kids in with Zeus, Calder, Ellis, and Ivanans. injures always happen so there will be even more opportunities for the kids to step in. Dean, there comes a time when all mother birds have to say "start flapping your wings because i'm kicking you out of the nest into the mean, horrible world" and then see what happens.

while not yet tops in the game, i would put our top 5 against any other team's top 2 lines. going into next season the 6th spot isn't that big of a concern compared to the D and goalie positions. it'll either be stamkos if drafted, or armstrong. granted most don't like him as the 2nd line center, but that's an issue that can be addressed 2 or 3 seasons from now. the team won't sink or swim next year because of who the 2nd center is.

goalie - 1) re-sign Ersberg; 2) bite the bullet and buyout Clouts; 3) let Ersberg, Labs and Bernier battle it out. it'll even be interesting to see how the minor league goalie spots are filled.

D - i really see no change. if blake returns, 5/6ths of our horrid D will return. even if we get a physical UFA, who we don't have to grossly over pay, why will it be better? dallman, harrold, preissing, and lubo are small and/or too soft. a top D-man drafted this year will take 2-3 yrs to develop. don't count on any UFA to be our lifeline. and there are no clear D-men in manchester who are even close to being nhl ready (too many question marks with them). i would let dallman walk, harrold becomes #7, klemm (or another physical D) and preissing as 5/6. and a UFA/trade to fillout the top 4 with blake, JJ, and lubo. it'll take a couple of seasons before the D looks worthy of being in the top half of the league.

Scratch my earlier comment as either Washington or Carolina will claim the last Eastern Conference berth. Sorry about that...

Given that the kings don’t have a top four defensive prospect in their organization coming up next year. It does not mean that we can write them off from making the playoffs for next season. One area that this team struggled all year long was chemistry. There was very little chemistry on any of the lines. I think for next season the kings can go with Kopitar, Brown, and Boyl. Boyl can open the ice with his size and specially camping in front of oppositions crease. Kopitar and Brown can have more room to work with. And if we by some luck land Stamkos. Then the kings can have a legitimate second line with Frolov, Purcell and Stamkos. Now you have a balanced scoring. Where, the opposing team can not concentrate on Kopitars line entirely. It was a given fact that, if you want to stop the kings. Stop Kopitars line. By having more balanced scoring the kings should enjoy a better year than the one they had this year.

Bruce: it's the last berth, but it's the third seed. Weird, huh?

Anonymous:

I hope Armstrong is long gone by next season.

On D: If Blake signs at a discount, as everyone seems to think he's going to, that's Blake, "Lubo," JJ, Preissling (sp), and TWO NEW FACES, some combination of our first pick this June (if it goes that way), a UFA, and someone big and mean gotten in a trade for #13.

I'm hoping Cammy is traded either for a big proven d man or for someone's super-high first round pick. But either way I will be shocked if there aren't at least two big ass-kickers acquired during the summer.

(I'm wondering, though, if Lombardi has consciously written off at least part of Crawford's mobile D philosophy; there had been a concerted effort to bring in mobile d in lieu of stay-at-home types like Miller and Nordstrom; is Lombardi going to roll back part of that strategy? to what degree will crawford's hands be tied?)

we almost certainly have seen the last of thornton, who will retire. Nagy won't be back (that was a one year contract, right?). Handzus I kind of have a soft spot for, even though he has had a shitty year. Calder? I hope he's gone.

Moller, Boyle, Moulson, Purcell...(and hopefully Simmonds the following year), they could all make the roster next year.

I would love to see
Brown/Kopitar/O'Sullivan
Purcell/(Stamkos?)/Frolov
Moulson/Handzus/Moller
Ivanans/Boyle/Ellis (eventually, Simmonds)

and no Army, Willsie, Calder, Dallman, Klemm, Nagy...

But that's just me.

p.s. for some reason timewarner has been giving me center ice for free the last couple of days, and the calgary feed has these commercials where they feature an NHL prospect and show clips. One of them was for Hickey, and what they showed was breathtaking. He still looks like he's 12. But damn.

So what Lombardi is saying is:

Crow will coach again and the Kings will finish NEAR last in the HOPES of landing TAVARES, to go along with Stamkos and Kopitar?

That ain't so bad.

"..but now might be the time to go all-in with youth."

I agree with this. I look at Edmonton and they went with YOUTH. They almost clinched a playoff spot. Not bad for a bunch of inexperienced players.

I'd like to see ALL of these guys on our team next year:

Brian Boyle
Lauri Tukonen
Ted Purcell
Matt Moulson
Brady Murray
Peter Harrold
Drew Bagnall
Jonathan Bernier

Bernier made the team out of camp this year. It's not so much that he's THAT good, it's more about Labarbera and Ersberg not being good enough.
Well now Bernier is one year older, probably has some fire in his eyes, and I think will once again out perform everyone to win the starting job.

as far as the kings playoff chances next year, you also have to predict how the other teams will perform. while the kings may have more wins and pts this yr than last yr, they didn't improve as compared to other teams. the good teams remained good and other teams improved more.

of the current playoff teams, who will fall out of the playoff picture? this year to last year only 1 team dropped out (Van) and one entered(Col). last year Col only missed the playoffs by 1 pt so its no surprise they are in it this year. last yr the kings were 28 pts out of it. the yr before last Col and Edm were in, and Minn and Van were out.

who will drop next year? Det, Ana, Dal, SJ will have their spots in the playoffs. Ana and Dal may drop but they won't fall out of the playoffs. So of Minn, Col, Cal, and Nash, maybe one or two drop out. As of today Chi, Van, Edm only fall 3 pts shy of a playoff spot. For as bad as they played at times, do you see any of them getting worse? They will challenge next year. And the kings are only 20 pts out of the finally spot this year. How will they make up the ground? I’m hopeful the kings will make it. But it’ll take a several teams completely tanking it and the kings playing beyond themselves for it to happen.

i agree with the majority of you... but i must formally request that we DONT TALK ABOUT STAMKOS,,, we are TOO close to mondays lottery to JINX ourselves... PLEASE DO NOT PROVOKE HOCKEYS SUPERSTICIOUS GODS!!! PLEASE

Just read Purcell was named rookie of the year in the AHL. Pretty cool. He is definately going to be a bright spot for this team in the years to come.

I think the kings have a shot at the playoffs next season. I won't be stupified if they don't make it, but if we can hunker down and play consistently there's no reason why we can't be fighting for a spot, with or without stamkos. With the addition of Ersberg, if he continues to play so well, our sore spot will be Crawford... whom I felt has been our biggest weakness all season.

It'll take more than a draft pick and a big bruising defenseman to make the players respect him, which I get the sense they don't.

Though it's been a sucky season, sucky hockey is better than no hockey, so I will attend tomorrows game with full enthusiasm, dreading, as always, the long, boring off season.

I may yearn desperately for Stamkos, but I'll never stop saying, GO KINGS GO! (and tampa bay too =P)

regarding metalmaster note why manchester this season is fighting for a playoff spot is because last year they had labarbera for a whole year and he is way to good for ahl. Jason is very good no 2 goalie. regarding next years team so will we see no.7 in the lineup even that most of you dislike him. he will anchor the second or third line. he plays good with frolov. I will not put up any line combinations because we dont know how next years lineup will be. And we cant bring in too many youngsters into the lineup. hope we loose to the quacks and get the no 1 pick. GO KINGS GO

"Brown/Kopitar/O'Sullivan
Purcell/(Stamkos?)/Frolov
Moulson/Handzus/Moller
Ivanans/Boyle/Ellis (eventually, Simmonds)"

I just have 2 problems with this, quisp: First, Moller is not anywhere close to being ready, at least based on what I saw of him at the WJC. Secondly, Boyle and Ivanans should never play on the same line.

For those of you talking about whom the Kings will have on D next year, don't forget the possibility of Brad Stuart returning. He's a FA and loves California.

Carolina isn't in the playoffs...yet. If the Caps get a point tonight, the Canes are out.

Since Dec. 29 (after the Kings' completely awful first 38 games), the Kings have put it together somewhat and played .523 hockey over 43 games (not including the ducks game today). Nashville, in the 8th spot, played .555 over the year. The Kings would have about 86 points, just five back of Nashville, if they played .523 for an entire year. If the Kings can improve a bit on the way they played the last 43 games (which I think are a better barometer of the team's capabilities than the first half or the entire year combined, and further, we didn't even have Stuart, Modry, and JJ for portions of the last 43 games), and keep it together consistently for the entire year, they should be in the playoffs. Given that we should have better goaltending over the next full year than we did over the 43-game stretch (which included several non-NHL-worthy goaltenders), and that we should add somebody or multiple bodies on the back end to improve our defense, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them in the playoffs. Though I also wouldn't be that surprised if they didn't, I would be disappointed, and I now expect DL to ice a playoff team and will be pissed if he fails.

Fitting it's going to end with Mick McGeough flapping his arms like a turkey in heat...

Injuries are certainly not any kind of excuse for poor
team performance this year.
Edmonton and Vancouver are the two teams in west that
were killed by injuries this year. The Kings are not the worst team in NHL
this year but they are
probably bottom 5. Don't
let decent second half
performance blind the fact
that they are a bad team.
Same for Toronto which had
a nice record in second half. If Moulson, Boyle and
Harrold are not up next
season what does that say
about them? It tells me the
organization does not believe they are prospects
and are lifetime AHL'ers.
I do not trust this team
in it's ability to judge talent and use it to get the best possible results.
Ersberg was buried on depth charts and he has
been their best goalie.
Crawford stated on 9/7 that this team was solid on defense and had depth.
I want to know what he was smoking that day and get some.

re moller: yeah, I'm sure I'm guilty of wishful thinking. on the other hand, he was on fire for at least part of this year, and I seem to remember -- maybe on the Hockey's Future site -- them saying or at least implying he was ahead of schedule.

re Boyle: yeah, I'm not really suggesting a line of Boyle/Ivanans/Ellis, but I do think he will make the team and with Kopitar, handzus, (possible #1 over-all pick who can't be named) and Boyle, he just naturally falls to the #4 position. but again, even this contains so many different bits of wishful thinking, I don't know where to begin... excpt to say:

Go Tampa.

Re Moller/Hockey's Future evaluation:

you were right. they anticipate he still has two seasons playing wherever he's playing.

correction: Moller has ONE year of WHL remaining. The Moller summary (when you click through to it) says TWO years, but it's apparently an old post, whereas the main Kings page says one more season for Moller and was updated last month. Here's the link:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/10232/kings_top20_prospects_spring2008/

p.s. note Moller is 5th and Boyle is 6th in their ranking...

It's interesting...

As Bob Miller pointed out today, the Kings finished this season with more points, more wins, more goals scored, and less goals allowed then last year, yet we'd all agree that it felt like we took a step back.

As Bob further mentioned, everyone else in the conference got better as well.

Regarding Cammaleri, sometimes I don't understand Kings fans and the purple glasses they seem to have glued to their head.

When Frolov skates around for 45 seconds with the puck seemingly nailed to his stick, everyone calls him some sort of offensive wunderkint who is the only reason the Kings even scored any goals.

Yet when Cammaleri takes 2 strides with the puck, or HEAVEN FORBID HE SHOOTS, he's a selfish punk who is only interested in his own stats.

Things that make you go hrmmmmmm.......

Annonymous,
another reason why Manchester has less points this year than last year is that they are the youngest team in the AHL as compared to last year when they were the oldest. It's all about the organization getting younger and better.

JDM
I disagree with you as far as Crawford not having the respect of the team. They busted their asses most nights while having no chance to make the playoffs. You don't do that for a coach you don't respect.

Its been a tough year but their were a lot of things to get excited about...especially the development of the young kids. I see a bright future for this team.

Okay, let's pretend we're management and we now get to conduct post-season player evaluations. As far as I'm concerned, only four players get high marks this year: Kopitar, Brown, Frolov and O'Sullivan. If it weren't for this "fab four", there wouldn't be much in the way of positives to point to.

Just about everyone else, with the exception of Johnson as well as the young guys who came in for brief stretches (i.e. Boyle, Moulson, Purcell, Ersberg, etc), can be taken to task for putting together sub-par seasons. Going into next year, they should not feel any sense of security about their jobs.

Cammalleri, in particular, was a huge disappointment. You might remember he started the season on a tear, scoring ten goals in the first ten games. Then he became a non-factor for most of the rest of the season. Granted, he was injured and missed significant time, but he never regained his scoring touch (or anything else) after the first month. He just seems uninspired. A change of scenery may do him (and the Kings) some good.

We're now entering year #3 of the Lombardi/Crawford era, and it's time to see some real progress. At the same time, the reality is that this team is likely to struggle for another year or two (at least) before really turning the corner. But if we're going to keep missing the playoffs, let's do it with a young lineup and let them grow.