Moller needs bulk
Based on the way the Kings practiced Sunday, it's reasonable to think (although not 100 percent) that Oscar Moller will return to the lineup tonight after being a healthy scratch in Saturday's game. Moller has shown great skill in certain areas, particularly on the power play, but size seems to be an issue. Moller is listed, quite generously, at 5-foot-11 and 182 pounds, and it seems as though one issue for him is strength, and whether or not he can assert himself physically in the NHL. I asked Terry Murray about Moller's development...
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Question: You might not be to the point of thinking about this yet, but when Oscar Moller comes back in September, what do you want to see from him? Does he need to get stronger? Are there certain skills he needs to develop?
MURRAY: ``Well, that will be an exit meeting. I haven't spent a great deal of time thinking about that stuff yet. The one thing that we always ask of young players is to work at, and develop, that explosive quickness skill, and give that a good push in the offseason. That is something, in the first two or three years, that you really have to make your main focus, and then as you go through it in your career, you maintain it. The plyometrics, the stationary hurdles, those exercises are important for hockey players all the time, but they're given a push early.''
Question: Does he need to get bigger, in terms of strength, to play at his level?
MURRAY: ``Yes. He needs to get stronger, yes. Quite honestly, that probably goes without saying for all young players. And that will happen, through maturity. They will get stronger, physically. They're going to continue to work out in the offseason and that will come. But a big push for me, with Oscar, will be the first couple strides, that explosiveness to be able to pull away and protect the puck. He has a lot of the other things that we don't coach, that are instinctive for him.''
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J.P. Hoornstra writes about NHL and IHL hockey for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. He welcomes any and all dialogue on the finer points of hockey.
E-mail J.P. at jp.hoornstra@inlandnewspapers.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.
Vincent Bonsignore is a sports columnist for the Los Angeles Daily News. E-mail Vinny at vincent.bonsignore
@dailynews.com.
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Interesting how TM talks about the 1st steps and having that early quickness to separate yourself from the opposition.
Quite honestly, I've never seen anyone better at that than Doughty. It's incredible how he can separate himself dfrom the defender in 2-3 strides.
Also, anyone have Simmonds height and weight? He plays a lot bigger than he looks.
Mmmm my 2 year old niece could've told you that. He's still a very effective hockey player...much more so then Harrold (on O), Calder, Army, Ivanans, Westgarth & Richardson
Simmonds is listed as 6"2 and 181. Man if he can pack on 20 pounds he's gonna be a force.
I think that Simmons is only around 180-185 pounds, but he's tough and plays much bigger than that. If he can gain a few pounds of muscle and hone his skills this summer he can end up being a monster!
At what age does the NHL begin a steroid regiment for its players?
Ooops, didn't mean to tattle!
Oscar Moller will be a beast if he grew a little and put on some pounds, wow. Even right now he's a very skilled player, just imagine him in a couple years. What I'm scared of is DL involving him in a deal to get a proven 50 goal scorer. As a matter of fact, I think we might have one in Oscar Moller. He has the potential to be that sniper we've been looking for.. Just look at Zach Parise this year..
AK47
Here's the dilemma:
If you wait and he doesn't turn out to be the 50 goal scorer we all hope and expect, his value goes to sh**.
I think both players will be solid NHL players. I also hope both will be Kings for many years to come.
This is very true, but I just hope we don't involved him in the package and same for Trevor Lewis.
nykingfan, who do you think we'll draft this year? or what position?
Moller at 182 lbs? Yeah right maybe if he's holding Simmonds jock. Seriously the kid would be a major weapon if he could just get some body weight on him. Simmonds at 195 would be a monster, so lets hope he puts on some muscle mass this summer.
you need the physical build to put on the weight--typically large bones and a large frame. Age 25 is typically full growth for a man. If players put on too much weight, especially if their frame cannot carry it, then they lose quickness. (this might be a problem for Ivanans actually, if he is playing at 263)
Seems to me Simmonds and Moller cld both use some more size but they is what they is. Both should fill out. How much? Who knows, but neither hv frames like say Toronto's Luke Schenn or Teubert which wld suggest they can add 20Lbs of muscle easy. This just a comment. Maybe Simmonds and Moller can only add 10 lbs of muscle. That'll help. Even if not, I think both Simmonds and Moller are fine players. (Simmonds +1 he has been a stud. Simmonds will be good for many years at his current weight--and he'll gain muscle naturally.)
AK47
I really haven't looked past the 2 top guys Tavares and Hedman.
Conventional wisdom would say we need offense. We certainly have no real snipers that we know of...maybe some of the kids in Juniors can turn out to be that...
But, if the best player available is a defensemen, I would take him. You can always trade a solid young defensemen and get much more in return than a forward. Also, there's no guarantee that guys like Voinov, Hickey, Teubert will work out as we all hope and think they will. Doughty has spoiled us all. The next guy that comes up will be compared to Doughty and that may not be fair.
Since nobody said it yet, did anyone see that Oscar was in that movie with the Rock? Yeah right, SURE they sent him to Manchester, he was Racing to Witch Mountain. Go Kings