Forum answers III

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Question: First, in you opinion who will be the Kings top 3 free agents to go after, and two will the blog be around next year (because of cut backs and what not), three, do you play hockey or have you ever in the past, four, who is the easiest king to talk to and who gives you the most grief (positive and negative)?

Answers: 1) I completely understand that it's a popular question, but it just doesn't do any good for me to speculate. Things will become more clear around the time of the draft, and if a trade goes down there, the idea of going after a big free agent might not even be relevant. 2) Wow, tough question. I can't even promise that the NEWSPAPER will be around next year, but as long as there's a newspaper here that employs me, I'll still do the blog. If not, keep that Facebook link handy! 3) Current Kings? Derek Armstrong and Dustin Brown are probably the easiest to talk to, although they don't always give the best quotes. Jack Johnson seems to be increasingly ``in his shell.'' I'm not sure if that's because he doesn't trust me or because it's been sort of a rough season for him.

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Question: Rich, I would like to know if any of the players have any interesting summer plans. Are any of our guys or prospects going to play in the World Championships?

Answer: I don't know of any interesting non-hockey plans, and the World Championships rosters should start to be announced this week. I think I read that Canada and the U.S. will be announcing rosters soon.

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Question: 1. Do you know if the Kings made an attempt to sign Tyler Bozak? It kills me the Leafs grabbed him. 2. Why do you think it is that Boyle again is playing well when it doesn't count? Is it just because he's finally given a shot on the second line? 3. Can you please explain to me why Harrold was on the second line and not Moller? Did he aggravate that shoulder? Would you be willing to ask TM this question and enlighten all of us scratching our heads?

Answers: 1) Well, I'd be really surprised if they didn't at least make an effort, considering they signed his teammate, but I don't know how far they got. Plus, it's like NHL free agency. Even if you like a guy, there are 29 other teams that might like him also. 2) It's a good question, and a lot of it is very subjective, in terms of how well he plays. As we all know by this point, the Kings' issue with Boyle is not necessarily his ability to score goals. They feel that if he's not going to be a top-six forward -- and at this point, he's not projecting to be one -- he's going to have a play a more physical game, and they haven't felt that he's been doing enough of that. 3) Are you talking about the games a couple weeks ago? If so, I'll try to save you from scratching your head, because both Murray and Lombardi were fairly forthcoming in terms of talking about Moller not being strong enough, in a physical sense, to play in those games. If you're asking why it was Harrold, and not another player, that's a fair question, but Murray clearly thought Harrold was his best option.

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Question: In basketball if you subtract 2 inches off what they say the height of the individual is that is most likely their real height. Kevin Love is a great example - he maybe 6'8" not 6'10 as they list him. Is this the same in hockey or are guys acutally what they list them as. Is say Sean O'Donnell 6'4"?
What grade would you give the Kings assitant coaching staff for their work with PP, PK and forecheck.

Answers: 1) Yeah, there's no doubt about that, especially in terms of the smaller guys. There's no way, for instance, that Oscar Moller and Erik Ersberg are actually at their listed heights and weights. Then, for instance, I recently ran across a photo of Michael Cammalleri and Patrick O'Sullivan together in regular dress. They couldn't be more eye-to-eye, even though Cammalleri is listed at 5-9 and O'Sullivan at 5-11. They might both be 5-9, at best. It seems to happen in sports, although I'm not sure why. 2) I guess, overall, I'd give them a B or B-. Mark Hardy deserves some good credit for turning around the penalty kill, but the power play has struggled.

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Question: Can you keep us informed of your status, so that you don't simply fall between the cracks if the Daily News sinks like a stone?

Answer: Yes, definitely, and that's why things such as Facebook and Twitter are increasingly important. I'm confident that, should I ever need to work in a different venue, people will be able to find it.

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Question: 1) Do the Kings plan on helping the Monarchs in their post season push. They have struggled lately and could really use the likes of Purcell, Boyle, and Drewiske. 2) Will we see Patrick Mullen with the Kings/affiliates before the season's end, or is he finishing up school first? 3) How has Corey Elkins looked in practice, and do you foresee him getting into any games? 4) It is likely that this is the last draft where we will be picking in the top 10 for years to come. Wouldn't it be more prudent to hold onto that pick, and deal next years away?

Answers: 1) I suppose it's possible, but the Monarchs only have three regular-season games remaining, so I think it's a stretch to think that you're going to see any mass migration to Manchester. Odds are, they'll stay with what they have. 2) No, I don't believe Mullen will be on the ice for anyone this season. 3) The Kings have only had one practice in L.A. since they signed Elkins, and I didn't get to see it, so I can't really comment on him, but I don't think the plan is for him to get in any games this season. 4) Perhaps, but then you're dealing with diminishing returns. If you're talking about getting a ``big gun'' forward, a No. 5 or No. 6 pick this year is more attractive than a No. 17 pick next year.

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Question: I would ask that my lack of intelligence be an excuse for this question BUT, what is the difference between Top Defensive Player and Top Defenseman? Am I missing something here?

Answer: Just that ``top defensive player'' can be anyone, a defenseman, a forward or a goalie. In this case, a lot of people (myself included) believe that Michal Handzus is the Kings' best defensive player, all things considered.

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Question: Can you cover the ECHL Ontario Reign as long as they are in the playoffs? As you know I am a Bakersfield Condors season ticket holder and thus the 'enemy', but I would appreciate any coverage of the Reign you could provide.

Answer: Our sister paper, the San Bernardino Sun (sbsun.com) has extensive coverage of the Reign, provided by J.P. Hoornstra, who has experience covering the NHL. I'd highly recommend giving him a read.

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Question: Should Terry Murray continue to coach the Kings? I know the emphasis has been on defense this year, but come on! Eleven times we've been shut out. You get the feeling that TM is elated when a game ends zero to zero and heads to a shootout. Is any other team worse than the Kings in five on five scoring this year?

Answer: The Kings are the third-worst team in the league in terms of 5-on-5 scoring. The Islanders are the worst, followed by Colorado. As far as the Terry Murray rage, I don't know what to tell you. If you think Lombardi is going to dump the guy he hired nine months ago, after keeping the previous guy for only two years...I really don't think so.

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Question: Was this season a success? Through the first 50 games or so I thought the answer was a resounding "yes", but now I'm not so sure. It was definitely encouraging, but I don't know if a team can finish 25th out of 30 and call it a success.

Answer: Well, looking at the numbers, it seems that a majority of you declared the season to be a success a couple weeks ago, when the Kings were fighting for a playoff spot. Would some of you change your minds now? Certainly a team finishing 25th can't call itself an unqualified success, but what if most of North America presumed that team would finish 28th or 29th? Is that a small success?