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Old 05-08-2016, 02:42 AM   #1
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Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)



A new voice in Los Angeles
After a stumble in 2014-15, LA looks to tweak what went wrong

June 30, 2015

LOS ANGELES - A year ago at this time, the Los Angeles Kings were celebrating their second Stanley Cup championship in three years, and had cemented themselves as one of the dominant forces in the National Hockey League.

Fast forward to the present, and unrest in Los Angeles has created a shuffle in the front office.

After following up their title defense by missing the postseason this past year, the Kings have decided that the status quo isn't quite enough to ensure they bounce back in 2015/2016. To that end, GM and President Dean Lombardi has relinquished some of his responsibilities in the front office in favor of a new voice - that of Brian Kudron, a relative unknown in the hockey world, but someone who has been around success in the NHL.

Having served as a scout and assistant in the front offices in both Detroit and Chicago in recent years, Kudron has been well-groomed in the art of winning n today's NHL, and the Kings have tapped him to assess the roster as it stands now and determine what needs to be done to propel the Kings back into Stanley Cup contention.

"I want to make sure everyone knows I'm not here to take a hatchet to this thing," the new assistant GM said at his introductory press conference. "The foundation here is that of a champion; to undo that would be foolish. I wasn't brought in here for that. But there are undoubtedly things that can be done, adjustments that can be made, because to a man, everyone in this locker room and in this front office knows that this team has too much talent to follow up a championship season with one that misses the playoffs. A culture of winning has been established here in Los Angeles, and missing the postseason for any stretch means something broke and needs to be fixed."

Word from the LA front office is that Kudron has already made his mark; he reportedly played a role in finalizing the trade that brought bruising power forward Milan Lucic to LA from Boston four days ago. Lucic fits what the Kings do to a tee: a nasty, snarling player who can impose his physicality one minute and then score a goal the next.

Lucic will join a core of champions that include captain Dustin Brown, all-world two-way superstar Anze Kopitar, elite defenseman Drew Doughty, arguably the world's best goaltender Jonathan Quick, and others. However, there are losses that the Kings must adjust to. Defensive stalwart Robyn Regehr retired. Jarret Stoll, who anchored the 3rd line on both of LA's recent Cup winners, has moved on. 2014 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Justin Williams informed Kings' management yesterday that he will not be re-signing with Los Angeles. Also occurring yesterday was the Kings' announcing the termination of Mike Richards' contract.

The loss of Richards and Stoll are particularly concerning, especially to the Kings' new GM. Kudron is a huge believer in building a roster up the middle with dominant center play. The Kings have a bonafide #1 center in Kopitar, but the depth at the position has taken a big hit with Richards and Stoll departing. Burly sniper Jeff Carter could conceivably play the position, but the Kings prefer him on the wing with Kopitar.

Other tidbits the new GM has shared behind closed doors:

- There is absolutely no possibility of any reconciliation between the Kings and defenseman Slava Voynov. His time with the club, and likely the NHL, is over.

- To that end, the Kings are on the lookout for a quality right-handed defenseman to pair with Alec Martinez on the Kings' second defense unit. Voynov filled that role perfectly, and there is a void.

- The new general manager understands that filling the holes that need to be filled will almost certainly require moving a player the fans won't like to see go. The one name that keeps popping up is Marian Gaborik. That would be a painful split for multiple reasons: Gaborik led the Kings (and all teams) with 14 goals en route to the 2014 Stanley Cup, and then took less money than he could've received on the open market to re-sign with Los Angeles. His loyalty to the organization was exceeded perhaps only by his value, as one of the top goal scorers in a system that depresses offensive output. But his age (32), combined with his injury history and the emergence of Tyler Toffoli may just make him the player the Kings dangle as a valuable trade asset during the summer.
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Old 05-08-2016, 03:00 AM   #2
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

An intriguing name pops up for LA
Kings believe it's a low-risk, high-reward move

September 1, 2015

LOS ANGELES - The Kings' acquisition of former Boston winger Milan Lucic in June fit their MO perfectly; a big, physical player with skill and a championship pedigree. But now it seems like new Kings GM Brian Kudron had a deeper play in mind when he helped complete the trade with the Bruins.

The Kings announced the signing of winger Nathan Horton today to a one-year, two-way contract worth $625,000. The 30-year old Horton has not played since 2014, and was thought to be forced toward retirement with lingering shoulder and back issues - until his friend and former Bruin linemate Lucic spoke with the new LA GM.

"I spoke with Milan after the trade was done," Kudron said. "I knew he had a good relationship with Nathan, I know they had become friends during their time in Boston, so I asked Milan how he was doing. I didn't expect the conversation to go the way it did, but Milan told me Nathan still wanted to play hockey. Having a general idea about what Nathan's gone through the last couple years, I was skeptical, but I thought, okay, what's the harm in bringing him in. So we did, and our doctors basically put him under the microscope. This wasn't just a routine physical, good to go, etc. There were - and are - numerous factors at play here. Obviously we needed to know if he was in playing shape, and if he was capable of helping our hockey team. But even more important than that, we had to know for sure that he wasn't putting himself in any danger by attempting to play again. Once we got the green light on those, we decided to sign him."

Horton is likely to start the season in Ontario with the Kings' AHL affiliate to see how he reacts to playing in real action again. Considering his history - multiple shoulder surgeries, multiple concussions (including the infamous headshot he took in the 2011 Finals against Vancouver), and the back issue that had appeared to force him out of hockey - Horton's future with the Kings is anything but certain, but if he can come even close to matching what he did in Florida and Boston, LA will have one hell of a bargain on their hands. The 6'2, 230-pounder excelled at using his size and grit to win battles in the corners, get to the front of the net, and finish once he was there. Additionally, he was a clutch playoff performer for the 2011 and 2013 Boston teams that won the Eastern Conference - in those two postseasons, Horton put up 36 points in 43 games.

Still, with his injury history, it will be baby steps for him in his attempt to comeback with Los Angeles.
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Old 05-08-2016, 03:15 AM   #3
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

Kings land their defenseman
It's a bittersweet trade as Gaborik says goodbye to Los Angeles

September 9, 2015

LOS ANGELES - A little over a year after helping the Kings to the Stanley Cup and then taking a paycut to stick around, Marian Gaborik is moving on.

Kings GM Brian Kudron announced the move today, trading the winger to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Justin Schultz and Pittsburgh's 2nd round pick in next summer's NHL Draft.

"I'm sure everyone here can appreciate what Marian did for this organization," Kudron said in an address to the media. "Marian is a very selfless player and person; after the postseason he had in 2014, he could've gotten a huge contract on the open market. But he chose to leave money on the table in order to re-sign here in Los Angeles; that's a rare thing in sports these days. It's with a heavy heart that I made the decision to move him."

As previously stated, Kudron was wary of Gaborik's age and injury problems, and he felt that addressing the void on the blueline was a necessity that outweighed any loyalty the Kings had to Gaborik.

In Schultz, the Kings are getting a young defenseman who is eager to show what he can do after spending the last three seasons in hockey purgatory. Originally drafted by the Ducks in the second round in 2008, Schultz never signed with Anaheim and became a free agent, ultimately joining the Edmonton Oilers in 2012. For the last three seasons, he has played on the Oilers' blueline - as said, hockey purgatory. He has shown flashes of offensive prowess, but the situation in Edmonton is catastrophic; toxic enough to destroy any talent. The Oilers moved him to Pittsburgh, and the Penguins had planned on holding onto him until the Kings called and dangled Gaborik.

At 25, the 6'2, 196-pound Schultz is still young enough and certainly talented enough to recover from any lingering effects from his time with the Oilers. He is expected to indeed fill the previously mentioned void on the Kings' 2nd defense pairing, opposite Alec Martinez.

The addition of Schultz completes one of the two major tasks Brian Kudron said he wanted to complete before the season begins next month. The other is more daunting - finding a quality center that will allow the Kings to keep Jeff Carter on the wing next to Anze Kopitar instead of moving him down to center the second line. Quality centers don't exactly grow on trees in the NHL, and the price for pulling one away from a team is sure to be steep, but in a division where Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler center the Ducks' top two lines, and the Sharks can come at you in waves with Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Logan Couture, the new Kings' boss believes it is vital to address the need sooner rather than later.
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Old 05-08-2016, 03:32 AM   #4
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

Los Angeles has its guy
Jordan Staal will center LA's 2nd line

September 16, 2015

LOS ANGELES - Sometimes you need a little luck to go your way when you want something done.

In the case of the LA Kings, it was family-related.

The Carolina Hurricanes turned heads across the NHL last week when they traded their captain and long-time face of the franchise Eric Staal to the New York Rangers in exchange for a prospect-and-draft-pick package, officially signaling a rebuild before the season even began.

As it turns out, with his older brother gone from the team, Jordan Staal didn't exactly want to stick around and endure the hellish season the Hurricanes are about to experience. Within a day of Eric's trade to New York, Jordan officially requested that Carolina move him too, and provided a list of teams he would accept a trade to - Los Angeles being one of them.

Things moved very, very quickly, and the Kings are sending defenseman Luke Schenn, prized defense prospect Zac Leslie, and their 2017 1st round pick to Carolina in exchange for Staal and Hurricanes' forward prospect Brody Sutter.

"This is a match made in heaven," Kings GM Brian Kudron said. "I think if you had to create a prototype Kings player, the end result might be Jordan Staal."

His words make sense. Staal is one of the best two-way centers in hockey - he was a finalist for the Selke Trophy in 2009-10 with Pittsburgh - and brings to the table basically everything the Kings look for: he's huge (6'4, 220), still in his prime (27), has become an absolute terror in the faceoff circle (over 54% in 2013-14 and over 56% last season), excels in all three zones, and has championship experience, centering the Penguins' 3rd line in both 2008 and 2009 when they reached the Finals (winning in 2009). He is also locked up long term, and the Hurricanes even agreed to retain roughly a third of his salary, meaning Staal will make a shade over 4.4 million dollars per year through 2022-23.

The Kings made a small move afterwards to try and recoup a draft pick, sending winger Kris Versteeg to Washington in exchange for the Capitals' 4th round pick next summer.

Barring something unforeseen, this should conclude the roster shuffling before the season begins.
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Old 05-08-2016, 03:52 AM   #5
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

2015-2016 Los Angeles Kings
#CENTERSAGEHTWTSALARYBIRTH PLACE
11Anze Kopitar286'3224$9.125MJesenice, SVN
44Vincent Lecavalier356'4215$1.150MIle Bizard, QC, CAN
21Nick Shore236'1188$600kDenver, CO, USA
12Jordan Staal276'4220$4.403MThunder Bay, ON, CAN
#LEFT WINGSAGEHTWTSALARYBIRTH PLACE
74Dwight King266'4230$1.950MMeadow Lake, SK, CAN
17Milan Lucic276'3235$3.250MVancouver, BC, CAN
71Jordan Nolan266'3221$950kSt. Catherines, ON, CAN
70Tanner Pearson236'1200$1.400MKitchener, ON, CAN
#RIGHT WINGSAGEHTWTSALARYBIRTH PLACE
23Dustin Brown306'0207$5.875MIthaca, NY, USA
77Jeff Carter306'4212$5.275MLondon, ON, CAN
13Kyle Clifford246'2211$1.600MAyr, ON, CAN
22Trevor Lewis286'1198$1.525MSalt Lake City, UT, USA
73Tyler Toffoli236'1196$3.250MScarborough, ON, CAN
#DEFENSEAGEHTWTSALARYBIRTH PLACE
8Drew Doughty256'1213$7.000MLondon, ON, CAN
2Matt Greene326'3234$2.500MGrand Ledge, MI, USA
27Alec Martinez286'1209$4.000MRochester Hills, MI, USA
5Jamie McBain276'1181$600kEdina, MN, USA
3Brayden McNabb246'4208$650kDavidson, SK, CAN
6Jake Muzzin266'1214$4.000MWoodstock, ON, CAN
19Justin Schultz256'2196$1.850MKelowna, BC, CAN
7Rob Scuderi366'1212$575kSyosset, NY, USA
#GOALIESAGEHTWTSALARYBIRTH PLACE
1Jhonas Enroth275'10166$1.250MStockholm, SWE
32Jonathan Quick296'1220$5.800MMilford, CT, USA


Los Angeles Kings Depth Chart - 2015-16
STARTER2ND3RD4TH
LWMilan LucicDustin BrownTanner PearsonJordan Nolan
CAnze KopitarJordan StaalVincent LecavalierNick Shore
RWJeff CarterTyler ToffoliTrevor LewisDwight King
D #1Jeff MuzzinAlec MartinezBrayden McNabb
D #2Drew DoughtyJustin SchultzMatt Greene
GJonathan QuickJhonas Enroth

Last edited by Psyblast; 05-08-2016 at 03:55 AM.
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Old 05-09-2016, 01:15 PM   #6
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

That's an awesome roster! Probably going to be looking at cap space issues down the road but looks like a cup contender to me.
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Old 05-09-2016, 04:20 PM   #7
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

October 2015 Recap

Retooled Kings start 2015-16 on the right foot
Offense appears improved while defense remains stout for Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - It's a very small sample size, and the regular season will, as always, be a marathon and not a sprint, but so far the tweaked LA Kings look ready to contend for a championship.

The Kings won eight out of ten games in October and hold a one point lead over SoCal rival Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division. The surge is thanks in large part to an invigorated offense, that early on is 3rd in the NHL in scoring, while the always-dependable Kings' defense is 8th in goals allowed. The offense's production can be chalked up to a white-hot power play that is clicking at a staggering 46.7% (14 for 30) through 10 games. The penalty kill has stumbled a bit early on (73.8%), but the two should even out as the season progresses.

Individually, the Kings have been led by the usual suspects. Jeff Carter leads the team with 13 points through the first 10 games; five of his team-leading six goals have come on the power play. Anze Kopitar is close behind with 11 points, while Drew Doughty, Jordan Staal, and Milan Lucic have 10 apiece. Both Kopitar and Staal are dominating in the faceoff circle as expected, with each close to 60% early on. Jonathan Quick has played all 10 games for Los Angeles so far, registering a 2.39 GAA and a .926 save percentage.

Of note, Nathan Horton has gotten off to a solid start for Ontario in the AHL, leading the Kings' minor league affiliate with eight points (4 G, 4 A) in seven games. The Kings have not commented on any time table for calling him up, but so far he is passing all the tests LA gives him as he continues his road back to the National Hockey League.

Los Angeles Kings October 2015 Schedule
DATEOPPONENTRESULT
Oct 7vs San JoseWon, 2-1
Oct 9vs ArizonaLost, 4-1
Oct 13vs VancouverWon, 5-3
Oct 16vs MinnesotaWon, 3-2
Oct 18vs ColoradoLost, 3-2
Oct 22at San JoseWon, 6-2
Oct 23vs CarolinaWon, 5-0
Oct 25at EdmontonWon, 4-3 (OT)
Oct 27at WinnipegWon, 4-3 (OT)
Oct 31vs NashvilleWon, 5-4 (OT)


Pacific Division Standings
TeamWLOTLPTSROWGFGA
   8      2      0      16      8      37      25   
   6      1      3      15      6      32      17   
   6      5      0      11      6      30      33   
   5      5      0      10      4      25      28   
   5      7      0      10      4      22      31   
   4      6      1      9      4      25      36   
   3      8      1      7      2      30      54   

Los Angeles Kings Stats - November 1, 2015
SkatersGPGAPTS+/-GWPIMSOGSPCT
Jeff Carter106713+2224712.8
Anze Kopitar103811+21102611.5
Drew Doughty103710+1122313.0
Jordan Staal105510+62122222.7
Milan Lucic106410+10112920.7
Vincent Lecavalier10257+1012219.5
Tyler Toffoli10246+304287.1
Alec Martinez10235+4141414.3
Justin Schultz10224+202219.5
Nick Shore10224+2041414.3
Matt Greene10123+7113425.0
Trevor Lewis10033-1017210.0
Jordan Nolan10112+207425.0
Brayden McNabb10022+50080.0
Tanner Pearson10022+106170.0
Dwight King10112+302147.1
Dustin Brown10112+302352.9
Jake Muzzin10022+100230.0
GoaliesGPWLTGAATOISVSV%SHO
Jonathan Quick108202.39601:00.9261
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Old 05-10-2016, 04:07 PM   #8
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Re: Los Angeles Kings (NHL 16 Be A GM)

November 2015 Recap

Issues pop up in November for LA
Kings keep pace in the Pacific, but the dominant start in October fades

LOS ANGELES - The Kings both opened and closed November with impressive wins against the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, but went a startling 3-8 against everyone else, stumbling into December with a 13-10 record, a significant step down from their 8-2 October.

The issues are very familiar to Kings fans. In their eight losses in November, the Kings managed a meager nine goals, compared to 16 in their five wins. Part of that is simply Darryl Sutter's system, which places heavier emphasis on defense. Still, the offensive woes of November have dropped Los Angeles to an average 14th overall in scoring, while still maintaining a sturdy 7th in goals allowed. LA's power play remains #1 in the NHL at a blistering 30.5%, while the PK, despite still finding its legs, is at 80.4%, still a low 25th in the league.

The Kings are still led by the usual suspects, even with the offense faltering a bit over the past month. Jeff Carter has 23 points in 23 games, and his 14 goals are tied for 3rd in the league. Drew Doughty's strong start to 2015-2016 continues, as he is second on the team with 20 points, followed by Anze Kopitar's 19, Milan Lucic's 16, and Jordan Staal's 15. Tyler Toffoli, who recently has been skating on LA's top line with Kopitar and Lucic, has 13 points. Jonathan Quick's record is only 11-9, but his numbers - 2.36 GAA, .927 SV% - remain stellar.

While trying to identify what went astray in November, rumblings from inside the Kings' dressing room and the front office are pointing toward the Los Angeles captain. He's never been an offensive dynamo, but Dustin Brown is dead last on the roster in scoring, putting up a bleak two points in 23 games. His complete absence of offense has seen him being demoted to the 4th line many nights, and there are rumors that there is strife in the locker room because of his struggles. Brown isn't getting any younger (he's 31) and is making over five and a half million dollars for the next seven years. If this is the kind of production that he's going to put out going forward, Kings GM Brian Kudron likely won't hesitate to move him, captain or not.

In other, more uplifting news, Nathan Horton's stint in the AHL with Ontario is at an end, and the Kings announced his callup for the first game of December against Pacific rival Vancouver. Horton led the Kings' AHL affiliate in scoring with 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 17 games, and from LA's vantage point, he has passed every medical and conditioning test they've set forth for him, and he is ready to skate in an NHL game for the first time since April 2014. The Kings did not comment as to which line he would play on or how much ice time he could expect, but considering Horton's previous history and chemistry with former Boston linemate Milan Lucic, it's a reasonable guess that Horton may immediately jump in on LA's top line.

Los Angeles Kings November 2015-16 Schedule
DATEOPPONENTRESULT
Nov 2at ChicagoWon, 4-2
Nov 3at St. LouisLost, 4-1
Nov 5vs ColumbusLost, 4-2
Nov 7vs FloridaLost, 1-0
Nov 10vs ArizonaLost, 3-1
Nov 12vs New York IslandersWon, 3-0
Nov 14vs EdmontonLost, 3-2
Nov 17at PhiladelphiaLost, 2-1
Nov 20at DetroitLost, 5-1
Nov 22at CarolinaWon, 3-2
Nov 23at FloridaWon, 2-1
Nov 25at Tampa BayLost, 2-1
Nov 28vs ChicagoWon, 4-1


Pacific Division Standings
TeamWLOTLPTSROWGFGA
   12      9      4      28      12      74      70   
   13      10      0      26      13      62      55   
   12      11      2      26      11      57      61   
   11      13      0      22      10      59      66   
   10      12      1      21      10      51      64   
   9      13      3      21      7      71      100   
   9      14      0      18      7      50      66   

Los Angeles Kings Stats - November 2015
SkatersGPGAPTS+/-GWPIMSOGSPCT
Jeff Carter2314923+2299315.1
Drew Doughty2351520+31145010.0
Anze Kopitar2371219+2220729.7
Milan Lucic237916+40275313.2
Jordan Staal237815+83184316.3
Tyler Toffoli234913+704685.9
Vincent Lecavalier23369+1116437.0
Dwight King23336+4082611.5
Trevor Lewis23156-2031412.4
Nick Shore23246-206316.5
Jake Muzzin23055+304470.0
Justin Schultz23235+206375.4
Alec Martinez232350116365.6
Jordan Nolan23314-10151421.4
Tanner Pearson23044+208400.0
Brayden McNabb17033+606160.0
Matt Greene23123+6117185.6
Dustin Brown23112+106571.8
Rob Scuderi600000260.0
GoaliesGPWLTGAATOISVSV%SHO
Jonathan Quick2011902.361196:00.9272
Jhonas Enroth32102.01179:00.9200
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