It’s a giant offseason for the Los Angeles Kings after the hiring of Peter Laviolette as the following head coach. There’s loads of work to do for the Kings under General Manager Ken Holland, at a minimum, one other top-six center. They still have questions on the 3c. Scott Laughlin could come back, but they should fill that hole as well. Are they moving some defenseman around to make room there, in addition to the goaltending position?
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Nevertheless, as “The Mayor” Jon Hoven said on TFP Hotstove on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio on Saturday with Dennis Bernstein, Dave Pagnotta, and Ryan Paton, there may be a giant query concerning the backend and the longer term of Drew Doughty.
Dave Pagnotta: “What’s priority primary roster-wise? For this, is it a 1C or a 2C?”
Jon Hoven: “Well, Dave, what I might say is the primary issue is a subject that is de facto flying under the radar at a national level, and I’ve been saying this as loudly as I possibly can over the past couple of weeks. It’s the situation with Drew Doughty, because what happens with Drew Doughty has tentacles that impact the whole remainder of the choices which can be on the to-do list.
Drew Doughty being in Los Angeles or not being Los Angeles impacts the salary gap significantly. He’s at $11 million next yr. So, what happens with that cash? It has to do with the captaincy of the team heading into next yr, obviously, with the retirement of Anze Kopitar.
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The way you disperse the minutes? Brandt Clarke is here. Brandt Clarke has arrived, and hopefully, if we had some form of bug within the room when Holland was talking to Laviolette, hopefully one in all those conversations was about Brandt Clarke getting more minutes. He’s here, he’s arrived, he’s able to go again. How does that impact Drew Doughty?
Doughty wants an extension and to proceed his profession in Los Angeles. He desires to play for one more three to 4 years, which might need to be at a reduced role and at a reduced rate as well. And if that’s not something that sounds very appealing to Drew Doughty, I might say going into training camp with out a contract extension, you absolutely cannot do. The LA Kings are able where they’re trying to turn the page, they’re trying to move past the Cup years, the Anze Kopitar years, etc.
Just have a look at what they’ve done with the hiring of Peter Laviolette. They’re moving away from their defensive first identity. That is going to be a special team. I’m not saying they’re going to be higher, but they’re going to be a special team than they were the last couple of years. Can’t let you know how they’re going to look until about 30 days from now, however the Drew Doughty decision impacts what they do, including going out and getting that center, due to cap implications.
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In order that’s the 1st step, and one A, if you must call it 1b right behind it might be what they’re going to do at the middle position, because they’ve limited assets, a few first-round picks, a young goaltending prospect, perhaps with limited assets to have the option to exit and swing a deal.
So Ken Holland goes to need to be very, very creative to fill all the holes and make all the roster moves that he desires to make.”
NHLRumors.com Note: With the kind of play Laviolette desires to make, does this allow the Kings to go get a man like Vincent Trocheck? Do they struggle to inquire about Vladislav Gavrikov and get him back? They don’t have many assets to provide. However it is interesting that players who meant a lot to groups during their Cup years may very well be on the move. It is a business, and Drew Doughty isn’t the player he once was. So the choice they make on him impacts loads of what they’ll do.
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