News Clips
1-7-16
FROM LA KINGS INSIDER
January 6, 2016 9:55 PM By; Jon Rosen
Quick, Doughty Discuss All-Star Game Nods If Jonathan Quick and his family were planning to get away for the All-Star Break, may we suggest a re-route? Something that goes through central Tennessee, perhaps?
“Change it to Nashville, I guess,” he said
Wednesday when meeting with reporters shortly after it was announced that he, along with Drew Doughty, would represent the Kings at the 2016 All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena on the final weekend of the month. Despite the change of plans, he’s looking forward to his second career mid-season All-Star recognition.
“It’s great to be honored and be a part of it. It’s cool,” he said.
“I think I’ll plan on trying to bring the kids out for this one. I think they’re old enough now. Either way, it’s obviously an honor to be a part of it, But we’ve got a lot of work to do before that gets going.”
That work will continue Thursday night when he’ll be expected to draw the start against the Toronto Maple Leafs to kick off a four-game home stand. One of the players who will look to provide exceptional work in front of him will be Doughty, who like Quick will be taking part in his second career All-Star Game.
“It’s fun,” Doughty said. “I mean, you get to meet a lot of guys around the league that you’ve never met before, you get to hang out with them a little bit, whether it’s in the dressing room or outside of the hockey facility all together. But going to Nashville, I think Nashville’s a great place to have it, you can go out anytime and listen to country music, and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun.”
Darryl Sutter will coach the Pacific Division team, which in addition to Quick and Doughty is also comprised of Johnny Gaudreau, Taylor Hall, Joe
Pavelski, Daniel Sedin, Brent Burns, Mark Giordano and John Gibson in addition to captain John Scott, who was voted in by fans.
This year’s game features a three-on-three format with teams populated by division. The winners of the semifinal games between the Pacific and Central and the Metropolitan and Atlantic Division players will meet in the championship, with the winners splitting a $1-million prize.
“The winning part, I’d like to win obviously, win some money, that’d be cool, but I’m really just going to have a little fun,” Doughty said. “I know a lot of guys that will be there, a lot of guys that I haven’t met that will be there, so I’m excited to kind of meet them, spend some time with them and have some fun. I think that’s the most important part of the All-Star game, is hanging out with other guys from around the league because basically everyone I’ve ever met in the NHL is an awesome guy, so I look forward to that and I look forward to spending some time with Quickie.”
The appreciation the defenseman shared of his goaltender was mutual. Quick, who beat Jimmy Howard in the fastest goalie race at the 2012 skills competition – chosen to participate because his last name was Quick, according to the NBC announcers – credited his teammates for the league honor. “Goaltending’s a very dependent position,” Quick said. “You rely heavily on the guys around you, and when they do well, it makes it look like you’re playing well.”
Drew Doughty, on building camaraderie with players he competes against:
There’s probably a few guys that will be there that me and Quickie don’t like too much or whatever it may be, but when you get there it’s all just fun. Everyone’s just doing their jobs out there, they’re not doing it to make someone hate them off the ice or whatever it is, it’s just about playing hockey and trying to win little battles within the game, so once you get there, everything’s put aside. It’s just about everyone being nice to everyone and having a little fun.
Doughty, on playing on John Scott’s team: I heard he’s a pretty funny guy from what I’ve heard, so I’m looking forward to meeting him and hanging out with him a little bit, and hopefully he’s a good captain.
Doughty, on his All-Star experience:
I went when I was younger to Montreal as a Young Star and that was an amazing experience. That was crazy being in Montreal. When I went to Columbus, it wasn’t the same experience, but it was the first time that I was on the big team, so I had a lot of fun with it, it was kind of cool meeting a lot of those high-caliber players that you don’t get to meet in your life so far, so yeah, it’s great just hanging out with the guys, going out for dinners and stuff like that. It’s cool to meet new people.
Doughty, on whether he’s disappointed in the lack of a player draft this season:
It was pretty fun last year, the player draft actually. Yeah, I guess it kind of sucks, but this time I guess we won’t have to do an extra event, which is, I guess, a bonus too. You can just relax.
Doughty, on whether he thinks the game will be more competitive:
Yeah I do, because you can’t really hide in three-on-three, so you’re going to have to try or else everyone’s going to notice it kind of thing. Three-on-three isn’t a time where you need to get physical, and you can try in three-on-three without being physical, so I think it’ll make us try harder for sure. Doughty, on what Darryl Sutter was like as All-Star coach:
Oh he was just hanging out, just having fun. He didn’t really care, just kind of getting to know the other guys. He got Chris involved which is obviously a lot of fun for Chris. Is he going again with Darryl? He wasn’t acting like he acts here, that’s for sure.
Doughty, on the team’s success in overtime this season:
Yeah, I think if you kind of look down the line and we put out our starting three against another team’s starting three, I think we’re pretty confident that we might have a better three out there, even four with Quickie in net. It’s been good for us, we take a lot
of pride in it, three-on-three’s a lot of fun at the same time, it’s a lot of chances back and forth. I think the style we play where we take a lot of pride in playing defense, causing turnovers and going the other way, I think that helps us a lot in three-on-three.
Doughty, on whether he “chuckles” about Southern Californians driving in the rain: Yeah I do, I do chuckle about that. People here can’t even drive in the rain so I can’t imagine what would happen if a little snow dropped. It would be quite comical. But yeah, it sucks it’s raining. I’ve been spoiled for eight years playing here with barely any rain so I can handle it for a little bit. Jonathan Quick, on whether a longer summer kept the team rested for this season:
If anything, we’ll see if it pays off towards the back end of the season here. I didn’t want to come in and play good hockey for the first 40 games or
whatever. It’s the back end and in the springtime – that’s where hopefully it’ll show.
January 6, 2016 7:48 PM By; Jon Rosen
Mike Richards Signs One Year Deal With Capitals
The Washington Capitals have signed former Los Angeles Kings center Mike Richards to a pro-rated one-year, $1-million contract that will cost
$500,000 against the salary cap.
Richards, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with Los Angeles, reached a financial settlement with the club after his contract was terminated, and was charged with the possession of a controlled substance by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police following an investigation stemming from his detention at a U.S.-Canada border crossing in June. Speaking with Mike Vogel of Caps Today,
Washington General Manager Brian MacLellan said that the Capitals had targeted Richards towards the end of the summer and said, “We’re going to see where he’s at physically and mentally and try to incorporate him into our lineup where we see he fits. | CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
Along with Marian Gaborik and Justin Williams, Mike Richards is a career 7-0 in Game 7s.
During his Wednesday conference call, Lombardi was asked about Richards reaching an agreement with Washington.
“I think now that everything is out in the open and the team can work with him without things being hidden, I think he’s got a great shot. There’s nothing being hidden anymore,” he said. “So now, you look at Washington, we all know that Justin Williams is a winner. Certainly when Michael first got here, I’ve always talked about that series in Vancouver, when we won our first Cup, how he set the tempo. I think, given the breadth of what I learned after, and what he was going through, like I’ve always said, the frustrating thing was you weren’t allowed to know, and I think that this is a great opportunity for him. The biggest thing is you’ve got a good man there in Brian MacLellan, and it’s a strong organization, and now everybody knows the facts and can help instead of everybody worrying about how you can’t say anything. I think he’s got a great chance, and I’ll be pulling for him now. Hopefully he gets through all those issues, but I think he’s got a great chance when the team and people who are with him every day can now work with him and help him, instead of being kept in the dark.”
Richards’s signing does not affect Los Angeles’ salary cap commitment in the wake of the cap penalties resulting from his settlement with the club and his cap recapture.
2015-16: $3.12 million 2016-17: $1.57 million 2017-18: $1.57 million 2018-19: $1.57 million 2019-20: $1.57 million 2020-21: $700,000 2021-22: $900,000 2022-23: $900,000 2023-24: $700,000 2024-25: $700,000 2025-26: $600,000 2026-27: $600,000 2027-28: $600,000 2028-29: $600,000 2029-30: $500,000 2030-31: $500,000 2031-32: $400,000 January 6, 2016 6:20 PM By; Jon Rosen
In Moves, Kings Make Changes To Center Depth, Defense
The Los Angeles Kings made a trade and a roster move that they believe will bolster their blue line and center depth, sending center Jordan Weal and a third round draft pick to the Philaelphia Flyers in exchange for righthanded defenseman Luke Schenn and veteran center Vincent Lecavalier.
The Flyers will retain half of both Schenn and Lecavalier’s cap hits, according to multiple league reports. According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com, who spoke with Lecavalier’s agent, Kent Hughes, the 35-year-old Lecavalier will forego the final two years of his contract and retire after the season. The Kings would not be hit with any recapture or buyout penalty should that occur.
“We had identified even in training camp and moving forward a certain area that we might like to upgrade as we were watching our team this year,” General Manager Dean Lombardi said. “One of the issues was strength down the middle, and I think as we were working through this, I took it as how our division, our conference is, strength down the middle is imperative, and particularly, having that size.”
In his final season, Lecavalier now has an opportunity to play for a second Stanley Cup. “I think he’s hungry,” Lombardi said. “Given his mindset and the fit on this team, I think it’s a potentially great fit in his role, and that’s the key. When you look at the history of things like this, with teams that have a chance to maybe to maybe do some damage, whether it’s a Bill Walton, a top player when he went to the Celtics, a guy here, Bob McAdoo, went to the Lakers. A guy like Darryl Strawberry and [Cecil] Fielder going to the
of their career, wanted a chance to win and were willing to accept a lesser role.”
To make room on the roster, Los Angeles assigned defenseman Derek Forbort to AHL-Ontario. With Robyn Regehr, Jarret Stoll, Mike Richards and Willie Mitchell having moved on in the
previous two seasons, it shouldn’t be unexpected to see the Kings add an additional veteran presence, and because Lecavalier is a former captain with a Stanley Cup ring, this acquisition could help fill a need even if the 1998 first overall pick from has been limited to one assist in seven games this season.
The Kings were expected to make a move to strengthen their blue line, and following the win over Calgary on New Years Eve, Darryl Sutter didn’t give off the impression that he had been wowed by the Ehrhoff-McBain-Forbort rotation, saying, “all three of those guys, one or two of ‘em have to declare that they’re going to be in every game, not every other game.”
With Matt Greene announced by Lombardi to be out for the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery, and given Slava Voynov’s departure, it was expected that the team could be focused on finding a right-handed defenseman who could absorb a greater degree of minutes on the back end. Jamie McBain, a right-handed shot, played only seven minutes in Edmonton, while Christian Ehrhoff, a left-shot who can play on both sides, has been in the 11-to-14-minute range since the Christmas break. Schenn, selected fifth overall in 2008, has averaged 17:35 of ice time this season. “He’s very familiar with Drew Doughty and some of our players here, and it’s a chance for him to just come in and be himself, you know, and not have to worry about being a top pick and all of the
expectations and everything else,” Lombardi said. “He kind of reminds me where Matt Greene was when we first got Greener, and these guys are important guys in the mix. So the way were able to put this deal together over the last month, it was a chance to maybe take a swing at filling two holes with one deal, and you know we’ll see, but that’s kind of the logic of the whole thing.”
Schenn is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Lombardi said that the teams had been discussing the trade since October, and that affording an easing-in period and the ability to identify needs and available capital in advance of the February 29 trading deadline served as impetuses to move forward.
“It’s a very tight team and it allows them to get in here a have a longer feeling out process, get comfortable,” he said.
The Kings now have just over $600K of cap space, according to financials available at GeneralFanager.com.
In 29 games this season, Schenn has two goals, five points and a minus-seven rating. He has appeared in 523 career games with Toronto and Philadelphia. Lecavalier, who has 411 goals and 932 points in 1,170 career games with the Lightning and Flyers, has one assist and a minus-one rating in seven games. He was a 2004 Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay team that beat Darryl Sutter’s Calgary Flames in the Final. Neither player has found success this season pushing play towards the attacking end, according to possession numbers available at War-on-Ice.
Weal, who had no points, an even rating, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes in 10 games, never seemed to be the right fit down the center of the ice with the current mix despite having earned the Calder Cup MVP with the Manchester Monarchs the previous spring. In essence, Forbort and Weal were replaced on the roster by Lecavalier and Schenn, who, while they weren’t necessarily experiencing signature seasons have still combined for 1,693 NHL games, compared to Weal and Forbort’s 24.
“Carter and Kopitar, we don’t anticipate going anywhere,” Lombardi said. “We’re breaking in Shore. You’ve got Andreoff and one of our best prospects in the minors, [Nic] Dowd. So probably this is a good opportunity for him to see if he can, in fact, stay in this league. I think it’s also a real
benefit for him that Hexy knows him and brought him along, because Hexy ran the minor-league team [while with Los Angeles]. So the reality is, it
probably was going to be difficult for him to break into this lineup with this group right now.’’
The team is hopeful that Lecavalier and Schenn will be available following Thursday’s morning skate. More to come…
January 6, 2016 3:11 PM By; Jon Rosen
Forbort Assigned To Reign After Kings Make Trade
Defenseman Derek Forbort has been assigned to the Reign as a result of the Kings’ trade with the
Philadelphia Flyers.
The Kings sent forward Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick to the Flyers on Wednesday
afternoon and in exchange acquired veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn. Forbort does not have to clear waivers.
To make room for Schenn, Forbort, 23, was sent to Ontario. Forbort, out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 14 games this season for the Kings this season and recently scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 28, 2015 against Vancouver. He has one goal, one assist and is a minus-one in his first NHL season.
The 6-foot-4 blue liner was assigned to the Reign earlier this season for two games in late October as part of a conditioning assignment after missing games with the Kings due to the flu. He had 7 shots on goal and no points as the team lost back-to-back games to San Antonio.
The Reign play next on Friday when they host Stockton at 7 p.m.
January 6, 2016 2:13 PM By; Jon Rosen
Reports: Kings, Flyers Make A Trade
I’m waiting for a few emails back from the Kings’ offices, but it appears that the Kings and Flyers have made a trade, according to these reports from
Elliotte Friedman, Bob McKenzie, Renaud Lavoie and Renaud Lavoie:
There’s obviously a lot more to come, and the expectation is that the Flyers will be eating a significant portion of the salary of Lecavalier, who carries a $4.5M cap hit through 2017-18.
So, I have a doctors appointment that I am unable to get out of. This will take up virtually all of the afternoon, so stay tuned for reports on Twitter and elsewhere. Should more details surface before I leave for the appointment, I will post them to this page. Thank you for understanding. More to come later, including reactions and financial implications. UPDATE: Some new news on the financials: January 6, 2016 12:54 PM
By; Jon Rosen
January 6 Practice Quotes: Darryl Sutter On the honor of coaching the Pacific Division All-Star team:
Obviously it’s a different format. To be able to go last year because we won it, and to go this year because you’re leading the division, the older you get, the more it means, and I think that the reason that we’re leading the division now is because of our three-on-three play, so it’s interesting that’s the format.
On his favorite aspects of the All-Star Game: It’s hectic. It’s hectic and busy, and that’s not a favorite part. I think that obviously the city this year that’s hosting it makes a big difference in terms of for the players. To be able to see it on a different level, who the opponent is, is always interesting and fun. Have they named them all yet? [Reporter: Today.] The only thing for me is, quite honest, that Kopi should be on it. If you look at three-on-three, what he has done in the league and what he is for our team, and I thought Tyler was a legitimate guy, too. A 19-goal scorer halfway through the year. I know how it works. There’s only one guy from each team for the most part, so Drew and Quickie, I don’t think that’s a surprise for anybody: [Reporter: Will Chris be behind the bench with you for part of the weekend?] I haven’t even thought of it. I haven’t
talked to anybody, and I don’t know any of the format.
On the team’s focus after a day off:
Tomorrow’s game only. We play Toronto, and obviously they’re fresh in our minds. We’ve played parts of a good game against ‘em, and parts where we didn’t play well.
On the recent infrequency of home games: Everybody’s going to go through stretches like that where you think you’re home too long, or you’re on the road too long and where you don’t get the proper recovery when you do come home. We held up pretty good, but that was the case the last part of the schedule and we held up good. Our focus when we started the long part of the trip, at the beginning we were in first place, and that’s how we wanted to come home, so we did that. Now we can set our sights on just a game at a time again, and if you look at it from now until the All-Star Break, the schedule’s where we’ll just try it again where you have your two days and there’s a three and a four in there. Obviously that takes care of some of the player appearances stuff and charity stuff and all that gets tied into this, so it’s never easy, but you just kind of change your mindset and your focus and get ready for the Leafs.
On Kyle Clifford’s status:
We’re just basically working off the doctors and trainers and Cliffy. [Reporter: Is he able to do anything – biking?] He’s been doing light work. It’s the same thing you guys have been told. Until he’s cleared for further activity, then there’s no further activity. It’s all protocol.
On weathering the recent stretch of play without Jeff Carter:
Well, I think it showed last game. Down the middle of the ice is a big difference. If you look at the last part where – how many games did he miss now, five? [Reporter: Five, yeah.] When you look at the centermen – the way we all set up with the teams we were playing, the way the centermen were set up because of injuries and so forth – and I think once we went to Colorado, I’d seen a much deeper centermen group, and it showed. His speed and his whole possession game, one player does have an impact on that … it’s like when we got Trevor back.
It’s a big difference in our speed and our possession and our shots, all that, and that’s where Jeff is tied in, too. His evident skill is evident and missing when it’s not there.
January 6, 2016 11:53 AM By; Jon Rosen
January 6 Practice Notes; Carter Back? Hello to you and yours from rainy and cold El Segundo, where the Kings took part in a fairly lengthy practice the morning after a day away from the rink. The forwards were color coordinated by jersey and aligned as such:
Red: Lucic-Kopitar-Toffoli White: Pearson-Carter-Gaborik Yellow: King-Lewis-Brown Purple: Andreoff-Shore-Nolan Blue: Mersch-Weal
-Hello, Jeff Carter. The Kings center skated in between Tanner Pearson and Marian Gaborik during drills involving lines, which is a good sign that he could be ready to play Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In speaking with Carter briefly after practice, he said he felt fine and that his status was the “same.” There are no firm indications, only hints, that Thursday could be day that he’d rejoin the lineup, but we’ll have to wait for line rushes at tomorrow’s morning skate for any clearer sense. Darryl Sutter shared what Carter’s presence means to the team’s performance in an interesting discussion about possession, but as for any clear pronouncements of Carter rejoining the lineup, there weren’t any on Wednesday.
-More good stuff to come from Darryl shortly, as well as Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick reactions to being named to the All-Star Game. I have an appointment from 3:00 to 5:00, so bear with a delay in the afternoon. Enjoy your Wednesday, Insiders.
January 6, 2016 10:56 AM By; Jon Rosen
All-Star Rosters Announced; Quick, Doughty, Sutter In
Pacific Division
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) F Taylor Hall (EDM) F Joe Pavelski (SJS) F Corey Perry (ANA) F John Scott (ARI)* F Daniel Sedin (VAN) D Brent Burns (SJS) D Drew Doughty (LAK) D Mark Giordano (CGY) G John Gibson (ANA) G Jonathan Quick (LAK)
Head Coach: Darryl Sutter, LAK
Central Division F Jamie Benn (DAL) F Matt Duchene (COL) F Patrick Kane (CHI)* F Tyler Seguin (DAL) F Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) F Jonathan Toews (CHI) D Dustin Byfuglien (WPG) D Roman Josi (NSH) D Shea Weber (NSH) G Devan Dubnyk (MIN) G Pekka Rinne (NSH)
Head Coach: Lindy Ruff, DAL
Metropolitan Division F Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) F Claude Giroux (PHI) F Evgeni Malkin (PIT) F Alex Ovechkin (WSH)* F Brandon Saad (CBJ) F John Tavares (NYI) D Justin Faulk (CAR) D Kris Letang (PIT) D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) G Braden Holtby (WSH) G Cory Schneider (NJD)
Head Coach: Barry Trotz, WSH
Atlantic Division
F Patrice Bergeron (BOS) F Jaromir Jagr (FLA)* F Leo Komarov (TOR) F Dylan Larkin (DET) F Ryan O’Reilly (BUF) F Steven Stamkos (TBL) D Aaron Ekblad (FLA) D Erik Karlsson (OTT)
D P.K. Subban (MTL) G Ben Bishop (TBL) G Roberto Luongo (FLA)
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant, FLA
*denotes team captain Via NHL.com:
The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration will mark the first time Nashville has hosted the NHL All-Star festivities, which will take place at
Bridgestone Arena. Live television coverage of the League’s midseason showcase during the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition and 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will be broadcast by NBCSN in the U.S. and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition will begin at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 30, and the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game will start at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 31.
More to come from Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty and Darryl Sutter after today’s practice.
January 6, 2016 8:46 AM By; Jon Rosen
NHL All-Star Jerseys Revealed
Captains Alexander Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Patrick Kane and John Scott will wear these jerseys at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game in Nashville:
An important question for the Pacific Division team: Who will play goal?
Goalie: GP / Save Percentage John Gibson: 15 / .932
Frederik Andersen: 20 / .913 Mike Smith (injured): 22 / .901 Anders Lindback: 15 / .893 Louis Domingue: 8 / .926 Karri Ramo: 28 / .913 Jonas Hiller: 10 / .862 Anders Nilsson: 22 / .908 Cam Talbot: 22 / .910 Jonathan Quick: 32 / .923 Jhonas Enroth: 8 / .930 Martin Jones: 31 / .910 Alex Stalock: 10 / .893 Ryan Miller: 28 / .909 Jacob Markstrom: 14 / .919
You may as well start packing, Quickie. You too, Darryl, considering “The four division-leading NHL coaches following games played Jan. 9 (best points percentage) will be automatically selected as the coach for their respective division team.”
FROM REIGN INSIDER
January 6, 2016 3:11 PM By; Lindsay Czarnecki
Forbort Assigned To Reign After Kings Make Trade
Defenseman Derek Forbort has been assigned to the Reign as a result of the Kings’ trade with the
Philadelphia Flyers.
The Kings sent forward Jordan Weal and a 2016 third-round pick to the Flyers on Wednesday
afternoon and in exchange acquired veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn. Forbort does not have to clear waivers.
To make room for Schenn, Forbort, 23, was sent to Ontario. Forbort, out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 14 games this season for the Kings this season and recently scored his first NHL goal on Dec. 28, 2015 against Vancouver. He has one goal, one assist and is a minus-one in his first NHL season.
The 6-foot-4 blue liner was assigned to the Reign earlier this season for two games in late October as part of a conditioning assignment after missing games with the Kings due to the flu. He had 7 shots on goal and no points as the team lost back-to-back games to San Antonio.
The Reign play next on Friday when they host Stockton at 7 p.m.
January 6, 2016 2:23 AM By; Lindsay Czarnecki January 6: Practice Notes
Some notes from inside a chilling Center Ice rink in Ontario for Wednesday’s 11:15 a.m. Reign practice following last night’s 3-2 OT win over Texas. –As expected, center Kris Newbury (undisclosed injury) was not on the ice, but what was surprising was the absence of defenseman Nick Ebert. Reign head coach Mike Stothers said that it was sort of a maintenance day for Ebert and that it was
“nothing.” But Stothers has been quite cryptic in regards to Newbury’s new injury and when asked if it was upper- or lower-body his answer was, “that’s a good question. It’s mid-range. It’s mid-range, how’s that. I don’t know if anybody’s ever put it out there as a mid-range injury.” After Tuesday’s game Stothers did say that he does not expect the veteran center to play this weekend. He’s already missed three games.
–The clock is on for Adrian Kempe’s return from the World Juniors. “The Kings are going to want him back as soon as possible … If he’s back, he’ll play,” Stothers said. The Reign host Stockton on Friday at 7 p.m., so we could possibly see Kempe then as Stothers said he would not stall in getting him back into the lineup even if it comes without practice time to acclimate himself back. “We’ll be looking forward to getting Kempe’s skill and his speed. He’s a prospect so they want him playing as much as possible,” Stothers said Wednesday. When Newbury was previously out of the lineup nursing a broken foot earlier this year, Kempe moved to center. Now, with Newbury out again, the Reign brought in Derek Army (more on him later). So, is there a chance we see Kempe move off the wing and back to the middle? “That’s funny because we just talked about that this morning,” Stothers said. “We can put him into the middle if we need to. … With Kempe in the lineup wherever he is he gives us a little more skill to complement the lines. If Army happens to part of that sort out maybe it helps him because he comes to us as a bit of a playmaker, a bit of an offensive guy, so he should play with skilled guys, not that the other guys aren’t. So it might work favorably for Army to have that. Say you throw Kempe on the left with Backs on the right, that’s a lot of speed, that’s a lot of talent, that’s a lot of skill to go with a guy who’s just getting his feet wet. Might be exactly what he needs to get going.”
–Ironically enough, Army had played in more games (3) than actual practices (0) before
Wednesday’s skate. Army, formerly of the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, was brought in before last Saturday’s game against Charlotte when the Reign realized they’d be without Newbury. So here’s what he thought of his first workout with his new
teammates: “For me it was good. Guys are talking to me, guys are letting me know what I should and shouldn’t do. So it’s very helpful but it’s nice to get a practice in and get some work in, that will help going forward.” And what does he think of Stothers? “He’s a great coach, talks to us, let’s us know what he likes, doesn’t like. He wants to teach us. We work a lot on breakouts and stuff right now and think that’s such an important part of the game, getting out of the d-zone and I think he knows that obviously so for us to work on that is big. It’s a little different than in Wheeling where I was because you only have three lines so you kind of practice a little bit lighter sometimes and you have a little more days off but it’s good to get a lot of work in. It was nice to be on the ice today.”
January 6, 2016 10:00 AM By; Lindsay Czarnecki
January 5: Reign Game Breakdown Reign game breakdown
The Reign snapped a three-game losing skid in dramatic fashion as Kevin Gravel scored 1:37 into overtime as Ontario defeated the visiting Texas Stars 3-2 on Tuesday night. Gravel’s winner from the right circle was set up by Justin Auger, who also had two goals in a breakout performance. The Reign (18-8-2-1) used Auger’s goals and the play of goalie Peter Budaj to keep a 2-0 lead midway through the third, but the Stars (17-14-3-3) rallied to tie it on goals by Brett Ritchie and Jason Dickinson late in the third. Forced into the 3-on-3 overtime, the Reign pulled out one of their biggest wins of the season in an important early-season Pacific Division matchup.
Best quote
Head coach Mike Stothers, on the team’s attitude after Texas tied it up late: “I was really happy with the way that we didn’t get discouraged. We had a
two-nothing lead and it was different on the bench. The shoulders didn’t slump, the heads didn’t bow down. They were like, ‘hey, no big deal, we’ll get this.’ And that’s what you want to see from your team. Even if things haven’t been going great for us lately, and hey, one game does not make a winning streak. But, you know what, it could have been very easily with the way things have gone for us of late to say, ‘oh geez, tonight’s not the night either, maybe the next one.’ Not with this group. They’re never out of it and they stick together and they play hard. That’s why I like coming to the rink every day. I’ll be right back on the ice with them tomorrow.”
Three stars
–Justin Auger – Auger certainly picked the perfect time to have his best game of the year. With the Reign starved for goals and shut out in their last one, Auger led the way on Tuesday with his first multi-point game of the season, picking up his 7th and 8th goals. The winger’s 6-foot-7 frame played to his benefit when Texas goalie John Muse had a complete miscue and fired a clearing attempt right into Auger’s chest as he crashed the net. The puck bounced right off of Auger, who tapped the puck in to put the Reign up 1-0 at 10:28 of the second period. His second goal though was an eye-opening power move into the middle in the third where he whistled the puck by Muse again. It was the type of goal that we’re not used to seeing from Auger this year and Stothers said afterward that “it’s great to see and it’s much needed for our team.”
–Kevin Gravel – The Reign defenseman has four goals on the season, and now two of them have come in overtime (the other in a 2-1 OT win over San Jose on Dec. 13, 2015). The 6-foot-4, reliable blue liner is making it known that he’s hot in the clutch. After Auger took the puck off the boards and delayed, he then dished to Gravel, who buried the winner from the right circle. Auger could have shot but elected to pass and said after the game, “I just figured Gravs was too wide open not to pass to him. He’s had some luck in overtime before too. He’s got the hot stick in overtime.”
–Peter Budaj – Stothers said recently that he spells Budaj with an M, a V and a P. The Reign netminder lived up to that standard on Tuesday. He held high-flying Texas scoreless through two periods, and saw two breakaways in second period – one by Brett
Ritchie (who shot high) and made a glove save on a streaking Greg Rallo with 4:11 left. The Stars came in averaging 3.86 goals per game and although Budaj gave up two goals in the third, they weren’t flukes. In his 15th straight start, he finished with 32 saves, including one in overtime, to pick up his 17th win.
Turning point
–Reign defenseman Vincent LoVerde was forced to take a slashing penalty after his errant pass to the middle of the Reign zone gave the Stars a mini-2-on-1 against Budaj at 10:57 of the third. That penalty resulted in the power play goal that sparked the Stars’ comeback as Ritchie beat Budaj over his blocker less than a minute later. As Texas gained momentum, they tied the game minutes later on a goal by Jason Dickinson from the slot.
Stat fact
–2 – Assists by center Nic Dowd. It’s easy here to focus on Gravel and Auger’s games but Dowd’s relentless forecheck in OT allowed the puck to get to Auger which resulted in Gravel’s game-winner. Dowd has seen his minutes increase with Kris Newbury out of the lineup with an undisclosed
injury and said after the game that he’ll never complain about extra ice time. In every period of the game his line with Jonny Brodzinski and Auger was the best of the ice for Ontario.
This and that off-ice
Reign forward Adrian Kempe wrapped up his run at the World Junior Championships in Finland in a disappointing 8-3 loss in the bronze medal game to the United States. Stothers said Tuesday that he wasn’t sure when Kempe was returning but added, “I’m sure he’ll be back for the weekend.” … Defenseman Kurtis MacDermid served the fifth game of his 12-game suspension for his hit on the Gulls’ Matt Bailey on Dec. 26, 2015.
Next up
The Reign host Stockton in their final game of a five-game homestand on Friday night at 7 p.m. Ontario went 1-1 in two games against the Flames’ affiliate last week.
FROM LAKINGS.COM
January 6, 2016 6:37 PM By: Alex Kinkopf
Get To Know: Lecavalier & Schenn
The Kings acquired forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday in exchange for Jordan Weal and a third-round pick in the upcoming 2016 NHL Draft.
Vincent Lecavalier:
Lecavalier, a 17-year NHL veteran, spent 14 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was in the midst of his third with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 35 year-old was selected 1st overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. After registering 20 points (8G, 12A) in 57 games during the 2014-’15 campaign, Lecavalier dressed in only seven games for the Flyers this season.
Three-time NHL All-Star (’03, ’07, ’08, ’09) 2004 Stanley Cup Champion (TBL)
2007 Maurice Richard Trophy winner (52 goals) 411 Career goals (84th in NHL)
573 Career assists (100th in NHL)
Member of 2006 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team
Lecavalier will wear #44 for the Kings. Just two years removed from a 37-point season in 2013-’14, the veteran will look to provide size, depth and experience to the Kings’ center position.
Luke Schenn:
Schenn, in his eighth year in the league, spent four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was in his fourth with the Philadelphia Flyers. In 29 games played this season, the stay-at-home defenseman has recorded five points (2G, 3A), 30 penalty minutes, 71 hits, 40 blocked shots, averaging 17:35 minutes per game.
Kelowna Rockets (WHL) Rookie of the Year (2006) WHL Second Team All-Star (2008)
5th overall selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft 2009 NHL All-Rookie Team
Schenn will wear #52 for the Kings. Still young at the age of 26, and with plenty of size to throw around, general manager Dean Lombardi sees a plausible fit for the absence of Matt Greene. “He kind of reminds me of where Matt Greene was when we first got Greener,” Lombardi said Wednesday.
January 6, 2016 2:00 PM
Kings Acquire Vincent Lecavalier And Luke Schenn From Philadelphia
Philadelphia Receives Jordan Weal And A Third-Round Pick In The 2016 NHL Draft
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings have acquired forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Jordan Weal and a third-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.
Lecavalier, 35, has played in seven games with the Flyers this year and has one point (0-1=1) and two penalty minutes.
The 6-4, 215-pound native of Ile Bizard, Quebec has played for the Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning during his 17-year NHL career. In 1,170 career regular-season games he has 932 points (411-521=932) and 828 penalty minutes. The first overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by Tampa Bay, Lecavalier won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004 and has appeared in 70 playoff games overall. He has posted 54 points (25-29=54), a plus-1 rating and 82 penalty minutes during that time.
Schenn, 26, has appeared in 29 games this season with the Flyers and has five points (2-3=5) and 30 penalty minutes.
The 6-2, 229-pound native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has played for the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs during his eight-year NHL career. Drafted in the first-round (fifth overall) by Toronto during the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Schenn has appeared in 523 career regular-season games he has 117 points (26-91=117) and 357 penalty minutes. He has appeared in seven playoff games scoring one goal (1-0=1) and posting a plus-1 rating. January 6, 2016 9:47 AM
Kings Goaltender Jonathan Quick And Defenseman Drew Doughty Named To NHL All-Star Team Darryl Sutter Named To Coaching Staff
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and defenseman Drew Doughty have been selected to play for the 2016 All-Star squad at the upcoming NHL All-Star Game at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Sunday, January 31, the NHL announced this morning. Kings Head Coach Darryl Sutter was named a coach for the contest.
For Doughty, this is his second trip to the NHL All-Star Game, having represented the Kings last year in Columbus. This is also the second selection for Quick, who played in the 2012 contest in Ottawa. Sutter was behind the bench at last year’s All-Star Game.
This season Quick is 22-9-1 with a 2.26 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and three shutouts. His third shutout of the season tied him with John Vanbiesbrouck and Frank Brimsek (40) for most shutouts among American-born goaltenders. He also broke his own franchise record by winning 20 games in his 30th
appearance, the fastest that plateau has been reached in franchise history (previously 36 games). His NHL rankings among goaltenders are the following: second in wins, tied for fifth in appearances (32), tied for sixth in shutouts, eighth in saves (818) and tied for ninth in GAA. Quick has been named an NHL Star of the Week two times this season (No. 1 Star Jan. 4, No. 3 Star Oct. 26).
Doughty this season has registered 24 points (7-17=24), a plus-16 rating, six power-play goals and three game-winning goals. His NHL rankings among defensemen are the following: tied for first in plus/minus, third in time on ice per game (27:56), third in power-play goals and tied for second in game-winning goals.
The Kings are currently leaders in the Pacific Division, which features an 11-man roster. Each division’s roster will have six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies. One player from each division was voted onto the team by the fans and will serve as that team’s captain. The other 40 players were selected by the League’s Hockey Operations Department. Each All-Star team will have at least one player from every team in its division.
The game will be a 3-on-3 tournament pitting the four divisions against one another in a winner-take-all format. The Atlantic Division will face the Metropolitan Division in one semifinal and the Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the other semifinal. The winners play in the championship game.
Kings Vision, LAKings.com and FOX Sports West will be in Nashville during All-Star Weekend for special on-site coverage.
The Kings begin a four-game homestand tomorrow night at STAPLES Center as the club hosts Toronto beginning at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FOX Sports West and KABC 790. The Kings skate this morning in El Segundo beginning at 10 a.m. with media availability post-practice.
January 5, 2016 7:22 PM By: Alex Kinkopf
Quick, Doughty Selected For 2016 All-Star Game
The NHL announced the rosters for the 2016 All-Star Game Wednesday morning, with Drew Doughty and Jonathan Quick selected to represent the Los Angeles Kings on the 11-man Pacific Division squad, Darryl Sutter appointed the head coach.
For Drew Doughty, this will be the defenseman’s second career All-Star game, his first coming in 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. In 39 games so far this season, Doughty has registered 24 points (7G, 17A) and is third in the league averaging 27:56 minutes per game.
This will be Jonathan Quick’s second All-Star Game as well, his first coming in 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario. Having made 32 starts this season, Quick currently carries a 22-9-1 record with a .923 SV% and a 2.12 GAA, his 22 wins rank second overall in the league.
Darryl Sutter will be coaching in his second All-Star Game. He led Team Foligno, which included Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, with his son, Chris, in 2015 in Columbus.
The four All-Star teams, one for each division, will have six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders. PACIFIC DIVISION ROSTER:
Forwards:
Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) Taylor Hall (EDM) Joe Pavelski (SJS) Corey Perry (ANA) John Scott (ARI) Daniel Sedin (VAN) Defensemen:
Brent Burns (SJS) Drew Doughty (LAK) Mark Giordano (CGY) Goaltenders:
Jonathan Quick (LAK)
The 2016 All-Star Game will be held in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday, January 31.
FROM LATIMES.COM
January 6, 2016 8:09 PM By: Lisa Dillman
Kings Get Luke Schenn, Vinny Lecavalier From Flyers
Kings General Manager Lombardi moved to fortify the third pair of his defense Wednesday by acquiring defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers, along with veteran center Vinny Lecavalier to add strength down the middle.
In return, the Kings sent rookie forward Jordan Weal to the Flyers as well as a third-round draft pick in 2016. Lombardi confirmed that the Flyers will be paying half the salary of the two players they traded to Los Angeles. To make roster space for the new duo, the Kings sent rookie defenseman Derek Forbort back to their minor league affiliate in Ontario.
Though the Kings have established a sizable lead in the Pacific Division, their third defense pair has been a troubling issue.
Schenn could give them the snarl and edge missing down the depth chart since the loss of the injured Matt Greene and departures of Willie Mitchell (free agency) and Robyn Regehr (retirement). Lombardi said during a conference call that Greene, who had shoulder surgery in December, is out for the season.
"We see a lot of Matt Greene in Schenn," Lombardi said. "He's still a young player. We think there's room to grow…. It's a chance for him to come in and be himself and not worry about being a top pick and all the expectations."
Schenn, 26, due to become an unrestricted free agent in June, is from the same draft class as Kings
defenseman Drew Doughty. Schenn was taken three picks later, at No. 5 overall. He has lagged behind the other defensemen from that noted group of 2008. Lombardi spoke about the familiarity between Schenn and Doughty and thought that Doughty would take the newcomer under his wing.
LeCavalier, 35, is planning to retire after this season, which works for the Kings in terms of financial negotiations with other players, such as center Anze Kopitar.
If Lecavalier has anything left, Coach Darryl Sutter could be the one to get it out of him. Sutter saw Lecavalier at his best when the center helped lead the Tampa Bay Lightning past Calgary in the Stanley Cup Final in 2004, when Sutter coached theFlames.
"It's made clear to us: It's all about getting one last chance to win it all," Lombardi said. "He's hungry and given his mind-set and the fit on this team, I think it's potentially a great fit in his role. That's the key."
Elements of the trade started brewing in October. Because Philadelphia General Manager Ron Hextall was once Lombardi's assistant general manager, Lombardi said it was an intriguing process.
"He knows all my tactics, so it's like negotiating with myself," Lombardi said. "Like looking at myself in the mirror. It's why he beat me up."
NEXT UP
KINGS VS. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. PST.
On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 790.
Update: Jeff Carter, who has missed the last five games, is moving toward a return. Sutter said the center's absence was especially notable in a loss to Colorado on Monday. "It showed last game … down the middle of the ice, a big difference. … His skill is evident and missing when it is not there," Sutter said.
January 6, 2016 8:03 PM By: Lisa Dillman
Kings’ Jonathan Quick And Drew Doughty, Ducks’ John Gibson And Corey Perry Are Selected All-Stars
Three-on-three hockey is a lot like being under a bright spotlight — unforgiving.
"You can't really hide in three on three. So you're going to have to try or else everyone is going to
notice," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said on the NHL's experiment to liven up an often-tired affair with the three-on-three concept. "And three on three isn't a time where you need to get physical."
Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick and Doughty, and Ducks goalie John Gibson and forward Corey Perry were selected Wednesday by the NHL Hockey Operations Department to the All-Star team for the Jan. 31 game at Nashville.
Because the Kings are leading the Pacific Division, Coach Darryl Sutter was selected a coach.
"Obviously, a different format," Sutter said. "Went last year because we won it. Going this year because you're leading the division. The older you get, the more it means.
"The reason that we're leading the division now is because of our three-on-three play. So interesting that is the format."
The Kings' record is 6-1 on three-on-three play.
For Doughty, it will be his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Quick represented the Kings in 2012 in Ottawa. Perry, who will make his fourth appearance, has the most appearances of the group.
For Gibson, it will be his first All-Star game. Although he has played for the Ducks in previous seasons, Gibson, 22, is technically still a rookie.
"It's an honor," he said. "I didn't really expect it. It's something, any time you get named there. ... I'll probably expect a lot of offense with three-on-three. But it will be fun."
Said Perry of Gibson: "He has done a lot of good things for this team. He's helped us win a lot of hockey games and to be that young and to be named to the team, it's definitely an accomplishment."
As with most All-Star selections, there was the fuss about those left off the team. Sutter thought Kings center Anze Kopitar should have been included and that a case could be made for right wing Tyler Toffoli, who has scored 19 goals.
"I know how it works, there's only one guy from each team for the most part," Sutter said. "Drew and Quickie, I don't think that's a surprise for anybody."
Curtis Zupke contributed to this report
January 6, 2016 4:55 PM By: Lisa Dillman
Former Kings Center Mike Richards Signs With Capitals
Center Mike Richards, who won two Stanley Cup with the Kings, will be resuming his NHL career with the Washington Capitals, having signed a one-year, $1-million (pro-rated) contact.
Richards still has a court date looming in Canada in connection with his arrest at the border in Emerson, Manitoba, in June. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and his next scheduled hearing is Jan. 28.
Before the deal with the Capitals was announced Wednesday, Richards met with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, the league’s deputy commissioner. Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan told Mike Vogel of the team’s website that the team felt “comfortable” that the pending legal situation for Richards will “not be an issue.”
After Richards was arrested, the Kings moved to terminate his contract. A settlement was reached in October and Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi supplied The Times with a written summation of the long saga, calling what happened “a tragedy.”
Lombardi had more to say about Richards during a conference call Wednesday afternoon. The Kings made a three-player trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, acquiring defenseman Luke Schenn and forward Vinny Lecavalier.
“I think now that everything’s out in the open and the team can work with him without things being hidden, I think he’s got a great shot,” Lombardi said. “There’s nothing being hidden anymore.”
Richards will be joining former Kings teammate Justin Williams, who signed with the Capitals as a free agent July 1. Lombardi praised Williams as “a winner” and spoke about the impact Richards had on the Kings’ first Stanley Cup championship -- in particular, in the opening round against Vancouver.
“I think that this is a great opportunity for him,” Lombardi said. “The biggest difference is, you’ve got a good man there in Brian MacLellan, it’s a strong organization and now everybody knows the facts and can help instead of everybody worrying about [how] you can’t say nothing.
"I think he’s got a great chance, and I’ll be pulling for him now that hopefully he gets through all those issues.” January 6, 2016 2:43 PM
By: Lisa Dillman
Kings Acquire Luke Schenn And Vinny Lecavalier In Trade With Flyers
The Kings moved to fortify the bottom end of their defense by acquiring defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers, along with veteran forward Vinny Lecavalier.
They sent rookie forward Jordan Weal to the Flyers as well as a third-round draft choice in 2016. Multiple reports have indicated that the Flyers will be retaining half the salary of the two players they are trading to Los Angeles.
An individual familiar with the transaction but not authorized to comment publicly confirmed the financial component of the deal.
Though the Kings have established a sizable lead in the Pacific Division, their third defense pair has been a continuing issue of concern for management and Coach Darryl Sutter.
Schenn, if all goes well, could give them the snarl and edge missing since the departures of Willie Mitchell (free agency) and Robyn Regehr (retirement).
It was no surprise that Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi reached out to a familiar trading partner, the Flyers, to try to fix the roster problem.
Lecavalier’s stay in Los Angeles won’t be a long one. His agent told Renaud Levoie of TVA Sports that Lecavalier will retire at the end of the season.
If he has much left, Sutter could be the one to get it out of him. Sutter, of course, saw Lecavalier at his best when the player helped lead the Tampa Bay Lightning past Calgary in the Stanley Cup Final in 2004 when Sutter coached the Flames.
FROM DAILYNEWS.COM
January 6, 2016 1:58 PM By: Elliott Teaford
Kings’ Quick, Doughty And Coach Darryl Sutter Named NHL All-Stars MAPLE LEAFS AT KINGS
Faceoff: 7:30 p.m.
Update: The Kings’ Darryl Sutter was named Wednesday as the Pacific Division All-Star coach.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick and defenseman Drew Doughty also were selected to represent the team in the new 3-on-3 tournament format Jan. 31 in Nashville. Sutter was picked because the Kings (25-12-2) are the division leaders. Quick was second in the NHL in victories with 22 in 32 appearances this season. Doughty had seven goals and 24 points with a plus-16 defensive rating in 39 games. The Kings’ five-game winning streak ended with a listless 4-1 loss Monday to the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings begin a four-game homestand by facing Toronto. They also play six of their next seven games at home after they played 11 of their last 13 contests away from Staples Center. The Maple Leafs were 15-15-7 going into Wednesday’s game against the Ducks.
FROM OCREGISTER.COM
January 6, 2016 4:13 PM By: Rich Hammond
Kings GM Lombardi Discusses Trade With Flyers
The Kings on Wednesday acquired defenseman Luke Schenn and center Vincent Lecavalier from Philadelphia in exchange for forward Jordan Weal and a third-round draft pick. Kings general manager Dean Lombardi held a conference call with reporters to discuss the trade and here’s what he said…
(on what he sees from Lecavalier…)
LOMBARDI: ``We identified, even in training camp and moving forward, certain areas that we thought we might want to upgrade as we were watching our team this year. One of the issues was strength down the middle. I think, as we were working through this, particularly the way our division and our conference is, strength down the middle is imperative, especially having that size. I think the logic here is, there’s a lot of history of this. I think Vinny, at this stage of his career, it’s been made clear to us that it’s all about getting one last chance to win it all. I think he’s hungry. Given his mindset and the fit on this team, I think it’s a potentially great fit in his role. That’s the key. When you look at the history of things like this, with teams that have a chance to maybe to do some damage, whether it’s a Bill Walton — a top player — when he went to the Celtics. A guy here, Bob McAdoo, went to the Lakers. A guy like Darryl Strawberry and (Cecil) Fielder going to the Yankees. These were all top guys who, near the end of their career, wanted a chance to win and were willing to accept a lesser role. So maybe they weren’t the players they were when they were MVPs and everything else, but the
willingness to accept a lesser role and fit in as still very productive players. You look at Vinny. We’ve watched him and certainly it hasn’t worked out there in Philly the way he wanted. The other thing with top guys at this stage of their careers is, it’s good for them to see a chance to do some serious damage, to keep them motivated. It was very clear to us, in talking to him through this process, that this is the No. 1 thing on his mind. So you look at a Kopitar and a Carter and a chance to put this guy in the mix, we think it’s a fit and it’s certainly worth a shot, to see if this will work.
``So that’s the logic there, and in terms of Luke, one of the things that was clear was the loss of Greene for the year…we’ve lost a physical element back there that we think is showing up. We see a lot of Matt Greene in Luke. He’s still a young player. We think there’s some room to grow. The idea is, he’s very familiar with Drew Doughty and some of our players. It’s a chance for him to come in and just be himself, and not have to worry about being a top pick and all the expectations and everything else. He kind of reminds me of where Matt Greene was when we first got Greener. These guys are important guys in the mix. The way we were able to put this deal together over the last month, it’s a chance to maybe take a swing at filling two holes with one deal. We’ll see, but that’s kind of logic to the whole thing.’’
(on whether he’s been told that Lecavalier will retire after this season, and whether that influenced the trade…) LOMBARDI: ``Yeah. The player made it clear to us that was his intention. Going forward, given the players we have to sign, it was imperative. We could give him what he wanted, which was a serious shot at going out as a winner, but we could not make that commitment going forward. It kind of fit, with where he was in his career and his life and the way he described it. He wants one last shot at it and he’s going to retire after this year. Otherwise, with the players we have to sign, this would not work. So that was a key element in this, in terms of us making this work.’’
(on the chances of re-signing Schenn after this season…)
LOMBARDI: ``I think we’re going to see how it works. It kind of gives you flexibility. You’re dealing with a 26 year old. I think there’s still some upside in this kid. There are a lot of similarities between him and Greener. I think the important thing right now is just to come in, fit in, do your role and then go from there. We’ll see how it plays out, but in terms of the element he brings, with our top-four guys, I think he could be a valuable asset to the overall mix. And I like the fact, too, that Drew Doughty is very familiar with him as a person and has played with him throughout his junior career and a lot of tournaments and things. I think Drew is going to take him under his wing and get him relaxed, and let’s get our game to where it’s capable of going.’’
(on the ease of players coming into the Kings’ system…)
LOMBARDI: ``No question. It’s like the other players I cited there. We talk about this during the year. A lot of people forget, even though this team has won two Cups, a lot of its best players were just entering their prime. They’re not only becoming better players, it’s becoming clear to me that the leadership that we’ve always envisioned, whether it’s Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty and Kopitar and Carter, that’s a pretty strong nucleus with a pretty strong resume. And it’s their team. If you look at the players I cited, with Walton, it was clearly Larry Bird’s team and Parish and those guys. With the Yankees, it was Jeter and Rivera. Those guys knew, but they also respected those players. Even though they were older, they saw that those guys won, and it was great for both parties. So, very much so. For guys at that stage of their career, that’s probably the best thing for them, that you don’t have to carry the mail, but we’ll put you in a slot and you might be the best guy in the league in that slot. So it’s still being a top player. It’s just your role. Because you have players that are entering their prime and starting to learn that leadership, you’re able to do things like this that certainly wouldn’t have fit in the past. Maybe we’re at a different stage of building.’’
(on whether there’s any update with Kopitar, and how much the future hinges on that…)
LOMBARDI: ``We’re still working on that. The building part, I guess you can say it hinges, because like I was just alluding to, we’ve got to see how this plays out. Vinny, certainly if he didn’t agree to make his intentions clear, then certainly we wouldn’t have done this because of what you’re citing. So it figures, certainly, in the way this deal was structured, because you are looking at, 12 months from now or whatever it is, we wouldn’t have the luxury of having the room, even if we wanted to. So that’s how it plays into it.’’
(on what this trade means to the team…)
LOMBARDI: ``We’ve got some kids who have done a good job. I think this takes…Shore and Andreoff have made great strides. I think this allows us to be a little more patient. These guys have to come in and help us win. It’s not playing in a league. These kids are held to a higher standard, but you’ve got to be able to put them in an environment that allows them to make their mistakes and maintain their confidence. Sometimes you’ve got to back off a little, in terms of your expectations. So that’s kind of the thing you’re looking at. It gives you the flexibility to be a little more patient with Shore and Andreoff. You have to remember what’s happened here. Regardless of the off-ice stuff, when we won before we had Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll. Those are veteran players. They knew how to win. Well it’s a very different look, in terms of bringing these kids in now behind Kopitar and Carter. So this allows you to get a proven guy who can do this job, as well as be patient with those kids and allow them to mature at their own pace and not force them because you’re under the gun and you’re expected to win every night. When you’re planning your team in the summer, these aren’t knee-jerk things. You
look at your team and say, `You have a hole here, you’ve got a hole here potentially.’ Some get filled and some don’t, and some guys don’t meet their expectations. So you talk in the summer. Hex and I had been talking about something like this from October. It just kind of expanded out and it takes time.
``That’s the other thing I wanted to do. I didn’t want to wait on this. The thing about this is, the price is certainly reasonable, I’m not locked into next year and I think it’s important that we pulled this as soon as possible, to get them into the fabric of the team. I didn’t want to wait. This is something, we looked at these as potential holes or potential areas to get better. It’s important, particularly the way this team is — it’s a very tight team — and it allows them to get in here and have a longer feeling-out process and get comfortable. Then if it doesn’t work, you’re still in position, in March when the deadline is, to maybe make an adjustment. So part of this, going forward, when I was talking to Philly I said, `If we’re going to do something like this, if I’m going to take a Vinny, I have to have him now, because there is going to be a break-in period for him as well as Luke.’ Luke is going to have a different role here. I thought the timing of this was fairly important to me, to try to get this done early, versus let it drag on and drag on. Hex and I have been at this for two or three weeks and he knows all my tactics, so it’s like negotiating with myself. It’s like looking at myself in the mirror. It’s why he beat me up.’’ (on what it was like to make a deal with Hextall, his former assistant GM…)
LOMBARDI: ``It’s pretty neat. I don’t think it’s any secret what I think of him and how important he was to our process. We’re all really, really proud of him, and you watch what he’s done in a short period of time, I can see what he’s doing. This is a good deal for Philadelphia. This works for them. You can see what he’s got on his plate and what he’s doing. That’s what we talked about. We’re at different stages. We even talked about where he was when he was here, in the building process. This deal is a very good deal for him. But that’s the way a deal should be. Hopefully it works out for us, but also allows him now a lot of flexibility in terms of getting certainty going forward and building his team. Hopefully this is one that works for both of us, like every deal should.’’
(on whether he can confirm that the Flyers retained 50 percent of both contracts…) LOMBARDI: ``Yeah. That’s the only way it works.’’
(on his thoughts about Mike Richards signing with Washington…)
LOMBARDI: ``What I think…I think now that everything is out in the open and the team can work with him without things being hidden, I think he’s got a great shot. There’s nothing being hidden anymore. So now, you look at Washington, we all know that Justin Williams is a winner. Certainly when Michael first got here, I’ve always talked about that series in Vancouver, when we won our first Cup, how he set the tempo. I think, given the breadth of what I learned after, and what he was going through, I think — like I’ve always said — the frustrating thing was, you weren’t allowed to know. I think that this is a great opportunity for him. The biggest thing is, you’ve got a good man there in (GM) Brian MacLellan and a strong organization, and now everybody knows the facts and can help, instead of everybody worrying about how you can’t say nothing. I think he’s got a great chance, and I’ll be pulling for him now. Hopefully he gets through all those issues. I think he’s got a great chance, when the people who are with him every day can now work with him and help him, instead of being kept in the dark.’’
(on what he saw from Weal…)
LOMBARDI: ``I think he’s certainly still got a chance to play. He got a snapshot of things, but the reality is, the way we’re headed here…Carter and Kopitar we don’t anticipate going anywhere. We’re breaking in Shore. You’ve got Andreoff and one of our best prospects in the minors, Dowd. So probably this is a good opportunity for him to see if he can, in fact, stay in this league. I think it’s also a real benefit for him that Hexy knows him and brought him along, because Hexy ran the (Kings’) minor-league team. So the reality is, it probably was going to be difficult for him to break into this lineup with this group right now.’’
January 6, 2016 2:27 PM By: Rich Hammond
Kings Acquire Schenn, Lecavalier From Flyers
In an attempt to improve their blue-line depth, the Kings made a major trade with Philadelphia on Wednesday and acquired defenseman Luke Schenn and veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier.
Jordan Weal, one of the top forwards in the Kings’ system, went to the Flyers along with a third-round pick in this year’s draft. In exchange, the Kings received two former first-round picks, although it’s possible neither will stick around Los Angeles very long.
Schenn, 26, is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Lecavalier, 35, is a former 50-goal scorer but, according to several reports, is expected to retire after this season.
The move is a short-term one for the Kings, who have three excellent defensemen in Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin, but lack depth and hope Schenn can provide it.
Schenn, the brother of former Kings forward Brayden Schenn -- whom they traded to Philadelphia in 2010 -- is in his eighth NHL season but his play has been somewhat uneven and has drawn criticism.
Schenn has two goals, three assists and a minus-7 rating in 29 games this season, and has 117 points and a minus-29 rating in 523 career NHL games. He a right-shot defenseman, another area in which the Kings were lacking. They had only two natural right shots, in Doughty and Jamie McBain.
It’s unknown what the Kings plan to do with Lecavalier. He has played only seven games this season (with one assist) because of dissatisfaction by the Flyers’ coaching staff.
Lecavalier is a natural center, and the Kings already have Anze Kopitar,Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis, Nick Shore and Andy Andreoff as options at center.
Per a TSN report, the Flyers agreed to retain half of the salaries of Lecavalier and Schenn, so the trade will cost the Kings only $2.07 million in salary-cap space this season and, presumably, none next season if Lecavalier retires and Schenn signs elsewhere.
The Kings lose Weal, a rookie who had been only a part-time player this season and had not recorded a point in 10 games. Last season in the AHL, Weal was one of the Manchester Monarchs' top players and scored 20 goals. Weal was a third-round pick of the Kings in 2010.
January 6, 2016 11:23 AM By: Rich Hammond
Doughty, Quick, Sutter To Represent Kings At All-Star Game
Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, goalie Jonathan Quick and Coach Darryl Sutter will represent the team at the NHL All-Star Game in Nashville on Jan. 31.
Both players will make their second career All-Star appearance. Doughty played last year (and Sutter coached) while Quick played in the 2012 game.
The All-Star Game format changed this year, and will feature four teams -- grouped by division -- playing 3-on-3 games. Every team must have at least one player represented, and each roster includes only six forwards, three defensemen and one goalie.
Doughty and Quick will be on the Pacific Divsion team with the Ducks'Corey Perry and John Gibson, Arizona's John Scott (voted in by fans), Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano, Edmonton's Taylor Hall, San Jose's Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns and Vancouver's Daniel Sedin.
FROM NHL.COM
January 6, 2016 7:56 PM
Mike Richards Agrees To Terms With Capitals
The Washington Capitals and forward Mike Richards agreed to terms Wednesday on a one-year, $1 million prorated contract.
Richards met with the NHL earlier Wednesday and has been given clearance to immediately resume his career. "Organizationally, I think it's a low-risk move," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan told Monumental Network. "It's a one-year contract and it's not a high dollar amount ... and the upside is we have a player that's trying to re-establish himself, that's played the game at a high level, and has a good track record of playing on winning teams."
Richards won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014 before his contract was terminated in June for what the Kings termed a material breach of its requirements. Richards faced a charge of possession of a controlled substance while entering Canada.
MacLellan said Richards has a preliminary court hearing later this month and "We think everything will work out in his favor."
MacLellan said the Capitals had been monitoring Richards' situation since the summer. He said he and Capitals coach Barry Trotz met with Richards last month, and spoke to former Kings teammate Justin Williams, who is in his first season with Washington.
"I think he's a motivated player," MacLellan said. "... I think he'd like to re-establish his reputation as it was before. He's been a good two-way player, he's been competitive, he's got a lot of respect around the League for his competitiveness and what he's accomplished on teams. He's been a leadership guy in some organizations and we hope we can get a part of that going forward."
Richards hasn't played an NHL game since April 9, and MacLellan said a conditioning stint with Hershey in the American Hockey League is possible. There is no timetable for him to join the Capitals lineup.
"We're going to see where he's at playing-wise," MacLellan said. "He's been a No. 1 center in this League, a third-line center, a two-way guy ... we're going to see where he's at physically and mentally and try and incorporate him into our lineup."
