To me, with our setup right now, we’ve got Kopitar and Richards, and with Stolly we have players who can shoot, can score, are not designated as checkers, per se. In games one through 22, I go back through those games and look at Kopitar and Richards.
They end up playing against top lines in almost every one of those games. So I’m not just putting Stoll’s line into a situation of being the line against their top opposition. So they opportunity to play the game has not changed. His look, his role, has not change. Everybody, we need them to be responsible on the checking side of it.
We want them to get the puck when we don’t have it and get back on the attack and create in the offensive zone. Numbers just have not fallen in place for us on that line, with that balance that we’re looking for and that depth we need to get on our hockey club in order to become a good hockey club on a consistent basis.’’
Trade him for a shutdown center. Stoll for Pahlsson +.
I think it would be better if the Kings moved Stoll for a better RW to play on that third line and have one of Richardson or Lewis center that line (and keep Loktionov as the 2nd line LW for the time being).
I'd like to see Stoll moved along with a depth player to Carolina for Tuomo Ruutu. Ruutu makes $200K more than Stoll and they're both set to become UFAs.
It's pretty tough for those guys right now. The net presence isn't as effective as previous years, with the lack of size and all, it might be the only way though. No one is going to snipe it off the rush, or even generate enough good offense from the cycle..not from the "3rd liners."
Lack of garbage goals, that's pretty obvious. If you were to ask me, I'd suggest to keep it simple. Play consistent north-south hockey, establish an effective forecheck, crash the net, and get shots from the D-men that will generate rebound opportunities.
I think this is exactly why Clifford is struggling to do anything inside the offensive zone. His center isn't controlling the puck very well and they are hardly generating any opportunities inside the offensive zone, thus eliminating Clifford's effectiveness around the net.
Trade him for a shutdown center. Stoll for Pahlsson +.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ziggy Stardust
I think it would be better if the Kings moved Stoll for a better RW to play on that third line and have one of Richardson or Lewis center that line (and keep Loktionov as the 2nd line LW for the time being).
I'd like to see Stoll moved along with a depth player to Carolina for Tuomo Ruutu. Ruutu makes $200K more than Stoll and they're both set to become UFAs.
If we're dealing with "bad" teams like CBJ or CAR, I doubt they'd have any interest in a pending UFA like Stoll. They'll be looking for assets that can help them next year and beyond.
Plus, Stoll has some important utility value (Shootouts, Faceoffs). So while he is underperforming it'd be nice to keep him around and look at other avenues for improving the bottom 6.
I think it would be better if the Kings moved Stoll for a better RW to play on that third line and have one of Richardson or Lewis center that line (and keep Loktionov as the 2nd line LW for the time being).
I'd like to see Stoll moved along with a depth player to Carolina for Tuomo Ruutu. Ruutu makes $200K more than Stoll and they're both set to become UFAs.
I'm actually more in favor of moving Stoll for a 3rd line LW. I like Clifford on the third line, but he would fit naturally on a line with Fraser. That would make a tough, skilled 4th line.
Murray must really value Stoll's ability in the shootouts and how good he is at winning faceoffs to not take him out of the lineup for his lack of production.
Murray must really value Stoll's ability in the shootouts and how good he is at winning faceoffs to not take him out of the lineup for his lack of production.
That is exactly why he is in the lineup. His faceoff ability is extremely important, even though Richards has come out of no where lately and has been dominating, both Stoll and Kopitar are top 20 in the league in faceoffs. We have been doing an exceptional job within the circles, which really helps with our possession time and controlling the game obviously.
Also, his shootout ability has been absolute money. I don't know how he does it, because he only shoots like that in the shootout, and everyone in the league knows what he is going to do so it is surprising to see it work so often, but if you have a player on your team that can give you that big of a chance to steal one point, you have to play him, if they bench Stoll, and go 0 for 3 in the shootout, it would be a big deal. Murray hates the shootout, I bet it is a little bit of a relief to him that Stoll has been so reliable all of a sudden, because he can't make a shootout lineup to save his life. He routinely chooses names over ability.
Stoll's shootout ability may have saved his job this season now that Kopitar and Richards are starting to make his faceoff ability obsolete. He can single handedly win us a point at the right moment, hard to ignore.
__________________
"It has not been a good day. I lost my glasses early this morning and I had to go buy a pair of 79 dollar reading glasses today. 79 bucks. You can literally get them at Costco, three-for-20." - Darryl Sutter's response to going up 2-0 in the series.
That is exactly why he is in the lineup. His faceoff ability is extremely important, even though Richards has come out of no where lately and has been dominating, both Stoll and Kopitar are top 20 in the league in faceoffs. We have been doing an exceptional job within the circles, which really helps with our possession time and controlling the game obviously.
Also, his shootout ability has been absolute money. I don't know how he does it, because he only shoots like that in the shootout, and everyone in the league knows what he is going to do so it is surprising to see it work so often, but if you have a player on your team that can give you that big of a chance to steal one point, you have to play him, if they bench Stoll, and go 0 for 3 in the shootout, it would be a big deal. Murray hates the shootout, I bet it is a little bit of a relief to him that Stoll has been so reliable all of a sudden, because he can't make a shootout lineup to save his life. He routinely chooses names over ability.
I would argue that his skill on the dot is becoming more and more obsolete with Kopitar and Richards performing well in the faceoff circle. Kopitar is right there with Stoll and Richards is also above 50%, if they keep it up then Stoll will soon find himself as a one trick pony in LA. His salary doesn't justify being a shootout specialist. If he doesn't turn it around soon he will find himself on another team come deadline or offseason. If he replicated his numbers from last season, I am sure Lombardi would have offered him something, but it is quite clear that we overestimated Stoll's ability to be a great two way center. I don't see him having a future in LA when all things are said and done this year.
It's too bad he's completely worthless at even strength play. All those faceoffs wins look like a nice statistic but they're meaningless if they can't possess the puck inside the opposition's blueline, and more often than not, Stoll's line is incapable of sustaining any type of offensive pressure.
It's too bad he's completely worthless at even strength play. All those faceoffs wins look like a nice statistic but they're meaningless if they can't possess the puck inside the opposition's blueline, and more often than not, Stoll's line is incapable of sustaining any type of offensive pressure.
Pretty much, and it all starts with him. I think Clifford does a terrific job at getting the puck in, his dump/chip ins are usually quite impressive and his hustle is always there and more often than not he gets there first, needs to work on his board work, but I'll take that over Stoll's skate it to the blue line and throw it to a defenseman any day. He just doesn't have the ability to lead a line, I think he would make a better winger than a center, even then, he really doesn't belong on either a bottom 6 or a top 6, he is in a twilight zone of in-betweeners in my mind.
I think this team needs to be in the market for a strong 3rd line center. I don't think Loktionov is the answer, he is undersized, lacks muscle, and is better suited for wing in my opinion. I don't see Loktionov being much more effective than Stoll has, even if his skill is higher and he might be able to create offense more, I don't think he can keep the puck out of our net or habitually lead the line. Have to see what Lombardi does at the end of the season. Kind of wish we had kept Handzus over Stoll now
Nice to see people are finally starting to get it with Stoll.
Not skilled enough to be a 2nd liner
Not good enough defensively or gritty enough to be a 3rd liner
To expensive to be a 4th liner
Can't wait to have that $7.7 in cap space this summer when Frick and Frack's contracts come off the books. Hopefully we can put it to use and get a couple of quality players.
Nice to see people are finally starting to get it with Stoll.
Not skilled enough to be a 2nd liner
Not good enough defensively or gritty enough to be a 3rd liner
To expensive to be a 4th liner
Can't wait to have that $7.7 in cap space this summer when Frick and Frack's contracts come off the books. Hopefully we can put it to use and get a couple of quality players.
to think next year we have so much cap space to improve our line up. oh man. cant effin wait!
Thankfully the Kings will have five bottom six/depth players with expiring contracts set to become UFAs: Stoll, Moreau, Parse, Hunter and Fraser. They will have four returning players who will likely fill bottom six roles next season in Lewis, Richardson, Clifford and Westgarth. So that leaves the Kings with a few options to reshape the bottom six forwards.
Personally, I'd like to see the Kings add a middleweight fighter who can play, either one of Brandon Prust or Tanner Glass. Loktionov could possibly slide in to the third line center position if the Kings land themselves a top line LW to replace Penner. I think David Moss would be a good addition as a 3rd line RW. One player who I think will be highly sought after will be Travis Moen. If there is any player who'd be the perfect addition to the bottom six, it would be Moen.
Not to let Stoll of the hook by any stretch here, but when Murray says he's playing Stoll with "scorers, not designated checkers per say" who is he referring too? Penner would be about the only guy I can think of that has played with Stoll as a scorer, and that was maybe five games when he was demoted before being hurt. Other than that, who is a scorer?
But yeah, Stoll needs to do more, and soon.
As for Richardson and Lewis, they are the reason Stoll hasn't been bumped. Neither of them has looked any better than Stoll IMO, so why put them up there in place of Stoll? Not saying SToll is earning his ice, but hard to say Richie and Lewis earned it either (especially Lewis, he's been brutal in the face off circle this year).
Still, it had to be overstated.
