I've noticed he's been left out of almost all discussion.
What does everyone think his future with the team is moving forward?
Have you lost confidence in his ability to play a top 6 role? Is he too soft or are his skills lesser than we thought?
While I have been a victim of leaving him out of line-ups at times, I think he is our best pure passer in the organization right now. I still would really like for him to pan out. I love how deceptive and swift his sweeping shot is.
Something I noticed about him last season was that he was most effective playing on the power play as a LW. Not that he is the answer to our LW problems, but its a thought.
Do you just relegate him to 4th line duty until further notice? Personally I don't want him anywhere near the 4th line, and would prefer someone tougher down there.
Or is he just trade bait at this point? Is there really space for both he and Moller? That's the sticking point to me, I like Moller's overall game more, but Moller could use some minors time and Purcell is a waste in the AHL at this point.
I think if he plays in the top-9 for 60+ games next year he can put up 15g 25-30a.
The LW thought is an interesting one; if he can convert, he does wonders for both the organization and his own career...
That being said, he's got the talent to stick, but he just loses sooo many loose puck battles on the boards and in the open ice. I don't know if it's classified as 'soft,' but the guy looks like he's never had to dig for a puck before. Of course, he's done all he can in the AHL. If he doesn't improve on the puck-battle factor, he's nothing more than a perennial AHL allstar, because as you said, he's pretty worthless to us on the 4th line.
I think he makes the team this year. I think he if they put him on a line with someone who can get the scrappy pucks (Simmonds?) he can be the guy waiting for the puck to pop loose and make something happen. He seems to have a sense of where the puck is going. Will he be a Malkin of a Luc? No but he could try to emulate that type of guy.
It depends on our roster come training camp. Sometimes, even if we have really good prospects, they will have to take a backseat to other players we have. That is the downfall of having so much young talent. Someone is always going to get left out.
It all depends on who we draft and what we do as far as free agency and trades. I still believe he has top 6 potential and I think he will at least reach second line status in his career. I don't know if it will be this team though.
We have 4/5 of our top 6 positions locked for the foreseeable future. I think the Kings are going to settle with Stoll as the second line center, which I am o.k. with. I think people throws him in the garbage too often. He is an established player that can produce and is rebounding after injury. I think with the right wingers he can center an effective second line. Kopitar, Williams, Brown, and Frolov are locks. So that leaves one winger position with so many prospects and potential fillers. Moller, Purcell, free agency, or another prospect or our top 5 pick could fill that void. If we draft MSP and he has a strong showing, we may end up throwing him out there on the second line who knows...
I am a little afraid to be honest. Terry Murray is not known to be very good (in my opinion) with line combinations. He will have to go a long way early in the season to gain my trust in that area... And then we are entering camp with so many prospects, players, and options that can go in so many different places... I just don't know what to expect and fear what we may end up with No matter what, this training camp is going to be one of the most interesting, mysterious, and looked forward too events we have had in many years. I don't remember the last time we had so many question marks before season's start. Interesting - is definitely how I would define it.
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"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.
I really hope he makes the team this year and sticks. He's got talent. After seeing him play with the Monarchs a couple of seasons ago, this was evident. He was just a dangerous player on the ice. This is a pretty big test for him this upcoming season, to see if he can rise to he next level. There's also some pressure on Dean for putting such a big target on Purcell when we first heard about him. Trade bait? I can imagine teams that tried signing him are still interested in him, especially since he showed success in the AHL.
Purcell is softer than a babies bottom. Good on the PP half boards but thats it. He's a tweener not talented enough to be a top six, not defensively sound to be a 3rd liner, and not gritty (energy) enough to play on the 4th line. Back to the AHL then find another line of work.
Purcell's play late last season makes me believe he's capable of top-9 minutes. However, if we upgrade the wings, Purcell starts becoming irrelevant. If we upgrade one of the the top 2 centre positions instead (ie Vinny), Purcell benefits and sticks. That is his future with Los Angeles.
He lost his spot last season. The only reason Purcell played as many games with the Kings as he did was because Moller got hurt. With Brown and Simmonds back again, and Williams now on the roster, it'll be that much more difficult for Purcell to make it, unless he can play on the left side full time. Although if needed, I'm sure Brown would switch to LW even if he doesn't love it. That would mean, one way or another, that Purcell earned a spot, and he'll definitely need to earn that spot. Way too weak along the boards though. The talent is there, the strength isn't.
Purcell is softer than a babies bottom. Good on the PP half boards but thats it. He's a tweener not talented enough to be a top six, not defensively sound to be a 3rd liner, and not gritty (energy) enough to play on the 4th line. Back to the AHL then find another line of work.
Unfortunately, I think this assessment is spot on.
Boy he does have NHL caliber vision, and dammit the Kings need some offensive talent.
He has worked on the other parts of the game quite well, I think taht he could be a 15-30-45 guy consistently, I would love for him to do that with the Kings next year - he is the guy we need to push us over the edge next season, as much as Gaborik or Kovy etc.
It's going to be tough. Simmonds has solidified his spot, and with Brown a lock for RW as well as Williams, there doesn't seem to be much room for Purcell lest someone get injured. If he can convert successfully to LW and find his niche as a good PP guy, he may be able to compete with Moller, but I think like everyone has said, he needs to toughen up.
He's definitely got some talent, and I'm sure he could become a successful NHLer at some point, but he MUST bring his A game to camp, or he'll be nothing more than a journeyman call-up.
I've noticed he's been left out of almost all discussion.
What does everyone think his future with the team is moving forward?
Have you lost confidence in his ability to play a top 6 role? Is he too soft or are his skills lesser than we thought?
While I have been a victim of leaving him out of line-ups at times, I think he is our best pure passer in the organization right now. I still would really like for him to pan out. I love how deceptive and swift his sweeping shot is.
Something I noticed about him last season was that he was most effective playing on the power play as a LW. Not that he is the answer to our LW problems, but its a thought.
Do you just relegate him to 4th line duty until further notice? Personally I don't want him anywhere near the 4th line, and would prefer someone tougher down there.
Or is he just trade bait at this point? Is there really space for both he and Moller? That's the sticking point to me, I like Moller's overall game more, but Moller could use some minors time and Purcell is a waste in the AHL at this point.
I think if he plays in the top-9 for 60+ games next year he can put up 15g 25-30a.
What say you?
i see him as a perfect playmaker and don't have any clue why he isn't centering the 2nd line.....
He is a very good passer with an insane eye for the other guys..
Just put him between Brown and MPS and see what happens
Purcell is softer than a babies bottom. Good on the PP half boards but thats it. He's a tweener not talented enough to be a top six, not defensively sound to be a 3rd liner, and not gritty (energy) enough to play on the 4th line. Back to the AHL then find another line of work.
I'm one of Purcell's biggest fans, but I also agree with this. I say we sign him and trade him if he doesn't start winning those battles. You can't just let assets like him walk away for nothing.
yes.. i want....... usually a playmaker with passing skills is a good center..........
That's nutty. Hemsky's not a center and that works for him. Same with guys like Ray Whitney and Alex Tanguay.
On the other hand, if you put Purcell at center you're exposing his inability to take faceoffs, be first on backcheck, and cover the slot on defensive cycle. As far as I know he can do none of those, let alone do any of those well. Center isn't a really good career choice for him.
In any case, his creativity and offensive ability is BY FAR better than anybody else's on the team, Kopitar and Frolov included. He's shown that he is willing to work on his game. He's shown that he can score and play well on a power play. If the Kings don't give him another shot then that's gross mismanagement of resources.
That's nutty. Hemsky's not a center and that works for him. Same with guys like Ray Whitney and Alex Tanguay.
On the other hand, if you put Purcell at center you're exposing his inability to take faceoffs, be first on backcheck, and cover the slot on defensive cycle. As far as I know he can do none of those, let alone do any of those well. Center isn't a really good career choice for him.
In any case, his creativity and offensive ability is BY FAR better than anybody else's on the team, Kopitar and Frolov included. He's shown that he is willing to work on his game. He's shown that he can score and play well on a power play. If the Kings don't give him another shot then that's gross mismanagement of resources.
BY FAR? I don't think I'd go that far. He's certainly more creative than most guys, but at the moment, I'd still put Kopitar and Frolov ahead of him. Though honestly, Frolov's creativity is subtle and centers more around his puck handling, and Kopitar's creativity has seemingly regressed under Murray (probably just a by-product of the system he's been told to play).
Anything is more creative than Brown's fake wannabe toe drag or whatever he does that doesn't work. Ever.
On the other hand, if you put Purcell at center you're exposing his inability to take faceoffs, be first on backcheck, and cover the slot on defensive cycle. As far as I know he can do none of those, let alone do any of those well. Center isn't a really good career choice for him.
this is spot on. It's pathetic it even has to be said. But then again, were talking about the guy that wanted to slit his wrists when Lubo traded.
I disagree entirely with the issue of creativity. Fro is the most creative guy on the team. Kopitar is second. and third, shockingly perhaps, is probably Justin Williams or maybe KQ. He's actually got some really good crafty stuff going on when he tickles the blue line. Purcell has shown flashes of it from time to time, but he's got a lot to prove, and step one is getting over the timidness with the puck on his tape.
No matter what, this training camp is going to be one of the most interesting, mysterious, and looked forward too events we have had in many years. I don't remember the last time we had so many question marks before season's start. Interesting - is definitely how I would define it.
