A Disappointing First Half — The Fourth Period
Adrian Kempe: B
Gets an A for signing on for eight more seasons at an AAV for less than he would have received as an unrestricted free agent. Easy choice for the next captain but his grade gets knocked down for a 30-goal pace and he hasn’t taken over games like he’s done in the past. Unsold part of his game – his feistiness and edge that is in little supply on the roster.
Anze Kopitar: B
The ‘Last Time’ is ‘Now’ for the man who will soon become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. Like many on the roster, the solid defensive play is there, the offense is not but how much can you ask for a 38-year-old player in his 20th season. In reality, he should have been 3C like Joe Thornton was in his final season. It looks like the Kings dodged a bullet as the injury that had him departing on Monday may not be serious.
Corey Perry: B
He’s converted many of the haters when he signed in July. The preseason injury and a 20-game goalless streak prevents him from getting an A grade but his effectiveness at age 40 (9 goals in 35 games, 3 powerplay goals, in less than 14 minutes a night) is a testament to how a veteran player can adapt his game and still have impact.
Joel Edmundson: B
Still proving the critics wrong who said his signing was one of the worst of his free agent class. Possesses the heaviest shot from the blueline but no one will confuse him with Evan Bouchard. The right choice to pair with Clarke and is a quiet leader in the room. Steadiness and consistency are his strongest suits as his +31 rating over a season and a half attest to.
Anton Forsberg: B
A .901 save percentage is above the league average of .892 and a 6-6-3 is acceptable given the offense has scored two goals or less in 10 of the 15 games he’s played in. However, the man he placed, David Rittich has superior numbers in every key category with the Islanders.
Kevin Fiala: B-
Still the most dangerous forward on the team, the team leader in 5-on-5 goals (11) but like the rest of the roster, he’ll need a big second half to equal last season’s goal production. The propensity of taking minor penalties that he controlled last season has up ticked but has drawn a similar number (12).
Drew Doughty: B-
The team leader in time on ice but 13 points in 34 games isn’t what you want at $11 million per season. Still possesses a big shot from the point but hasn’t scored a powerplay goal in a season in a half. Now that he’s made the Olympic team, his sole focus should be on having a better and more productive second half.
Mikey Anderson: C+
What you see is what you get with Anderson but a significant drop in time on ice per game – from a career-high 22:41 to 20:03. The higher time-on-ice total last season was impacted by Doughty’s fractured ankle, but the reduction could be attributed to his lack of offense with playing so many one-goal games. A surprising stat in his favor – he leads the defense in hits at 5-on-5 play.
Jeff Mallot: C+
A nice story for an undrafted 29-year-old winger: 3 goals and 74 hits in 24 games averaging less than 8 minutes a night in no small feat on this roster. If some of the middle six wingers continued to underperform, maybe he should be moved up in the lineup.
Quinton Byfield: C
The biggest disappointment when it comes to offense, 6 goals in 41 games is unacceptable, but to his credit, he doesn’t shy away from answering the questions about his lack of production. He shows flashes of being the type of center to be in the conversation with the league’s best but until he shows the shooting mentality of elite ones, the numbers won’t drastically improve. The biggest concern is if his second half mirrors his first, with Kopitar’s departure the Kings won’t have a need at second line center, they’ll have a need for a first line center.
Alex Turcotte: C
He’s moving the needle slightly with his overall play, especially in the faceoff dot (56.2) and still shows a willingness to play a physical game that’s dogged him with injuries due to his lack of size. Turcotte has been handed a big opportunity with the Phil Danault departure, being placed on a line with Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko and must seize the opportunity. It’s hard to produce offense playing only 10 minutes a night (two goals, six assists in 40 games) as his coach favors veterans over youth, so this shot may be a final one to prove his selection as a fifth overall pick wasn’t a waste.
Warren Foegele: C
Banged up most of the first half has made his second season a disappointing one. The Danault ineffectiveness/departure has caused a trickle-down effect as he lacks the definitive role of the productive third line winger of last season. A key player in the middle six for the second half, you could sense the relief when he scored his sixth of the season in Monday’s win.
Trevor Moore: C
Similar situation to Foegele. Injuries factor in, an undefined role on the forward wall but the drop in his shooting percentage from 11.8 to 7.5 despite possessing a sneaky wrist shot is something he must own. His playing status has been murky over the past two weeks and you will probably see his name pop up on trade deadline lists.
Brian Dumoulin: C-
It’s not fair to compare Dumoulin to Vladislav Gavrikov (in essence, Dumoulin was left defense side replacement with Gavrikov’s departure) and the pairing with Cody Ceci to start the season was a bad mistake. Was not expected to provide much offense and hasn’t (0 goals, 8 assists), he’s been good enough on most nights but not great. Pull out his first three games with Ceci and he’s a +8 on a team with a negative goal differential. The lack of physicality for a 6’4 215 lb. player (21 hits) is surprising.
Cody Ceci: D+
The prime target of Kings fans vitriol and the haters would give him an F but the fair assessment is comparing him to other sixth defensemen in the NHL and for that he gets a subpar but not failing grade. Like the other summer import Dumoulin he brings size but not physicality (Clarke has more hits per Money Puck). His defensive zone giveaways are less than you’d expect given the chatter around him but it’s fair to question if the Kings would have been better off keeping the player he replaced, Jordan Spence.
Andrei Kuzmenko: D+
Four goals and three assists in his last seven games may have saved a season that appeared to be trending towards the waiver wire. Like other forwards, Kuzmenko needs to drop the fancy play for a north-south, straight to the net game and use a shot that has produced a 19.1 shooting percentage. Needs a big second half if he wants to return with his contract expiring at season’s end.
Sami Helenius: Incomplete
If he continues to be used in the manner he’s been this season (6:20 a night) the organization should risk a waiver claim (unlikely with a two-year extension given in December) and send him to Ontario for legitimate playing time. His usage is usually reserved for depth players in their 30’s, it’s not the way to develop a 23-year-old player with potential as a bottom six center.
OFF THE ICE
GM Ken Holland: Overall grade incomplete
The roster and organizational depth chart is still Rob Blake’s. Holland’s grade will form with his work at the trade deadline and in the off-season this summer. Good grades for Perry and Armia, lower on Forsberg and offset by lower grades on Dumoulin and Ceci. The biggest criticism would be importing too much size and veteran presence and not enough skill and speed with the four skater adds.
Coach Jim Hiller and staff: C-
It’s not hyperbole to say the three wins after the holiday break over Anaheim and a very good Minnesota team have kept the wolves at the door. Let’s start with the positives. The team still plays hard and has not quit on him. Despite the offensive woes, being second overall in goals against per game without an average top six defensive unit is a result of coaching as well. The team is competitive – you can count on one hand the number of games the team hasn’t had a chance to win this season. But the negatives outweigh the positives, starting with a 90-point standings pace, a 15-point regression from last season. The home record is mystifying (7-9-4) coming off a record 31-win campaign. Add to that, a 28th ranked powerplay combined with a 29th overall offense that is the primary cause for 14 1-goal losses. The five-man powerplay that was successful at the end of last season should have been scuttled much earlier when it was clear it lost its effectiveness. Multiple players have undefined roles on the team due to lack of continuity along the forward wall and a core player who was part of the leadership group (Danault) left under cloudy circumstances. The state of the Pacific Division has propped up this team (their point total would place them tied for last in the Eastern Conference) but in this crazy season, the Kings sit one point out of first place in the Pacific Division as they enter the second half.
