Crawford Hired by Dallas; Pronger to L.A.?

First, the Chris Pronger reports.

There are unconfirmed rumors flying around the internet today that suggest the Kings are on the verge of acquiring Chris Pronger from the Ducks for Jack Johnson and the 5th overall pick in this year's draft next month. The rumor initiated on the website HockeyBuzz and made its rounds through the internet. Some media outlets picked up on the initial report as a done deal but have retracted it since. The rumor is nowhere to be found on any of the major national hockey media outlets such as TSN.ca, or even ESPN.com.

Several sources, including Rich Hammond of the Daily News on his Inside the Kings blog, have claimed to have received word from one team or the other that no deal is in place. Hammond says he received a "Rumor not true" text from Dean Lombardi himself. And granted Hammond broke the Patrick O'Sullivan-Justin Williams trade a day before it happened taht Lombardi denied at first, who's to say the trade won't still happen?

And for what it's worth, Pronger has said he has not been notified either.

However, one source says the two players are still likely to be traded as the teams try to haggle on the draft pick going from the Kings to the Ducks.

All that aside, I think this would be a ridiculously dumb move on the Kings part if they do anything close to it. I can't see the upside behind it when you're trying to build around the youth, and Jack Johnson is part of that youth movement. Obviously this would be a salary dump for the Ducks to get under the cap, but I don't understand it from the Kings side.

Either way, well done by both SoCal teams for stealing some of the thunder of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight in Detroit.

And lastly, former Kings head coach Marc Crawford was indeed hired as the Dallas Stars new head coach yesterday, a day after it was speculated they had called the Kings to ask for permission to talk to him after the Stars fired former Kings assistant Dave Tippett.

Change of Heart on Trade

Yesterday I had mentioned I was 'ok' with the Patrick O'Sullivan trade because I felt it was a trade they made for future purposes, like maybe a precursor to them going hard after Marian Gaborik as a free agent this summer. Sully had signed a 4 year, $21MM deal last year, and I thought maybe the trade was a salary dump to go after Gaborik. I also mentioned I had done some 'research' and read other people's reactions to the deal, but I obviously didn't dig deep enough.

My understanding now is Sully's contract was heavily front-loaded, meaning he got a good chunk of his money up-front, or this year. That said, it would be almost impossible for it to be a salary dump if they've already paid him. Which brings me to the reason now I think the trade was stupid.

Sully is one of those rare talents. At just 22, he was supposed to be one of the centerpieces for the future of the franchise. As someone else said to me yesterday, you just don't trade a guy like Sully... unless you're getting a guy like Kovalchuk or even Bouwmeester. What they got back was a well-rounded veteran, but an aging player with a history of injuries and the inability to put points on the board.

So the Kings had to have had their reasons for moving Sully. Could it have been his work ethic? Or maybe his attitude? It was no secret he wasn't happy with his playing time or the frequent line changes. So could they had just grown wary of his constant complaining? Or maybe the fact he waited so long to sign his contract? We'll really never know but I do know this: you don't just give away great young talent like that. The kid is 22. You work through those issues. This deal to me was a big risk, and the timing is very questionable.

So, after giving this some thought, I've decided that since this trade tells me the Kings have given up on their season, I'm giving up on them. I'm boycotting the remainder of the season (or at least most of it) until they prove to me and show me otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I like terry Murray, and I love Dean Lombardi for most of the moves he's made to prepare this franchise for the future. I know they have a plan, but to me, they went backwards again with this trade. And I know it's only one trade, but we as Kings fans are tired of the lack of commitment from the organization. We're tired of the teasers. It's time they made a commitment to the city of Los Angeles, and to the fans, and stick to it.

By the way, for some really good analysis and an interesting story on how this deal went down, check out the Daily News' Rich Hammond's Inside the Kings blog. Some really good stuff there!

O'Sullivan Traded

In what appears to be a salary dump (at least to me, after a first glance), the Kings shipped forward Patrick O'Sullivan to the Carolina Panthers today just before the trade deadline, for forward Justin Williams.

I've been reading some of the feedback from fans at both LGK.com and some of the other hockey sites, and obviously most people don't like this deal straight up. But after looking a tad further into this, looking at some of the other factors possibly involved behind the deal, I came to the conclusion (along with a friend of mine who will remain unnamed) that this was probably a salary dump, and the Kings were probably gearing up for a busy off-season this summer. (Remember O'Sullivan signing that big four year, $21MM deal in the off-season?)

Personally, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if the Kings went hard after Marian Gaborik this summer. It's the only explanation I can think of after giving up on such a promising young kid in O'Sullivan. The offense this year has been inconsistently sporadic at best, and my feeling is because they don't really have a proven veteran scorer on their top two lines to take the scoring burden off Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar or Alex Frolov.

I was also reading from the fans that their impression is the Kings have all but given up on this season. They haven't played well in the last week or two, and have fallen further behind the pack for that elusive eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with some tough losses, too many, in fact. But because there is so much parity in the conference right now, there is still hope, albeit a longshot at this point with too many teams ahead of them to climb.

Having said all that, would it be that bad to miss the playoffs one more season, then go sign that big veteran scorer they've really been lacking for a few years, and then make a serious run next season with everyone a year older and more mature? I don't. And I know Kings fans are tired of not making the playoffs, but obviously Dean Lombardi has a plan, and the best plan of is to stick to your plan and let it play itself. The Kings were never expected to be in contention this far into the season anyway. But should they manage to get into the playoffs, that would be nice, too.

A couple of other notes, both Erik Ersberg and Sean O'Donnell agreed to contract extensions today, and Tom Preissing was assigned to Manchester this afternoon after clearing waivers.

Kings Rock Jersey

Great win by the Kings tonight Jersey, as they scored three second period goals for a 3-1 victory. Great defensive effort and a solid performance in net by Jon Quick. And more importantly, two huge points in the standings in a hotly contested Western Conference. Kings continue to inch back upwards, and now have 53 points, tied with three other teams for 10th in the conference, just two points out of the eighth spot.

Jarret Stoll, Anze Kopitar and Patrick O'Sullivan got the goals for the Kings, with O'Sully's coming unassisted. Kings take their three game win streak into NY for a matchup with the Islanders Tuesday on Long Island before heading home.

Brown an All-Star

Earlier today, Kings captain Dustin Brown was chosen to represent the Kings in this year's All-Star game in Montreal at the end of the month. While it seems the fans continue to vote for their favorite players to start (this seems to be a growing problem in baseball and the NBA, as well) rather than for those who actually deserve it, it's nice to actually see the league recognize players who should be there. Brown, who has 13 goals and 13 assists in the Kings 39 games this season, has been a mainstay on the Kings top line for several years now.

The young nucleus built with and around Brown on the Kings has them headed in the right direction, with players like Anze Kopitar, Alexander Frolov, and Patrick O'Sullivan on offense. And despite a very tough schedule the second half of the season (they finish the season with 12 of their last 16 games on the road), they are right in thick of the Western Conference playoff chase even as they sit in last place in a very tough Pacific Division, just one point behind fourth place Dallas.

The Kings have played some very good hockey this season, especially against some of the top teams in the league, and have gotten some rave reviews from some of their opponents this season. They recently took both San Jose and the NY Rangers to overtime before losing both games, one in a shoot out, and beat Philadelphia last week in a shoot out. They boast one of the league's best and best young defenses, and their penalty kill ranks 7th in the league, thanks in large part to the return of Sean O'Donnell and rookie Drew Doughty. And they have two very good young goaltenders, Erik Ersberg and Jon Quick, with Jon Bernier getting some experience and waiting in the wings with the Kings AHL affiliate in Ontario, CA.

The Kings appear to be in great shape for the future, and have their fans excited about hockey again. Now if they could just find a way to beat their crosstown rivals once in a blue moon, all will be good in Kings Hockeyland!

Season Underway

CORRECTION (6:18pm CT): Tonight's game time is 5:00pm PT, not 5:30 as mentioned earlier.

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The 2008-2009 is officially underway and so far through six games, the Kings seem to be holding their own. They picked up their third win of the season last night in a very hard-fought, well-played game, a 4-0 blasting of the Blues in St. Louis. Patrick O'Sullivan, who recently signed a new contract with the Kings, picked up his team leading third goal of the season. New Team Captain Dustin Brown also scored a goal in the win. Brown currently leads the team with six points through the early season. Goalie Jason LaBarbera, who has started all six games so far for the Kings, got the win.

Meanwhile, 2008 second overall pick in the entry draft, Drew Doughty, continues to impress. While he only has one goal in six games, he has logged nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game, and has really impressed the coaching staff, his teammates, and others around the league. The Kings will continue to give him ice time over the next three games, and then they have a decision to make: do they keep him on the roster and continue to play him at the NHL level and pay him for the remainder of the season while he learns the nuances of playing in the NHL, or do they send him to junior hockey where he could benefit from playing there, as well as on the Canadian World junior team again (and where they won't have to pay him his full first year's salary)?

Stay tuned. Should be an interesting decision coming up.

Also coming up, Kings in Nashville tonight at 5:30pm PT.

Checkin' In!

Just thought I'd check in since it's been about a month. Nothing's changed for the Kings, and they still have the worst record in the league! However, they're in a battle with the Lightning for that dubious honor!

By the way, I'd mentioned before that I had been to the first three Kings games here in Dallas against the Stars, and was disgusted with their play each time. Well, I decided I didn't have the time to go to the last of the four here this past Saturday (being Easter Sunday weekend and all). Having said that, the bastards came into town and beat the Stars 4-2, to take the season series lead 4-3, and become the first road team to win in the season series! Now they have a shot to actually win the season series against the Stars for the first time in two years when they play at Staples at the end of the month. Woo-hoo! Something to be excited about!

Ok, that's really about it. I know guys like Frolov, Kopitar and O'Sullivan, just to mention a couple off the top of my head, are having solid seasons, but it'd be even better to celebrate their excellence if the rest of the team was doing well...

Frolov Nets Hat Trick Against Blues

Well, that was a fun game last night, wasn't it? Alexander Frolov scored a hat trick, Patrick O' Sullivan had five points and Anze Kopitar added a goal as the Kings routed St. Louis 5-1. A week ago in St. Louis, the Kings looked lost and weary. Last night at Staples, they looked like Cup champions as they rolled all over former King goalie, Manny Legace for four second-period goals. And while the Kings are still at the bottom of the standings, they're certainly not playing like a team in the cellar of late, if you remove three of the last four games before last night's win.

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In case anyone missed it, Jaroslav Modry was shipped off to Philly on Tuesday for a third round pick in this year's draft. Modry will be sorely missed... NOT!

Kings in the Music City

Not much to talk about (sorry for the late comments)... another loss for the KIngs. Final: Nashville 4, Kings 2. This is becoming routine. They actually played well for most of the game (at least what I saw of it) but the result was pretty much the same. The Kings are free-falling and getting buried as the league's worse team according to the standings. On a bright note, rookie Patrick O'Sullivan is on a tear of late. If the Kings can just get the rest of the offense going again, and maybe get a little help in front LaBarbera and Aubin, they might win a few of these games they're losing.

Next up, the Kings are back at Staples day after Christmas to take on San Jose...

Center Ice/Tonight's Game in Detroit

UPDATE (8:49pm CT): So much for the good game. Rout is on. 6-2 Wings mid-way through the final stanza...

UPDATE (8:00pm CT): Missed this one... Wings added another... got their two-goal lead back... 4-2 now.

UPDATE (7:42pm CT): Or, maybe not... grrrr. Wings regain the lead 3-2 on a Holmstrom goal at 3:35.

UPDATE (7:35pm CT): O'Sully ties it up just 15 seconds into the 2nd... might be a good game after all!

UPDATE (7:15pm CT): Brownie gets one back @ 18:32 in the first... 2-1 now...

UPDATE (6:53pm CT): Here we go again... 2-0 Wings...

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So I'm paying big money to be able to watch the out-of-market games, such as the Kings. Well, this isn't the first time this has happened but I turn on the game to FSN West and Detroit and BOTH feeds are blacked out here. What the hell is the point if BOTH feeds are going to be blacked out even though I'm paying for it?

Anyway, enough venting... I guess I'll be following tonight's blowout online, and with the help of ESPN goal and end-of-period/final score mobile text alerts. Speaking of which, just got the first one... 1-0 Detroit just 0:59 into the game on Zetterberg's 25th... hahahaha... Gonna be a long night for Kings fans. Maybe it's a good thing I can't get the game...