LA KINGS OUTSIDER 2.0

I'm sad Smytty's gone No tearful farewell .  Just a bunch of rumors .  A denial .  Some awkward negotiations .  And finally, #94 was gone . Smytty put DL and the Kings in a tough spot.  Demanding a trade is hard enough for a GM.  Requesting a trade to only one team is nearly impossible.  Give DL credit for accommodating Smyth and his family.  Hopefully, players around the league take notice that the Kings organization does have some class after all. Everyone was all smiles a couple years ago I was ecstatic when the Kings acquired Ryan Smyth two years ago from Colorado.  I knew on July 3, 2009 that the Kings were beginning to transition from rebuilding to contending.  The fact, that DL was willing to absorb a $6.25 million cap hit for the next three seasons said alot.  Sure enough, Smyth was as-advertised if not better.  His veteran leadership and presence in front of the net was something that the Kings sorely needed....

Dustin Penner: L.A.'s Newest Whipping Boy Dustin Penner isn't the devil but he has quickly become the newest whipping boy amongst Los Angeles Kings fans .  His lack of production, intensity, and perceived lack of caring on the ice are just a few of the reasons why the Kings faithful have turned on Dean Lombardi's most recent acquisition.  He joins the likes of Randy Jones, Denis Gauthier, Dan Cloutier, and countless others who have faced the wrath of Kings fans' venom.  But let's take a closer look at who Dustin Penner really is... Penner never played major junior hockey.  He was cut three times by his local junior team.  He nearly gave up on playing hockey and then decided to continue his playing career for a junior college team in North Dakota.  Spotted at an evaluation camp, Penner was offered a scholarship to the University of Maine, where he helped lead the Black Bears to the National Championship Game.  After one year of college, he signed ...

Don't Pay Any Attention To Those Two On The Right; Dustin Penner Is A Stanley Cup Champion I woke up this morning to the news that the Kings resigned Justin Williams to a four-year extension.  Then an hour later my friend texts me: "Four more years of Williams?" My response: "Two years too long." Behind Kopitar, Justin Williams is our second-most skilled player.  This probably speaks more to the lack of offensive creativity of our forward core than the skill of Williams.  Regardless a four year deal worth $14.6 million with a manageable cap-hit of $3.65M makes sense for both parties. DL has to be praying to the hockey gods that Williams injuries are well behind him.  After playing in only 130 games over the past three seasons; Williams has appeared in all 62 games this season.  He's second on the team in scoring with 49 points and tied for the team-lead with 20 goals. It has to be a good day for Williams considering all that's been through ove...

I've ordered my Hemsky jersey...have you??? How quickly things change.  The last time I blogged the Kings had dropped 8 of 10 games and were dead last in the division.  Well, The Kings not only survived the record road trip that was supposed to kill their playoff hopes but they earned 15 out of a possible 20 points on the road trip. A flurry of moves have been made over the past couple of weeks leading up to the deadline.  The Western Conference is loading up on talent and it may be time for the Kings to respond... Before you start asking: "Where's Brad Richards?" "Where's Marian Gaborik?!" "Where's David Booth?!?!"  Please read my qualifications for making it onto this exclusive shopping list. I used Sportsclubstats.com to distinguish which teams are selling.  Any team with less than a 30% chance of making the playoffs was considered a seller (Oilers, Senators, Devils, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Panthers, Thrashers, Blue...