LA KINGS OUTSIDER 2.0

Clearly, I’m a Jarome Iginla fanboy and I’ll share the reason why.  I was at an Anaheim Angels game back in 1998.  In line for concessions, 12-year-old me is contemplating nachos or Red Vines.  As I’m deep in thought, Jarome Iginla just paid for two ice creams and is walking right past me in line back to his seats.  I can’t believe it!   As he walked by, all I could blurt out is, “Are you Jarome Iginla???”  He smiled and seemed pretty surprised that anyone recognized him at a baseball game (The Flames were in town to play the Ducks in a preseason game the following night).  I asked if I could get his autograph; he said of course and I went running to the nearest usher for a pen.  When I handed him the pen and ticket stub; he handed me his ice creams to hold.  It was a pretty surreal moment to be getting an autograph of one of your hockey heroes.   He personalized the autograph AND spelled my name right???   It was lon...

The last stop of Jarome Iginla’s illustrious Hall of Fame career in Los Angeles was brief.  When GM Dean Lombardi acquired the 39-year-old Iginla towards the end of the 2016-17 season; it was clear that his best days were behind him.  The Kings were in desperate need of an offensive spark trying to claw their way into the 8th seed.  Iggy registered a respectable six goals and three assists in his 19 games with the Kings.  The romantic in me of course wanted a Ray Bourque-esque ending with Iggy receiving the Cup handoff from newly appointed Captain Anze Kopitar.   Unfortunately, the Kings failed to make the postseason.  The Kings gold anniversary was a complete letdown and the Kings were mathematically eliminated with four games remaining in the regular season.   I always thought keeping Iggy one more season in a mentor role could have done some players on that roster some good (Oh!  Hey there Tyler!).   It’...

PANIC TIME! With the Kings in the midst of a three-game losing streak; it's time to hit the panic button.  The Kings defensive zone play in the past three games has been terrible.  Untimely penalties, terrible zone coverage, and just a lack of intensity at times have cost the Kings in the last three games.  Only four points separates all five teams in the Pacific Division.  Yikes! Thomas Hickey...Where are you ? WHERE'S THOSE PROSPECTS?!?! The loss of Willie Mitchell has exposed the lack of NHL-ready defenseman in the Kings system.  Davis Drewiske has played solid this season but he can't anchor a defensive pairing.  When Coach Murray pairs him with Peter Harrold or Jake Muzzin; Kings fans everywhere start getting the sweats.  If Campbell, Hickey, Martinez, Teubert, Voynov, etc. aren't ready to step in now; it's time to acquire someone who can.  Souray anyone ?  I thought former Flame Ian White may been the perfect acquisition but those...

King Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla Pierre LeBrun jumped on Hot Stove on HNIC and speculated that if the Calgary Flames were to move Jarome Iginla; the Kings would be a perfect fit .  He reiterated his point on HNIC Radio that he's got from sources that Iginla is atop the Kings 'wish-list' if he were to become available. (Iginla) would go along with the character-type guys the Kings have added over the last two years, players like Ryan Smyth and Willie Mitchell. I couldn't agree more.  The Kings failed to acquire Kovalchuk.  The cap space is still sitting there.  The team is still missing that top-line scoring winger.  Dean Lombardi has exhausted the point that he doesn't want to jeopardize the signings of Doughty, Johnson, and Simmonds.  I absolutely get that point but look at any of the teams that have won a Cup in the post-salary cap era and all of them went 'all-in' for a couple of seasons before losing some key contributor...