.

The Kings have mutually parted ways with their 5th round selection from the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. This, for a 5th round selection in this summer’s 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Andrei Loktionov requested a trade last week, Dean Lombardi cooperated.

It all comes full circle.

The Kings’ Russian prospect has been traded to the New Jersey Devils, who the Kings defeated in last season’s Stanley Cup Finals series. Loktionov, who played 39 regular season games and made two playoff appearances with the Kings last season, was nixed from the list of players and personnel to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup after last season’s success.

So, all you have to remember of Andrei Loktionov‘s time in a Kings uniform, is a player that fell victim to a roster too heavy in depth to provide the 22 year-old native of Voskresensk, Russia a true opportunity to blossom at the NHL level.

Now there’s a positive way to say goodbye.

Loktionov spent stints of three seasons in a Kings uniform, but skated most with the AHL‘s Manchester Monarchs. There was just no room for him here. The Kings are healthily and heavily platooned at Andrei Loktionov‘s position, with Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, and Jarret Stoll locking up the centerman positions on the first three lines for years to come.

And you already know Loktionov has no business being a fourth-liner.

It’s not so much that Andrei Loktionov couldn’t fit in at his natural center position, but he wasn’t valuable enough working elsewhere. Terry Murray experiemented with Loktionov at the wing position during the 2010-2011 campaign, but results were unsatisfactory.

And that really spelled Loktionov’s fate with the Kings, or at least foreshadowed it. Another problem with his fit in this organization was that the Kings have a number of versatile forwards who could be used in different roles/positions that were clearly a better option than Loktionov.

A lot of it had to do with size, and as it ultimately comes to; production.

Andrei Loktionov played a total of 59 regular season games with the Kings over the course of three years, and two in the postseason last spring. In that time, the young Russian potted seven goals and seven assists for 14 points.

May I compare him to a lesser Ryan Smyth? Loktionov never queued a red-light from more than three feet outside of the crease in his time with the Kings.

If you see Andrei Loktionov, you’ll find him inside – regardless of the uniform.

Long Island strut

Phoenix on the Boards

Andrei on his toes

Follow up in Columbus

Capitals-izing

Crowning Beantown

Everyone remembers their first

You’d be wrong not to acknowledge the most awkward interview ever.

The kid was probably sh*t scared of Daryl Evans’ suspenders

Andrei Loktionov has spent the entire season in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs. After starting the season as one of Manchester’s top scorers during the NHL lockout, he’s simmered down and currently has 22 points for seven goals and 15 assists through 37 games.

He’s seen his last days in New Hampshire, but not in the AHL. Loktionov has been assigned to the Albany Devils through the trade, the New Jersey Devils‘ AHL affiliate.

Adios, Andrei

The Kings are in Tennessee Thursday night for a date with the Nashville Predators.

Episode 178 KingsCast TV: What’s the deal with Mike Richards? – HERE
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Imagine all of this with a full 82-game schedule. You know what a hurdle is?

Now it’s a scramble. You have to recover quickly. You have to.

Tuesday’s contest with the Colorado Avalanche presents a string of sudden roster moves to the Kings’ lineup. As though recovering from Saturday’s lackluster loss wasn’t a challenge in itself, the Kings must now adapt to a tornado-like whirlwind of roster moves.

These changes have come in all facets. With some of the good, you better expect a bit of the bad.

*New KingsCast TV – Episode 177 “Kings Raise The Banner”*

The Good: You’ll see a #11 sweater Tuesday evening. Anze Kopitar will be in the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche, fully healed from the knee injury he suffered in Sweden playing with Mora IK.

The Neutral: We barely knew the guy — Anthony Stewart has been placed on waivers.

The Bad: He’s traveling with the Kings has they embark on a three-game road trip over the course of five days, which hints at an imminent return for Willie Mitchell, who injured himself training just after the NHL lockout ended.

The Ugly: This is about as bad as it gets. Kings’ defenseman Matt Greene suffered a herniated disc during Saturday’s contest against the Chicago Blackhawks. Initial reports claimed Greene was likely to miss the entire season, but most recent words hint at a three-month recovery process for the Kings’ stay-at-home defensive rock.

Bottom Line: Greene’s gone, and the only question is whether he can return late in the regular season, or playoffs, or.. next October.

Equally as missed as his shut-down defensive coverage will be, is his voice.

Word of Mouth

You think Jack Johnson would listen.

But, many also thought Johnson would be a top-tier elite NHL defenseman.

Blue-line Blues

Blindside: The Kings returned defensively in a very attractive way this season, seeing all six defensemen – Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene, Vyacheslav Voynov, Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty, and Alec Martinez return to the roster. The Kings controlled many games in the latter part of last season, and all throughout the postseason, with their arrogant defensive scheme.

One of the last problems you could foresee hitting the Kings this season is one that applies to defense. With Willie Mitchell still on injured-reserve, and Matt Greene‘s entire season now threatened, the Kings must adapt immediately.

Unfortunately, for now at least, this means Davis Drewiske will remain in the lineup. He will skate alongside Alec Martinez in Colorado tonight. And it also means digging into the product on the farm with the AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs for some assistance.

Manchester’s Muzzin: The Kings will call on Jake Muzzin, who was called-up from Manchester as soon as news broke of Matt Greene‘s injury. This will be Muzzin’s second NHL-stint, his second with the Kings. At the start of the 2010-2011 campaign, Muzzin played the first 11 games of the year in a Kings uniform.

He hasn’t seen any action with the big club since, until tonight. His performance, along that of Drewiske’s will not just once again determine the length of their time with the Kings, but if Dean Lombardi should trigger another trade to acquire a defensive body.

Only time will tell, and the way this season has been structured, “too late” can sneak up on you with the blink of an eye. For now, the Kings are going with what they’ve got within their system to fill the big holes exposed. And, they have the assets to make moves if tonight’s defensive tandem can’t hold their own.

Jake Muzzin will play alongside Vyacheslav Voynov tonight. The two are quite familiar with each other as teammates with the Manchester Monarchs.

The burning question – Who will Jarret Stoll ride to games with now?

Ambitions As A Rider

Strollsy and Co. are now hit with a dose of adversity to play through early, and it’s going to get late – fast.

But it’s nothing an Anze Kopitar goal can’t put a positive twist on. Welcome back.

Episode 177: L.A Kings Raise the Banner – HERE
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The lockout benefited none more than the Kings. There’s gold in this mess.

112 agonizing days later, it’s finally over. All is back in gear for the NHL.

The league’s operations have quickly gone from a stand-still state to full-on mayhem. The Kings are expected to start training camp, which would last approximately one week, as early as Wednesday. As far as an opening regular season date is concerned, Staples Center has an evening (7:30PM) slot available on January 16th, or a matinee ordeal (12:00PM) on January 19th.

Whichever date is decided upon, it will be sure to include the long-awaited ceremony that sees the Kings raise their first ever Stanley Cup banner into the rafters of Staples Center.

All we really know now is the basics, but it’s the most important information – that being a guaranteed start to the season. The Kings, along with all other 29 NHL clubs, will play a shortened schedule of either 48 or 50 games. Regular season length, along with official schedules, are expected to be decided upon in the next couple of days.

The Kings will not host the New York Rangers on opening night, as originally planned in the NHL‘s original 2012-2013 schedule. Expect to see a Pacific Division opponent, or another Western Conference rival, such as the Vancouver Canucks.

The opponent is still unknown, but everyone will be home.

Catching an Aeroplane

Now boarding: Nine players will be on immediate paths back to Los Angeles from other hockey clubs in the next couple of days. Three of those players will return from European confines, four from the Kings’ AHL affiliate in New Hampshire, one from the ECHL, and one from the CHL.

Trevor Lewis – #22

Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)
GP: 6 G: 3 A: 6 PTS: 9

Alec Martinez – #27

Allen Americans (CHL), TPS Turku (SM-liiga)
GP: 11 G: 1 A: 1 PTS: 2 – *SM-liiga
GP: 3 G: 1 A: 1 PTS: 2 – *CHL

Jordan Nolan – #71

Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
GP: 21 G: 2 A: 4 PTS: 6

Andrei Loktionov – #48

Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
GP: 26 G: 6 A: 12 PTS: 18

Vyacheslav Voynov – #26

Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
GP: 35 G: 7 A: 9 PTS: 16

Dwight King – #74

Manchester Monarchs (AHL)
GP: 28 G: 5 A: 12 PTS: 17

Jonathan Bernier – #45

Heilbronn Falken (2.GBun)
GP: 13 W: 6 L: 7 GAA: 2.57

Dustin Brown – #23

Zurich (Swiss-A)
GP: 16 G: 8 A: 5 PTS: 13

Anze Kopitar – #11

Mora IK (Allsvenskan)
GP: 27 G: 9 A: 20 PTS: 29

Where are they now?: As for the rest of the Kings’ roster, they’ll either return from their homes where they’ve been conditioning and playing through the duration of the lockout, or continue to settle in Southern California where a handful of players on the club have been stationed.

Comeback effect

Lockout’s opened it up: Let’s start with the withdrawal effects the lockout had, and there weren’t many. Kings fans are more than used to a lengthy offseason, which had a commond trend of starting in early April, and stretching all the way to October.

That’s an estimated four months without hockey each year in Los Angeles.

This year, and fresh off of a Stanley Cup victory which saw this club play until June 11th, fans suffered through a six-month hiatus. If the joy of a Stanley Cup didn’t cushion that extra two months of life without the NHL, then you’re pretty hard to please. Especially, considering it was the franchise’s first championship in it’s 45-year existence.

I find it hard to imagine how things have been for fans of the other 29 NHL teams. Talk about a nightmare. We’ve had it good, folks.

Jonathan Quick, who underwent back surgery in June, has been granted much-needed time to recover from his operation because of the lockout. Quick practiced with the Manchester Monarchs numerous times during the work stoppage, but never saw any live action.

If you think a well-rested and recovered Jonathan Quick is a good thing, consider the fact that the Kings have their entire Stanley Cup winning roster intact from last season. This doesn’t happen often to championship teams, but the Kings hold what is quite possibly the sexiest contract line-up in the NHL.

Anze Kopitar will be absent for a bit. Don’t lose sleep over it.

And what may be most vital here, is the Kings reeling free from any symptoms connected with the NHL‘s notorious string of “Stanley Cup hangover” effects. They played until the early summer, they partied aplenty, but there were more than three months of extra rest to compliment the beauty of last season’s victory.

Really now, it’s been good.

We’ll be with you on all counts leading up to puck-drop.

Been there

How about doing it again. Wouldn’t that be a beauty.

Episode 176: KingsCast Holiday Compilation – HERE
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From untold to household, it’s been a remarkable rookie campaign for the Kings’ second-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

As if Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi needs any more impressive results from his recent string of moves with the organization, another prospect is fruitfully shaping into becoming a core piece of the Kings’ future.

Keep it rolling now.

Tyler Toffoli peppered the Portland Pirates with three goals Saturday night, notching his second hat-trick of the season for the Kings’ parent affiliate Manchester Monarchs. This weekend’s performance is just another taste of the promising skill Toffoli has brought to the American Hockey League in his first season of professional hockey.

The 20 year-old Toronto, Ontario native was an acquisition the Kings’ targeted for solidifying youth, skill, and size into the future of their top-six forward scheme – a problem that haunted the club’s offense for a decade.

Toffoli has shown early signs of developing into that role quite well; A role that Dustin Penner failed to satisfy, and one that two of Toffoli’s current teammates – Jordan Nolan and Dwight King, are also playing for.

However, it’s no competition for Toffoli, King, and Nolan – especially right now. Call it ‘too soon’, but you may be looking at a trio that plays together for quite a long time. And, in Los Angeles.

It’s a Show

Red-Light District: There’s been no shortage in power in Tyler Toffoli‘s game since his jump from the OHL with the Ottawa 67′s to the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs. In fact, he’s been the biggest surge on a club that’s icing a handful of NHL players among a group of AHL veterans – many of whom the Kings drafted years before Toffoli.

With 22 points in 28 games, Tyler Toffoli leads the entire Monarchs roster in scoring. This, in the form of 13 goals and nine assists. The kid’s been a menace on Manchester’s powerplay as well, tallying five goals in man-advantage situations. Toffoli’s dabbled with shorthanded success as well, potting one goal on the penalty-kill.

Cannon: Creating opportunity you say? Toffoli’s been lethal to statisticians, totaling an astounding 83 shots-on-goal in his 28 games. This is the second-highest mark on the Monarchs’ roster, only behind Vyacheslav Voynov and his 87 shots – one of the four Kings’ roster players skating with Manchester during the NHL lockout.

Now showing in NH

Say Hey

Familiar faces: As the NHL lockout wears on, four Kings players continue to skate with the AHL‘s Manchester Monarchs. Andrei Loktionov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Dwight King, and Jordan Nolan are keeping the legs at-par in New Hampshire, but things haven’t gone as smooth as they did in the spring when all four were with the Kings.

The Monarchs sit at 4th-place in the AHL‘s Atlantic Division, but are only four points behind the 1st-place Portland Pirates – who they defeated Saturday night with Tyler Toffoli‘s three-goal outburst. Manchester currently holds playoff positioning, however.

How goes it?

Andrei Loktionov: GP: 20 — G: 5 — A: 12 — PTS: 17

Vyacheslav Voynov: GP: 29 — G: 6 — A: 9 — PTS: 15

Dwight King: GP: 22 — G: 5 — A: 10 — PTS: 15

Jordan Nolan: GP: 15 — G: 2 — A: 3 — PTS: 5

 

But numbers ain’t everything: We’ll get back to a full-swing on updates from the Manchester Monarchs and the four aforementioned Kings players very soon. Likewise, updates from Sweden with Anze Kopitar, Finland with Alec Martinez, Germany with Jonathan Bernier, and of course, Dustin Brown from Switzerland.

Bringing home dinner

Pass the butter, Thomas Hickey.

Episode 176: KingsCast Holiday Compilation – HERE
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The Kings’ Canadian native of Ayr, Ontario will test new boundaries, and the young forward’s new-found location boasts a familiar name. But don’t let words fool you.

For Kyle Clifford, it’s off to Ontario, California.

Clifford’s new digs are just a hop and a skip away from Downtown Los Angeles and Staples Center, a friendly 40 miles East on Interstate-10. It’s home to the closest professional hockey being played during the NHL lockout for Kings fans. It’s the East Coast Hockey League, it’s a forced option these days.

So now Clifford becomes the newest member of the Ontario Reign. The ECHL is considered the NHL‘s “AA” league, if we were to put it in minor league baseball terms. The “E” is a clear-cut level under the AHL in most facets, and comparable to many of Europe’s professional leagues. Skill wise, at least.

The ECHL is well-known for it’s gritty, physical, body-intuitive style of play. Oh, and there’s fights aplenty.

Kyle Clifford is known for his gritty, physical, body-intuitive style of play, and he fights aplenty. Something tells me this could be an enjoyable chapter in the young Kings’ forward’s career.

Cliff-Hanging

When the Kings drafted Kyle Clifford in the 2nd-round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Quebec, he was signed and playing with the OHL‘s Barrie Colts.

Clifford made just one other stop before making his astounding and immediate jump to the NHL. This came with the AHL‘s Manchester Monarchs for a quick seven games during the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs. This short stint followed his third and final season with the Barrie Colts.

Since then, it’s been NHL-play and a Kings uniform on Clifford’s back.

As soon as Clifford hit the NHL scene, it was apparent there was little looking back. In his debut campaign with the Kings during the 2010-2011 season, Clifford chimed in beautifully in 76 regular season games for a 3rd/4th-line forward. Along with his seven goals and seven assists for 14 points, Clifford introduced us to his enforcer side with a whopping 141 penalty minutes.

In the Kings’ Western Conference Quarterfinals match-up with the San Jose Sharks in 2011, Clifford was an absolute horse – arguably one of the best players in the series. Clifford buried three goals, helped with two assists, and notched seven penalty minutes – in just six games.

Clifford didn’t disappoint this past season, but he didn’t show much progress stats-wise. In 81 regular season games, Clifford recorded five goals and seven assists for 12 points, and piled up another 123 penalty minutes. All of these numbers are down from his rookie season.

But then again, growth, especially for a young player such as Clifford, comes in many more ways than the stat-sheet shows. Numbers aren’t always the telling-tale.

The Kings have undoubtedly struck some value in Clifford’s presence, who’s unpolished talents have graced this roster — and it’s playing style, in just that form – unpolished. And that’s when he’s at his best, which is something special for a player to behold.

You can’t restructure a player’s style, you can’t change a player’s role, but you can certainly instill a system that puts their natural attributes to their absolute best use.

The Kings, in their development of Kyle Clifford, have done so — so far.

Clifford’s Corner

In your Kitchen: It’s worth noting (not really) that there are four (4) Romano’s Macaroni Grill locations within 20 miles of Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario. The fisticuffs with hapless minor league ECHL journeymen Clifford is bound to get into with is going to call for a few of those hearty pre-game meals.

Just like home, eh?

Still Closed: In league-wide news, Gary Bettman and the NHL have now officially canceled all previously scheduled contests through December 14. This, including the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, which was to be hosted on January 27 in Columbus, Ohio.

Your thoughts?

The Colonel’s in town: Kyle Clifford will make his ECHL debut tonight as a member of the Ontario Reign. This evening’s contest is scheduled to see puck-drop at 7:15PM at the Cow Palace in San Francisco against their division-foe San Francisco Bulls.

The Reign, who go into tonight’s dance with 15 games played so far, are making noise in the ECHL among Clifford’s arrival. They’re holding an attractive record that sits at 11-4-0 for 22 points. This positions the Reign at the top of the Pacific Division, and in a three-way tie for first-place in the entire Western Conference.

If not tonight, expect Clifford to drop the mitts soon. Fists fly in the ECHL like the scene’s on turf in a poorly-secured prison field.

A new league means new tricks. May I suggest adopting the ‘Inglewood Jack‘?

We’re not at the Forum, anymore

Another player gone elsewhere, another day.

It’s a tough go, these days.

Episode 174 *The Lockout Edition* – HERE
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There’s always work to be done on the farm.

If it isn’t the development of young prospects, the AHL‘s a place for those newly-proven names to continue to progress when the NHL won’t allow it.

It’s the minor leagues, and it’s lockout-haven. Other than Europe, of course.

Many names from the Kings’ roster have taken refuge to Manchester, New Hampshire to stay in action in the American Hockey League during the NHL‘s current lockout.

The Kings have added another name to their list of assignments to Manchester. Goaltender Jonathan Quick will make an unlikely return to play hockey in the Granite State, although on an extremely limited basis.

The Manchester Monarchs have played eight regular season games so far this season, and are sitting pretty with a 5-2-0-1 record, tabbing them in first place position in the AHL‘s Atlantic Division.

Head Coach Mark Morris has continued his thriving success at the helm of Manchester’s bench, dressing not just a winning team – but an extremely disciplined one at that. The Monarchs are second-best in the AHL with only 118 penalty minutes, only behind the Milwaukee Admirals and their mark of 108.

As for their winning ways, the Monarchs have done so in maintaining success in close contests. Through the first eight contests, the Monarchs are averaging just under three goals per game, and are allowing just under two goals per game. That ratio certainly holds the recipe for success.

Martin Jones has been pleasantly solid between the pipes for the Monarchs. Jones has started and played in all eight contests for Manchester, allowing just 13 goals in total, while tossing two shutouts into the mix.

Jordan Nolan, Andrei Loktionov, Vyacheslav Voynov, and Dwight King have been playing in Manchester during the lockout, here’s a quick look into how each is faring.

Where you came from

Jordan Nolan #71

Not like Jordan: Nolan has had an unfortunate season thus far, or lack thereof. The Kings’ feisty left-winger has only appeared in one game for Manchester this season. In their opening contest in Rhode Island against the Providence Bruins, Nolan was injured in a fight against the Bruins’ Bobby Robins. Nolan reportedly suffered from a broken finger, and is expected to sit out a few more games. The Garden River, Ontario native exploded into the NHL scene last season, coupling with Dwight King to provided a bigger, more physical presence to the Kings’ offensive tandem. Nolan played in 26 regular season games for the Kings last season, chiming in with two goals, two assists, and 58 hits.

Andrei Loktionov #48

Andrei’s hot: After getting snubbed from the Kings’ Stanley Cup trophy engraving, Loktionov has kept his attention on playing good hockey – and it’s shown early on in Manchester this season. Loktionov is the second-highest scoring forward on the Monarchs roster with three goals and three assists for six points. Andrei hasn’t been shy to pull the trigger either, like we’ve seen in many of his NHL appearances. Loktionov has fired off 18 shots in seven games, which ranks fourth on the club. Loktionov, however, is getting the luxury of playing in his natural position at center in Manchester, something he’s been unable to do consistently when in a Kings uniform.

Vyacheslav Voynov #26

Slava’s house: Voynov has been a horse on the Monarchs’ blue-line this season, continuing to build on the promising skill and intelligence he’s shown first-hand in Los Angeles. He’s clearly shown an offensive knack in his defensive game, and has carried it over and further developed it in his return to Manchester. Voynov has tallied two goals and two assists in eight contests, but his shot-total (23) is what really stands out. Voynov will rarely score on a shot from the point, but he’s got the smarts to put the puck on net – to both ease pressure on the blue-line, and to create scoring and rebound opportunities.

Dwight King #74

Down from the throne: King was a late addition to the Monarchs roster, he wasn’t assigned until October 19th. In the four games King has played, he’s recorded two assists. King is continuing to make use of the lethal shot the NHL world was introduced to last season, ripping off over three shots per game with Manchester. His size and physical presence have continued to bode well also, King carrying a dependable +2 rating to his name. King has continued to play with a high-level of discipline, much like the entire Monarchs’ roster, and has stayed out of the penalty box. His partner in crime, Jordan Nolan, could’ve used that approach.

Safety Net

Not so Quick: For the Kings’ undrafted goaltending prospect Martin Jones, the 2012-2013 campaign has started out extremely well. Jones has started all eight games for the Monarchs, and is flying high with a 5-2-0-1 record attained by a flashy 1.62 GAA and .939 save percentage.

For a moment, the 22 year-old Jones saw his spectacular run in the Monarchs’ crease become quite threatened by the return of Jonathan Quick, who was reportedly allowed to re-join the Monarchs’ roster because of the nature and timing of his back injury.

Well, not the case. Jonathan Quick is only allowed to practice and train with the Monarchs per clarified NHL guidelines. Quite frankly, this is probably a better suit for Quick, who doesn’t want to push things too far coming off of minor, but complicated back surgery.

And, well, its a sigh of relief for Martin Jones, who survives amidst his own success in an organization that is extremely heavy in the goaltending depth chart.

Jonesin’ for Success

Touché, Martin Jones, touché.

And the Vancouver, British Columbia native does it all in the Canadian Heritage Night uni’s. A shutout performance if you will.

The Monarchs’ next contest is scheduled to be played Wednesday evening in Newfoundland, Canada against the St. John’s IceCaps. The IceCaps sit just one point behind the Monarchs in the Atlantic Division, holding a 5-6-0-0 record that accounts for 10 points in the standings.

Episode 174 *The Lockout Edition* – HERE
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And this ain’t no skiing trip.

Considering the hodgepodge of a mess the NHL finds itself in, today’s move could be the start of another wallop of players heading overseas. It’s a live look at the sport in a downward swirl of unneeded destruction – yet again.

By Saturday, the NHL is expected to axe the 2013 Winter Classic.

And it very well may be the kiss of death to any possibility of the NHL restarting operations this season.

The most recent Kings export is Dustin Brown, who has confirmed his planned departure to Switzerland on November 7th to play hockey. Brown has agreed to terms with the Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions, better known as the ZSC Lions.

The Lions play in National League A in the Swiss pro hockey stage, which is top-level talent in the country. This league is quite popular among NHL players; Brown joins three other NHL players already on the Lions’ roster: Tampa Bay’s Ryan Shannon, Vancouver’s Jeff Tambellini, and Toronto’s Matt Lashoff.

Downtown Brown

If the Kings’ Captain plays anything like he did through the final four and a half months of last season, they’re in good hands in Zurich, Switzerland.

Dustin Brown wasn’t just good, he was an absolute menace. After overcoming his season-lingering struggles once his name was dangled at the February trade-deadline, Brown went on a tirade. A serious tirade – offensively, physically, in every facet.

In the Kings’ quick 20-game run to the Stanley Cup, Brown chimed in with a package that included eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points. He also led the Kings with three game-winning goals, and included three shorthanded goals into the entire mix.

That’s filthy. And it’s unfortunate that he’s had to take his talents elsewhere.

Now it’s off to Switzerland for Brown, who joins a ZSC Lions club that is doing quite well for itself in the early stages of their season. Through 20 games, Zurich is in second place among the 12-team division.

Brown will also join his former coach in Marc Crawford, who heads the bench in Zurich. Crawford coached the Kings, and Brown, for two seasons between 2006 and 2008.

There’s a solid chance that Dustin Brown will spend the entirety of the hockey season in Switzerland, seeing that there are absolutely no signs to the NHL’s owners and the Player’s Association coming to a collective bargaining agreement to salvage any of the 2012-2013 season.

As for the other seven Kings players putting in time elsewhere during the lockout, there will be updates here from Finland, Sweden, and Germany early next week. Dustin Brown will not play in a ZSC Lions uniform until November 14th.

Oh, and of course we’ll catch up with the happenings in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Because, well, no one’s coming home just yet.

King Captain

Episode 174 *The Lockout Edition* – HERE
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They take a step back, so you’ve got to take a step back.

This is no demotion for Dwight King, in fact it’s far from it. In comparison to what the NHL is going through right now, you mine as well consider this a promotion.

If yesterday’s string of events has left you tongue-tied, which with many it has, don’t let today’s transaction do the same.

After his phenomenal jump to Los Angeles last season, you would never have pictured Dwight King making a return to the friendly confines of Manchester, New Hampshire – for hockey purposes, at least.

However, as the lockout continues, and with the NHL officially cancelling all games through November 1st, that’s exactly where King finds himself, with the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League.

Thursday saw a possible opportunity for the Kings to punch plane tickets from Europe back to Southern California for Anze Kopitar, Alec Martinez, and Jonathan Bernier.

Instead of welcoming those Kings exports home, they’re staying put in their respective international landscapes, and Dwight King becomes the seventh player to find playing time elsewhere during the NHL lockout.

ManchVegas – Where the show’s at

In his return to Manchester, Dwight King will also be returning to play alongside three familiar teammates from last year’s Stanley Cup run. Jordan Nolan, Vyacheslav Voynov, and Andrei Loktionov are the other three Kings players to fill their hockey void elsewhere during the NHL lockout.

Jordan Nolan is out for a few weeks with a broken finger, which was injured in a fight in the Monarchs’ season opener in Providence, Rhode Island.

Vyacheslav Voynov went pointless in his first two contests back in Manchester, but tallied an assist in Friday night’s home opener. Voynov has carried over his offensive knack and physical play from last season, adding four shots and eight hits to his stat-line.

Andrei Loktionov has been the standout of the group thus far, notching a goal and an assist, all while leading the entire Monarchs’ roster in shots on goal. Loktionov’s goal came in shorthanded fashion, the first and only of that kind this season for Manchester.

The Manchester Monarchs have started their season with a 2-1-0 record, dropping their first game Friday night to the Providence Bruins in their home opening contest at Verizon Wireless Arena. It is unclear when Dwight King is supposed to make his return to the Monarchs’ lineup, but they have a date slated for Saturday night at home against the Portland Pirates.

If not, he’ll certainly be in action a week from Saturday (Oct. 27) in New Hampshire against the Worcester Sharks.

And when the Kings are back, King’ll be back. We’re talking one of the most valuable players from the Kings’ Stanley Cup run. He, along with counterpart Jordan Nolan, reestablished an identity to the Kings’ offense, one that struck Darryl Sutter and the entire club as a whole in dominant fashion.

Funny thing is, King and Nolan were Manchester, NH citizens the majority of last hockey season.

Don’t call it full circle.

King’s Key

In Manchester, Dwight’s All Right

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And so it begins, but it’s a major step back.

It’s another lockout for the National Hockey League, another lockout under commissioner Gary Bettman. In Bettman’s 19 seasons at the helm of the NHL‘s operations, this is now the third time the league has undergone a work stoppage.

It began before the 1994-’95 season, it landed again in 2004-’05, and it comes back to haunt us in 2012- ?

Things were made official at 9:00PM PST Saturday night, but anyone coherent to the sport knew of the demise to come on Thursday afternoon, after the owners and players left negotiations, yet again, with contradictions that seem to threaten NHL-play for months to come.

They’re talking money, and we’re getting robbed.

The Granite State

Manchester Bound: One of the most important aspects to cover during a lockout is to keep players active, keep them playing. For the Kings, they had three players on last year’s active roster who were eligible to be assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League without having to clear waivers.

Those three players are Andrei Loktionov, Vyacheslav Voynov, and Jordan Nolan.

Loktionov played 32 games with the Monarchs last season, notching five goals and 15 assists for 20 points before being called up for his third stint with the Kings. In a Los Angeles uniform, Loktionov chimed in with three goals and four assists in 39 regular season games.

Voynov had a breakout season in his NHL debut, which saw him tally eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points in 54 games in a Kings uniform. However, Voynov began last season in Manchester, where he potted two goals and two assists for four points in 15 contests.

Nolan spent the majority of last season with the Monarchs, playing in 40 games while chipping in with nine goals and thirteen assists. Nolan was a pleasant surprise when called up with Dwight King, providing consistency on the third and fourth lines. Nolan recorded two goals and two assists in 26 games, along with 28 penalty minutes.

Just looking to skate

Open Ice: It’s not uncommon to seek a roster spot overseas in Europe during a lockout. For players, not only does it open up more money, but more importantly, it keeps the body and mind active for the anticipated return to the NHL.

The Kings have 22 players from last season’s active roster who have no other choice but to explore the international landscape if they want to play hockey on a regular basis during this lockout. Chances are, most, if not all of these players, will wait out the first leg of the work stoppage without playing to make up for their extended 2011-’12 season and celebratory offseason.

Dustin Brown has fielded offers to play in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League and Switzerland’s Swiss Elite League. There’s some outsourcing to be done – that’s for sure.

There are five Kings players who can play within the country and join the AHL‘s Manchester Monarchs, but would have to clear waivers first. Those are Andrew Campbell, Marc-Andre Cliche, Richard Clune, Thomas Hickey, and Jake Muzzin.

Clune and Muzzin are the only two from that group to have seen time in a Kings uniform.

Don’t expect to see anyone in a Kings uniform anytime soon, because unfortunately, the reality of what this world exists on is hitting hockey fans yet again.

That’s money, honey.

All about the Benjamins

We’ll see you in Manchester

In New Hampshire, the State slogan is “Live free or die”.

For the NHL, it’s “pay to play”.

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It came from an unexpected bunch Sunday evening at American Airlines Center, unexpected much like the snow pouring over Dallas during the contest. It came from two new additions that joined the Kings from Manchester, New Hampshire the day prior.

It came from Dwight King and Jordan Nolan, both recording their first career NHL goals in the Kings’ 4-2 win in what was an absolute mammoth game of importance against the Pacific Division‘s Dallas Stars. It didn’t just come from that pair, but from another name familiar with the Granite state, Andrei Loktionov, who was in Manchester until November 14th, leading the club with 14 points through 17 games played.

The two rookies have certainly sparked a bit of excitement with some looks of promise, but you know what the ultimatum is going to be as they continue to dress in Los Angeles – regular contributions. Quite frankly, if you were to judge by their two games, I’d give Dwight King a sure pass on two great performances, and Jordan Nolan with one. Kid looked like he couldn’t even hold his stick he was so nervous Saturday in Long Island.

These two may have the potential to trigger Mike Richards‘ output more than any of his linemates have this year. Who would’ve thought, I was even skeptical after the lineup announcement prior to the 2-1 OT loss against the New York Islanders. Both of these players have similar assets to those of Dustin Penner, but are younger, faster, and would certainly give Penner a run in a battle of strength.

It’s got that 70′s feel

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Now, don’t fully expect King and Nolan to continue to be regulars on the scoresheet, but their situation is intriguing in their effect on Mike Richards‘ play – which almost holds as much value as first-hand production. To really get Richards’ full value, he needs linemates that can alleviate some pressure, rid him of some of the workload. Both rookies have been getting pucks low, winning one-on-one battles, and maintaining pretty decent puck protection and control to allow Mike Richards to key in on time and space without the puck.

Supporting Richards hasn’t exactly been the case in the two contests we’ve seen Nolan and King, with Richards assisting Nolan’s goal Sunday. However, Richards has the ability to flip the roles and make Dwight King and Jordan Nolan better players, it’s a matter of them making it work. So far, so good.

Both rookies, who are big-bodied wingers just like Dustin Penner, are now on track to seriously threaten his role in this offense. Penner, who’s shown improvement as of late, is unquestionably on the down-tail of his NHL career, and has yet to hit the stride his past resume resembles. But, it hasn’t come to that point yet, both Nolan and King are a few good games away from highlighting their names. Plus, there are a few more litigations involved in Penner’s situation; Waivers, anyone? Well, who knows, it very well could come to that.

Bottom line, the Kings have done right on the two call-ups so far, and their presence is at least stable for the next couple of games. That’s all you can go off of with this club, it’s one at a time. Standings are tight, schedule is dwindling, playoffs are in question, and the roster is desperate for scoring. It’s better not to harp on the long-term, everything’s up in the air especially with February 27′s trade-deadline approaching.

Right now, if they can score, if they can win, then put on the blinders and let it be.

The first second 48

To mention another bright spot, recent Manchester Monarchs player Andrei Loktionov scored his second goal of the season Sunday. This may be his first goal from above the goal-line, but you’re going to take what you can get. It simply redirected off of his skate, that doesn’t mean it’s a cheap goal, though. Well-placed shot to the net by Jack Johnson, good positioning in the high slot by Loktionov, good things happen when you’re smart — and simple.

Don’t trade Jack Johnson, at least in the next 11 days.

Jarret Stoll‘s injury may deem him off of the trade market this season, that’s a good thing.

There’s a bit of hope in Simon Gagne possibly returning in his recovery process from his upteenth concussion.

It’s all up in the air, but one thing’s for sure: Manchester’s development has equaled production in Los Angeles. For now, you’ve got to run with it.

“Score some goals, and make some assists.”
Well, this may be one of the most awkward interviews I’ve ever seen.

You can see King, Nolan, and Loktionov goals in this quick fix. Plus, Williams’ finisher.

 

The Kings return to Staples Center for a huge game tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes for the first date at home in the past 6 games, 15 days. Grammy trip is over, time to vie for a Cup. Kings at 65 points, Sun Dogs at 63. Both clubs 57 games into the campaign. Damn important if I say so myself.

Queue that train-horn.

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