At least give your Hockey Fest ticket to someone else, man. Those b*tches are SOLD OUT.

An offer of nine-years at $61.2 Million has reportedly been denied by Drew Doughty‘s camp.

Leaning Toward Dean: Here’s my chance to be blunt about the Drew Doughty contract situation, straight forward. That door was opened today amidst reports of Doughty’s most recent contract denial offered by Dean Lombardi. Lord help me if I didn’t worship Doughty’s timeline to re-sign and waste more important thoughts this summer. If the Kings weren’t trying, it’s another story. That’s three offers Lombardi has thrown on the table this summer, the most recent offer carrying Anze Kopitar-type money. Still, not good enough. The guy is 21 years-old, arguably the highest-touted young defenseman in the NHL, and a celebrity in the Canadian hockey market after his stellar performance during the 2010 Winter Olympics with Team Canada. So yes, Doughty’s camp is in the hunt for serious pay and solid job security; But is nine seasons while equaling the yearly salary of Anze Kopitar not good enough?

Thinking it’s time for a gut-check.

Shut the f*ck up Penner. Christ.

Back To The Future
Queue the first installment of June’s KingsCast Summer Hockey Roundtable for a serious dose of honest Doughty critique. Food for thought.

Sour Aftertaste: Please realize here, the members in this group of hockey media in the Episode above are not bashing Doughty’s skill, his value to the Kings blue-line, or his career potential. That’s been well advertised by Doughty himself, but the issues at-hand center on his attitude, his conditioning, feeding to the question that’s building solidity: Is Drew Doughty really worthy of being the highest paid-player on this team?

Attitude wasn’t the only downfall last season.

Trying To Find A Balance: Let’s swap those statistics, and if Doughty’s camp is being this stingy with contract negotiations, then so be it, you can’t argue with 82 games and 59 points. However, a pretty drastic downfall is the reality here, and there seems to be a bit too much demand for the supply – at this point in time. On August 30th, less than ten days ago, Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times reported what seemed to be a concurrence of terms between the Kings and Drew Doughty:

“Lombardi said he spoke Monday with Doughty’s agent, Don Meehan, and made an offer that “codifies what we’ve been talking about for a while.” Lombardi said the offer includes “different lengths for him to consider,” likely six to eight years.”

I consider this report to still be deemed ‘recent’ the way this summer has gone, and the Kings’ latest offer of $61.2 million over a 9-year span must be a result of it. Once the funds are broken into a yearly-salary, Doughty is earning just as much as Anze Kopitar – and situated until he’s 30 years-old. I’m lost here, what’s wrong? They may not want more money overall, but a chunkier yearly-salary over a shorter term, positioning him young and rich with NHL freedom in a few years.

Thirsty for Attention.

M.I.A. – Missing In Appearances: Doughty’s lack of public appearances have jolted the nerves of fans all summer, stemming from his cancellation to boarding the LA Kings Fan Cruise to the recent revelation that #8 will not attend Sunday’s Hockey Fest. The common justification for this will be something along the lines of “Doughty is afraid of getting hammered with contract questions.” If Doughty and the Kings were seriously on the same page, and confident in negotiations, this problem is fixed in an instant. What do scrap employees go for these days, 8.50 an hour? That’s what I make, so I’d consider that fair. “No contract questions for Mr. Doughty, Ma’am”. Simple. If everything is on-par internally with the Kings and Doughty, there’s no shame in shielding certain questions from fans in public environments.

Speaking of Hockey Fest, let’s back-track to last year’s event to take another look at Dean Lombardi‘s “Passionate Proclomation”. Check 3:19 – 5:10 in KingsCast‘s Episode 69.

What’s It Going To Be?: It’s starting to have a negative effect on the Kings’ fanbase, who will miss Doughty’s presence at yet another team event Sunday at Staples Center. That, a team can withstand, but when it begins to have an effect on the team itself, that’s when we’ve got real problems; and the way negotiations have been going, they’re flirting with that possibility. As Keith stressed to me earlier tonight, you don’t want to play games with team chemistry, and any sort of holdout from Doughty would do so. Believe me, I want Drew Doughty to re-sign, and I think Drew Doughty will re-sign. But, does he deserve what he and his agents are asking for? How much more will Dean Lombardi‘s stiff reputation on the hockey market withstand the displeasure coming from Doughty’s camp? One of the sides needs to swallow a slice of pride here, and the way this process has been trending, its time for Don Meehan and Drew Doughty to sacrifice a slice of that cake.

Take a break from those talking heads on the collective networks tracking the NHL‘s Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ve got eight local Los Angeles-based analysts and media members in this segment providing predictions to the outcome of the final series, which sees the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins getting together for a few dates.

Straight-cut here, with each member predicting the series winner, the number of games needed, and who they see as best fit to win the Conn Smythe trophy. We’re repping ESPN, The Fourth Period Magazine, INSIDE SPORTS, Hockeytalk.biz, Frozen Royalty, and NBC Sports – and it isn’t Pierre McGuire!

Series Outlook

These two clubs met just once during the regular season, the Boston Bruins coming out on top on February 26th in the Vancouver confines that houses one of the toughest atmospheres in the NHL. The Bruins won 3-1, overcoming an early one-goal deficit with a Milan Lucic go-ahead tally with under five minutes to play, and Patrice Bergeron shutting the door with some empty-net insurance. Roberto Luongo faced 24 Boston shots, with 22 saves. Tim Thomas took on a heavier load, facing 28 Vancouver shots with 27 saves. The Boston Bruins finished the campaign with 103 points, winning the Northeast Division and taking the third slot in the Eastern Conference. The Vancouver Canucks finished with 117 points, and not only won the Northwest Division and Western Conference, but took the NHL‘s Presidents’ Trophy. Predictions from some of the top Los Angeles hockey media and analysts are below, with mine included at the end.

Dennis Bernstein – Senior Writer/Director at The Fourth Period Magazine

Vancouver Canucks in 5 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“It’s the Canucks year, after slaying the Blackhawks dragon, they’ve gotten better with each round. Roberto Luongo, thought to be the weak link, put up his most impressive effort of the post season in the elimination game vs the Sharks. The Bruins were life and death against the East’s 5 and 6 seeds and are 2nd best in every facet of the game.”

Charles Smith – Executive Producer at INSIDE SPORTS

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“Roberto Luongo should have no problem being the equal of Tim Thomas between the pipes. Bruins are tough, but lack the mobility on defense to shut down the Sedins. Ryan Kesler has taken his game to a stratospheric level. Vancouver has been building up to this for the past several seasons, and finally, the team has achieved critical mass.”

Matt Reitz – Writer at Pro Hockey Talk for NBC Sports

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“If the Bruins thought the Lightning power play was tough, just wait until they see the Canucks who were the best with the man advantage this year. Then there’s the Bruins’ PP that has been absolutely anemic, which won’t get any easier against Vancouver who had one of the best PKs in the NHL. Tim Thomas is the kind of goaltender who can steal a few games in a series, but the Canucks are just too good in every facet of the game to be denied.”

Dave Joseph – Morning Sportscenter Anchor at 710 ESPN Los Angeles

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Roberto Luongo for Conn Smythe Trophy

“The Canucks’ offense will exploit a less-than-mobile Boston defense while Vancouver’s back line will neutralize the Bruins offense. Roberto Luongo will continue his stellar play this post-season and bring the Conn Smythe and the Cup back to Canada. Vancouver’s depth will prove too much for Boston.”

Gann Matsuda – Executive Publisher at FrozenRoyalty.Net

Vancouver Canucks in 5 or 6 Games – Ryan Kesler for Conn Smythe Trophy

“With the Sedins and Ryan Kesler leading the way, Boston won’t have the answers to what the Canucks will be throwing at them, not with the Canucks holding an advantage in terms of skill and speed, which should negate Boston’s ability to play a physical game. The Canucks also hold a huge advantage on special teams, which spells big, big trouble for the Bruins.”

- – - Predictions From KingsCast.net – - -

Chris Kaliszewski – Co-Editor and Producer at KingsCast.net

Vancouver Canucks in 6 Games – Roberto Luongo for Conn Smythe Trophy

FOOD FOR THOUGHT. EATING AND THINKING. AND KINGS HOCKEY. HELL YEAH.

Kopitar’s tint is more publicly acceptable to me than most of the sunglasses people wear these days – helmet included. Circa 2007. Circa Still Awesome.

TOP FIVE Update: Due to time constraints, which are the cause of me roughing through the last week of a semester at College, and the mind edging away from the hockey scene as the summer commences, there will be some changes to the TOP FIVE countdown here at Dancing in the Reign. The top three games will be crunched into one final segment, due by the end of the weekend. Look out for it, cause it’s going to be an absolute f*cking crisp dollar – I assure you. You can catch #5 on the list HERE, and #4 on the list HERE. Get ready for some memory remedy with recaps of vital victories against another Florida club, a California counterpart, and a Detroit dandy.

Someone Set The Table, We’re Coming At You With Summertime Kings Talk.

That’s Right Folks, The Off-Season Roundtable Is Taking Place This Weekend.

KingsCast Roundtable: Keith and Chris will be hosting yet another off-season roundtable this weekend. They’ll be welcoming a slew of guests to recap the 2010-2011 Los Angeles Kings season, while looking ahead to next year. Here, you’ll get insight analysis on free-agents, trade possibilities, and how the Kings look going into the 2011-2012 season. You can expect to see some solid names in the discussion:

Keith Korneluk & Chris Kaliszewski – KingsCast.net
Jonathan Moncrief – LA Examiner and Inside Sports
Charles Smith – Inside Sports and HockeyTalk.biz
Dennis Bernstein – Senior Writer & Producer – Fourth Period Magazine
Gann Matsuda - Frozen Royalty
Matt Reitz – View From My Seats
John Hoven – Mayors Manor
Dave Joseph – ESPN Radio & ESPN Los Angeles

- – -

Leaving a Trail

Purple to the side, Black and White’s All Right

Purple Nurple: The Kings have all but confirmed uniform changes, it’s all hinging on a public showing, which I expect to come on September 11 at the annual Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fest. The Kings’ website has dropped purple from it’s repertoire like 5th period Algebra, leading you to believe what the club’s future color scheme will look like. The marketing directed toward the 2011-2012 season has been predominantly coded in black and white, further adding substance to the non-official official announcement from Rich Hammond of the LA Kings Insider. Ever since I realized the new “LA” logo was supposed to mock a shield, I’ve grown to like the template a bit more. It took me two and a half years to not see it as a “home plate” or “UPS” design, and that instantly jacked up it’s credibility. I’m shocked at my inability to see this, as it has me questioning my self-proclaimed NHL uniform expertise. But still, they need to knock it off with the unnecessary shoulder piping, and how about adding some shoulder patches?

It’s a clear-cut photoshop job, but figure this as the most credible first look at the new Road uniforms for the 2011-2012 season. Anze, watch that f*cking walk signal and keep the pressure off of that right ankle.

So when Matt Reitz of a View From My Seats asked me to blog about non-Kings related material for him, I had to jump at the chance.

If you’re not reading a View From My Seats you should be. With the exception of yours truly, there’s some really great hockey writers over there.

So, without further adieu, my first blog entitled: Where the Florida Panthers Fans at?.

Check it!

Gann Matsuda continues his interview with Dean Lombardi and talks a little goaltending. via Frozen Royalty

Is Anze Kopitar an elite player? via View From My Seats

Everybody’s favorite LA Kings reporter has an open forum. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 & Part 7. Part 7. via LA Kings Insider

Was Don Waddell in New Jersey to talk with Dean Lombardi or just to scout opponents? via Jewels From the Crown

Breakdown of the Kings/Ducks game on Thursday night. via Jewels from the Crown

The one blog whose game day previews actually crack me up. via Battle of California

A lot of talk going on about Anze Kopitar. Is Kopi’s “resurgence” the reason why we’re in a really good place right now? via NHL.com

Who do you trust when it comes to the rumor mill? via Jewels from the Crown

Your favorite vloggers are back in action talking about the latest in Kings hockey. via KingsCast

Is Anze Kopitar an Elite Player?

Do you think he’s an elite player?

For those of you that don’t read Matt’s blog, you really ought to bookmark (and subscribe) to a View From My Seats. His blog is about the National Hockey League and his razor-sharp wit comes through with each post. For those of us stuck in the Kings hockey land, it’s nice to get a league-wide perspective.

Also recommended is their new show, VFMS Radio. By now you should be able to subscribe to the show on iTunes and take it with you on your favorite mobile device.

Listen to the show here:

So what do you think of their first show?

Frozen Royalty – Gann Matsuda is a household name if you’re a Los Angeles Kings fan. He’s been covering the Kings since they were playing at the forum. Gann gets the interviews from the top-brass and provides us with locker-room interviews after each home game. Gann was also a guest on our show last season. Why we subscribe? Gann has always provided insightful Kings news with a journalistic integrity. He’s well-respected within the organization and among the fan base.

View From My Seats – Matt Reitz is the Editor-in-Chief of this website and also guest-posted for us recently. While his site is not exclusively about the Los Angeles Kings, Reitz is a Kings fan and generously posts about his favorite team. Why we subscribe? This guy has a razor sharp wit. His posts always delight me as he can turn a phrase like nobody’s business. This hockey site is a delight to read each morning. Points to anyone who can convince Matt to write for KingsCast.

Matt Barry on Hockeybuzz.com – Everybody has strong opinions for or against anything relating to Hockeybuzz, but this site is a huge force in hockey. Matt Barry’s blogs are always entertaining, forever passionate and certainly deliver a good analysis on the LA Kings. Why we subscribe? This guy has energy. I don’t read through his blogs and wonder what I’m having for lunch that day. It’s entertaining and it’s just good.

Kings Kool-Aid – This is a new blog I found on Twitter recently and it has not disappointed. What I like about this site is that the author is smart. He gives you statistical breakdowns of the Kings with insightful commentary. Why we subscribe? Because we find interesting facts about the Kings which are no-BS and well-researched.

The Hockey Zen – Look, these guys are not Kings fans. But they are passionate hockey fans and I watch their show every time they put one out. I link these guys because I have a bet with Chris Nadeau. He believes the Edmonton Oilers will make the playoffs and beat the Kings in points. Clearly he is wrong. Why we subscribe? They may not be Kings fans but they are definitely Kings-friendly. Regardless, this is a great site and a great show. Also, I will win this bet and Chris will be doing shots of Jager in the Spring of 2010.

So, who else out there are you getting your Kings fix from?

King fans are usually pretty good at either being eternal optimists or dooms-day pessimists. I’m not saying that each fan is locked into their categories—you’ll see someone talk about how the Kings are going to be great; then a week later how Terry Murray, Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall all need to be fired so the Kings can start over. There just never seems to be a middle ground. Either something is the greatest thing ever or a bitter failure.

For a few years, I’ve been waiting for the time that the Kings had a bonafide superstar goaltender between the pipes. No, it hasn’t been since 2006 when the Kings drafted Jonathan Bernier with the 11th overall pick in the draft—it’s been much, much longer than that. As of my last birthday, its been more like 31 years for me.

It’s interesting to see how Kings fans have been reacting to Jonathan Bernier since he was drafted in 2006. We’ve all been waiting for a legitimate #1 netminder in LA—and he’s supposed to be The One. When talking about how the Kings are going to rebuild, there was always that caveat at the end of a discussion: “And Bernier will be in net by then…”

But here’s my question: what if he’s not?

I know that we’re all desperately craving to have a home grown goaltender that is capable of putting a team on his back in May and June. Who are the best goaltenders the Kings have ever had? Rogie Vachon? He was drafted by the Canadiens. What about Kelly Hrudey? Yeah, he was a product of the Islanders. How about Felix Potvin and his clutch goaltending that made the Kings relevant in the earlier part of the decade? We can thank the Maple Leafs for his development. But the Kings DID have Mario Lessard. That’s right; I just went back 30 years to a guy that only played 4 full seasons as an example of the best homegrown Kings goaltender. Fuck.

Teams don’t just trade goaltenders that have the potential to be superstars. That’s why there’s such a premium on identifying talent between the pipes, nurturing the talent through juniors and the AHL and then finally watching the kid mature into an NHL goaltender. Unfortunately, it’s not an overnight process and it’s far from an exact science. Impatience and bad decision making by the front office have as much to do with the goaltending failures as any one single player. If you want an elite goaltender, you’re going to have to draft him yourself. Unless you want Roberto Luongo—that guy has been traded not once, but TWICE! He must have 3 nipples or something.

The reason that I have hope has less to do with the young goalies that are in the Kings organization and more to do with the fundamental change in philosophy towards their development. Instead of watching a young goaltender rushed to the NHL, we’re watching Lombardi and Hextall slowly bring along the young netminders. For the first time in the Kings history, they’re not throwing their young players to the wolves—they putting them in the position to succeed. For a position that has more to do with the mental part of the game than the physical side, early success that breeds confidence is vital.

But what if they don’t succeed?

It’s a question that we used to ask ourselves about every goaltender, but for some reason Jonathan Bernier has gotten a free pass. Since he was drafted 3 years ago, it was never a question “if” he’d succeed, but rather “when.” Well, I’m here to ask the painful and necessary question. Will he become the goaltender that all Kings fans hope he’ll be? What makes him different than any other goaltender in the Kings long, pathetic history? What makes him different than Blueline Stauber?

By no means am I throwing him under the bus this early in his career. NHLers take time to develop and the Kings have brought him up the RIGHT way thus far. But no one is ever a sure thing—and its time that we looked at Bernier as a hopeful contributor instead of the 2nd coming. If you look around, there have been a few warning signs.

When the going is good for Bernier, it’s really good. In 2006, he played for Canada’s U-18 team. A year after he was drafted by the Kings, he won playoff MVP with the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL. He was the BEST goaltending prospect in the entire world. Really—the world.

But we all know that it’s not always clear sailing for goaltenders. It’s just as important to watch how they deal with adversity as it is to see them make a quick glove save. Thus far in his career—his glove hand has been far better than his mental fortitude. That’s not necessarily a good thing.

After his fantastic 2006 run for the Under 18’s team, he was supposed to be a shoe-in to be a goaltender on the Canadian Junior team; but was beat out by some guys named Carey Price and Leland Irving. One of those guys is well known, but who the hell is that Price guy? I guess Montreal doesn’t have much media scrutiny on their goaltenders. It was supposed to be a breakout moment for him and Bernier didn’t even make the team.

In 2008, he finally made the Canadian Junior team—but was buried on the bench behind Steve Mason. Later in the year, the Kings needed to bring a goaltender up because Jason LaBarbara sucks, so they had to choose between Jon Quick and Bernier. To outsiders, the Kings surprisingly brought up Quick to play with the big club. To King fans that had paid attention to Manchester, it wasn’t as shocking. While their numbers were comparable at the time of the call up, Quick had been the better goaltender at the beginning of the season. Lombardi said it was because Quick had more seniority within the system, but he just as easily could have said he went with the goaltender that was playing better.

So how would he respond? Would he dig in and show Lombardi and Hextall that they made the wrong decision? Would he stop every puck that was fired in his general direction so they had no choice but to bring him up to the NHL? Well, that would have been the reaction that fans in LA would have hoped for. Instead, they got a goaltender that once again looked disinterested and pissed that HE wasn’t the one that got a call up.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that Bernier had thrown a fit. He started the 2007-08 season with the Kings when they played the first 2 games in London. He played as well as could be expected—each game slipped a little from the game before. When he was finally sent back down to Lewiston before his 10 games were up, it was undoubtedly the right move. Sure, his numbers were slipping—but it had less to do with Bernier’s play and more to do with the team in front of him. The defensive corps was poor, the offense never back-checked and the team defense philosophy was non-existent (thanks for that, Crawford). NOBODY was going to succeed under those circumstances—so why put your goaltender of the future in harms way?

But Bernier didn’t see it that way. He went back to juniors and basically sulked for the first few months back in the Q. It got so bad that assistant GM Ron Hextall had to make a trip up to Lewiston to screw Bernier’s head back on correctly. He ended up turning his season around, but he didn’t react to the experience very positively.

Does anyone remember another high Kings draft pick that had a tendency to pout and act like he was entitled to have success handed to him on a plate? If you’re a Kings fan and don’t remember Jaime Storr, then congratulations. You have successfully blocked out a part of the Kings history that ALL of us would like to forget! A lot of us remember when Jamie Storr was supposed to be the next coming—the guy that would solve the team’s goaltending woes. Hell, Storr was a HIGHER draft pick than Bernier was and was expected to be the man that took over and lead the Kings back to contender-status. We all know how that turned out. If anything, that should serve as a cautionary tale. Nothing is EVER a sure thing. Well, unless there’s a sign out front that says “Happy Endings.”

God knows that I want Bernier to be the goaltender the Kings have always needed. Part of the reason that I’ve been so happy with Jon Quick’s success is because it’s a pleasant surprise. He was supposed to be a good goaltender, but wasn’t EXPECTED to be THE goaltender. He’s playing well—but that’s just gravy. Bernier is SUPPOSED to be that good. He’s supposed to be a Top 10 NHL goaltender in save percentage and goals against. If things fall in line, he’ll be in the Top 10 in Wins as well.

But let’s not take it for granted. There’s still a long way to go…

What’s Next For The Kings? by Matthew Barry
Kings and NHL release 2009-10 schedule by Jonathan Moncrief
NHL Finally Catching Up On Missed Marketing Opportunity by Gann Matsuda
Kings Sign Jack Johnson (and Dad) to 2-Year Deal by Matt Reitz
Q&A With Jack Johnson by Jeff Moeller

Enjoy!