Per TSN:
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the Kings will name former Philadelphia Flyers assistant Terry Murray the team's new head coach barring a last-minute change of mind by the team's owners.
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi and Murray met Tuesday night with Tim Leiweke, chief executive of AEG, the team's parent company, and the Kings' representative on the NHL Board of Governors.
From Rich Hammond of the L.A. Daily News:Consider the Kings' situation on defense. Right now there's basically Jack Johnson, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Preissing and a bunch of holes. The reserve list is starting to fill up with players such as Peter Harrold, Thomas Hickey, Alec Martinez and whichever defenseman the Kings select with the No. 2 pick this year (most likely Drew Doughty or Zach Bogosian). Is now the time to start playing those guys at the NHL level? Or would the Kings be better served by holding off a year on a player such as Hickey and going with a ``bridge'' player, a veteran who will fill that spot for one more season?
What are the factors here? Consider baseball. On one hand, there's C.C. Sabathia, who made his major-league debut at age 20. He won 17 games that season, has never thrown fewer than 188 innings in a season since and won the Cy Young Award last year. On the other hand, there's Edwin Jackson, considered the top pitching prospect in 2003. Jackson made his major-league debut on his 20th birthday and outdueled Randy Johnson. The next year, almost assured a spot in the Dodgers' rotation, he struggled. He now has a career ERA of 5.30.
Would you play a young defenseman, such as Hickey or Martinez or the draft pick, next year? There's the excitement of watching them play for the Kings, and the ability to watch them learn the NHL game, as Jack Johnson did last season. On the other hand, there's the risk that they might be overwhelmed, might start to doubt themselves and have their long-term development harmed.
Read the entire entry from Inside the Kings here.
It really depends on the player in my opinion. Some kids have the maturity level to handle the initial shock of playing against players that are bigger, stronger and faster (in most cases) than them. If I had to opt for one of the two options listed above, I would probably opt for the stop-gap. The Kings need to develop their young players and they shouldn't risk ruining the players' confidence to attempt to show-off that potential star player to their fans.
1. Roy MacGregor writes on the importance of goaltending in the playoffs.
2. AO is about to sign new deals with Ferrari and Verizon.
3. The LA Kings say they are losing more money in the salary cap era. Ahem, you're doing it wrong then.
4. Bob McKenzie says that despite the ink the goalies are getting, the Canadiens PP is the real problem.
5. James Duthie wants early whistles to be reviewed.
6. Pierre Lebrun wonders why Pennsylvania fans have made the playoffs into a Canada-USA us versus them affair. Barack Obama must have failed to mention the xenophobia in his guns and religion speech.
7. Mike Brophy comments on the Sharks' inconsistency.
8. Despite the loss, Dave Hodge liked the idea of starting Jaroslav Halak.
9. If the Sharks end up losing to Dallas, will it cost Ron Wilson his job? Scott Burnside comments on the situation here.
10. Georges Laraque is a nice guy.
11. INCH gives us 10 possible Hobey Baker candidates for 2009. As an aside, if you haven't looked into the trophy's namesake, do so here.
12. Rory Boylen attributes the Flyers' success to their willingness to win the physical battles.
13. The individual award winners from the WHL.
14. Memorial Cup history, 1937.
15. A run down of when and where the Stanley Cup was lost or stolen.
16. Teemu Selanne will join the Finns for the World Cup, Joni Pitkanen will not.
17. Brian Gray discusses what it takes to injure a spleen.
18. I suppose this is news in Toronto...Mats Sundin is getting married.
19. A preview of Group B at the World Championships.
20. Team Canada, playing at the Worlds in Canada, will play Canadian hockey.
21. David Staples calls on Team Canada 2010 to adopt the 1972 jerseys.
22. All you ever wanted to know about Paul Holmgren.
23. Another installment on the Roseau Rams.
24. Scott Morrison thinks that the Habs have to go back to Carey Price.
25. An update on some signings in the UK Elite League.
1. Filed under "It Could Only Happen in the Perogy Belt", a brawl erupts at a senior game in Saskatchewan.
2. You stay classy Chris.Video of the incident here.
3. The ever amusing Jay Onrait live blogs the Leafs.
4. Mike Toth discusses his favorite goalies.
5. Damien Cox introduces us to the backup goalies of the NHL.
6. A TSN article examines the Canadiens chances of contending for the Stanley Cup.
7. A puff piece on Adam Burish.
8. Adrian Foster, a former "Who the hell is that?" pick of the New Jersey Devils, has found his game in the AHL.
9. The Army Black Knights won their first conference championship in 100 years. America, FUCK YEAH!
10. David Legwand gets probation for doing his Dany Heatley impression.
11. Pierre Lebrun wonders if 2003 was the best draft class ever.
12. The Rangers and Sean Avery were fined $25,000 and $2500, respectively, for last Sunday's water bottle incident.
13. Interesting story about the China Clipper.
14. Rory Boylen likes it rough.
15. A round up of stories from around the league.
16. The new neck guards aren't very popular in the OHL.
17. The Lightning Strikes blog makes a case for Tortorella staying in Tampa.
18. Just in case you want to hear Jarome Iginla's opinion on Hilary Lucifer Clinton and Saint Obama the Magnificently Awesome Saviour of Everything, here is a link.
19. Greg Wyshynski with an interesting look at suspensions in the NHL.
20. More news on the Kings, this time from a State of the Franchise meeting.
21. John Buccigross wants to talk to you about hockey.
22. David Amber interviews Peter Mueller.
23. Another installment of Jamie McClennan's blog from Japan.
24. The Year of the Ram doesn't end well.
25. Adam Proteau thinks hockey players should be more political.
-Fernando Pisani is back skating with some of the Oilers, and plans on playing this year.
-Gary Bettman will host a show on XM Satellite Radio.
-Jason Spezza has resumed skating with the Ottawa Senators.
-The Hockey Hall of Fame welcomes a distinguished class.
-A look around the CHL.
-Canada wins the Four Nations Cup in women's hockey.
-Canada West captures its second straight World Jr. A Challenge.
-NHL.com profiles Flyer's prospect Jonathan Matsumoto.
-Former Philadelphia Phantom Ben Stafford joins the Marines.
-North Dakota slips to #5 in this week's college hockey rankings. Note the story about Joe Finley allegedly slashing a Badger as they made their way to their dressing rooms.
-The Bruins send Matt Lashoff and Tuukka Rask back to Providence.
-The Leafs have recalled Stefan Kronwall.
-The Offside Blog reports that the Hawks may be scouting Bryan McCabe.
-Garth Snow insists he is not stockpiling defensemen, despite his recent re-acquisition of Freddy Meyer.
-Taking Note examines the possibility that Casey Pierro-Zabotel, a Penguins 3rd rounder, may ditch his NCAA commitment to play for the Vancouver Giants.
-The Moose Jaw Warriors and Kamloops Blazers swap Florida Panther's draft picks. Keaton Ellerby for Brady Calla.
-Some Torontonians have invented leaf-blower hockey.
-Bill Guerin will sit out tonight after suffering an eye injury.
-Randy Sportak notes that the Flames confidence is suffering due to their 5-game losing streak.
-Darren Eliot writes that the current edition of the Blackhawks bear some similarities to the 1992 Cup Finalist team.
-Vincent Lecavalier is named top star for the week.
-Wade Belak mentions that someone is eventually going to "kill" Sean Avery.
-News You Can Use noted last week that the LA Kings were involved in an Amazing Race type bonding exercise. Here is a partial list of their tasks.
-Tucker v. Avery. Slayen, there is no need to look this up on Westlaw. Its a hockey fight bra.
-Stan Fischler with a few interesting tid-bits from around the NHL.
-The Score with a list of questions for NHL goalies.
For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior
