icarus
07-30-2004, 12:07 AM
First off, the Los Angeles Kings GM will be heading off this weekend for two weeks near Rocky Mountain House. The team will be on auto-pilot and there are no forseeable problems that would arise during that time; UFA shopping is done for us.
UFA SIGNINGS
The Los Angeles Kings were very active in the CPHL free agent sweepstakes this summer, signing no fewer than four 29-year-old forwards: Darcy Tucker, PJ Axelsson, Niklas Sundstrom, and Jamal Mayers.
GM icarus explained the signings: "we felt we needed to fill some holes at forward, some more veteran leadership, and defensively responsible players. All four guys give us that. We are ecstatic that four of the five players we targetted chose to sign with us.
"Darcy Tucker and Jamal Mayers will add some grit to our forward ranks. Tucker comes from the Gretzky conference where his style of play isn't best suited, so we are expected to see how he can contribute here, probably on our second line. Mayers comes from a divisional rival in San Jose and so we know very well how tough he is to go up against.
"Axelsson and Sundstrom were close friends together in Minnesota. They decided that they wanted to play together and chose to come together in LA where they felt they could benefit a team on the up-and-up. They even signed identical contracts. Along with fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom, they bring the number of Swedes we've acquired this summer to three. They will be great at both ends of the ice."
The Kings have not yet landed a big scorer in the off-season. "Our team will rely on a defensive style first and foremost," said icarus. "Hopefully we can be effective on the counter-attack with our speedy forwards and solid on the powerplay with our quality point-men."
Despite after signing four free agents, the Kings are still comfortably under the salary cap. Even if all players were healthy and off the injured reserve the team would still be under the salary cap (although over roster limits).
ORIGINAL KING GONE
The Kings resigned three restricted free agents: Jeff Halpern, Mike Leclerc, and Trevor Letowski. Halpern and Letowski got raises, while Leclerc signed for the same amount after missing most of last season due to injury.
Defenseman Dan Focht was not tendered a new contract offer, as the Kings have a plethora of blueliners already plus players not in the CPHL last season knocking at the door (i.e. Girard, Jurcina, Hutchinson).
Focht was one of the few original Kings remaining on the roster after two years. The others are Alex Tanguay, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Halpern, and Kimmo Timonen (who had been traded but was reacquired). Still, this is believed to be more than any other team has from its original roster.
KOSTOPOULOS A DOUBLE KING
For only the second time ever, a player has been in the Los Angeles Kings organisation in both the CPHL and NHL simultaneously. Tom Kostopoulos was signed by the NHL's Kings.
Of all roster players and prospects, only Felix Potvin was previously a King concurrently in both leagues (during the first half of the inaugural CPHL season).
UFA SIGNINGS
The Los Angeles Kings were very active in the CPHL free agent sweepstakes this summer, signing no fewer than four 29-year-old forwards: Darcy Tucker, PJ Axelsson, Niklas Sundstrom, and Jamal Mayers.
GM icarus explained the signings: "we felt we needed to fill some holes at forward, some more veteran leadership, and defensively responsible players. All four guys give us that. We are ecstatic that four of the five players we targetted chose to sign with us.
"Darcy Tucker and Jamal Mayers will add some grit to our forward ranks. Tucker comes from the Gretzky conference where his style of play isn't best suited, so we are expected to see how he can contribute here, probably on our second line. Mayers comes from a divisional rival in San Jose and so we know very well how tough he is to go up against.
"Axelsson and Sundstrom were close friends together in Minnesota. They decided that they wanted to play together and chose to come together in LA where they felt they could benefit a team on the up-and-up. They even signed identical contracts. Along with fellow Swede Tomas Holmstrom, they bring the number of Swedes we've acquired this summer to three. They will be great at both ends of the ice."
The Kings have not yet landed a big scorer in the off-season. "Our team will rely on a defensive style first and foremost," said icarus. "Hopefully we can be effective on the counter-attack with our speedy forwards and solid on the powerplay with our quality point-men."
Despite after signing four free agents, the Kings are still comfortably under the salary cap. Even if all players were healthy and off the injured reserve the team would still be under the salary cap (although over roster limits).
ORIGINAL KING GONE
The Kings resigned three restricted free agents: Jeff Halpern, Mike Leclerc, and Trevor Letowski. Halpern and Letowski got raises, while Leclerc signed for the same amount after missing most of last season due to injury.
Defenseman Dan Focht was not tendered a new contract offer, as the Kings have a plethora of blueliners already plus players not in the CPHL last season knocking at the door (i.e. Girard, Jurcina, Hutchinson).
Focht was one of the few original Kings remaining on the roster after two years. The others are Alex Tanguay, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Halpern, and Kimmo Timonen (who had been traded but was reacquired). Still, this is believed to be more than any other team has from its original roster.
KOSTOPOULOS A DOUBLE KING
For only the second time ever, a player has been in the Los Angeles Kings organisation in both the CPHL and NHL simultaneously. Tom Kostopoulos was signed by the NHL's Kings.
Of all roster players and prospects, only Felix Potvin was previously a King concurrently in both leagues (during the first half of the inaugural CPHL season).