Re Stoll/Handzus: yeah, I know. Handzus will be done after next year, unless he re-signs. Stoll’s last contract year is the aforementioned ’11-’12. I’m not sure what happens to him, and it all depends on how the prospects develop, how Stoll performs between now and then, and what other needs arise. Because Stoll is one of those names that is going to come up in trade talks every spring, because everyone wants someone like that for the playoffs. Kings, included, obviously, which is why you brought it up.

A lot depends on the development of Schenn and Loktionov. And Moller. And Clifford and Nolan and …

Don’t get me wrong, I share the wood for Loktionov. But I don’t think you draft Schenn top-five to be a third-line center. I also don’t think you see Handzus AND Stoll gone in 11-12. Maybe it’s just me.

LW1/Kopitar/Simmonds
LW2/Loktionov/Moller
Clifford/Schenn/RW3
Clune/Nolan/RW4

Who are the top-six left wings? Could be Smyth and Kovi or Frolov or someone not on our radar yet. Could be Schenn slid over the left wing. For RWs, there’s Williams, who will be a UFA the summer before that. Does he get re-signed? Well, Moller and Doughty are RFAs, so I kinda doubt the money will be there for a 3rd liner. Which is what he will be by then.

Yeah, I see where the problem is. I think Moller and Siimmonds are going to be top-six, so brown is expendable, and you think Brown and Simmonds (?) project top-six, so Moller is expendable. Is that about right?

Westgarth, I don’t think is in the cards. Unless he turns it around.

I think the bottom line difference between your perspective and mine is that I think it’s possible Lombardi places much more value in his own draftees (Moller, Loktionov, Schenn, Clifford, Siimmonds) than you may think he does; and, conversely, I think it’s possible that Lombardi is less attached to the “core” players brought in by Taylor than people generally assume (again, see Visnovsky, Cammalleri).

I also see a leadership vacuum on the Kings. I think the summer weight training thing led by Brown and Greene was a great thing. But that’s not going to be the deciding factor in evaluating Brown. Neither is the fact that he’s likable. And I do like him.

If he turns his season around and it proves not to be a repeat of last year, then that’s good news for everyone. But if he doesn’t — or if Lombardi decides he isn’t going to — I think it’s a reasonable move to deal him while his stock is as high as it’s going to get.

A perfect storm of hockey drama is coming. Actually, we’re in it now. Between now and the Olympic break, the Kings will either maintain/regain their standing, or the wheels will fall off. I believe it’s 15 games. When there was 20 games to the break, I think I said the Kings needed to get 24 of those points. They’ve gotten four. So now they need 20 out of 30 points. Totally doable. And if Brown turns it on right now, he’ll be harder to trade. But if he doesn’t, and the unofficial trade deadline of the Olympics gets closer and closer, and the Kings falter, it would be so easy to call that a failure of leadership on the ice, and send Brown packing.

I find myself being persuaded more and more by my own argument; however, I don’t want to deal Brown. I would rather he pull out all the stops, prove his leadership chops, fill the net with pucks, and then Kovalchuk will be had for Frolov, Johnson and picks.

The next fifteen games is literally the biggest test Brown has ever faced. I don’t think I’m exaggerating that.

Frolov, Loktoinov, Moller and a 1st for a signed Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk-Kopitar-Brown
Smyth-Stoll-Williams
Parse-Handzus-Simmonds
Westgarth/Clune/Clifford-Richarson-Segal

Scuderi-Doughty
Hickey-Greene
Drewiske-OD
Martinez

Quick
Ersberg

Under the cap.