Gimme a “D”!

I am excited about the Los Angeles Kings this season, especially with their depth at defense. One of my favorite D-men joined in the off-season and you can bet that Rob Scuderi will make the same kind of key plays in LA that helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup.  I also believe that Jack Johnson will earn his kick-butt nickname this season (“JMFJ”), as well as erase any doubts about his ability that may be lingering in some fans’ psyches after he spent half of last season nursing a shoulder injury.  When he returned during the second half of the season, he showed flashes of brilliance but nothing consistent  enough to make fans sit back, nodding their heads sagely and saying, “Yes, Jack M-F’ing Johnson is a killer.” Instead, fans lavished their attention on rookie Drew Doughty, and with good reason. Doughty enters his second season poised to eclipse the good works that earned him a spot on the 2008-2009 All-Rookie Team.  Add names like Drewiske, O’Donnell, Greene, Harrold and Martinez, and you’ve got the makings of a defensive core ready to take on any and all comers.

But we’re just scratching the surface here.

When it comes to the D-line, it seems that the Kings are stacked at every level.  There are 13 defensive prospects listed at the Kings website; 13 hard-working guys, honing their skills right now at the AHL, ECHL and junior hockey levels.  Some of the more notable prospects include big Colten Teubert, who at 6’4”, towers over many players (and teammates to boot).  The 19-year-old had a good training camp with the Kings and is back with the WHL Regina Pats to develop even further. I had a chance to see him play with the ECHL Ontario Reign in the post season last year and although he seemed a little young, he adjusted quickly and really uses his size to his advantage.  I’m sure he’ll end up on Team Canada for a third year for the World Junior Championships, after helping anchor the D for the team’s gold medal runs in 2008 and 2009.

At 5’11”, Thomas Hickey may not have Teubert’s height, but he’s got mad skills and came thisclose to cracking the Kings’ lineup this season, following a stellar training camp and preseason.  Many analysts predict he’ll be in a Kings uniform before the season ends and I agree, having seen this guy mature and develop over the last four years with the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds. He’s an extremely smart two-way player, with the ability to spot a play no matter where it is on the ice, move the puck and SCORE.  During his time with the T-Birds, I rarely saw him lose his cool and drop the gloves, but opponents who received one of his punishing hip checks made it a point to stay out of his way. Add leadership skills (T-Birds captain in 2007-2008, 2008-2009; Team Canada captain 2009) and strong skating ability, and you’re looking at any coach’s defensive dream: the total package.

Hickey will see plenty of ice time in Manchester as he joins a group of veterans, including Drew Bagnall and Joe Piskula, who have helped anchor the Monarchs’s defensive corps since the 2007-2008 season; and other talented newcomers, like Patrick Mullen, who joins the team following a solid career the University of Denver, and David Kolomatis, a 20 year old who just signed a tryout agreement with Manchester, much to the pride of his junior team, the OHL Owen Sound Attack, even though they’d welcome their Captain back with open arms. And who wouldn’t? This kid posted back-to-back, 40+ point seasons for the Attack. Signing with the Monarchs leaves Owen Sound with a much weaker and untested defense (read: mostly rookies).  I’m betting on this Jersey boy (he’s from Livingston) to succeed and only get better as he logs more minutes at the AHL level.

The season has just gotten under way. Fans and “experts” are scrambling to predict where teams will finish and grade them on perceived strengths and weaknesses.  I’m not an expert. I’m a fan and I have my own grade for the Los Angeles Kings right now. I give them a “D” – for Defense.