The Outcasts

 Erick Lindros, Sydney Crosby, and Connor McDavid (often refferred to in this blog as McDouchebag) were sure things when drafted.  Sure things make the job of a General Manager or President of Hockey operations easier.  Sure things are rare though, and the first round of the NHL draft is littered with Jamarcus Russel type flops. The front office boys make or break their careers in the trenches, finding the not so sure things.  Maybe the greatest GM of all time in any sport, Jerry West,  left a little magic in Los Angeles.  Blakey and Lucky seem to have a bit of a nack for finding the diamonds in the rough.  The fact that most of these diamonds came from the Leafs makes me giggle just a bit inside.  Thats a lie.  I laugh heartily outloud at that thought.  Either way, the outcasts stepped up for the Kings this season.

Trevor Moore came over in a move that was largely unpopular with Kings fans at the time.  Kyle Clifford was a consumate professional.  He was tough, smart, and effective at all areas of the game.  He was an aging role player, but a fan favorite because of his physical style of play and the ability to help generate modest offense from the fourth line.  No one wanted him to go, but the Kings were amassing draft picks, dumping sallary, and frankly willing to give Clifford another shot at the Cup as the Leafs were supposed to be contenders; supposed to be.  In return the team brought back a local kid that no one had really ever heard of.  He was an undrafted free agent out of the University of Denver, a perenial powerhouse in College Hockey.  Mostly playing with the Marlies in the O, Trevor had a cup of coffee with the big club, but was never put in a position to succeed.  Someone knew something and the Kings were willing to take a chance on him.  It worked.  His speed, tenacity, vision, skill, and knowledge made him an integral part of the vaughnted second line this year.  He finished with seventeen goals, thirty one assists, and a plus twenty rating.  While plus minus can never be looked at individually, it does tell us that he helped his linemates wreak havoc on the other team.  His lines forecheck and their ability to get out of their own zone and pressure other team's defenses were an integral part of the King's success this season.  He didn't do it alone, but he found a way to use his attributes to help his line become incredibly successful.

Carl Grundstrom, the only draftee of the outcasts also came over from the Leafs.  The Kings front office sent Jake Muzzin off to the Land of Oz for many of the same reasons they sent Clifford.  In return the Kings got two relatively unknown prospects in Sean Durzi, and Carl Grundstrom.  Grundstrom had never seen time in the NHL until he came to Los Angeles.  Even here, he bounced back and forth between Ontario and the big club.  He showed his true metal down the stretch and in the playoffs by using his strength to drive hard to the net, and gelling with his linemates, another of which I will discuss later.  Toronto gave up on this kid, but he came up huge in the Kings long awaited return to the playoffs.  Grundstrom may not ever score twenty goals, but he is a heck of a hockey player when given the chance.

Alex Iafallo also was undrafted.  His contributions often go unnoticed by the casual fan.  He isn't a natural goal scorer, he isn't a fancy stick handler, and he will never make the all star team.  Yet, he has spent much of the last two years on the first line.  He plays a solid, smart brand of hockey, gets in the lanes and disrupts the other team's break out.  He started the year on a tear, showing more speed and a finishing touch.  Sadly those things were fleeting, and he eventually found himself a bit further down the trough.  He still competed, and played quite well, especially for an undrafted free agent.  Moving forward, if this team is going to progress, I don't see Iafallo on the first line, but he is a gamer, and should play a prominent roll for this team.  Another diamond in the rough that no one else was willing to take a chance on.  

Ted Linday, Theo Fleury, Rogie Vachon, Marcell Dionne, and more currently Alex Debrincat were all undersized players that made a huge impact.  NHL executives love big players and are afraid of anyone that isn't tall.  How else could one explain how Debrincat, who scored over a hundred points with Erie could drop to the second round?  Only Auston (Bieber) Mathews and Mathew (cheapshot) Tkachuk had better numbers, and Tkachuk had a great deal of help.  Little guys get it done in the NHL and Blake Lizotte is no different.  His energy, speed, skill, and voracious attitude helped lead the Kings fourth line to significant success.  He tallied ten goals, fourteen assists, and a plus fifteen mark.  Every team has top line scorers, but line depth is a key to success in this league, just ask Toronto.  Lizotte was drafted...ahh nope.  He too was undrafted.  Another cast off that became an integral part to a successful year for the Kings.  

None of these guys will likely make a fantasy roster, yet each one has bucked the odds.  Each one has used their strengths to fit into Mclellan's system, work with their linemates, and help move this organization in the right direction.  The front office has deffinitely been able to find some gems in the personell bargain bin.