I REALLY want this guy to have a serious comeback season next year. I get that he had a really bad year this year, But the guy is so likeable and I just want him to be successful with us!
The problem is that usually the team he plays for actually do better without him, points percentage wise. Winnepeg, Columbus and now LA have all improved when he wasn't on the team. I too want him to succeed, but if anything he has to put in the most effort of everyone in there. But usually he doesn't seem to be bothered :(
If he was being paid 4 mil, he would have been a slight disappointment, but showing some glimpses of promise. The fact is he is getting paid over 8 mil a year. That’s so crazy
The problem is not PLD, the problem is unrealistic expectations from fans and teams management with unreal expectations as a first line center when he'd be better utilised as a complementary dept scoring winger. He's clearly overpaid and overhyped since coming into the NHL. He's a decent player who's had unfair expectations since coming into the league.
@@hyepride23 Educate yourself on the penalties of a buyout dude there's a reason you see less than 5 buyouts a year across the hundreds of players in the NHL. It's not a reasonable option for either of them with their cap hits. They're project players that the kings have to find a way to get value from. Like it or not, we have to find a way to get the most out of Dubois and we can't do that playing him with bottom 6 guys. He's demoralized and wants to be the guy. He was never really given that chance due to the teams structure and talent at C in front of him. Put kopitar on pp2 and with lewis and grundstrom and give him 15 mins per night and he'll put up points similar to Dubois this year.
I have faith in him. Playing with bottom 6 guys the majority of the season can’t help your confidence and or play. People don’t seem to recognize that. All of these experts keep saying he should have made those players better, yet it hard to make young players better when you are only as good as your line mates. He could have had a 60 point season if for not Laffy, Grundy, Lewis and even Kaliyv missing great opportunities to put the puck in the net from a nice setup from PlD.
I know there’s been a lot of negative discourse about PL lately, but I still believe in the person and the player. You’re setting him up to underachieve by playing him with guys like Carl, Lewis, and Laf for 3/4 of the season. He knows he has to produce with the price tag attached to his name, and with the right coach and system I believe he can get back to the two-way impact and 60+ points he was putting up previously. Guy made no excuses through a lot of tough questions and handled the buyout question graciously. Still need to see the intensity ramp up as he was frustratingly passive most of the season. Honestly believe learning a brand new system and trying too hard to limit mistakes can do that. Have a great off-season and we’ll see. But as Kings fans we MUST support our players!!!
He set himself up by playing his way down to third/fourth line. With his history in Columbus, Winnipeg, and now this first awful year in LA, he shouldn't get the benefit of the doubt about needing the right coach/system/linemates. A career high of 63 points isn't worth $8.5M. His utter lack of effort should be shipped out before it becomes the new identity of the Kings. A buyout should be plan B if a trade isn't found.
@@zebehm I hear you man. Especially about the production. I still think there’s a next level that can be unlocked with him. The front office saw it with Moore, and they were right. Then they saw it again with Danault, and they were right. Then Fiala, and they were right too. I sure hope they’re right this time around with PL, and I believe (at least in that regard) we owe both parties the benefit of the doubt. The talent and pedigree is there. 3rd overall pick. Dad is a coach in the AHL. 4/7 full seasons with > 0.7 PPG including his age-20 (!!!) season and the 2 years prior to this one. Still just 25. Kempe didn’t have his first 0.7 PPG season until literally last year, age 26, 6th full year in the league. Give him some actual linemates and we’ll see if we’re having the same discussion at this time next year. Hopefully not.
All these stupid fans let the guy play he moved from Canada to the us new team new everything and he played with rookies and without him laf wouldn’t be as good it’s not just numbers but he’s helping young players cause he was one of them
He just didn't produce for the amount of money he's being paid. Period. This is the guy we got who is going to help us beat the oilers in years going forward and win playoff series? This guy has zero juice, zero passion.
Dubois (of wood) only got 16 goals, 24 assists and played all 82 games this year. He makes 8,500,000 a year on a 7 year contract. He's not even worth 3 million with those numbers. In his entire career he hasn't scored over 28 goals. Why would any team give him such a huge contract. He hasn't proved himself. Talent means nothing if you don't have the work ethics.
PLD was set up to have a subpar/mediocre season. Throwing him on the third line with multiple players with barely 100 games of experience (JAD, Laffy, Kaliyev, etc) Did we expect him to takeover and carry? Look who he was paired with in Winnipeg. Ehlers, Copp/Connor The only way to go is up. If PLD scores 30+ or 60+pts here on out, everyone suddenly forgets the first disaster season of a hot streak, road trip record breaking streak, to falling completely off the rails & our coach getting fired
I do agree with that 1 - 3 - 1 question. Some players do better with certain systems. I'm not a PLD fan, but I can understand him struggling in a system that does not work with his game. The Oilers have torched the 1 - 3 - 1 consistently, but teams that play this way do so because they cannot compete any other way. IMO - you're better off adapting to the strength of your players and and taking your lumps (i.e. missing the playoffs for 3 or 4 years, trading off old(er) assets for prospects and pick and getting high picks yourself). That's the formula in a 32 team league as no matter what you do you will not be competitive every year - it just doesn't work like that
A lot of time and so many chances, but he strikes me as a guy who is really difficult to form relationships with. Especially as a teammate. Like, this feels like a tennis interview.
Not trying to cause conflict. He literally was terrible all season and lazy. They just said it much nicer. He’s so lazy and can’t wait for the day he is no longer allowed to wear a kings sweater!
He did have a terribly uninspiring season! It is on him to sit and deal with this. It’s no secret that his work ethic might not be what it needs to be.
Excuses excuses excuses…he had a full season to show his impact. The ONLY game he made an impact was vs Winnipeg in Winnipeg, he had 2 goals. Other than that, he’s invisible for 82 games
I feel for the guy TBH. Yes, he is making a lot of money. Also, I've been in that spot where you can get in your own head after years of strong/elite performance. This is prob a combo of issues. The system and line arrangements have sucked all year (not just his linemates). He got a massive contract and prob feels the heat for it and I suspect he is prob lacking confidence now after his own performance and being on the third line all year. Fingers crossed for him to turn it around.
Not the biggest PLD fan but it’s not really his fault for making 8.5? What is he supposed to tell Blake “you know what don’t pay me that much I’m not worth it?” Disappointing season for sure but let’s not act like he has control over how much $ he makes
He has now been on three teams and lacked heart on any of them. Luc and Blake should be fired for this trade alone. Gave up three players and a pick to give this guy a max eight year deal at 8.5. He even talks bad. Seems it’s out of his control
PLD had a full season to prove his worth and failed. Cut ties now before the team is stuck.We need hard working players and he did not show much promise.
Completely stupid post. The system was trash. Players should not be in position where they always have to think. The Kings need to put in a better system where players can just play and not think.
He played with bottom six or even bottom three forwards most of the season. When he got run with Arvidsson or Fiala, he ramped up. Better luck next year, PL.
Are you his mom? Not a troll if you speak the truth, just because you have a different view. The guy had 16 goals and took bad penalties because he’s lazy. Period. I say he does worse next year.
All due respect from just "A Fan"...Sorry, but those 'Things you can control" you did NOT control all season. For 8.5M/yr you should be able to produce anywhere on any line at any time. That's LEADERSHIP money and you needed a "Point System" from the coaching staff?!? Your cap and term are on Rob Blake. He'll pay for that. Your Laissez-faire attitude toward this game and this team is something you should pay for, not the team or its fans. In 44 years of watching Kings hockey, I have NEVER seen a more shiftless, lazy player take the ice this season than you. Have some pride and dignity in your game for crimeny sake! Someone's gotta say it. Happy to volunteer. Grow a set, prove me wrong and change your attitude. There are a lot of guys in that room you can learn that from, start with Mr. Danault. Buy him lunch when you talk with him and make it expensive. He's worth it.
Bullseye. This is leadership money and term. Fiala and Danault got term and $$$ and had no problems with any of these coaches or systems. PLD was put on the 4th line b/c unlike Danault and Fiala, he didn't perform. BO is possible at 1/3rd of the AAV for this year only. 2/3rd's after that.
Umm, umm, umm, hopefully he plays better than he talks. Too much hype on this guy, the problem is he’s full of himself. Had a problem in Columbus and in Winnipeg with attitude. He would be a much better hockey player if he could come back down to earth and play the game.
Any kings fan despising this man is completely fake and wrong. Yes he didn’t have the greatest season but it’s one season. He still has other seasons to prove himself. He isn’t the only reason we played as poor as we did throughout times in the season. Coming to a new organization isn’t easy and nobody knows what that’s like. We’re all just fans. Giving threats and just trashing him after one season is stupid and unfair for him.
Wow, after 50 years as a Kings fan I now find out I’m fake and wrong. He didn’t even try. If he was giving 100% every night and just didn’t have puck luck I would agree, but he didn’t even try
@@garyelder4610 yes I get that it seems he doesn’t care but if your defining him after one season then that’s stupid. It’s not easy to go from one organization to the next. He isn’t the only reason our team didn’t take the next step. Everyone had something to do with it.
I think if we can get a coach who instills discipline in the team and has him work, he’ll excel but it’s up to him to get the best out of himself. Not happy about his contract but if he can be better next season and really use his physique, it’ll be a different story!!
BS…don’t believe him. He’s got no heart, he’s got no stamina. Buy him out before his birthday for 1/3 the cost of his contract or trade hime before July 1st, before his No Movement clause kicks in for the next 4 years
Wow! You guys are brutal! I believe he can rebound. If you buy out his contract, you will be paying him till 2038! Think logically, not emotionally. Keep him and see if he gets better. If he doesn't, you can trade him for assets down the road. It's better than doing something irrational! I'm betting on him getting better.
This guy is just a waste. So many of his answers are cop outs. This guy CAN control how hard he tries, he CAN control giving Blake Lizotte-type effort EVERY SHIFT. This guy is a lazy, gutless, bum. BUY THIS GUY OUT before his birthday - it's the cheapest way out of this disaster.
Everything's out of his control yet everything's on "him" and he needs to do better? He seems so nervous and NO confidence in this interview... he needs to be let go he's not going to get better. HUGE disappointment this season. I wasn't sure about him at first then I started giving him the benefit of the doubt and now I know, he's an on ice coaster non-compete player.
His "not in my control" bullshit is such a poor excuse...."I can't control how my summer will be"? Wtf is that supposed to mean. Such a loser attitude. He doesn't deserve to be in the nhl.
Obviously PLD doesn’t want to play hockey anymore. His body language and facial language shows an indifference and apathy. He was biting his fingernails and playing with his mustache and beard. What adult almost 26 behaves this way on public TV and media outlets in hockey world. Something is missing upstairs. He had 82 games to prove his skills, energy, and toughness, all of which awfully flunked out. Dump him for sure, bite the bullet and take the losses and move on with this dud.
I mean listen he’s not entirely wrong… PLD is the 2nd most skilled Center on this team by a long shot. And Phil Danault is a 3rd line center on a deep Stanley Cup contending team. Period. So what the F is the problem?!! Pull our heads out
I feel like it's a marriage where your wife doesn't prove she can take care of the house and the kids because of adversity, but you can buy her out and get a divorce and get a 50% discount within the first year oppose the stuck with her until your kids 18! I know it seems crude but I don't trust this guy
gawd, exit interviews being filmed and uploaded to the world.. dreadful. I like PLD, I would even say I'm a fan of his, I like his style, he's a great hockey player. It's like moving to a new school and expected to run for class council immediately ..and win, and if you don't, people wIll HATE you for it. Leave the man alone lol
Bad system for PLD to play in, he wasn't the only one who didn't show up for the kings... 12,22,24,55,33 all no shows- penalty kill was also a no show. Not his fault. New coach new system with speed and aggressive forecheck will help, NOT with AHL linemates. IE- Dallas, Colorado, Edmonton, Carolina, Florida. Blake is going noplace neither is Luc-
LA f'd up, now they're crying, they overrated the player and panicked because Kopitar is at the twilight years of is career and they're trying to buy themselves a team the last few years acquiring Arvidson, Fiala, Gravikrov and Danault and overpaid for everyone in the process, just too bad. This is not on PLD, this is on management. PLD can't control other peoples expectations, all and all he's a fine top 6 forward with size that can score and complement a line, he's not supposed to be the top player on his line and never was and would probably be better utilised as a winger in the NHL but everyone so far as placed unrealistic expectations on him and now they're paying the price. Just f'n do him a favor, buy him out so he can sign a low cost deal and reestablish himself in the league as more of a complementary piece then being the guy you build around. Play him like Dallas plays Mason Marchment and you'll have a good player on your hands but don't expect him to replace Kopitar, that's f'n dumb. Fans where dumb, Columbus and LA had unrealistic expectations of him and showed they are incompetent when ot comes to evaluating players and now they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Columbus as done the same with Leine, another player that as dealt with unrealistic expectations, both cursed because teams drafted them top 3. That wasn't there fault, Dubois was a reach when they drafted him a 3 and the same happened with Kotkaniemi in MTL. All decent players with unfair expectations by coaches, fans and management.
