Trevor Moore of the Kings, left, moves the puck past Trevor Zegras of the Ducks during Game 3 on February 25, 2022, at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
For the first time under general manager Rob Blake, the Kings are a national talking point, and that rise – as well as an ongoing rise for the Ducks – was reflected in comments from one of the groups of the most visible experts. at hockey.
Looking to build on its success with “Inside the NBA,” TNT brought back its NHL studio team for its third season of hockey coverage. It will broadcast 62 games nationally this season, beginning Oct. 11, when the Kings and Vegas Golden Knights face off in the back half of a doubleheader to kick off the 2023-24 campaign. Wayne Gretzky, Anson Carter, Liam McHugh, Henrik Lundqvist and Paul Bissonnette will be on set then, but most of the ensemble couldn’t wait for the puck to drop to start talking about the Kings’ Stanley Cup prognosis.
“I am extremely optimistic about the Kings. I love their depth in the middle,” said Bissonnette, whose fame as a media personality has eclipsed his fame after more than 200 games played in the NHL.
Bissonnette acknowledged the Kings would feel the losses from the plethora of players they kicked out of the organization to ease the transition. acquisition of the Pierre-Luc Dubois center and the re-signing of defender Vladislav Gavrikov, specifically mentioning Alex Iafallo and Gabe Vilardi. He also said that while the Kings’ goaltending options – they have Cam TalbotWith Pheonix Copley and David Rittich together making less than an established starter usually makes – creating question marks, Vegas proved last year that a lesser-known goaltender can be enough with the right support system.
“Obviously Edmonton is the other team in the West, but for me the underdog is LA and I think they might end up going out, so that’s my pick,” Bissonnette said.
“I love Los Angeles too,” Lundqvist added. “Edmonton, because they did it (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl), they’re still in the mix, there’s no doubt about it.”
Lundqvist expressed skepticism about the Golden Knights’ ability to repeat. The former New York Rangers Vezina Trophy winner felt significantly more confident in former Vegas and Kings goalie Jonathan Quick’s ability to become the Rangers’ second goaltender behind another Vezina Award winner, Igor Shesterkin.
“I’ve always been a fan of Quickie, just the way he plays. He’s like a gymnast and he makes saves you didn’t think were possible,” said Lundqvist, who faced Quick in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. “It’s cool, he grew up here and Mike Richter is a big idol of his, to have this opportunity to play here is awesome.”
“He’s going to fit in really well, I think he understands that Igor is the guy, but at the same time, with his experience and the way he competes, it’s going to bring a lot of good energy to the team,” added Lundqvist.
From an already enshrined Southern California hockey legend to a budding star, Lundqvist and Bissonnette also evaluated the Ducks’ Trevor Zegras, who has managed to create something of a brand at just 22 years old. He’s landed high-profile covers and racked up more than 400,000 followers on Instagram (finally on track to surpass 1 million, as stars like McDavid and Alex Ovechkin have already done). In fact, it almost reached Bissonnette’s figure, which is around 475,000 people.
“He’s a special kid, it takes a special kid to be able to balance the production on the ice. I mean, he led their team in points last year, and he also did all these things off the ice that not only help attract new fans but, from a marketing standpoint, for the league in general,” Bissonnette said.
Bissonnette also talked about the Ducks signing Zegras to a three-year extension on Monday rather than trying to lock him in for the long term, just as Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion favored him during Ottawa’s rebuild, which largely synchronized with that of the Ducks. He said Zegras wanted to be “the guy” and earn a high-level salary for the maximum term, and would be expected to have a greater impact defensively and in detailed areas of his game.
In addition to Zegras’ own skill set, Lundqvist said the Ducks’ development as a group will be a big factor in the level of success and profile Zegras achieves in the future. He felt the same way about the Chicago Blackhawks and their first overall pick, Connor Bedard, whom the Ducks narrowly missed the opportunity to draft, selecting second. He said Zegras “may be a lot of the customer base that they market to the NHL” if the Ducks can return to contention.
“If the team is competitive, it’s going to help your game a lot, to be in situations where they’re counting on you to make the difference in a close game, in an important game. I think that’s when- there where he can take the next step,” Lundqvist said.
Not all the attention paid to Zegras has been positive. Some of the less flattering looks have been light-hearted — like his admission that he had no idea who or what “The Oppenheimer” was — while other incidents have been less amusing, like when he made an incendiary comment to veteran defender Troy Stecher that he crossed the line and ended up on the bench after berating an official last season. There have also been gray areas, such as Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella, who was then a television analyst, calling some of his less conventional, catchier techniques showy and less “honest” than hockey. traditional.
“Hockey players who stand out a little bit are always going to get that hate. I felt like PK (Subban) was probably one of the first guys to do that, where he was having fun or getting involved socially, and the old guard didn’t like that much,” Bissonnette said. “But there has to be a way to attract young fans and these type of players do that.”
