NHL blog, LA Kings hockey news and interviews from The Mayor
Enjoy a free replay of “The Mayor” John Hoven, as he joined hosts Brett Winterble and George Wrighster on The Beast, AM 980 in Los Angles, to talk all the latest topics surrounding the Kings – including their playoff chances and what GM Dean Lombardi might do before the trade deadline.
You can listen to today’s segment using the player below or download any of our audio files for free on the MayorsManor iTunes page located here.
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Enjoy a free replay of this week’s Mayor’s Minutes on NHL Network Radio, where John Hoven joined host Jim ‘Boomer’ Gordon to discuss all things Los Angeles.
Today’s radio segment can be heard using the player below or download any of our audio files for free on the MayorsManor iTunes page located here.
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Enjoy a free replay of John Hoven on TSN Radio, where he joined host Kevin Olszewski to discuss several LA Kings related topics – including what’s next for AHL Ontario, prospects being considered for the No. 2 selection in the NHL Draft, and which players are on the bubble for the 2020-21 roster.
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Enjoy a free replay of this week’s Hot Stove, where John Hoven joined hosts David Pagnotta, Dennis Bernstein, and Ryan Paton to break down what happened at the 2020 Draft Lottery, what’s next for the LA Kings, who will the pick, will he play in the NHL next season, the team’s top prospects, and […]
One of Dean Lombardi’s most impactful picks came in the form of Drew Doughty at second overall. Twelve years later, the Kings would benefit if the lottery provided the same courtesy. According to Tankathon, Los … [Read More...]
John,
In the interview you referred to Doughty as “the best defenseman in the NHL.” Thinking you’re going a bit overboard there. He is clearly the best Kings d-man and a top-ten defenseman league-wide but do you really believe he’s number 1 in the entire league?
He’s hardly in the class of a dominating defenseman at both ends of the ice like others before him, for example, Larry Robinson, Salming, Potvin, Chelios, Bourque, Lidstrom, Pronger or Chara.
DD is a good, but not great skater, a pretty good passer, has hard shot and has become a good, but not great, defender. Yes, he is a tremendous competitor and wants to win as much or more than anybody but does not dominate anywhere on the ice in any one zone. He is more effective when concentrating on defensive play first and playing offensively only selectively. He still runs around too much offensively, carries the puck too much and makes too many mistakes….Players like Ekman-Larson and Erik Karlson are light years better offensively. Weber is a bigger and better all-around defenseman. Chara, up to this season, has been the best all-around d-man in the league since Pronger’s skills started to decline. A case can be made for Duncan Keith being more effective than DD as well.
DD is the best defenseman on what has been the league’s best team two of the last three years. He’s had the NHL’s best goaltender back there making him look better for the past several seasons. This is not a knock against DD but I think to call him the league’s best, is an overly optimistic view of his performance up to now.