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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This past week, the Kings traded a couple beloved players in Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell, which initiated the next step in Rob Blake’s plan to make room for the youth. As Los Angeles harvests from their farm team, look for some of these prospects to find their way in Ontario either at the end […]
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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 the Kings-Maple Leafs trade, explain what Kyle Clifford meant to the Kings, and look ahead on possible returns for Alec Martinez, Tyler Toffoli, Trevor Lewis, etc.
NOTE: Here’s a link […]
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Enjoy a free replay of John Hoven on Sportsnet Radio, where he joined hosts Nick Alberga and Andre Deveaux to discuss the LA Kings trading Kyle Clifford and Jack Campbell to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Trevor Moore and two draft picks.
NOTE: For more on Clifford and what he meant to the Kings, be […]
Feel free to admit it - there are few things in life better than a surprise episode. Yet, here we are, back with Kings of the Podcast Episode 15.1, just a few days after our latest release! Here's a very brief look at … [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.