Quote:
Originally Posted by KingFanMGM  Yes I would.
Klemm while playing defense, has played solid. He has blocked shots, played physical "old school" hockey in front of the net, and has been in the league long enough to not give up silly turnovers.
Harrold, in every game I have seen him play this year, loses the puck as soon as someone touches him. He is easily checked off the puck, and still thinks he can beat everyone one-on-one and turns over the puck skating out of the zone resulting in quality opportunities for the opposing team. He is a liability in the defensive zone. He consistently makes blind outlet passes up the boards that get intercepted by the opposition, and he never wins a battle in the corner, EVER! I stand by my statement that he should have been converted to a forward years ago, and his coaches did him no favor by keeping him at defense. He is undersized and still requires 1-2 more years of seasoning in the minors to improve his physical stature.
However, with that being said, Harrold does have good offensive upside and may find a niche for those talents on a different team, or with the Kings in the future, but does not belong on the squad next year. |
Even if this were all true (and I don't believe it is, as he's been smooth with the puck, made a modest number of mistakes for a rookie and is +2 on a bad Kings team), what is your expectation for next year, anyway? We aren't Detroit, where 38 year old relics are welcome as part of a Cup contender. We are most likely either not making the playoffs again, or a bubble team. A physical-yet-fading defenseman is not a difference-maker on that type of team. Supplanting the development of one of our better home-grown defensive prospects with him would be just plain stupid.
Remember when Dustin Brown had "hands of stone" and "no hockey sense"? He played, and get got better. The light bulb turned on. Harrold deserves the same opportunity, and I predict he WILL get it next year. Meanwhile, Klemm will be announcing his retirement sometime between now and then. If not - I wish him well wherever he ends up. It just won't be in L.A.
