Kings News Daily Wishes Stanley Cup Champion Andrei Loktionov The Very Best On His New Team. The Highly Skilled Center Was Traded Today To Of All Teams, The New Jersey Devils – Photo: IKIRI
By Paul Armbruster • KingsNewsDaily.com •
The New Jersey Devils tweeted the following this afternoon.
We have acquired Andrei Loktionov from the Kings for 5th-round pick in 2013. Loktionov will be assigned to @albanydevils.
— New Jersey Devils (@NHLDevils) February 6, 2013
Loktionov was a personal favorite and I felt strongly his name should have been included on the Cup. I wish him all the luck in the world on his new team as he tries to establish himself as a regular in the NHL.
Loktionov was drafted by Los Angeles in the 5th round himself during the 2008 draft. He played a total of 61 games for the Kings, including 2 games during last year’s playoffs. He scored a total of 7 goals and 7 assists in that span.
For more on the background of this trade, here’s a story I wrote a week ago…
Here’s the Kings press release…
He should’ve been on the Cup, no doubt about it. I think he’ll be great in Jersey. Sucks to see him go.
P.S. Paul, can you post the picture with Lokti’s name photoshopped on the Cup? I tried to look for it, but I couldn’t find it.
It’s on the other story I wrote linked above.
Thanks!
The coach likes players that are 6 feet or better with some grit to them. No matter how you feel he did not fit D.S. image of the kind of player he wanted
He didn’t fit, that’s for sure.
i have Mix feelings about him going..
I am happy he is gone in a bad way …lol……2 reason for that..
number 1:He play soo many more games last season before Nolan and Kings called up and he score when DL Just called up Nolan and King to play for the Kings,Took Nolan and Kings about 4 games to make a big impact.
Number 2:He always miss an empty net or never shot the puck always wants to pass the puck and just too small..
Okay here the good thoughts and good wishes..
Number 1:I Hope the Devils can use him the right way that the Kings couldnt do,just not on us LOL.
Number 2: He can be a great player if he shows it..Which i believe he can hang with the Big boys.
Number 3: i think this trade is a fair trade,no team got the bad end of it.
Good points. I can’t disagree with any of them.
What up man!?? Haven’t read you in a long time! I hope all is well!!
GKG
I dislike how they pick names for the cup.
Adding wives, kids, etc.
I feel it should be the core business
Owners (if you must)
GM, Coaches, Players, Trainers
All players whom played 1/4+ season
The rooks whom were called up for injuries should be included hence my 1/4 opinion.
obviously, this had to be done…not only because of lokti’s trade demand…but because he really doesn’t fit into our future plans…i’m not really sold on lokti’s ability to stay healthy…he doesn’t play a physical game and, regardless of tough the kid might be, he lacks the size needed to compete defensively versus larger centers…
lokti is a finesse player…there’s nothing wrong with that…but unless he’s playing in a situation/on a line that proffers to his skill-set, he won’t be in this league for that much longer…he’s a prototypical khl player, imo…and i think that’s where he will eventually land…
and, yes, he should of had his name on the cup…(!)
I do think he’s name should of been on the cup and a few others shouldn’t of been. I do feel he got a fair chance at making the club, but he just didn’t have what it takes. I like that we got the same for what he costs us at least. Wish we could of said the same for Hickey.
Bunch of excellent points above. I agree that he very well could end up in the KHL. However, if he wants to be in the NHL bad enough, I think he can do it somewhere. It just wasn’t going to happen on the Kings. He had his chances and just couldn’t stick. Call it bad timing, too small or not adapting to a role…any role. Any way you cut it, he was a player without a clear path in this organization and that’s not a good strategy.
On top of what has been said above by others, he just couldn’t displace any of the centers ahead of him and he wasn’t going to make it out of position. He isn’t big/strong enough for the physicality of the bottom 6, he has the skill set to strive in a top 6. He’s not built for the dump-and-retrieve, he needs entry with control…
IMO he should’ve fetched something higher or someone already drafted but in this case I think DL did Lou a solid…
There’s also the addition by subtraction angle. With Lokti left off the Cup, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say there had to be some bitterness there. Lokti doesn’t strike me as the type who would overtly create an unease in the Manchester locker room, but I’d imagine with him gone (especially after the trade request) it only makes for a better atmosphere on the Monarchs as a whole at the very least. Could he have turned into a cancer? Sure. But by nipping this in the bud, Deano makes what could have been a worse situation a moot point. In that respect, perhaps a 5th was a bargain?
very true with re to the locker room element… but asking to be traded doesn’t always lead to a trade within a week (JB anyone?)… but weren’t his stats pretty decent in MAN? it didn’t seem to be effecting his play. And of course I don’t know him, but what we saw on NHL36, he seems like a mousy enough guy. I just think he helped out Lou just like Jerry West helped out the Lakers with Gasol trade.