Appears L.A. Kings team to beat for Heatley; Alex Frolov, another & the fifth overall pick I’m hearing.

I guess that could depend on who this “Another” guy is...never heard of him..

Hmmm...Another...what is that, Slavic?

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/25/09 at 02:18 PM ET

God, the Kings are idiots.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 06/25/09 at 02:20 PM ET

I hope if he doesn’t come to the Rangers he does go to LA.  He kills us!!

Posted by roc on 06/25/09 at 02:20 PM ET

I like Frolov.  I don’t think that LA should move him.

Just a quick and dirty look at last years numbers:

Frolov (27 years old):  77 games, 32 goals, 27 assists, -6, 0.77 points per game

Heatley (28): 82 games, 39 goals, 33 assists, -11, 0.88 points per game

Not a huge difference in numbers (especially considering that I think Heatley usually played with Spezza and Alfredsson, who could probably make nearly anyone into a 30+ goal-scorer), given the HUGE difference in salary.

Besides, no one cares enough about Heatley to sponsor his page at hockey-reference.com, and Frolov is sponsored. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/25/09 at 03:01 PM ET

If this is a legit offer then Murray would be a moron not to take it, no matter who the other player is.

Posted by Garth on 06/25/09 at 03:06 PM ET

And Frolov actually knows what “defensive zone coverage” means, even if English is his second language.

Posted by bkblades on 06/25/09 at 03:12 PM ET

And Frolov actually knows what “defensive zone coverage” means, even if English is his second language.

He was minus player last season

Posted by Oilers Rock from Edmonton, Alberta on 06/25/09 at 03:20 PM ET

He was minus player last season

On a bottom-5 team.

On a bottom-5 team that had FOUR + players last season, two of them being players who appeared in less than 18 games.

And his +/- was still better than Heatley’s.

Posted by Garth on 06/25/09 at 03:27 PM ET

As a long time Kings fan, I would applaud that deal.  Frolov is a great player, but nowhere near a 50 goal scorer that Heatley is.  Keep in mind, Heatley is in his prime.  He is in need of a new system.

Frolov + 5th overall for Heatley is a great deal for L.A. for another huge reason = TICKET SALES.  The Kings have lacked that big name star for a decade.  Sure, Luc was alright when he came back and always a fan favorite.  But Heatley is a game breaker.

Heatley - Kopitar - D Brown is a helluva top line.

Posted by Frankie from L.A. on 06/25/09 at 03:57 PM ET

Thats ridiculous. The 5th overall pick will produce a great player a few years down the road, and Healtey is only a marginal improvement over Frolov.

Who knows though, this could just be another “Malkin to the Kings.”

Posted by Kstewy16 on 06/25/09 at 04:03 PM ET

As a long time Kings fan, I would applaud that deal.  Frolov is a great player, but nowhere near a 50 goal scorer that Heatley is.  Keep in mind, Heatley is in his prime.  He is in need of a new system.

Frolov + 5th overall for Heatley is a great deal for L.A. for another huge reason = TICKET SALES.  The Kings have lacked that big name star for a decade.  Sure, Luc was alright when he came back and always a fan favorite.  But Heatley is a game breaker.

Heatley - Kopitar - D Brown is a helluva top line.

Posted by Frankie from L.A. on 06/25/09 at 04:57 PM ET

What if Heatley only likes the new system for a year and a half, then he gets unhappy with it again and want sou?

And also, what if the other player is either Kopitar or Brown?  So much for the top line.

I just think this is too much money for not enough improvement.  The Kings were doing so well building from within - it would be such a shame to wreck it now.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/25/09 at 04:17 PM ET

All in all, it looks like a good deal if “another” is a prospect (and not a complete fabrication). LA had offensive problems this season and there are few better goalscoring options than Heatley. Depsite the rebuilding proces, it’s a risk worth taking IMO. Frolov is on his last contract year and due a raise, which could limit the salary disparity between the two, and Heatley is the better player. Giving away the 5th overall in a good draft year could be the costly bit from a LA perspective. Then again, there are no draft guarantees.

Regardless, I have a soft spot for LA and I hope they continue to improve.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 06/25/09 at 05:12 PM ET

People who say frolov is only a marginal improvement over heatley are out of their minds.  Heatley is a game breaker, sure LAST year heatley’s stats arent THAT much better then frolov, however, that was an off year for heatley.  IF you look at the 3 previous years you will see that he was a much better player.
Year Team League GP G A Pts +/- PIM SHOTS PCT
2007-08 Ottawa NHL 71 41 41 82 +33 76 224 18.30
2006-07 Ottawa NHL 82 50 55 105 +31 74 310 16.13
2005-06 Ottawa NHL 82 50 53 103 +29 86 300 16.67
with the exception of last year, his plus minus has been around plus 30, and from 2005-2007 he has been over a 100 pt player.  2007-2008 he still had over 80 points despite playing 11 less games then last year.
frolov on the other hand is nowhere near heatley.
2007-08 Los Angeles NHL 71 23 44 67 +1 22 160 14.38
2006-07 Los Angeles NHL 82 35 36 71 -8 34 195 17.95
2005-06 Los Angeles NHL 69 21 33 54 +17 40 174 12.07

Sure, the 5th rd pick may very well turn into a great player, however, there are no guarantees in the NHL.  Heatley is a Game breaker and one of the best finishers in the game. 

It all depends on what the “additional player” is.  Obviously, if it is either kopitar,brown,doughty,johnson, then the Kings are getting ripped off and lose this deal badly.  ANYONE else, and i do not see how the kings lose this deal.

Posted by Luongo-is-my-hero on 06/25/09 at 05:26 PM ET

Heatley will get fans excited in LA.  Goals put people in the seats.  I like Frolov as much as the next hockey fan and he’s a terrific character guy but I like this proposed deal...a lot.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 06/25/09 at 06:18 PM ET

As a long time Kings fan, I would applaud that deal.  Frolov is a great player, but nowhere near a 50 goal scorer that Heatley is.  Keep in mind, Heatley is in his prime.  He is in need of a new system.
-Frankie from L.A.

Heatley was a 50 goal scorer, not is.  Historically players that have repeat 50+ goal seasons don’t return to those career years unless injuries played a role in the point decline.

Heatley is still a better offensive player but I don’t think he’s worth Frolov+a top 5 draft pick, especially with his contract and historicy.  Heatley’s character is a bigger gamble than the 5th round pick and Frolov’s upside is bigger than the potential that Heatley returns to 06-07 form, especially if he isn’t going to have the same help he did on the Senators.

Posted by UMcastaway from Ann Arbor on 06/25/09 at 09:30 PM ET

Sure, the 5th rd pick may very well turn into a great player, however, there are no guarantees in the NHL.  Heatley is a Game breaker and one of the best finishers in the game.

It’s interesting that you dispell the #5 pick, but apparently Heatley returning to form is some sort of guarantee?

Posted by Garth on 06/25/09 at 09:33 PM ET