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The Frolov Benching
by PuckStopsHere on 10/22/09 at 11:36 AM ET
Comments (6)
The Los Angeles Kings are off to a pretty good start. They have a 5-4 record through nine games. They created some controversy when coach Terry Murray did not dress Alexander Frolov for their last game, which was Monday versus the Dallas Stars. Frolov is one of the more talented players on the Kings. Last season his 59 points placed him second in team scoring (behind Anze Kopitar). This season he has five points in his eight games played so far.
The problem with Frolov is he has a style that appears as though he isn’t trying. When everything works he looks very slick. He is in the right place to exploit offensive openings and lead the Kings attack. When things don’t work he doesn’t find those openings and often is invisible. It is a style of play issue that makes him appear to be not trying. The language and culture barrier with Frolov since he is Russian is also an issue. He is not as easy for a Canadian coach like Terry Murray to understand and to motivate, since they have very different backgrounds. As a result, Murray is unhappy with Frolov when there isn’t a strong case for problems.
Alexander Frolov is one of the better scorers on the Kings. He is an adequate defensive forward. Frolov will never contend for a Selke Trophy, but he is far from the worst defensive player on any team. In short, Frolov is one of the better players on the Los Angeles Kings. There is no need to single him out for discipline.
There is no need to potentially create a controversy by alienating one of the better players on the Kings, when all is going well. There is potential that an unhappy Frolov could have negative effects on the team.
Alexander Frolov is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Likely this benching ensure that he will not be back with the Los Angeles Kings next season. Very possibly, it will lead to a Frolov trade at some point this year.
The Los Angeles Kings have produced a pretty good group of young forwards who are hitting their primes in the NHL right now, but they have not gathered a sufficient payoff for it. Mike Cammalleri has moved on to Calgary and Montreal. Patrick O’Sullivan is playing with the Edmonton Oilers. Alexander Frolov seems to be heading out of town soon. Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown remain. The Kings would be in better shape if they had managed to secure those five as the core of their offence, but they are letting them slip away instead. Los Angeles is a huge glamorous city. It could become one of the desired locations for free agents in the NHL, but the Kings have not been able to do so. There seems to be a lack of a coherent plan to see that this happens.
The Los Angeles Kings have needlessly singled out Alexander Frolov with his healthy scratch. There is little reason for such a move and little to gain from it. Likely, it will lead to Frolov leaving L.A. by free agency (if not sooner through trade). The Kings are not better off for this move. It was unnecessary as the season is off to a good start in Los Angeles and Frolov had been playing pretty well.
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Tags: Alexander+Frolov, Los+Angeles+Kings,
Comments
Apparently he might be going to montreal for the kostitsyn brothers
Posted by jay on 10/22/09 at 02:09 PM ET
What you failed to mention in your article is the last 3 coaches and gm’s for the kings have all had the SAME issue with fro. Some nights he just doesn’t show up and he really doesn’t care. Perhaps instead of laying blame on the current coach, you should research how many times fro has had this same issue in the past. It can’t just be an inability to “communicate” with him like there is a language barrier. At some point in time the responsibility falls exclusively on the player, the one who is getting paid millions and refuses or just can’t do his job on a consistent basis. I dont know about your jobs but if i slacked off as much as fro does and i was getting his pay im sure i would NOT have kept my job for 7 years.
Posted by fansinceday1 from tennessee on 10/22/09 at 02:45 PM ET
The language and culture barrier with Frolov since he is Russian is also an issue.
Sorry, we can’t give Frolov that. The ‘language isn’t/hasn’t been a barrier for Russian players who want to be here and give 100% every night; Ie Ovechkin, Malkin, Fedorov, Kovolchuk, etc.
Posted by Faux Rumors from Globally- Here, there, Everywhere on 10/22/09 at 03:12 PM ET
fansinceday1:
Last year, Frolov was the second highest scorer on the Kings. That isn’t a problem. The Kings need more players with his talents - they don’t need to alienate the ones that they have, I don’t see how you can argue that the current coach had a problem with Frolov as recently as last year and I don’t see what has changed since.
Faux Rumors:
Some of thep layers you mention have been benched and called out for a an apparant lack of effort. Ilya Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch as recently as 2008. Sergei Fedorov in his Anaheim days was frequently in that situation. Ovechkin and Malkin have escaped so far as hey are the top top scorers in the league last year, but the moment their scoring starts to drop they will become enigmas who don’t care in some eyes.
A list of enigmatic Russians who were singled out by coaches in similar ways is a who’s who of Russians in the NHL. The list includes Fedorov, Kovalchuk, Pavel Bure, Valeri Bure, Alexander Mogilny, Alexei Kovalev, Alexei Yashin, Alexander Semin etc. It is a form of subtle racism. The Russian player is hard to communicate with, he has a different background and does not respond the same way the “more normal” North Americans do. This doesn’t get them into the good books with some coaches. These coaches will single them out (for example with a healthy scratch) when there is no definable problem. Of course this chases them to another team or back to Russia. Why should the player hang around when the coach unfairly singles him out? The only reason is money and it is increasingly becoming a smaller difference in money for the biggest Russian stars.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 10/22/09 at 06:07 PM ET
in the 7 years fro has been a king there have been issues as to whether he is bringing his “A” game each and every night. One game he looks terrific, the next 2 he looks like he is taking a day at the beach. Its called intensity and desire and when Fro exhibits both he is a very good hockey player. When he is at the beach he looks, acts and plays uninterested and uninspired. This doesnt bode well for a team of young players, a team in the rebuilding process, a team well on their way to being a playoff team. He needs to hurt when he makes mistakes, needs to man up to them and he needs to come the next night and try to be better. Fro has not done this on a consistent basis. He is a frustrating player to say the least. So much talent yet an inability to maintain any type of game after game consistency. Ask Andy Murray, ask Dave Taylor, ask Dean Lombardi or ask Marc Crawford. I dont care if your Russian and cant speak a word of English (which is not the problem here) if you cant at least ACT like you care then I dont want you on my team. One of the reasons we didnt take Heatley, not a team guy and I as a long term Kings fan dont want to hire (or rehire) or play with a player who acts as tho he doesn’t give a crap. or in heatleys case a player who thinks because he is so damn good he can tell team management what he will and wont do. We certainly dont need a cancer like him on our team.
Posted by fsd1 from TN on 10/23/09 at 12:50 PM ET
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“As a result, Murray is unhappy with Frolov when there isn’t a strong case for problems.”
Someone should get coach on the horn and tell him what’s really going on with Frolov. Might I recommend TPSH as he happens to be an elite assessor of talents.
Posted by some kid from brooklyn on 10/22/09 at 12:28 PM ET