The NHL roster bubble is an interesting place.
When players on the bubble hit the ice during the preseason, they’re often doing so alongside the very players they’re competing with for spots on the NHL roster.
Jim Hiller hadn’t really thought about it that way but when he thought about it, it made a lot of sense.
“I hadn’t thought about it that way but I guess that is the truth,” he said. “I think one thing about a team in general is there’s internal competition everywhere. It’s a competition for one, who makes a team, two, who gets into the opening night lineup or three, does somebody make the penalty kill but you do have the other guys you’re competing with. Who gets on the first power play, who gets first penalty kill, second penalty kill…..so I think the competition is always there within a team and that’s healthy that you’re pushing each other, trying to get the best out of one another, but this is a more unique situation.”
Take Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius and Akil Thomas for example.
They’ve been a line in both practices and games and playing together, for the greater good. The three of them played together in Ontario and Bakersfield while Lee/Helenius were paired together in Vegas and Thomas/Helenius were together in Anaheim. That’s four games and in all four, at least two of those players were together on the same line.
In those situations, they’re a line, or two-thirds of a line, that is working together for the betterment of the Kings. In game situations, what is best for the team is typically what’s best for the individual as well. If one player were to go rogue, it’s not like that likely helps them to standout amongst the crowd. For those in that position, while they understand there is an internal competition, they’re all taking the approach of playing together first.
“Now that you say that, yeah, it’s kind of interesting, but as soon as the puck drops I think you’re just in team mode and I think we’ve all been helping each other out, playing the right way and just playing together,” Thomas said. “No one’s selfish or anything, we’re all playing together, but I guess it is a little interesting.”
There is certainly competition, which is only natural.
In a healthy way, as Hiller highlighted, that exists within any team and frankly it should. Players pushing for more is how you advance things. If Alex Turcotte was content with being the team’s fourth-line center then he wouldn’t be striving for more and pushing to improve. If Turcotte can bring a third-line center’s game to the fourth-line center role, it pushes the Top-9 and raises the level of the fourth line in the process.
It’s one thing, though, to have a healthy competition in that way. If it went the other way, though, it could hurt the team as a whole, though Lee does not believe there’s any of that in play here, believing that he, Thomas and Helenius played well together as a trio, where the line’s success only makes the three look better individually.
“Of course there’s competition, but I think we played well as three and everyone had that mindset, that they want to go in, they want to play as good as possible to try to grab a spot, but we’re going on the ice together,” Lee added. “We are pushing each other, but if we were to go out there and we’re competing against each other then I think it would just be bad for the chemistry of the line.”
This is not a unique concept to the Kings, nor is it new this season. But at this time of the year, it’s a hot topic, especially on a team that has a lot of guys already solidified in roster spots.
Looking specifically at the forwards, 11 spots are more or less locked in. Jeff Malott has stood out early in camp, playing in the first three exhibition games and impressing, with Hiller noting he “looks like an NHL player”. Not all that surprising, considering his comfort in fitting in late last season and into the playoffs, but he certainly didn’t come into camp with a spot locked down.
However, with Corey Perry injured and missing the start of the season, Malott is who has done well in an attempt to separate himself from the pack.
“Just a great opportunity,” Malott said. “That’s all you ask for, is an opportunity, so you just go out, whether it’s back-to-backs or 3-in-4’s whatever, you just do your best to make an impact, do your best to try and hit all the things that they’re looking for and have a good showing during training camp.”
Malott has skated with Turcotte and forward Joel Armia over the last few days on what could be the fourth line for the home opener on October 7. That’s no lock, considering the players competing around him, but Malott is likely the front runner at this stage in camp.
Lee, Thomas and Helenius are in that mix as well, both for spots in the lineup for Game 1 and for spots on the roster at the NHL level.
Helenius played in 50 games last season with the Kings after he made his NHL debut in November. He also skated in all six playoff games against the Oilers. Helenius is waiver-eligible this season and considering all of those factors, he feels likely to make the NHL roster. With his size at 6-6 and promising signs of adjustment to the NHL level, Helenius feels likely to be among the 13 or 14 forwards to make the team.
“I’ve played in all [four games], so that’s hard, but it’s been nice to get into all the games and build to be ready for the season.”
Helenius is the only forward in training camp who has featured in all four exhibition games to date. An opportunity for him?
“Exactly.”
