Episode 100: Olympic Chaos, Kings Injuries, Ducks RFAs & The Ultimate SoCal Super Team

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A hundred episodes in, we decided to swing for the fences. We start with a quick pulse check on Los Angeles—Artemi Panarin will wear 72—and the tough news that Kevin Fiala underwent season-ending surgery, then dig into what that means for the Kings’ playoff odds, power-play rotations, and cap flexibility. From there, we zoom out to contract strategy: why a Brandt Clarke long-term deal at a rising cap might age beautifully, and how the Ducks can lock in Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier without choking future space. Bridge deals for developing defense, bigger bets for cornerstone talent—this is where smart teams separate themselves.

Then comes the fun: we build a combined Ducks–Kings roster designed to take on Colorado. We draft top-six lines with Leo’s vision feeding Panarin’s edges and Kempe’s speed, a rugged second unit around McTavish and Byfield, and Kopitar stabilizing a crafty scoring line. On the back end, Dowdy’s structure pairs with Lacombe’s calm, Mintyukov’s push balances Clarke’s quarterbacking, and Mikey Anderson brings the quiet stops every contender needs. In net, it’s a true 1A/1B with Dostal and Kuemper, riding form while keeping legs fresh for a deep run.

Special teams can decide a series, so we map deliberate units: Byfield–Kempe and Anderson–Moore to kill entries, Kopitar–Paling to win the big draws, and two distinct power-play looks—Clarke up top on PP1 with Panarin and Kempe stretching seams, Leo distributing below the goal line; Lacombe on PP2 with Gauthier’s one-timer opposite Terry, and Fiala attacking the bumper slot. It’s all about handedness, retrievals, and pre-shot movement to lift shot quality, not just volume.

Threaded throughout, we track Olympic men’s hockey—surprises, blowouts, and standout goaltending—plus the ever-controversial interference calls under IIHF rules. We also test trade fits and risk: retention math for Dougie Hamilton, the utility of Ryan O’Reilly, and the high-variance upside of Elias Pettersson. The throughline is simple: blend skill with structure, protect the slot, and build a cap table that bends but doesn’t break.

If you enjoy smart roster talk, Olympic storylines, and a bold SoCal “superteam” experiment, hit follow, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and drop your ideal lines in the comments—who’s on your PP1 and why?

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