Come Back Matty

The Kings are pretty boned on defense, and the only other real option on defense just got signed by the Ottawa Senators. The Kings can still trade for Mathieu Schneider (for Lauri Tukonen, make it happen!) or someone from Toronto because they have their defender of the future in Jeff Fing-hahaha, sorry, couldn't quite get that one out with a straight face. Anyway, the Kings' defense as it stands right now will have Matt Greene on the top unit and Tom Preissing as the 3rd best defenseman. That sucks. The Kings need leadership too; the only guy who wore a letter last year that is still on the team is Derek Armstrong and he's more Tom Sizemore than he is Tom Hanks. There's only one man I know that could fill both voids. He's a man who saved us once before when Rob Blake betrayed us, a man of conviction and morals that would never betray us. The Kings need to sign Mattias Norstrom.

Now, I know what you're saying: "Norstrom was the 6th best defenseman on the Stars," "He's not very good," "He's retired." I don't care. The Kings need Matty Norstrom. I need Matty Norstrom. We're lost without him. Right now, the Kings are Bridget Jones and Rob Blake is Daniel Cleaver; Matty Norstrom is our Mark Darcy. He's not flashy or the one you'll notice out on the ice, but he's steady and he's a good person and he's fits us perfectly. We need him.

Matty, I know you want nothing more than to go back to Sweden and become a carpenter (a fact that inspires awe in me), but the Kings need you now. You've always been there for us; be there one more time. Money isn't an issue, just take Blake's deal. Just one more year, for us. If you do this, I swear to you I will lobby to have your number retired until the day I die.

Please.

The Tough Swede

Three stories to commemorate Mattias Norstrom's retirement (warning: link in Swedish):

-My favorite Matty Norstrom story occurred when he went down to block a shot on a penalty kill and took it directly in the knee. He got up slowly, using his stick to support his body, and began to head to the bench in obvious pain. The puck didn't clear the zone, however, and the other team still had possession. Norstrom stopped and went back to his position, limping all the way. He was out there for another 30 seconds until he finally got a hold of the puck and iced it, then finally headed to the bench. That was tough.

-My second favorite Matty Norstrom story occurred when he took a puck to the mouth, again on a penalty kill. He collapsed and the whistle was blown to stop the play. The trainer headed out onto the ice but Matty suddenly jumped up, blood pouring from his mouth. He threw his stick into the boards, not because he was in pain but seemingly because he was annoyed that he had to leave the game for a few moments. He brushed past the trainer and went straight to the locker room. That was tough.

-The story that best exemplifies Norstrom happened after their bewildering 11-game losing streak at the end of the 2003-04 season. (I don't want to talk about it.) Norstrom didn't live in LA; he went home to Sweden at the end of every season and it was clear that he truly loved it there. Still, he stayed behind that off-season to work with the Kings, to make sure they didn't collapse like that again. A reporter asked Norstrom what he had been planning to do that off-season and Norstrom replied that he was going to build a deck at his home.

These stories are why I love Matty Norstrom. He's a guy that blocks shots, leads teams and builds decks. He's a guy that gave his captaincy to Luc Robitaille during his last home game. He's a guy that offered his captaincy to Rob Blake when he rejoined the team because he thought it was right. He's a guy that would retire at the age of 36 because he knew that his best days were behind him and it was time to start his second life. He was tough but never dirty and in a weird way you would almost describe his play as "honorable." On a rational level, I was glad the Kings traded Matty to the Dallas Stars because he had a big contract and we got a 1st-round pick out of it; still, there is no denying that he will always be one of my favorite players. Here's hoping you finally get a chance to build that deck, Matty.

Tidbits

Ott will probably be back, but is this the end of the road for "Stuuuuuu"?

• Good stuff from Spector at The Hockey News regarding the off-season for the Dallas Stars. There are a lot of supporting cast players who might be wearing different jerseys next year. The most important re-signs are Trevor Daley and Steve Ott, two glue guys who won't nab any headlines but are important elements of the Stars.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the end of the line for the lovable Stu Barnes. He missed half of the second round and all of the Red Wings series with concussion-like symptoms and must be wondering if he really wants to put his undersized body through any more abuse.

Mattias Norstrom would be worth re-signing, but it would have to be at the right price.

• The Stars wisely signed Dave Tippett to a three-year contract extension. Tippett's success extends beyond a great playoff run this year, because he kept the Stars right around the top of the Pacific Division even as juggernauts developed in Anaheim and San Jose. Considering that the Stars are long on grit but just about average on scoring talent, his success is indeed impressive.

I would compare him to the NFL's Jeff Fisher for stability and competence, but Tippett stabbed us all in the front by shaving his mustache.

• One player to watch in the SCF is the Pens' big American power forward Ryan Malone. He's got the size, wheels, grit and finishing ability to fit in well in the Western Conference. I could see him fitting in well with Joe Thornton or on a Kings team that could use a little snarl and size to go along with its promising (but small) young talent. Hell, even the Stars could use him.

Still, his probable $4-5 million per year salary would give me a pause. He's not the most reliable player. One word that often comes up with Malone is "inconsistent." Still, on a team where he's a complimentary part of a big line, he can certainly open up some space and do a little bit of everything.

Plus he's funny.

Kings Gameday: The Return of Mattias Norstrom

Los Angeles Kings (25-34-14, 13th in West) vs. Dallas Stars (43-24-5, 7th in West)

7:30 PST, FSN West

The Kings have had a little bit of a break after their whirlwind tour last week (where they played 5 games in 8 days). They were relatively successful, too, going 3-0-2. A lot of credit has been given to the younger guys (and deservedly so), but I think a big part of the Kings’ improved play recently has been the fact that our older guys have stepped up a little bit. I’ve liked the way Brian Willsie has been playing (who knew he could shoot?), while Scott Thornton and Jamie Lundmark have actually given the Kings a little scoring from their third line. Maybe Dean Lombardi was right after all and these guys can be legitimate hockey players.

In other news, it’s going to be interesting to watch in the next couple weeks as both Brian Boyle and Jack Johnson should be winding down their college hockey careers. Boyle’s team, Boston College, kicks off against St. Lawrence on the 24th and then will probably play New Hampshire on the 25th. If BC loses either one of those games, look for Boyle to sign with the Kings and possibly play with Manchester. Boyle is intriguing because he’s a 6’7” center, but there’s been talk of possibly making him a defenseman. He might not sign this season if the Kings decide they don’t want to mess up the chemistry in Manchester as they head towards the playoffs, but I’m really excited about this guy come training camp next season. He's definitely a project, but he could end up being one of the Kings' best players when it's all said and done. I mean, he's huge!

Brian Boyle Jack Johnson (left)

Jack Johnson and Michigan play North Dakota and then probably Minnesota on their side of the bracket, so it’s likely that they’ll lose by the 25th and then he’ll either join the team on the road or they may have him wait and open with the team at home on April 1st. I’m not as excited about this guy as other Kings fans are (meaning that I don’t get weak-kneed every time his name is mentioned), but he sounds like a guy who can be an anchor on the blue line for a couple years to come. With him, Blake, and Brown, the Kings should be a team to be feared come next season. The Kings may not want to sign him for all sorts of weird CBA issues, but I think they might just because of the publicity.

The Kings get a blast from the recent past tonight when they play the Dallas Stars. Mattias Norstrom is expected to play tonight for the first time against his old team. (The Kings played the Stars once before after the trade, but Norstrom was recovering from an injury.)

At first, I was glad that the Kings traded Norstrom; from a salary cap perspective, it was a good move, and I always thought Norstrom had gone from being underrated earlier in his career to overrated now. Still, I love that guy. If there was one player in the NHL who could be transported back to the 10th century and totally fit in, it would be Norstrom. This is a guy who once spent his off-season building a deck back at his home in Sweden. (Meanwhile, I can’t even make toast without losing my eyebrows.) For some reason, I find that endearing. On the ice, I liked Norstrom because he was not a dirty player at all but was unafraid to give a guy the business if he did something dickish.

I’m not going to be able to see the game tonight. Ordinarily I'd be pissed, but this is the first time I can remember where I don’t really want to watch a game because I don’t think I could handle seeing Norstrom wearing a Stars jersey. I mean, the Stars? I guess that makes them my favorite Pacific division team besides the Kings, but I’m not happy about it.

Oh, and I also heard that there's going to be a guy in a Guinness shirt at the game who threatened to kill Anze Kopitar, so any Kings fan who sees him should attack.