The Los Angeles Kings finished their final preseason game in America on Monday, beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 at Honda Center.
It's a tough game to evaluate given the disparity in quality between the two teams, with the Kings featuring far more NHL-quality players than the Ducks, but there are still a few takeaways.
Pluses:
Darcy Kuemper:
He only faced 23 shots, but anytime a goalie gets a shutout it's a big plus for him and the team.
Kuemper had to work for this one too, the Kings gave up a few grade-A chances, particularly early in the game, he had to fight off and he did so well.
A lot of LA's success this season will rely on a bounce-back season from Kuemper and the early signs look pretty good.
Akil Thomas:
When Jim Hiller and his coaching staff decided to give Trevor Moore the night off, it was Akil Thomas who jumped onto Phil Danault and Tanner Jeannot's wing and he seized the opportunity.
Postgame, Hiller called it Thomas' best game of the preseason after what he considered a slow start.
I've been impressed with Thomas throughout but would agree this was his best game. He capped it off with a goal in front, showing good strength in front to capitalize on a great feed from Danault.
Thomas won't be taking that spot away from Moore anytime soon, but he did show an ability to play higher up the lineup, which could come in handy for Hiller down the road if there are injuries up front.
Minuses:
Samuel Fagemo:
As someone high on Samuel Fagemo getting a chance in the Kings' top nine this summer, I hate to give him a second minus this preseason, but he simply hasn't impressed.
He hasn't been bad, but he also hasn't been very good, and that's not enough when trying to earn an NHL roster spot.
All we've seen is a player who isn't particularly physical, who's just okay defensively and doesn't create a lot of chances for his linemates, all things we knew about Fagemo.
However, he also hasn't been putting pucks in the net, something his game relies on heavily. If Fagemo isn't scoring goals, he isn't helping the team much, and he hasn't been scoring goals.
It's harsh to judge him on such a small sample size, but that's life as a fringe NHLer. If you can't take advantage of the few chances you get, it's back to the AHL or the press box.