How much the Los Angeles Kings decide to use Slava Voynov this season is a delicate balancing act for most NHL teams: A young player can build confidence at the NHL level but there is a danger in bringing along a player too quickly.

If you’re wondering why no one has asked Slava Voynov if he’s ready to be an NHL regular, it’s because doing so won’t get much of a response.

Voynov’s English is quite limited. The 21-year-old Russian mostly has been seen in the corner of the Kings’ locker room next to Alec Martinez at the team’s practice facility.

Martinez was partnered with Voynov in Manchester of the AHL, but don’t ask him to translate in Voynov’s Russian tongue.

“I know (one phrase),” said Martinez, “which means ‘D to D.’ ”

Voynov wasn’t exactly a media darling, but his play spoke loudly during his five-game stint with the Kings in place of Drew Doughty.

Voynov, 21, didn’t look out of place in the second pairing with Willie Mitchell and showed his offensive flair with two goals in last Thursday’s 5-3 victory against Dallas. He scored on the power play in the second period and then scored the go-ahead goal in the third on a one-timer from above the right circle.

Voynov was promptly sent down upon Doughty’s return, but he appears to be a prime candidate for the Manchester-to-Los Angeles shuttle this season.

“I think what he’s got to know, from the coaches, is that he’s an NHL player,” Kings coach Terry Murray told Rich Hammond of lakingsinsider.com.

“He’s showing the intensity, the readiness every shift. He has come to the practices with the NHL attitude of learning something every day. He’s now, to me, based on what I’ve seen … he’s an NHL player.”

How much the Kings decide to use Voynov this season is a delicate balancing act for most NHL teams: A young player can build confidence at the NHL level, but there is a danger in bringing along a player too quickly.

That also is the predicament facing the Anaheim Ducks and Devante Smith-Pelly, who has made a case to stay up with the club even though he has junior eligibility remaining.

A second-round draft pick in 2010, Smith-Pelly, 19, has filled a third- and fourth-line wing role because of his checking and penalty-killing abilities.

Would Smith-Pelly benefit more playing a fourth season with his junior team, the Mississauga-St. Michael's Majors?

One could argue no, but if Anaheim keeps Smith-Pelly longer than nine games  – Tuesday would be his 10^th – then the first year of his entry-level contact would trigger, and the 40-game mark starts his free agency clock.

The club cannot send Smith-Pelly to the AHL because he is under 20.

It’s the same predicament the club had last season with defenseman Cam Fowler, who ended up playing the whole season. Fowler wound appeaing in 76 games, scoring 10 goals and collecting 40 points.

But Anaheim general manager Bob Murray has erred on caution, too, when he sent defenseman Luca Sbisa back to juniors when the Ducks struggled and he was asked to do too much at the start of the 2009-10 season.

Sbisa was sent down to the AHL early the following season because he was still trying to find his game, before he stuck with the big club the rest of the way.

Murray indicated that he’s not concerned about burning a year on Smith-Pelly’s contract.

“So far he’s doing fine,” Murray told the Orange County Register. “He hasn’t regressed at all. He continues to not look out of place out there. Yeah, there’s a 10-game decision. But to me the 40-game thing such as what happened with Luca Sbisa is as important a decision.”

Notes

The impending ownership of the Dallas Stars by Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi is the best news to hit the club in a while. The team’s sagging attendance can be tied to lenders who have expressed little interest in improving the club. Dallas has reportedly lost $90 million over the past three years and through six home dates the Stars are averaging a league-worst 9,671 fans per game. Though three of those dates coincided with Texas Ranger playoff games, should that figure continue it would be the worst average attendance since the 1999-00 Islanders averaged 9,748 fans. … Perhaps no San Jose player has benefitted from Martin Havlat more than Joe Pavelski, who has 11 points through nine games with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau on the top line. … The agent for Kyle Turris reportedly confirmed that Turris wants to be traded but Phoenix general manager Don Maloney won’t move Turris, the third pick in the 2003 draft who had 11 goals and 25 points in 65 games last season. If Turris isn’t signed by Dec. 1, he can’t play this season, according to the collective bargaining agreement. … Even if Simon Gagne’s “middle body” injury isn’t serious, it’s not a good sign for the Kings, who badly need Gagne to stay healthy this season. …  Weird stat of the week: Phoenix captain Shane Doan joined Scott Mellanby as the only NHL players to reach 300 goals without scoring a hat trick. Doan did so during last Tuesday's shootout loss to the Stars.

Photo by Getty Images

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