2017-18 Kings News/Rumors/Tidbits

[Raccoon Jesus]

The funny thing about the current situation with the roster is that Dean Lombardi ended up making the exact mistakes he talked about avoiding.

He was aware that he was going down the wrong path, and went ahead repeating the same mistakes. That's what also led to George McPhee being dismissed as GM in Washington.

He did spend a long time talking about how do you do this for 5-10 years rather than two--then apparently got desperate.

Blake is in kind of an unenviable position imo. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Team is in sort of the worst kind of limbo.

 

[deaderhead28]

31 Thoughts: Canadiens GM Bergevin ready to be active by trade deadline

 

[dman3474]

I wonder if Edmonton would be willing to trade one of Larsson/Klefbom both at about 4.167 mil. They are gong to have to pay Nurse this offseason and they have 9.5 mil between Sekera and Russel, both of whom no one should do them any favors and trade for. it would be pricey but would be a solid add, maybe something based around pearson and Ladue? get maroon back for a rental to fill a LW spot?

Other than that maybe they would be interested in trading Matt Benning? he's averaging 18+min per night and a righty, an RFA after this season

 

[KingsFan7824]

Stevens was passed over as a head coach for a reason by Lombardi.He didn't promote him over Terry Murray and many were shocked to see Blake make a bad decision and promote him to head coach over the summer.Stevens in Philly couldn't make it either.Stevens isn't the head coach type to get a team to the cup as a assist no doubt.Stevens getting a one year shot is due to him being around since the Terry Murray days and Sutter.He would know what works and doesn't.He also be on a short leash as well being part of the old staff.Blake really is no different.He has been around since 2014 didn't change the staff or improve the roster in a meaningful way to succeed.It actually makes logical sense to give both a chance or one or both are gone and Luc goes out and finds a new coach and or GM and starts this rebuild or a big retool.

I don't see how either one of those things makes sense. Who was shocked that Stevens was hired? Who is many? Teams had been calling about him when the Kings were winning, and they kept him. The least shocking thing they did was make Stevens the HC. Blake gets the job, when it's clear that they can't really do all that much quickly with their contract situation, but he gets 1 year to prove that he can do the job? Even if he sucks as a GM, what's the point of giving him just 1 year with his hands tied? The contracts aren't getting any better in the next few years for the next GM either.

 

[Sol]

There was more than enough people who thought the Stevens promotion at the time was a bad idea, I did too when they hired him. I remember a lot of kings fan sharing this sentiment because of one similar belief, if you're gonna clean house and push for a new style and team focus, keeping Stevens isn't the way you do it. If you get rid of the GM and Coach, you don't promote the assistant coach. You fire him too.

This was my belief before the season started and was hopeful Stevens would break Sutter's style. Just want to point this out so people don't say "omg u said that Stevens was doing great during the season and now you're backtracking!!!" no.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There was more than enough people who thought the Stevens promotion at the time was a bad idea, I did too when they hired him. I remember a lot of kings fan sharing this sentiment because of one similar belief, if you're gonna clean house and push for a new style and team focus, keeping Stevens isn't the way you do it. If you get rid of the GM and Coach, you don't promote the assistant coach. You fire him too.

This was my belief before the season started and was hopeful Stevens would break Sutter's style. Just want to point this out so people don't say "omg u said that Stevens was doing great during the season and now you're backtracking!!!" no.

You don't think they broke away from playing Sutter's style? Playing loose, getting out shot, scoring more goals, even without Carter, up until this last month. Toffoli is pure crap right now. Quick, outside of 1 game, has nothing lately. They're losing a lot now, but they're not playing Sutter hockey.

 

[KINGS17]

Stevens has been coaching exactly the way this group of players wanted him to coach.

Time for the players to take ownership. This is on them.

 

[KingsFan7824]

1. Vegas, 1.769
2. Boston, 1.667
3. Edmonton, 1.636
4. San Jose, 1.588
5. Nashville, 1.467
6. Tampa Bay, 1.462
7. Pittsburgh, 1.429
8. Philadelphia, 1.273
9. Washington, 1.267
10. Calgary, 1.214
11. Columbus, 1.200
12. Toronto, 1.182
13. St.Louis, 1.182
14. Florida, 1.182
15. Montreal, 1.176
16. Anaheim, 1.167
17. Colorado, 1.154
18. Winnipeg, 1.143
19. Carolina, 1.071
20. NY Rangers, 1.063
21. Minnesota, 1.000
22. NY Islanders, 1.000
23. New Jersey, .917
24. Ottawa, .867
25, Chicago, .857
26. Dallas, .824
27. Detroit, .824
28. Buffalo, .800
29. Los Angeles, .765
30. Vancouver, .733
31. Arizona, .538

That's the points per game for each team within their own division. Vancouver is 2-1 against the Kings, and the Coyotes only win against the Pacific is against the Kings. They somehow managed to beat Edmonton though.

 

[deaderhead28]

There was more than enough people who thought the Stevens promotion at the time was a bad idea, I did too when they hired him. I remember a lot of kings fan sharing this sentiment because of one similar belief, if you're gonna clean house and push for a new style and team focus, keeping Stevens isn't the way you do it. If you get rid of the GM and Coach, you don't promote the assistant coach. You fire him too.

This was my belief before the season started and was hopeful Stevens would break Sutter's style. Just want to point this out so people don't say "omg u said that Stevens was doing great during the season and now you're backtracking!!!" no.

I was as well.It was a bad move and MANY others were indeed shocked when the move was made.I was hoping for the best but knew it was going to be more of the same.

 

[ibleedkings]

The funny thing about the current situation with the roster is that Dean Lombardi ended up making the exact mistakes he talked about avoiding.

He was aware that he was going down the wrong path, and went ahead repeating the same mistakes. That's what also led to George McPhee being dismissed as GM in Washington.

When Dean said Pitt was the flavor of the week after winning back to back Cup’s, I knew he had lost it.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

When Dean said Pitt was the flavor of the week after winning back to back Cup’s, I knew he had lost it.

The comical thing about that comment is the fact that the Penguins won the Cup in back-to-back years, in different fashion as well.

It kind of goes to show how out of touch Lombardi has gotten and how obvious he was in not being objective and without bias in assessing where his team was (and still is).

 

[YP44]

There was more than enough people who thought the Stevens promotion at the time was a bad idea, I did too when they hired him. I remember a lot of kings fan sharing this sentiment because of one similar belief, if you're gonna clean house and push for a new style and team focus, keeping Stevens isn't the way you do it. If you get rid of the GM and Coach, you don't promote the assistant coach. You fire him too.

This was my belief before the season started and was hopeful Stevens would break Sutter's style. Just want to point this out so people don't say "omg u said that Stevens was doing great during the season and now you're backtracking!!!" no.

I wanted Gallant and based on Vegas...wow!

That said this skid is not on Stevens.....wonder if after the Olympics a Russian D who likes to be an asshole and party on Halloween creeps into the conversation.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Not to defend DL, but he's not wrong--Pittsburgh's not exactly a model people can chase.

 

[KINGS17]

When Dean said Pitt was the flavor of the week after winning back to back Cup’s, I knew he had lost it.

Different styles can be successful. There were plenty of teams emphasizing fast/quick play in 2012-2015 when the Kings were dominant.

The difference is the Kings were not complacent. They had the talent and type of personnel to execute their system to a tee. They let the puck do the work when it came to being fast by supporting the puck and using short quick passes other teams could not keep up with. They destroyed other teams defensemen with an aggressive forecheck.

In my opinion Dean failed to recognize when the ride was over and it was time to move on from some of the players.

 

[YP44]

Not to defend DL, but he's not wrong--Pittsburgh's not exactly a model people can chase.

Brian Burke always says something to the tune of, "what model? They won a lottery for a generational player". Buffalo tried to follow that model with McDavid and how is that working for them?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Not to defend DL, but he's not wrong--Pittsburgh's not exactly a model people can chase.

Can't you make the same suggestion about the Kings? If anything, like look more like the flavor of the month considering what's gone on with the team since they last won a playoff round.

 

[Little Psycho]

Stevens has been coaching exactly the way this group of players wanted him to coach.

Time for the players to take ownership. This is on them.

The only thing I question about Stevens is his distribution of ice time and his love affair for AA. It's all on the players this time, there's no more coach to blame and hell they even got a coach for offense this season, which doesn't do any harm.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Can't you make the same suggestion about the Kings? If anything, like look more like the flavor of the month considering what's gone on with the team since they last won a playoff round.

Not at all, they had extended success with a certain style for a number of years, acquiring players in support of that mission. The Pens went into the playoffs with huge deficiencies and won in spite of them. Unless you're saying the model is 'draft not one but two generational superstars and use them to outscore your problems.' It's not a model to build after, unless you're generically calling is 'speed,' which isn't really descriptive. The closest anyone comes to them skillwise is TB but even they play a different style of game.

I get that there's some irony in a GM on his deathbed calling the Cup winner a flavor of the month though, that's not lost on me. But I get what he's saying, teams like to play copycat, and there's no real copying Pittsburgh outside of winning the draft lottery at opportune times.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Some of you make it sound like the sole reason the Pens won the Cup was because of Crosby (who they got via lottery) and Malkin (who went 2nd overall in 2004).

Couldn't you suggest the same of the Kings lucking out in 2005 by landing the 11th pick that happened to be Kopitar, and tanking to get the chance to draft Doughty in 2008?

The Penguins also got lots of help from other sources, and they absolutely went on a tear after a coaching chance in 2016. They also gutted out to win the Cup in 2017.

I don't get how you don't see the parallels between what the Kings and Pens went through en route to their Cup wins.

The Kings had sustained success? It was two Cups in three years. The Pens won back-to-back, something that hasn't been achieved since Detroit did it in 1996 and 1997.

It is lost on me how one can praise the Kings for "sustained success" then knock the Penguins and attribute their wins to just "two generational superstars."

The Kings aren't necessarily a model to build after either if you are going to fizzle out in four consecutive years following your last successful run. That's kind of like being the flavor of the month, isn't it?

 

[KINGS17]

I think if you want to follow a model, look to the New England Patriots. They are a team which is constantly re-inventing their roster. Sure they have Brady and they may suffer a steep decline when he finally retires, but how many running backs, wide receivers, and defensive players have they cycled through in the last 10 years.

Dean Lombardi got complacent in the quest to constantly improve the roster. He handed out longer term contracts to players who had no business receiving them, and now the Kings are paying the price. Remember Dean's mantra was "Get younger, get better." He failed to follow his own advice.

In the Pens vs Kings debate. It's very difficult to duplicate what Pittsburgh has done. They were fortunate to draft two superstar, generational talents, and have them play at their peak for an extended period of time. I haven't seen any other team do it. Crosby and Malkin are the centerpieces for them.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Some of you make it sound like the sole reason the Pens won the Cup was because of Crosby (who they got via lottery) and Malkin (who went 2nd overall in 2004).

Couldn't you suggest the same of the Kings lucking out in 2005 by landing the 11th pick that happened to be Kopitar, and tanking to get the chance to draft Doughty in 2008?

The Penguins also got lots of help from other sources, and they absolutely went on a tear after a coaching chance in 2016. They also gutted out to win the Cup in 2017.

I don't get how you don't see the parallels between what the Kings and Pens went through en route to their Cup wins.

The Kings had sustained success? It was two Cups in three years. The Pens won back-to-back, something that hasn't been achieved since Detroit did it in 1996 and 1997.

It is lost on me how one can praise the Kings for "sustained success" then knock the Penguins and attribute their wins to just "two generational superstars."

The Kings aren't necessarily a model to build after either if you are going to fizzle out in

four consecutive years following your last successful run. That's kind of like being the flavor of the month, isn't it?

Let me rephrase: the Kings made very clear what type of team they were and drafted and traded for players to achieve that mission for about 5 years, including a little before and after.

Can you tell me what the Pens were doing and, if it was so effective, why they've struggled before and after (just like the Kings)? I certainly see parallels in Cup pursuit, I definitely saw it in the Pens last run, though that a lot the whole way in. I'm talking about team construction here, as you were mocking DL's comment.

Also don't start with the strawmen again, I never said the Kings were the model to build on, I actually said pretty much the opposite. How do you model your team after the Pens?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The Pens did exactly what the Kings did once before... they built from within. They brought in reinforcements from their system, and made some shrewd deals that paid off.

Exactly what Lombardi did leading up to 2012 and 2014.

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

Comes with an automatic 1 game suspension after the break if he's not injured and pulls out, right? Means he'll miss the Dallas game next Tuesday. Or maybe he's been playing through an injury all this time. I guess it's possible the Kings make up something to get him out of that suspension too.

 

[Martyros]

Goaltenders are more at risk for injuries during all star games anyway. I believe it was Jonas hiller who got hit in the head and ended up with a concussion.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There's no model. Outside of getting good players at what are normally considered the most important positions, there's no model. The Kings won with 6 defensemen playing all 20 games of a playoff run. The Penguins won with whatever they found on the street corner last year.

No two teams are exactly alike. Chicago and Pittsburgh won with Kane, Toews, and Malkin on their ELC's. The Kings didn't win until after both Kopitar and Doughty were on their second contracts. The Hawks and Pens have 3 Cups to the Kings 2. What's the difference? That early Cup win. Helps that Malkin and Crosby, and Toews and Kane were picked in back to back years. The Hawks even lucked into Kane by winning the lottery. Kopitar and Doughty had 3 years between them being selected.