2017-18 Kings News/Rumors/Tidbits

[Herby]

Kings probably came out of the Richards fiasco as clean as possible.

Had they CBO’ed him in 2014 then Dean probably just uses that money to pay Lucic and we are in the same miserable spot.

I don’t think Dean was thinking clearly between 2014-2017.

 

[johnjm22]

Dean also tried really hard to give a big long contract to Brad Richards. Even at the time it was obviously a terrible move, but he tried to do it anyways.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

We were linked to "X big UFA" basically every year he was here even going back to Chara, Kovalchuk, etc. Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't (get to, in some cases) make and that's true of every GM.

 

[KINGS17]

I am still quite sure Dean sabotaged the Kovalchuk negotiations.

I don't think the Kings had much of a chance, but his interview with Kovalchuk sealed it.

 

[johnjm22]

We were linked to "X big UFA" basically every year he was here even going back to Chara, Kovalchuk, etc. Sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't (get to, in some cases) make and that's true of every GM.

Right, but with regards to Brad Richards Dean went all on. A lot of the other stuff linking the Kings to big name UFA's was rumors (with some exceptions).

As I recall the front office even had Gretzky and Kobe Bryant make videos trying to get Richards to sign with L.A.

The fact that he wanted Richards so bad made me question his judgement at the time. A 31 year old with a concussion history looking to cash out. No thanks.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I am still quite sure Dean sabotaged the Kovalchuk negotiations.

I don't think the Kings had much of a chance, but his interview with Kovalchuk sealed it.

Maybe, I only vaguely remember that saga now. I just remember the narrative for years being "DL strikes out on everyone" and that being a criticism but now it's flip-flopping to "man, can you believe Dean tried to sign that guy?"

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Right, but with regards to Brad Richards Dean went all on. A lot of the other stuff linking the Kings to big name UFA's was rumors (with some exceptions).

As I recall the front office even had Gretzky and Kobe Bryant make videos trying to get Richards to sign with L.A.

The fact that he wanted Richards so bad made me question his judgement at the time. A 31 year old with a concussion history looking to cash out. No thanks.

I do remember that, they were 'impressed with the presentation' or something

 

[johnjm22]

Dean never offered Kovalchuk a contract that could compete with what the Devils offered.

Reports were that the Kings offered 5.25M/year and later 6.5M/year.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Man, how low does that sound now

 

[BigKing]

Every GM has deals that fell through that worked out in their favor in the long run. Luck definitely plays a role in these things and you can look at DL's tenure through that lens on both sides of the luck coin: Not getting Brad Richards and Cryin' Ryan forcing a trade are key components to what happened in 2012 whereas Voynov and 2015/Sekera trade and him getting hurt fall on the bad luck side of things.

In hindsight, he should have pulled back after 2015 but he instead went all-in with the Lucic deal. It was short-sighted but they still thought they had a real contender. One year removed from a 2nd Cup in three years...it seems like ages ago today but, at the time of that trade, it had just happened and missing the playoffs was considered a fluke at 95 points. He knew he couldn't sign Lucic unless they won the Cup--or came very close to it--as he wasn't going to take a giant discount for anything less. He loved it here but getting bounced so easily isn't going to make you take millions and millions of dollars less. Hell, it still would have been hard to do even if they won the Cup but that was the low-odds bet that Lombardi made.

He said he didn't know what to do once he had won and, look, there aren't many dynasties in sports. It is hard to stay on top as money and complacency set in. They could pretty much do a VH1 "Behind the Music" on the Kings as they kind of have the same arc of a band right down to the drugs and domestic violence arrests.

Anyways, he definitely deserves criticism and I'm all for it. I haven't shied away from doing so as the record speaks for itself; however, I can't support the "new girlfriend syndrome" that is going on with the Blake praise like "He's got it back on track" when there is no track record yet to support this. He might have it back on track but it's like penciling Pavel Rosa in as a Top 6 winger and projecting a #1 defense pair of Hickey/Teubert before it ever happened. So when there are shots taken at Lombardi like "He'd trade Kempe right now" that really have no basis to them and then I read that Blake's got this under control, all I can do is shake my head.

 

[Sol]

Happy for the cups , but scorned by his stubbornness for change.

He shafted the team with his archetype in drafting never changing, didn't want to adjust to the speed game, desperation trades, throwing away draft picks for UFAs.

He was good for a while, but he was certainly lost and stubborn.

Sutter and Lombardi were too set in their ways to win again .

 

[KingsFan7824]

Happy for the cups , but scorned by his stubbornness for change.

He shafted the team with his archetype in drafting never changing, didn't want to adjust to the speed game, desperation trades, throwing away draft picks for UFAs.

He was good for a while, but he was certainly lost and stubborn.

Sutter and Lombardi were too set in their ways to win again .

List the teams that have won a Cup, let alone 2 in 3 years, and just kept winning more. In modern times. Post-dynasty era. The Wings, who defied all odds. Then possibly the current Pens, with their generational talent.

Lombardi and Sutter may have been stubborn, but you're also asking a lot. Should it be 3 out of 4 years with crap non-playoff hockey? No, but anything short of a Cup these last 4 years would've been failing anyway. Anything less than a conference final every year would've meant a step back.

 

[That70sline]

For me, Lombardi is my hero and the best General manager the kings have ever had. Why? because he brought us 2 cups. That's it, that's all.

No Lombardi, No cups.

Any bad or good moves made by a GM is only decided by winning and losing. Only 1 team out of 30 , 31 teams win.

No one remembers or cares about 'coming close, or good trades, or horrible signings, etc' We will just remember that the kings won a cup in 2012 and a cup in 2014.

Dean Lombardi, the Architect.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Random but I have just learned that Erik Ersberg retired a couple years ago.

 

[King'sPawn]

I'm not saying Blake has the team back on track. I actually have said the opposite and admitted this should be a black hole year. They're not on a track yet.

 

[deaderhead28]

Blake fills the two holes on this team and they can compete in the playoffs.

 

[BigKing]

Blake fills the two holes on this team and they can compete in the playoffs.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

If he acquires a Top 4 defenseman and a scoring winger, the assets forfeited will lead to Blake being accused of "Doing a Lombardi". Actually, that will happen if only acquires one or the other.

It also ignores the fact that the Kings can't add something like that without subtracting from the current roster and opening another hole, unless you feel they should start trading away 1st round picks.

Jeff Carter is the big acquisition this year. Maybe LaDue steps in as a regular and helps shore up the back end a bit. If Blake does anything, I think it would be a vet Bottom 6 guy like a Mitchell/Jokinen type move, albeit a higher-level player than those two.

 

[AlphaBravo]

Lombardi actually put the wheels in motion to get this team back on track last year by signing plugs to fill spots, not signing long term UFA contracts, and keeping our draft picks. Lombardi knew we were not competitive and did the right thing. Blake and his team then drafted well, and did a good job with college free agent signings. Blake's big test will be at the deadline. Will he make a massive over payment for a rental because Blake and Luc think this team is a Stanley Cup contender, do nothing, or pull off a hockey trade that addresses a position of weakness (which doesn't happen often at the deadline)? If Drew Doughty's contract was not coming up, I would prefer that he do nothing at the deadline. But making the playoffs and winning a round are a must for Doughty to stick around. This might tempt Blake to make a risky move.

 

[Reaper45]

Crazy idea and not one you'd be able to guarantee but what if Blake traded Doughty and filled holes x, y and z and then signed Karlsson?

 

[tsanuri]

Crazy idea and not one you'd be able to guarantee but what if Blake traded Doughty and filled holes x, y and z and then signed Karlsson?

And what type of hole would that leave? Since you can't just trade him and have the other on the team.

 

[BigKing]

Lombardi actually put the wheels in motion to get this team back on track last year by signing plugs to fill spots, not signing long term UFA contracts, and keeping our draft picks. Lombardi knew we were not competitive and did the right thing. Blake and his team then drafted well, and did a good job with college free agent signings. Blake's big test will be at the deadline. Will he make a massive over payment for a rental because Blake and Luc think this team is a Stanley Cup contender, do nothing, or pull off a hockey trade that addresses a position of weakness (which doesn't happen often at the deadline)? If Drew Doughty's contract was not coming up, I would prefer that he do nothing at the deadline. But making the playoffs and winning a round are a must for Doughty to stick around. This might tempt Blake to make a risky move.

My thoughts exactly regarding DL. The Cernak trade doesn't make me think he believed in this team last season; however, he felt it gave them a better chance to make the playoffs in the event Quick was re-injured. He did not move Kempe, LaDue or upcoming draft picks while also jettisoning a Sutter favorite in King for a future pick. Blake is basically doing what Lombardi would have done: keep the 2017 draft picks, look to sign low-key UFAs and not make any short-sighted moves. Would DL have been successful in signing Iafallo? Can't say so credit to Blake for closing the deal and for Folin/Keumper even if they were already targeted by DL's staff which is now Blake's. The real test for Blake is what he decides to do at the deadline and then this upcoming off-season. Most everything so far has been little tinker moves or stepping in to things that were already underway.

As for Lombardi, he's a guy that didn't think his job was on the line last season, in my opinion. There is the theory that he wouldn't fire Sutter so he went down with him, but I still think the main reason for him going was a Robitaille power play to get the President title.

Not debating the merits of firing him keeping him, but I'll probably go to my grave thinking that Luc seized the opportunity to get what he wanted. I would have preferred Lombardi get a chance to clean up his own mess but he helped create the perfect storm scenario that Luc could capitalize on. Don't blame Robitaille one bit either, if true.

 

[AlphaBravo]

I think Lombardi is a great GM. He won two cups, and took several risks to get the third cup, which did not pan out. But importantly he learned his lesson and began righting the ship last year. Only Sutter should have been fired after last season, but not because Sutter is a bad coach (I still think he is a great coach and could take another team to the Stanley Cup), but because the team completely zoned out Sutter and was not listening to him anymore.

 

[Fishhead]

I'd be totally fine with Blake trading assets, even first round picks, to fill holes IF the players received were younger and had years left on deals.

Deals like that are extremely unlikely with values how they are, so I can see Blake making minor moves to try and fill holes. I would be fine with bringing in another Folin type or vet who is solid, but without that flash that sets them apart. Defense is the obvious glaring hole, even with the recent improvement of Gravel/LaDue. That depth is needed there. I certainly don't want to see assets for rentals or overpriced guys at the deadline who aren't going to stick around.

Not to worried about adding a forward, I'm actually fine with the center situation, with Kopitar, Carter, Kempe, Shore, and Mitchell. You have a couple guys that can store, a couple really good defensive ones, and 3 of those are above average at faceoffs. Not the powerhouse center depth of the past, but still better than most other teams. If you can get a journeyman guy with a history of scoring for a cheap price, you do it, but no reason to try and force anything.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

The Kings need what they’ve recently lost: a top six winger with some jam, a depth PK center who can chip in, and a cheap all situations veteran top four D.

Sounds an awful lot like Williams, Stoll, and Mitchell.

 

[BallPointHammer]

I think it is fair to say that the Kings are "back on track" with regards to building (keeping draft picks/drafting well, signing useful unrestricted free agents, gradually bringing along the young guys) and developing a good team. Blake at least has the team climbing out of the black hole rather than making it deeper. Making the playoffs would be great, not a sign of continuing stagnation.