I suppose so. I just would hope they aren't creating locker room friction just to save money. Especially when the team is 5 million below the cap limit and set up to be 20 under it next season and 35 the following season.
2019-20 Kings News/Rumors
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I suppose so. I just would hope they aren't creating locker room friction just to save money. Especially when the team is 5 million below the cap limit and set up to be 20 under it next season and 35 the following season.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
We need Kovalchuk to tweet out something like this when he departs the Kings.
DoktorJeep
Luc and Rob are a waste of time and money.
They get no cap relief in any situation. This is corporate CYA and finance related. BLuc look like incompetent Pejorative Slurs by any measure from the view of ownership / AEG.
Spinning the Kovalchuk disaster back on the player And getting him to “self deport” allows management to point the finger somewhere else.
fsanford
Registered User
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BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Blake's biggest gaffe so far, as it relates to AEG, is the Kovy signing. He committed $18MM of AEG money to a guy and then the Kings had to basically beg people to come to games shortly thereafter.
I'm pretty certain that AEG isn't excited about all of the real dollars they've been paying out at the end of the DL era on under performing players and players not even on the team. Then they paid Sutter and then Stevens not to be here, right? Gaborik could be covered by insurance, I believe, but instead they had to pay Phaneuf to go away.
Point being: I think it would look good on Bluc to try to save AEG a few million bucks here while also removing Kovy so you aren't reminded of a huge mistake for another almost two full seasons. Like, if I backed my car into a wall, I'd want to get it fixed ASAP so I didn't have to see the damage every time I got in my car so I can remember what a jackass I am.
SettlementRichie10
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“The situation is complex and fluid” translates to “no one will trade for him so now we don’t know what to do.”
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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Sorry, nuclear engineering, fluid dynamics, etc. are complex.
There isn't anything complicated about the CBA , the SPC in the NHL, or Kovalchuk's contract. This is Kings President and GM double speak.
DoktorJeep
Luc and Rob are a waste of time and money.
BLuc also paid Coach Todd a fat, long term deal on the idea he would get more out of the older players. A guy who hasn’t won squat as an NHL head coach would suddenly command respect from the vets.
Problem is, the team sucks just as bad as last year under the other head coach still on the payroll but not working for the kings.
BLuc is probably feeling pressure from that hack Beckerman over the bundle Toddy is due no matter how people show up to Staples.
Problem is, the team sucks just as bad as last year under the other head coach still on the payroll but not working for the kings.
BLuc is probably feeling pressure from that hack Beckerman over the bundle Toddy is due no matter how people show up to Staples.
I think a lot more is being written into this than there really is. When Kovalchuk was signed, there was risk analysis. Don't think for a minute that a contingency plan wasn't discussed if he didn't pan out. GM's aren't stupid, they aren't going to sign a guy to a 35+ contract and not think about consequences if things don't go smoothly.
When they signed him they probably evaluated that risk, and came to a determination. "If we sign him and he can't perform, are we comfortable with the options?" Apparently the answer was yes. I think Blake is doing OK so far, and I'm definitely not a fan of Luc in the front office. That said, I don't buy the narrative that they truly thought this team could contend. That's just crap to sell tickets. If they truly thought that Stevens wouldn't have been hired so quickly and there would have been a longer search for a coach. WD certainly wouldn't have been brought in to turn things around, he's not a good coach.
I think all the options were evaluated before, now they'll work with Kovalchuk to figure out the solution that's best for everyone. GM's don't turn on a guy and hang him out to dry unless he does something really dumb/shitty. By all accounts Kovy bought in, and while management will be disappointed they'll still try and do what's best for him. You never want to burn that bridge with players because it will bite you in the ass with future signings.
When they signed him they probably evaluated that risk, and came to a determination. "If we sign him and he can't perform, are we comfortable with the options?" Apparently the answer was yes. I think Blake is doing OK so far, and I'm definitely not a fan of Luc in the front office. That said, I don't buy the narrative that they truly thought this team could contend. That's just crap to sell tickets. If they truly thought that Stevens wouldn't have been hired so quickly and there would have been a longer search for a coach. WD certainly wouldn't have been brought in to turn things around, he's not a good coach.
I think all the options were evaluated before, now they'll work with Kovalchuk to figure out the solution that's best for everyone. GM's don't turn on a guy and hang him out to dry unless he does something really dumb/shitty. By all accounts Kovy bought in, and while management will be disappointed they'll still try and do what's best for him. You never want to burn that bridge with players because it will bite you in the ass with future signings.
KINGS17
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Bandit
Registered User
All of that may be true but can you remember a gong show like this surrounding another player? I can't. This feels like a really unique, weird situation that we haven't really seen before, which reeks of mismanagement to say the least.
KingsFan7824
Registered User
But they had no ideas of competing this year. Everyone involved stopped lying to themselves and everyone else. I believe they pretty much said they can no longer compete with the older players leading the way. It's just going to take some time to get the young guys driving the car. That's why TM got a 5 year deal.
And? Kovalchuk was never signed to be an asset in a trade. Same as Marleau with the Leafs. He was signed to win. At least the Kings don't have to give up an asset to get rid of IK. At worst they wait things out until June, and then other than a cap hit for a year, it's over.
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All three, Blake, Luc and Kovi have responsibility. Kovi, knew what our roster was at the time of signing and it really hasn’t changed much since then. He obviously felt he could come in and be successful here too. So it’s partly on Kovi too, but I see it as a 50/50 thing between him and Blake.
Given we aren’t contending and he was a free asset I think everyone is really getting over excited by most of this. As long as Kovi is being treated respectfully behind the scenes this doesn’t really hurt the team. If we move him and get anything then great, if we simply have to swallow the cap hit then so what?
I’ve said before that I think BLuc were directed to make one more attempt at a run. They were clearly kicking the tires on Patches to sign the 1LW most of us felt would make a big difference. However the fact they went for Kovi shows they were probably far from convinced we had another run in us. They chose the free asset rather than patches, who in hindsight was probably a better (but not good) fit with our personnel. It would however had been a much more damaging choice in terms of a rebuild and a worse contract to deal with.
I think they went the Kovi route, in part, because his signing wouldn’t hurt us if we switched to rebuild mode. I say they, I think this was a Blake call. Personally, I’m confident in Blake managing the rebuild... although I’ve drifted off topic.
Kingspiracy
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KINGS17
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Yeah, which is my exact point. Terrible assessment of the situation by Robitaille and Blake leading to absolutely nothing other than wasting some of Uncle Phil's money. Not that wasting Uncle Phil's money bothers me, but I hope it doesn't endear them to their boss Beckerman. Beckerman...yeah there's another genius we have working in our favor...
Bolded is our true problem child... Maybe he can be convinced to move to Carpinteria and make chocolates with his cousin
Luc was fine when his job was promoting the game in LA. He actually did a pretty great job of it. Lot of advertising and community outreach.
The Tikkanen
Pest
kingsboy11
Maestro
Well **** that would mean he scored 52 goals in 57 while bullying everyone in the league. **** yeah sign me up!
Choralone
Registered User
I think after the big bonus payment in mid December, the Kings will move him. No one wants to swallow that thing right now.
Bandit
Registered User
BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Exactly. Real dollars are like $4.25MM next year.
Don't know why anyone would do the Kings a favor.
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