Speculation: 2019-20 News/Rumors,Roster thread Post Deadline

[johnjm22]

As long as this wasn't because of Luc Robataille I'm okay with it.

 

[scramble91]

Teams in many sports are going to learn that they may be too management heavy.

You will see leaner operational/scouting staffs. Especially as teams focus more on analytics.

This, I think a lot of clubs will try and trim because of the revenue uncertainty this season and next. Could simply be a cost cutting move passed down by AEG

 

[Bandit]

This, I think a lot of clubs will try and trim because of the revenue uncertainty this season and next. Could simply be a cost cutting move passed down by AEG

I would be very surprised if this was the case considering the assistant GM probably makes about what a league minimum player does.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[DoktorJeep]

Disappointed to see Futa depart in this fashion. Sounds like his role was reduced this past year. With the BLuc leadership structure, makes sense that an AGM has few duties at the nhl level. Interesting that Futa wasn’t GM of the Reign.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

....

The Athletic article points out Murray and Emerson got more influence, Futa less.

I have a bit of a beef with that.

 

[KINGS17]

....

The Athletic article points out Murray and Emerson got more influence, Futa less.

I have a bit of a beef with that.

Yeah, I don't like the idea of Murray and Emerson having more influence than Futa. Where is their track record of success? What makes them qualified other than being buddies with Robitaille and Blake?

 

[Telos]

This is both surprising and not surprising news. Futa is destined to be a GM in the NHL and has been for some time; however, LA has done a crazy job keeping him with the organization without promoting him to GM forever. The writing was on the wall that if we didn't promote him then he would be working for another organization one day. The thing that bothers me though is these tidbits that he wasn't being utilized, didn't have standing, and was just kinda left at the bus stop. That's craziness, losing Futa is a pretty damn big loss. Despite the future the team has, I am not a big fan of the alumni good ole boys club that has formed at the top of the organization.

 

[King'sPawn]

Good luck to Futa.

 

[KINGS17]

This is both surprising and not surprising news. Futa is destined to be a GM in the NHL and has been for some time; however, LA has done a crazy job keeping him with the organization without promoting him to GM forever. The writing was on the wall that if we didn't promote him then he would be working for another organization one day. The thing that bothers me though is these tidbits that he wasn't being utilized, didn't have standing, and was just kinda left at the bus stop. That's craziness, losing Futa is a pretty damn big loss. Despite the future the team has, I am not a big fan of the alumni good ole boys club that has formed at the top of the organization.

This is how Luc Robitaille has always done business.

 

[Bandit]

This is both surprising and not surprising news. Futa is destined to be a GM in the NHL and has been for some time; however, LA has done a crazy job keeping him with the organization without promoting him to GM forever. The writing was on the wall that if we didn't promote him then he would be working for another organization one day. The thing that bothers me though is these tidbits that he wasn't being utilized, didn't have standing, and was just kinda left at the bus stop. That's craziness, losing Futa is a pretty damn big loss. Despite the future the team has, I am not a big fan of the alumni good ole boys club that has formed at the top of the organization.

It's putrid. Nelson Emerson? Glen Murray? Craig Johnson? Gross. Guess we can expect going back to being perennial losers and watching our good players go elsewhere to win cups. I wish Robitaille would develop an allergy to hockey or some shit. Dude is over his head and a complete train wreck.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Sort of feeling good about where the Kings were going, but now one guy goes away, who was also a holdover from the golden age, and had been in charge of drafting during the lack of talent coming up through the system for more than half a decade, so it's all done now?

They get their one mulligan with investing in the team/Kovalchuk. That was all a mistake, we know it, they know it. Can we wait until the post-Lombardi draft classes start failing before assuming the next dark age of the Kings? Maybe it is already over, who knows.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Are any of you aware that Nelson Emerson was a Dean Lombardi hire, from way back in 2006? That's seven seasons prior to Rob Blake being named assistant GM. Luc Robitaille was hired as part of business ops one year later in 2007.

Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene are still part of the organization. Are they bad hires as well? Glen Murray was also brought on under Dean Lombardi.

“Nelson had been working with the Kings and Rob [Blake] was still playing,” Murray said. “I kept close tabs with L.A, saw Nelson a lot and saw how much work he was putting in on development.

“It was a long year and a half and [then-Kings GM] Dean [Lombardi] asked me to come on board if I wanted to, to see what I wanted to do. It was mostly because of [Nelson]. We played together and were close friends.

They both rose up the ranks within the organization after starting off as coaches with the Jr. Kings program. So if you guys are going to get irrationally upset at Rob Blake yet again, do some research and point your fingers at the man who built this team, because he hired them.

 

[Bandit]

Sort of feeling good about where the Kings were going, but now one guy goes away, who was also a holdover from the golden age, and had been in charge of drafting during the lack of talent coming up through the system for more than half a decade, so it's all done now?

They get their one mulligan with investing in the team/Kovalchuk. That was all a mistake, we know it, they know it. Can we wait until the post-Lombardi draft classes start failing before assuming the next dark age of the Kings? Maybe it is already over, who knows.

Well the golden age happened because we got a complete regime change and flushed the beach club, now practically everyone is gone, replaced by the same bozos who were flushed out in the first place, so yeah it feels bad.

Not to mention knee jerk overreactions to news are pretty much a requirement on a hockey board.

 

[Bandit]

Are any of you aware that Nelson Emerson was a Dean Lombardi hire, from way back in 2006? That's seven seasons prior to Rob Blake being named assistant GM. Luc Robitaille was hired as part of business ops one year later in 2007.

Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene are still part of the organization. Are they bad hires as well? Glen Murray was also brought on under Dean Lombardi.




They both rose up the ranks within the organization after starting off as coaches with the Jr. Kings program. So if you guys are going to get irrationally upset at Rob Blake yet again, do some research and point your fingers at the man who built this team, because he hired them.

Hiring a guy to be the janitor is one thing. Promoting that same guy to VP some years later is another.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Before anyone here even thought of Alex Iafallo and Blake Lizotte as NHL players, Nelson Emerson was telling fans to keep an eye on them because they'll surprise us. He might know what he's doing.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Are any of you aware that Nelson Emerson was a Dean Lombardi hire, from way back in 2006? That's seven seasons prior to Rob Blake being named assistant GM. Luc Robitaille was hired as part of business ops one year later in 2007.

Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene are still part of the organization. Are they bad hires as well? Glen Murray was also brought on under Dean Lombardi.




They both rose up the ranks within the organization after starting off as coaches with the Jr. Kings program. So if you guys are going to get irrationally upset at Rob Blake yet again, do some research and point your fingers at the man who built this team, because he hired them.

I'd be pretty upset if Stoll suddenly went from development and broadcast booth to Blake's inner circle, yes. Double bonus for Futa leaving while Blake's literal best friend advances. It's a pattern of nepotism, and it's hard to argue it's for the most qualified people, using Luc as an example. Love all those guys in certain roles, not sure I can collectively love them as a group in questionable roles, especially at the expense of highly-qualified, extremely-well-lauded professionals. Who's next up, Derek Armstrong?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Before anyone here even thought of Alex Iafallo and Blake Lizotte as NHL players, Nelson Emerson was telling fans to keep an eye on them because they'll surprise us. He might know what he's doing.

He might and I think every one of us would be thrilled. But you have to admit the optics are absolutely awful.

 

[verbalkint47]

Maybe Asst GM is no longer necessary. When Blake and Hextall were there they were GM of Ontario/Manchester. The Reign have their own dedicated GM now.

Looking at the front office: Luc is President, Blake GM, Solomon the cap guy, Yannetti the scouting/draft guy, and Emerson head of player personal (wasn't he the video guy before?). There's also Mike O'Connell who is an advisor. I think O'Connell and Futa were co-scouting/draft/development guys in Lombardi's early days?

That's a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

 

[Bandit]

I'd be pretty upset if Stoll suddenly went from development and broadcast booth to Blake's inner circle, yes. Double bonus for Futa leaving while Blake's literal best friend advances. It's a pattern of nepotism, and it's hard to argue it's for the most qualified people, using Luc as an example. Love all those guys in certain roles, not sure I can collectively love them as a group in questionable roles, especially at the expense of highly-qualified, extremely-well-lauded professionals. Who's next up, Derek Armstrong?

But check out his sweet non-prescription glasses!

 

[KingsFan7824]

Are any of you aware that Nelson Emerson was a Dean Lombardi hire, from way back in 2006? That's seven seasons prior to Rob Blake being named assistant GM. Luc Robitaille was hired as part of business ops one year later in 2007.

Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene are still part of the organization. Are they bad hires as well? Glen Murray was also brought on under Dean Lombardi.




They both rose up the ranks within the organization after starting off as coaches with the Jr. Kings program. So if you guys are going to get irrationally upset at Rob Blake yet again, do some research and point your fingers at the man who built this team, because he hired them.

Not to mention that Lombardi brought in his friend off a literal Canadian farm(there's nothing more NHL old boys club than that), who he had previously failed with, to coach the team in a season where Lombardi's own job may have been on the line. That's who he turned to when in trouble. A comfort zone. Even winners can be soft.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

But check out his sweet non-prescription glasses!

The thing is, I genuinely LIKE every one of those guys, and obviously wish for their successes. I liked each one of them on the ice, they're good personalities as well. But I already had questions about development under Emerson and Murray (we had a long thread here about what the f*** are these guys going to do with high skill players?), and I question their qualification for higher roles, and I question why that comes at the expense of Futa.

I also get that every GM is going to have "their guys"--I mean, see DL with Sutter, even--but Blake's got a pattern of having a giant inability to search/interview beyond his circle, even coming down to TM as coach. Beyond Willie D who was a seeming intentional time bomb, has Blake hired a single person he hasn't played with or under? Hextall is a different connection, but a connection nonetheless.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

He might and I think every one of us would be thrilled. But you have to admit the optics are absolutely awful.

Maybe some of you are reading more into this than I am, but I don't see how the optics are awful when Futa wasn't shit canned, has desired a GM post, and there was nowhere further for him to go within the organization.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The thing is, I genuinely LIKE every one of those guys, and obviously wish for their successes. I liked each one of them on the ice, they're good personalities as well. But I already had questions about development under Emerson and Murray (we had a long thread here about what the f*** are these guys going to do with high skill players?), and I question their qualification for higher roles, and I question why that comes at the expense of Futa.

I also get that every GM is going to have "their guys"--I mean, see DL with Sutter, even--but Blake's got a pattern of having a giant inability to search/interview beyond his circle, even coming down to TM as coach. Beyond Willie D who was a seeming intentional time bomb, has Blake hired a single person he hasn't played with or under? Hextall is a different connection, but a connection nonetheless.

Didn't Blake hire one of the best advanced stat guys, pretty much the guy who wrote the bible on advanced stats in hockey, Rob Vollman?