Speculation: 2021-21 LA Kings News/Rumors/Roster discussion

[KingsFan7824]

I think the black hole is when your team misses the playoffs and doesn’t get high picks in the draft lottery multiple seasons in a row.

It's a team not good enough to win anything, or bad enough to get a real talent. There's like 15-20 teams in the black hole.

 

[Lt Dan]

I don't see a scenario where they land a #2 defenseman or a star player without trading 1 maybe both of those guys.

I think the cap crunch will create opportunities that weren't there before. People will need to be traded and won't be resigned that normally would have been

 

[KingsFan7824]

I don't see a scenario where they land a #2 defenseman or a star player without trading 1 maybe both of those guys.

They don't need to set their sights so high. Use cap space, get depth guys, and you're more competitive, which is all Doughty wants.

They're at the Ryan Smyth level, not Mike Richards.

 

[kinghock]

They traded Toffoli last year, because of team rebuild.
Now they need to trade for 2 top six forwards.
It makes a lot of sense…

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

They traded Toffoli last year, because of team rebuild.
Now they need to trade for 2 top six forwards.
It makes a lot of sense…

That's what teams tend to do when they finish 2nd to last in the standings and have a hot commodity to move who is an impending UFA.

 

[KingsFan7824]

They traded Toffoli last year, because of team rebuild.
Now they need to trade for 2 top six forwards.
It makes a lot of sense…

They had that team in Oct 2018, but it crashed and burned. On the back of disappointing teams in 14-15, 15-16, 16-17, and 17-18. That's why things changed.

Assuming they get some legit NHL depth, at least next year could be disappointing with a somewhat new cast.

 

[DAkings20]

Live look at Rob Blake's residence

 

[Mats26]

They traded Toffoli last year, because of team rebuild.
Now they need to trade for 2 top six forwards.
It makes a lot of sense…

It's Blake's way of rebuilding. Gut the team to create holes, use assests to refill same holes....rinse and repeat.

 

[KopitarFAN]

I'll venture a guess that they are looking for someone younger than 29.

Not only that, but sometimes a guys needs a change scenery, you'd be a fool to think he'd have the season he's having if Rob rewarded him for the mediocrity he got over the last 4 seasons.

 

[Master Yoda]

People expecting Toffoli to be scoring at a 40 goal pace for the Kings are dreaming.
Not that he was a bad player, but he scored 71 goals in his last 285 games as a King in almost 4 seasons.
That's barely a 20 goal pace in a full season.
Something needed to change for him, and he made good on a new opportunity.

 

[BigKing]

Toffoli is tough because he should have been a long term piece but he beach lifestyle'd his way out of here since giving him a long-term deal seemed risky because, you know, beach lifestyle.

Immediately upon being traded, he's been the Toffoli we all expected he would be in LA for years. Sure, we can bemoan coaching and what have you but there is a legit issue with guys getting too comfortable here.

There is ZERO accountability in the media and nobody is going to come up to you at a bar to tell you the power play sucks. Kyle Kuzma can't look at his name on Twitter without seeing how people think he'll be in China next season but Toffoli can score 13 in a full season and still go to whatever bar he wants in Manhattan Beach and it simply doesn't matter.

It sucks because you look back on the Martinez and Toffoli trades and you're like...Kings didn't get enough for how well they are playing this season. That's part of what is so maddening about these guys: we saw them play at a super high level and then taper off. They blew the right to have Management reinvest in them again after the 2019 fiasco so you have to move them but you can't get true value since they aren't playing to their full capabilities.

Toffoli is the real bummer for me because the Kings never seem to draft goal scorers like him. They developed him properly and then he came in and was a big part of the 2014 team. Absolutely fantastic 2015 and '16 seasons where his +/- was awesome and he always seemed to be on the right side of the puck. Guy goes ice cold second half of 2018 through the entirety of 2019 but has basically gone back to the 2015 and '16 player since leaving here. 88 points in the 110 regular season games he's played since being traded along with 14 points in 18 playoff games.

That said, would he be the same guy here? Played well here in 2020 but it was a contract year. Give him four years here and does he have the same drive?

Long story short: the DL worry about just wanting to play at the beach is a real thing. This is a soft environment and you can't have a soft coaching and front office staff or else it will be a disaster.

 

[KingsFan7824]

It's Blake's way of rebuilding. Gut the team to create holes, use assests to refill same holes....rinse and repeat.

Had they not been 30th overall the day they traded Muzzin, after having 1 playoff win and two playoff appearances in 4 years, "the idiot's way" of rebuilding wouldn't have started.

You can get another Toffoli or Carter from 2018. Now you're adding that along with good young prospects.

At least give the idiot a chance to repeat the rinse. He didn't create a hole to get Kovalchuk, so he gets this shot. If it doesn't work, the idiot gets fired.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Small moves for character would do so much more than trading for an entitled star. No one is going to produce here and the culture needs to be fixed before making such a large move.

 

[YP44]

Toffoli could have walked in free agency too. I was hoping Blake would have gotten a first for him but if Madden pans out that will be a good deal.

 

[YP44]

Small moves for character would do so much more than trading for an entitled star. No one is going to produce here and the culture needs to be fixed before making such a large move.

I imagine the hope is that Kopitar, Doughty, Brown and Quick can still provide some of the winning culture.

I want it all. I top 6 player with character. Not being in the rooms i have no clue how to judge if someone has character but sometimes you can tell if they do not have it.

My target is Tyler Bertuzzi.

 

[bland]

It's Blake's way of rebuilding. Gut the team to create holes, use assests to refill same holes....rinse and repeat.

No, you trade players you don't plan on re-signing. That's why Muzzin, Martinez and Toffoli were dealt. It made no sense to give them new contracts, so off they went.

And that should be the cautionary tale for all who think the team will compete for a playoff spot by wasting multiple assets on a top pairing defender and top line goal scorer. This team had those things and failed. The problems here are not going to be resolved by adding a couple of players, it has to be a systematic cleansing of a roster - and staff - who have accepted mediocrity.

You do that via a rebuild, not buying fancy rims for your broken transmission.

 

[BigBrown]

Toffoli seemed complacent in LA. The trade snapped him out of it. What's done is done.

I just hope the Kings find the right players to add and the right pieces to trade. It's exciting that they're out looking at least.

 

[YP44]

No, you trade players you don't plan on re-signing. That's why Muzzin, Martinez and Toffoli were dealt. It made no sense to give them new contracts, so off they went.

And that should be the cautionary tale for all who think the team will compete for a playoff spot by wasting multiple assets on a top pairing defender and top line goal scorer. This team had those things and failed. The problems here are not going to be resolved by adding a couple of players, it has to be a systematic cleansing of a roster - and staff - who have accepted mediocrity.

You do that via a rebuild, not buying fancy rims for your broken transmission.

you do both, you grow organically via the draft at the same time as bringing in guys via trade or free agency.

 

[BigKing]

No, you trade players you don't plan on re-signing. That's why Muzzin, Martinez and Toffoli were dealt. It made no sense to give them new contracts, so off they went.

And that should be the cautionary tale for all who think the team will compete for a playoff spot by wasting multiple assets on a top pairing defender and top line goal scorer. This team had those things and failed. The problems here are not going to be resolved by adding a couple of players, it has to be a systematic cleansing of a roster - and staff - who have accepted mediocrity.

You do that via a rebuild, not buying fancy rims for your broken transmission.

It is hard to argue your point when there has been a ton of young guys given a chance to be NHL regulars on this team the past few seasons and they seem to fall into the complacent trap as well.

I mean, I'm not saying there has been a ton of talent but this is a sport where hard work and caring can really make a difference.

You watch the Bruins though and they just keep bringing in guys that instantly have their teammates back because they know they won't be accepted in that locker room if they don't. Here in LA, it is way too much of a 9-5 clock punching atmosphere compared to the winning teams that are full of dudes that take their work home with them and do weekends.

 

[The Lukeman]

It's Blake's way of rebuilding. Gut the team to create holes, use assests to refill same holes....rinse and repeat.

Idk how it’s rinse and repeat when it’s been 2 seasons since we made our first major move (Muzzin). Blake has built the #1 prospect pool in the league by trading 4 players. In my eyes, his success depends on how he brings that #1 pool to nhl talent, whether it’s players within our system or trades. You can’t shit on his rebuild before it’s had time to show results.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

It is hard to argue your point when there has been a ton of young guys given a chance to be NHL regulars on this team the past few seasons and they seem to fall into the complacent trap as well.

I mean, I'm not saying there has been a ton of talent but this is a sport where hard work and caring can really make a difference.

You watch the Bruins though and they just keep bringing in guys that instantly have their teammates back because they know they won't be accepted in that locker room if they don't. Here in LA, it is way too much of a 9-5 clock punching atmosphere compared to the winning teams that are full of dudes that take their work home with them and do weekends.

I think getting a forward like Killorn out of Tampa would help that. The price could be a lower than normal and those guys are all in full playoff warrior mode, and have been for a few years. Adding that voice to the locker room could start the movement toward accountability.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I think the big coup for the top six may be Sam Reinhart, a 25-year-old RFA who just scored 25 goals and 40 points in 54 games. He's had four consecutive seasons of 20+ goals and six straight seasons of 40+ points.

Tough to gauge what the cost will be to acquire him as he's also due to make a decent amount, having earned $5.2M this past season. What is that contract worth on a long term contract? And for those curious, his puck possession numbers have been strong on an otherwise abysmal team, so switching over to another bad team on the west coast shouldn't be a problem for him!

Given that it'll cost the team a few assets to acquire him, perhaps their second top six option can come via free agency. Given their experience playing in the Western Conference and on teams have often played the Kings, guys like Jaden Schwartz or Brandon Saad might be good fits as top six LWs.

A hypothetical lineup for next season if they land two of those names...

Iafallo-Kopitar-Reinhart
Saad-Vilardi-Kempe
Moore-Byfield-Brown
Lemieux-Anderson-Dolan-Wagner

This is assuming the team wouldn't bring back Athanasiou, given that he'll likely command more, and those dollars would be better spent on legit top six forwards as opposed to a guy who shows up in spurts.

 

[YP44]

I think the big coup for the top six may be Sam Reinhart, a 25-year-old RFA who just scored 25 goals and 40 points in 54 games. He's had four consecutive seasons of 20+ goals and six straight seasons of 40+ points.

Tough to gauge what the cost will be to acquire him as he's also due to make a decent amount, having earned $5.2M this past season. What is that contract worth on a long term contract? And for those curious, his puck possession numbers have been strong on an otherwise abysmal team, so switching over to another bad team on the west coast shouldn't be a problem for him!

Given that it'll cost the team a few assets to acquire him, perhaps their second top six option can come via free agency. Given their experience playing in the Western Conference and on teams have often played the Kings, guys like Jaden Schwartz or Brandon Saad might be good fits as top six LWs.

A hypothetical lineup for next season if they land two of those names...

Iafallo-Kopitar-Reinhart
Saad-Vilardi-Kempe
Moore-Byfield-Brown
Lemieux-Anderson-Dolan-Wagner

This is assuming the team wouldn't bring back Athanasiou, given that he'll likely command more, and those dollars would be better spent on legit top six forwards as opposed to a guy who shows up in spurts.

I would do schwartz over saad.
Kaliyev over Wagner for me too.
I fully agree Reinhart would be a great get

 

[Johnny Utah]

I ran into Toffoli twice - once at Nobu White Party and once at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

I talked to him the second time - nice guy, but you can tell he loved the off ice life in LA. Better for him to be in a big pressure City.

I am a huge Sheldon Souray fan and he talks about how playing in NJ he was always partying in NY, but when he got traded to Montreal something snapped - putting on that jersey, the alumni always around, the fans, the pressure. He knew if the Habs sucked or lost he couldn't go out around town.

 

[johnjm22]

Adding two top 6 forwards doesn't make us a playoff team.

It basically just means instead of picking top 5 in the 2022 draft we'd be picking around 10th-15th.

Highly unlikely any big name UFA would come here unless you're ready to vastly over pay.