KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
- Apr 6, 2006
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When will Dean return from the hockey equivalent of Elba?
GDT: 2022-23 season game 38 LA Kings vs Vegas Golden Knights @7:30pm 12/27/22
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Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Surprise! You're moving the goalposts again!
Not one person has decried that we don't look like Colorado right now and most acknowledge and are okay with the thought that it will take time.
The contention is that LA has started amassing pieces but is NOT playing them in positions they can grow and are instead relying incredibly heavily on aging vets to the detriment of BOTH.
Landeskog was Captain of the Avalanche at age 19, even though Hejduk, EJ, and even Stastny were there; when do you think the Kings will turn over even an "A" to one of the youth?
It took age 23, injuries and massive slumps from other players, and becoming our leading goalscorer before they moved Vilardi up and even then it was to jumpstart Kopitar rather than vice-versa.
Don't get me started on Kaliyev.
In any case, yes, going back to the initial claim before you tried to weasel your way out as always, the problem will be if Byfield and Clarke don't pan out because those are SUPPOSED to be your future leaders not your JAGs and you still treat worse than journeyman checkers.
No you f***ing onion stop
The point is the players they HAVE developed are not blue chip talent outside Vilardi, they're going to be great character fillers but they're middle sixers and depth dmen.
The guys who are supposed to take over for Kopitar and Doughty are not even allowed to take over for Jaret-Anderson Dolan and Sean Walker
bland
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What's equally frustrating is that there are clearly some things that Spence needs to work on, but they are all related to the experience needed at the NHL level. No reason to believe that he wouldn't adapt quickly either - the pro team could be much closer to the "stated" goals by taking one small step back instead of constantly shuffling sideways. Spence is clearly the 2nd best RHD on their pro rosters. Its not as though the team would suffer one bit by giving him Walker's minutes if not Durzi's. Strange thinking there.
King'sPawn
Enjoy the chaos
- Jul 1, 2003
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I'm just going to say I am shocked that some people continue not to get it, move the goal posts, and argue in bad faith.
Shocked.
bland
Registered User
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There's no pressure to do anything differently. Absentee ownership, zero media pressure, the same group of fans show up regardless of results - readymade excuses due to Covid - all with the very real possibility that Blake is just average at his job at best.
The bottom dropped out here a few years ago and changes weren't made. Millions upon millions of dollars were wasted on bad decisions and no changes. Its very likely that there is simply nobody in charge actually expecting results and demanding accountability.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Incredibly close to adding to the ignore body count for full zen
King'sPawn
Enjoy the chaos
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You mean you're going to be a p***y like me? Oh no! Think of the people who will lose respect for you.
bland
Registered User
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Sol
Smile
- Jun 30, 2017
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No one is expecting the Kings to have a Colorado core. I personally don’t see the talent but in the same breath we all agree it’s not like they’re getting a fair shot with Kopitars corpse being dragged up and down the ice like a first liner
Axl Rhoadz
Binky distributor
- Apr 5, 2011
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For those who are convinced that Byfield is being robbed of ice time and that he's wallowing in sadness over it (yeah you, RJ):
>>“I don’t like to doubt myself too much,” Byfield said. “But I’ve always just walked in, even if I’m going to the Ontario Reign room, heads up, ready to be there, ready to play. And just really excited. You get paid to play hockey. Just happy each day and just trying to make the best of each opportunity.”<<
>>“I don’t like to doubt myself too much,” Byfield said. “But I’ve always just walked in, even if I’m going to the Ontario Reign room, heads up, ready to be there, ready to play. And just really excited. You get paid to play hockey. Just happy each day and just trying to make the best of each opportunity.”<<
How many chances have they truly had to develop a high end player? I think people forget they haven't had a top 10 pick since....Doughty maybe? Vilardi was #11, before that, the highest pick was Brayden Schenn in 2009....
Kinda hard to develop top end talent, when you aren't in a position to draft top end talent....
You call it a luxury...but have you ever flipped it around, everyone is complaining that we don't play our youngsters like Zegras, Stultze, Raymond, Hughes etc, THAT is the luxury, to just play them and not care about winning.....it's working in NJ....that's the only playce, and even then took 4 years, and look who they added for structure, or that luxury you have, Hamilton, Tatar, Haula, Palat.....it's exactly what LA did, (though LA did it a bit later on, Kopitar, Brown, Quick, Doughty, they added talent to that core when they were 23,25,24,23 etc, so maybe not that much longer, but they added Williams, Smyth, Stoll, Handzus, Scuderi, Mitchell, etc....
Show me a single team...that has drafted a top 5 player (ie Byfield etc) and has played them immediately in the top 6, when they have a "legend" core of Kopitar, etc.....the only time those players play right away, is when there is no top player there anymore, who did Jack Hughest supplant? Palmieri, Zacha? Who did Stultze supplant? Who did Zegras supplant? Getzlaf?
They need to re-establish home grown core, name one team that has done that, in ONE year....again, with no current core that is there.....it just doesn't happen,
But f*** if people around here understand that, they all live in a f***ing Sega world where all you have to do is hit the f***ing A button....
Would you rather have Bjornfoot playing 20 min a game in all situations, or.....10 minutes in limited? Same with Spence.....
No, it's not mutually exclusive, but where do you think they will develop more? They wanted Bjornfoot to find a more offensive game, where do you think he will be able to take more chances, experiment with more scenarios, etc.....
Colorado and the Kings can't be compared directly.
The reason MacKinnon, Duchene, Landeskog, etc. didn't start on the 4th line is they are better players than Vilardi, Kaliyev, and Byfield. None of them really had warts or were considered anything but NHL ready. That's why they went 1, 2, and 3.
Rantanen is a different story, he followed what the Kings tend to do. He was already playing pro hockey before he came over. In his first season he played very limited minutes on the bottom lines despite being a 10th overall pick, and was promptly sent down to the AHL. After a year down there he was brought back up and started getting better assignments. He finally broke out the next season. Not all that dissimilar to what has happened with Vilardi and now with Byfield. We will see if Byfield can take it up a notch, he looked pretty quick and dangerous last game.
I get both sides of the argument, but the Kings haven't had the luxury of Colorado's draft positions, which was Edmonton-esque for a while. I highly doubt the Kings would have sent any of those first three guys down on the bottom lines, they were pretty good right out of the gates. The problem is less development and more that the Kings just haven't hit it big on any of their early draft picks. And to be fair most of the teams in the league haven't either. The draft quality just hasn't been there for the last 5 years or so.
The reason MacKinnon, Duchene, Landeskog, etc. didn't start on the 4th line is they are better players than Vilardi, Kaliyev, and Byfield. None of them really had warts or were considered anything but NHL ready. That's why they went 1, 2, and 3.
Rantanen is a different story, he followed what the Kings tend to do. He was already playing pro hockey before he came over. In his first season he played very limited minutes on the bottom lines despite being a 10th overall pick, and was promptly sent down to the AHL. After a year down there he was brought back up and started getting better assignments. He finally broke out the next season. Not all that dissimilar to what has happened with Vilardi and now with Byfield. We will see if Byfield can take it up a notch, he looked pretty quick and dangerous last game.
I get both sides of the argument, but the Kings haven't had the luxury of Colorado's draft positions, which was Edmonton-esque for a while. I highly doubt the Kings would have sent any of those first three guys down on the bottom lines, they were pretty good right out of the gates. The problem is less development and more that the Kings just haven't hit it big on any of their early draft picks. And to be fair most of the teams in the league haven't either. The draft quality just hasn't been there for the last 5 years or so.
AbsentMojo
F-ing get up and hunt! Cmon Todd!
- Apr 18, 2018
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KingsFan7824
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- Dec 4, 2003
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Because some are rather quick to declare things as a failure.
In 2006, had someone said the Kings will completely miss on a top 4 pick, and before winning a single playoff round led by a young core, will trade a recent top 5 pick, two other 1st rd picks, and a high quality young forward, would people say that team is ready to win the Cup? You don't even know if that core is good enough, no on-ice proof of it, and you're jumping the gun? We can also never forget that in the first true contender year, the team was out of the playoffs at the trade deadline. And if you want to throw in some extra spice, they also messed up not taking Karlsson because the GM believed in a mean guy.
You have to let the story play out. Even if you're a higher level fan than most.
A seasoned DL called his literal Canadian farm boy buddy to save his job when he started feeling some heat.
Who did DL hire after his first coaching disaster? A guy he knew and worked with in Philly.
Who did DL bring with him when he got the job? A guy he knew and worked with in Philly, and another guy he knew and worked with in SJ.
Winning cures all. Risky moves, comfort hires. If you win, nobody gives a shit. If you don't win, we're back to arguing over the minute details of losing players like Moulson and Purcell.
Axl Rhoadz
Binky distributor
- Apr 5, 2011
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Oh look, another organization that is clueless on how to develop their top tier prospects….and here I thought the Kings were the only ones:
nypost.com
Alexis Lafreniere dropped to fourth line after Rangers no-show: ‘Want him to be better’
It was the former No. 1 pick who ended up in the doghouse at Wednesday’s Rangers practice after the team’s ugly loss to the Capitals.
nypost.com
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
mid season with his job on the line he had to hire quickly after a firing, little different than having all the time in the world and not even conducting interviews of outside/available candidates before throwing the biggest coaching contract in the league at a comfort hire while quite a mix of unqualified and retread coaches were available.
Hire people in your sphere sure I get it but at least perform due diligence.
King'sPawn
Enjoy the chaos
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Plus, Lombardi has always had a fondness for Darryl and he wanted to hire him much sooner. Darryl was GM at the time.
It wasn't a "job-saving" move aside from the timing.
KingsFan7824
Registered User
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And what of the other TM? All that work, with plenty of time, and DL just happens to go with the guy he knows?
Today we look back and say that TM was just a stepping stone to better things. Sutter was the championship level coach. Was that the case in Oct 2011, or just in Dec 2011? The Kings were seen as a contender that Oct, coach and all. Whereas today, they've been calling for Sutter's head in Calgary, because he plays Lewis and Lucic. Same guy. Maybe that's the problem though. Or, do you want consistency? When the Kings won, they were pretty famous for always playing the same way, no matter what. Winning, losing, do the same thing, the same way, every time, all the time. That was a positive. Then when they were losing, they were criticized for doing the same thing, the same way, every time, all the time. It both won the GM and coach a Cup, and cost them their jobs. It got DL that Team USA job, and resulted in a crappy team at the same time.
Maybe the current TM is a stepping stone. Maybe Blake is a stepping stone GM. Maybe 6 years from now is when the Kings are a true contender, based in part on things Blake did right now, but won't get to see because he'll be gone in 2 years. Who's to say?
KingsFan7824
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Trash Panda
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That’s boilerplate “say the right thing even though you’re not f***ing happy about it”
I’ve gotta give it to ya, there are times I can’t tell if you’re trolling, or legitimately have the mental bandwidth of a potato.
Hell, maybe it’s both.
It absolutely was a job saving move, TL flat out said that he forced DL to fire TM.
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
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Vegas lost to Anaheim last night in a shootout. Good results for the Kings.
4pts out of first, both teams have played 38 games.
And Seattle is starting to struggle too.
4pts out of first, both teams have played 38 games.
And Seattle is starting to struggle too.
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