Many fans here questioned the decision to end the rebuild. But when people are fed lies like "Ahead of schedule on the rebuild" (Pravda) or "we are one of the 8 true contenders" (Robitaille) they believe it.
I just look at this team and I don't see how what they did after the 20-21 season was ever a smart thing. Teams just aren't trading superstar A-level players (well one was due to weird circumstances, and Blake passed), all these guys get locked up to 7-8 year deals and built around by the teams who draft them. Guys like PLD and Fiala are moved because they just aren't at that level, they are good players, but they aren't game breakers. You need to draft those kinds of players, we should have made difficult decisions with some veterans and been terrible in 21-22, 22-23 and probably this year too. We needed to give ourselves a chance at not only Bedard (someone was going to get him) but also Cooley, Fantilli, Carlsson, Eiserman, Celebrini, Demidov.
I know he’s not on here, that we know of, but the team President believes this is one of the top ten teams in the league and a contender.
Lmao I was right. f***
Didn't we though? We had a shot at Hughes, got dunked on by the lottery and picked 5th. Then the Rangers, a playoff team jumped everyone and got number one, and so on. [You don't have to bring up our drafting, its been beaten to death] I highly doubt AEG would let them suck for 5 or more straight years, then wait 3 more for some of the hopefuls to become stars. For all we know, it was Cheseman who said accelerate the rebuild. Its a tough spot to be in as an owner, especially with the massive losses he had during the pandemic.
AEG let them suck for years when DL took over, resulting in the drafting of a Hall of Fame defenseman, who combined with the inherited HOF C and HOF goaltender led to the greatest success the team has ever seen, and the greatest financial results AEG has seen from the Kings. These are the types of players you need to have to win Stanley Cups in the cap NHL. The Kings don't have any players anywhere close to the level those 3 were playing at in the Cup years. Also, there has never once been anything reported that Blake wanted to do a traditional rebuild and was forced to enter the blackhole by AEG. In fact quite the opposite they have been pretty consistent in saying from the start that they still believed Kopitar and Doughty could be the franchise players on a contender, they said it after the Palace Coup 2017 and they said it in 2021 when they ended the rebuild and they said it again before this season. These guys do lie more than anyone, so who knows, but there has never been any indication that this was AEG's doing.
Of course it's fair to bring up the drafting, the results have been horrible and it has caused a lot of other issues, including the loss of some very valuable assets trying to fill the offensive holes that those picks should have filled.. Back to back Top 5 pick centers and no-game changing player, neither one even projected as a C anymore, that's a failure, especially with who they passed on both years, you can't just ignore that or say not to mention it. Those holes were filled by trading Brock Faber, Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Sean Durzi and multiple 1st round picks. People have said "Well I'd rather have Fiala and PLD than Stutzle and Boldy or Stutzle and Caufield" and maybe so, that is their opinion. But add all those assets traded to get them, and do you still feel that way?
What you said, happens sometimes and teams should adjust, Chicago didn't end their rebuild after Cam Barker and Jack Skille, they lost out on Malkin in 2004 for Barker (probably the worst lottery loss in history) and flushed a pick down the toilet in Skille, they were rewarded for their patience with HOF's Toews and Kane in back to back drafts. Edmonton had a bunch of high picks and never found any difference makers but kept on giving themselves chances until they drafted Hall of Fame locks in back to back drafts. I just wish LA had done that, even if it meant a divorce from 11 and 8. I feel like what happened in 2021 was like having a kid to try and save the marriage with those guys, instead of just admitting the relationship had run it's course.
I know he’s not on here, that we know of, but the team President believes this is one of the top ten teams in the league and a contender.
I was in Chicago yesterday, they aren't excited for the toughness, they are excited because they have their superstar for their next generation. They found Kane's replacement right away. Kopitar's replacement was never found, despite three Top 12 picks used to try and find it.Is anyone surprised by this?
The Kings were head to head with Chicago around the same time and one team has an exciting and TOUGH young team and the other has only two back to back first round exits, no salary cap, and the middle average age in the NHL.
Plus, soft as shit with shitty goaltending.
You have to admit, they got really lucky with Kane. We had one of the best chances at him, and our terrible lottery luck dropped us to 4th, and the Hawks jumping 4 places and got him. Kane instead of Hickey...damn.
Lmao I was right. f***
I watched his old man play so I’m not surprised in the slightest. I thought his old man was box office so it’s not a criticism, I should add.I didn't realize that Byram was such a rat. He's who I wanted that draft, too.
I blame Biz for predicting us to win the cup. Although I know that loser is just trolling.![]()
I do not necessarily disagree with some things you say but now you just take it to another level. yeah sure, like drafting is rocket science. The Kings picked who who they should have picked.The Kings did win the lottery in 2020, going from four to two and in position to draft the biggest star in the draft, and they didn't. The Kings had chances to draft Stutzle, Zegras, Boldy, Caufield, Suzuki, Norris, Seider and didn't, just tough to blame that on lottery luck.
Moore is untradeable.
The answer is and always has been to trade Roy. It’s the most braindead easy move to make and a vocal minority of us have been screaming about it for months now.
Roy is not a needle mover. He’s a perfectly fine top four RHD, and that’s it. He is utterly expendable with players like Spence and Clarke in the wings.
The decision to hold on to players like Walker Durzi and Roy these past few years has seriously impacted this organization’s ability to ice a competitive cost controlled blueline.
Rob Blake is f***ing horrible at his job.
Clearly somebody, whether it be scouting, developmental, GM, SOMEBODY should be held accountable for all these early draft failures, right? Or are we seriously saying that when it's your job to select and develop young players, it doesn't matter if you fail over and over?I do not necessarily disagree with some things you say but now you just take it to another level. yeah sure, like drafting is rocket science. The Kings picked who who they should have picked.
Sorry but now i am starting to understand you think everything LA is doing sucks.
That comment is absolutely ridiculous criticism.
I completely agree that it's fair to question the direction the team took when it abandoned the rebuild a few years ago. That's a different question to me than dealing with the cap issues as they exist today. I think there are valid points on both sides (a tank job doesn't guarantee anything vs. hitching your wagon to a bunch of non-stars isn't enough to carry you throughout the playoffs).I was told you can win with just any average goalie though
And also called the arvy thing the moment he left practice, someone owes me an apology for teeing off on me after that
But the thing is the “this is a good team just need a good goalie” talk seems to neglect that’s WHY the roster looks so mean, there’s only so much money to go around and Blake blew his wad on shiny new toy forwards instead of starting to integrate the youth they should have been integrating for the last five years. They can exchange that for a goalie now…then they won’t look as good. It’s not as simple as “just make a move for a goalie” for that reason, to say nothing of the fact That Blake waits till his back is fully against the wall and can be taken hostage in a trade to address a need. We saw this with LHD and we will see it with G.
These guys will sell the farm to save their jobs. Gettin ready for the black hole of all black holes.
You and I both know that these guys would trade Roy only to play Englund next to Gavrikov then run a 3rd pairing of toby and Santini.
Will Blake get that chance if the team crashes to start the season like 5 years ago?These guys will sell the farm to save their jobs. Gettin ready for the black hole of all black holes.
Yup, and this is the garbage we will get after EVERY loss...who am I kidding, we get this every day!I do not necessarily disagree with some things you say but now you just take it to another level. yeah sure, like drafting is rocket science. The Kings picked who who they should have picked.
Sorry but now i am starting to understand you think everything LA is doing sucks.
That comment is absolutely ridiculous criticism.
Arvidsson, Lizotte, Grundstrom and likely Roy should have been traded to make room for youth and make cap space for a decent goalie.Being that Blake took the direction he did that led into this summer, however, how would you have suggested solving the goalie problem heading into this year? Maybe it's difficult to separate prior decisions that led to this point from what choices were available this summer, but I'm looking at the math and I don't see how the goalie problem could have been solved even if the Kings kept Iafallo, Vilardi, and Kupari. The cap hits for those three essentially equal PLD's cap hit, so you're basically left with the same limited amount to go around.
If you go off board, yes.Clearly somebody, whether it be scouting, developmental, GM, SOMEBODY should be held accountable for all these early draft failures, right? Or are we seriously saying that when it's your job to select and develop young players, it doesn't matter if you fail over and over?
I do not necessarily disagree with some things you say but now you just take it to another level. yeah sure, like drafting is rocket science. The Kings picked who who they should have picked.
Sorry but now i am starting to understand you think everything LA is doing sucks.
That comment is absolutely ridiculous criticism.