GDT: 2023-24 season game 37 LA Kings vs Tampa Bay Lightning @4:00pm 1/9/24

[kilowatt]

The truly funniest part here is thinking the trade for PLD was the best Blake could do, when he created these circumstances to begin with.

This is what drives me so f***ing crazy. Blake’s the one that caused this mess in the first place!

 

[kingsfan28]

So you are saying the solution was trading Vilardi and two other players to bring in PLD a socalled centerman. How is that working out. We know not good at all. I would have traded a couple of players lower on the dept chart to make room for Vilardi and bring up the young prospects to make up the slack. The PLD trade has killed the Kings for years now cause he gets paid 8.5 million and brings absolutley nothing to the table. Hell a bag of pucks is more valuable than PLD is. and that bag doesn't cost nowhere near what PLD is costing the Kings. When Kopi is done the Kings will have no centermen.

Nope, not at all. Keeping Gabe was what we all hoped if they could find money to sign him and avoid arbitration, and the other two don't make us better. AI is redundant and Kupari will never be more than what he is. I would not have traded Gabe, but make no mistake, he wanted to get paid here. We'd still be without a 3c unless they moved QB there this season.[we had no cap space to spend on one]. QB has made huge strides on the top line this year as a winger. Valardi proved he can't play the 3c, and only got better when he went to the wing, which is where he's playing right now. PLD is turning out to be a huge dissapointment for sure. I didn't want Gabe to be traded, but we all thought we'd be getting good player in return, not this. All we can hope for is the dude turns it around.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Rob Blake has been GM since April 2017, I don't want to hear about how the Kings didn't/don't have cap space to do anything. Blake is responsible for every single current contract and cap hit on the Kings roster besides Richards buyout and Kopitar's deal that expires this season, but he already owns the two year extension. These are his contracts, his decisions, his trades, his lack of cap space.

Maybe just maybe, if the cap situation sucks, if the results of his trades suck, if the prospect pool is all but depleted, and if the team looks to be the same wild card/first round exit it's on it way to, his ass should be fired (and his coach with him)

 

[kilowatt]

We should have just traded Iafallo by himself. He's a good player but we needed the cap space. Literally any other center likely would have been a better decision than this guy.

JT Compher, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Kerfoot, Lars Eller, Nick Bjugstad, Vladimir Namestnikov, Matt Duchene... All of these guys were free agents and would have been better, cheaper options than Dubois. Not to mention some of the literal giveaways like Kevin Hayes retained at 50% for a 6th round pick.

Nope, not at all. Keeping Gabe was what we all hoped if they could find money to sign him and avoid arbitration, and the other two don't make us better. AI is redundant and Kupari will never be more than what he is. I would not have traded Gabe, but make no mistake, he wanted to get paid here. We'd still be without a 3c unless they moved QB there this season.[we had no cap space to spend on one]. QB has made huge strides on the top line this year as a winger. Valardi proved he can't play the 3c, and only got better when he went to the wing, which is where he's playing right now. PLD is turning out to be a huge dissapointment for sure. I didn't want Gabe to be traded, but we all thought we'd be getting good player in return, not this. All we can hope for is the dude turns it around.

But why did we have to package Vilardi and Iafallo together? We needed to move more salary, we start with Iafallo. Trade him for peanuts if we have to. Iafallo and Vilardi combined make less than what Dubois does.

 

[kingsfan28]

uhmm.... Kupari

HAHAHA!
How many times did he fail there? Almost every time. He the perfect example of a talented player with all the tools, but can't use them at the same time. He's going to be a 4th line center his whole career, that wishes he could do what lizzo does... who btw, is 4" shorter.

 

[kingsfan28]

We should have just traded Iafallo by himself. He's a good player but we needed the cap space. Literally any other center likely would have been a better decision than this guy.

JT Compher, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Kerfoot, Lars Eller, Nick Bjugstad, Vladimir Namestnikov, Matt Duchene... All of these guys were free agents and would have been better, cheaper options than Dubois. Not to mention some of the literal giveaways like Kevin Hayes retained at 50% for a 6th round pick.



But why did we have to package Vilardi and Iafallo together? We needed to move more salary, we start with Iafallo. Trade him for peanuts if we have to. Iafallo and Vilardi combined make less than what Dubois does.

Who's going to take 4 mil without sending a player or money back? Even ARZ, the contract boneyard wouldn't do it for just a 5th. For all we know, they were trying and no takers. I'm sure there are tons of deals that no one will ever hear about because two teams couldn't work out something.

 

[King'sPawn]

Who's going to take 4 mil without sending a player or money back? Even ARZ, the contract boneyard wouldn't do it for just a 5th. For all we know, they were trying and no takers. I'm sure there are tons of deals that no one will ever hear about because two teams couldn't work out something.

The trade was done before free agency. Every team would have had players walk. Teams could just, I don't know, not spent money on another free agent? And without spending money on PLD and with $4 million off the books from Iafallo, that alone is $12.5. Enough to keep Vilardi and sign a better, and less costly, 3C.

Though ultimately, suggesting that Iafallo wouldn't land a fifth says it all though. There are plenty of other posters who shoot down every suggestion as impossible, then ask us what is Blake supposed to do, while the GM punches himself in the crotch.

 

[kingsfan28]

The trade was done before free agency. Every team would have had players walk. Teams could just, I don't know, not spent money on another free agent? And without spending money on PLD and with $4 million off the books from Iafallo, that alone is $12.5. Enough to keep Vilardi and sign a better, and less costly, 3C.

Though ultimately, suggesting that Iafallo wouldn't land a fifth says it all though. There are plenty of other posters who shoot down every suggestion as impossible, then ask us what is Blake supposed to do, while the GM punches himself in the crotch.

That made me laugh. What would've been fair value for AI alone? IMO, He's worth more as part of a deal than alone. I looked at the Valardi deal and he was set to go to arbitration , which means he was going to be doing it here too. I wonder if that played into it ?

 

[kilowatt]

That made me laugh. What would've been fair value for AI alone? IMO, He's worth more as part of a deal than alone. I looked at the Valardi deal and he was set to go to arbitration , which means he was going to be doing it here too. I wonder if that played into it ?

Reilly Smith went to the Penguins from Vegas for a third round pick. Colton to Colorado for a 2nd. Toffoli to New Jersey for Sharangovich and a 3rd. All three guys are close enough to Iafallo with no salary going the other way.

Or how about just trading Iafallo and picks or prospects for a center? Blake had to sell half the farm to get out from under the Cal Petersen debacle just to double down on Dubois.

 

[Kudelski37]

HAHAHA!
How many times did he fail there? Almost every time. He the perfect example of a talented player with all the tools, but can't use them at the same time. He's going to be a 4th line center his whole career, that wishes he could do what lizzo does... who btw, is 4" shorter.

In what way is this PLD better than Kupari? Factor in the contracts and it is lopsided in favor of Kupari.

 

[mysterman2]

It’s insane that this team is unable to hold a two goal lead over and over again.

On the bright side....we play florida, 3rd best in the east, detroit- a team we lost after holding a 2 goal lead just a week ago, and then Carolina- the team we had a 4-1 lead on last year in their barn going into the 3rd period- only to lose in OT 5-4 while Tmac at no point used his timeout in that game either. what could possibly go wrong?

Los Angeles Kings vs. Carolina Hurricanes Box Score: January 31, 2023 | Hockey-Reference.com

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[Sausages]

I don't care if kopi is the captain, that stuff is for the birds. What he can't be anymore is the no. 1 center. Let's get weird and switch him and PLD

I dunno, BtoP, having been a low level team sport player in my agile days, a group was definitely more gee'd up and on their toe's when the captain was strong and acting like a petit général.

It's human nature to look to the chosen leader and they are extremely useful at crux time. They can make others clutch.

My disagreement with you is made with all due respect!

 

[Bandit]

We should have just traded Iafallo by himself. He's a good player but we needed the cap space. Literally any other center likely would have been a better decision than this guy.

JT Compher, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Kerfoot, Lars Eller, Nick Bjugstad, Vladimir Namestnikov, Matt Duchene... All of these guys were free agents and would have been better, cheaper options than Dubois. Not to mention some of the literal giveaways like Kevin Hayes retained at 50% for a 6th round pick.



But why did we have to package Vilardi and Iafallo together? We needed to move more salary, we start with Iafallo. Trade him for peanuts if we have to. Iafallo and Vilardi combined make less than what Dubois does.

Playing Iafallo at center would have been a better move that the dipshit trade for PLD. Don't care if he's never played center in his life. Couldn't possibly be worse. PLD has 16 points and the year is nearly half done. Even Huberdeau isn't that bad, and Calgary fans want to launch him into a brick wall.

 

[YP44]

sick of these blown leads. Kopitar and Byfield have been shut down pretty good in the last few games, and unfortunately the depth we were promised has not stepped up.

Not sure if solution is changing lines, calling up a Fagemo or Thomas, or what. Don't see a trade a solution as I do not trust Blake and the team does not have the cap space. Don't see the coach being shown the door either (although i want Gallant).

 

[bland]

I saw the score and am actually happy. When you really don’t believe the team is good enough, the roster is massively problematic, and the coach and GM are clueless, the only hope is for them to keep losing until something changes.

Its been 9 years.

This was obvious after year 1. They aren't going to learn.

 

[bland]

Lombardi gave his kids room to grow, learned their strengths and weaknesses, then reacted accordingly and definitively. He saw that he had a fine group of players that couldn't motivate themselves beyond their talents, then brought in exactly the right voices and experience to maximize them.

Blake has refused to learn this lesson. Its year after year of poor judgments, severe overpayments for players that HAD to leave their previous situations, and doubling down on the same 14 hand he has had since day 1.

He is the worst GM in teams history. A Cup core in its prime wasted. A rebuild wasted. A retool on the fly where he deals a #1 defenseman and a top line winger under cost-control for problematic 2nd and 3rd/4th line players signed to max contracts.

 

[The Butcher]

sick of these blown leads. Kopitar and Byfield have been shut down pretty good in the last few games, and unfortunately the depth we were promised has not stepped up.

Not sure if solution is changing lines, calling up a Fagemo or Thomas, or what. Don't see a trade a solution as I do not trust Blake and the team does not have the cap space. Don't see the coach being shown the door either (although i want Gallant).

I can't remember a situation similar to what's happening now with the Kings where the coach isn't replaced (capped out after GM just made his "over the top" trade while the team is freefalling after a hot start). I can't imagine that TM is still the coach by the time the team is back to LA.

AEG will give Blake at least another year but I can't see how he survives the optics of doing nothing to change things up when the team looks this lost. McClellan has got to go, I think it's almost inevitable at this point.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

This fkng team sucks I swear this is the worst loss of the season

So far

 

[Bandit]

I can't remember a situation similar to what's happening now with the Kings where the coach isn't replaced (capped out after GM just made his "over the top" trade while the team is freefalling after a hot start). I can't imagine that TM is still the coach by the time the team is back to LA.

AEG will give Blake at least another year but I can't see how he survives the optics of doing nothing to change things up when the team looks this lost. McClellan has got to go, I think it's almost inevitable at this point.

Hard to imagine how Blake, who has won nothing other than "The Biggest Shitbrick GM" award would be allowed to have more coaches than Lombardi who actually won two cups, but then again Kings.

 

[LAKings88]

Kempe is the best player on this team.

Fiala would be second in my book.

I would sit Grundstrom for Fagemo at this point. Put Fagemo with Danault and Moore.
Put him on the first PP.

Put Fiala back with Dubois.

Play Clarke and Spence and fn sit Englund.
Slide Roy to his off side.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Sit Englund when you are playing Tkachuk who has bullied the Kings his entire career along with Lomberg and Gadjovich.

This is Blake's fault. I keep repeating. If he had any TOUGHNESS on the 3rd or 4th line he could afford to sit Englund.

This is the softest 12 forwards in the ENTIRE NHL.

 

[johnjm22]

Dubois sucks.
Kopitar looks like he might be slowing down.
Lizotte hasn't been the same since the concussion.

What was supposed to be the Kings strength, is starting to look like a weakness. Danault looks like our #1 center.

Also, the Anderson-Doughty pairing has been getting worked lately.

 

[Schrute farms]

We should have just traded Iafallo by himself. He's a good player but we needed the cap space. Literally any other center likely would have been a better decision than this guy.

JT Compher, Ryan O'Reilly, Alex Kerfoot, Lars Eller, Nick Bjugstad, Vladimir Namestnikov, Matt Duchene... All of these guys were free agents and would have been better, cheaper options than Dubois. Not to mention some of the literal giveaways like Kevin Hayes retained at 50% for a 6th round pick.



But why did we have to package Vilardi and Iafallo together? We needed to move more salary, we start with Iafallo. Trade him for peanuts if we have to. Iafallo and Vilardi combined make less than what Dubois does.

Don't forget the early 2nd round pick we traded too (AZ Durzi pick)

 

[tny760]

Dubois sucks.
Kopitar looks like he might be slowing down.
Lizotte hasn't been the same since the concussion.

What was supposed to be the Kings strength, is starting to look like a weakness. Danault looks like our #1 center.

Also, the Anderson-Doughty pairing has been getting worked lately.

that d pairing has been such a surprise

doughty's been ringing up the bonehead play counter like his life depends on it but mikey's just flat been making mistakes

i feel like i've noticed in general the defensemen just defaulting to floating to the corners and cheaply ringing pucks around that are too difficult to break out. if you're gonna cheaply lose possession, i'd almost rather you guy boucher it out to the neutral zone and reload

 

[johnjm22]

that d pairing has been such a surprise

doughty's been ringing up the bonehead play counter like his life depends on it but mikey's just flat been making mistakes

i feel like i've noticed in general the defensemen just defaulting to floating to the corners and cheaply ringing pucks around that are too difficult to break out. if you're gonna cheaply lose possession, i'd almost rather you guy boucher it out to the neutral zone and reload

It's inexcusable for Doughty to be leading the NHL in TOI/G at 34 years old.