Dont think Blake is or will be in panic mode. I think he probably already has an idea on his future. I would not be shocked if he gets moved up and Bergevin takes over.
Speculation: 2025 TDL Discussion
- Thread starter KopitarGOAT420
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Reaper45
Registered User
I’d like to see Doughty moved. It’s been time to do so but let’s turn over a new leaf.
Don't see that happening under this management group, unless Drew asks to be moved. The only way it might happen is if ownership cleans house and a completely new front office comes in.
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Blake will be sure to wait until Drew is absolutely devoid of value to make his move.
I fully support this.
But if you're insinuating that the Kings would need to trade Kopitar in order for Byfield to have that opportunity - I don't know if I fully agree with that.
I see Doughty as a blocker to Clarke more than I see Kopitar as a blocker to Byfield. Basically just comes down to Kopitar being older and his lower cap hit sliding down the lineup more easily. Their personalities are also a factor - I think Kopitar is much more likely to accept being pushed down the lineup at this point in his career whereas I could see Doughty being more stubborn and fighting harder to keep his minutes. Doughty's cap hit also more of a burden if he doesn't live up to it, whereas Kopitar should be able to still perform up to his $7m cap hit for the remainder of the term.
Chazz Reinhold
Registered User
Love to see that, They need Rd, so Spence 1st and moore? Then keep Gavrikov on right
Lt Dan
F*** your ice cream!
Would hate to lose Spence but it's probably inevitable to secure a player like Tuch. That package seems very very reasonable. Buffalo gets a good young RHD with a very favorable cap hit for this year and next. They also get a serviceable middle 6 winger in Moore. Plus a 1st round pick. And the Kings get back a very good top 6 winger with size who shoots right - signed to a very reasonable cap hit for this season and next.
Would also allow the Kings to give Clarke consistent powerplay time.
Laferriere - Kopitar - Kempe
Fiala - Byfield - Tuch
Turcotte - Danault - Foegele
Jeannot - Helenius - Thomas/Lewis
Anderson - Doughty
Moverare - Gavrikov
Edmundson - Clarke
Forward group gets a decent upgrade but the defense takes a small hit. I don't hate it but I'm not sure how big of a boost this would be if Spence is going the other way.
Would also leave some dollars on cap with Moore going other way and we could then go after legit 4c, like an Evan's out of Montreal
Raccoon Jesus
We were right there
Was wondering what Blake’s Clarke-Greentree-1st disaster was gonna be
Didn’t have it pegged as Tuch, thisll be the final nail in the coffin
Didn’t have it pegged as Tuch, thisll be the final nail in the coffin
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
- 21,531
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By all accounts Buffalo wants to make a "hockey trade". They want players that can help them win NOW.
I know that seems counterintuitive from the outside looking in, but you've gotta understand their perspective; they're desperate to get the team competitive. They've been taking on futures for over a decade.
Sabres are reluctant to move Tuch. I imagine they're listening, but it would take an over payment and they'd want roster player(s) coming back.
I know that seems counterintuitive from the outside looking in, but you've gotta understand their perspective; they're desperate to get the team competitive. They've been taking on futures for over a decade.
Sabres are reluctant to move Tuch. I imagine they're listening, but it would take an over payment and they'd want roster player(s) coming back.
Herby
How could Blake have known?
People will say that is why they are offering Moore, Spence and a 1st and why Buffalo may take something like that. But a deal centered around Brandt Clarke also gives Buffalo a piece that helps them right now (with still high upside) fills an organizational need and gives them the opportunity to trade one of their surplus LHD (probably Byram) to help.
I think we often see people failing to realize there are probably at least 4-6 other teams that might be interested in Tuch, they make offers that don't factor in the market dynamics that drastically change around the deadline.
And another thing with including a guy like Moore is not factoring in other variables to his value. Trevor Moore is 30 years and playing for his hometown team, which despite being firmly in the blackhole is still a playoff team, how is his morale going to be heading to an undesirable market to play for a bottom-feeder team? This is something I think fans don't consider enough, but Buffalo management certainly should. Where as Clarke is going closer to home, going to a younger team and will be given an opportunity to shine in his contract year next season, he would be way more motivated to go to Buffalo than Moore and Spence would.
If I were Buffalo I'd be demanding Clarke in any deal with the Kings, as he checks both boxes in helping in the immediate and still has the potential star upside, and Buffalo knows the Kings get a guy in his prime with a solid history of 1st/2nd line production, signed to a ridiculously cheap deal that gives the Kings two kicks at the can before Kopitar retires. People will balk at trading Clarke, but the reality is, due to the infamous "slow-cook" his value isn't what it would be had he been handled the way most teams would have handled him, he's just not going to be the key piece going for a star player and he's not helping enough now where the Kings aren't going to trade for a potential 30 goal right shot winger (the teams biggest need by far)
Now just like with the Faber deal, I wish it wasn't like this, I wish we were coming out of a rebuild right now with a team poised to contend for the next 8 years (which could have been the case), but every move this team has made since the summer of 2021 has been made to try and win a championship before 11/8 retire, and for this season and next, Alec Tuch just gives the Kings a better chance to accomplish that than Brandt Clarke does.
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
- 21,531
- 19,034
Trading Clarke for Tuch after refusing to trade him for Jack Eichel and ending up with an RD of Doughty, Spence, and a 30 year old playing his off side would be a fitting end to Blake & Luc’s run
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
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In a way, I think Tuch fits LA's "timeline" perfectly. Him, Kopitar and Kempe are all UFA's after next season. I guess LA will go all in until Kopitar retires.
I think Clarke getting traded is a very real possibility. I don't think LA wants both Spence and Clarke in the lineup (they tried to re-sign Roy). They're now happy with Gavrikov on the right side and Drew is back too.
Blake sent Iafallo and Vilardi to Winnipeg. Quick to Columbus. Durzi to Phoenix. I don't think they'd have any problem sending Moore to Buffalo. (Tuch is also playing for his hometown team BTW).
Moore and Clarke for Tuch would be my guess. Maybe there's additional pieces like Zucker/Greenway/picks involved.
Herby
How could Blake have known?
Not going to happen. They will continue to ride with 11 and 8 through next season, then Kopitar retires and the Kings give Doughty the option to either retire or play one final season somewhere else, like Mike Modano did. With the cap going up and the Kings entering a rebuild they can easily retain half on Doughty and any team that wants him could have him for one run at a reasonable cap hit.
I bet Blake signs on for one more year too, and they will tell us to "Get a chance to finish the job in Kopitar's final season"
The only thing that can end this sooner is AEG. And at this point I think they are either 1) Absentee or 2) Don't want to force Kopitar out
Herby
How could Blake have known?
My angle on Moore was that Buffalo would be more concerned with a sulking player who was just traded to a bad Buffalo team shortly are re-signing with his hometown team and may struggle on and off the ice (see Jeff Carter). I have no doubt that Blake would trade Moore to Pyongang if it made the team better, but Buffalo would probably be concerned with that and the fact that he is 30 next month.
I agree with you that Buffalo might want to win now more than acquire Greentree (although he'd be close for a team not afraid to play U-21 guys) or draft picks, but I think the win now can be accomplished with guys like Clarke, Turcotte or Spence as well. None of those guys are "kids" anymore, they could all help Buffalo now and for the future.
I think if Buffalo did take Moore along with Clarke, that they would possibly look at flipping Moore to a contender. Just as I think you are right that Tuch's age fits LA like a glove, I don't think Moore's age fits where Buffalo is.
FSL KINGS
Registered User
- May 10, 2021
- 3,294
- 2,983
Don't worry. Can't really think of anything currently available being worth Clarke, Greentree & a 1st.
Now if Pit would retain 50% on E. Karlsson! Look out!
Feel like you're under valuing Clarke her. If he's available, something much better than Tuch needs to be coming back.
Buffalo also rumored to possibly be moving one of Power or Byrum.
Side note, Doughty needs to go. He just isn't a good use of 11 million. Lots of GM's would jump at the opportunity still.
Herby
How could Blake have known?
Nope, he's not undervaluing him, it's others overvaluing him. I think everyone here knows I think highly of Clarke, but he's in his 4th year in the organization as a Top 10 pick, and was healthy scratched not long ago. What team is going to trade something "much better" than Tuch for a player that the Kings themselves view as their 6th or 7th best defenseman right now? Clarke is still young, but he's not 18 or 19, high-end defenseman are usually further along by now. Yes a lot of that has to do with ridiculous development and deployment decisions by the Kings, but other teams don't have a time machine to put him in the NHL at 19 or 20 like they would have had they drafted him.
Clarke missing out on 120+ more NHL games he would have had for a lot of teams has damaged his current trade value, and it will be TBD if it damaged his long-term ceiling.
Every time Blake tries one of these moves, the Kings do not improve in the short term and are worse off by the following season.
Trading either RD for a winger is a bad move considering the value of a RD compared to a winger and the Kings lack of depth at defense. Any trade is really just for this year because you can always pick up a winger in free agency. Trading either puts the Kings one injury away from either skating 5 D or giving Burroughs a regular shift. The Kings would be two injuries from relying on what, Jones and Burroughs? They aren't winning a round in the playoffs with that defense, if they make it, in those situations, despite getting Tuch.
The only hope for the Kings is for one of those Vegas special injuries to a large cap hit that ends at the playoffs allowing the Kings to exchange Moore for a similarly underperforming right shot with a larger contract.
Trading either RD for a winger is a bad move considering the value of a RD compared to a winger and the Kings lack of depth at defense. Any trade is really just for this year because you can always pick up a winger in free agency. Trading either puts the Kings one injury away from either skating 5 D or giving Burroughs a regular shift. The Kings would be two injuries from relying on what, Jones and Burroughs? They aren't winning a round in the playoffs with that defense, if they make it, in those situations, despite getting Tuch.
The only hope for the Kings is for one of those Vegas special injuries to a large cap hit that ends at the playoffs allowing the Kings to exchange Moore for a similarly underperforming right shot with a larger contract.
The hockey world has been talking about how badly Blake was fleeced in trading both Vilardi and Faber for the last year plus. If rumors of Clarke being available started before Blake completed a traded of him, then there would be a bidding war. Everyone wants a shot at stealing young stars from this fool.
johnjm22
Pseudo Intellectual
- Aug 2, 2005
- 21,531
- 19,034
You could say that about any player. Moore signed his deal back in 2022. It wasn't that recent.
I think he was probably thrilled just to get that contract. An undrafted player who fought against the odds and made the big leagues. Hadn't even done a whole lot when he signed it.
lumbergh
It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good idea.
I still think Turcotte is a much likelier trade chip than Clarke. Both have value and potential, but the Kings are trying to upgrade Turcotte's spot, not Clarke's spot.
Lt Dan
F*** your ice cream!
I'll do a trade boards quality trade proposal
To Buffalo: Spence, 2047 7th rounder, 2084 6th rounder, conditional 2nd in 2090
(the conditions are that the Kings must win 64 straight cups and Tuch has to win a grammy)
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