Confirmed with Link: Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kuapri, Gabe Vilardi + 2024 2nd round pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois

[Sol]

You think QB is completely cooked. I think we all agree Turcotte and Kupari aren’t the answer at scoring line center.

If Kopitar either retires or falls off what is our center situation going to look like next season (fall off) or in the future (retirement)?

Who is going to center all these wingers that you want to keep?

If Kopitar retires when his contract ends here what does our center depth look like?

This is exactly why not trading for Eichel was Blake’s biggest mistake as GM. The center issue was always going to be a thing as Kopitar got older. Now because he passed on a much better player 2 years ago (for probably a similar cost), he is now forced to trade for someone not nearly as good and pay him similarly.

All valid questions.


He should have traded for Eichel and drafted better. I thought the concept of trading for Eichel was the only true Hail Mary option. I never understood why Eichel had so many detractors on here when there was no one on this team who could hold his jock.

Blake didn’t fix anything. He just gave up Vilardi and signed PLD for 8 years.

I do think byfield is COOKED. Yes. I think bad drafting and lack of action cooked this team too.

Blake is just doing his death throes right now.

I don’t know if you truly know my position. I was always against the direction of this team.

Either rebuild correctly or keep rebuilding until you do. I think keeping Kopitar and Doughty was the biggest mistake this organization ever made. Keeping Todd to run them like quarterbacks rather than mentors was another massive mistake.

 

[King'sPawn]

You think QB is completely cooked. I think we all agree Turcotte and Kupari aren’t the answer at scoring line center.

If Kopitar either retires or falls off what is our center situation going to look like next season (fall off) or in the future (retirement)?

Who is going to center all these wingers that you want to keep?

If Kopitar retires when his contract ends here what does our center depth look like?

This is exactly why not trading for Eichel was Blake’s biggest mistake as GM. The center issue was always going to be a thing as Kopitar got older. Now because he passed on a much better player 2 years ago (for probably a similar cost), he is now forced to trade for someone not nearly as good and pay him similarly.

The problem is still the developmental plan and path. As long as they slow-boil prospects while intending to contend now, they'll always going to be overpaying to continue to contend.

Kings shouldn't have made this deal just like they shouldn't have made the Fiala deal. Just like they shouldn't have made the Eichel deal. If your prospects can't fill in any holes and you have to keep making trades and UFA signings because your prospects aren't ready fast enough, then you're depleting futures just to try to make an impact now.

The Kings strength was their depth. And the best forward developed in Blake's tenure was traded away just as he finally was healthy and had a full season. And what's more, they've made practically zero moves to recover any futures they have spent. The last time the Kings acquired a pick by trading away a roster player? Jeff Carter back in 2021, for a 3rd and 4th pick. Heck, Vegas even got a pick back when they traded for Eichel and they won a cup with him.

There is virtually no thinking beyond the upcoming season, if that.

 

[Herby]

Maybe, but you are looking back 2-3 years later, knowing Eichel came through a never done before surgery with flying colors,

How good would Vegas have looked, if there was complications?

Well amazingly the same people who were so worried about Eichel don’t seem to have the same concerns with Vilardi. Why is that?

Btw, even 20 months ago when Eichel was traded the same concerns about the Kings C issues were relevant and were discussed significantly on this forum. So please let’s not do the MMQB/Hindsight is 2020. Many people thought that if it wasn’t Eichel it was going to be somebody else, and now it’s somebody else and people are still pissed. The complete denial of many to see Kopitar is 36 and there is no one behind him is quite interesting.

What is the Kings C situation after this season if Kopitar retires and this trade wasn’t made.

Danault
Byfield
Kupari
Lizotte
Turcotte

Come on GBH, you know the importance of C’s. That is a laughably bad group.

 

[KingsHockey24]

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

 

[Sol]

Well amazingly the same people who were so worried about Eichel don’t seem to have the same concerns with Vilardi. Why is that?

Btw, even 20 months ago when Eichel was traded the same concerns about the Kings C issues were relevant and were discussed significantly on this forum. So please let’s not do the MMQB/Hindsight is 2020. Many people thought that if it wasn’t Eichel it was going to be somebody else, and now it’s somebody else and people are still pissed. The complete denial of many to see Kopitar is 36 and there is no one behind him is quite interesting.

What is the Kings C situation after this season if Kopitar retires and this trade wasn’t made.

Danault
Byfield
Kupari
Lizotte
Turcotte

Come on GBH, you know the importance of C’s. That is a laughably bad group.

That’s honestly something that pisses me off.

Do I think Byfield is a bust? 90 percent yes.

But that doesn’t change the point why the f*** are we playing him at wings? Maybe this dude that looks like trash needs to have a real shot at top 6 center icetime before we sign someone like PLD for 8 years. He’s no Eichel. Don’t think we should have pulled the trigger at that price for mediocre return.

For Eichel absolutely I’d be cool with.

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

Yeah. This does fall squarely on byfields shoulders. Had he been really good we wouldn’t be getting PLD. However the question for me remains Vilardi>>Byfield. Why didn’t the Kings give up byfield instead if they plan on having Byfield play wing when Vilardi is already a better winger by far

 

[Herby]

"But guys, what could possibly go wrong with acquiring ALL the skilled forwards on one team and mortgaging the future while skimping on goaltending?"

*looks around nervously after checking where the 2003-04 Colorado Avalanche finished...

Mortgage the future?

PLD WILL BE 25 THIS SEASON AND GV WILL BE 24.

Sorry to yell but this point needs to be hammered home because the general attitude here makes it seem like one is 20 and the other is 30.

So if those two basically cancel out.

Kupari -23
Iafallo - 30
2nd round pick

That is mortgaging the future?

 

[Moses Doughty]

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

I mean, we also might not be going for PLD if Kupari himself had shown any inkling of being a top 6 center 4 years post-draft

 

[KingsHockey24]

That’s honestly something that pisses me off.

Do I think Byfield is a bust? 90 percent yes.

But that doesn’t change the point why the f*** are we playing him at wings? Maybe this dude that looks like trash needs to have a real shot at top 6 center icetime before we sign someone like PLD for 8 years. He’s no Eichel. Don’t think we should have pulled the trigger at that price for mediocre return.

For Eichel absolutely I’d be cool with.


Yeah. This does fall squarely on byfields shoulders. Had he been really good we wouldn’t be getting PLD. However the question for me remains Vilardi>>Byfield. Why didn’t the Kings give up byfield instead if they plan on having Byfield play wing when Vilardi is already a better winger by far

Money.

We wouldn't have room to re-sign both PLD and Vilardi.

 

[King'sPawn]

Unreal that Byfield and Kupari are being blamed for the trade, and not the Kings putting every forward in the crockpot because they don't know any other recipes for success.

 

[Surf Nutz]

He won't think those PIMs are that cool when he watches him take so many stupid penalties.
Nonetheless, when PLD plays he can take a game over. Look at game one of the playoffs he dominated and Jets took over. Unfortunately after that you didn't see him much out there.

Ya cant to that with the Oil in our division.
Coach will have to collar him.
So we all know what happens next,

 

[Herby]

The problem is still the developmental plan and path. As long as they slow-boil prospects while intending to contend now, they'll always going to be overpaying to continue to contend.

Kings shouldn't have made this deal just like they shouldn't have made the Fiala deal. Just like they shouldn't have made the Eichel deal. If your prospects can't fill in any holes and you have to keep making trades and UFA signings because your prospects aren't ready fast enough, then you're depleting futures just to try to make an impact now.

The Kings strength was their depth. And the best forward developed in Blake's tenure was traded away just as he finally was healthy and had a full season. And what's more, they've made practically zero moves to recover any futures they have spent. The last time the Kings acquired a pick by trading away a roster player? Jeff Carter back in 2021, for a 3rd and 4th pick. Heck, Vegas even got a pick back when they traded for Eichel and they won a cup with him.

There is virtually no thinking beyond the upcoming season, if that.

I agree in the big picture.

The worst moves this team made were in the summer of 2021 when they officially aborted the rebuild. The moves themselves individually were not bad, but it sent the team in the wrong direction when it comes to building a true winner.

The Kings should have sucked the last 2 years, let young players sink or swim and most importantly added hopefully more truly impact pieces, especially in this draft that is loaded at the top.

But we can’t change what happened, and once they made that step and entered the contending mode you had to add outside pieces who will immediately help.

 

[Cianide]

Good trade. The only negative I see is that vilardi could've been one hell of a center in la. Like 100+ point center, but we couldn't develop him as such. Kings get the guy they need at 2c and become a deeper team. F all the haters.

 

[deaderhead28]

I mean, we also might not be going for PLD if Kupari himself had shown any inkling of being a top 6 center 4 years post-draft

We agree % If Byfield or Kupari were actually proformancing at the level needed for top line center minutes, Blake wouldn't be forced to trade AI and Vilardi.

 

[Seattle King]

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

You're wrong here. Turcotte, drafted #5 overall, is the one who is supposed to be playing 2C in this, his age 22-23 season. It's not going to happen, now or ever, so Blake wisely acquired an excellent player in his stead.

 

[deaderhead28]

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

%

 

[johnjm22]

At the end of the day we can blame Quinton Byfield for being the reason Vilardi and Kupari were moved.

Had he shown that he could play center at a high level then we would've had no need for PLD.

Even if Byfield panned out, the Kings still needed another Center.

 

[tigermask48]

Mortgage the future?

PLD WILL BE 25 THIS SEASON AND GV WILL BE 24.

Sorry to yell but this point needs to be hammered home because the general attitude here makes it seem like one is 20 and the other is 30.

So if those two basically cancel out.

Kupari -23
Iafallo - 30
2nd round pick

That is mortgaging the future?

Trades don't happen in a vacuum Herby.

The Kings just gave up the one piece from their mini rebuild they did that hasn't fallen flat on it's face, and looked to be capable of driving offense on a line, as well as the one forward that was decent on the worst PK in the league.

That for a player that may have quit on two franchises already, and is now stuck in LA at a significant cap hit for 8 years while the team has NO goaltending to speak of, not enough cap space to even dress a 23 man roster without additional subtractions, and a significant lack of draft picks over the next few years to improve the roster from within.

Yes. They've mortgaged the future because all this offensive talent is put in the hands of a defense first coach obsessed with the 1-3-1 system that stifles offensive creativity, which (all caps mode activated)

IS THE F$@%ING MAIN STRENGTH OF THIS TEAM NOW.

But I guess enjoy the return to the Black Hole years.

 

[aceofpace]

Hey folks,

Just dropping by to say thank you for those who have shared their thoughts on the Jets Board - classy, informative and funny as usual.

It sucks that PLD wanted out, but hopefully you get his best play for the majority of his Contract & this ends up being a good deal for both Teams.

Enjoy your Summer with your families,

Cheers

Thanks, mate.

Since I already called this the worst trade in Kings history (mainly because of Gabe) I'll concentrate on the positives, just to make myself feel better.

1. I didn't realize this myself but PLD is only a year older than Vilardi and has been very durable which we can't say about GV.
2. While losing Vilardi, Kupari, etc. hurts it does open the way for younger guys to play. Kaliyev, Turcotte? Chromiak?
3. This bring insurance if QB doesn't work out as a no. 1 center in the near future.

I'll probably be looking at the careers of both PLD and GV and compare them for the foreseeable future. If PLD can outproduce GV then I'll be fine with the trade.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Unreal that Byfield and Kupari are being blamed for the trade, and not the Kings putting every forward in the crockpot because they don't know any other recipes for success.

The failed picks and development of Byfield , Turcotte, and Kupari are to blame.

 

[tigermask48]

The failed picks and development of Byfield , Turcotte, and Kupari are to blame.

No, the inability of Kings management to properly develop these picks is 1000% to blame.

 

[KingsHockey24]

The failed picks and development of Byfield , Turcotte, and Kupari are to blame.

I don't think Kupari failed at all.

If you go back to the day we drafted him it was mentioned he doesn't have much offense to give and will likely end up being a good bottom six forward.

 

[Herby]

Trades don't happen in a vacuum Herby.

The Kings just gave up the one piece from their mini rebuild they did that hasn't fallen flat on it's face, and looked to be capable of driving offense on a line, as well as the one forward that was decent on the worst PK in the league.

That for a player that may have quit on two franchises already, and is now stuck in LA at a significant cap hit for 8 years while the team has NO goaltending to speak of, not enough cap space to even dress a 23 man roster without additional subtractions, and a significant lack of draft picks over the next few years to improve the roster from within.

Yes. They've mortgaged the future because all this offensive talent is put in the hands of a defense first coach obsessed with the 1-3-1 system that stifles offensive creativity, which (all caps mode activated)

IS THE F$@%ING MAIN STRENGTH OF THIS TEAM NOW.

But I guess enjoy the return to the Black Hole years.

So what? That is just prospect adoration. It doesn’t matter, they traded for a 25 year old and gave up a 24 year old as the key piece. Does it matter where each guy was drafted 6 and 7 years ago?

The return to the black hole did not start from this trade, it started with the Danault signing, continued with the VA trade, the Fiala trade and the Gavrikov trade. These moves (and the PLD one) are the types of moves you have to make when you have painted yourself into a corner to try and win in a very small window.

And for the most part all of these black hole trades and signings were largely cheered on here.

 

[unicornpig]

Unreal that Byfield and Kupari are being blamed for the trade, and not the Kings putting every forward in the crockpot because they don't know any other recipes for success.

people have gone bat shit insane from this trade.

 

[sinister6000]

Do you people remember how everyone wanted Durzi to go the f*** away

I'm not upset they got rid of Durzi, I still think they should have got more than a 2nd. Blake traded a 2nd for Lias Anderson for crying out loud.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

No, the inability of Kings management to properly develop these picks is 1000% to blame.

Uhhhh ?