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

[Bandit]

I mean, both things are true

He was overly conservative and sat on several big problems that we called out...while just sitting on depreciating assets and not playing youth

seemingly suddenly he became aware of the problems and spent a premium to try to address them, blowing assets and overpaying just because they exist, and maybe being forced into finally playing 'youth' because of cap issues, waiver cockblocks, and trading everything not nailed down to erase problems of his own creation...that still exist by the way

To quote Buffalo’s twitter from years ago:

“LOL, no goalie”

 

[fsanford]

There’s a few ifs about Vilardi but it’s not about skill or ability. If Vilardi remains healthy he will absolutely be a force to be reckoned with. I don’t think that’s up for debate. Which king pick have you seen in recent history that has his hip key iq, shot, hand eye coordination, size, mixed in with ridiculous hands. He has all the makings of a superstar. I’m not exaggerating. He has A LOT of good tools in his game to top it off really good hockey IQ.

I know this is “one good year” debate but there’s very little reason to think he won’t break out. Only thing hindering him is health but if that is a small issue then there’s no reason to think that Vilardi will regress.

There’s a better chance that Kempe will fizzle out than Vilardi stagnating.

He had 4 very good weeks to start the year., and an average year after that. Still lots of questions of consistency with him.

Those 4 weeks certainly propelled him into arrived status. And then he scores 12 the next 5 months.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

He had 4 very good weeks to start the year., and an average year after that. Still lots of questions of consistency with him.

Those 4 weeks certainly propelled him into arrived status. And then he scores 12 the next 5 months.

I said it elsewhere but if you remove Vilardi’s hot streak to start the year, he had 15 goals in 52 games played.

Respectable top nine numbers but nothing earth shattering.

 

[Sol]

He had 4 very good weeks to start the year., and an average year after that. Still lots of questions of consistency with him.

Those 4 weeks certainly propelled him into arrived status. And then he scores 12 the next 5 months.

When you consider the limited role he was given while being completely cemented out of the top 6 due to Todd’s favoritism towards vets I think he showed tremendous potential. I don’t get the constant need to downplay him.

 

[Nasti]

People were ready to offer him the Kempe contract five games into the season.

 

[AbsentMojo]

When you consider the limited role he was given while being completely cemented out of the top 6 due to Todd’s favoritism towards vets I think he showed tremendous potential. I don’t get the constant need to downplay him.

Would be so cool if you could see the alternate reality of a coach that wanted to develop players and see where Vilardi, Spence, Kaliyev and Kupari would be right now. Unfortunately its all conjecture but we know in our gut the story would be much different. Koala is a shit development coach and Im betting Vilardi scores at .75 pt a game clip in the peg playing top 6 and pp1.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Ok, so these looks a bit weird.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I was at work but didn't Vilardi talk some shit during his interview today?

PLD will bounce his head against the ice like a basketball.

 

[Live in the Now]

When you consider the limited role he was given while being completely cemented out of the top 6 due to Todd’s favoritism towards vets I think he showed tremendous potential. I don’t get the constant need to downplay him.

It wasn't just due to Todd's favoritism towards vets. I mean obviously that's some part in it but he missed a lot of time in the middle of the season and missed everything leading up to the playoffs. He's a big injury concern for good reason. With a dumbass coach like Todd, if you aren't there to play 70 games you're going to get shuffled down the lines or forgotten about. The team also wasn't great without him so you have to ask how much losing him for those 20 games a season is going to hurt the team. Dubois played 80 games 3 times and produced more than Vilardi in all but one season.

The problem with the trade isn't Vilardi for PLD. It's the contract and it's the fact they didn't trade for a goalie. It's a mystery how this team is going to stop pucks. They'll score a ton but you have to stop a puck.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Praising Blake any chance you get buddy? Lol back to the well we go.

I am not that big of a Lizotte fan.

 

[BigKing]

Do you see how your argument doesn’t logically track? How can you be of the mind that he is absolutely the most talented and best player from the farm but then insinuate that replicating or even out performing this recent season seem unlikely? How does that make sense? The only thing your argument has going for it is the unknown element that we don’t know how bad or if there is a real back issue with him still.

Because again, if there isn’t, there is no real way Vilardi stagnates. He has way too much going for him.

Being the most skilled Blake draft pick we've seen at the NHL level so far doesn't mean a damn thing. That's how that tracks.

*Edit*

It's also all about the Brandt Clarke show now as he is the prospect with the vision, IQ, etc. Him being amazing will go a long way towards fixing Blake's rebuild failure.

 

[Sol]

Being the most skilled Blake draft pick we've seen at the NHL level so far doesn't mean a damn thing. That's how that tracks.

*Edit*

It's also all about the Brandt Clarke show now as he is the prospect with the vision, IQ, etc. Him being amazing will go a long way towards fixing Blake's rebuild failure.

Does that mean that Vilardi will be a failure to you even though he has all the hallmarks of an elite player ?

It wasn't just due to Todd's favoritism towards vets. I mean obviously that's some part in it but he missed a lot of time in the middle of the season and missed everything leading up to the playoffs. He's a big injury concern for good reason. With a dumbass coach like Todd, if you aren't there to play 70 games you're going to get shuffled down the lines or forgotten about. The team also wasn't great without him so you have to ask how much losing him for those 20 games a season is going to hurt the team. Dubois played 80 games 3 times and produced more than Vilardi in all but one season.

The problem with the trade isn't Vilardi for PLD. It's the contract and it's the fact they didn't trade for a goalie. It's a mystery how this team is going to stop pucks. They'll score a ton but you have to stop a puck.

I get all that bro, he’s an injury concern sure, but let’s say that the injury concern element is not an actual problem, do you seriously think it’s still a great trade especially the contract as well? You can’t look at the trade and not factor that massive contract.

 

[KingsFan7824]

You’re not a dumb person. You know the answer to this, and where each regime has differed.

I do. And I know what each inherited. And I get why the things that have been done in different situations were done. Neither guy people wanted the Kings to draft in 2015 helped either team that drafted them for 2 years. That would not have helped the Kings try to win again before the end of Kopitar's good contract, and no GM would've wasted the last good contract year of their 1C, truly elite contender or not. Certainly not with a Cup in recent memory. No team would've traded or allowed such a 1C with 2 Cups to his name to walk, even if he didn't lead that bunch of real men that DL had to import. Certainly not when the GM went all in that year, and the team was top 5 overall on the day the contract was announced.

And it's really absurd to call 17-18 one of the worst seasons in franchise history. In the top 3 contender or nothing theory, it makes sense, but communism also works in theory. The NHL is simply a business where the teams are trying to sell tickets. I know it didn't result in a Cup, and not even a single playoff victory, barely even a lead in a playoff game(if they even had one, I forget at this point). It's the same as well they shouldn't have even tried in 15-16. Like, what?

The 2006 Kings were primed for a rebuild. The 2015 Kings were not. The 2017 Kings were not. They weren't in a real position to do a foundational change rebuild in 2019 either. 2019 was not 2006, no matter how you cut it.

We'll get our real rebuild eventually. When it happens, I'm all on board.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I do. And I know what each inherited. And I get why the things that have been done in different situations were done. Neither guy people wanted the Kings to draft in 2015 helped either team that drafted them for 2 years. That would not have helped the Kings try to win again before the end of Kopitar's good contract, and no GM would've wasted the last good contract year of their 1C, truly elite contender or not. Certainly not with a Cup in recent memory. No team would've traded or allowed such a 1C with 2 Cups to his name to walk, even if he didn't lead that bunch of real men that DL had to import. Certainly not when the GM went all in that year, and the team was top 5 overall on the day the contract was announced.

And it's really absurd to call 17-18 one of the worst seasons in franchise history. In the top 3 contender or nothing theory, it makes sense, but communism also works in theory. The NHL is simply a business where the teams are trying to sell tickets. I know it didn't result in a Cup, and not even a single playoff victory, barely even a lead in a playoff game(if they even had one, I forget at this point). It's the same as well they shouldn't have even tried in 15-16. Like, what?

The 2006 Kings were primed for a rebuild. The 2015 Kings were not. The 2017 Kings were not. They weren't in a real position to do a foundational change rebuild in 2019 either. 2019 was not 2006, no matter how you cut it.

We'll get our real rebuild eventually. When it happens, I'm all on board.

I’m with you here. I don’t agree that 17/18 was one of the worst seasons in Kings history.

It just is what it is at this point, which is why I’m ultimately okay with the PLD trade. I wholly disagree with Blake’s approach to the “rebuild”, but that’s the way he decided to do it.

One way or another, we’re either hurtling toward immediate contention, or Blake’s firing. It’s a win/win for me at this point.

 

[Surf Nutz]

I do. And I know what each inherited. And I get why the things that have been done in different situations were done. Neither guy people wanted the Kings to draft in 2015 helped either team that drafted them for 2 years. That would not have helped the Kings try to win again before the end of Kopitar's good contract, and no GM would've wasted the last good contract year of their 1C, truly elite contender or not. Certainly not with a Cup in recent memory. No team would've traded or allowed such a 1C with 2 Cups to his name to walk, even if he didn't lead that bunch of real men that DL had to import. Certainly not when the GM went all in that year, and the team was top 5 overall on the day the contract was announced.

And it's really absurd to call 17-18 one of the worst seasons in franchise history. In the top 3 contender or nothing theory, it makes sense, but communism also works in theory. The NHL is simply a business where the teams are trying to sell tickets. I know it didn't result in a Cup, and not even a single playoff victory, barely even a lead in a playoff game(if they even had one, I forget at this point). It's the same as well they shouldn't have even tried in 15-16. Like, what?

The 2006 Kings were primed for a rebuild. The 2015 Kings were not. The 2017 Kings were not. They weren't in a real position to do a foundational change rebuild in 2019 either. 2019 was not 2006, no matter how you cut it.

We'll get our real rebuild eventually. When it happens, I'm all on board.

Unless executive management above the GM, has an unwritten but discussed rule about not going the full rebuild route as their strategy.
And that is my suspicion.
Make the playoffs every year. Franchise relevance, Uncle Phil is getting old and may be forced to sell upon any age related issues.

 

[Nasti]

Fiala was Blake’s version of the Palffy trade. PLD is his version of the Allison deal. Trading depth for a headcase.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

I was at work but didn't Vilardi talk some shit during his interview today?

PLD will bounce his head against the ice like a basketball.

He took some thinly veiled shots at Todd. Came across kind of pompous and bitter. Nothing that hasn’t been beaten like a dead horse on this board. I mean he obviously seems a little butthurt and I can understand that. Kings also spared no expense (was in their best interest) in getting Gabe the best care and diagnosis for his back.

Was interesting to hear that he hadn’t heard anything from the team regarding a new contract. Then he said his agent handles all of that. Curious who his agent is? The fact that Blake and Luc have ties to Brisson is revealing though.lots of secret handshake bullshit going on I’m sure.

From the couple dudes I know that played pro hockey and the other couple that play and played in the NFL. The politics of professional sports is such a reach around it’s ridiculous. That’s why these former players are all getting GM jobs. I’m curious how many former players that are in management now all had the same representation?

 

[Live in the Now]

I get all that bro, he’s an injury concern sure, but let’s say that the injury concern element is not an actual problem, do you seriously think it’s still a great trade especially the contract as well? You can’t look at the trade and not factor that massive contract.

I never said it was a good trade much less a great trade so that's where I stand. I just don't have a problem with three parts of the trade they gave up, and I think we got the best player in the trade too. Iafallo had to be dumped, Kupari is a plug and Durzi got traded for the pick and Durzi is a bum. Two of the pieces we gave up in the final trade have no value to me. What we really gave up is Vilardi, a 2nd, and 8.5 million. Then factor in whatever contract Vilardi was getting. It's still not a good trade but Kupari and Iafallo is just a pile of nothing to me. It's like trading Ryder and Halak back in the day. The 8.5 is what tips this over into a bad trade. Nobody can justify this to me. Even if Dubois is better than Vilardi and I think he is, we're still paying him like he's an 80-90 point player.

I don't know how Blake could look at his own career and think 'wow man what we really need is more firepower instead of a goalie' this guy never won shit without Patrick Roy. Ideal world the team would have PLD and a goalie but the cap is going to prevent that and there's no more assets to trade nor should he be allowed to trade anything more that's actually an asset.

I'm getting the feeling though that Vilardi was going to be traded no matter what. They don't believe enough in him to pay him and to believe that he won't get hurt.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Nevertheless, did DL make a lot of future costing moves before winning in the 1st rd?

Yes, and every time he did, there was a clear top line player who was young and cost controlled. So he took bets that were timed for the primes of his best players. Who were also in the top of 25’ish league at that time.

Is it so hard to see why Blake’s best players have never been as good as Lombardi’s? Did Lombardi sign veteran Handzus to play with solid 1C Conroy? No he gave the job to the prospect with the long term upside and the bet paid off.

But according to you, it’s all up to chance and not a reflection on managerial competence. We should all be so lucky to have zero expectations in life.

 

[Seattle King]

He took some thinly veiled shots at Todd. Came across kind of pompous and bitter. Nothing that hasn’t been beaten like a dead horse on this board. I mean he obviously seems a little butthurt and I can understand that. Kings also spared no expense (was in their best interest) in getting Gabe the best care and diagnosis for his back.

Was interesting to hear that he hadn’t heard anything from the team regarding a new contract. Then he said his agent handles all of that. Curious who his agent is? The fact that Blake and Luc have ties to Brisson is revealing though.lots of secret handshake bullshit going on I’m sure.

From the couple dudes I know that played pro hockey and the other couple that play and played in the NFL. The politics of professional sports is such a reach around it’s ridiculous. That’s why these former players are all getting GM jobs. I’m curious how many former players that are in management now all had the same representation?

Out of gratitude for Gabe's service, I resolve to take as many unveiled shots at Todd for him as possible.

 

[Ghetty Green]

Agreed. Guess Hellebuyck is a quitter too seeing as it’s reported he’s said he won’t resign in Winnipeg either.

Tkachuk quit on the flames and Eichel quit on Buffalo and they both made the Finals

 

[FeartheFur]

You guys always complain like a bitch

 

[Gurglesons]

Yes, and every time he did, there was a clear top line player who was young and cost controlled. So he took bets that were timed for the primes of his best players. Who were also in the top of 25’ish league at that time.

Is it so hard to see why Blake’s best players have never been as good as Lombardi’s? Did Lombardi sign veteran Handzus to play with solid 1C Conroy? No he gave the job to the prospect with the long term upside and the bet paid off.

But according to you, it’s all up to chance and not a reflection on managerial competence. We should all be so lucky to have zero expectations in life.

I'm confused by this take. Lombardi has a bunch of whiffs some that were even on the 11-12 team in Gagne and Penner and he one hundred percent brought in veterans that limited ice time for promising players in that first run like Martinez and Muzzin. Even Voynov who was in Calder trophy conversations was used as a # 4. Just the way it goes for young talent.

I am just pissed about the mishandling of assets. Giving away everything to end up in the same spot. Blake seriously is one of the worst GMs in the league.

PLD is a good player but Kings over paid again. Ugh

The Kings have a pick in every round of the draft following tonight, but the 7th this year.

They have their 1st next year.

They also still have Clarke, Byfield, Spence, Turcotte, Laferriere which are their top five prospects under 23.

LA has a lot of assets left and if they move Arvy based on the Riley Smith return they can likely fill in the 3rd round for next year.

 

[Statto]

Buck Flake!!

...and Robitaille too!!

Fire these two jackhole refugees from Kings teams who never won a damn thing.

They have both won, just not in LA… sorry I’m a pedantic arse.

 

[Statto]

When you consider the limited role he was given while being completely cemented out of the top 6 due to Todd’s favoritism towards vets I think he showed tremendous potential. I don’t get the constant need to downplay him.

I guess it creates a question because we don’t know. It’s certainly not unreasonable to think he won’t score more in a consistent top 6 role, which I think he will do. I’m not worried about injuries for GV yet because it’s too small a sample size since his back problems - especially as we don’t know what his injuries were or if they are related to his back.

As I’ve said I certainly don’t like the deal but currently on paper PLD is the better player. I want to see the opening night roster before I decide how I properly feel about it… there is more to come… there has to be at this point.