Speculation: Another year of this Bluc **** (The 2024 season thread)

[kovacro]

Jeebus, that 2019 class is tough to look at, but hey, we got Fagemo back on waivers!! yeah!

2019:
1st Round, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte
1st Round, 22nd overall: Tobias Bjornfot (WAIVED)
2nd Round, 33rd overall: Arthur Kaliyev (WAIVED
2nd Round, 50th overall: Samuel Fagemo (WAIVED)

Something to lift spirits...On this day in 2009, the Kings acquired Mr. Game 7.

https://www.northumberlandnews.com/...le_6d96c432-cdb8-5143-9559-39ef68c31d97.html?

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings/latest-news/how-the-kings-acquired-mr-game-7

 

[AbsentMojo]

There's no real benefit to having local media take management to task. If there was, Canadian teams would be more successful than they are.

That seems like a causation/correlation mistake. Plenty of other reasons could explain it - for example only 7 out of 32 teams are Canadian.. Theyve made the finals quite a few times last 20 yrs, so its not like they arent competitive. I think having a strong press increases the likelihood of thwarting silly narratives like 'we were right there' from being taken seriously by the fanbase - and thus making the front office more accountable. On the downside, It could also be an incentive for the FO to make hasty decisions like Toronto esp has... so I guess it could cut both ways.

 

[Magicman]

Kopitar looked done, Doughty looked slow, Fiala played like his bags are already packed and Kings looked like a rudderless ship. Poor asset management has placed the Kings in a position to once again have no internal options to look at. It's trade or bust.

Bottom 4 in the conference, get worked in the first round and picking 20th in the draft does not bode well for the Kings near future.

Gimmie a Job Luc and Blake the Ingrate have destroyed the club. They all need to go.

I canceled my season seats a few years ago and I got an e-mail asking why, in part I responded...

..I fully understand being loyal, and at times loyal to a fault, but what has happened cannot continue. You don't have a real leadership group, you have a group of friends ruining their rich uncles toy....

 

[Lt Dan]

Kopitar looked done, Doughty looked slow, Fiala played like his bags are already packed and Kings looked like a rudderless ship. Poor asset management has placed the Kings in a position to once again have no internal options to look at. It's trade or bust.

Bottom 4 in the conference, get worked in the first round and picking 20th in the draft does not bode well for the Kings near future.

Gimmie a Job Luc and Blake the Ingrate have destroyed the club. They all need to go.

I canceled my season seats a few years ago and I got an e-mail asking why, in part I responded...

..I fully understand being loyal, and at times loyal to a fault, but what has happened cannot continue. You don't have a real leadership group, you have a group of friends ruining their rich uncles toy....

Well said

 

[KingsOfCali25]

Want to see how incompetent the Kings are? Look at their first and second round selections under the current regime, and how many of them they've blown completed and turned into wasted assets. Of course the best selections they ever made are now flourishing elsewhere.

2017:
1st Round, 11th overall: Gabe Vilardi (TRADED)
2nd Round, 41st overall: Jaret Anderson-Dolan (WAIVED)

2018:
1st Round, 20th overall: Rasmus Kupari (TRADED)
2nd Round, 51st overall: Akil Thomas

2019:
1st Round, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte
1st Round, 22nd overall: Tobias Bjornfot (WAIVED)
2nd Round, 33rd overall: Arthur Kaliyev (WAIVED
2nd Round, 50th overall: Samuel Fagemo (WAIVED)

2020:
1st Round, 2nd overall: Quinton Byfield
2nd Round, 35th overall: Helge Grans (TRADED)
2nd Round, 45th overall: Brock Faber (TRADED)

2021:
1st Round, 8th overall: Brandt Clarke
2nd Round, 42nd overall: Francesco Pinelli
2nd Round, 59th overall: Samuel Helenius

2022:
2nd Round, 51st overall: Jack Hughes

2023:
2nd Round, 54th overall: Jakub Dvorak

2024:
1st Round, 26th overall: Liam Greentree
2nd Round, 57th overall: Carter George


Jury is out on the more recent selections, so they won't be under a microscope, but Jack Hughes in 2022 is a major disappointment, as are a good majority of the other 2nd round selections. Their best pick in the second round was traded, as was their best pick in the 1st round.

That is a masterclass in awful asset management. This regime should be fired.

Not arguing that management has done any good here, but the draft is always a crap shoot when drafting 18 years olds. It happens in all sports, excluding the NFL because they draft kids that are 21+ and you more or less know the product you're getting from the college game. You could probably go through 90% the teams in the league and it would look fairly similar to LA's drafting.

The problem is how LA molds the prospects after they draft them. They draft someone that plays a certain style of game and then try to mold them in this weird "team system" box. If someone doesn't fit into that box, than they try to take the good parts of their game out that make them special (the parts they were drafted for), so they can fit better in the box. Which hurts the development of the prospect and makes the drafting of them look bad. Then LA goes out and trades for/gets the older UFA vets that fit that box molds (with less talent) who are already developed a certain way and this is what we get. A team that struggles to score, is unathletic, has no special talents, and has older players blocking the prospects from actually playing to develop.

This management and style need to be fired ASAP before they do anything more idiotic or LA actually starts a real rebuild.

 

[Herby]

Want to see how incompetent the Kings are? Look at their first and second round selections under the current regime, and how many of them they've blown completed and turned into wasted assets. Of course the best selections they ever made are now flourishing elsewhere.

2017:
1st Round, 11th overall: Gabe Vilardi (TRADED)
2nd Round, 41st overall: Jaret Anderson-Dolan (WAIVED)

2018:
1st Round, 20th overall: Rasmus Kupari (TRADED)
2nd Round, 51st overall: Akil Thomas

2019:
1st Round, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte
1st Round, 22nd overall: Tobias Bjornfot (WAIVED)
2nd Round, 33rd overall: Arthur Kaliyev (WAIVED
2nd Round, 50th overall: Samuel Fagemo (WAIVED)

2020:
1st Round, 2nd overall: Quinton Byfield
2nd Round, 35th overall: Helge Grans (TRADED)
2nd Round, 45th overall: Brock Faber (TRADED)

2021:
1st Round, 8th overall: Brandt Clarke
2nd Round, 42nd overall: Francesco Pinelli
2nd Round, 59th overall: Samuel Helenius

2022:
2nd Round, 51st overall: Jack Hughes

2023:
2nd Round, 54th overall: Jakub Dvorak

2024:
1st Round, 26th overall: Liam Greentree
2nd Round, 57th overall: Carter George


Jury is out on the more recent selections, so they won't be under a microscope, but Jack Hughes in 2022 is a major disappointment, as are a good majority of the other 2nd round selections. Their best pick in the second round was traded, as was their best pick in the 1st round.

That is a masterclass in awful asset management. This regime should be fired.

You know why so many end up being waived and not traded?

Because the Kings ridiculous slow-cook/AHL heavy ideology on prospects makes it where they have no idea what they have or don’t have, right up until the time they are waiver eligible.

Not only does it damage the ceiling of guys like Byfield and Clarke, but it damages the trade-value of picks who weren’t as good like Turcotte and Kupari.

Of the guys you listed, the only ones who would return the same pick or better if they were traded today are

Faber (other team)
Vilardi (other team)
Greenteee (junior age)
George (junior age)

And the two junior age guys, it’s only because they haven’t entered the Kings archaic development system. If these clowns are in charge next season we will probably see Greentree get the same stupid treatment Clarke got in his age 19 season, periodically playing and then being sent down to their beloved AHL for conditioning assignments. Then he’ll be sent back to the OHL after the WJC, destroy the league, only to start his age 20 season in the AHL, “paying his dues” and “learning the system” while comparable players are getting valuable NHL time, making it more likely they are ready to seriously contribute at 21 or 22, rather than going through what Clarke is going through because a lack of NHL games.

But hey, just like with media relations, the Kings are “just different” and everyone else is doing it wrong. What was it Yanetti said to Pravda, Detroit and Ottawa are just getting something like “instant gratification, over long-term success” well damn I’d love some Tim Stutzle, Lucas Raymond and Jake Sanderson instant gratification right about now. But hey, I’m sure all of those guys would have ended up better players had they spent a season in Ontario, right?

 

[AbsentMojo]

 

[NikF]

The Kings would tell Jimi Hendrix to stop soloing and focus on proper barre chord technique.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I’ve never been more checked out of the Kings than this Bluc regime. They’re truly terrible, and I won’t regularly tune into games again until BOTH are gone.

 

[Kudelski37]

The Kings would tell Jimi Hendrix to stop soloing and focus on proper barre chord technique.

They would make him play right handed too

 

[DoktorJeep]

I’ve been on auto pilot as a fan for at least 2 years now. I’ll watch most of the games on tv, maybe 70 a year plus playoffs. I’m done going to the arena. And I’ve completely cut out traveling to watch them on road.

My hope is Luc and Rob are shit canned around their 10 year mark. With current ownership they’ll need to miss the playoffs next year and the one after. It could happen. That’s the only real chance we have at anything significant changing. Otherwise it’ll be a steady streak of also rans. I’m sure I’ll be down to barely paying attention when that happens.

 

[Choralone]

I hope everyone saw the thread on the main board about the Kings issuing an apology for selling Turkish-made scarves on Armenian Heritage Night last month... Doh.

 

[Herby]

I’ve never been more checked out of the Kings than this Bluc regime. They’re truly terrible, and I won’t regularly tune into games again until BOTH are gone.

I’m the same way, my interest in the Kings is as low as it’s been since the days of Allison and Deadmarsh being in purgatory.

I just can’t believe that Blake and Robitaille have been allowed to destroy the franchise as much as they have. The next GM of this team is going to inherited a dumpster fire that is way worse than what Lombardi inherited in 2006. That team had Kopitar, Quick, Brown, Cammalleri, Frolov and Gleason all under 24.

The same questions asked about others slow development have to now be asked about Clarke. The slow-cook approach which the Kings brass pushes endlessly to the fans on their state-controlled media programs has yet another prospect struggling to keep up with similar caliber players of the same age. What is the point of slowly developing these players and shielding them from NHL action (which other teams simply don't), if they just face the same obstacles at 22 that they would have faced at 20. Clarke is now 22 years old, in his D+4 (after being taken top 10 in the draft) and he is a healthy scratch? What exactly did he gain from spending almost the entire season in the AHL last year?

At this point, for Clarke's financial sake you maybe just hope he is indeed traded to a place that will let him play his game and sign a nice extension following his ELC. It's tough to imagine that it's going to be in LA, especially if nothing changes with the front-office or coaching staff following the season.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

At this point I’m convinced Blake and Luc would’ve screwed up Kopitar and Doughty. Especially Doughty. He would’ve never played in the NHL during his D+1 year under these idiots.

Blake has been GM for 8 years and has failed to develop anything close to a top line center, defenseman, or goaltender. And that’s despite drafting top five twice.

And he hasn’t won a single playoff series on top of that.

How much more damning does the evidence need to get?

 

[Statto]

Want to see how incompetent the Kings are? Look at their first and second round selections under the current regime, and how many of them they've blown completed and turned into wasted assets. Of course the best selections they ever made are now flourishing elsewhere.

2017:
1st Round, 11th overall: Gabe Vilardi (TRADED)
2nd Round, 41st overall: Jaret Anderson-Dolan (WAIVED)

2018:
1st Round, 20th overall: Rasmus Kupari (TRADED)
2nd Round, 51st overall: Akil Thomas

2019:
1st Round, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte
1st Round, 22nd overall: Tobias Bjornfot (WAIVED)
2nd Round, 33rd overall: Arthur Kaliyev (WAIVED
2nd Round, 50th overall: Samuel Fagemo (WAIVED)

2020:
1st Round, 2nd overall: Quinton Byfield
2nd Round, 35th overall: Helge Grans (TRADED)
2nd Round, 45th overall: Brock Faber (TRADED)

2021:
1st Round, 8th overall: Brandt Clarke
2nd Round, 42nd overall: Francesco Pinelli
2nd Round, 59th overall: Samuel Helenius

2022:
2nd Round, 51st overall: Jack Hughes

2023:
2nd Round, 54th overall: Jakub Dvorak

2024:
1st Round, 26th overall: Liam Greentree
2nd Round, 57th overall: Carter George


Jury is out on the more recent selections, so they won't be under a microscope, but Jack Hughes in 2022 is a major disappointment, as are a good majority of the other 2nd round selections. Their best pick in the second round was traded, as was their best pick in the 1st round.

That is a masterclass in awful asset management. This regime should be fired.

2nd round drafting is largely a crapshoot in terms of what the players become. However what we did with those assets when they had some value was poor at best.

They certainly handled development badly on several of these guys. The only one they get a pass on for me is Thomas as his shoulders cost him badly in some key development years. He’d have been a good pick otherwise… that said they are currently handling him badly. Just undermining his confidence.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

At this point I’m convinced Blake and Luc would’ve screwed up Kopitar and Doughty. Especially Doughty. He would’ve never played in the NHL during his D+1 year under these idiots.

Blake has been GM for 8 years and has failed to develop anything close to a top line center, defenseman, or goaltender. And that’s despite drafting top five twice.

And he hasn’t won a single playoff series on top of that.

How much more damning does the evidence need to get?

I was just saying in another thread how brutal we were on the regular season 2010s Kings despite how they amped up in the playoffs and that the moment the playoff gravy train stopped, heads rolled

Meanwhile, we're chastised for wanting more from the 2020s Kings and that's while KNOWING that they turn into absolute pudding in the playoffs and heads are as secure as they come and we're supposed to celebrate mediocrity.

Meek, p***y ass organization has gone completely soft. What a depressing unraveling of a championship infrastructure and culture.

 

[funky]

I was just saying in another thread how brutal we were on the regular season 2010s Kings despite how they amped up in the playoffs and that the moment the playoff gravy train stopped, heads rolled

Meanwhile, we're chastised for wanting more from the 2020s Kings and that's while KNOWING that they turn into absolute pudding in the playoffs and heads are as secure as they come and we're supposed to celebrate mediocrity.

Meek, p***y ass organization has gone completely soft. What a depressing unraveling of a championship infrastructure and culture.

The Kings have definitely embraced the new culture in the world. Participation medals for everyone, no one fails, and no matter how bad you do you still get a pat on the back for at least showing up.

We need Ricky Bobby to come coach this team. Either your first or your last.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Quite impressive

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Quite impressive

Him and Lewis are playing over Thomas, Lee, Helenius.

Dereliction of duty all just to justify a bad investment on one hand and to lick Trevor's balls on another.

If you squint, Jeannot looks like Raitis Ivanans, but at least Ivanans knew his role, Tanner is still cosplaying as a middle six skill guy

 

[shuchukfan]

Many times I mishear the names Danault and Jeannot. What's sad is that many times I can't tell the difference, so that tells you how bad both of them are playing.

 

[Schmooley]

Him and Lewis are playing over Thomas, Lee, Helenius.

Dereliction of duty all just to justify a bad investment on one hand and to lick Trevor's balls on another.

If you squint, Jeannot looks like Raitis Ivanans, but at least Ivanans knew his role, Tanner is still cosplaying as a middle six skill guy

In fairness to Jeannot, he has to play with Lewis. There is no chance for him to forecheck or get to the net. By the time he has a hit lined up the puck has already started to head up ice. He looked ok with Byfield and Foegele and was starting to come around with Helenius and Lee.
Not saying hes been great and they did overpay for what hes brought but I think there are more pressing issues.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Maybe Lewis is injured from that shot block.. or god forbid a trade

 

[tigermask48]

At this point I’m convinced Blake and Luc would’ve screwed up Kopitar and Doughty. Especially Doughty. He would’ve never played in the NHL during his D+1 year under these idiots.

Not sure I'd 100% agree with this. When rebuilding and forced to early in his tenure, it was Blake that had Iafallo stapled to the top line wing as a rookie. He was also the guy that put Lizotte, JAD, Bjornfot, and Anderson right into the lineup and let them play key roles to start their careers.
Blake was also bringing in guys like Amadio, Wagner, Luff, Brickley, etc to see if there was anything there. They didn't shelter them, in fact you could make the argument that them being put into bigger roles than they could handle hurt their development.

It was until Doughty went to the press that everything suddenly changed and younger players started getting jerked around and held to a different standard.

To me I think Blake's biggest flaws as GM is his sheer almost 100% accurate inability to evaluate the players and team that he has.

He took over a team needing to rebuild, and he thought he had a contender... Then he stopped his rebuild, which had been looking good at that point, and was wrong again in thinking he could build around 8 and 11. Now he's been over correcting every season making bad trades, for the wrong players, with no vision of what his team actually is.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Quite impressive

Should be cheaper to re-sign. Great news.

Him and Lewis are playing over Thomas, Lee, Helenius.

Dereliction of duty all just to justify a bad investment on one hand and to lick Trevor's balls on another.

If you squint, Jeannot looks like Raitis Ivanans, but at least Ivanans knew his role, Tanner is still cosplaying as a middle six skill guy

To be fair, with the 11/7 it's Burroughs playing over those guys & not Lewis.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Spence scratched.. i wonder if he's getting moved