Around the League '16-'17 Other Teams' Free Agent Frenzy

[Axl Rhoadz]

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[WHOneedsSOX]

Incoming Jake Gardiner trade proposals in 3, 2, 1...

 

[Herby]

Got to feel a bit for the Leafs fans. I remember how heart broken it was when the Kings came back from down 3-1 to force Game 7’s in Denver in both 2001 and 2002 and lost both.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I don't think our drafting has been poor. The problem is we haven't had many good picks to work with.

2011 - No First Round Pick
2012 - 30th Overall (Pearson)
2013 - No 1st round pick
2014 - 29th Overall (Kempe)
2015 - No 1st round pick
2016 - No 1st round pick

So before this last draft we went 6 straight years with out a pick higher than 29th. That would deplete any teams' pipeline.

Consider this, our last 3 1st round picks are Vilardi, Kempe and Pearson. All will be solid NHLers. That's pretty good.

Dean also traded away a 22 year old future 30 goal scorer, and one the top prospects in the game for a guy who only had two years of good hockey left in him. That's also contributed to our current situation.

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy when it all falls apart. Dean needed to continue getting the core help because they can’t lead a team. It took a trade rumor for Brown to wake up, Kopitar needs a winger, they need new coaches etc.

Just seeing the quotes from some players in their exit meetings, makes me think the culture is reverting back to the country club days.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy when it all falls apart. Dean needed to continue getting the core help because they can’t lead a team. It took a trade rumor for Brown to wake up, Kopitar needs a winger, they need new coaches etc.

Just seeing the quotes from some players in their exit meetings, makes me think the culture is reverting back to the country club days.

Reverting? It never stopped.

 

[Herby]

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy when it all falls apart. Dean needed to continue getting the core help because they can’t lead a team. It took a trade rumor for Brown to wake up, Kopitar needs a winger, they need new coaches etc.

Just seeing the quotes from some players in their exit meetings, makes me think the culture is reverting back to the country club days.

The Country Club reopened after 2014.

 

[Sol]

Yeah, which is why DL takes so much heat for his 'flavor of the month' quote, but I think he's right. Players win. Not systems. Systems augment.

On that note, I kind of agree with this take, and I think you can even extend it back to the 2014 Kings:

Not to harp on Quick, but the reason why we won 2015 is because the team was just scoring nonstop.

Lastly, I agree. I thought goaltenders were very weak this year in terms of quality. I don't know what happened exactly, but the game has opened up, and equipments have gotten smaller.

I think you need good goaltending and fire power.

The game is getting much quicker. 2012 kings would struggle greatly with the new NHL.. Scary enough our current team is much faster than 2012

 

[Sol]

The Country Club reopened after 2014.

The first sign. Not buying out Richards.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Yeah, which is why DL takes so much heat for his 'flavor of the month' quote, but I think he's right. Players win. Not systems. Systems augment.

On that note, I kind of agree with this take, and I think you can even extend it back to the 2014 Kings:

What wins does change. Speed is as much a flavor of the month as size or talent. I'm not sure it actually means anything. Sure, now speed is winning, and we can't see a day where it won't, but it probably won't at some point. Every empire has fallen in history.

Normally, you're not going to beat the team that's winning by doing the same thing they're doing, because they have the players to do whatever it is they do. By the time you get the players you need, you're fighting the last war, while some other team tried something different, and they're the one winning now. Then if you stay the same you're criticized, and if you change again, you don't know what you're doing.

It's why the same team rarely keeps winning, or wins again after not winning. You pretty much have to do what you think is the right thing, and hope you get lucky with the right players at the right time. Which is exactly what Lombardi did.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Crazy how fast Boston was able to turn around the organization. It was starting to look like they were heading down hill; slow and old. Now look.

I wasn't even aware Heinen existed, kid had a 50 point season.

 

[KINGS17]

Crazy how fast Boston was able to turn around the organization. It was starting to look like they were heading down hill; slow and old. Now look.

I wasn't even aware Heinen existed, kid had a 50 point season.

Nah, he's just a scrub. We have five or six just like Heinen. Ask anybody.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Crazy how fast Boston was able to turn around the organization. It was starting to look like they were heading down hill; slow and old. Now look.

I wasn't even aware Heinen existed, kid had a 50 point season.

I think they've surprised everyone this year. Not sure anyone was picking them to contend in September.

Nah, he's just a scrub. We have five or six just like Heinen. Ask anybody.

He was a 4th round pick from 4 years ago that was their AHL team's 5th leading scorer last year. Who had that guy as their 5th leading NHL scorer this season? That's basically Amadio with 50 points next season. If that happens, the Kings are either horrible, or pretty good.

 

[KINGS17]

I am all for Amadio getting 50 points next season. Let's see it.

Now where is our Pastrnak, DeBrusk, McAvoy, Carlo, and Donato.

 

[fivehole32]

I went to the Tor Vegas game New Years Eve with a buddy who is a huge Tor fan. All of the Toronto fans absolutely HATE Jake Gardner. All game long the Tor fans were screaming at him.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

What wins does change. Speed is as much a flavor of the month as size or talent. I'm not sure it actually means anything. Sure, now speed is winning, and we can't see a day where it won't, but it probably won't at some point. Every empire has fallen in history.

Normally, you're not going to beat the team that's winning by doing the same thing they're doing, because they have the players to do whatever it is they do. By the time you get the players you need, you're fighting the last war, while some other team tried something different, and they're the one winning now. Then if you stay the same you're criticized, and if you change again, you don't know what you're doing.

It's why the same team rarely keeps winning, or wins again after not winning. You pretty much have to do what you think is the right thing, and hope you get lucky with the right players at the right time. Which is exactly what Lombardi did.

Disagree. It's not just raw speed. Better players still win. We had plenty of guys faster than VGK. Still have to play fast. Maybe systems right now are based more around skating ability and harassment but they still have to be smart enough to execute. I'd take at least half of our roster right now in a footrace anyday, can't pretend Rieder, Carter, Mitchell, Lewis, Iafallo, etc. are slow. MAYBE you'll have plays designed for one or two guys--ie lightning strikes with Hagelin--but I'm with DL that you don't build for a flavor of the month. Like I said, he obviously got that crammed right back in his face with Pitt's success, but you don't build a copycat team. You're not going to find two generational Cs and a bunch of speedy, skilled players in time for the next 'model.' Have a vision, have thoughts on how to counter teams, build.

My problem with the Kings right now--obviously they're in transition, but still--is a complete lack of identity. I loved the guys that started game 4 murdering everything in sight, but that was about the only period all season we've seen them.

I am all for Amadio getting 50 points next season. Let's see it.

Now where is our Pastrnak, DeBrusk, McAvoy, Carlo, and Donato.

Don't ignore the timelines.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I went to the Tor Vegas game New Years Eve with a buddy who is a huge Tor fan. All of the Toronto fans absolutely HATE Jake Gardner. All game long the Tor fans were screaming at him.

It's doubly funny because last year quite a few of them were pumping him for Norris votes...now that suddenly swaps to Rielly and Gardiner is trash.

They need to just accept those guys would be ideal 2-4 guys but they're still short a #1.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I am all for Amadio getting 50 points next season. Let's see it.

Now where is our Pastrnak, DeBrusk, McAvoy, Carlo, and Donato.

I don't know, but half of those guys weren't on any lists about how good the Bruins would be this year, and nobody was really saying the Bruins were looking great heading into the season.

The Bruins didn't waste career years from vets the way the Kings did.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I don't know, but half of those guys weren't on any lists about how good the Bruins would be this year, and nobody was really saying the Bruins were looking great heading into the season.

The Bruins didn't waste career years from vets the way the Kings did.

Really? They didn't??

Sure about that?

 

[KingsFan7824]

Really? They didn't??

Sure about that?

They're still playing. If they lose before lifting the Cup, then it will have been a waste of a soon to be 30 year old Marchand and soon to be 33 year old Bergeron.

 

[Reaper45]

Got to feel a bit for the Leafs fans. I remember how heart broken it was when the Kings came back from down 3-1 to force Game 7’s in Denver in both 2001 and 2002 and lost both.

I feel nothing for them.

 

[johnjm22]

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy when it all falls apart. Dean needed to continue getting the core help because they can’t lead a team. It took a trade rumor for Brown to wake up, Kopitar needs a winger, they need new coaches etc.

Just seeing the quotes from some players in their exit meetings, makes me think the culture is reverting back to the country club days.

We're talking about drafting.

I'm pointing out the lack of organizational depth is because of not having picks, and trading/losing some of the players we did draft. Not bad drafting itself.

Whether or not the Ricahrds trade should have been done is a separate subject.

The game is getting much quicker. 2012 kings would struggle greatly with the new NHL.. Scary enough our current team is much faster than 2012

In 05/06 people said the same thing you're saying now. "The new NHL is all about speed." Ironcially Dean initially bought into the hype himself.

Different types of teams with different traits can be successful. That's always been the case.

The the 2012 team would still probably be sucessful today.

 

[bouncesonly]

My problem with the Kings right now--obviously they're in transition, but still--is a complete lack of identity. I loved the guys that started game 4 murdering everything in sight, but that was about the only period all season we've seen them.

My problem with the Kings isn't their size, speed or transition. When they're on it, they're as good as anyone other team in the league. It's their whole offensive mindset, which is cycle cycle cycle and shoot at someone's body. And when the shot happens, people outside the building walking by can see it coming. If the Kings are gonna do that, at least make the shots Chara bombs.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

My problem with the Kings isn't their size, speed or transition. When they're on it, they're as good as anyone other team in the league. It's their whole offensive mindset, which is cycle cycle cycle and shoot at someone's body. And when the shot happens, people outside the building walking by can see it coming. If the Kings are gonna do that, at least make the shots Chara bombs.

If you watch, the entire league is like that, cycle, get pucks low to high, and get the shots through, EVERY team does either that, or some variation of that....

 

[bouncesonly]

If you watch, the entire league is like that, cycle, get pucks low to high, and get the shots through, EVERY team does either that, or some variation of that....

Sure, but that's pretty much the only thing the Kings do. And if the entire league does it, why are the Kings so crappy at it in terms of goals scored?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Sure, but that's pretty much the only thing the Kings do. And if the entire league does it, why are the Kings so crappy at it in terms of goals scored?

Because not ALL goals are scored that way,

They weren't crappy at it, they were mediocre, 17th in Regular season, 9 goals from being 14th etc, keep in mind, without a goal scoring 2nd line C most of the way.