Around the League 2019-20

[jfont]

So nothing huh? Disappointing.

It's fake news.. must've been from prime time fox news

 

[deeshamrock]

HOrrible news...I'm stunned. Praying for him and his family, tough road ahead, not great survival rate in adults.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I think he was more likely to make the NHL than get that type of cancer.

 

[kingsfan28]

Would the Kings ever trade for Hall? He was scratched tonight for some reason and rumor are he's getting moved.

 

[crassbonanza]

There is nothing definitive, or in a written news article. There are people in the organization and players who have strong opinions. There are lower level employees who know Robitaille and his ability as a hockey personnel "expert". Let's just say Luc isn't Phi Beta Kappa. There are people with higher profiles in the organization who if they know you from seeing you at various events through the years will drop little hints.

There is a lot of reading between the lines required. All I can say if you know Dean and Luc even a little bit, you know Luc often felt Dean never took his input seriously, and basically told him to stay on his side of the fence. There is some genuine animosity on Luc's part and Dean never seemed to give a damn about Luc. Again, me reading between the lines here, but you can't help getting the feeling Dean felt Luc was representative of the failed culture he had to change.

Do you know Dean and Luc personally? Have you interacted with people and players in the organization that tell you they think Luc is a moron? I haven't seen any of this documented anywhere, but I will admit that I do not know Dean and Luc personally.

 

[deeshamrock]

Would the Kings ever trade for Hall? He was scratched tonight for some reason and rumor are he's getting moved.

He was scratched because a trade is immiment, the AVs are the lead dogs, with Yotes and Panthers also pressing . A lot of teams interested. And where he'd agree to sign as well . It won't be the Kings.
The Avs have the most to offer, from what I've read, are really pushing for him and it's a team he'd sign with.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Holy Bleep!!! I totally forgot. It gets better and better. But, but they have the greatest defenseman to ever lived.

Did they sign Orr? LOL

 

[DoktorJeep]

My money is on the yotes trading for Hall. They’ve got a new majority owner who looks unafraid to ok big moves.

 

[KINGS17]

Do you know Dean and Luc personally? Have you interacted with people and players in the organization that tell you they think Luc is a moron? I haven't seen any of this documented anywhere, but I will admit that I do not know Dean and Luc personally.

Do I "know" them personally? No, I wouldn't go that far. Have I spent time with each of them? Yes.

Do I know other people in the organization? Yes.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Yotes team would be fearsome with Hall on Datsyuk's wing and Pronger on D

 

[crassbonanza]

Do I "know" them personally? No, I wouldn't go that far. Have I spent time with each of them? Yes.

Do I know other people in the organization? Yes.

The whole Luc is a conniving idiot who wanted to f*** over Dean because Dean treated him like shit for having a "loser mentality" seems a bit over the top. I think Lombardi sealed his fate when he re-signed Sutter and the team failed again. That along with Richards, Voynov, Dumpstergate, and trading away the cupboard for no playoff wins meant the team had to move on. I do think he would have course corrected, but he seemed to be very emotional from 2015 on, so you never know.

I think that is a more likely case than Luc hiding in the shadows waiting for a stumble so he could perform a coup and oust Lombardi. However, I do not know people in the organisation who have intimate knowledge of what actually went down, but it is not like he was fired out of the blue.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I'd rather see Hall go to Fla or Ari than Col or StL or whatever. Not that I like the Coyotes, but they're always fighting that uphill battle just to exist.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Yotes team would be fearsome with Hall on Datsyuk's wing and Pronger on D

Add N Horton and D Clarkson and they have an outstanding PP!

 

[KINGS17]

The whole Luc is a conniving idiot who wanted to **** over Dean because Dean treated him like **** for having a "loser mentality" seems a bit over the top. I think Lombardi sealed his fate when he re-signed Sutter and the team failed again. That along with Richards, Voynov, Dumpstergate, and trading away the cupboard for no playoff wins meant the team had to move on. I do think he would have course corrected, but he seemed to be very emotional from 2015 on, so you never know.

I think that is a more likely case than Luc hiding in the shadows waiting for a stumble so he could perform a coup and oust Lombardi. However, I do not know people in the organisation who have intimate knowledge of what actually went down, but it is not like he was fired out of the blue.

All mistakes by Dean to be sure. I think he was fired because of those mistakes, and because he was planning a different direction for the franchise than the path that was chosen. The path they are currently on is the one favored by Robitaille.

 

[kingsfan28]

Yotes team would be fearsome with Hall on Datsyuk's wing and Pronger on D

Damn it man, you stole my line!

 

[kingsfan28]

There is nothing definitive, or in a written news article. There are people in the organization and players who have strong opinions. There are lower level employees who know Robitaille and his ability as a hockey personnel "expert". Let's just say Luc isn't Phi Beta Kappa. There are people with higher profiles in the organization who if they know you from seeing you at various events through the years will drop little hints.

There is a lot of reading between the lines required. All I can say if you know Dean and Luc even a little bit, you know Luc often felt Dean never took his input seriously, and basically told him to stay on his side of the fence. There is some genuine animosity on Luc's part and Dean never seemed to give a damn about Luc. Again, me reading between the lines here, but you can't help getting the feeling Dean felt Luc was representative of the failed culture he had to change.

Interesting take. I can see how Luc could feel he wasn't taken seriously at times, the way DL always thought he was the smartest guy in the room . Deans departure was his own doing, just sitting in denial as the league evolved right before his eyes and not believing them. I have no doubt Luc as well as others pointed this out and he just tuned them out, while gutting the team, especially in 2015. The Lucic trade never should've been done.

 

[ru4reals]

Did they sign Orr? LOL

No they have someone better. Erik Karlsson. Bwahahahaha!!!!

 

[SFKingshomer]

Add N Horton and D Clarkson and they have an outstanding PP!

Don't they have Hossa?

 

[Bandit]

Don't they have Hossa?

They do. He’s actually the only one left IIRC

 

[crassbonanza]

All mistakes by Dean to be sure. I think he was fired because of those mistakes, and because he was planning a different direction for the franchise than the path that was chosen. The path they are currently on is the one favored by Robitaille.

I don't fully buy that Luc wanted the team to keep going all in. I think the team fired Dean because he was continuing to do just that and leaving the team with no assets. The year before he was fired the team went to the draft with only the 51st, 112th, 142nd and the 202nd pick. When Blake took over the first thing he talked about was restocking the pipeline and you would have to admit he has done a fantastic job. Holding tight at the deadline despite the team being very good in 2018, focusing on college free agents and getting lucky with players falling(or scouting well) have the team sitting with a top 3 prospect pool and it only took a couple of years.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

No they have someone better. Erik Karlsson. Bwahahahaha!!!!

Oh, the young have so much to learn.
EK had some great years in OTT, but his downward trend is glaring. To have 7 more years with this cap hit is horrifying for SJ.

But I love it.

 

[KingsFan7824]

3 of the 6 most regulation losses in the league belong to teams in California. The 3 teams at the bottom of the West in regulation losses are all in California.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I don't fully buy that Luc wanted the team to keep going all in.

As for your earlier comment on the proof. You have ask yourself, Why didn’t AEG do a search for Deans replacement? They didn’t do a search for Sutters replacement either. It was very odd to just appoint a guy like Robitaille and his background to be president of hockey operations.

Luc/Blake said the team was a contender after getting smoked in the first round by VGK, retained Stevens, traded Gabby for Phanueuf. Then went after Kovy with a 3 year 6 million dollar deal, that nobody else was even close to offering.

Let’s not forget the stunt that Luc pulled in trying to trade for Pacioretti, apparently Luc and his friend/agent (agent of Pacioretti) Pat Brisson went behind the players back to discuss a deal that was far less than what Pacioretti wanted. Pacioretti nixed the trade and fired his agent.

Just looking at the organization culture now, it appears Luc promised ownership that the Kings culture would be more player friendly, playing style will be less heavy, more speed, less focus on offseason training etc.

 

[ru4reals]

Oh, the young have so much to learn.
EK had some great years in OTT, but his downward trend is glaring. To have 7 more years with this cap hit is horrifying for SJ.

But I love it.

I'm hoping you're not referring to me as a young one for I'm very much aware of EK's career. I was being sarcastic and implying everything you just said.

 

[crassbonanza]

As for your earlier comment on the proof. You have ask yourself, Why didn’t AEG do a search for Deans replacement? They didn’t do a search for Sutters replacement either. It was very odd to just appoint a guy like Robitaille and his background to be president of hockey operations.

Well, Blake was the assistant GM, so that one makes sense. As for Stevens I believe there was a tacit handshake agreement that he would get a chance as head coach, there were rumors of this going back to when he got the title "associate head coach ".

Luc/Blake said the team was a contender after getting smoked in the first round by VGK, retained Stevens, traded Gabby for Phanueuf. Then went after Kovy with a 3 year 6 million dollar deal, that nobody else was even close to offering.

There are two ways to look at that season. You could say they were "smoked by Vegas. On the other hand you could say that they won the Jennings and had the 8th most ROW in the league. They ended up losing to the eventual Western Conference Champions by a total of 4 goals, despite suffering through numerous injuries on the blue line and a questionable Doughty suspension. Who in their right mind is firing their coach after that? Trading Gabby for Phaneuf and singing Kovy are perfect examples of the team focused on restocking the cupboard while allowing the core to compete. Neither of those two moves cost the team any assets. Also, how do you know what other teams were offering?

Let’s not forget the stunt that Luc pulled in trying to trade for Pacioretti, apparently Luc and his friend/agent (agent of Pacioretti) Pat Brisson went behind the players back to discuss a deal that was far less than what Pacioretti wanted. Pacioretti nixed the trade and fired his agent.

This seems like a bunch of speculation, but I have no idea what actually happened so I won't comment on it.

Just looking at the organization culture now, it appears Luc promised ownership that the Kings culture would be more player friendly, playing style will be less heavy, more speed, less focus on offseason training etc.

I think it is possible that happened, but my opinion is that AEG/Beckerman were not happy with some of the decisions that Dean was making. In particular I believe the Sutter re-signing was a point of contention and when the Kings flamed out that they had had enough. I believe Blake having spent time as assistant GM and already being in the organisation made him an easy choice for a transition. I do not believe that Luc on one hand is a scheming manipulator straight out of game of thrones, but on the other hand is completely incompetent.