Around the League 2024-25 season

[Axl Rhoadz]

do you want gavrikov on the books if you get swept out of the 1st again though? does he want to be "the guy" going through a rebuild?

don't get me wrong i really like the guy but there's a lot of moving parts

If the Kings lose in the first round AGAIN...there still won't be a 'rebuild'. 100+ POINT TEAMS DON'T REBUILD.

 

[tny760]

We have the 6th highest points percentage in the entire NHL.

Idk what it is here with everyone being such a pessimist. We have a good team; we are far far away from another rebuild.

more than anything, should they get swept out, i'm picturing a whole new front office coming in and then it's no longer blake's plan so i don't know how much continuity there is there

signing gavrikov to a fatty then kempe to another one just kinda seems like "we were right there" behavior if the end result is the same as before

all that said, having mikey and gavrikov locked down to complement QB, kempe and danault isn't a horrible spot to be in for a few years to see how things shake out

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Remember what it was like to win playoff rounds? It's been over a decade, so I can see why that feeling escapes some people.

 

[Lt Dan]

Remember what it was like to win playoff rounds? It's been over a decade, so I can see why that feeling escapes some people.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Remember what it was like to win playoff rounds? It's been over a decade, so I can see why that feeling escapes some people.

Yeah, and just think how many more years it would take if this org went off and did the 'full rebuild' that everyone here seems to think is the way forward. Good lord, would that be a '5-year plan'?

 

[FrozenKing18]

Reality is, at least how I see it. If the Kings are bounced on the 1st round again, they're caught between a rock and a hard place. What is going to take longer? Keep adding players that might help and subtracting assets, or re-tool to put themselves at a better spot in the future?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Yeah, and just think how many more years it would take if this org went off and did the 'full rebuild' that everyone here seems to think is the way forward. Good lord, would that be a '5-year plan'?

They already went through that in 2018-19 after their big free agent signing blew up in their face, then it happened again in 2023 where they gave up two of their first round selections for a player who had a reputation of being a notorious underachiever.

They don't need another rebuild, but a plan that includes playoff success would be nice. More people want to see this team succeed versus another rebuild with mixed results.

Kopitar and Doughty also aren't getting any younger, and their best days are clearly behind them.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Reality is, at least how I see it. If the Kings are bounced on the 1st round again, they're caught between a rock and a hard place. What is going to take longer? Keep adding players that might help and subtracting assets, or re-tool to put themselves at a better spot in the future?

I got an idea, let's tank for the next five years so we can draft at least two of the top 5 players in the world...then, we can finally compete with EDM in like 10 years. 2035 will be our year.

 

[chris kontos]

To advance in the playoffs, ya need a functioning power play. Its been proven over and over- pp success makes the difference between these evenly matched good teams.
I think we have a good chance of getting out of the first round but after that i hope forthe best

 

[FrozenKing18]

I got an idea, let's tank for the next five years so we can draft at least two of the top 5 players in the world...then, we can finally compete with EDM in like 10 years. 2035 will be our year.

Well I didn't say the Kings need to tank, did I? I said to re-tool. And like I said, that is IF they get bounced again. Obviously, something is not working. Do you really think that if we keep the same roster in the next couple of years with Kopitar and Doughty slowing down every season, we will eventually win a round? Stop. I'm not AS pessimistic as the others here and I think the Kings are doing great right now, but the real test is the playoffs.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Kings have made it out of the 1st round 12 times.
1968-69
1975-76
1976-77
1981-82
1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1992-93
2000-01
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14

 

[Lt Dan]

They already went through that in 2018-19 after their big free agent signing blew up in their face, then it happened again in 2023 where they gave up two of their first round selections for a player who had a reputation of being a notorious underachiever.

They don't need another rebuild, but a plan that includes playoff success would be nice. More people want to see this team succeed versus another rebuild with mixed results.

Kopitar and Doughty also aren't getting any younger, and their best days are clearly behind them.

That's the reality that needs to be faced.
The Kings are a tweener team

They need to keep getting younger and have the younger players start assuming more and more of the burden.
The bright side is that Byfield and Clarke have been great recently. They need to become the new leaders of the team and they need to keep rolling in more youth

This the breakdown by age groups that I arbitrarily made up. I am leaving goalies out because of what is on the way . I am leaving out Lewis because he shouldn't be playing anyway

OLD AF
Kopitar 37
Doughty 35

Past their prime
Danault - 32
Edmunson-31

In their Prime
Gavrikov-29
Kuzmenko-29
Moore-29
Fiala- 28
Foegele-28
Kempe-28
Jeannot-27
Moverare-26

The Young and The Restless
Anderson-25
Spence-24
Turcotte-24
Byfield-22
Clarke-22
Helenius-22

We need more youth and less players past 30.
The good news is that we have a lot of players in their prime
The bad news is that we don't have a long list of players knocking at the door to make the team. Remember in 2012 that Voynov, King , and Nolan were all called up and Carter was added that the deadline. In the salary cap era, teams need as many players as possible on ELCs

 

[AbsentMojo]

Black hole or full/partial rebuild that is the question.. There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road youre on..or so they say. The prototypical black hole team quoted is usually Nashville. This is the path the Kings are on, is it good enough for you?

Playoff Appearances and Results

1. 2003-04: First Round exit (lost to Detroit Red Wings, 4-2).
   • Marked their debut in the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
2. 2005-06: First Round exit (lost to San Jose Sharks, 4-1).
   • Secured home-ice advantage as the No. 4 seed but fell short.
3. 2006-07: First Round exit (lost to San Jose Sharks, 4-1).
   • Another early exit despite a franchise-record 110 points in the regular season.
4. 2007-08: First Round exit (lost to Detroit Red Wings, 4-2).
5. 2009-10: First Round exit (lost to Chicago Blackhawks, 4-2).
6. 2010-11: Second Round exit (lost to Vancouver Canucks, 4-2).
   • Won their first playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks (4-2), advancing past the first round for the first time.
7. 2011-12: Second Round exit (lost to Phoenix Coyotes, 4-1).
   • Defeated Detroit Red Wings (4-1) in the First Round, marking consecutive years with a series win.

 

[BigKing]

I'm not going to hold injuries caused by dirty plays against a player, awkwardness aside.

Slew foots are among the most dangerous plays out there.

Sure, but he's hurt and many others don't get hurt on it. If it is a concussion, that makes sense since that is the scary result of a slew foot. If it is his back or something, that is abnormal.

And yet Blake expected Arvidsson to be in the lineup every night despite his plethora of injuries before he got to LA.

The argument that Cilardi was an injury concern doesn't hold much weight to me when you consider Arvidsson.

I think it's more likely the Kings have something going on with the medical staff or the medical reports. Been far too many times over the last few years where a player has gone from out day-to-day, then week-to-week and then in a coffin.

He couldn't move Arvidsson for PLD. Arvidsson cost a draft pick.

I'm not saying Blake should have traded Vilardi, just saying that he most likely thought he was selling high since he didn't trust him to be in the lineup. After what Vilardi went through injury-wise, I get why he would be shy. Of course, the sell high should not have been a guy with PLD's character since LA was probably the worst place for him to go.

 

[King'sPawn]

Sure, but he's hurt and many others don't get hurt on it. If it is a concussion, that makes sense since that is the scary result of a slew foot. If it is his back or something, that is abnormal.

I'll try not to belabor the point, but a lot of people get hurt from plays that others don't.

Kopitar crashed into the boards in 2011. Missed the playoffs. It's the only time I remember seeing him crash into the boards like that, and it's one of his only injuries. How many guys get up and just feel wobbly?

Vilardi has a health issue he has since mitigated. Calling him Mr. Glass because of a dirty play, abnormal location of injury or not, is making a silly leap.

It woukd be like calling Willie Mitchell Mr. Glass if he got another concussion from a dirty hit despite having a helmet that minimizes concussions.

 

[tigermask48]

He couldn't move Arvidsson for PLD. Arvidsson cost a draft pick.

I'm not saying Blake should have traded Vilardi, just saying that he most likely thought he was selling high since he didn't trust him to be in the lineup. After what Vilardi went through injury-wise, I get why he would be shy. Of course, the sell high should not have been a guy with PLD's character since LA was probably the worst place for him to go.

The point I'm trying to make is that the logic of Blake moving Vilardi over injury concerns doesn't really make sense when Blake is also trading assets for Arvidsson who is every bit as injury prone as people are saying Vilardi is.
I'm not saying he should have been moved for PLD rather than Vilardi.

Arvidsson had only played more than 60 games in a season if you count playoff games the three seasons before Blake traded for him.

 

[BaileyFan]

do you want gavrikov on the books if you get swept out of the 1st again though? does he want to be "the guy" going through a rebuild?

don't get me wrong i really like the guy but there's a lot of moving parts

I don’t think any of that matters much to either the player or management. Luc will never initiate another rebuild as long as he’s in charge. Full stop. He’ll be in win now mode and no amount of consecutive 1st round Oilers losses will change that. Gavrikov based on his last deal seems to prioritize earning potential over Cup chasing so I think he’ll be just fine with being “the guy” here as well as one of the highest paid stay at home D in the league.

 

[BigKing]

I'll try not to belabor the point, but a lot of people get hurt from plays that others don't.

Kopitar crashed into the boards in 2011. Missed the playoffs. It's the only time I remember seeing him crash into the boards like that, and it's one of his only injuries. How many guys get up and just feel wobbly?

Vilardi has a health issue he has since mitigated. Calling him Mr. Glass because of a dirty play, abnormal location of injury or not, is making a silly leap.

It woukd be like calling Willie Mitchell Mr. Glass if he got another concussion from a dirty hit despite having a helmet that minimizes concussions.

He didn't crash into the boards, but it was an awkward play. Difference is Kopitar rarely ever missed time before or after while Vilardi basically missed something like 1 1/2 seasons after being drafted, then put up 63 and 47 games the past two seasons before finally appearing to beat the injury bug this year, only to potentially be out for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

If Mr. Glass seems "mean", then injury-prone is the description at a minimum. If you want to call it bad luck, okay, but it doesn't change the fact that it keeps happening to him. We all hope it is a Justin Williams type thing for him where it actually is bad luck and he can go on to routinely play a full compliment of games, but Vilardi's track record so far is that of an injury-prone player.

The point I'm trying to make is that the logic of Blake moving Vilardi over injury concerns doesn't really make sense when Blake is also trading assets for Arvidsson who is every bit as injury prone as people are saying Vilardi is.
I'm not saying he should have been moved for PLD rather than Vilardi.

Arvidsson had only played more than 60 games in a season if you count playoff games the three seasons before Blake traded for him.

It's not the same though. Blake traded a draft pick at a time when the Kings had a ton of prospects and picks with Arvidsson having a contract in place. It was also at a time when the Kings hadn't made the playoffs in years.

Vilardi was up for a new contract and Blake finally just got a "full" Vilardi season of 63 games. The best he got out of him since drafting him six years earlier was 63 games, and Blake was there for the missed season(s) and the 2022 failure. He wanted to be out of the Gabe Vilardi business so he moved him for a guy that was supposed to score a similar amount and be in the lineup for 82 games or close to it. The main problem is that the guy he traded for might be in the lineup for 82 or close to it, but that doesn't mean he is valuable.

I love Vilardi's game, but I can also understand why Blake wouldn't want to deal with it anymore. The problem wasn't trading him necessarily, it was who they got for him.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Nashville. This is the path the Kings are on, is it good enough for you?

What am I going to do if it's NOT? Better yet, what are YOU going to do?? Lead by example, bruh.

 

[AbsentMojo]

What am I going to do if it's NOT? Better yet, what are YOU going to do?? Lead by example, bruh.

Im highlighting the tradeoff.. less risk less reward, more risk more potential reward. Its not a clear cut which is better.. i would bet its 50/50 among fans to be in the hunt year after year, or go for a full rebuild like DL did. Blake did a partial one - and some were calling for it going longer. Personally, I want to see a full rebuild. What are the trigger points for it? I say when you have little to no draft capital and are at the cap ceiling - with declining assets in your core. You could counter that with the cap going up and guys on the up the upswing like 55 and 92. I say its not enough to get you over the hump.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Im highlighting the tradeoff.. less risk less reward, more risk more potential reward. Its not a clear cut which is better.. i would bet its 50/50 among fans to be in the hunt year after year, or go for a full rebuild like DL did. Blake did a partial one - and some were calling for it going longer. Personally, I want to see a full rebuild. What are the trigger points for it? I say when you have little to no draft capital and are at the cap ceiling - with declining assets in your core. You could counter that with the cap going up and guys on the up the upswing like 55 and 92. I say its not enough to get you over the hump.

I keep saying it, but nobody is listening....no playoff teams go into 'full rebuild'. You want that to happen for the Kings, they are going to have do a lot worse than losing out in the first round....

 

[King'sPawn]

I think it's too late to go into a full rebuild at this point. I think the Kings exited their rebuild too early, but you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

They will need to make wholesale changes if they're a first-round exit again, in my opinion, but that's a conversation for later.

 

[Lt Dan]

I think it's too late to go into a full rebuild at this point. I think the Kings exited their rebuild too early, but you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

They will need to make wholesale changes if they're a first-round exit again, in my opinion, but that's a conversation for later.

Indeed
But I do have to admit that a combination of the offseason tweaks and the new coaching have really helped.
When Kopitar retires or falls off a cliff, they will need another 1A center really quickly and Danault is starting to show his age.
At this point, I am not sure if Turcotte will ever be that player.
I also think that this rising cap will also means the free agent crop might be a little thinner

 

[tigermask48]

I keep saying it, but nobody is listening....no playoff teams go into 'full rebuild'. You want that to happen for the Kings, they are going to have do a lot worse than losing out in the first round....

I mean Carolina is in a playoff spot currently and was sellers at this year's trade deadline... but sure, sound off.

 

[AbsentMojo]

I keep saying it, but nobody is listening....no playoff teams go into 'full rebuild'. You want that to happen for the Kings, they are going to have do a lot worse than losing out in the first round....

Boston sold at the deadline - looking to at least do a partial if not a full rebuild after 109 pts last season.. im sure there are others. So I dont think you can lead with that premise.