Blake Extended for 3 Years

[SettlementRichie10]

In Lombardi’s final few drafts, he picked TWO NHL caliber forwards in the first round. One of those picks scored a lot of goals for us this year.

Blake has yet to select a forward in the first round who has made an impact like Kempe or Pearson.

Kinda wild considering how people love to shit on Dean for never drafting good forwards.

Blake really is tough to figure out because he has made some objectively shrewd trades and free agent acquisitions. But he can’t pick bluechip forwards to save his life. Kupari and Kaliyev are his best forward picks and they were both considered projects.

I guess if he continues filling the team with Moores and Danaults it doesn’t matter. But sooner or later you need to draft a Kopitar.

 

[NikF]

If Byfield isn't a star, I think this rebuild winds up with the team being a San Jose/Nashville equivalent ie good but not great.

 

[Lt Dan]

This team isn't good. I don't see any move that turns them into a contender.

Blake would have to make 3 home run moves in one offseason for that to happen. What are the chances?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The good news--Blake appears top tier at NHL signings and trades, and thus relatively pro scouting (Kovalchuk was a good idea...the misuse is a different story that continues)....so that when it's time, like, ahem, this offseason, I trust him to make his mark on this franchise in that way.

The bad news--what crack is he smoking with the high first rounders, whether you place the blame on drafting, development, or usage or something else?

It sucks because those are the absolutely key pieces, because he nails almost everything else. Drafting in the 2nd round on? Fantastic. Development of JAGs? NHL top tier, arguably best. Dmen development, top tier. trades, great values for everyone. Relationships, awesome. He's got all the pedigree and is starting to put together the results...But what happens with Vilardi thru Clarke does matter and can't ALL be blamed on injuries, the drafting and development of high end offensive talent is STILL an absolute black hole in this organization until proven otherwise.

 

[cyclones22]

It's a huge component because teams that win and win big, most of their stars are home grown. The benefit of sucking is higher draft position. You can't squander that or treat those assets like any other draft choice. You need to do all you can to make sure those high draft choices have a favorable environment to grow. So far, not seeing it. But maybe breaking the Playoff drought has taken off some of the pressure to ride the vets backs for 82 games. I'm dubious at best, but there's always hope even if it's slim.

 

[YP44]

If Byfield isn't a star, I think this rebuild winds up with the team being a San Jose/Nashville equivalent ie good but not great.

The scary thing to think about is what if LA turns into Buffalo? Constant high picks but can never get out of the lottery.
I think LA is a lot better than that, but really the main difference is LA has some good vets.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

The scary thing to think about is what if LA turns into Buffalo? Constant high picks but can never get out of the lottery.

Umm, I think they've already proven they are nothing like Buffalo as they just finished up a playoff round.

 

[bland]

Was that really going all-in though? What future assets did he deal to go all-in? He bet on the veterans, who did deliver in his first season as GM, and then they added an offensive weapon in Kovalchuk who cost $6.25M. I don't know if I'd describe that as going all-in. He didn't even have an arsenal of prospects to trade to go all-in, and he didn't do it after one season of regular season success his first year on the job. He probably knew in the back of his mind this could blow up, and that's exactly what happened.

I just find it funny that people knock Blake for doing what he should've done, which is to hang onto picks. He could have just as easily started trading them away early in his tenure, like his predecessor had done repeatedly in chasing something that was already beyond approach.

I guess he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. And I've been vocal and critical about wasting a high first round pick on someone like Turcotte, but given that seven of the players on the roster were drafted under his watch, three were undrafted prospects he signed, and 10 others were players he acquired via trade/free agency, he deserves quite a bit of credit for turning things around.

I ask again, how many of you expected this team to be playing in a Game 7 in the playoffs this year?

Trading JAD, the Akil Thomas pick and Muzzin (Bjornfot/Grundstrom/Durzi) for Pacioretty is exactly the sort of move you are praising him for avoiding, even though he had already agreed to it.

The rebuild was inevitable, yet it was Blake's backup plan to going for it. He begrudgingly accepted the rebuild, it wasn't any sort of foresight or vision unfolding.

 

[KINGS17]

Blake is a first time GM learning the ropes. DL was a GM then back to a scout then GM again.. way more experience when he took the reigns in 2006. I believe Blake is doing OK for a first timer but Im not super optimistic on his ability to improve the overall org. DL used his knowledge of players while scouting in Phi to court players he liked - Williams, Richards, Carter.. he had quite a few tricks up his sleeve. Blake doesnt have that diverse background - and doesnt have the scouting instincts or the vision DL had (for better or worse). I think Blake will have to rely much more on good deputies to have success.

This is a fair assessment, and may temper expectations a bit.

 

[KINGS17]

Dave Taylor got close to a decade, so I’m resigned to Blake being here for awhile.

AEG is on auto pilot with their Kings property, so I’m not surprised by 3 years. Assuming it’s true and doubtful it is ever “officially” reported.

As long as the team makes the playoffs, management will continue to have jobs in this town. Even if they miss next year, there will be enough excuses to blame extenuating circumstances.

I put no money down on the Kings being a top five team in the league as long as the current regime runs things. My bet is on an eventual firing before a third round appearance in the next 3 years. It’s takes one Roenick to sink a ship.

...and this is the type of Kings environment in which Luc Robitaille thrives.

They are going to do just enough to keep their jobs, and I think you are right about AEG being on autopilot at this point.

I wonder what will happen when Uncle Phil is no longer with us. He is now in his early 80's and has three kids, but I have no idea how involved his kids are in AEG.

 

[bland]

Blake took a faded former championship level team and double downed on it instead of rebuilding, even though he had limited assets, no cost-controlled production, and an excessive amount of stagnating retirement contracts.

That failed. He paid a guy to not show up. His coaching hires failed until McLellan, which has seen mixed results. They made the playoffs this year due to free agent signings and a trade that bolstered the middle of their lineup, combined with a Vegas team that messed their bed.

The top end of the lineup is eroding, the bottom level seems to be stagnating instead of rising, but the middle is doing great. Of course the middle part of a NHL team is the absolute easiest to fill because the league is saturated with players who do some things very well.

Development here is a huge negative. Its a massive problem. JAD/Kupari/Thomas/Vilardi/Turcotte/Kaliyev/Byfield have yielded one soild 4th liner thus far.

This summer should be interesting. There is no room or reason to add a single middle six forward, yet they are the easiest to sign or acquire. They have need for top line and bottom line specialists, nothing in between. Let's see if he addresses those issues or goes the easy route with more 2nd liners who are dressed up in their Sunday best silk hats to gain yet another mediocre result.

And that is the best you can say about Blake's tenure here, mediocrity is his high water mark while the future, which should be the focus coming out of a rebuild, is just as murky as it was when the prospects were limited in number.

That is not worth an extension.

 

[KINGS17]

You're selling him short. Danault, Arvidsson and Edler were all slam dunks - all while minimizing any asset losses. Kovalchuk and Petersen are probably his biggest flops, but the terms are short and those aren't albatross contracts. Give the man some credit.



How does this add anything of value to this thread?

I wouldn't put Danault, Arvidsson, and Edler in the category of slam dunks. They were solid contributors this past season.

Edler is 36 years old and is just a bridge player.

Arvidsson is 29 years old, and if he is like 90% of NHL forwards, has probably reached his peak as a points producer. Most likely as he enters his 30's we will see his production drop.

Danault is also 29, but plays the type of game that may translate into a steady leadership role for the team. He had a career year offensively, and I would not be shocked if his goal scoring next season dropped back down into high teens with around 40 points.

None of these guys are going to be as Reggie so aptly put it, "The straw that stirs the drink."

 

[KINGS17]

Given what he started with and where the team is at today, I’d say the rebuild is starting to payoff. This is probably going to be his biggest offseason however in terms of elevating the team to get to the next level. People forget how the Kings were in cap hell with the worst pipeline in the NHL when Blake stepped in.

I think everyone here would’ve laughed at anyone who thought this was going to be a playoff team that will be playing in a Game 7 if that prediction was made a year ago.

The team also has a better idea now of exactly what needs they’ll have to address, and they have the assets and cap space to make some significant additions.

Wait, I thought he started with a Stanley Cup contender that just needed a new coach and a few tweeks to return to the promised land.

Well, I guess since BLuc is still here they get to rewrite the history books. Yes, we have always been at war with Eurasia, and the Kings were in need of a rebuild Day 1 of the BLuc administration. The Minister of Truth has spoken.

 

[KINGS17]

Going all in is subjective, up for interpretation, but one can see it that way if you look at the regimes actions and comments. Their introduction presser stated they felt the roster DL constructed was primed for more cup runs. Just needed a different culture/style.

That contradicts Ziggy’s contention that the current regime was handed a steaming pile and was in cap hell. Especially when we know Luc/AEG overruled DL on the Kopi extension and they gave Kovy 3 years when everyone else was offering 1 year deals.

 

[KINGS17]

Do people forget that or do people forget he went all-in with DL's roster by running it back and then adding to it with Kovy?

You get out of cap hell by trading valuable NHL'ers while the sands through the hourglass take care of the rest. The former also allows you to ice a shit team and accumulate prospects and picks to fix the pipeline issue. That's the easy thing with the hard thing being picking/trading for the right prospects and developing them properly.

I'm not a Blake guy but his best results-based moves are Danault/Arvi, the Muzzin trade and the Anderson selection. Sweet moves and credit where credit is due but the pipeline thing is actually frightening because there are grave concerns over all of his first round picks from 2017 - '20. Maybe not a grave concern with Bjornfot but, still, he couldn't keep his spot in the lineup this year and that was even with Anderson out.

There are positives in the pipeline, no doubt, but it isn't as promising as it once was. Agree with you and I've been saying it for awhile now: this is the off season where the tough calls need to be made.

He's getting the extension under the premise of "okay...we like where this is going so here is three years to finish the job" but he's still sitting here with serious questions in goal and at the forward positions while riding off of a miraculous 99 point season where they somehow kept finding ways to get points. I think they are in a pretty precarious position and he's going to need to make some sort of impact move plus have Byfield and others take a leap.

It's just a lot different after making the playoffs the first time with Lombardi and you want to extend him since he is sitting on the 11/23/8/32 from 12 years ago while Blake is sitting on the current versions of 11/8/32 while not having a replacement for 32 or--depending on Byfield--11.

Lot of work to be done. I'm encouraged by his--IMO--low risk/high reward moves last Summer but the time to be cautious has now passed and we don't know how well he'll do at taking a home run swing. Can he part with his beloved draft picks and, if he can, will he move the right prospects or will it bite him in the ass?

Yeah, I give him a lot of credit for the Muzzin trade. Blake got good value in that deal. He waited way too long to pull the trigger with the Carter trade though.

 

[Martyros]

Need another Arvidsson-like trade and another trade for a top 4 dman. shed some salary by involving Walker in any deal. Easier said than done, but that would put us over the "I don't know how this team made the playoffs" feelings/thoughts. Time to choose who to use as trade bait and who to continue developing from our prospects. Not everyone will stay with the lineup.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Trading JAD, the Akil Thomas pick and Muzzin (Bjornfot/Grundstrom/Durzi) for Pacioretty is exactly the sort of move you are praising him for avoiding, even though he had already agreed to it.

The rebuild was inevitable, yet it was Blake's backup plan to going for it. He begrudgingly accepted the rebuild, it wasn't any sort of foresight or vision unfolding.

And even that trade wouldn't have hurt the team, but it didn't play out that way, and he did something that everyone here was clamoring for, which is selling off Toffoli, Muzzin, Martinez, Clifford, etc.

Why do you think he did it begrudgingly? It was after one season of success, and a slow start to the following season where we started to see them sell off players.

It's also comical that some fans make excuses as to why the previous GM didn't sell off anyone, but people on here like to make up scenarios that he was about to do just that before he was let go.

 

[BringTheReign]

It could be worse than Blake.....much worse. Look around at the league. Heck, it could be the fool from Montreal that was brought in as a consultant.

Bingo. The folks here who constantly call for Blake to be fired need to look around the league and remember just how many bad GMs there are. We don't have an "elite" GM, but Blake is clearly above average based on his trade and FA history alone (not that he doesn't have losses in those categories). We're at a sad state developing forwards for sure, but at least we crush drafting and developing defensemen. Many teams suck at both.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Blake is being criticized for hanging onto picks and rebuilding a year later, after Kopitar, Brown, Doughty all had career years.

Goes to show you he can't win with these armchair critics. I'm sure if the Kings go on a deep playoff run next year, they'll find more excuses as to why he's such a failure.

 

[Martyros]

Blake is being criticized for hanging onto picks and rebuilding a year later, after Kopitar, Brown, Doughty all had career years.

Goes to show you he can't win with these armchair critics. I'm sure if the Kings go on a deep playoff run next year, they'll find more excuses as to why he's such a failure.

Tell me that fans don't know what they really want without telling me they don't know what they really want.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I’m certain the detractors bemoaning his extension will appreciate this article.

Restraint has been a characteristic of Blake’s management style. His low-key, under-the-radar demeanor is a lot like his opposite number in Colorado, general manager and fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Sakic — coincidentally, a former Avalanche teammate of Blake’s.

They are artful dodgers of the TV cameras. One NHL executive who knows them both well also put a third Hall of Famer in that category: Red WingsGM Steve Yzerman.

“Stevie is like that, too,” the executive said. “These guys take their time — they’re analytical. They just do their job. They understand players and they’re good people.

“You have good years and bad years, but these guys aren’t overly emotional. They don’t need to go out there in front all the time.”

 

[DoktorJeep]

...and this is the type of Kings environment in which Luc Robitaille thrives.

They are going to do just enough to keep their jobs, and I think you are right about AEG being on autopilot at this point.

I wonder what will happen when Uncle Phil is no longer with us. He is now in his early 80's and has three kids, but I have no idea how involved his kids are in AEG.

I think AEG is large enough where some succession planning is in place. It’s not a Melnyk situation. Beckerman is probably the guy to be made CEO, with the kids retaining some board seats.

 

[Schrute farms]

Tough room....

 

[Lt Dan]

Blake is being criticized for hanging onto picks and rebuilding a year later, after Kopitar, Brown, Doughty all had career years.

Goes to show you he can't win with these armchair critics. I'm sure if the Kings go on a deep playoff run next year, they'll find more excuses as to why he's such a failure.

100%

The Kings also made playoffs faster than any of us expected , with Doughty playing less than half a season and the worst run of injuries since the DT era.

Yes, games are going to be much tougher to win now and teams aren't going to look past games against them anymore. This offseason is pivotal and I don't think it'll be a repeat of 98-99.
The Kings desperately need another top 6 winger, plus a tough as nails winger. The D could use another top 4 dman and the Kings need to start moving Kopitar down the depth chart.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Id say the main reason the cups were won in the 2010s was the 100% buy-in on a rebuild from AEG.. Anschutz and Leiwike were totally on board with a complete rebuild plan and let DL do what he wanted. Whats happening now is a hybrid of rebuild and win now - which is exactly the recipe for the black hole of mediocrity teams wind up in. TM is a veteran coach - I doubt he was ever on-board with a total rebuild the way TMurray was. He isnt that kind of coach - he's going to use his best assets and not think about development that much unless forced to. So overall I dont think Blake has a clear vision he's playing both sides of the fence.