Blake Extended for 3 Years

[bland]

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.

The better question is why you disagree. You don't look to bring in Kovalchuk on a 3 year deal AND Pacioretty on a 6 x 6 if you think your team is on a path to a rebuild.

You don't bring in a guy everybody knew was done in Phaneuf if you are considering a rebuild, you just buy Gaborik out in the summer. That wasn't considered because they didn't want dead cap while trying to go for it. Blake actually thought Phaneuf would help even though he was going to be the 4th or 5th LHD on the depth chart and was sinking like a stone with the new rules.

I have no idea what Lombardi was considering doing, and wouldn't presume to know. What does that have to do with anything in this conversation?

 

[BigKing]

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.

He gets credit for realizing his mistake and moving into a rebuild.

He does not get absolved from making the mistake to not rebuild in the first place.

If they go on a deep playoff run next year, it will be because his prospects took major steps and/or he killed it this off-season. He'll get credit for it just like he gets credit for the adds this past off-season.

The progress--or lack thereof--of the forward prospects instills the fear that they haven't really gotten anywhere. They didn't make the playoffs because they lost on purpose and collected a bunch of high draft picks: they made the playoffs primarily on the backs of guys that were already here when Blake took over plus Danault/Arvi. Moore/Durzi are important adds (great trades by Blake) and Kaliyev contributed so I can put him in the "got him because of the tank" but he is it at the forward position after five drafts.

The entire forward corp is kind of a question mark. Can Danault pot that many goals again? Is this really who Trevor Moore and Kempe are? Can Kopitar not decline too much? Is Iafallo broken? Can Arvi stay healthy (was never the same for Nashville after his back injury there)? Can these kids take massive steps after not showing much--outside of Kaliyev--this past season?

We've already been here with Blake in 2019: make the playoffs on top of career years from guys, make a splashy move and then have that team completely fall apart within a month. That team had three of the same dudes that will be relied upon heavily next season along with some very good NHL players that have since gone on to continue being very good NHL players.

You're being cautious and saying that the rebuild is starting to produce results as opposed to saying "Mission Accomplished". That's fair. We are seeing some of the assets acquired during the tank and talent sell-off perform at the NHL level but the current lack of first round draft success is a black cloud hanging over the rebuild and really tempers my expectations but it also is what makes me fascinated for this offseason. Blake already indicated he was concerned with the center prospects by bringing in Danault and this past season has to have him worried even more.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The better question is why you disagree. You don't look to bring in Kovalchuk on a 3 year deal AND Pacioretty on a 6 x 6 if you think your team is on a path to a rebuild.

You don't bring in a guy everybody knew was done in Phaneuf if you are considering a rebuild, you just buy Gaborik out in the summer. That wasn't considered because they didn't want dead cap while trying to go for it. Blake actually thought Phaneuf would help even though he was going to be the 4th or 5th LHD on the depth chart and was sinking like a stone with the new rules.

I have no idea what Lombardi was considering doing, and wouldn't presume to know. What does that have to do with anything in this conversation?

Why bemoan something that never materialized? That's my contention. The Kovalchuk signing made sense at the time. They're not losing anything, and they needed offense after looking flat against Vegas in the playoffs. At the time, they had Kopitar and Brown post astronomical numbers, and they needed a LW who is a finisher. The second line all season was Kempe centering Pearson and Toffoli, with Carter out with an injury. The expectation was with a healthy Carter, and a sniper added to the lineup, the Kings would build off of the success they had in 2017-18. They were clearly wrong, and as a result, the rebuild started. The rebuild would've started much sooner had the Kings played like utter garbage in 2017-18.

The Phaneuf trade was done when the Kings were looking strong during the regular season, and Gaborik was no longer an option for them with their top two lines set, and they needed a boost on the blueline as well. They did get a fairly decent bottom six forward out of that deal as well with the addition of Nate Thompson. Phaneuf actually looked like a decent player when he was initially acquired, but much like the rest of the team, looked like utter garbage in 2018-19.

I brought up Dean's failures in his last season here because some others have made excuses about his intentions to rebuild before his firing. Blake is being criticized for a move that never happened. As soon as the team started to show its cracks again, the writing was on the wall as to what direction the team was headed in. They didn't try to hide that the team had to rebuild, and Blake also had to be patient in order for certain players to raise their stocks up again.

This team made the playoffs two seasons after they started selling off their veterans, and Blake acquired his version of Stoll in Danault, I guess to a degree Arvidsson is like a Williams type player, and Moore exceeded anyone's expectations. These are acquisitions he gets full credit for, and that trio boosted this team considerably.

That's why Blake has earned a lengthier amount of rope in my eyes. He hasn't done anything to set this team back, yet.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

He gets credit for realizing his mistake and moving into a rebuild.

He does not get absolved from making the mistake to not rebuild in the first place.

If they go on a deep playoff run next year, it will be because his prospects took major steps and/or he killed it this off-season. He'll get credit for it just like he gets credit for the adds this past off-season.

The progress--or lack thereof--of the forward prospects instills the fear that they haven't really gotten anywhere. They didn't make the playoffs because they lost on purpose and collected a bunch of high draft picks: they made the playoffs primarily on the backs of guys that were already here when Blake took over plus Danault/Arvi. Moore/Durzi are important adds (great trades by Blake) and Kaliyev contributed so I can put him in the "got him because of the tank" but he is it at the forward position after five drafts.

The entire forward corp is kind of a question mark. Can Danault pot that many goals again? Is this really who Trevor Moore and Kempe are? Can Kopitar not decline too much? Is Iafallo broken? Can Arvi stay healthy (was never the same for Nashville after his back injury there)? Can these kids take massive steps after not showing much--outside of Kaliyev--this past season?

We've already been here with Blake in 2019: make the playoffs on top of career years from guys, make a splashy move and then have that team completely fall apart within a month. That team had three of the same dudes that will be relied upon heavily next season along with some very good NHL players that have since gone on to continue being very good NHL players.

You're being cautious and saying that the rebuild is starting to produce results as opposed to saying "Mission Accomplished". That's fair. We are seeing some of the assets acquired during the tank and talent sell-off perform at the NHL level but the current lack of first round draft success is a black cloud hanging over the rebuild and really tempers my expectations but it also is what makes me fascinated for this offseason. Blake already indicated he was concerned with the center prospects by bringing in Danault and this past season has to have him worried even more.

I think it's also fair for the new management team to take a "wait and see" approach in their first season in. That's what they did, and the results were a major surprise to many. I don't think coming out of the 2016-17 season anyone would've predicted Kopitar to have a Hart Trophy worthy season, but that's what ended up happening.

Like you, I have a lot of questions and concerns about the future of the forwards in the pipeline moving forward. Someone has to overtake Kopitar as the future #1 center, and nobody has shown any signs yet that they will overtake that spot from him. That is my biggest concern with the team moving forward. Same applies for the #1 goaltending spot, as they need a successor to Quick, and Petersen has proven thus far that he may not be the solution in net.

In terms of forward development, fingers crossed, a lot of these guys end up like Kempe. Preferably they reach their potential much sooner, but Kempe took six seasons (and also a lot of shuffling around positions), in order for him to find his groove offensively. He made this team as a 20-year-old, and he experienced his breakout season at 25.

Byfield was looking dominant before his ankle injury. He had his moments every game, but he clearly showed that physically he's still immature and needs to get considerably stronger. Kupari had his moments as well, and I think he stood out as one of the better forecheckers among the young forwards. He may not become a big point producing top six forward, but I still can see him as being a solid contributor in a bottom six role. Kaliyev should step up next season and post better numbers.

The defense is also shaping up strongly, with the biggest question mark being Bjornfot. He was looking great before his injury. Anderson had a strong showing in the playoffs, Spence and Durzi look like they can make a contribution as regulars on the blueline next season, and the team has assembled enough depth where they can trade from a position of strength in order to address a weakness.

All the pieces are in place for the team to make some significant moves this summer. Now there are expectations we can place on the team, and this is the first summer under Blake where the team is ready to make some moves that'll push them further along as contenders. There are some question marks, but the team is also on the right path.

 

[YP44]

Why bemoan something that never materialized? That's my contention. The Kovalchuk signing made sense at the time. They're not losing anything, and they needed offense after looking flat against Vegas in the playoffs. At the time, they had Kopitar and Brown post astronomical numbers, and they needed a LW who is a finisher. The second line all season was Kempe centering Pearson and Toffoli, with Carter out with an injury. The expectation was with a healthy Carter, and a sniper added to the lineup, the Kings would build off of the success they had in 2017-18. They were clearly wrong, and as a result, the rebuild started. The rebuild would've started much sooner had the Kings played like utter garbage in 2017-18.

The Phaneuf trade was done when the Kings were looking strong during the regular season, and Gaborik was no longer an option for them with their top two lines set, and they needed a boost on the blueline as well. They did get a fairly decent bottom six forward out of that deal as well with the addition of Nate Thompson. Phaneuf actually looked like a decent player when he was initially acquired, but much like the rest of the team, looked like utter garbage in 2018-19.

I brought up Dean's failures in his last season here because some others have made excuses about his intentions to rebuild before his firing. Blake is being criticized for a move that never happened. As soon as the team started to show its cracks again, the writing was on the wall as to what direction the team was headed in. They didn't try to hide that the team had to rebuild, and Blake also had to be patient in order for certain players to raise their stocks up again.

This team made the playoffs two seasons after they started selling off their veterans, and Blake acquired his version of Stoll in Danault, I guess to a degree Arvidsson is like a Williams type player, and Moore exceeded anyone's expectations. These are acquisitions he gets full credit for, and that trio boosted this team considerably.

That's why Blake has earned a lengthier amount of rope in my eyes. He hasn't done anything to set this team back, yet.

I am far from a Blake supporter but you make some great points here.
The next challenge will be getting the team over the hump from playoff bubble team to legit payoff team, then borderline cup contender to contender. I think it will be harder than stripping the team down, but hard to dispute he should get a crack at it.
One area I think Blake has had success is getting free agents. LA usually misses out on their targets but he got Kovalchuk when the player had other options. He got Danault who was a top 5 UFA last summer (and now probably best summer signing last year). He got Edler. I wonder if the fact he can speak to the LA lifestyle and what it is like to play in LA as a sales pitch to these guys. Danault for sure sounds like they talked alot about his role in the short and longer term. I respect that, even if I still hold a bitter grudge to Blake the player that I should get over, but never will.

 

[BigKing]

I am far from a Blake supporter but you make some great points here.
The next challenge will be getting the team over the hump from playoff bubble team to legit payoff team, then borderline cup contender to contender. I think it will be harder than stripping the team down, but hard to dispute he should get a crack at it.
One area I think Blake has had success is getting free agents. LA usually misses out on their targets but he got Kovalchuk when the player had other options. He got Danault who was a top 5 UFA last summer (and now probably best summer signing last year). He got Edler. I wonder if the fact he can speak to the LA lifestyle and what it is like to play in LA as a sales pitch to these guys. Danault for sure sounds like they talked alot about his role in the short and longer term. I respect that, even if I still hold a bitter grudge to Blake the player that I should get over, but never will.

I think Blake has cache with FAs as a former player and a HOF'er to boot.

That said, he gave Kovy more than the other interested teams and that's how he "won" that one.

Give it up for Danault though. Report was he was going to Vegas and then he was here.

 

[YP44]

I think Blake has cache with FAs as a former player and a HOF'er to boot.

That said, he gave Kovy more than the other interested teams and that's how he "won" that one.

Give it up for Danault though. Report was he was going to Vegas and then he was here.

I know he gave a lot for Kovy. I remember my thought process when that went down once I heard LA got Kovy I was like please only 2 years, than I was ok it's three. Please less than $6M, ok that stinks. Please no NMC, well dman hope it works.
The player still made sense as a target at that time, and he got his target.

 

[KINGS17]

Signing UFAs this summer does not put this team on the path to Stanley Cup contention.

 

[YP44]

Signing UFAs this summer doe not put this team on the path to Stanley Cup contention.

No but it is part of the equation that does or could IMO

 

[kenito7]

Signing UFAs this summer doe not put this team on the path to Stanley Cup contention.

I agree 100%. Is there a path to Stanley Cup contention starting from where we are at now? Extending Blake was fair because they set a goal and he achieved it but I think it was to soon
to leave rebuild mode. If you are not a serious contender you are rebuilding. The Kings took the middle path that leads to nowhere.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I agree 100%. Is there a path to Stanley Cup contention starting from where we are at now? Extending Blake was fair because they set a goal and he achieved it but I think it was to soon
to leave rebuild mode. If you are not a serious contender you are rebuilding. The Kings took the middle path that leads to nowhere.

Ok, so when is that line crossed? Take a look at some of the top teams,

Florida, Carolina, Colorado, by your logic, they NEVER would have become serious contenders...if they didn't branch out into UFA/trade market....so where is that line?

 

[Surf Nutz]

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.

Kempe split time NHL / AHL in 16/17, then full time 17/18. 4 seasons later he finally broke out. We need to give the current prospects 4 seasons of full NHL to make fair comparisons.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Ok, so when is that line crossed? Take a look at some of the top teams,

Florida, Carolina, Colorado, by your logic, they NEVER would have become serious contenders...if they didn't branch out into UFA/trade market....so where is that line?

I think they spent enough years in tank mode, its just that the 2,5,11 picks arent looking too good - but some of the later picks and Brandt looks promising. So then what? Blake is in a tough spot. Once you commit to Danault and Arvidsson you have to get relevant within their window... because they are going to pull you out of lottery contention now - so that dictates you get pieces together soon for a run. The early rebuild is over its UFA and move picks for players at this point

 

[kenito7]

Ok, so when is that line crossed? Take a look at some of the top teams,

Florida, Carolina, Colorado, by your logic, they NEVER would have become serious contenders...if they didn't branch out into UFA/trade market....so where is that line?

Signing UFA'S is used by everybody at the low to middle end of the market. Danault would be example of the middle. The Kings have prospects to fill the bottom of the lineup and adding
another Danault doesn't, no matter how nice, get you a to the Cup. Signing a high end UFA like Forsberg or Gaudreau rarely works.
What UFA has Colorado or Carolina signed unless you are counting Koskiniemi. Florida did sign Bobrovsky but 10m for any goaltender is way to much for me. You could have NYR signing Panarian and I would have had to give you that one.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Signing UFA'S is used by everybody at the low to middle end of the market. Danault would be example of the middle. The Kings have prospects to fill the bottom of the lineup and adding
another Danault doesn't, no matter how nice, get you a to the Cup. Signing a high end UFA like Forsberg or Gaudreau rarely works.
What UFA has Colorado or Carolina signed unless you are counting Koskiniemi. Florida did sign Bobrovsky but 10m for any goaltender is way to much for me. You could have NYR signing Panarian and I would have had to give you that one.

Depends, are you counting trading for rights, ala Devon Toews? Are you counting trades itself?

Because no one builds a team just on UFA, or just on drafting, or just on trades,

COL - active players who were drafted...by COL, Landeskog, Rantanen, MacKinnon, Makar, Newhook, O'Connor (though not drafted by anyone) Byram, Francouz,

CAR - active players who were drafted by CAR - Aho, Svechkinkjov, Jarvis, Slavin, Pesce, Kochetkov

FLA - active players who were drafted by FLA - Barkov, Huberdeau, Lundell, Weegar, Knight....

If you are waiting for LA to draft more before making UFA and hockey trades, gonna be waiting a long long time.

 

[kenito7]

Depends, are you counting trading for rights, ala Devon Toews? Are you counting trades itself?

Because no one builds a team just on UFA, or just on drafting, or just on trades,

COL - active players who were drafted...by COL, Landeskog, Rantanen, MacKinnon, Makar, Newhook, O'Connor (though not drafted by anyone) Byram, Francouz,

CAR - active players who were drafted by CAR - Aho, Svechkinkjov, Jarvis, Slavin, Pesce, Kochetkov

FLA - active players who were drafted by FLA - Barkov, Huberdeau, Lundell, Weegar, Knight....

If you are waiting for LA to draft more before making UFA and hockey trades, gonna be waiting a long long time.

I was talking UFA not trades. I am up for a good trade. Not opposed to UFA's in general just prefer drafting and some trades.

 

[Sol]

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.

He’s done well but the pipeline issue has not really been resolved at all with all the high end blunders so let’s hold off with that pat on the back. Unjustified as of now.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

He’s done well but the pipeline issue has not really been resolved at all with all the high end blunders so let’s hold off with that pat on the back. Unjustified as of now.

It’s way too early for some of them to make a judgement call on, with the exception of the 2017 class. Vilardi should’ve had a bigger role this season, played his way out of the lineup earlier this season, but had a strong season in the AHL and a strong finish, only to be scratched in the playoffs.

So the only options left for Vilardi is he makes the team full-time, or he’s dealt. Byfield needs to build some strength and be ready to make an impact in 2022-23. Kupari and Kaliyev should be regulars in the lineup next season, and they both should improve on the seasons they had.

Sure, praise for those selections is unjustified now, but being down and full of doom and gloom is just as premature of a reaction to have. The only consensus pick I have that feeling towards is Turcotte, mostly due to his highly questionable future.

 

[Sol]

It’s way too early for some of them to make a judgement call on, with the exception of the 2017 class. Vilardi should’ve had a bigger role this season, played his way out of the lineup earlier this season, but had a strong season in the AHL and a strong finish, only to be scratched in the playoffs.

So the only options left for Vilardi is he makes the team full-time, or he’s dealt. Byfield needs to build some strength and be ready to make an impact in 2022-23. Kupari and Kaliyev should be regulars in the lineup next season, and they both should improve on the seasons they had.

Sure, praise for those selections is unjustified now, but being down and full of doom and gloom is just as premature of a reaction to have. The only consensus pick I have that feeling towards is Turcotte, mostly due to his highly questionable future.

I’d consider a good pipeline to have some high end ability. We have not seen anything near that yet. Maybe you’re right that they improve but none of them have shown anything to suggest that only time or strength will suddenly make them better.

Lizotte is 5’7 and better than them. I think pretending to expect a massive shift from mediocre to surefire top 6 is a bit unrealistic. The one player that I see taking a step forward from those bunch is Kupari and Kaliyev. Kupari is extremely strong on his skates with great speed. Also shows a lot of poise. Kaliyev undoubtedly with more ice time will be a lot more productive. However I’m not confident at all with our top 10 picks. There’s very little in their game to be hopeful about. Sucks to say that about such high picks but it’s the case so far.


However if two of them become first line players. Then it’s definitely a homerun

 

[SettlementRichie10]

I think my biggest issue with Blake is that every year it feels like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. No long term direction or focus. His focus in 2017-2019 is significantly different than his focus from 2020-2021, which is significantly different from now, it seems. I’ve said it elsewhere, but this 2022 team felt a little flukey. A lot of guys had career years with unsustainable (cough shooting percentage cough) stats.

I appreciated Dean from day one because at least he came right in and said exactly what he wanted to do with this team and how long it would take (infamous 5 Year Plan). And he stuck to it (for the most part).

I don’t think it’s fair to shit on Blake for the moves he wanted to make but didn’t, like the Pacioretty deal. Once upon a time Dean did everything in his power to sign Brad Richards to a zillion dollar deal. Dean also wanted to trade for Rick Nash back in the day. Sometimes your greatest hits are your misses.

My bigger issues with Blake are his constant shifts in focus. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him make another bold Kovalchuk-esque move this offseason. Blake has changed gears three times in his first five years and that’s not exactly a motion of confidence.

I’m 100% with BigKing in that I would feel so much more confident about the direction of this franchise if the top end forwards were actually developing. Kopitar’s rapidly depreciating out there.

Really hard to make sense of where this franchise is heading in the near future. At least we have a ton of great defensemen. Maybe we’re going full Nashville?

 

[Kudelski37]

I think my biggest issue with Blake is that every year it feels like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. No long term direction or focus. His focus in 2017-2019 is significantly different than his focus from 2020-2021, which is significantly different from now, it seems. I’ve said it elsewhere, but this 2022 team felt a little flukey. A lot of guys had career years with unsustainable (cough shooting percentage cough) stats.

I appreciated Dean from day one because at least he came right in and said exactly what he wanted to do with this team and how long it would take (infamous 5 Year Plan). And he stuck to it (for the most part).

I don’t think it’s fair to shit on Blake for the moves he wanted to make but didn’t, like the Pacioretty deal. Once upon a time Dean did everything in his power to sign Brad Richards to a zillion dollar deal. Dean also wanted to trade for Rick Nash back in the day. Sometimes your greatest hits are your misses.

My bigger issues with Blake are his constant shifts in focus. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him make another bold Kovalchuk-esque move this offseason. Blake has changed gears three times in his first five years and that’s not exactly a motion of confidence.

I’m 100% with BigKing in that I would feel so much more confident about the direction of this franchise if the top end forwards were actually developing. Kopitar’s rapidly depreciating out there.

Really hard to make sense of where this franchise is heading in the near future. At least we have a ton of great defensemen. Maybe we’re going full Nashville?

I'd say Danault was the only outlier as a goal scorer, but even with his Montreal average shooting % of 9.2, he would have scored ~18 goals this season. Kempe had a slightly better shooting % better than his rookie year, 14.2 to 13.4. Lizotte would have scored four less goals with his career low in % so I don't think that is a big difference. AA was within his career norms. Then guys like Kopitar, Iafallo, Arvidsson, Brown, and Moore had very bad seasons by shooting % relative to their careers. Kaliyev had a very pedestrian 7.2 shooting %. Those were the Kings top 10 goal scorers this season. I don't agree with your thought that the Kings rode several guys with unsustainably high shooting %.

I think Calgary is the team that will crash back to Earth next year. They were the healthiest team in the entire NHL in a division of the most injured teams. 9 out of their top 11 point getters set career highs in points. Markstrom had a career year at 32. Plus, three of their top four scorers are free agents so they will have very little cap room left if they sign them for relatively small raises. They took up about 16 million this season. Calgary has about 26 million in cap space with 13 roster players next year. Maybe they have 6 million for 6 players to get to 13f-7d-2g.

 

[Statto]

He gets credit for realizing his mistake and moving into a rebuild.

He does not get absolved from making the mistake to not rebuild in the first place.

l‘ve said before that I think there’s a pretty good chance that his initial brief was to try to get the last big out of the old core. Firstly because DL didn’t get the green light to fully rebuild from day 1, and that was with a worse roster - he’d been there 2 years before the Visnovsky trade. Secondly because Blake acquired the scoring that was obviously missing from the roster without giving up any assets.

He put himself in a position so that if adding scoring didn’t get it done, he’d be able to start a rebuild without anything he’d done chasing another run impacting his ability to do so. I think he always had one eye on the longer term.

Yes it speculation on my part but it’s not all that much of a stretch, especially given his measured and pragmatic approach to the rebuild.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I think my biggest issue with Blake is that every year it feels like he’s flying by the seat of his pants. No long term direction or focus. His focus in 2017-2019 is significantly different than his focus from 2020-2021, which is significantly different from now, it seems. I’ve said it elsewhere, but this 2022 team felt a little flukey. A lot of guys had career years with unsustainable (cough shooting percentage cough) stats.

I appreciated Dean from day one because at least he came right in and said exactly what he wanted to do with this team and how long it would take (infamous 5 Year Plan). And he stuck to it (for the most part).

I don’t think it’s fair to shit on Blake for the moves he wanted to make but didn’t, like the Pacioretty deal. Once upon a time Dean did everything in his power to sign Brad Richards to a zillion dollar deal. Dean also wanted to trade for Rick Nash back in the day. Sometimes your greatest hits are your misses.

My bigger issues with Blake are his constant shifts in focus. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him make another bold Kovalchuk-esque move this offseason. Blake has changed gears three times in his first five years and that’s not exactly a motion of confidence.

I’m 100% with BigKing in that I would feel so much more confident about the direction of this franchise if the top end forwards were actually developing. Kopitar’s rapidly depreciating out there.

Really hard to make sense of where this franchise is heading in the near future. At least we have a ton of great defensemen. Maybe we’re going full Nashville?

I agree with some of what you are saying....but It seems you are contradicting yourself. At one point you say that your biggest issue is Blake's lack of focus...and then you say your bigger issue is shift in focus. Well, if he doesn't have focus, he can't shift it.

Blake impressed me this past season, and I was never fan of him prior. My gripe with him was that he lacked creativity, the ability to think outside of the box. All his moves were cookie cutter, low-risk. This next season will be the most important yet as he'll have to improve on a very unexpected, successful season.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

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.

seriously? none of us predicted LA would make the playoffs in year 5 of rebuild?

jesus christ some of you....

of course we did, many did predict exactly this... at the very least they expected it

a year ago many said this team is 1 year away
then Danault and Arvidsson were signed... was it not for a playoff push? lol

Blake predicted it
Announcers predicted it
Noobs predicted it

all you had to do was compare ARZ LA SJ ANA and see that LA was in a better position and thus already right there mathematically it's all there for LA to make it

I was actually surprised we didn't go past Edmonton especially with home ice going to Edmonton knowing that LA would be better on the road, I made a bad prediction in thinking that LA would reach the 2nd round

but it's absurd to think that you spend so much time here and haven't heard of anyone stating that 2022 would be a playoff push lol

there's really 2 different worlds on these boards, i swear

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

seriously? none of us predicted LA would make the playoffs in year 5 of rebuild?

jesus christ some of you....

of course we did, many did predict exactly this... at the very least they expected it

a year ago many said this team is 1 year away
then Danault and Arvidsson were signed... was it not for a playoff push? lol

Blake predicted it
Announcers predicted it
Noobs predicted it

all you had to do was compare ARZ LA SJ ANA and see that LA was in a better position and thus already right there mathematically it's all there for LA to make it

I was actually surprised we didn't go past Edmonton especially with home ice going to Edmonton knowing that LA would be better on the road, I made a bad prediction in thinking that LA would reach the 2nd round

but it's absurd to think that you spend so much time here and haven't heard of anyone stating that 2022 would be a playoff push lol

there's really 2 different worlds on these boards, i swear

The rebuild didn’t start 5 years ago. Maybe you should go back and brush up on your history before writing a bunch of drivel. I’m sure you penciled this team to be in playoff contention last year. Knowing you, you probably hated the Danault signing.