Confirmed with Link: Changes Incoming

[Ziggy Stardust]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-canucks-coach-criteria-good-news-green/

 

[KingsFan7824]

OK, he made some mistakes, maybe quite a few as of late, but you can't argue that he was the best GM this franchise has ever had. Why not keep him around as a source of knowledge within the organization but take the reigns away from him as far as player management by promoting him?

Not sure Lombardi is ready to go down that road. He was still planning for the future. Look at what he did in the last calendar year. He didn't go out guns blazing. He was retooling the roster, and got swept away with the current. The players he believed in let him down in 14-15, and they did him in again this year.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

That's a very good point. Maybe Dean was offered a move up with less of a day-to-day role and he didn't want that. We just don't know.

There is a tendency around here to keep repeating speculation as if it is fact. All of us know next to nothing about what actually happens in the inner workings of this team.

I have no doubt that another team will snatch up Lombardi quickly....and maybe DL knows that too and that's still what he wants to do.

 

[DoktorJeep]

As in the final straw? The last 3 years would give you a long list of mistakes that are all part of the reasons why DL is no longer with us.

I don't know really.

The reason given was there is now a single voice for hockey and business in Luc taking the presidents role. I just had hoped Dean would keep the GM role but report to Luc. And Luc would be responsible for the on ice product vision, setting direction for Dean.


That alone would be a demotion for Dean and a face saving measure which keeps things in place and allows Luc to take the heat for canning Sutter one year into a deal while also being the new face of the Kings when it comes to the product on and off the ice.

Who knows, maybe Blake is as good a club manager as Dean.

Maybe Solomon is the real brains behind structuring player movement.

Maybe Futa sticks around and doesn't take another job or follow Dean, and starts to find prospects who can score next season.

Maybe Blake replaces the assistant coaches with Mike Richards and Matt Greene and brings player coach roles back in style.

 

[tigermask48]

I want to believe the reason DL was fired was due to he being unwilling to fire Sutter in the past.

After the players locked Sutter out of the locker room and had that players only meeting it should have been clear to DL that the players wanted Sutter gone.

 

[theMajor]

Not in those exact words, but he said playing Sutter's hard brand of hockey is too much for an 82-game season. Whatever that actually means. He also said it works and wins games, though.

Just sounds like they don't want to play a physical game anymore and that's fine, but that's gonna require a rebuild. The personnel that have been drafted and such were done so to support the system of hockey they now want to reject.

the Kings have been 1st or 2nd in hits per game since 2012. thats 5 years of hard-hitting, give-it-everything-youve-got hockey. I play beer league and Im literally exhausted after every game, I cannot begin to imagine the levels of fatigue after playing Kings style hockey for 5 straight years with 2 cups and a conference finals appearance within the same period. some posters here are alluding to Kopitar whining about playing hard-nosed hockey but that **** catches up to you and will shorten a player's longevity. i understand we are talking about pro athletes but they are human beings. that style of hockey works when it works but there is a definite shelf-life for it and what we've witnessed in the last few seasons is evidence of that. you cant sustain that kind of hockey forever. with that being said, I dont agree at all that changing from a physical to an uptempo brand of hockey will require a rebuild. it will take some time to adjust to a slightly different system, but the players on the team are skilled enough

 

[KingsFan7824]

the Kings have been 1st or 2nd in hits per game since 2012. thats 5 years of hard-hitting, give-it-everything-youve-got hockey. I play beer league and Im literally exhausted after every game, I cannot begin to imagine the levels of fatigue after playing Kings style hockey for 5 straight years with 2 cups and a conference finals appearance within the same period. some posters here are alluding to Kopitar whining about playing hard-nosed hockey but that **** catches up to you and will shorten a player's longevity. i understand we are talking about pro athletes but they are human beings. that style of hockey works when it works but there is a definite shelf-life for it and what we've witnessed in the last few seasons is evidence of that. you cant sustain that kind of hockey forever. with that being said, I dont agree at all that changing from a physical to an uptempo brand of hockey will require a rebuild. it will take some time to adjust to a slightly different system, but the players on the team are skilled enough

Hits are notoriously subjective, and how many guys have really been hard hitters during the last 5 years? Brown, Richards would dive in front of a truck, and then it was the role players like Regehr, and Greene, etc. Kopitar, Carter, Gaborik, Toffoli, Pearson, Doughty, Martinez, they're not big hitters like the Lama. Doughty with throw a hit here and there, and he'll absorb punishment, but that'll happen regardless of the system.

If anything, Sutter's throw everything at the net and try to always be in the offensive zone system can decrease a physical burden. Not supposed to be chasing the game.

It's on the players now. They seem to have wanted this. They got the coach fired, which they wanted. They got the GM fired, which they may not have wanted, but things happen. They got the money. This is now their franchise. Got some big name ex-players doing things upstairs. Probably a player friendly coach coming in. This is the moment Lombardi was talking about all the time. This now Kopitar and Doughty's team, up and down, side to side, and all around. They now own this show. Practice should now be fun. Games should now be fun.

 

[CTKingsFan]

Mike Futa named assistant GM per Kings

https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/la-kings-name-mike-futa-assistant-general-manager/c-288705714

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

That's great news. So much for those who thought he'd leave.

 

[Quattro]

Mike Futa named assistant GM per Kings

https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/la-kings-name-mike-futa-assistant-general-manager/c-288705714

Nice

 

[Little Psycho]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-canucks-coach-criteria-good-news-green/

Good news

 

[KingsFan7824]

Mike Futa named assistant to GM per Kings

ftfy

 

[Noonan61]

What I would like to see happen this off-season as far as new additions go:

Trade Jake Muzzin to TB for Ondrej Palat.
Tampa Bay needs to re-sign Drouin, Johnson and Sustr, and they only have four NHL dmen under contract with Sustr unsigned and Witkowski as a UFA. They need another top 3 dman, and the Kings need offense, so I see a potential fit with both clubs. This move will open up the blueline for guys like Forbort, Gravel and LaDue to step in and contribute as regulars, and Palat can be a winger in his prime who can be penciled in for top line duty alongside Anze Kopitar.

I really like this move and have thought about it as well. Think he would be a great compliment to Kopitar on his wing. Curious if we could trade Martinez instead and still get him, knowing they have many players they need to resign. With the way Point playing way better, also see Johnson possibly getting traded. My only reserve is that we then have to turn around and sign him to a new contract as he is an RFA. We will be committing a lot of money to most likely 3 RFA wingers (Toffoli, Pearson, and Palat). I also have no idea what Palat's asking price would be.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Blake AND Futa makes me feel a ton better.

That being said, I think Ziggy posted 30 Thoughts above...interesting pieces about Blake. Could have bolted for TO but opted to stay. Say what you want about his loyalty as a player (god knows I have and will), he wants to be here and is embracing a challenge.

 

[Telos]

Futa staying is huge. It adds a big safeguard to a novice like Blake turning things into a tire fire.

 

[lexlavender]

So Blake's first two actions as GM is getting rid of Davis Payne, who was the offensive assistant coach for a league worst offense, and hiring Futa as Assistant GM

So far so Good, in my opinion.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

So Blake's first two actions as GM is getting rid of Davis Payne, who was the offensive assistant coach for a league worst offense, and hiring Futa as Assistant GM

So far so Good, in my opinion.

Small sample size, but batting 1000 imo, I'll take it!

I'd also add "considering John Stevens despite team results" to a good decision pile because he's certainly qualified.

 

[lexlavender]

Blake AND Futa makes me feel a ton better.

That being said, I think Ziggy posted 30 Thoughts above...interesting pieces about Blake. Could have bolted for TO but opted to stay. Say what you want about his loyalty as a player (god knows I have and will), he wants to be here and is embracing a challenge.

The same could be said for Futa, seems to have accepted literally a day after it was hinted in the press conference. Probably means that he didn't feel slighted by Blake being named GM, which is really good.

 

[BigKing]

Blake AND Futa makes me feel a ton better.

That being said, I think Ziggy posted 30 Thoughts above...interesting pieces about Blake. Could have bolted for TO but opted to stay. Say what you want about his loyalty as a player (god knows I have and will), he wants to be here and is embracing a challenge.

Of course he wants to be here. He can repeatedly take a dump on this franchise and he's always welcome back with more money and prestige.

Also, who wants to be the GM of the Maple Leafs for their first kick at the can? Much, much easier to get your feet wet since the LA media isn't going to talk about it at all.

As for Futa, glad he is staying just for the OHL scouting/connections alone on top of being groomed by DL. Seems he had a contract and the Kings would deny him interviews with other teams. Logical move to promote him in light of that. Let's not act like Futa isn't "slighted" or totally cool with DL being let go because he is under contract and is getting a promotion.

 

[HowDareYou]

any chance we get a jersey change for a new era?

 

[Telos]

any chance we get a jersey change for a new era?

You never know with Robitaille around, but I feel it would be hard to change it again so soon after the current logo and branding has been a part of such astronomical recent success.

 

[Keith Sweaty]

Great news about Futa

 

[kings11]

What I would like to see happen this off-season as far as new additions go:

Trade Jake Muzzin to TB for Ondrej Palat.
Tampa Bay needs to re-sign Drouin, Johnson and Sustr, and they only have four NHL dmen under contract with Sustr unsigned and Witkowski as a UFA. They need another top 3 dman, and the Kings need offense, so I see a potential fit with both clubs. This move will open up the blueline for guys like Forbort, Gravel and LaDue to step in and contribute as regulars, and Palat can be a winger in his prime who can be penciled in for top line duty alongside Anze Kopitar.

I really like this move and have thought about it as well. Think he would be a great compliment to Kopitar on his wing. Curious if we could trade Martinez instead and still get him, knowing they have many players they need to resign. With the way Point playing way better, also see Johnson possibly getting traded. My only reserve is that we then have to turn around and sign him to a new contract as he is an RFA. We will be committing a lot of money to most likely 3 RFA wingers (Toffoli, Pearson, and Palat). I also have no idea what Palat's asking price would be.

Or maybe just take a chance on Dominik Kubalik whose younger, bigger, faster and would require no assets other than cash to acquire??? He's been playing lights out the past 2 seasons so lets get him over here...

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Or maybe just take a chance on Dominik Kubalik whose younger, bigger, faster and would require no assets other than cash to acquire??? He's been playing lights out the past 2 seasons so lets get him over here...

That's banking on too much hope on a prospect. Palat is a proven player. Kubalik, while I'd like to see him given a chance, could also wind up being another Oscar Moller, Tomas Vlasak or Jaroslav Bednar.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Side note: I didn't realize Justin Williams scored 24 goals this season. Hmmph. Goals are overrated.