Except you ignore the obvious, Blake WAS going to trade picks and prospects.....for Max Pacioretty, the only thing that saved him, was they couldn't agree on a deal.
Dean Lombardi Appreciation Thread
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Except you ignore the obvious, Blake WAS going to trade picks and prospects.....for Max Pacioretty, the only thing that saved him, was they couldn't agree on a deal.
Reaper45
Registered User
Yeah Patches wouldn't sign an extension, but the deal was done.
DryIslandBartender
KCCO
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No they actually agreed on a deal. A secret deal between Luc and Patches agent who ended up getting canned over the deal.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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I disagree with you on this point. Most GMs have spent some time in an organization in the player personnel department, or as an assistant GM. The Flyers have a good one in Hextall, and I can tell you for a fact that while Lombardi made the big decisions, he leaned heavily on Hextall.
I don't know how diplomatic Hextall is with Flyer fans, but if you have ever heard the way Lombardi answered questions from Kings fans during the rebuilding phase, you can tell he didn't hold some of the fans hockey knowledge in high regard. If Hextall is communicating his plan to the fans be grateful for that because a lot of GMs don't even try to do it.
If Hextall is sitting on his picks and not making the kind of moves you would like to see, then I would guess he doesn't think the Flyers top players can match those of the other teams top players and get them into cup contention.
SettlementRichie10
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- May 6, 2012
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I do not, and never will, buy this meme of "the NHL has CHANGED, man...all about speed and skill now!" As if speed and skill were never valued in professional hockey until two years ago.
The 2012-2014 Kings would be just as dominant in 2018 as they were back then. Yes, trends do happen around the league. Teams are always trying to emulate Cup winners. But that doesn't mean a hard hitting, physically imposing team like the 2012 Kings could not find success in today's NHL.
As far as Blake goes, I remain rather unimpressed by him. So far, he really hasn't done much. His big coaching hire was a guy who had already been on the bench for years. He has held on to his picks, and some of them look promising. He managed to sign Kovalchuk. He hasn't continued to torpedo the team's future like DL post-2014, but he also hasn't signaled any new direction or definitive long term plan. If anything, he's still riding the fumes of his predecessor's success. And by all intents, Lombardi seemed to moving into the same neutral gear after 15/16.
Until Blake moves out of DL's shadow and truly takes the team in a new direction, he's basically the same GM.
The 2012-2014 Kings would be just as dominant in 2018 as they were back then. Yes, trends do happen around the league. Teams are always trying to emulate Cup winners. But that doesn't mean a hard hitting, physically imposing team like the 2012 Kings could not find success in today's NHL.
As far as Blake goes, I remain rather unimpressed by him. So far, he really hasn't done much. His big coaching hire was a guy who had already been on the bench for years. He has held on to his picks, and some of them look promising. He managed to sign Kovalchuk. He hasn't continued to torpedo the team's future like DL post-2014, but he also hasn't signaled any new direction or definitive long term plan. If anything, he's still riding the fumes of his predecessor's success. And by all intents, Lombardi seemed to moving into the same neutral gear after 15/16.
Until Blake moves out of DL's shadow and truly takes the team in a new direction, he's basically the same GM.
based on what? did dean say hextall made me make those moves? if so, why would hextall not do the same over here? it makes no sense, not even the fact the kings were didnt even hesitate to keep hextall around, it didnt seem like he had anything to do with the kings winning the stanley cups otherwise they would have fired dean and hextall would have been the gm.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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Maybe in Hextall's view it is premature to be making those kinds of deals. Do you fancy the Flyers as cup contenders needing only one or two such deals to win a cup?
BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
I have no issue if you think he can't be a good GM again and/or he is not the right candidate for a hypothetical vacancy in Philly. He was a mess the last couple of years so I understand why someone would think he is trash based on his most recent work.
As stated, my issue is with the meme of Lombardi would have kept trading picks and prospects. He did nothing of note in his last off-season and did not trade any high 2017 draft picks at the deadline. He even traded Dwight King. He pretty much did the opposite of what continues to be said about him since I'm pretty sure he realized that this team wasn't one or two players away and that he pipeline needed to be restocked. He obviously realized it too late but it is hard to blame him since he believed in his guys who had delivered for him big time.
Did he hurt the future of the team and the current situation? He sure did. No argument on that point. There are definitely signs that he realized this but he never got a chance to show it by getting Luc'd out of the building.
SR10 makes a good point about Blake being the same GM and it is a point I've alluded to previously. I would bet good money that Lombardi would have taken Vilardi at #11. I mean, Lombardi's staff is the one that had him rated high on their board and DL has never been shy about injury risks. If Lombardi stayed on with Sutter out, Stevens definitely would have been his choice. So that takes me back to the issue with Blake being so amazing last year when it was just Lombardi's guys doing work.
Blake's signature move so far is Kovalchuk. I don't have an issue with the Stevens hiring but it was always going to be a short tenure for him as he was always going to be a bridge coach much like a Handzus was a bridge player. His next signature move will be his coaching hire and he will be judged on how quickly he realizes it needs to be made. If they just bumble through this season, it will be a giant waste. They decided to be contenders and not rebuild so they need to be all in.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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I think we can be sure Lombardi would have never signed Kovalchuk.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
After signing Willie Mitchell as a UFA in 2010, were there any free agents Lombardi signed that actually worked out for the Kings?
Sol
Smile
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But it didn't go through now did it. And the supposed trade was nothing significant at all.
And if you think the NHL 6-7 years to now isn't any different, then you must not be watching the league at all. There's been a drastic change towards speed and skill and the goals around the league have risen substantially cause of it.
Miss me with that bullshit.
BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Pretty sure he was trading the 1st round pick, hence why Patches had to agree to terms prior to the Kings being on the clock.
If not the 1st rounder, then how about JAD +?
Regardless, he was all set to do what Lombardi is crucified for: moving high-end futures for big-money vets on a long deal.
Sol
Smile
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That is what was rumored. There was a bunch of contradictory rumors out there of what was actually offered for him
Look at what Vegas traded, and compare to what we had to offer, it wouldn't have been much different.
BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
The dots connect to the 1st being in play since there was so much pressure on Patches to agree to terms. Of course, I can't say with certainty just like nobody can say with certainty that Conner would be a King if not for the Lucic trade.
Regardless, he was trading for someone you aren't a fan of and it was going to be at the expense of some sort of futures since Montreal isn't exactly one player away. Tossing $6MM in cap space for three seasons to a 35+ year old isn't exactly a future-centric move either.
If Lombardi was wrong to think this team was a contender at the TDL of '15, the Summer of '15 and the TDL of '16, why is it cool for Blake to try and trade for Patches and then give big money to Kovalchuk as if they are a contender now?
I don't even necessarily think you believe they are a contender and might be cool with a rebuild but, seriously, Lombardi was chasing the recent success of 2012-14 while Blake is chasing whatever the hell you want to call last season while apparently ignoring what's gone on since the '15 season.
mrkolice
Registered User
i like this thread. it's like stopping in the oasis on the way through the desert, with a camel.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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To be honest, I don't remember. I just know Lombardi would not have signed Kovalchuk. It wasn't intended to be a slight on Kovalchuk.
I do doubt Kovalchuk will make a big difference in the Kings ability to contend. He just further cements their position as a black hole team.
DryIslandBartender
KCCO
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Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
I believe Leiweke was still around then. And it was Dean’s mentor who landed Kovalchuk.
Dean also did try to sign Brad Richards, Scott Gomez, Daniel Briere, Zdeno Chara, etc.
They all just went with the better offers that the Kings were unwilling to give them.
KINGS17
Smartest in the Room
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DryIslandBartender
KCCO
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I love how you guys speak definitively about who was responsible for what.
I also find it sad and ridiculous that this thread now has more posts a year later on the greatest GM this team has had leading them to the only two championships we may see in our lifetime than there were thanking him when he was let go.
I also find it sad and ridiculous that this thread now has more posts a year later on the greatest GM this team has had leading them to the only two championships we may see in our lifetime than there were thanking him when he was let go.
David Lunch
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2018
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I’m not sure if I posted in this thread before (I’m more of a lurker), but it broke my Kings heart when DL was fired. I understood why and even agree with the decision to an extent. Post-2014 he made so many blunders that went against his philosophy while trying to adapt to “stay on top”, but still, he’s honestly my favorite “King” of all time. I have so much respect for Dean and if he gets another GM gig, that team will instantly be my second-favorite team — by the way, I’ve been a Kings fan since 94/95 and I’ve never had a second-favorite team.
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