Dean Lombardi vs Rob Blake

[KINGS17]

Blake hasn't done anything yet other than trade Muzzin and keep his draft picks. The Muzzin move was obvious as was keeping the picks. He hasn't done much proactively. He certainly hasn't communicated his vision for what he wants the team to look like within a few seasons.

Oh, and let's wait until some of his draft picks actually score an NHL goal, or dominate in the AHL before we get too excited about the picks he has made. I am rooting for all of them to make it, but the odds are all of them won't pan out, even some of the higher picks. Keeping the picks isn't a clear vision.

The Kovalchuk move and its consequences are not a big deal in and of itself. It illustrates an inability on the part of this management team to correctly assess the talent on the NHL roster.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

In essence, what the post above suggests is that it’s premature to grade Rob Blake after less than three seasons, especially when the first season was a “prove it” season where the veterans all had career years.

And he deserves zero credit for adding young players like Iafallo, Petersen and Walker. Anyone could do that, although the Kings hadn’t done it in many years.

 

[Lt Dan]

I am in the still too early to tell camp.

Lombardi inherited a worse situation IMO, but still too early to tell.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Same clowns, same circus, same argument....

The Kovalchuk illustrates an inability to correctly assess talent? Sorry, are you kidding me? I mean, I know where you are coming from, you wanted the Kings to rebuild from 2014-2015 onward, it's not based in reality, it's based on hindsight, and the "inability" to understand how Pro Sports work.

The team that you think Blake grossly mis-assessed improved by 14 points, made the playoffs, and only allowed 5 goals in 4 games? Something like that, the problem was, they only scored I think 3 in 4 games, so you are right, the correct assessment would have been to blow up a team that just improved, and not bring in a scorer....

It's just amazing how the mind of the fan works...most of the time, the fact that you think he missed the assessment on the team is staggering, well....you needed hindsight...but ok.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I am in the still too early to tell camp.

Lombardi inherited a worse situation IMO, but still too early to tell.

I dunno if it was a worse situation to be honest, he literally had a blank sheet and the mandate to create, he had the ability to revamp everything, scouting, training, facilities, etc.

I don't think Blake has that same mandate, same ability.

 

[Lt Dan]

I dunno if it was a worse situation to be honest, he literally had a blank sheet and the mandate to create, he had the ability to revamp everything, scouting, training, facilities, etc.

I don't think Blake has that same mandate, same ability.

very good point, totally agree with your points, and blake also inherited his scouts, etc

I was referring more to the roster and how toxic the team atmosphere was at the time.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I am in the still too early to tell camp.

Lombardi inherited a worse situation IMO, but still too early to tell.

You mean better? Starting with a 19-year-old Kopitar, 22-year-old Brown, 24-year-old Cammalleri and Frolov, 26-year-old Avery, and Visnovsky and Sopel had just turned 30 and still in their prime when it came to production. Not to mention a 20-year-old Quick.

That sounds a little better than what Blake started with.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

very good point, totally agree with your points, and blake also inherited his scouts, etc

I was referring more to the roster and how toxic the team atmosphere was at the time.

Fair enough, even with that, Lombardi wasn't really hamstrung with cap space, contracts etc, Blake isn't now, but was when he took over.

 

[Bandit]

You mean better? Starting with a 19-year-old Kopitar, 22-year-old Brown, 24-year-old Cammalleri and Frolov, 26-year-old Avery, and Visnovsky and Sopel had just turned 30 and still in their prime when it came to production. Not to mention a 20-year-old Quick.

That sounds a little better than what Blake started with.

Gotta agree with this.

 

[Statto]

Both have done good things and made mistakes.

I will forever be thankful for the legacy Lombardi left.

My feelings on the legacy Blake leaves behind TBD.

I think this covers the whole thing nicely so I have nothing else to add.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

You mean better? Starting with a 19-year-old Kopitar, 22-year-old Brown, 24-year-old Cammalleri and Frolov, 26-year-old Avery, and Visnovsky and Sopel had just turned 30 and still in their prime when it came to production. Not to mention a 20-year-old Quick.

That sounds a little better than what Blake started with.

Guess you didn’t watch the intro presser. Bluc said they have a roster that is an annual contender. Don’t recall DL stating that upon being hired, do you?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Guess you didn’t watch the intro presser. Bluc said they have a roster that is an annual contender. Don’t recall DL stating that upon being hired, do you?

How can you compare the team Dean took over in 2006 to the team Blake took over for that won Stanley Cups and had committed long term contracts to many players from those teams? Of course Dean couldn’t call the team he started with contenders, they hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2002, and it took Dean four seasons to build a playoff team, and six seasons to get them over the hump.

The new management trumpeted the team’s previous accolades, and a lot of those player’s responded with productive seasons after a down year. I guess they should be faulted for having the same fate in the team that Dean had in them, because these guys reverted back being the team that got Dean and Darryl fired.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

How can you compare the team Dean took over in 2006 to the team Blake took over for that won Stanley Cups and had committed long term contracts to many players from those teams?

We’re comparing teams that these GMs inherited. I’ve already quoted management on saying the team should contend for the cup ANNUALLY. All they had to do in their words was play a less demanding style and add speed. Yet you said DL inherited a better situation:

You mean better? Starting with a 19-year-old Kopitar, 22-year-old Brown, 24-year-old Cammalleri and Frolov, 26-year-old Avery, and Visnovsky and Sopel had just turned 30 and still in their prime when it came to production. Not to mention a 20-year-old Quick.

That sounds a little better than what Blake started with.​

So when you say DL had it better, and Blake had a mess on his hands. Is management lying through their teeth to the fans or not competent enough to realize their roster needed an overhaul?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

We’re comparing teams that these GMs inherited. I’ve already quoted management on saying the team should contend for the cup ANNUALLY. All they had to do in their words was play a less demanding style and add speed. Yet you said DL inherited a better situation:



So when you say DL had it better, and Blake had a mess on his hands. Is management lying through their teeth to the fans or not competent enough to realize their roster needed an overhaul?

Did you miss the second paragraph in my response to you? They put too much faith in the team. The team made the playoffs and were two points from finishing in 2nd in the Pacific in 2018.

That team was also the best squad defensively and had a Norris nominee, Hart Trophy nominee, Selke winner and Jennings Trophy winner. You think right after that season they should tear things apart? Did you know that they’d drop by 27 points in the standings and go from 1st defensively to being 22nd in goals against? If so, then the Nostradamus’s on here should’ve passed along their crystal balls to the organization.

Are you seriously disputing the fact that inheriting a much older and expensive Kings team is starting off on a better foot than Lombardi did when all these franchise players were in their teens or early 20s? Please tell me you’re not, because that is absolute lunacy.

 

[Jericho111091]

I might agree that Dean inherited a bigger problem of franchise culture/identity

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Did you miss the second paragraph in my response to you? They put too much faith in the team. The team made the playoffs and were two points from finishing in 2nd in the Pacific in 2018.

Obviously, they put too much faith (again and again) in the players. Supposedly Dean was canned for that reason but we all know why Dean and Sutter were broomed out of the org. Corporate envy by an individual that wanted to be in DL’s position of authority and felt he could run it better by being more lax and player friendly.

Are you seriously disputing the fact that inheriting a much older and expensive Kings team is starting off on a better foot than Lombardi did when all these franchise players were in their teens or early 20s? Please tell me you’re not, because that is absolute lunacy.

Did any of the management raise concerns or complain about the state of the roster in their intro presser? No. They said the exact opposite. Their own words dispute your assertion that Blake inherited a mess. Nobody brought up rebuilding the pipeline in that presser.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Obviously, they put too much faith (again and again) in the players. Supposedly Dean was canned for that reason but we all know why Dean and Sutter were broomed out of the org. Corporate envy by an individual that wanted to be in DL’s position of authority and felt he could run it better by being more lax and player friendly.



Did any of the management raise concerns or complain about the state of the roster in their intro presser? No. They said the exact opposite. Their own words dispute your assertion that Blake inherited a mess. Nobody brought up rebuilding the pipeline in that presser.

Do they have to be explicit and hammer you over the head that they were going to keep their picks and prospects? How many picks did they trade and how many prospects were moved when new management took over? What does that tell you? They went and signed Alex Iafallo, Cal Petersen, Sean Walker in their first offseason. I guess that means they were going to go for it, must be why he didn’t trade any futures for immediate help.

Rob Blake worked at the league office before he was hired to be an assistant by Dean Lombardi. He was being groomed in that Hextall role. But go ahead with your fantastical screenplay where Dean Lombardi plays Julius Caesar and Rob Blake plays the role of Brutus.

 

[Bandit]

Did any of the management raise concerns or complain about the state of the roster in their intro presser? No. They said the exact opposite. Their own words dispute your assertion that Blake inherited a mess. Nobody brought up rebuilding the pipeline in that presser.

im not sure what management’s opinion has to do with it. Just beacaue they thought they should be contenders doesn’t automatically mean they had a better roster to start with, it just means they were blind and stupid.

I don’t think there’s a person alive that would prefer to inherit a team with Kopitar, Doughty, Brown, Quick etc. pushing 30 over them barely being in their 20’s.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

You guys can go on and on about this for the next 100 pages, will never change the fact that Lombardi was behind the helm for not only the 1st cup in franchise history, but the 2nd as well. Until any other GM can claim a championship, the argument is pointless.

I will forever be grateful to Lombardi, I don't care how many bad moves he made after '14. Blake has steered the boat for two of the worst seasons I've witnessed as a Kings fan...not must else needs to be said until that changes.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You guys can go on and on about this for the next 100 pages, will never change the fact that Lombardi was behind the helm for not only the 1st cup in franchise history, but the 2nd as well. Until any other GM can claim a championship, the argument is pointless.

I will forever be grateful to Lombardi, I don't care how many bad moves he made after '14. Blake has steered the boat for two of the worst seasons I've witnessed as a Kings fan...not must else needs to be said until that changes.

Is anyone disputing what Dean did from when he took over and what resulted in a three year period from 2012-2014? No.

Are people being irrational and biased in their rush to judge current management? Yes.

The fact that some people suggest that what Blake inherited was a better team than the blank canvas Lombardi started with are out to lunch. I take issue with dishonest assessments and these posters who’ve created this fable in their heads that Rob Blake created this mess. Those suggestions are unequivocally false and inaccurate.

There were also two seasons under the old management where the Kings were as bad or worse than they are now, back when they were rebuilding. The glory days of the post-Gretzky era were far worse. You haven’t experienced suffering. You’re also the same guy who gave up on the team in 2012, aren’t you?

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

If Rob Blake manages to last 5 years in this job, he is more than likely to finish that tenure with 1 playoff appearance and 0 playoff games won. woof....

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Is anyone disputing what Dean did from when he took over and what resulted in a three year period from 2012-2014? No.

Are people being irrational and biased in their rush to judge current management? Yes.

The fact that some people suggest that what Blake inherited was a better team than the blank canvas Lombardi started with are out to lunch. I take issue with dishonest assessments and these posters who’ve created this fable in their heads that Rob Blake created this mess. Those suggestions are unequivocally false and inaccurate.

There were also two seasons under the old management where the Kings were as bad or worse than they are now, back when they were rebuilding. The glory days of the post-Gretzky era were far worse. You haven’t experienced suffering. You’re also the same guy who gave up on the team in 2012, aren’t you?

I predicted they wouldn't make the playoffs, that's a far cry from giving up on the team. And for the record, they came very f***ing close to missing the playoffs....and NOBODY was predicting what the outcome was in 2012.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I predicted they wouldn't make the playoffs, that's a far cry from giving up on the team. And for the record, they came very ****ing close to missing the playoffs....and NOBODY was predicting what the outcome was in 2012.

The general consensus was that if this team could figure out their scoring woes, they could accomplish something. Defensively the team needed zero alterations. Unfortunately, that’s also what fooled current management after 2018. Best in the league defensively, needed scoring depth, they add Kovalchuk and lose nobody, and everything goes to shit.

Hell, even in 2014 they had similar scoring issues and went out and added Gaborik. And even when they were down 0-3, there were still quite a few of us on here (myself included) who felt that the Kings could still come back and win the series. Nobody here is trashing the way those teams were built, and it took six seasons for this team finally reach its potential.

Hence why I am dumbfounded by those who are rushing to judgement for what’s happening today. It’s as if they want the team to fail just because of who has the GM title. The situations inherited by both GMs are vastly different. I can’t comprehend how any person with sound mind, reasoning, and logic could make that comparison.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

The general consensus was that if this team could figure out their scoring woes, they could accomplish something. Defensively the team needed zero alterations. Unfortunately, that’s also what fooled current management after 2018. Best in the league defensively, needed scoring depth, they add Kovalchuk and lose nobody, and everything goes to ****.

Hell, even in 2014 they had similar scoring issues and went out and added Gaborik. And even when they were down 0-3, there were still quite a few of us on here (myself included) who felt that the Kings could still come back and win the series. Nobody here is trashing the way those teams were built, and it took six seasons for this team finally reach its potential.

Hence why I am dumbfounded by those who are rushing to judgement for what’s happening today. It’s as if they want the team to fail just because of who has the GM title. The situations inherited by both GMs are vastly different. I can’t comprehend how any person with sound mind, reasoning, and logic could make that comparison.

Dude, at this point you are just pissing in the wind, people are going to use the 20/20 vision of hindsight to tout how good they are, how bad everyone else is, reality be damned.

 

[Maynard]

But go ahead with your fantastical screenplay where Dean Lombardi plays Julius Caesar and Rob Blake plays the role of Brutus.

Et, tu Deano?