Did you like the off-season moves?

[Kudelski37]

Got bored. Started a poll. Maybe this will change how we discuss the same things until there are preseason games. Topics covered: Assistant coaching change, players signed, trades, possible new third uniforms, Brown statue, and new puppies for dog calendars.

I'm usually pretty positive so I'm happy with the changes that could lead the team to the conference final.

Click to read more...

 

[Cianide]

Fiala should even out the lines and bring a lot of offense. Blake done well.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

2nd offseason in a row Blake has slayed the moves and exceeded my expectations with pro scouting and player acquisition.

Balances out my criticism elsewhere but I have nothing but praise for Blake's signings and trades.

 

[bland]

I like the way the furniture has been moved around, but nothing really matters if they don't seriously advance the kids this year.

Fiala does the opposite. A damn fine player who will only increase the importance of winning now, further delaying what must be done to truly get better.

 

[TruKingFan]

Hiller may make the most impact on this team not only winning now but advancing in the playoffs. But great off-season once again for Luc and Blake. I can hear the snickering in the gallery………lol

 

[Rick Knickleback]

Blake held serve in the offseason. Just so much hinges on the kids being able to take another step forward (and being given the opportunity to do so).

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

2nd offseason in a row Blake has slayed the moves and exceeded my expectations with pro scouting and player acquisition.

Balances out my criticism elsewhere but I have nothing but praise for Blake's signings and trades.

RJ has been hacked!

 

[Mattias]

A+ grade.

Getting Fiala for a 1st (in what looks to be a mediocre draft) and our second/third best defence prospect is great. Having him sign with us for that length is confidence of the player in us.

Our signings did not blow the bank at all. If anything, they are all underpaid a tad for what they give.

Didn’t bring back trash AA. Brought in a new coach and sent down Sturm to see if he can work magic with our tampered prospects in the AHL.

Quick contact ends next year and gives us more room to give Anderson a better contract. A few Lombardi deals get reduced.

I do hope he could have found a suitor for Walker/iafallo, but maybe that comes up later in the season.

If there’s anything to be concerned was the draft this year. Looked like our prospects selected weren’t that great. Time will tell on that, but no sexy picks for us it seems.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I like the way the furniture has been moved around, but nothing really matters if they don't seriously advance the kids this year.

Fiala does the opposite. A damn fine player who will only increase the importance of winning now, further delaying what must be done to truly get better.

This one kills me......we get Fiala....a "damn fine player".....but we are delaying what must be done to get TRULY get better.....

As if adding Fiala doesn't make us TRULY BETTER???

Tell me, how long have you been a fan of the BUF/AZ school of rebuilding?

 

[Herby]

This one kills me......we get Fiala....a "damn fine player".....but we are delaying what must be done to get TRULY get better.....

As if adding Fiala doesn't make us TRULY BETTER???

Tell me, how long have you been a fan of the BUF/AZ school of rebuilding?

Fiala did make the team better, no dispute.

And I don’t really agree with Bland, because frankly our youth has not shown they are worthy of where they were picked. Whether you want to blame injuries or whatever, but in a results oriented business the results are just not there. Even today “barely old enough to buy a beer” Suzuki named captain in Montreal, yet another guy in the same age range as the Kings “kids” who is a building block for a franchise while the Kings “kids” the same age can barely crack NHL rosters.

But there is a clear way that almost all of the successful cup winning franchises have been built in the cap era, and that is drafting and developing your own star players. Seems a bit dishonest to being up Buffalo/Arizona and not being up LA, CHI, TB, Pittsburgh and Colorado.

The downside to rebuilding until you draft the right players is Arizona and Buff while the upside is those teams I listed. Based on historical evidence what is the upside and downside to building through free-agency and trades?

To me there is maybe a higher floor with bringing in established players to play with players on the back-nine. But is there a championship ceiling? That is why people use terms like “closer to the playoffs, but not a Stanley Cup”

 

[KingsFan7824]

Pro: more options
Con: more options

Completely on board with Fiala, but I voted wait and see, based on what the coach does. I've said it before, and obviousky I'm not alone, but I fully expected Danault to take some time away from an aging Kopitar. I figured that was a primary reason for the signing. That he ended up taking time from every other C except Kopitar, even Lizotte played less, that's a coaching decision. That doesn't mean previous draft picks are failures. It doesn't mean things can't change even in the next couple months. Wasn't expecting it though, but then I wouldn't have expected them to make the playoffs with Doughty missing 40+ games either, so.

 

[Schrute farms]

The sweeping broad generalization of the team "not drafting and developing your own star players" is a tired bit. If you're saying forwards, then sure maybe -- but even then, let's let the paint dry a bit before saying the wall needs to be torn down. People seem to want to be first rather than right these days. It's one of the things i really can't stand about the world we live in these days.
Dmen wise, i don't see how anyone can complain. Not to mention, Clarke seems like he is on the road to being a potential star. TBD...but it looks very good.

 

[Herby]

The sweeping broad generalization of the team "not drafting and developing your own star players" is a tired bit. If you're saying forwards, then sure maybe -- but even then, let's let the paint dry a bit before saying the wall needs to be torn down. People seem to want to be first rather than right these days. It's one of the things i really can't stand about the world we live in these days.
Dmen wise, i don't see how anyone can complain. Not to mention, Clarke seems like he is on the road to being a potential star. TBD...but it looks very good.

People mention forwards because most of the high picks outside of Clarke have been forwards, and the results have been pretty terrible thus far.

But yes, the Kings have done a great job evaluating and developing defenseman for the NHL roster or to use as trade bait to address the offensive concerns that are a result of the lack of forward development.

All those things are true. But you still need to develop star forwards if you are likely to have a championship level ceiling.

 

[Bandit]

The Fiala deal was alright, and pretty much the only thing we did besides send Sturm to Ontario.

I prefer the night moves.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Fiala did make the team better, no dispute.

And I don’t really agree with Bland, because frankly our youth has not shown they are worthy of where they were picked. Whether you want to blame injuries or whatever, but in a results oriented business the results are just not there. Even today “barely old enough to buy a beer” Suzuki named captain in Montreal, yet another guy in the same age range as the Kings “kids” who is a building block for a franchise while the Kings “kids” the same age can barely crack NHL rosters.

But there is a clear way that almost all of the successful cup winning franchises have been built in the cap era, and that is drafting and developing your own star players. Seems a bit dishonest to being up Buffalo/Arizona and not being up LA, CHI, TB, Pittsburgh and Colorado.

The downside to rebuilding until you draft the right players is Arizona and Buff while the upside is those teams I listed. Based on historical evidence what is the upside and downside to building through free-agency and trades?

To me there is maybe a higher floor with bringing in established players to play with players on the back-nine. But is there a championship ceiling? That is why people use terms like “closer to the playoffs, but not a Stanley Cup”

Herre's the difference, LA, CHI, TB, PIT and COL NEVER tore it completely down the way Bland is arguing HAS to be done.......LA made the playoffs last year....yes their youth didn't contribute the way we wanted to, but the direction is to move forward, not take 10 steps back because of it....

Imagine where COL would be, if they tore it down after finishing what, the 5th worst team 3-4 years after taking MacKinnon?

 

[Magicman]

Kicking a deck chair off the Titanic.

Fiala had 1.5 decent seasons and then goes full Tomas Vanish in the playoffs. 2 out of 7 seasons he managed to play 80 games. Brown at the same age was a vastly better and more durable player and at 27 started his slide only hitting the 50 point or more mark 3 times in the following 10 or 11 seasons.

So if your basing a grade solely on an often injured player who has had only 2 full playing seasons and 1.5 real breakout seasons, you may be disappointed. But the upside is that those 1.5 seasons happened recently.

The Kings have an aging Kopitar who has been durable, but is now 35. 37 year old Quick and 33 year old Doughty.

I get there are so many deals that can be made, but IMHO, the Kings needed an engine overhaul and all Blake did was was add another quart of oil.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

17 out of the 23 people who voted so far believe the Kings are headed in the right direction.

I think we can guess who those 6 people are.

 

[Herby]

Herre's the difference, LA, CHI, TB, PIT and COL NEVER tore it completely down the way Bland is arguing HAS to be done.......LA made the playoffs last year....yes their youth didn't contribute the way we wanted to, but the direction is to move forward, not take 10 steps back because of it....

Imagine where COL would be, if they tore it down after finishing what, the 5th worst team 3-4 years after taking MacKinnon?

They didn’t tear it down but they did finish bad enough where they were able to draft what is looking like a generational type talent on the blue line and a 90 point winger after drafting Mac.

And that is why they won, because over a 4 year period they drafted a superstar center, a superstar defenseman and a 1st line star winger all with top 10 picks.

That is their
Kane/Toews/Keith ,
Malkin/Crosby/Letang, Stamkos/Hedman/Kucherov, Kopitar/Doughty/Quick

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Kicking a deck chair off the Titanic.

Fiala had 1.5 decent seasons and then goes full Tomas Vanish in the playoffs. 2 out of 7 seasons he managed to play 80 games. Brown at the same age was a vastly better and more durable player and at 27 started his slide only hitting the 50 point or more mark 3 times in the following 10 or 11 seasons.

So if your basing a grade solely on an often injured player who has had only 2 full playing seasons and 1.5 real breakout seasons, you may be disappointed. But the upside is that those 1.5 seasons happened recently.

The Kings have an aging Kopitar who has been durable, but is now 35. 37 year old Quick and 33 year old Doughty.

I get there are so many deals that can be made, but IMHO, the Kings needed an engine overhaul and all Blake did was was add another quart of oil.

I guess you forgot what happened in 2019-20, and the shortened schedule in 2020-21, but Fiala should've found someway to play 80-games, even if it was impossible to do so.

I'd love to know how you came up with this idea that Fiala is often injured. Yet another example of some fan on a message board making shit up.

 

[Sol]

Got bored. Started a poll. Maybe this will change how we discuss the same things until there are preseason games. Topics covered: Assistant coaching change, players signed, trades, possible new third uniforms, Brown statue, and new puppies for dog calendars.

I'm usually pretty positive so I'm happy with the changes that could lead the team to the conference final.

I hope they can drop all the dog crap and make some real content that’s not aimed for 3 year olds.

I like all the off season moves. My issues are with prospect development and implementation.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I hope they can drop all the dog crap and make some real content that’s not aimed for 3 year olds.

I like all the off season moves. My issues are with prospect development and implementation.

I miss the ice girls (or is it ice people now?).

 

[Sol]

I miss the ice girls (or is it ice people now?).

Ice People. Lol.

Yeah this is peak content. Aimed for fans who aren’t 5. I approve.

 

[bland]

Fiala did make the team better, no dispute.

And I don’t really agree with Bland, because frankly our youth has not shown they are worthy of where they were picked. Whether you want to blame injuries or whatever, but in a results oriented business the results are just not there. Even today “barely old enough to buy a beer” Suzuki named captain in Montreal, yet another guy in the same age range as the Kings “kids” who is a building block for a franchise while the Kings “kids” the same age can barely crack NHL rosters.

But there is a clear way that almost all of the successful cup winning franchises have been built in the cap era, and that is drafting and developing your own star players. Seems a bit dishonest to being up Buffalo/Arizona and not being up LA, CHI, TB, Pittsburgh and Colorado.

The downside to rebuilding until you draft the right players is Arizona and Buff while the upside is those teams I listed. Based on historical evidence what is the upside and downside to building through free-agency and trades?

To me there is maybe a higher floor with bringing in established players to play with players on the back-nine. But is there a championship ceiling? That is why people use terms like “closer to the playoffs, but not a Stanley Cup”

The only thing "wrong" with the players selected here is the ham-fisted, ultra-meta based developmental programs instilled by executives with absolutely no successes to their names.

Anybody can make picks. Anybody can sign free agents. Apparently not everybody can build an infrastructure that promotes growth and maturation.

Blake has bought himself a ticket to mediocrity and this front office is too busy congratulating itself on the way their prospect list is viewed to notice they have achieved nothing and have severely limited their chances at acheiving anything of note while patting each other on the back for fattening up the middle of their lineup just to make the playoffs.

Fiala is a terrific, fun player. But the additions of middle of the lineup veterans only conceals the shine coming off of the top players. Its going from average to a slightly better average while waiting for the first liners/pairings/netminders to age out before any of the kids move up.

Its more depressing to be a Kings fan now than it was 2 or 3 years ago when promise was on the top of the menu.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Anybody can make picks. Anybody can sign free agents. Apparently not everybody can build an infrastructure that promotes growth and maturation.

We aren't talking about making picks or signing free agents. Fiala was acquired via trade for key assets that Blake had abundance of. Yes, it takes skill to pick and develop the right players...there is also a skill to being to able to make a good hockey trade. Not every team/GM can do that at any given time.

Its more depressing to be a Kings fan now than it was 2 or 3 years ago when promise was on the top of the menu.

LOL, not even close. Nothing personal, but I'd have to think there is something else going on in your life if you find the current state of the franchise 'depressing'.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Its more depressing to be a Kings fan now than it was 2 or 3 years ago when promise was on the top of the menu.

You must really miss the likes of Joakim Ryan, Matt Luff, Austin Wagner, Kale Clague and Michael Amadio, or is it Mark Alt, Christian Wolanin, and Drake Rymsha that you are pining for?

I guess having a young team make the playoffs this past year is the worst thing to happen to the organization.