Speculation: Fire Rob Blake Blow it Up Offseason Thread (update: Robitaille, Blake and Hiller stay)

[Herby]

Clarke will wind up spending time in Ontario in 2024-25. You know this.

Nothing would surprise me anymore with this organization under the management of Rob Blake. I was one of those on here who thought it would be impossible to send a player to the minors after the type of year he had in one of, if not the premier development league in the world. I was wrong then, so not going to give the Surfing Clowns the benefit of the doubt for this coming year either.

I thought I had lived through absolute rock bottom when it comes to management of a sports team with Jerry DiPoto and Brady Hoke, but Rob Blake is setting a new standard for ineptness. And those guys were gone after 4 seasons, this nightmare now enters year 8.

 

[BigKing]

Basically, Blake acted like the cap space were airline miles that were going to expire so he used it all up.

Insane to supposedly have the top prospect pool and a bunch of cap space and be where we are today.

 

[Herby]

Basically, Blake acted like the cap space were airline miles that were going to expire so he used it all up.

Insane to supposedly have the top prospect pool and a bunch of cap space and be where we are today.

The prospect pool was very clearly overrated. What is funny about it is they ended up trading the one who has been the most accomplished at the NHL level, and probably the one who has been the second most accomplished. While never moving on from guys like Bjornfot, Turcotte and JAD as their trade value was steadily going down to the point where it reached nothing. It really is just incredible how wrong they have been on just about everything.

I know @bland has asked this before, but what are Rob Blake's wins as GM of the Kings? What moves can you point to and say, "that was a clear win"? Is Trevor Moore the only one?

 

[Schrute farms]

 

[BigKing]

The prospect pool was very clearly overrated. What is funny about it is they ended up trading the one who has been the most accomplished at the NHL level, and probably the one who has been the second most accomplished. While never moving on from guys like Bjornfot, Turcotte and JAD as their trade value was steadily going down to the point where it reached nothing. It really is just incredible how wrong they have been on just about everything.

I know @bland has asked this before, but what are Rob Blake's wins as GM of the Kings? What moves can you point to and say, "that was a clear win"? Is Trevor Moore the only one?

It's rough reading the 2020 redraft thread on the main board and seeing Faber in people's Top 3.

So two Top 5 picks for a rebuilding team but you move one of them and another 1st round pick for Fiala, his contract and one playoff game victory in the eight playoff games he's suited up for.

We should all legit take a break from talking about this train wreck of a franchise. Now a full decade removed from a playoff series win. Surpasses the playoff series win drought of the aughts (2002-2011 v. 2015 - 2024 with the '05 season not counting due to cancellation) but at least the 2006-07 season introduced Kopitar and then you had Doughty in 2008-09 along with Quick and also Dustin Brown hitting everything in sight. Now, all we have is Byfield and Clarke to be genuinely excited about along with the softest team in the league.

It's pretty brutal. Said it before and will say it again, the Bluc era has been the worst era in Kings history when you combine results and entertainment value.

 

[MonkeysUncle]

The prospect pool was very clearly overrated. What is funny about it is they ended up trading the one who has been the most accomplished at the NHL level, and probably the one who has been the second most accomplished. While never moving on from guys like Bjornfot, Turcotte and JAD as their trade value was steadily going down to the point where it reached nothing. It really is just incredible how wrong they have been on just about everything.

I know @bland has asked this before, but what are Rob Blake's wins as GM of the Kings? What moves can you point to and say, "that was a clear win"? Is Trevor Moore the only one?

Overrated or badly developed?

 

[Schrute farms]

Overrated or badly developed?

Yes

 

[King'sPawn]

The prospect pool was very clearly overrated. What is funny about it is they ended up trading the one who has been the most accomplished at the NHL level, and probably the one who has been the second most accomplished. While never moving on from guys like Bjornfot, Turcotte and JAD as their trade value was steadily going down to the point where it reached nothing. It really is just incredible how wrong they have been on just about everything.

I know @bland has asked this before, but what are Rob Blake's wins as GM of the Kings? What moves can you point to and say, "that was a clear win"? Is Trevor Moore the only one?

Not to be contrarian, but are we sure?

If they're bad prospects, then deployment and development doesn't matter. It's like trying to wash a rotten apple.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Since I’m a Kings fan and BLuc is in charge, I’m not upset by cap friendly going away. I don’t need to analyze why this regime is incompetent via some website. I just need to watch the games to know what isn’t working.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Holy shit .

What a freaking cry baby fest !

Are you guys ready to dry your crying eyes yet and have a beer?

 

[Herby]

Not to be contrarian, but are we sure?

If they're bad prospects, then deployment and development doesn't matter. It's like trying to wash a rotten apple.

Overrated or badly developed?

Both things can be true, the prospect pool was both overrated and poorly developed.

Much of the hype was from having a #5 overall pick, the problem is the #5 pick ended up being more like a #45 pick, and the red flags were there well before he was ever in the Kings system. His freshman year was a huge problem that many here just could never accept, #5 OA picks with 1C ceilings are not supposed to just completely collapse offensively like that at the NCAA level, and the same thing happened the next year in the AHL (long stretches of no offensive production at all). The development decisions sucked, but those development decisions probably ended up hurting his chances of hitting what we found out in the year after drafting was more like a 3C ceiling rather than the 1C one you’d expect from a pick that high. And the fact that he only has 32 NHL games and now projects as a bottom six winger is probably the result of poor development, but poor development isn't why he didn't achieve what is expected of a #5 OA pick.

You also have two other first round picks who, while developed poorly were probably never going to ever amount to what you'd expect from picks that high (Kupari and Bjornfot). Development mistakes can hurt a player, but they aren’t making a top pairing or even a 2nd pairing defender into a waiver wire player or a potential middle six center into Nick Shore. It's more likely Bjornfot's ceiling was a #5 or #6 d-man and Kupari's was as a 4C. That was not the expectation when they were drafted or at their peak value as prospects.

A lot of the excitement was also with JAD, who made the Kings out of camp as a junior eligible player. I think even with ideal development and deployment it was more than likely that JAD was just a guy that peaked early and was going to be at best a bottom line guy, instead of the middle 6 Swiss Army knife type they many of us hoped.

Look, I love to pour on Blake as much as any, and the fact that these guys are all fringe NHL'ers is mostly because of him, but it's not because of him they aren't a scoring line center, great middle six forwards and a 2nd pairing defender. That wasn't going to happen with any oprganization.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Holy shit .

What a freaking cry baby fest !

Are you guys ready to dry your crying eyes yet and have a beer?

My fingers frozen even worse, see?

 

[Herby]

Why do people who complain about everybody here continue to post here?

It’s like saying you hate a restaurant, yet keep showing up.

 

[Bandit]

Talk about blowing out your cap - ensuring next season starts out down a mil.. no wonder they were so worried about Clarke reaching his bonuses...watching Byfield hit both of his on the last game of the season mustve been a gut punch.

Yeah think of how awful it is to watch your young guys succeed?

 

[DoktorJeep]

I know it’s sacrilege on a site dedicated to prospects, but being ranked the organization with the #1 prospect pool isn’t something to care about if Luc and Rob are in charge.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

If Byfield was going to get a bonus for 20 goals and 35 assists, why didn't the Kings just sit him the last games of the season when the team had absolutely nothing to play for?

The Mouth of Bluc told us bonuses were why Clarke was in AHL, they were afraid he was going to score at an 80 point pace over the 2nd half of the year. But they allowed QB to get there in a meaningless game, actually in a game where winning hurt the Kings playoff chances.

Master Class!

Or.....the rumor....that they were sitting Clarke due to bonuses....was bullshit?

 

[Surf Nutz]

Or.....the rumor....that they were sitting Clarke due to bonuses....was bullshit?

I mean I think Jessie would know best.

The slope only gets more slippery with the deluge of tears.

It's hilarious watching him tip toe on egg shells through the minefield here, trying not to set off a porcupine stampede from team cry baby.

I would be like, well I can't say it, but everyone here knows my sentiments...

 

[Herby]

Or.....the rumor....that they were sitting Clarke due to bonuses....was bullshit?

Whatever the reason he was not in the NHL lineup, it was bogus.

Historic OHL season as a top 10 pick and is buried in the minors on a team severely lacking offensive talent, especially on the blue line. But we know, you’ll again be carrying the water. I mean at what point GBH is criticism of these decisions warranted? Will you just keep defending Blake, Emerson and Murray until the day they are fired. It’s been 7 full seasons!

How would LA have handled Wyatt Johnston and how would Dallas have handled Clarke?

I truly wonder at what point you throw in the towel.

 

[King'sPawn]

Both things can be true, the prospect pool was both overrated and poorly developed.

Much of the hype was from having a #5 overall pick, the problem is the #5 pick ended up being more like a #45 pick, and the red flags were there well before he was ever in the Kings system. His freshman year was a huge problem that many here just could never accept, #5 OA picks with 1C ceilings are not supposed to just completely collapse offensively like that at the NCAA level, and the same thing happened the next year in the AHL (long stretches of no offensive production at all). The development decisions sucked, but those development decisions probably ended up hurting his chances of hitting what we found out in the year after drafting was more like a 3C ceiling rather than the 1C one you’d expect from a pick that high. And the fact that he only has 32 NHL games and now projects as a bottom six winger is probably the result of poor development, but poor development isn't why he didn't achieve what is expected of a #5 OA pick.

You also have two other first round picks who, while developed poorly were probably never going to ever amount to what you'd expect from picks that high (Kupari and Bjornfot). Development mistakes can hurt a player, but they aren’t making a top pairing or even a 2nd pairing defender into a waiver wire player or a potential middle six center into Nick Shore. It's more likely Bjornfot's ceiling was a #5 or #6 d-man and Kupari's was as a 4C. That was not the expectation when they were drafted or at their peak value as prospects.

A lot of the excitement was also with JAD, who made the Kings out of camp as a junior eligible player. I think even with ideal development and deployment it was more than likely that JAD was just a guy that peaked early and was going to be at best a bottom line guy, instead of the middle 6 Swiss Army knife type they many of us hoped.

Look, I love to pour on Blake as much as any, and the fact that these guys are all fringe NHL'ers is mostly because of him, but it's not because of him they aren't a scoring line center, great middle six forwards and a 2nd pairing defender. That wasn't going to happen with any oprganization.

I dunno. I think that misses just happen with every org.

Having a No. 5 pick that didn't pan out happens with almost every team. But other picks make up for it. This org also had Byfield, Clarke, Faber, and Spence as their prospect pool at onepoint. Heck, you can throw in Vilardi.

From there, you have multiple graduations and trades that depleted the resources. And the team itself has had 16 picks in the last three drafts combined. These are the teams who have had as many or fewer picks in the same window:
Colorado
Edmonton
New York Islanders
Pittsburgh
Toronto
Vegas
Winnipeg

They just don't have many picks. 4 of the teams have a 1st overall pick on the roster that they drafted still. All have had more playoff success in the same window.

I just think scouting is the least of the issue. Development and direction seem to be a bigger question mark.

 

[Herby]

I do agree the development is bad, and is probably a bigger problem, and wasn’t saying they didn’t have any good players. But when a site like the Athletic makes a list and they are projecting 4 high picks as the next Mike Richards, Alec Martinez, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll (just examples) and they end up as Blake Lizotte, Davis Drewiskie, Andy Andreoff and Nick Shore I think it’s fair to say that they were overrated based on expectation.

But it doesn’t mean some mistakes (even huge ones) weren’t made in development.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think happens to these players, in particular the 3 who were stupidly sent to the AHL as teenagers if they were allowed to play their age 19 seasons in the same leagues they played in as 18 year olds?

 

[King'sPawn]

I do agree the development is bad, and is probably a bigger problem, and wasn’t saying they didn’t have any good players. But when a site like the Athletic makes a list and they are projecting 4 high picks as the next Mike Richards, Alec Martinez, Justin Williams and Jarret Stoll (just examples) and they end up as Blake Lizotte, Davis Drewiskie, Andy Andreoff and Nick Shore I think it’s fair to say that they were overrated based on expectation.

But it doesn’t mean some mistakes (even huge ones) weren’t made in development.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think happens to these players, in particular the 3 who were stupidly sent to the AHL as teenagers if they were allowed to play their age 19 seasons in the same leagues they played in as 18 year olds?

Do you mean Byfield, Turcotte, and Bjornfot? Honestly, tough to say with absolute certainty.

Turcotte - I think he might be slightly better if he stayed in the NCAA with a focus of building strength. He had his bell rung quite a few times. I think like Vilardi, he's had some circumstances with his health that have caused issues.

Byfield I think would possibly be worse off. He should have played in the NHL sooner. His biggest problems, in my opinion, were bad habits he learned in junior. And he needed confidence via responsibility.

Bjornfot might have benefited from staying in Sweden. But I'm honestly cautious of overemphasizing staying in Europe. Not that I have any issues against Europeans, but because they play on a larger ice surface, they have more time and opportunity to execute plays. The longer they stay, the more concerned I get about them adjusting to North America. He did well when he first played. Then it dropped off as time went on.

I'm not as concerned with bringing players into the AHL as much as you are. I think the bigger issue is not knowing how to integrate them at the NHL level.

 

[Buddy The Elf]

Maybe if you're purchasing through the second hand market.

The Kings are raising prices yet again.

That's what I'm referring to. I never pay face value except playoff games.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Whatever the reason he was not in the NHL lineup, it was bogus.

Historic OHL season as a top 10 pick and is buried in the minors on a team severely lacking offensive talent, especially on the blue line. But we know, you’ll again be carrying the water. I mean at what point GBH is criticism of these decisions warranted? Will you just keep defending Blake, Emerson and Murray until the day they are fired. It’s been 7 full seasons!

How would LA have handled Wyatt Johnston and how would Dallas have handled Clarke?

I truly wonder at what point you throw in the towel.

LOL normally I am the one that just responds/reads what I want etc, but here you literally have ZERO idea about how I feel about management, you think because I disagree with you, I think they have been good/great....

I think you are so far off base on Byfield, because you are focused on the Macro, that you forget the micro, you think every #1-#2 should be handled the same way, every player should be handled the same way, if they are top 10 pick, straight to the NHL with you....which is what LA did in the Taylor years and we know how well that all played out.....

There's a reason why your typically #1-#2 plays right away these days, A. cap, B. there's no pressure to win so they can play like Stultze and Zegras with ZERO consequences.....which can backfire, I mean Anaheim is looking to dump Zegras...if the rumours are true....gee...I wonder why....

 

[AbsentMojo]

Why do people who complain about everybody here continue to post here?

It’s like saying you hate a restaurant, yet keep showing up.

Every post is basically

 

[AbsentMojo]

[..]

The Mouth of Bluc told us bonuses were why Clarke was in AHL

Thats what I thought - so you have a link because seems a lot of posters are saying this is fake news