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

[Raccoon Jesus]

Giving Blake cap space is like making me fast for a week and then turning me loose at In-and-out.

 

[BaileyFan]

This is one of the hardest things to predict. Just how will Blake shoot himself in the nuts again. The obvious first thing would be a long Roy contract.. whats next? Move the 1st and 34 for a non-move-the-needle player and extend him 8 years.. but who?

Reilly Smith has been linked to the Kings for a while. 33 year old winger good for 40-50 points and looking to cash in one last time as a UFA next year? He’s Blake’s guy!

 

[MonkeysUncle]

Jake Guentzel?!??!?!

5'10, 180lbs, ANOTHER left shot forward, not physical, almost 30, will command 8-9.5M.

HELLLL NOOOooOOooooO

Agreed, could pick up lw 2 and ld for what you'd pay for Guentzel and Kings aren't 1 player away, it would also show Blake has not learned a single thing

 

[MonkeysUncle]

Reilly Smith has been linked to the Kings for a while. 33 year old winger good for 40-50 points and looking to cash in one last time as a UFA next year? He’s Blake’s guy!

Kings need to realistic on where they are at, but they won't

 

[Docgonzo]

I do not like or hate the idea of Guentzel, but no free agents willingly come to the west coast unless it’s an overpayment and that’s what would scare me.

Kings should just grab Trenin and call it a day, even then he might ask for 4 and id be weary of that.

 

[JTeller97]

Ideal offseason for me would be Bertuzzi/Debrusk, Stenlund/Trenin, Brenden Dillon. Don't see Guentzel as a fit.

 

[kingsboy11]

Not against the idea of Guentzel. I like the player and he'd certainly give the effort that was nonexistent from PLD, it all comes down to the price and term. I do think Blake has to be realistic to where this team is at

 

[Steve Zissou]

Giving Blake cap space is like making me fast for a week and then turning me loose at In-and-out.

Eat your heart out!

For all others, if you're currently hungry, sorry not sorry.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Add Ryan Lomberg to the list of free agents we need to target.

 

[Surf Nutz]

I hope hes gonna grab the bull by the horns this year. Hiller starts him at 3c but hes so commanding on the ice that he plays his way into becoming the guy the coach needs to lean on in any situation to win.
Really though Kopitar probably requested Byfield on his wing and thats where he will be no matter what.

The rumblings be, QB going back to center.

Could be L 3,2,1.

If he bumps Kopitar and Danault down successfully the Kings are a much better team.

Might as well try some combos in preseason incorporating youth.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Here's how things could look if the Kings decide to go after a big name like Jake Guentzel:
View attachment 887054

In this scenario, I've signed Byfield to a bridge deal at $5.5m for 3 years. Spence is also signed to a bridge deal, coming in at $2.5m for 2 years. I've essentially given Guenztel the Dubois contract in this scenario (8 years at $8.5m AAV) but in this scenario you technically have another $500k in cap space if you really wanted to go to $9m AAV for Guentzel although that's quite pricey.

Trenin and Duhaime are signed as bottom 6 fillers for 2-3 year, $2m AAV contracts.

Maybe the money is better spent on a LHD but this would be a pretty damn intriguing lineup for next season.

Problems here.

Fiala and Kopitar didn't click before.

East west vs, north south players

Kopi n Kempe have established chemistry , also PD and TM.


Time to try to create a 3rd strong pairing of players with QB and Fiala. ( AK x 2, PD and TMo)

Therefore Jake would be a 2nd line center making 8.5, we should use that money elsewhere and before the deadline after seeing what we can do with what

we got until close.r to the deadline.

You gotta sort out the maybe's and have cap space flexibility

Eat your heart out!

For all others, if you're currently hungry, sorry not sorry.

Are those throw up fries?

 

[KingsHockey24]

Eat your heart out!

For all others, if you're currently hungry, sorry not sorry.

The best part about In-N-Out is the price.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Run up price on Guentzel.
Wait for Carolina to add a goalie..
Drop an offer sheet on Necas!
Get revenge for Marc Bergevin!!!!

 

[FrozenKing18]

Add Ryan Lomberg to the list of free agents we need to target.

Dude is jacked!

 

[FSL KINGS]

21
For
30 + Kakko

Thoughts???

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Fiala and Kopitar didn't click before.

East west vs, north south players

Kopi n Kempe have established chemistry , also PD and TM.

Kopitar and Fiala not being able to play together is so exaggerated. They didn't click initially in the 10-15 games they played together in the 2022/23 season but that doesn't mean they can never play together again.

They played a bit together last year during Hiller's crazy line jumbles and looked pretty good from what I remember. Plus maybe as Kopitar is getting older it'd be helpful for him to have a guy like Fiala on his line to take over play driving offensively.

Also, sure Kopi and Kempe have good chemistry but so do Kempe and Byfield. And ultimately this is a team that lost in the first round 3 years ago - Even if some players have good chemistry together, maybe mixing things up is still a good thing?

But ultimately the line combinations were just a rough idea of what I'd personally like to see. You can definitely go with something like the following if you'd prefer to keep Kopi and Kempe together.
Guentzel - Kopitar - Kempe
Fiala - Byfield - Laferriere
Moore - Danault - Thomas
Turcotte - Trenin - Duhaime

Although tbh I'm not sure I'm too sold on the Guentzel idea anymore. Probably better off going after a $5-6m LHD and a ~$4m right shot scoring winger instead of going all in on Guentzel - although acquiring a big name like Guentzel is always fun to play around with hypothetically.

 

[chris kontos]

Add Ryan Lomberg to the list of free agents we need to target.

lomborg's a pain in the ass and i would agree ordinarily
BUT and theres always a butt
we are so size challenged as it is we need to add beasts.
Nikita Zadorov is the guy we need. he's a bruiser and can act as a policeman which is a player type weve lacked for a while.
but aquiring zadorov would only happen on a team that was actually trying to improve itself to begin to become champions. our management teams history appears to want to turn the kings into the nhl's version of the ice capades so...

 

[bland]

Kopitar and Fiala not being able to play together is so exaggerated. They didn't click initially in the 10-15 games they played together in the 2022/23 season but that doesn't mean they can never play together again.

They played a bit together last year during Hiller's crazy line jumbles and looked pretty good from what I remember. Plus maybe as Kopitar is getting older it'd be helpful for him to have a guy like Fiala on his line to take over play driving offensively.

Also, sure Kopi and Kempe have good chemistry but so do Kempe and Byfield. And ultimately this is a team that lost in the first round 3 years ago - Even if some players have good chemistry together, maybe mixing things up is still a good thing?

But ultimately the line combinations were just a rough idea of what I'd personally like to see. You can definitely go with something like the following if you'd prefer to keep Kopi and Kempe together.
Guentzel - Kopitar - Kempe
Fiala - Byfield - Laferriere
Moore - Danault - Thomas
Turcotte - Trenin - Duhaime

Although tbh I'm not sure I'm too sold on the Guentzel idea anymore. Probably better off going after a $5-6m LHD and a ~$4m right shot scoring winger instead of going all in on Guentzel - although acquiring a big name like Guentzel is always fun to play around with hypothetically.

Sure, hypothetically oil and water can be mixed together with sexy results too.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Sure, hypothetically oil and water can be mixed together with sexy results too.

Yeah exactly

 

[kovacro]

There's a post on the main board mentioning Matt Roy could get in upwards of $6 million per year when free agency opens. That is pricey.

Be nice if they could trade his rights. I'm sure he would have interest from multiple teams.

 

[Sol]

Would have been nice to have traded him last year and given Clarke a shot near the trade window closing but no we’re going to lose this expensive plug for nothing. High IQ

 

[MonkeysUncle]

21
For
30 + Kakko

Thoughts???

I'd probably do, but Rangers wouldn't

 

[Kurrilino]

Eat your heart out!

For all others, if you're currently hungry, sorry not sorry.

You are a monster............. In 'n Out is my favorite and we don't have one here in Canada

 

[Schrute farms]

Would have been nice to have traded him last year and given Clarke a shot near the trade window closing but no we’re going to lose this expensive plug for nothing. High IQ

Yeah but if we did that, then maybe we don't ever get to experience the epic game 2 win during the 2024 SC playoffs. Certainly us King fans will always remember that win and will cherish it until the day we die. Mission Accomplished and what a post season run we had indeed!

 

[Docgonzo]

I’m always hesitant of Lomberg type physical/pest players right after they win the cup. Their biggest asset is usually their will to be that physical player, and most of the time that will dies off for a few seasons after winning the cup. They achieved their goal, need to get desire back.