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

[kilowatt]

Now THAT would get them some side eye around the league

This organization is a f***ing joke

 

[Nasti]

Good points, I think when it came to Lombardi I get the feeling he was absolutely getting burned out, you had the Slava problem, the Mike Richards problem then on top of that you had Luc in ownerships ears telling them look I can do a better job with my people. Is it a coincidence that so many of Lombardi's people have left or have been forced out of the organization. The way to resolve situation is to either clean house, which is the preferred solution or bring someone in to replace Luc as President of all hockey operations and then let that person make changes they feel are necessary and that should be someone with zero ties to organization.
You can put Luc back In marketing or a so called consultant for public relations.

Luc will just try to weasel his way back to hockey ops. He needs to be shown the door and sadly, I don’t ever see that happening.

 

[theMajor]

Thats why ultimately I think Beckerman and the Salt guy are the big moron here... he admitted in an interview he was a big fanboy of Luc in the 90s.. my guess is that clouds his evaluation of Luc's performance. A guess - but when things are this bad and they all still have jobs, you have consider the inane and absurd.

lombardi searched high and low for info on blake before he brought him on board as the AGM, talked to a lot of different people and no one said a bad word about him. i think that is worth quite a lot ! that didnt necessarily guarantee rob would make for a successful gm but deano sure did his homework first. whats crazy is how long rob has been able to fumble along without seeming like he himself is as uncomfortable as he wants the players to be. its gotta start at the top, right? Luc should go first and then rob will reaaaally sweat

 

[BigBrown]

LA Kings block former coach Todd McLellan from taking new job

If a new contract is signed for less than the old one, the coach still gets top up payments from his former team. It's possible McLellan would be taking less money with Columbus than he was getting with the Kings, and LA didn't want to pay the difference hoping that Columbus would come back with a better offer. That remains to be seen.

I like to shit on management as much as the next guy but this seems like a case of basing their clickbait headline on speculation. They provide no new sources of their own, simply adding their own conjecture.

Here's something from the Columbus dispatch instead:

Todd McLellan no longer a candidate to coach Columbus Blue Jackets

McLellan, considered the favorite to land Blue Jackets' coaching job, no longer being considered after salary negotiations

eu.dispatch.com

"A source told the Dispatch that McLellan was excited about the prospect of coming to Columbus and wasn't asking for $5.5 million per season. The Dispatch was also told the Kings weren't a stumbling block on their end, offering to eat up to $2 million of McLellan's final year and leaving $3.5 million for the Blue Jackets next season."

Seems pretty reasonable to me.

Also, remember Mclellan did the same shit with the Kings. They seemed like a fit and it was gonna get done, suddenly he was rumored to be coaching the Sabres instead. I assume the Kings caved and upped their offer. It's probably a negotiation tactic.

 

[unicornpig]

columbus dodged a bullet

 

[Statto]

lombardi searched high and low for info on blake before he brought him on board as the AGM, talked to a lot of different people and no one said a bad word about him. i think that is worth quite a lot ! that didnt necessarily guarantee rob would make for a successful gm but deano sure did his homework first. whats crazy is how long rob has been able to fumble along without seeming like he himself is as uncomfortable as he wants the players to be. its gotta start at the top, right? Luc should go first and then rob will reaaaally sweat

Or maybe Blake would be able to do the job without interference. Blake is a smart guy and there is a reason DL hired him. He was well regarded across the league.

I do think that Luc is too involved but it doesn’t absolve Blake because if he was that unhappy he could walk away. Luc, I maintain, will have decided to go for one more run when he took over (it’s strategic so his call I’m sure) and he’d have been the one that ended the rebuild early. So along with his recent gaffs making everyone realise how big a problem he is, there are plenty of other red flags around Robitaille.

So I do actually think Blake will have done a better job without Luc there. Lucs hands were all over the PLD trade , whereas the trade to get rid of him felt like a Blake move. I’m not saying all the mistakes were on Luc, not Blake. However, the strategy decisions and PLD I think were mostly Robitaille. Complete conjecture and speculation on my part, let’s be clear.

 

[FSL KINGS]

PP1?
22,9,11,8

Then who? 12? 55?
92 in AHL for a good part of the year wouldn't be surprising & would they play him on PP1?

In a year that's going to be a fight to make the playoffs, that PP needs to be a difference maker.

 

[Lt Dan]

And the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I used to love Luc and I’ve completely soured on him at this point.

I think the majorly of us are in this boat now

 

[CarlSneep]

I’d like to see an Umbrella with:

Anze in front
Fiala down low
Drew - Clarke - Kempe

What we’ll probably see is a 1-3-1 with:

Byfield waving his stick in front of the goalie
Anze-Fiala-Kempe
Drew up top

They could also do something weird like put Foegele or Jeannot in front if they want Byfield to run the 2nd unit with Clarke. Actually, they should do that and then just start putting that unit out all the time.

 

[BigKing]

For me part of evaluating a trade is looking at what you can afford in any given moment.


If I'm sitting down to a $5 black jack table with a stack of chips and I immediately draw a pair of 8s I know I can and should split them.


If I'm down to my last $50 at a $50 black jack table and I draw a pair of 8s and in order to split I need to buy more chips... even if it's "the right move" from a gambling perspective it's NOT the right move for my night or my economics.

Trading the haul that they did for Lucic in that moment COULD have been a good move if they theoretically won the Cup that season

BUT

given the state of the franchise, the cap situation, the prospect pool and the NHL Currency available to the franchise... they should have walked away from that bet.

It was the worst trade in a very long time and there's only one trade since then that comes close to competing with it (tho it may ultimately surpass it)

Feel like you mean the PLD trade but if you want to say they lost Barzal in the Lucic trade, you should be comparing it to Faber and a 1st.

Kings have won the same amount of playoff games so far with Lucic or Fiala in the lineup.

 

[Statto]

PP1?
22,9,11,8

Then who? 12? 55?
92 in AHL for a good part of the year wouldn't be surprising & would they play him on PP1?

In a year that's going to be a fight to make the playoffs, that PP needs to be a difference maker.

Thomas will (should at least) get a look on pp2. He’s a RHS and is very good at finding soft areas as well as going to the hard spots also. He’s got a nice accurate release also.

Clarke has to play. If he’s not pulling the strings on one of the pp units over the course of the season we don’t make the PO.

 

[funky]

Or maybe Blake would be able to do the job without interference. Blake is a smart guy and there is a reason DL hired him. He was well regarded across the league.

I do think that Luc is too involved but it doesn’t absolve Blake because if he was that unhappy he could walk away. Luc, I maintain, will have decided to go for one more run when he took over (it’s strategic so his call I’m sure) and he’d have been the one that ended the rebuild early. So along with his recent gaffs making everyone realise how big a problem he is, there are plenty of other red flags around Robitaille.

So I do actually think Blake will have done a better job without Luc there. Lucs hands were all over the PLD trade , whereas the trade to get rid of him felt like a Blake move. I’m not saying all the mistakes were on Luc, not Blake. However, the strategy decisions and PLD I think were mostly Robitaille. Complete conjecture and speculation on my part, let’s be clear.

Had this feeling as well.

 

[MonkeysUncle]

Luc will just try to weasel his way back to hockey ops. He needs to be shown the door and sadly, I don’t ever see that happening.

Yes that would be best case scenario if he was to be completely gone

 

[KINGS17]

Luc will just try to weasel his way back to hockey ops. He needs to be shown the door and sadly, I don’t ever see that happening.

At this point Luc shouldn't even be allowed to put on the Bailey costume. Just fire him and tell him to GTFO.

 

[KINGS17]

Why has “get uncomfortable” become the main talking point of the offseason instead of the reason for needing to get uncomfortable in the first place? Blake openly admitted that the team’s “desire to win” is not high enough. I mean it’s so damning that they canceled a rebuild to build around two 30 year olds because they were supposed to be these two battle-tested playoff warriors who know how to win and then emptied the cupboard to import vets to fill every important position while preaching about intangibles and “unmeasurables”, and NOW they’re like “oh wait, our actual problem is they just don’t want to win enough, whoops.”

Two dopes now in charge of the Kings who never won a damn thing without being put in almost perfect situations with Colorado and Detroit where they were not required to lead at all.

 

[Piston]

1. Canadian players are paid in US Dollars so the $10 million dollars translates to $13 million Canadian right now. The reason they haven't won a cup on 30 years is because there's only been six of them for about 20 of those years and when you represent 25% of the league, the odds of one of them winning is smaller. Should I name all of the US based teams with low/no income tax that also haven't won the cup in the last 30 years?

2. Tkachuk wanted out of Calgary because he hated Daryl Sutter and said it was him or me and they chose Sutter. Also, his contract was up and no way was Florida giving up what they were giving up without assurances that a contract would be in place and signed.

3. I don't watch enough of Florida to comment on Forsling but is he worth the same salary as a Quinn Hughes? A Heiskenan? Close to a Makar or a Fox? Is he worth $2-3 million a year more than a Gavrikov? $4 million more than a Mikey Anderson? That's the suggestion you're making regarding what the Kings would have to pay him and what the market is showing who the players making that much are.

As I've stated before, I'm sure taxes play a factor, I just don't believe it to be the biggest one or even a driver. It's a "well these two teams are pursuing me and one plays a system I like and has had a lot of recent success. As a nice bonus the taxes are lower too."

We can't both demand that we want players who don't just want to come here because of the weather but also lament the fact that we aren't getting players because they don't like our tax structure. IF a player is choosing a team based on the fact that they will get paid more, why do you want that guy?

1) Canadian taxes are higher than in the U.S. Take home pay in either currency is lower.

2) The $9.5 mm that Florida is Paying Tkachuk is the equivalent of almost $11mm in CA. Much easier to get pen to paper on a new deal when your only using 11% of the salary cap as opposed to 13%. I'm sure Matthew learned that lesson from his Dad who played in multiple cities and learned the difference in tax rates.

3) I am not a statistician, but the odds of a group 6/7 teams with one thing in common (Canadian domicile) not winning a championship in 31 years are pretty astronomical.

I think you are being naive in not believing taxes are a huge factor. Here is how I would rank a player's preferences:

1) opportunity to win the Cup - 50%

2) after tax take home pay - 30%

3) opportunity to play for a particular coach or with a player - 10%

4) being near friends and family - 5%

5) amenities in the host city - 5%

 

[funky]

This off-season could’ve gone a lot worse. Playing with the hand that they were dealt, even though they dealt to hand themselves but that’s another story.

Jettisoned PLD’s contract - major plus is they didn’t use draft capital.

Strengthened goaltending throughout organization. It’s not sexy, but the Kuemper edition should help. Super Dave back on a cheap one year deal. Copley brought back to back-up Portillo Added George at the draft (goalies are voodoo but I like this pick) so we went into the offseason with no goalie under contract and by July 4 the stables are full.

Defensive depth. The Burroughs trade gives us a solid 6/7 that is cheap, signed through next year and adds grit, size and toughness. This makes Englund (barring trades or claims) another puncher in the AHL that can be called up if injuries hit.

Clarke on the roster for a full year gives the defence a different look.

Size and toughness upgrade. - this one cost but the additions of Jeannot and Edmundson are definite upgrades on Grundstrom and Englund.

Youth- Byfield, Laf, Turcotte, Thomas, Clarke, Spence and possibly Kaliyev. Is there a chance we finally see something out of our past draft picks. If these guys can play well and show they belong that will be the biggest win of the season.


Now that being said this offseason is far from done

1. Byfield extension
2. Spence extension
3. Kaliyev situation
4. Still missing top 6 right shot scoring threat. I would give my left nut for Necas.

Then there is this lingering doubt in back of my mind saying :

How is the coaching staff gonna funk this up?

Time for youth with all that skill and speed to get the good PP minutes. Are they gonna saddle young snipers on the 4th. What system will they use.

For all the lifting that has been done there is a lot more needed. They can’t just sit back after they sign the two kids and pay themselves in the back. Still major holes to fill.

Hopefully the glass is half full and not half empty but I think I know nothing special is coming. This is the roster in October

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

LA Kings block former coach Todd McLellan from taking new job

If a new contract is signed for less than the old one, the coach still gets top up payments from his former team. It's possible McLellan would be taking less money with Columbus than he was getting with the Kings, and LA didn't want to pay the difference hoping that Columbus would come back with a better offer. That remains to be seen.

Fake news. What the hell is bladesofsteel.com?

 

[Schrute farms]

2) The $9.5 mm that Florida is Paying Tkachuk is the equivalent of almost $11mm in CA. Much easier to get pen to paper on a new deal when your only using 11% of the salary cap as opposed to 13%. I'm sure Matthew learned that lesson from his Dad who played in multiple cities and learned the difference in tax rates.

FYI: You are doing the State income taxes wrong. You are hitting the CA player with full state tax hit, but you are giving the Florida player zero state taxes (wrong) -- only half of those games played are in the 0% Florida tax rate. It's not $9.5M vs $11M.
Not to mention, there are other financial aspects to consider (insurance in FL is crazy high, RPT, housing appreciation (investment wise), players brand & marketing opportunities (both ST & LT).

 

[Brownie to Pancakes]

Could we get a moratorium on this excruciating tax bro stuff

 

[BaileyFan]

1) Canadian taxes are higher than in the U.S. Take home pay in either currency is lower.

2) The $9.5 mm that Florida is Paying Tkachuk is the equivalent of almost $11mm in CA. Much easier to get pen to paper on a new deal when your only using 11% of the salary cap as opposed to 13%. I'm sure Matthew learned that lesson from his Dad who played in multiple cities and learned the difference in tax rates.

3) I am not a statistician, but the odds of a group 6/7 teams with one thing in common (Canadian domicile) not winning a championship in 31 years are pretty astronomical.

I think you are being naive in not believing taxes are a huge factor. Here is how I would rank a player's preferences:

1) opportunity to win the Cup - 50%

2) after tax take home pay - 30%

3) opportunity to play for a particular coach or with a player - 10%

4) being near friends and family - 5%

5) amenities in the host city - 5%

Agents and tax planning were still a thing when Keith Tkachuk played. It’s like people think NHL players only discovered taxes, oh I don’t know, 5 years ago which coincidentally aligns with the Florida teams’ dominance. It’s just the Canadian fan grievance of the month explaining why it’s the league’s fault their team can’t win. If they hate it so much they can vote to lower their tax rates so millionaires want to live there.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think the Tkachuks simply had advice from dad and wanted to play in USA markets...I don't think it was solely a tax issue, and dad was notorious for the contract games IIRC

 

[kovacro]

Fake news. What the hell is bladesofsteel.com?

My immediate thought...What a classic.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

One thing about the Kings current situation... If all really does go to sh*t next year, they should at least have some solid options for re-tooling (with a new GM and hopefully at the very least Bergevin gone - ideally Luc too).

Now that PLD's gone, they really only have Doughty as a looming big contract and even then there's only 3 years left so you'd likely have some options. They could have a relatively clean slate to work with pretty easily if they really wanted to.

Say next season is a complete disaster from the very beginning.. The Kings could do the following at the deadline to kickstart a re-tool:

• Trade Gavrikov to a contender
  • $5.875m is a steep cap hit but with Gav being a pending UFA next season, I'm sure they could find a team willing to add Gavrikov if the Kings retained
  • Gavrikov at 50% retained would be just under a $3m cap hit - That's a great add for a contender looking to bolster their D for a long playoff run
  • I imagine you could probably get at least a pick + prospect or a couple picks if they retained 50%
• Trade Doughty to a contender/playoff team
  • Could retain 25% on Doughty to make the cap hit more reasonable.... If the Kings are trading Doughty they're essentially accepting at least a 2-3 year re-tool so having a bit of dead cap for the next 2 seasons wouldn't be the end of the world
  • Doughty at 25% retained would be $8.25m - That's good value for Drew assuming he plays like he did last season - And you could probably get a very nice return in that scenario
  • Could also do this deal next offseason
• Look into trading Kopitar, Danault, Moore, etc

Then in the next offseason or in the following couple seasons you could decide whether you want to trade Kempe for a massive haul and/or Fiala for probably a solid return. In this scenario the Kings would hopefully end up with a top 5-10 pick in the 2025 or 2026 draft (or both). Then they could truly focus on building a new core without Kopi and Drew around.

 

[All The Kings Men]

to the best of my knowledge Alberta isnt a no-tax province