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

[tny760]

i don't know how much more direction you need from a coaching staff that has you on a f***ing gold star system tbh

kinda just solidifies my opinion that he's probably just kind of dim and that makes him ineffective at this level if you're anything more than the "hey mongo go fight #69" guy

it's also my opinion that it's an indictment on the coaching staff if he's still feeling these things a full season later. no doubt a professional coaching staff should have known that from day 1 meeting 1 and not just sent him out there to float with a few butt pats

 

[bland]

I just don't understand how management couldn't see that coming a mile away. What kind of hubris does it take to ignore all available information and think that they had what it took to reach the unreachable AND get him to adapt to a playing style that clearly didn't suit him even if he wasn't a complete pile?

 

[Lt Dan]

I just don't understand how management couldn't see that coming a mile away. What kind of hubris does it take to ignore all available information and think that they had what it took to reach the unreachable AND get him to adapt to a playing style that clearly didn't suit him even if he wasn't a complete pile?

You are totally forgetting that that Luc and Bergevin were enamored that he was French

They were going to oui oui oui all the way home

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

As much as I pinata this staff and as easy as it is to do so over PLD, the dude hasn't responded to a variety of different coaches on a variety of different team situations in a variety of cities. His issues are his issues on his own independent of our front office's inability to handle business.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Blake's comments about "paying the price" and wanting to play in the hard areas almost scream Pierre-Luc Dubois, because that's something he did not do.

As Lieutenant Dan stated, it seems like the French Canadian connection is to blame with this one. Luc, Bergevin and Brisson are connected. Remember the Steve Duchesne debacle in 1998, where there were teammates (Ray Ferraro namely) who pointed him out as a problem? It's the same shit all over again, and he was another one of Luc's close buddies who turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.

There certainly must be some disconnect, and Blake had to take drastic measures to get through to a player who has never given a damn.

 

[Statto]

You are totally forgetting that that Luc and Bergevin were enamored that he was French

They were going to oui oui oui all the way home

Whilst obviously don’t know for a fact this is true, it’s the only thing that makes any sense.

I believe there was a moment last year with Fiala where they sat him down and told him they needed him to be more responsible with and without the puck, and he responded pretty positively IIRC. Rob Blake had to an on ice 1 on 1 session with him, if that's not someone trying to get you to explain your role on the team and you don't get it, I think that's on you.

I think this is it exactly. Fiala down the stretch really cleaned up his game whereas PLD just did his things. There’s just no apparent self accountability with PLD.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5740954/2024/09/09/nhl-teams-standings-2024-mushy-middle/

Los Angeles Kings​

L.A. has suffered three consecutive first-round playoff exits and the outlook moving forward doesn’t look much better. The Kings are a solid but unspectacular team — they defend well, have a deep forward group and a quality blue line. However, they aren’t elite in any one area, have questionable goaltending and generally lack star talent. Rob Blake also failed to significantly improve the roster this summer.

Because of the divisional playoff format, the Kings’ path to a deep postseason run will almost certainly require beating the Oilers in either Round 1 or 2. This has been a nightmare matchup for L.A. and if anything, the gap between these two teams on paper is only becoming larger.

The Kings will need Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke to break out as true stars for the club’s outlook to meaningfully change. There’s a chance that can happen but even if it does, it’s probably not happening overnight. L.A. looks destined to continue its trend of above-average regular seasons followed by quick playoff exits.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5740954/2024/09/09/nhl-teams-standings-2024-mushy-middle/

It's probably a fair and flattering assessment, honestly.

This team has quickly become the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators of the Pacific, boring black hole teams with 'good disciplined hockey' that only exist as first round fodder if they're lucky year after year.

 

[Herby]

Thinking back to my youth, the modern Kings are like the Houston Oilers, Cleveland Cavaliers, St. Louis Blues, Indiana Pacers and Washington Capitals. There every year, but never a threat to do anything.

I don't know if it's incompetent management thinking the team is close to contending or whether it's clueless fans (like one notable one on here) telling their ticket rep they'd rather lose in the 1st round than pick in the Top 5.

The article is spot on though, the Kings lack star power is glaring, and the league is an arms race, you can make the playoffs every year with solid depth throughout the roster, but without game-breakers you just can't win in the playoffs vs properly constructed teams with those types of players.

Between the 2017 and 2021 drafts, the Kings had a #2, #5, #7, #11, #18 and #22 picks. And the best offensive season they have to show for any of these picks is 23 goals by GV and 55 points by QB. These 6 picks combined have less points for the Kings than Ottawa's #3 pick in 2020 alone does. Make all the excuses you want, but there were guys available with these picks that are already established stars in the league. Like Walter Donovan in "The Last Crusade", Rob Blake chose poorly.

But those poor choices didn't need to be the end of it. This all goes back to the summer of 2021, and the ridiculous decisions made then, which set the wheels in motion for this disaster of a roster and a lack of high-end young pieces. You can't end a rebuild until you have two proven young stars on your roster. If that means picking Top 5 for 3-4 more years so be it. It's not like the players the Kings chose all suck, many of them could have easily have had secondary or depth roles to guys like Bedard or Fantilli etc. to who the Kings could have drafted had they kept the rebuild going through last summer.

If the Kings truly believed QB wouldn't hit his peak until 23-25 years old (as Emerson now retroactively claims), the plan should have been to keep drafting high in the draft, not to try and contend with the biggest top 3 project pick in NHL history (which Emerson is indirectly claiming QB is) with older players on the 17th fairway of their careers.

 

[BaileyFan]

It's probably a fair and flattering assessment, honestly.

This team has quickly become the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators of the Pacific, boring black hole teams with 'good disciplined hockey' that only exist as first round fodder if they're lucky year after year.

Mission accomplished!

 

[Surf Nutz]

I am willing to buy the idea that Dubois has an inability to communicate.

How bout Blake, Luc and Beckerman?

 

[Peter James Bond III]

Of course, the official Iron Bow logo, the bow is blue. The Kings negotiated down the sponsor pricing, if they went full monochrome...like the Kings' colorless vision of their team. The Kings were afraid the blue bow would become the best element on the jersey.

 

[Johnny Utah]

The season starts in less than a month and these jerseys are still not for sale.

 

[tbrown33]

The season starts in less than a month and these jerseys are still not for sale.

Organization doesn't care about fan service.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Organization doesn't care about fan service.

The organization has moved on to a plethora of new fans.

They don't even want most of the negative fans here.

Bub-Bye!!!

 

[tbrown33]

The organization has moved on to a plethora of new fans.

They don't even want most of the negative fans here.

Bub-Bye!!!

you'd think they'd want this "plethora" of new fans to buy their new jerseys. but they simply do not care.

 

[Surf Nutz]

you'd think they'd want this "plethora" of new fans to buy their new jerseys. but they simply do not care.

They care and many fans will be buying and they know it.

AEG has top flight analytics and AI in tow for decisive marketing decisions.

It appears they view repeat negative middle class fans as a net negative and they are taking steps to engage newer upper class fans and disengage from

those that try to bring them down and have diluting or low luxury income.

 

[tbrown33]

They care and many fans will be buying and they know it.

AEG has top flight analytics and AI in tow for decisive marketing decisions.

It appears they view repeat negative middle class fans as a net negative and they are taking steps to engage newer upper class fans and disengage from

those that try to bring them down and have diluting or low luxury income.

are you on the payroll or something? what is this.

 

[Surf Nutz]

are you on the payroll or something? what is this.

No but I am the push back on the overcooked consensus here and in life.

As an investor I understand how successful big corporations operate as of 2024.

I do however, understand your frustration but would you rather be cheering for the Colombus Blue Jackets the last decade or so?

Even aside from the Gadreau tragedy, RIP brothers.

 

[tbrown33]

No but I am the push back on the overcooked consensus here and in life.

As an investor I understand how successful big corporations operate as of 2024.

I do however, understand your frustration but would you rather be cheering for the Colombus Blue Jackets the last decade or so?

Even aside from the Gadreau tragedy, RIP brothers.

Bootlicking AND tasteless, nice.

 

[Surf Nutz]

Bootlicking AND tasteless, nice.

A pattern I have noticed on SMedia and here repeatedly is that when people have nothing up against someone else's stated response they immediately resort

to insults.

My advice is crank the A/C and have a cold one.

 

[AbsentMojo]

If MC Escher were still alive he'd draw a man with his head so far up his bottom it would come out his mouth

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Ducks are rolling out their jerseys, pictures, and their broadcasting plan.

They are know as one of the "cheapest" organizations.

Where is LA?

 

[johnjm22]

EP Rinkside's top-20 left wingers going into the 2024-25 NHL season

JFresh ranks the 20 best left wingers in the NHL going into the 2024-25 season.

eprinkside.com

13th Byfield
16th Kempe

Byfield is a lot better than people think already, and was a huge reason why the top line worked. They'll take a major step back without him.

 

[Herby]

A pattern I have noticed on SMedia and here repeatedly is that when people have nothing up against someone else's stated response they immediately resort

to insults.

I can't believe you of all people would actually use this line. The lack of self-awareness is just shocking.