Fire Sutter?

[LAKings88]

I have seen many on here the last week advocating for a coaching change.

I think Sutter does what he can with what he is given.

I don't think this group had success until Murray came in with a defensive structure. Sutter took it and tweaked it to success.

I'm not sure these guys can play up tempo fast hockey. I think Sutter and DL know it.

This is not the Cup winning teams. They have lost too many cogs from those runs.

I'd argue they are in the process of rebuilding with the rookie backend and guys like Kempe coming in.

Not much will change to the core given cap and contract situations. I do think a dman will be moved after expansion.

I don't think a coaching change will save this team this season.

Quick may give a boost in confidence to guys who may be more willing to cheat for offense but it's too little too late.

Bottom line, coaches can't put pucks in the net.

That being said they have a horrible PP which should be held accountable imho.

I love Sutter and would hate for him to go out this season but the only reason I could see it is if he truly has lost the room. That is just speculation by anyone saying so at this point.

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[damacles1156]

I have zero confidence that John Stevens or any of the UFA coaches will make a difference.

Mike Stothers would be a good candidate, but he is more like Sutter than any of the coaches in the LA stable.

MTL took the best available coach on the market.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I love Sutter. Best coach we've ever had.

But the message and the emotion is stale. We've seen what coaching changes can do, even more so lately around the league. There's a supposedly great guy available in Gallant. Hell, it may well even be John Stevens. But DL can't make any player moves unless he absolutely destroys the farm and our future, so it's the only option unless he sits on his hands.

I've been on this train for a while but it's strictly a 'new energy' thing, not a 'Sutter sucks' thing. If you want to get more out of this current roster, it's the only thing we can do at this point. Last gasp towards saving the season.

Sutter's the third longest tenured coach right now behind only Q and Jon Cooper.

 

[johnjm22]

If things keep going the way they are Sutter will be removed. It's a just a question of when.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Something must be done and you're not going to replace the roster, so yes

 

[damacles1156]

I imagine a conversation going like this within Kings Brass talk.

Lombardi: " Stevens, what would you do different" ?

Stevens: "Dean, Kopitar has six goals on the season and three in his last 29 NHL games, what exactly am I suppose to change" ?

 

[Omni Owl]

He should've been gone awhile ago, and I agree with Raccoon, its more of a new energy thing to jumpstart this lifeless team. I wish we could've snagged Julien.

St. Louis responded well to their coaching change (with a much less capable coach in Yeo). Pittsburgh fired 2 coaches halfway thru both of their Cup winning seasons. The simple act of firing a coach like Sutter should be enough to get these guys going.

 

[mattgkg]

i have a feeling the kings might have been in on julien and the habs went all in.

 

[LAKings88]

I think I'd prefer Stothers at this point. Maybe Futa as GM.

I hate saying that as I am eternally grateful to DL and Sutter.

The wheels fell of starting with Richards nonbuyout.

LA has had a rough injury year. Might buy DL another year.

I wonder if Sutter will have had enough even if he keeps his job too.

 

[LAKings88]

He should've been gone awhile ago, and I agree with Raccoon, its more of a new energy thing to jumpstart this lifeless team. I wish we could've snagged Julien.

St. Louis responded well to their coaching change (with a much less capable coach in Yeo). Pittsburgh fired 2 coaches halfway thru both of their Cup winning seasons.

I don't think things always turn out that way. 50/50 imho.

 

[damacles1156]

I think I'd prefer Stothers at this point. Maybe Futa as GM.

I hate saying that as I am eternally grateful to DL and Sutter.

The wheels fell of starting with Richards nonbuyout.

LA has had a rough injury year. Might by DL another year.

I wonder if Sutter will have had enough even if he keeps his job too.

Stothers would be my pick, but he is exactly like Sutter philosophy wise.

Futa, I don't think he is that great, the scouting department has made some bad choices as well.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

i have a feeling the kings might have been in on julien and the habs went all in.

I thought that too when it was mentioned several teams contacted him.

I imagine a conversation going like this within Kings Brass talk.

Lombardi: " Stevens, would you do different" ?

Stevens: "Dean, Kopitar has six goals on the season and three in his last 29 NHL games, what exactly am I suppose to change" ?

I don't disagree.

I don't think much of this is Sutter's mess to clean up, frankly. There are things I he'd adjust, but they're not utterly broken. It's just energy/message.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I don't think things always turn out that way. 50/50 imho.

I can't think of a team that wasn't objectively terrible who fired their coach and responded by playing worse. All we need to do is pump our record up slightly more. I'd like to think that could happen.

 

[damacles1156]

One thing people have to come to grips with.

This version of the Kings, doesn't even play Kings hockey or Sutter hockey really.

They don't make teams earn ice anymore, they give up far too much speed at the blue-lines.

Hitting (real hits) slows teams down.

This roster, has problems, also the kings infused youth, I like Dowd/LaDue/Forbort/Gravel ETC. Problem is, these guys don't exactly punish people.

Stoll/Mitchell/Greene/Brown (still sometimes does) these guys punished people.

Stoll was a very good Third line Center, the Kings haven't replaced his play at all.

 

[Little Psycho]

Everyone is to blame here. Sutter makes questionable decisions, but I don't think there's another good option out there. This team has too many issues, firing him might be a start. This team needs a defibrillator asap.

 

[member 88115]

I feel like Lombardi should go first. And let the new GM dictate the direction of team / coach.

 

[damacles1156]

I feel like Lombardi should go first. And let the new GM dictate the direction of team / coach.

With the amount of toxic contracts the Kings have.

Any new GM is going to be handcuffed right from the get go.

The New Gm's only options would be trade: Carter/Muzzin/A-Mart/Pearson/Toffoli.

Couldn't even trade Kopitar if he wanted too.

 

[LAKings88]

I can't think of a team that wasn't objectively terrible who fired their coach and responded by playing worse. All we need to do is pump our record up slightly more. I'd like to think that could happen.

Probably right, I just don't see it as a cure all. Maybe it is a mental switch or clearing out the room sort of thing tho.

 

[kingskring]

No... You ride him out till the end of the season and work from there.... Nobody is available that will make a difference.

And dont give me the (we should have fired him for Julien) very few teams do that, none would do that to a coach with the resume of sutter

 

[damacles1156]

I can't think of a team that wasn't objectively terrible who fired their coach and responded by playing worse. All we need to do is pump our record up slightly more. I'd like to think that could happen.

The CBJ weren't that great after firing their coach, it took Tortz getting rid of bad apples on the team, for them to turn it around. That took an entire year+ off-season.

Tortz also had to convince the Brass that, their best player was one of the problems with the team.

 

[theMajor]

not yet

 

[LAKings88]

I really don't see CJ as that much of an improvement over DS.

 

[Herby]

This is a terrible roster, not that I think Sutter doesn't shoulder some of the blame but this is a very poorly constructed team.

A coaching change is putting a band-aid on cancer.

 

[damacles1156]

I really don't see CJ as that much of an improvement over DS.

MTL is also not playing well, loss first game with CJ

They are in free fall atm. Loss 7 out of their last 8, only six wins in their last 20 games played.

MTL is entirely propped up by Price, he is that good. When he plays average they lose.

Atm MTL also is having trouble scoring.

 

[Fishhead]

It depends on what the Kings' goal for this season is. If they want to make the playoffs, they should bring in someone new. They are too predictable, teams know how to beat them. Most teams that score first line up across the blue line and counter attack, it's too easy. The Kings don't have the personnel to dig pucks out like they used to if you force them to dump it. If they consider this a throwaway season where the playoffs are just a bonus, then hang on to Sutter and reevaluate in the off season.

Not that a lot of this teams shortcomings shouldn't be placed on the players, it's mostly them. When you get paid large amounts of coin in the top league in the world, I would think that would be motivation in itself, but apparently not.

Something isn't right though, and it's not because of missed buyouts or bad contracts. The classic Kings "lay it all out on the line for the guy next to you" isn't there, and that's what made them successful in the first place. They need something to bring the roster back together, and a new coach will often do that.