Flashback to 1999: LA Kings Acquire Ziggy Palffy from New York Islanders

[Ziggy Stardust]

That was the longest ****ing offseason ever.

Yes it was. Here's a summary of transactions from that summer, after the Palffy trade:

- Signed Marko Tuomainen
- Signed Jere Karalahti
- Lost Matt Johnson in the expansion draft (selected by the Atlanta Thrashers)
- Hired the coaching staff of Andy Murray, Dave Tippett, Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett
- Drafted Andrei Shefer in the 2nd round
- Signed Len Barrie
- Signed Frantisek Kaberle
- Re-signed Steve McKenna
- Signed Brad Chartrand
- Lost Manny Legace as a free agent (signed by Detroit)
- Signed Bill Huard
- Hired Bruce Boudreau to coach the Manchester Monarchs
- Re-signed Bryan Smolinski
- Re-signed Vladimir Tsyplakov
- Lost Ray Ferraro as a free agent (signed with Atlanta)
- Lost Doug Bodger as a free agent (signed with Vancouver)
- Re-signed Stephane Fiset
- Re-signed Glen Murray
- Re-signed Aki Berg (after spending a season in Europe as a holdout)
- Re-signed Jaroslav Modry
- Re-signed Jan Nemecek
- Signed Scott Thomas
- Signed Mike O'Neill
- Re-signed Jason Podollan
- Claimed Rich Brennan in the waiver draft (from Nashville)
- Re-signed training camp holdout Mattias Norstrom

Those were some interesting times for the Kings, transitioning from their rebuild to trying to become a playoff team right before they moved into Staples Center.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Yes it was. Here's a summary of transactions from that summer, after the Palffy trade:

- Signed Marko Tuomainen
- Signed Jere Karalahti
- Lost Matt Johnson in the expansion draft (selected by the Atlanta Thrashers)
- Hired the coaching staff of Andy Murray, Dave Tippett, Mark Hardy and Ray Bennett
- Drafted Andrei Shefer in the 2nd round
- Signed Len Barrie
- Signed Frantisek Kaberle
- Re-signed Steve McKenna
- Signed Brad Chartrand
- Lost Manny Legace as a free agent (signed by Detroit)
- Signed Bill Huard
- Hired Bruce Boudreau to coach the Manchester Monarchs
- Re-signed Bryan Smolinski
- Re-signed Vladimir Tsyplakov
- Lost Ray Ferraro as a free agent (signed with Atlanta)
- Lost Doug Bodger as a free agent (signed with Vancouver)
- Re-signed Stephane Fiset
- Re-signed Glen Murray
- Re-signed Aki Berg (after spending a season in Europe as a holdout)
- Re-signed Jaroslav Modry
- Re-signed Jan Nemecek
- Signed Scott Thomas
- Signed Mike O'Neill
- Re-signed Jason Podollan
- Claimed Rich Brennan in the waiver draft (from Nashville)
- Re-signed training camp holdout Mattias Norstrom

Those were some interesting times for the Kings, transitioning from their rebuild to trying to become a playoff team right before they moved into Staples Center.

a few things on this


Marko Tuomainen had the best goal face ever, until we met Dwight King

Didn't Stumpel also hold out that offseason or was injured to start the season and Len Barrie was our #1 center until he got claimed on waivers?

Scott Thomas- scored the first goal of the comeback of the fury on figueroa and never gets any love

3 minute mark

Despite having one of the all time great names in hockey Jan Nemecek was a bust. (same goes with Kai Nurminen)

Never forget the fury that was Brad Chartrand

 

[Captain Mittens*]

People also forget that Andy Murray was the original pull the goalie really early coach

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Yep, all these hockey guys saying Patrick Roy has an unconventional method of pulling his goalie early clearly don't remember Andy Murray doing this.

Hell, I even recall Barry Melrose pulling his goalie usually with about 2 minutes to go.

As for Stumpel's hold out, that came a year later in 2000. Seemed like every year the Kings had someone missing training camp because of a holdout.

 

[VEGASKING]

When your team trades for your favorite player

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

When your team trades for your favorite player

Ha, I had a similar reaction when the Lakers signed Shaq in '96.

Palffy was probably the third biggest name this organization added in a trade at that time, right after Gretzky and Dionne.

Sadly, Palffy's career was cut short in LA, only lasting 5 seasons here, yet he still ranks as a top 5 scorer in points per game in Kings history. Only Gretzky, Dionne, Nicholls and Simmer rank ahead of him, and Palffy accomplished this in the dead puck era.

 

[I Am Ziggy Palffy]

Crazy to think that Palffy was still playing professional hockey as recent as last season! But yeah, that Palffy, Armstrong and Rasmussen line was awesome to watch!

 

[Reaper45]

Crazy to think that Palffy was still playing professional hockey as recent as last season! But yeah, that Palffy, Armstrong and Rasmussen line was awesome to watch!

Imagine Palffy playing with Kopitar... 50 goals easily. I miss Ziggy.

 

[VEGASKING]

340 points in 311 games and a hell of a defensive winger in an era where that wasn't emphasized nearly as much as it is now. He almost got Stumpel to be a PPG guy in 00/01 and scored 85 points in 76 with Derek Armstrong centering him in 02/03. What a brutal team that was after the Deadmarsh and Allison injuries. The leading scorers after him were Schneider (43) and Smolinski (38) who were both traded and Modry (38) and Armstrong (38). Deadmarsh with 13 goals in 20 games and Allison with 28 points in 26 games. What could have been.

 

[KingsFan7824]

One month too early for the anniversary.

Yeah, that 01 team was fun after Blake got traded. They called Boucher up, and he actually became a legit player. Before that, it was just up and down to the minors, and injuries, etc. Went on that crazy run just to make the playoffs. Who knows how things unfold if Smolinski doesn't hit the post in Game 7 against Colorado.

Who would you take on the team today, Palffy or Deadmarsh?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Ah yes, one month more for the official anniversary.

As for which of the two to take between Deadmarsh or Palffy on the current roster, that's a tough call. If welcome any one of them, though Palffy's skill set would be more unique and could also help the PP, whereas Deadmarsh would be the player we all wish Brown turned into.

 

[takk]

Do you have any stories regarding Scott Thomas? Did he have any other memorable moment besides scoring the first goal of Detroit comeback?

 

[kingsfan28]

While I loved Ziggy as a King, it was that kind of trade that kept the Kings in the black hole for decades. Lombardi wouldn't have made that trade.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

While I loved Ziggy as a King, it was that kind of trade that kept the Kings in the black hole for decades. Lombardi wouldn't have made that trade.

Not at that time, but if if it were 2011.

 

[King'sPawn]

While I loved Ziggy as a King, it was that kind of trade that kept the Kings in the black hole for decades. Lombardi wouldn't have made that trade.

Not sure I can agree. I think it was the scouting and developing which mired the Kings in mediocrity.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I remember heated debates people had that Eric Rasmussen was a top 6er. Dumpster diver Dave Taylor was the best at trying to tell the fans such and such player was a top 6 winger even though they had no business on the top 2 lines, also see Trent Klatt.

 

[KingPuckChoo]

Bure & Palffy my two favourite players of all time

to think we could have had Bure... wow

 

[Herby]

I remember heated debates people had that Eric Rasmussen was a top 6er. Dumpster diver Dave Taylor was the best at trying to tell the fans such and such player was a top 6 winger even though they had no business on the top 2 lines, also see Trent Klatt.

Randy Robitaille also, what a slap in the face to sign him a couple of weeks after Luc left.

Rasmussen was just a terrible hockey player, much like with Teubert you just have to wonder what on Earth the scouts were thinking to have that guy rated as a 1st round talent. He literally did nothing well.

Those were some dark dark years from last decade.

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Randy Robitaille also, what a slap in the face to sign him a couple of weeks after Luc left.

Rasmussen was just a terrible hockey player, much like with Teubert you just have to wonder what on Earth the scouts were thinking to have that guy rated as a 1st round talent. He literally did nothing well.

Those were some dark dark years from last decade.

Rasmussen was a Lieweekly move. That one good 0 layoffs that Assmussen had convinced Tim that he was the missing piece for the Stanley Cup parade he planned because Deadmarsh and Allison were going to be back by Christmas.

 

[Herby]

Rasmussen was a Lieweekly move. That one good 0 layoffs that Assmussen had convinced Tim that he was the missing piece for the Stanley Cup parade he planned because Deadmarsh and Allison were going to be back by Christmas.

Rasmussen also had the worst case of jerk face in team history.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Ziggy is a pretty big Stumpel fan.

Rasmussen also had the worst case of jerk face in team history.

(This one is better than his Kings picture. Either way yikes.)

 

[kingsfan]

Ziggy is a pretty big Stumpel fan.

(This one is better than his Kings picture. Either way yikes.)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Since someone brought up Palffy's Slovak counterpart, Stumpel, remember when he was reacquired at the 2003 draft and once again reminded us for a second time as to why he was one of the most frustrating players to don a Kings sweater? There's a reason why he earned the moniker of Slumpel.

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jun/21/sports/sp-kings21

Meanwhile, in El Segundo, where memories of a Stanley Cup finals run are not as fresh as they are in Anaheim, the Kings plot their next move.

They addressed one of their most pressing needs Friday night when they reacquired center Jozef Stumpel in a trade with the Boston Bruins.

And with three first-round picks in today's NHL entry draft at Nashville, along with several promising prospects in their system, they seem ready to bundle a package that also will bring them the veteran, top-line winger they covet.

A glut of high picks is great, but nobody drafted this weekend is expected to make the club next season and the Kings are eager to return to the playoffs after an injury-marred season in which they finished 10th in the Western Conference, 14 points out of the playoffs. They had all but promised that trades were forthcoming.


In March, President Tim Leiweke signaled a busy summer by extending the renewal date for season seats until after the draft, thereby giving fans several weeks longer than usual to assess the club's off-season maneuverings.

He also said that if season-seat subscribers didn't like what they saw on opening night in October, they could return their tickets for a full refund.

But before Friday night, other than wince through the spring as the Mighty Ducks barreled through the Western Conference playoffs, all the Kings had done was add goaltender Roman Cechmanek, who was dumped by the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick in next year's draft.

Still, Leiweke's guarantees and the challenge of catching up to the Ducks notwithstanding, General Manager Dave Taylor said he felt no more pressure than usual this week, "Other than we'd like to improve our team if we can."

 

[Captain Mittens*]

Lieweke's "guarantees" were about as trustworthy as an alcoholic promising not to drink anymore

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

How right you are. That guarantee and promise to deliver a supposed top line winger in 2003 never came, unless you consider Trent Klatt that top line winger. And I liked Klatt and what he brought to the team, but passing him off as a top six player? The writing was on the wall that this was a budget team scraping to ice a hockey team.

The opening night roster for the 2003-04 season, the one which Leiweke guaranteed full refunds for dissatisfied customers:

Frolov-Stumpel-Palffy
Robitaille-Armstrong-Klatt
Avery-Belanger-Laperriere
Brennan-Pirnes-Brown

Modry-Visnovsky
Norstrom-Corvo
Gleason-Holland

Cechmanek
Huet

What a lineup eh? The Kings would wind up using 42 different skaters on the roster that season. And some empty promises about Allison and Deadmarsh being close to returning.