GDT: GM #6 LA Kings vs Toronto Maple Leafs @4:30pm 10/15/18

[DoktorJeep]

That game was boring, sad, frustrating and laughable for over 2 hours, but never entertaining if you happen to be a Kings fan.

As pathetic as this team is, I’ve reviewed the issues and identified two key pain points that are both immediately actionable and likely to produce short term results before the end of the month, depending on the number of fixative actions taken.

Critical Pain Point: Poor puck management by defenseman

The majority of defensemen are bad at managing the puck in all three zones, leading to the team sucking and looking outclassed by last years lottery teams.

Fixes:

Pick at a minimum two of the four following players, listed in priority order, and either trade them for picks (plus salary retained) or waive them / demote them to the ahl.

Forbort, Martinez, Phaneuf, Muzzin

Promote Brickley and either Lintuniemi or Clague to the nhl roster to replace minutes lost.

Urgent Pain Point: On ice regression by sentimental favorite players

Players with their name on the Cup or recovering from a publicized personal tragedy are no longer able to play hockey and command an nhl minimum salary.

Fixes:

Trade / waive / demote at least two of the three following players, listed in priority order.

Thompson, Clifford, Lewis. Tell Stevens that whoever remains is never more than the 12th forward dressed any night.

Promote Rhempal or Etem (sympathy points) and reserve a spot for Vilardi.

Stretch goals: Make the playoffs, delay getting fired

An additional two playoff games will enable management to operationalize fy2020 plans, including executive bonus payouts in q2 2019.

Forward looking guidance suggests that a poor playoff position by end of year has been historically fixed by a coaching staff change which results in the highest paid players suddenly remembering how to play hockey.

Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has a track record of international success and is available for an nhl job. Existing head coach could be retained as defense coach to absorb additional salary.

 

[KingsFan7824]

That game was boring, sad, frustrating and laughable for over 2 hours, but never entertaining if you happen to be a Kings fan.

As pathetic as this team is, I’ve reviewed the issues and identified two key pain points that are both immediately actionable and likely to produce short term results before the end of the month, depending on the number of fixative actions taken.

Critical Pain Point: Poor puck management by defenseman

The majority of defensemen are bad at managing the puck in all three zones, leading to the team sucking and looking outclassed by last years lottery teams.

Fixes:

Pick at a minimum two of the four following players, listed in priority order, and either trade them for picks (plus salary retained) or waive them / demote them to the ahl.

Forbort, Martinez, Phaneuf, Muzzin

Promote Brickley and either Lintuniemi or Clague to the nhl roster to replace minutes lost.

Urgent Pain Point: On ice regression by sentimental favorite players

Players with their name on the Cup or recovering from a publicized personal tragedy are no longer able to play hockey and command an nhl minimum salary.

Fixes:

Trade / waive / demote at least two of the three following players, listed in priority order.

Thompson, Clifford, Lewis. Tell Stevens that whoever remains is never more than the 12th forward dressed any night.

Promote Rhempal or Etem (sympathy points) and reserve a spot for Vilardi.

Stretch goals: Make the playoffs, delay getting fired

An additional two playoff games will enable management to operationalize fy2020 plans, including executive bonus payouts in q2 2019.

Forward looking guidance suggests that a poor playoff position by end of year has been historically fixed by a coaching staff change which results in the highest paid players suddenly remembering how to play hockey.

Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has a track record of international success and is available for an nhl job. Existing head coach could be retained as defense coach to absorb additional salary.

Waiving players means nothing. Demoting players with 1 way contracts is rare. This is now a league where early season trades of any significance are also on the rare side. Another rare thing is retaining salary on contracts that have multiple seasons remaining. The more years left, the less ends up being retained. The Sens are retaining on Phaneuf, and all the Kings got out of it was moving Gaborik's contract.

Guys with term don't normally get traded for picks. You have to take back cap space/salary. It is a zero-sum world in the NHL. Unless the player in question is that good. Martinez and Muzzin are not that player.

This is not the pre-cap NHL where GM's wheel and deal their way out of a slow start to the season. You're basically stuck with what you have. There's a reason Lombardi didn't go out and get a goalie the day Quick went down for 5 months 2 years ago. Just plugged in Budaj. Didn't do anything when Carter went down last year. Just plugged in Shore, then eventually Kempe.

One of Forbort, Martinez, Phaneuf, and Muzzin would be difficult to trade today, let alone a minimum of two of them. That's simply not going to happen. Doesn't matter how much the team sucks either. In fact, the worse they are as a team, the more difficult it would be to trade them.

 

[damacles1156]

That game was boring, sad, frustrating and laughable for over 2 hours, but never entertaining if you happen to be a Kings fan.

As pathetic as this team is, I’ve reviewed the issues and identified two key pain points that are both immediately actionable and likely to produce short term results before the end of the month, depending on the number of fixative actions taken.

Critical Pain Point: Poor puck management by defenseman

The majority of defensemen are bad at managing the puck in all three zones, leading to the team sucking and looking outclassed by last years lottery teams.

Fixes:

Pick at a minimum two of the four following players, listed in priority order, and either trade them for picks (plus salary retained) or waive them / demote them to the ahl.

Forbort, Martinez, Phaneuf, Muzzin

Promote Brickley and either Lintuniemi or Clague to the nhl roster to replace minutes lost.

Urgent Pain Point: On ice regression by sentimental favorite players

Players with their name on the Cup or recovering from a publicized personal tragedy are no longer able to play hockey and command an nhl minimum salary.

Fixes:

Trade / waive / demote at least two of the three following players, listed in priority order.

Thompson, Clifford, Lewis. Tell Stevens that whoever remains is never more than the 12th forward dressed any night.

Promote Rhempal or Etem (sympathy points) and reserve a spot for Vilardi.

Stretch goals: Make the playoffs, delay getting fired

An additional two playoff games will enable management to operationalize fy2020 plans, including executive bonus payouts in q2 2019.

Forward looking guidance suggests that a poor playoff position by end of year has been historically fixed by a coaching staff change which results in the highest paid players suddenly remembering how to play hockey.

Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has a track record of international success and is available for an nhl job. Existing head coach could be retained as defense coach to absorb additional salary.

The players you replace them with have a high probability of being worse, making the issues you just pointed out even worse.

We are forgetting that Muzzin/A-Mart/Forbort/Phaneuf all play difficult minutes against actual scoring NHL forwards. We seriously want to throw AHL players at that problem ? With no safety net for said young player ?

 

[DoktorJeep]

The players you replace them with have a high probability of being worse, making the issues you just pointed out even worse.

We are forgetting that Muzzin/A-Mart/Forbort/Phaneuf all play difficult minutes against actual scoring NHL forwards. We seriously want to throw AHL players at that problem ? With no safety net for said young player ?

I’m not convinced this years squad is a playoff team. If they didn’t play in the pacific they would have no chance. The only way forward is either a rebuild or massive youth injection.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

I’m not convinced this years squad is a playoff team. If they didn’t play in the pacific they would have no chance. The only way forward is either a rebuild or massive youth injection.

With all due respect, your conclusions are not necessarily Nostradamusesque. This team wasn't a playoff team last year, Vegas proved that...and not much has really changed, roster wise or coaching staff.

 

[KINGS17]

That game was boring, sad, frustrating and laughable for over 2 hours, but never entertaining if you happen to be a Kings fan.

As pathetic as this team is, I’ve reviewed the issues and identified two key pain points that are both immediately actionable and likely to produce short term results before the end of the month, depending on the number of fixative actions taken.

Critical Pain Point: Poor puck management by defenseman

The majority of defensemen are bad at managing the puck in all three zones, leading to the team sucking and looking outclassed by last years lottery teams.

Fixes:

Pick at a minimum two of the four following players, listed in priority order, and either trade them for picks (plus salary retained) or waive them / demote them to the ahl.

Forbort, Martinez, Phaneuf, Muzzin

Promote Brickley and either Lintuniemi or Clague to the nhl roster to replace minutes lost.

Urgent Pain Point: On ice regression by sentimental favorite players

Players with their name on the Cup or recovering from a publicized personal tragedy are no longer able to play hockey and command an nhl minimum salary.

Fixes:

Trade / waive / demote at least two of the three following players, listed in priority order.

Thompson, Clifford, Lewis. Tell Stevens that whoever remains is never more than the 12th forward dressed any night.

Promote Rhempal or Etem (sympathy points) and reserve a spot for Vilardi.

Stretch goals: Make the playoffs, delay getting fired

An additional two playoff games will enable management to operationalize fy2020 plans, including executive bonus payouts in q2 2019.

Forward looking guidance suggests that a poor playoff position by end of year has been historically fixed by a coaching staff change which results in the highest paid players suddenly remembering how to play hockey.

Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg has a track record of international success and is available for an nhl job. Existing head coach could be retained as defense coach to absorb additional salary.

Stretch goals? You are a manager or work for a company who trains its managers in the GE style, am I right?

I have never seen a large company which does not abuse the hell out of this concept. Then there is the "lean forward" BS I hear all of these people say all the time.

 

[bouncesonly]

With all due respect, your conclusions are not necessarily Nostradamusesque. This team wasn't a playoff team last year, Vegas proved that...and not much has really changed, roster wise or coaching staff.

Disagree, they lost because of bounces and ref, not because Vegas was good or something

 

[The Butcher]

I heard JR is looking for a team to coach

 

[yankeeking]

Stretch goals? You are a manager or work for a company who trains its managers in the GE style, am I right?

I have never seen a large company which does not abuse the hell out of this concept. Then there is the "lean forward" BS I hear all of these people say all the time.