How did the Kings go from having one of the deepest RHD depth in the league to where they can't even really stomach Doughty getting injured?

[Lt Dan]

Somehow a certain GM managed to eff things up, and on Easy Mode to boot.

I add a few letters to GM with Rob. Specifically n,o, & e

 

[DJJones]

No they catered to them and went out and signed/traded for vets before they were ready instead of saying the kids are going to play there’s going to be growing pains and if you’re not on board we will find you a new place to play. Now that the kids are playing there are growing pains but that should’ve been done while we were rebuilding not as were attempting to “contend”.

I mean ya that's mismanagement. If they just did nothing they'd be way ahead. They rebuilt well, they bungled it after that

All of their all in moves blew up in their face

 

[SEALBound]

Rob Blake drives a Prius at 40 mph in the fast lane

Rob Blake is the kid in the lunch room that trades his PB&J for a bag of carrots.

 

[BaileyFan]

I mean ya that's mismanagement. If they just did nothing they'd be way ahead. They rebuilt well, they bungled it after that

All of their all in moves blew up in their face

So then they didn’t “have to” end the rebuild like you originally said.

The point is Kopitar and Doughty are no longer 1C and 1D on a Cup caliber team. Byfield and Clarke should be in those roles now. Not only are they not there, but they are in their first NHL seasons even playing the positions they’re supposed to, in their D+5 and D+4 seasons respectively.

 

[chris kontos]

PLD.

 

[Kingspiracy]

LA needs Rob Blake removed yesterday.

Have you seen who might be next in line though?

 

[DJJones]

So then they didn’t “have to” end the rebuild like you originally said.

The point is Kopitar and Doughty are no longer 1C and 1D on a Cup caliber team. Byfield and Clarke should be in those roles now. Not only are they not there, but they are in their first NHL seasons even playing the positions they’re supposed to, in their D+5 and D+4 seasons respectively.

There's a whole lot of in between paths they could have chose.

It's not just rebuild or going all in every year. Those aren't the only options.

 

[1specter]

They really seemed primed to be set up for success a few years ago, almost had the Oilers on the ropes in 2022/2023, and then it seemingly all went to shit especially with the PLD deal. Blake has potentially ruined what looked to be a promising rebuild and now has them positioned to be a mediocre bubble team at best, dude needed to be fired yesterday.

 

[Choralone]

FWIW Kupari seems like a whole new player this year after looking like a bust last year.

He's been one of the best forwards through the first three games for us, even though he's getting 4th line minutes.

The year we traded him, I thought he was ready to turn the corner. I'm glad he might still make it.

 

[Jericho111091]

FWIW Kupari seems like a whole new player this year after looking like a bust last year.

He's been one of the best forwards through the first three games for us, even though he's getting 4th line minutes.

Not overly surprised. I'm not sure if he has the consistent skill for the top six, but as a speedy and defensively sound bottom sixer he can make some nice things happen

 

[JPT]

Didn’t the rebuild come to a sudden end because Doughty had said he didn’t want to be in a rebuild any longer which ultimately prompted all of those moves to compete?

This would also qualify as a stupid GM decision

 

[bland]

This would also qualify as a stupid GM decision

Our front office is more of a fraternity than an organization.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Also bad drafting/development

Turcotte --> 50A in 2019 is a huge bust

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847092415208775688

 

[bleedgreen]

Vilardi --> PLD deal
Durzi --> Got a 2nd
Faber & 1st --> Fiala deal
2024 2nd --> PLD deal
2024 2nd --> Provorov deal
2023 1st & 2023 3rd --> Gavrikov & Korpisalo deal

So much picks and youth pissed away for players that didnt work within the kings future core

Also bad drafting/development

Turcotte --> 50A in 2019 is a huge bust

Kupari --> 20th OA in 2018 was a bust and dealt in PLD deal

Pinelli --> 42nd OA in 2021, journey is pending but terrible rookie AHL year which gives concerns to his potential NHL impact

Hedge Grans --> 35th OA in 2021, will be a bust, but kings at least dealt him as part of Provorov deal

Bjornfot --> 22nd OA in 2019 and was a big piece in Muzzin deal, was a huge bust

Akil Thomas --> 51OA in 2018, journey is still pending but likely a bust for the kings

Little harsh there. Nobody that great was taken around Kupari and Bjornfoot, and Kupari has scored early this year so he’s still in the mix. Turcotte has gone off track but it wasn’t an outlandish pick at the time and he’s still there and maybe coming around. Criticizing second rounder development doesn’t make much sense. They traded a lot for Fiala but he’s a scorer and has scored for them. Some of their deals haven’t worked out but other than the PLD deal I think the criticism is a bit overboard.

 

[NeverForget06]

I thank the big guy upstairs often that LA doesn't currently have a top pairing of Faber -Seider

 

[hamzarocks]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847092415208775688

That means nothing when your in your D+6 year and trying to establish yourself as an effective NHLer as a 5OA pick

Maybe he rebounds in the future, but for 5th OA he has disapointed highly and he doesnt look like a guy who the Kings can expect to be a star for them

His max ceiling/best case scenerio would be a Sam Bennett like impact and being an high-end 2C for a contending team, but that will take him being healthy and developing quickly this and next year.

He was supposed to be better than that at draft day

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

That means nothing when your in your D+6 year and trying to establish yourself as an effective NHLer as a 5OA pick

Maybe he rebounds in the future, but for 5th OA he has disapointed highly and he doesnt look like a guy who the Kings can expect to be a star for them

It does when the biggest concern has been injuries.

He's been our best player in the early going and you're talking out your ass constantly anytime you pretend to be an authority on the Kings, maybe you should stick to your time zone.

 

[hamzarocks]

It does when the biggest concern has been injuries.

He's been our best player in the early going and you're talking out your ass constantly anytime you pretend to be an authority on the Kings.

5 games is a very small sample size, and he has failed to produce in the AHL for a long time as well, so its not just injuries but him not performing as well as anticipated

26 pts in 29 games in NCAA in 19-20

Followed by by 85 pts in 126 AHL games in 2021-2024 (55 pt per 82 pace)

Him being effective for 5 games early in the year doesnt erase poor performance the first 5 years post draft.

I am not an authority on the Kings, but general consensus is that Turcotte is a bust/disapointment so far and saying that isnt an outlandish take

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

5 games is a very small sample size, and he has failed to produce in the AHL for a long time as well, so its not just injuries.but him not performing as well as anticipated

26 pts in 29 games in NCAA in 19-20

Followed by by 85 pts in 126 AHL games in 2021-2024 (55 pt per 82 pace)

Him being effective for 5 games early in the year doesnt erase poor performance the first 5 years post draft

...because of injuries. What is so hard to understand here?

When he's been healthy he's been great and trending up. He showed up to camp healthy and in excellent shape. And he's been a good player in the NHL in previous stints as well, he's just another victim of the Kings' terrible deployment plans. This is the most recent, relevant sample size. But go ahead and bookmark it.

I am not an authority on the Kings, but general consensus is that Turcotte is a bust/disapointment so far and saying that isnt an outlandish take

"he's a bust"

"He's our best player so far"

"So?"

Is what this all boiled down to.

Zero problem admitting he's not what we needed him to be yet--but leaving out context intentionally so you can double down on a bad point is just dishonest bullshit.

 

[hamzarocks]

...because of injuries. What is so hard to understand here?

When he's been healthy he's been great and trending up. He showed up to camp healthy and in excellent shape. And he's been a good player in the NHL in previous stints as well, he's just another victim of the Kings' terrible deployment plans.

How do injuries result in his production in the games he played being disapointing?

He has missed time in the AHL due to injuries but he wasnt going at or around a ppg like you would expect a top 5 pick to go in his 1st to 4th AHL years.

You can say injuries cost him longer looks on a season basis, especially shots at becoming an NHLer in a smaller role earlier, but he wasnt lighting up the AHL as you would expect from a high pick

 

[hamzarocks]

...because of injuries. What is so hard to understand here?

When he's been healthy he's been great and trending up. He showed up to camp healthy and in excellent shape. And he's been a good player in the NHL in previous stints as well, he's just another victim of the Kings' terrible deployment plans. This is the most recent, relevant sample size. But go ahead and bookmark it.



"he's a bust"

"He's our best player so far"

"So?"

Is what this all boiled down to.

Zero problem admitting he's not what we needed him to be yet--but leaving out context intentionally so you can double down on a bad point is just dishonest bullshit.

His sample size of being a bust/disapointment far exceeds the 5 games he has been good at the NHL level, which is why he was included in the group of prospects who have not helped the Kings so far

The point was Kings have had bad development and drafting (which Turcotte is a part of ) along with making win-mow moves for guys that haven't worked out as expected which hurt their rebuild

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

His sample size of being a bust/disapointment far exceeds the 5 games he has been good at the NHL level, which is why he was included in the group of prospects who have not helped the Kings so far

The point was Kings have had bad development and drafting (which Turcotte is a part of ) along with making win-mow moves for guys that haven't worked out as expected which hurt their rebuild

You don’t realize it, but he’s been pretty good when he’s healthy and the Kings development plan hasn’t stifled him. The same plan stifled Byfield. How many other teams make their top five picks prove it on the bottom lines before working their way up or don’t put their top five picks on the PP in the AHL because the AHL veterans have to eat? The fact it has taken so long for him to succeed in the NHL is a product of injuries and the Kings development system, but we can wait more than five games. Revisit it at 50 games, if you want.