Speculation: Kings need to reset the pipeline for this deep draft when teams are desperate.

[Kurrilino]

Pretty sure the mandate for Blake and Tmac is make the playoffs and build up, not rebuild, at this point, the team.
Taking Edmonton to 7 was a great show. Game 6 was the opportunity to really surprise but they were ahead of schedule, regardless.
The Kings will need to replicate last seasons post holiday performance this year or they may not even make the playoffs, especially the way LV and the Krackheads have come on. If you make the playoffs you have the opportunity to show what you can do with all the chips are on the line and that is where your season gets measured. After last years run, continuing a rebuild would be insane. Passing up on the opportunity lock up Fiala would have been stupid. I like what Blake is doing, but we may be seeing regression this year. The impatience of posters here is very bad advice and completely on a different page than the one the entire franchise is on.

I'm with you here.
Blake is doing a descend job, while holding on picks and youngsters instead trading for Sekera's.
Time is the key here.
Our youngsters are 20-21 years old..... plenty of development to be had before we can make any noise

 

[Surf Nutz]

I'm with you here.
Blake is doing a descend job, while holding on picks and youngsters instead trading for Sekera's.
Time is the key here.
Our youngsters are 20-21 years old..... plenty of development to be had before we can make any noise

I hope the "descend job" reverts to being an ascend job into the playoffs!

 

[Statto]

Love Spence but he does not yet QB a PP anywhere as good as Durzi but I feel Blake should make room for him to come up with moves around the TDL. Clarke did not put up many points, is not strong enough defensively or to protect himself with the Kings lacking deterrents. I liked his play with the Kings but was a bit disappointed with his stint in Ottawa. He should go to team Canada and be further evaluated and probably seasoned elsewhere until next year. I would save the ELC year and get the extra year until FA. I know I am the minority with this opinion. I like Blake's management of hoarding prospects and depth. He should have held Byfield off last year. I understand the fans frustration and desire to see prospects especially when the team under performs.

If he played less than 50 games this year, I believe that would have the same impact on his FA years as sliding his contract to next year. I forget where I got that info but it was a decent source, not a random forum post.

 

[Surf Nutz]

If he played less than 50 games this year, I believe that would have the same impact on his FA years as sliding his contract to next year. I forget where I got that info but it was a decent source, not a random forum post.

Yes I read this too about Clarke, so I guess it applies to Byfield an all other ELC's.
It was new info to me and it seemed other posters verified it.
All the more incentive for Blake to sort things out closer to the trade deadline after giving these guys a look early on. They did not fly off the page, really, maybe Byfield a bit with Iafallo and Vilardi. Iafallo posters are targeting for a trade now, and Vilardi they targeted last season , like Kempe the season before. All of which credits Blake for being patient and not a knee jerk reactor. Send em down, hold assets and depth, don't trade from a position of weakness. Don't panic and don't take the advice of some poster here.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

Maybe I’m wrong and Blake trading Durzi would be like when we traded Sydor. Hahahahahah

 

[Mattias]

Maybe I’m wrong and Blake trading Durzi would be like when we traded Sydor. Hahahahahah

Or maybe like trading Jack Johnson for Jeff Carter.

 

[johnjm22]

Maybe I’m wrong and Blake trading Durzi would be like when we traded Sydor. Hahahahahah

Well it depends on what you trade him for I guess. Hopefully we'd be getting better than Dought Zmolek and Shane Churla. Yuck.

Kings Trade Sydor for Two Tough Guys

Looking for elements of toughness, the Kings traded defenseman Darryl Sydor and a fifth-round draft pick in 1996 to the Dallas Stars on Saturday for defenseman Doug Zmolek, 25, and right wing Shane Churla, 30.

www.latimes.com

That's the type of trade Johnny Utah would love.

 

[Kurrilino]

I hope the "descend job" reverts to being an ascend job into the playoffs!

IMO this is still a little bit early.
Guys like Kaliev, and Vilardi are already great. We will be pleased to see what they can do in 2 years from now.
Let's use this and the beginning of next season to integrate more youngsters and leave the old baggage behind

 

[Surf Nutz]

IMO this is still a little bit early.
Guys like Kaliev, and Vilardi are already great. We will be pleased to see what they can do in 2 years from now.
Let's use this and the beginning of next season to integrate more youngsters and leave the old baggage behind

Um no thanks, I am feeling safer letting Blake decide based on last years playoffs.