GDT: Kings off-season thread

[21Dog]

Offseason plan

Goodbye: AA, WhatsAMattaU

 

[kovacro]

It's getting old when you check the NHL leaderboards and there is never a King on page one. You just keep scrolling and nothing, sad. I say we make a run at Nylander. Toronto is gonna move players and look to upgrade their D. Maybe we help them out. I prefer him over Forsberg, because he's younger and contract for Filip is gonna be stupid.

For someone that gets a chance to watch a majority of Leafs games, while there is no question Willie Nylander is talented I question his commitment to the game. He tends to drift in and out of games and the effort level isn’t always there.

 

[Lt Dan]

View attachment 547303

 

[volcom92886]

Sturm and AA being left in Edmonton would be a great start to the offseason.

 

[ibleedkings]

For someone that gets a chance to watch a majority of Leafs games, while there is no question Willie Nylander is talented I question his commitment to the game. He tends to drift in and out of games and the effort level isn’t always there.

I get it but his offensive numbers are pretty good and we could use anything creative at the moment. People use to question Ziggy's commitment before he was traded to LA also.

 

[Lt Dan]

this offseason really is gonna be the crux of a lot of these kids' careers and i hope they recognize it

Oh yeah
There is a TON of competition now and a few open spots

 

[Schrute farms]

maybe it's the pain of losing (especially in the playoffs), but i just don't understand some of the bitching & whining. It was a great year. We finally made it back to the playoffs, won a game in forever and got to a game 7. All of this without DD. Without Arvy in the playoffs. The season without so many Dmen.

Yes the offensive prospects maybe struggled. Way too impatient for my taste. Give them time. The great thing is we have so many prospects that even if the top guys don't pan out as hoped (Turc, GV, etc.), we have others that can potentially over exceed expectations -- Chrom, Thomas, Laf, Pinelli, Kasper, Lee, etc. Even without those guys, it was a great year for AK34. I also say some big improvement over the year for Kuoari. Byfield is still a baby and needs to learn a lot, add girth and use his body -- but i believe he'll get there eventually.

On the Dmen side, how can you not be excited. The only problem here is we have TOO many guys. Lack of size maybe too. But seriously, this future looks fantastic.

I'm pretty stoked about this team. I can't wait to see what Blake does in the offseason. We have lots of ammunition/assets that can be moved. Pretty exciting time imo.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I’m surprised they went with so many rookie forwards down the stretch while getting no production and shaky minutes. If they had played Frk, Wagner and Tkachev in the bottom six instead of Byfield, Vilardi, and Kupari, it might have been enough to win the series.

 

[SufferingSelfCreated]

maybe it's the pain of losing (especially in the playoffs), but i just don't understand some of the bitching & whining. It was a great year. We finally made it back to the playoffs, won a game in forever and got to a game 7. All of this without DD. Without Arvy in the playoffs. The season without so many Dmen.

Yes the offensive prospects maybe struggled. Way too impatient for my taste. Give them time. The great thing is we have so many prospects that even if the top guys don't pan out as hoped (Turc, GV, etc.), we have others that can potentially over exceed expectations -- Chrom, Thomas, Laf, Pinelli, Kasper, Lee, etc. Even without those guys, it was a great year for AK34. I also say some big improvement over the year for Kuoari. Byfield is still a baby and needs to learn a lot, add girth and use his body -- but i believe he'll get there eventually.

On the Dmen side, how can you not be excited. The only problem here is we have TOO many guys. Lack of size maybe too. But seriously, this future looks fantastic.

I'm pretty stoked about this team. I can't wait to see what Blake does in the offseason. We have lots of ammunition/assets that can be moved. Pretty exciting time imo.

This x1000.

If your expectations weren't met or surpassed this year, they weren't too high, they were unrealistic. This year was GREAT.

 

[bland]

This was a season of half measures, don't let the joy of making the playoffs only to lose to a very beatable team cloud your vision. The prospects' development was mitigated, the vets weren't given enough help. Blake and Co. played it right down the middle, but nothing improved as much as it could if they had gone in one direction or the other.

When Kopitar's offense doesn't get out of the 50s and the kids are "another year away" in perpetuity, remember how useless this postseasons futility tasted.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I’m surprised they went with so many rookie forwards down the stretch while getting no production and shaky minutes. If they had played Frk, Wagner and Tkachev in the bottom six instead of Byfield, Vilardi, and Kupari, it might have been enough to win the series.

They weren't going to play anyone in the bottom 6 for more minutes. The top 6, minus Arvidsson, either played more or equal ES min per game than in the regular season, along with Lizotte and Grundstrom. Everyone else played less per game, and obviously Arvidsson wasn't there at all.

Grundstrom because he substituted for Arvidsson, and Lizotte got some more time because everyone but the two vet C's barely got on the ice.

They said no to Wagner in pre-season, and the few times Frk and Tkachev were up, they were gone just as quickly. You might be a bit crazy if you think TM would've played those guys in the playoffs for more than 30 seconds.

 

[DoktorJeep]

They weren't going to play anyone in the bottom 6 for more minutes. The top 6, minus Arvidsson, either played more or equal ES min per game than in the regular season, along with Lizotte and Grundstrom. Everyone else played less per game, and obviously Arvidsson wasn't there at all.

Grundstrom because he substituted for Arvidsson, and Lizotte got some more time because everyone but the two vet C's barely got on the ice.

They said no to Wagner in pre-season, and the few times Frk and Tkachev were up, they were gone just as quickly. You might be a bit crazy if you think TM would've played those guys in the playoffs for more than 30 seconds.

I doubt the strategy included playing 1/3 of your forwards as little as possible.

It’s more likely management held out hope that one of the kids would break out and take minutes from a vet.

 

[KINGS17]

This is how I feel exactly. We’re heading into pretender mode with how bad our top picks have been. No superstar or star potential in the top picks. You’re not going to go far.

Fire the staff, clean house. And if the boys don’t make drastic improvements next year. Year one of the new rebuild will begin. And I think we’re heading there because Turcotte,Byfield, and Vilardi are definitely not stars.

Hopefully Clarke is a stud though. That will be important

This shouldn't shock anyone. Pretending is all Robitaille has known in his time as a King. He was an outsider during Lombardi's time here, and was relegated to the role of mascot. He had zero impact during those years regarding the product on the ice, and it clearly pissed him off. Instead of watching and learning something during the Lombardi years, what has he done except to go back to what he knew here as a player?

The entire organization is rife with friendship nepotism. I wonder are there any voices in the organization who even contemplate some of the bold moves it may take to build a contender in three to five seasons, or are we going back to the "just make the playoffs, and anything can happen mentality"?

 

[KingsFan7824]

I doubt the strategy included playing 1/3 of your forwards as little as possible.

It’s more likely management held out hope that one of the kids would break out and take minutes from a vet.

As I've said, I don't think that's how it's done. We'd like to think that's how it goes, but, at least with this coach(but probably most of them), that's not going to happen. If you give TM a vet, he's going to play a vet. Spots need to be deliberately opened up for young guys during the off-season. Maybe if you're bringing in a cheap vet on a 1 year deal as a placeholder, but a guy like Arvidsson isn't a place holder. He's an actual player with some talent. AA is more along those lines, but $2.7m isn't exactly cheap.

And around the league, most of the playoff teams have been going with 3 lines. The guys playing 7min a night aren't all young guys, although some of them are, but for the Kings, it was almost exclusively the youth that barely got off the bench.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The entire organization is rife with friendship nepotism. I wonder are there any voices in the organization who even contemplate some of the bold moves it may take to build a contender in three to five seasons, or are we going back to the "just make the playoffs, and anything can happen mentality"?

What was the DL era if not this? All he did was bring in guys he worked, and never won with, for years in SJ or Philly. Brining in guys that he knows. And the whole mantra of those 3 years was just get in. When they were teetering on the playoff bubble in 2012, because they're bold moves weren't working, it was just get in. Then they actually won as the 8th seed, and the just get in mentality never left.

 

[KINGS17]

What was the DL era if not this? All he did was bring in guys he worked, and never won with, for years in SJ or Philly. Brining in guys that he knows. And the whole mantra of those 3 years was just get in. When they were teetering on the playoff bubble in 2012, because they're bold moves weren't working, it was just get in. Then they actually won as the 8th seed, and the just get in mentality never left.

The mantra was not just get in. Everyone was expecting 2013 to be the first year for contending, then lightning struck with the Carter deal, Voynov's arrival, and discovering Quick has ice water in his veins.

After that, "just getting in" was no longer acceptable.

In 2012 the Kings won as a team that missed finishing 1st in the Pacific by 2 points. Your disdain for Lombardi is obvious, and difficult to understand, but keep going with the "he just got lucky" narrative.

 

[funky]

Quick question

if Blake only makes 2 off-season moves are bringing in Chychrun and Fiala and allows the rookies like Byfield, Kaliyev and Bjornfot to come back more mature, stronger and eager would that satisfy a majority of our fans number 1 and would that be a legitimate playoff team number 2?

Fiala - Kopitar - Kempe
Moore - Danault- Arvidsson
Grundstrum- Byfield- Kaliyev
Lemieux- Lizotte- Kupari

Doughty - Anderson
Roy - Chychrun
Durzi/Spence/Walker - Bjornfot
Moverare

Quick
Peterson

If you don’t see a player from this season up there I assume they are included in trades or not re-signed

Iafallo, Vilardi, two of the excess right shot Dman, 2022 1st round pick etc.

I believe Arizona would love a Durzi in a package

I believe Faber would be a part of the package to Minny. I think Fiala is that line driver that would help Kopitar and be able to fly w Kempe

Heavy costs but great young skillled players.

And yes I do worry about Jacobs injury past but the dude can flat out be a PP stud.

 

[Schmooley]

Now that Brown is gone do they start trading the old core? Doubtful. But as long as they are here everything will revolve around them. Kopitar #1c and gets choice linemates (Iafallo on the top line again?) and minutes. Danault Moore Arvidsson second line. Bottom six is Lizotte and a revolving door of players getting under 10 minutes a night while being asked to play defense and scorned for not scoring. I expect more of the same next year. They can make the playoffs again unless Vegas and Vancouver play better than they did this year.
Lizotte was good all year and got strapped to Brown and AA in the playoffs. He was a non factor and dragged down just like the other players that had to do it earlier.

 

[apocalypse]

Honestly, I think we got to rebuild the rebuild. This year was a step forward in the small picture but a step backwards big picture. As it is the Kings are not building a contender, they're building a pretender

All our top forward prospects are looking like busts. By now it should be obvious to even the most optimistic of observers. Some might turn out to be fine players but they aren't guys you build your team around. There is no new Kopitar in the system. There is not even a new Dustin Brown in the system. The heir apparent in goal looking like Jason Labarbera.

Next season is gonna be tough. They'll be expected to improve on this season when they're already massively overachieving. We're unlikely to have another season like this from Danault. I don't see Kempe scoring 35 again. Kopitar is gonna get worse. I'm not confident they'll even make the playoffs.

They have plenty of players with trade value. Now is the time to trade them. Sign a bunch of good character but terrible players over the summer and gut it out for a couple more years, then come back stronger.

First, identify whether drafting or development is the problem and let the axe come down on them, hard. Get someone who knows what they're doing in charge instead. Oh, and get a head coach who gives a shit about player development or at least knows something about it.

The Kings needed Vilardi to hit at 1C. With him not there, it throws the whole team off and the development that has been taking place the last 5 years. We should have Vilardi, Byfield, Danault and Lizotte down the middle. Instead we'll have Kopitar in the mix. The guy is done. Skates like he's glued to the ice. We need two top centers and then fill out the wings. Iafallo should not be on this team. And I'm not convinced Kaliyev is a top 6 forward. This team can't produce top 6 forwards. It's part of their development philosophy. Well, when you can't produce talent, trade for it. You're gonna end up losing more in the end, but at least you'll have "that guy". Bottom line, if the Kings don't make the playoffs next season, Blake, Luc, Tmac and all others should be fired.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Sturm and AA being left in Edmonton would be a great start to the offseason.

What's the deal with Sturm? I thought you guys generally liked him?

 

[AlphaBravo]

For next year, it will be interesting to see what direction the team decides to take. We can do what Vegas has been doing for a while, and try to load up on late 20s/early 30s experienced players (e.g., the Danault and Arvy acquisitions last year), and try to be competitive. Or we can focus on continuing the rebuild, which has not been successful. Since the 2017 draft, none of our high draft picks are doing much. Once Danault, Arvy, Kopi etc. really fall off the cliff (with Kopi showing signs already), this team is going to be a dumpster fire again. I think Blake needs to focus on acquiring more picks for this upcoming draft to try this one more time. We need to do a cleanup of our scouting staff because they have struck out in the 1st round for several years now.

I would suggest packing our prospects in a trade to get young talent, but that is a pipe dream. Our prospects' value are very low now, and I don't see someone trading a proven talent for a bunch of "potential." We are stuck with who we have, and let's hope they turn out like Kempe where they break out later in their careers.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Honestly, do we keep any of the UFAs? Maatta?

 

[KingsHockey24]

Honestly, do we keep any of the UFAs? Maatta?

We'll keep Frk unless a team offers him a NHL regular spot like Arizona.

 

[Mats26]

I agree with Todd here. Next year will be tough. I think we won't make the post season and it will suck. Time to get rid of the fillers and build this team the right way. Bring in size and skill in every position and start drafting for those type of players. Tired of talking about Brown, Kopitar and Quick...move on!

 

[Lt Dan]

I’m surprised they went with so many rookie forwards down the stretch while getting no production and shaky minutes. If they had played Frk, Wagner and Tkachev in the bottom six instead of Byfield, Vilardi, and Kupari, it might have been enough to win the series.

I hope Wagner is never on the Kings again

f*** that ging