LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Herby]

Its not like Bjornfot was a Teubert pick where they knew right away they made a mistake. Bjornfot has played over 117 NHL games, played 70 games 1 season. He showed well early and then all of a sudden the coaching staff just doesn't rate him. I'm not saying he was perfect in all of those games, but I can imagine for a player that played a lot of NHL games one season and then the next season spends the entire year in the AHL would make a player feel really down on his himself.

Correct, this is a point I have mentioned before and I think it gets overlooked in the whole story of Bjornfot.

Imagine playing basically 2 seasons in the NHL, making $900k in salary both years as a 19 and 20 year old. Not playing amazing, but not being a liability either. And then suddenly you are sent down to the AHL where you are making less than a manager at In-N-Out in your age 21 and now age 22 seasons. This is not EA Sports or Eastside Hockey Manager, this is not a robot, it's a real person, what the hell did Blake think was going to happen with this ridiculous development decision?

That is why I said at the time that if you are over Bjornfot so much that you think he's no longer as good as players like Edler and Stetcher then just move on from him while he still has some value. Ok, maybe you get a late 2nd, that is sure better than where we are now where he is on waivers. Sending him to the AHL at 21 was about as bad a decision as they could have possibly made.

The 2019 1st round was obviously a total disaster for the Kings, I can live with the poor evaluations, those happen to teams all the time. The problem is the fact that both players are currently in the AHL with basically zero value, nearly 5 years after being drafted. Both players should have been moved on from long ago. Turcotte after Danault was signed, and Bjornfot when he didn't make the team before last season. It was poor evaluations compounded with poor development choices early on, further compounded by poor decisions once they hit their early 20's.

 

[bland]

So if Spence were given the same minutes his numbers may be higher?

They are obviously different players. Faber wouldn’t be getting those minutes in LA.

Is that really how you think this works?

 

[bmr]

Correct, this is a point I have mentioned before and I think it gets overlooked in the whole story of Bjornfot.

Imagine playing basically 2 seasons in the NHL, making $900k in salary both years as a 19 and 20 year old. Not playing amazing, but not being a liability either. And then suddenly you are sent down to the AHL where you are making less than a manager at In-N-Out in your age 21 and now age 22 seasons. This is not EA Sports or Eastside Hockey Manager, this is not a robot, it's a real person, what the hell did Blake think was going to happen with this ridiculous development decision?

That is why I said at the time that if you are over Bjornfot so much that you think he's no longer as good as players like Edler and Stetcher then just move on from him while he still has some value. Ok, maybe you get a late 2nd, that is sure better than where we are now where he is on waivers. Sending him to the AHL at 21 was about as bad a decision as they could have possibly made.

The 2019 1st round was obviously a total disaster for the Kings, I can live with the poor evaluations, those happen to teams all the time. The problem is the fact that both players are currently in the AHL with basically zero value, nearly 5 years after being drafted. Both players should have been moved on from long ago. Turcotte after Danault was signed, and Bjornfot when he didn't make the team before last season. It was poor evaluations compounded with poor development choices early on, further compounded by poor decisions once they hit their early 20's.

Can't disagree with this. Spot on.

 

[chris kontos]

Correct, this is a point I have mentioned before and I think it gets overlooked in the whole story of Bjornfot.

Imagine playing basically 2 seasons in the NHL, making $900k in salary both years as a 19 and 20 year old. Not playing amazing, but not being a liability either. And then suddenly you are sent down to the AHL where you are making less than a manager at In-N-Out in your age 21 and now age 22 seasons. This is not EA Sports or Eastside Hockey Manager, this is not a robot, it's a real person, what the hell did Blake think was going to happen with this ridiculous development decision?

That is why I said at the time that if you are over Bjornfot so much that you think he's no longer as good as players like Edler and Stetcher then just move on from him while he still has some value. Ok, maybe you get a late 2nd, that is sure better than where we are now where he is on waivers. Sending him to the AHL at 21 was about as bad a decision as they could have possibly made.

The 2019 1st round was obviously a total disaster for the Kings, I can live with the poor evaluations, those happen to teams all the time. The problem is the fact that both players are currently in the AHL with basically zero value, nearly 5 years after being drafted. Both players should have been moved on from long ago. Turcotte after Danault was signed, and Bjornfot when he didn't make the team before last season. It was poor evaluations compounded with poor development choices early on, further compounded by poor decisions once they hit their early 20's.

Outstanding post.

 

[BigKing]

Correct, this is a point I have mentioned before and I think it gets overlooked in the whole story of Bjornfot.

Imagine playing basically 2 seasons in the NHL, making $900k in salary both years as a 19 and 20 year old. Not playing amazing, but not being a liability either. And then suddenly you are sent down to the AHL where you are making less than a manager at In-N-Out in your age 21 and now age 22 seasons. This is not EA Sports or Eastside Hockey Manager, this is not a robot, it's a real person, what the hell did Blake think was going to happen with this ridiculous development decision?

That is why I said at the time that if you are over Bjornfot so much that you think he's no longer as good as players like Edler and Stetcher then just move on from him while he still has some value. Ok, maybe you get a late 2nd, that is sure better than where we are now where he is on waivers. Sending him to the AHL at 21 was about as bad a decision as they could have possibly made.

The 2019 1st round was obviously a total disaster for the Kings, I can live with the poor evaluations, those happen to teams all the time. The problem is the fact that both players are currently in the AHL with basically zero value, nearly 5 years after being drafted. Both players should have been moved on from long ago. Turcotte after Danault was signed, and Bjornfot when he didn't make the team before last season. It was poor evaluations compounded with poor development choices early on, further compounded by poor decisions once they hit their early 20's.

Yep. Been banging the drum on this for years now with Blake. He needs to know his assets are worth below what the market thinks before the market catches on: it is a huge part of his job.

 

[bland]

Rob Blake is the worst GM in Kings history. Its not even remotely close. Nobody has achieved less with SO much at his disposal.

 

[chris kontos]

Arty needs to get the hell out of this crazy house before they ruin him too.
Im going to write a long hand letter to arty's agent expressing this

 

[bland]

6th in the division and 10th in the conference against top teams. This is why I'm pessimistic about making the playoffs with the current team and coach.


If Vegas knows how to judge players, what does it mean that they keep picking up former Kings?

Good teams have the ability to beat the 1-3-1. Bad teams don't.

 

[Master Yoda]

would be hilarious if they lose Bjornfot and send Clark back down

 

[Telos]

Losing Toby to Vegas for Clarke to watch from the pressbox is killer. You just know that Toby is going to work out for Vegas too...

 

[AbsentMojo]

would be hilarious if they lose Bjornfot and send Clark back down

Im sure they will when he's not playing for LAK.. since he waiver exempt there is nothing to risk. I hope they keep him up and maybe cycle him through the bottom pair so he gets 2 out 3 games

 

[Nasti]

It‘s also worth noting that when the Kings have been a playoff caliber team over the last 15 years, they routinely take their foot off the gas when they feel like they have the playoffs in the bag. It’s cultural and the constants in that time have been Kopitar and Doughty. Why is it that a team like the Canucks, who have sucked for a decade, can suddenly challenge for the President’s Trophy while the Kings struggle and likely fail to secure home ice.

 

[KingsOfCali25]

Snuggerud scores for the US on the PP with a heavy blast from the Ovechkin spot.

Fiala trade looking worse IMO now. Could've kept Faber and had Snuggerud with the 1st that draft. Big, tough, heavy shot scoring right handed RW the Kings need.

I hate how Blake moved this team from a nice rebuild to a quick retool with no good goaltending and a playoff team that struggles to win. Should have kept the youth and let them play before fast forwarding this team into another black-hole franchise

 

[AbsentMojo]

Losing Toby to Vegas for Clarke to watch from the pressbox is killer. You just know that Toby is going to work out for Vegas too...

Funky had a good post on this thread re its prob just going to be temporary.. they have injuries and he's probably 4th or 5th on the LD depth chart.. he'll be back on waivers most likely fairly soon

 

[lexlavender]

The last few weeks have been absolutely brutal lol

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Don’t worry guys we have at least one more Rob Blake Dave Taylor special before the fall from grace and canning

Spence Kaliyev and a 1st for some bullshit that won’t be here past the playoffs is my guess at this point

Neglecting to acknowledge that this isn’t the same feeling as 2012-2016ish where it feels like the “holes” are personnel we can acquire. Right now the holes are at management, coaching, and overall gameplay as evidenced by their inability to handle playoff teams. Trading for a player or two doesn’t fix a systematic rot.

I’m beyond the point of getting mad now. It’s the same sad void of acceptance I got in all those tanking years where I get disinterested in watching Kings games, it’s not a hopeful feeling of being a young team in the way up, it’s the black hole feeling of knowing you’ve already seen the best they’ve got and it wasn’t enough and now we just play out the string of first round exits until housecleaning.

 

[chris kontos]

Its hard to believe that blake is so naiive.
He has to be getting pressured from above

 

[Herby]

Losing Toby to Vegas for Clarke to watch from the pressbox is killer. You just know that Toby is going to work out for Vegas too...

Vegas already has a Stanley Cup because of a poor decision Blake has made. Maybe they just feel like they should do this out of principle. I am thinking it's more of a Fagemo pickup, but we will see.

 

[chris kontos]

Don’t worry guys we have at least one more Rob Blake Dave Taylor special before the fall from grace and canning

Spence Kaliyev and a 1st for some bullshit that won’t be here past the playoffs is my guess at this point

Neglecting to acknowledge that this isn’t the same feeling as 2012-2016ish where it feels like the “holes” are personnel we can acquire. Right now the holes are at management, coaching, and overall gameplay as evidenced by their inability to handle playoff teams. Trading for a player or two doesn’t fix a systematic rot.

I’m beyond the point of getting mad now. It’s the same sad void of acceptance I got in all those tanking years where I get disinterested in watching Kings games, it’s not a hopeful feeling of being a young team in the way up, it’s the black hole feeling of knowing you’ve already seen the best they’ve got and it wasn’t enough and now we just play out the string of first round exits until housecleaning.

As a kid that got into the forum free in 1967 to watch the kings, that void is all too familiar and happening again.
I feel bad for the young players that arr being f***ed with.

 

[Herby]

I think moving the AHL affiliate from New England to SoCal has been a huge issue. I don't believe many of the poor choices made with regards to the AHL affiliate (such as the ones with 1st round picks Toby and Turcotte) are made if "Nelly", "Muzz" and the rest of the beach boys have to fly 6 hours across the country to Manchester multiple times a year to keep an eye on these guys. I think it made them lazy and to reliant on this poor development avenue way more than they should have.

 

[Kudelski37]

Spence Kaliyev and a 1st for some bullshit that won’t be here past the playoffs is my guess at this point.

This is what I call going super nova. It is the spectacular explosive end burning through all near it. No prospects/assets will be safe.

 

[Schmooley]

Rangers got out from Nils Lundkvist and fetched a 1st round pick when they saw the writing on the wall. He isnt even good. Blake could have been doing similar things with the prospect pool instead of squandering it all away. Fagemo was a leading scorer in world juniors. Turcotte put a team on his back in world juniors. Bjornfot with a solid rookie year and said to have captain intangibles. Kaliyev with a great rookie year.
All had value and Blake replaced them all externally years ago with Danault, Arvidsson, Fiala, Moore and Iafallo extensions etc…
Just not a good way to run your business.

 

[Schrute farms]

i sure Clarke not playing tonight is simply the previously mentioned theory that we get him additional practices and he gets to play a better matchup against Get versus Vegas. But if he does get sent down -- wow, pitchforks are a coming.

Edit: misread schedule/posts. They play Det today. Hmmm, WTF?!?

 

[Nasti]

i sure Clarke not playing tonight is simply the previously mentioned theory that we get him additional practices and he gets to play a better matchup against Get versus Vegas. But if he does get sent down -- wow, pitchforks are a coming.

Edit: misread schedule/posts. They play Det today. Hmmm, WTF?!?

I’d argue that the “needs another practice” excuse is more of the same timidness the staff displays when it comes to their decisions. If you’re going to do it, then do it. Shit or get off the pot. There are plenty of examples of players in the same situation who didn’t need more practice time. An example being Faber.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Rangers got out from Nils Lundkvist and fetched a 1st round pick when they saw the writing on the wall. He isnt even good. Blake could have been doing similar things with the prospect pool instead of squandering it all away. Fagemo was a leading scorer in world juniors. Turcotte put a team on his back in world juniors. Bjornfot with a solid rookie year and said to have captain intangibles. Kaliyev with a great rookie year.
All had value and Blake replaced them all externally years ago with Danault, Arvidsson, Fiala, Moore and Iafallo extensions etc…
Just not a good way to run your business.

Ya these results are all caused by the 8/11 build-around fallacy with a win now / vet centric coach. Kopi im sure wouldve been on-board for a real rebuild . DD was not based on his comments in the press. They shouldve moved DD to an agreed upon destination (like Toronto) and gone thru a proper rebuild instead of this hybrid mode destined for the place where no light escapes. Then you wouldve kept Faber, Vilardi, played the kids in their future positions and had a few more high end drafts to boot.