LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[SaltyElkHunter]

Hoven saying things aren’t that bad is like all of the realtors telling people right now it’s a great time to buy a house.

 

[Maynard]

Hoven saying things aren’t that bad is like all of the realtors telling people right now it’s a great time to buy a house.

It’s like saying “yeah but switch those losses to wins and this looks a lot better gang!”.

Is there a common thread between the blog casts which by the way are brought to you by ManGrate?

 

[Sol]

Personally I agree with Johnny Utah that the ice girls need to add toughness by making Reaves the head ice girl.

 

[Herby]

You know Blake is feeling the heat when he has the organizational mouthpiece make an "Everything is ok" tweet.

As far as PLD, I supported the logic in trying to improve at C, but ultimately the need to improve at C was a result of Blake's horrific results at drafting and developing any of the high picks he used on centers and a bizarre lack of patience in properly constructing a roster through the draft like every other successful team since the 04/05 lockout has done.

It's unfortunate what has happened with this trade, and with the Faber trade, but ultimately if these are two of the big reasons why Blake, Robitaille and the rest of the Country Club of Late 90's/Early 00's Kings are finally moved on from it will be for the better in the long-term. These guys NEVER should have been put in positions of power in this organization, they were former great players but never did anything to warrant being in hockey operations, and in the case of Blake he never showed any loyalty to the organization as a player yet they have constantly showed it to him in retirement and as a GM (probably because of Luc)

This organization had been plagued for decades from having former players be terrible GM's and coaches, they finally went outside the organization and brought in people who weren't former Kings just looking for the beach lifestyle while collecting a paycheck, and the team actually had success for the first time in it's existence. And then right after that they promptly return to the Country Club atmosphere of former players who have no idea what they are doing. What are Blake and Luc's qualifications to be decision makers? What have Nelson Emerson and Glen Murray done to be qualified for their jobs? Emerson was the directer of player development for a team that has had dreadful results developing players, and gets a promotion to Asst. GM? How? Ask yourself, would he have gotten that job if he had gone to Boston College instead of Bowling Green and never met Rob Blake? Would Glen Murray have the job he has if he hadn't been traded to the Kings in 1997 and become one of Blake's close buddies?

I have never in my life seen a sports team with as much cronyism as this Kings team has under Robitaille and Blake.

I just feel bad for whoever the next person in charge is, the way Blake has traded 1st rounders and elite prospects is going to make it where the next guy has a lot of work to do to properly conduct a rebuild, especially with the potential of our own Huberdeau signed forever at an unmovable cap hit and an aging group of top players.

 

[Sol]

Look I understood the need for a potential center, I get it. Honestly. however there was a big goaltending and there still is, Talbot is ultimately playing like Scrivens did on the Kings. It’s not sustainable nor is it realistic.

My big problem was that if the Kings wanted to get a center they should have not p***yfooted around and got Eichel when he was available. That was the trade to make. Not some extremely controversial player who at his best hasn’t done much.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Look I understood the need for a potential center, I get it. Honestly. however there was a big goaltending and there still is, Talbot is ultimately playing like Scrivens did on the Kings. It’s not sustainable nor is it realistic.

My big problem was that if the Kings wanted to get a center they should have not p***yfooted around and got Eichel when he was available. That was the trade to make. Not some extremely controversial player who at his best hasn’t done much.

Jack Eichel was seen as a prima donna needing neck surgery that has only been done once in the history of the universe or some shit.

 

[Herby]

My big problem was that if the Kings wanted to get a center they should have not p***yfooted around and got Eichel when he was available. That was the trade to make. Not some extremely controversial player who at his best hasn’t done much.

It will go down as one of the worst decisions in franchise history, the Kings had the most valuable young assets + draft capital and the most to offer in the league at the same time that a 25 year old franchise #1 center from an Eastern Conference team, signed through his entire prime miraculously hit the market, everything lined up perfectly. The decision to not pounce on this once in a lifetime opportunity was to me the defining mistake of the Blake era. It totally changed the history of the Knights, and very likely the Kings too. There is certainly no Stanley Cup banner at T-Mobile Arena, that's for sure.

 

[King'sPawn]

Good to know, thanks for the inside info.

But I ask again, why does Vegas, Arizona and Anaheim still have nice looking girls mixed with some guys or real staff? I really think it's the Kings way of going woke, even without admitting it.

He literally just told you.

The players said the ice was way better when real staff was doing it.

If you want to ogle pretty girls, you have a phone in your pocket with access to the internet, my guy.

The energy between you two is giving me Zoolander vibes between David Duchovny and Ben Stiller.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Look I understood the need for a potential center, I get it. Honestly. however there was a big goaltending and there still is, Talbot is ultimately playing like Scrivens did on the Kings. It’s not sustainable nor is it realistic.

My big problem was that if the Kings wanted to get a center they should have not p***yfooted around and got Eichel when he was available. That was the trade to make. Not some extremely controversial player who at his best hasn’t done much.

I was against it because imo it was risky and I didn't think the time was right

But knowing what we know now--not even of Eichel's health, but of they were going to make a sloppy trade for a far, far worse player anyway--I would go back and do that every day of the week. I just foolishly believed they'd keep their powder dry for the right moment.

 

[Nasti]

It will go down as one of the worst decisions in franchise history, the Kings had the most valuable young assets + draft capital and the most to offer in the league at the same time that a 25 year old franchise #1 center from an Eastern Conference team, signed through his entire prime miraculously hit the market, everything lined up perfectly. The decision to not pounce on this once in a lifetime opportunity was to me the defining mistake of the Blake era. It totally changed the history of the Knights, and very likely the Kings too. There is certainly no Stanley Cup banner at T-Mobile Arena, that's for sure.

Meh. It would have still been the wrong move. Just because Eichel could have been had when the Kings decided to end the rebuild doesn’t mean ending the rebuild was the right move. What it did for Vegas is irrelevant.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Meh. It would have still been the wrong move. Just because Eichel could have been had when the Kings decided to end the rebuild doesn’t mean ending the rebuild was the right move. What it did for Vegas is irrelevant.

I agree, yet Eichel-Danault-Kopitar is an insane order of magnitude >>>> than PLD-Danault-Kopitar

If they were going to do dumb all-in shit anyway, that one would have been better.

At least if Eichel blew up in their face it was likely health related, unlike PLD blowing up in their face because he likes alpaca wool suits

 

[King'sPawn]

I was against it because imo it was risky and I didn't think the time was right

But knowing what we know now--not even of Eichel's health, but of they were going to make a sloppy trade for a far, far worse player anyway--I would go back and do that every day of the week. I just foolishly believed they'd keep their powder dry for the right moment.

I still don't feel trading for Eichel was the right move. But it would have been much better than Dubois.

 

[Nasti]

I agree, yet Eichel-Danault-Kopitar is an insane order of magnitude >>>> than PLD-Danault-Kopitar

If they were going to do dumb all-in shit anyway, that one would have been better.

Better yes, but Herby is saying it’s one of the worst decisions in franchise history which ignores that ending the rebuild was an even worse decision. The Kings aren’t winning anything even if they replaced PLD with Eichel.

 

[FrozenKing18]

I had always assumed Buffalo asked for too much from the Kings. Byfield, Vilardi ++

 

[Sol]

Jack Eichel was seen as a prima donna needing neck surgery that has only been done once in the history of the universe or some shit.

I have a hard time believing Eichel was going to commit career suicide. I really doubt it’s anything as much of a crap shoot as people pretend it to be.

I still don't feel trading for Eichel was the right move. But it would have been much better than Dubois.

I’m not even saying if this is a matter of Eichel being the right move at the time, all I’m saying is if they wanted to get a dynamic player at the cost they gave up for PLD then they should have done it then rather than selling the ship for this loser who doesn’t have an ounce of talent that Eichel has.

 

[Bandit]

What do you think would happen if the Lakers got rid of the Lakers girls?

Nothing. I’d continue not watching basketball, same as always.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

The energy between you two is giving me Zoolander vibes between David Duchovny and Ben Stiller.

Johnny is an American treasure tbh

 

[Johnny Utah]

The return for Eichel to Buffalo is Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a future first-round draft pick and a future second-rounder.

Tuch has emerged as a 30 goal player, Krebs hasn't done much and not sure what Buffal has done with the 1st or 2nd....

 

[Little Psycho]

No Clarke in the lineup today. So f***ing stupid to call him up, lose Bjornfot and not play him.

 

[tny760]

No Clarke in the lineup today. So f***ing stupid to call him up, lose Bjornfot and not play him.

lmao lmao lmao

"we have 2 defensemen to develop" so yeah sit the f*** down kid, grab a sandwich

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Just for fun (and self torture) - here's a potential lineup the Kings could've had if they hadn't tunnel visioned on PLD

Vilardi - Kopitar - Kempe
Fiala - Danault - Arvidsson/Laferriere
Moore - Byfield - Kaliyev
Grundstrom - Bjugstad - Hathaway

Anderson - Doughty
Gavrikov - Clarke
Roy - Spence

Talbot
Rittich

Sad to think what could've been

 

[Johnny Utah]

I would have been fine with moving AI for salary reasons and just signing Hathaway, Bjugstad, and Englund.

Dealing AI would have saved 4 million. Vilardi would cost 3-4 mil. Hathaway plus Bjugstad is around 3 million. Basically would be in the same spot, maybe have a million or so left. Kupari did end up getting 1 million so...

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Moore-Danault-Arvidsson
Fiala-Bjugstad-Vilardi
Grundstrom/Kupari-Lizotte-Hathaway

Anderson-Doughty
Gavrikov-Roy
Englund-Spence

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

So as per the mayor

the Clarke callup was literally just to keep him as a 7th dman just in case--as moverare is close to waivers and they were going cross country. However--they're keeping him out of games because they don't want him to cut into the bonus overages the Kings are already racking up for next season with Talbot, Byfield, et. al.

Lmao it just gets worse. Why waive Bjornfot then? Absolute self-inflicted stupidity over and over and over

and before the inevitable bootlicking 'well what was he supposed to do' remember that these are all self-created problems. If you're THAT cap inflexible that you're already worried about next year due to 250k bonuses, it's just bad management upon bad management.

 

[Nasti]

So as per the mayor

the Clarke callup was literally just to keep him as a 7th dman just in case--as moverare is close to waivers and they were going cross country. However--they're keeping him out of games because they don't want him to cut into the bonus overages the Kings are already racking up for next season with Talbot, Byfield, et. al.

Lmao it just gets worse. Why waive Bjornfot then? Absolute self-inflicted stupidity over and over and over

and before the inevitable bootlicking 'well what was he supposed to do' remember that these are all self-created problems. If you're THAT cap inflexible that you're already worried about next year due to 250k bonuses, it's just bad management upon bad management.

Well what was he supposed to do?

 

[Omni Owl]

I'm still bitter about trading Martinez to a DIVISION RIVAL, the guy who scored the GWG in OT to win us a cup. I know he's had injury trouble, but he would've been a great guy to keep around for the youth. I was the one bitching about Bjornfot not playing, and now he ended up on that same rival. At least VGK are on a shitty losing skid, which makes our terrible streak easier to swallow. I'm getting analysis fatigue.