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LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

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DyslexicTom said:
Yeah, it would have been a very tough call, but the kind of moves that a cutthroat GM who wanted to keep winning would execute. Lombardi famously expressed that in his search to figure out how to build a perennial contender that sentimentality was the biggest hurdle. One even he, one who knew it was coming, had a hard time leaping over.

A team coming off 2 Cups and then completely whiffing it in 2015 and finishing outside of the playoffs should have been a huge wake up call.

If it wasn't trading Kopitar, then it should have been trying to trade for or develop a true #1 center that could drag the team kicking and screaming into the playoffs while utilizing Kopitar as an elite #2 shutdown center. That would have been killer depth.

Also remember that Kopitar is and has been historically very difficult to find linemates for. How many players have they auditioned on his wing? But oh they tried and tried. It was a Sisyphean task and they burned a lot of years and assets doing so.

And again, lest I be accused of anything: Kopitar is and was a damn good player that is HoF-bound. He better be first ballot.
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Trading the 2015 pick was a real killer when you look who was there . Barzal , Conner , Ek, Boeser...Barzal would've been a great center for us.
 
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kingsfan28 said:
Trading the 2015 pick was a real killer when you look who was there . Barzal , Conner , Ek, Boeser...Barzal would've been a great center for us.
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And Barzal is who they were going to take, according to the director of scouting Mike Futa. And since that director of scouting doesn't have a history of lying like the current one does, I choose to believe him.

It's crazy to think the butterfly effect of drafting Barzal. Center isn't the massive need its been for the Kings for a good chunk of the last decade. Very unlikely the Kings draft Turcotte or trade for and give a huge extension to PLD, and those are probably Blake's two worst moves as GM. There we go, now the Blake fans can blame those two things on DL for not taking Barzal.
 
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Herby said:
And Barzal is who they were going to take, according to the director of scouting Mike Futa. And since that director of scouting doesn't have a history of lying like the current one does, I choose to believe him.

It's crazy to think the butterfly effect of drafting Barzal. Center isn't the massive need its been for the Kings for a good chunk of the last decade. Very unlikely the Kings draft Turcotte or trade for and give a huge extension to PLD, and those are probably Blake's two worst moves as GM. There we go, now the Blake fans can blame those two things on DL for not taking Barzal.
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It also would've allowed them to move Carter if they wanted to while his value was high instead of waiting til 2021.

Whats even worse is that Boston passed on all the guys I listed too with picks 13,14,15.
 
DyslexicTom said:
Imagine if the Kings were so deep that you could play Kopitar in the #2C slot from 2018 onwards.
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Maybe not from 2018 onwards (although I guess if they kept their pick in 2015) but I'm guessing this was the plan for the current management when they went C with #11, #5 and #2 picks.

Unfortunately they ended up with two wingers and a bust, and as a result, Kopitar is still logging #1C minutes in his 18th season.
 
Herby said:
Maybe not from 2018 onwards (although I guess if they kept their pick in 2015) but I'm guessing this was the plan for the current management when they went C with #11, #5 and #2 picks.

Unfortunately they ended up with two wingers and a bust, and as a result, Kopitar is still logging #1C minutes in his 18th season.
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Kopi is such a f***ing G, he deserves better. It doesn't help that every potential C prospect gets developed right into a winger instead. Kempe, Vilardi, Byfield, Iaffalo. Anyone else I'm missing?
 
Just like had you told me in May 2014 that Todd McLellan was going to be the next long term coach of the Kings... I'm telling you now that Kopitar has Upper Management Potential written all over him

We just might be snoozing here
 
Not sure if these loses are getting to me, but I am ready to move Roy to have a right side of Drew, Spence and Clarke.
 
Mayor suggesting the Kings aren't playing Clarke because they don't want him to hit any bonuses that'll affect next year's cap.
 
WHOneedsSOX said:
Mayor suggesting the Kings aren't playing Clarke because they don't want him to hit any bonuses that'll affect next year's cap.
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That seems suspect, he's on an entry level deal and the cap is apparently going up by as much as $4 million. Is it really going to make a significant dent on the cap if he hits on a bonus or two?

If that's the case, send him back to Ontario. Why let him sit in the press box? Jeebus.
 
kovacro said:
That seems suspect, he's on an entry level deal and the cap is apparently going up by as much as $4 million. Is it really going to make a significant dent on the cap if he hits on a bonus or two?

If that's the case, send him back to Ontario. Why let him sit in the press box? Jeebus.
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That's the hitch

to even hit those bonuses he'd have to have a near norris worthy half-season

so we're benching him in fear of him helping the team

#masterclass
 
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kovacro said:
That seems suspect, he's on an entry level deal and the cap is apparently going up by as much as $4 million. Is it really going to make a significant dent on the cap if he hits on a bonus or two?

If that's the case, send him back to Ontario. Why let him sit in the press box? Jeebus.
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Each bonus is $215K and we saw the cap situation the kings were in to start this season. But like RJ said, highly unlikely he hits any of the bonuses anyways.
 
WHOneedsSOX said:
Each bonus is $215K and we saw the cap situation the kings were in to start this season. But like RJ said, highly unlikely he hits any of the bonuses anyways.
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They’re scared of him being too good? That makes a ton of sense for a team trying to contend. Why even call him up then and risk losing (and actually losing) Bjornfot? The bonuses weren’t an issue with Bjornfot and he was already on the roster and could have gone on the road trip as defensive insurance. Hoven’s “explanation” makes no sense. It’s clearly ass covering from the organization’s PR person.

 
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