LA KINGS 2023/4 Regular season discussion

[Fishhead]

Likely no one for the next month or two so we'll probably have too buckle up and (try to) enjoy the ride as fans.

In a month or two we'll know more about potential goalie targets. But I'll throw out a couple potential options just for fun.

Blackwood (if he's still looking good)
Saros (if NASH continues to struggle and they want to go with a sure thing and guarantee they get top 10 goaltending)
Hart (if he's looking good and the Flyers are out of it)
Ingram or Vejmelka (if Arizona finds themselves struggling/out of it)
Mrazek (has actually looked pretty solid for CHI)
Luukkonen (if Buffalo is looking to move a goalie - although I admit I'm not sure how much of an upgrade he'd be)

There's a handful of potential other options that are probably less likely but ultimately yeah, we'll know more in a month or two.

Most of those probably fit the mold, but none of the teams on this list are full cap teams, so there probably isn't much incentive there. Guys like Blackwood or Hart would require an overpay.

Even with 1 year left, Saros will be expensive. Not sure what the Kings could offer there to be competitive.

As much as I don't like it, the Kings will have to bide their time and take advantage of an opportunity that arises.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Is the media biased or are the fans (HF Boards posters more specifically) just hypercritical/perpetually disgruntled??

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

The cap is also a concern but the cap has been flat for like 4 years - It's a concern for damn near every team in the league, some of which won't even have a chance to make the playoffs.

Yet if you scrolled through these boards you'd think the entire franchise was a complete dumpster fire.

Again, I'm not saying management has been perfect and I'm not saying people can't be critical / frustrated / concerned but the seemingly constant state of misery is weird to me.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

Most of those probably fit the mold, but none of the teams on this list are full cap teams, so there probably isn't much incentive there. Guys like Blackwood or Hart would require an overpay.

Even with 1 year left, Saros will be expensive. Not sure what the Kings could offer there to be competitive.

As much as I don't like it, the Kings will have to bide their time and take advantage of an opportunity that arises.

I'd be surprised if the price for Blackwood is really that high 1-2 months from now even if he is looking good. He was traded for a 6th round pick this past offseason. His value could increase quite a bit, sure.. But it's not going to be to the point where it's worth losing sleep over.

In terms of Saros, you're definitely right that it would be pretty expensive to get him. I'm of the opinion that it would be worth it and would love to see them put together a package for him (If the Kings are still struggling to get decent goaltending around early December).

Saros would immediately take the Kings from arguably worse goaltending in the league to a team with top 10 goaltending. That's insane... And paying a decently high price to make that happen would be worth it IMO.

Like I mentioned above... This team has Kopitar and Doughty. They have guys like PLD, Fiala, Kempe, etc etc in their primes. And they have good young talent. What good does it do to cling on to a 2024 or 2025 1st round pick when that player will likely end up being in the 23-32 overall range and likely won't be able to help the team win for 3-4 years??

We can debate about whether it's been smart for management to make the aggressive moves they've made - But at the end of the day now is not the time to stop being aggressive and cling on to picks. Now is the time to give the team a legit chance to win.

Acquiring a goalie like Saros does that. So go get him.

 

[tny760]

Is the media biased or are the fans (HF Boards posters more specifically) just hypercritical/perpetually disgruntled??

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

The cap is also a concern but the cap has been flat for like 4 years - It's a concern for damn near every team in the league, some of which won't even have a chance to make the playoffs.

Yet if you scrolled through these boards you'd think the entire franchise was a complete dumpster fire.

Again, I'm not saying management has been perfect and I'm not saying people can't be critical / frustrated / concerned but the seemingly constant state of misery is weird to me.

it's definitely a constant state of misery for some people, 2 games deep outrage gets a little bit extra around here for sure

i'm happy to watch the team play no matter what but the fact is that this team hasn't done diddly squat under blake so criticism is absolutely warranted. we're being sold cup aspirations, not "western conference regular season champion" aspirations, i'm right to expect that and i personally don't think "get in and anything can happen" is exactly a great plan

 

[tigermask48]

I miss dean and his depth charts. Given the current regime are we gonna see Kopitar take Blake’s spot and Doughty take Luc’s? I have had enough nostalgia for the next 2 Jersey changes. .

Lombardi for all his faults at the end of his tenure, had those first few years that were just a breath of fresh air. I remember hearing about the fanfests and him fielding questions, his answers always seemed very honest and direct, almost to a fault.

From almost day one he said, "this is the plan, here is the identity we want, here is the culture we are building, here is how we are going to do it."

I miss Hammond as well as you could tell when LAKI started he had a real love for the game of hockey and reporting on the team, and as a out of state Kings fan, it was a great one stop shop for info.

it sucked what happened to him with the Williams trade. Him leaving was really inevitable after that.

 

[Fishhead]

I'd be surprised if the price for Blackwood is really that high 1-2 months from now even if he is looking good. He was traded for a 6th round pick this past offseason. His value could increase quite a bit, sure.. But it's not going to be to the point where it's worth losing sleep over.

In terms of Saros, you're definitely right that it would be pretty expensive to get him. I'm of the opinion that it would be worth it and would love to see them put together a package for him (If the Kings are still struggling to get decent goaltending around early December).

Saros would immediately take the Kings from arguably worse goaltending in the league to a team with top 10 goaltending. That's insane... And paying a decently high price to make that happen would be worth it IMO.

Like I mentioned above... This team has Kopitar and Doughty. They have guys like PLD, Fiala, Kempe, etc etc in their primes. And they have good young talent. What good does it do to cling on to a 2024 or 2025 1st round pick when that player will likely end up being in the 23-32 overall range and likely won't be able to help the team win for 3-4 years??

We can debate about whether it's been smart for management to make the aggressive moves they've made - But at the end of the day now is not the time to stop being aggressive and cling on to picks. Now is the time to give the team a legit chance to win.

Acquiring a goalie like Saros does that. So go get him.

I'm on the Saros bandwagon, but I fear the cost. They would ask for Clarke, and rightfully so. They will want youth.

I think Laferriere might make Kaliyev available, even though I think Arty is due for a breakout. Spence + Kaliyev might be enticing, they would want a pick as well. Can probably afford to give up one young D and one young F and still be set up for a few years.

 

[Kurrilino]

Is the media biased or are the fans (HF Boards posters more specifically) just hypercritical/perpetually disgruntled??

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

The cap is also a concern but the cap has been flat for like 4 years - It's a concern for damn near every team in the league, some of which won't even have a chance to make the playoffs.

Yet if you scrolled through these boards you'd think the entire franchise was a complete dumpster fire.

Again, I'm not saying management has been perfect and I'm not saying people can't be critical / frustrated / concerned but the seemingly constant state of misery is weird to me.

This is a point of view.
The media sees making the playoff as success, while the regular Kings fan eye witnessed for many years our division rivals Canucks and Flames, having a core that can't get it done, signed long term and putting the team right up against the cap.

Now we are in that position with an empty prospect shelf, right against the cap and vets who can't get it done signed long term.

We will make the playoff somehow even by wildcard but this is the absolute best outcome.
This means we are to bad for playoff success and to good for draft picks who will build a future.
And all this long term without any chance for for a change in either direction until the next rebuild in roughly 3-4 years.

The real sad part is that this is the situation right after a rebuild and this is why Kings fans are pissed

 

[No Name The Nameless]

I can't speak for other people but most of the time because I either don't care about a particular issue, don't believe what I've heard or I'm prioritizing my time.

If I get 20 minutes with Rob Blake... I'm not going to waste 5 minutes fighting with him about something I don't care about just to satisfy a portion of the fan base that I know wants me to.

I'll preface by saying that I acknowledge that you are in a tough spot. With that said.....what a bunch of cowardice hogwash. You don't want to ask difficult questions or discuss difficult topics but you want to talk about meaningless fluff that every other coward that is being fed? With respect (truly), 3 out of 10 fans give a damn about what you are talking about and what you come up with is already being discussed by the other blogger / podcasters that have better numbers than you do.

I hate to be blunt, but it's the honest to god truth and you know it. Why are you doing it if not to inform the people that might watch / listen to the things that they really want to know or hear? It's not the money. Unless there is some alternate form of funding, I can't see how the clicks and third party partnerships are paying the bills.

Why not use what you have to differentiate yourself by not being a lemming. I can guarantee that if you did, people like myself would start following your stuff again.

 

[tigermask48]

Is the media biased or are the fans (HF Boards posters more specifically) just hypercritical/perpetually disgruntled??

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

The cap is also a concern but the cap has been flat for like 4 years - It's a concern for damn near every team in the league, some of which won't even have a chance to make the playoffs.

Yet if you scrolled through these boards you'd think the entire franchise was a complete dumpster fire.

Again, I'm not saying management has been perfect and I'm not saying people can't be critical / frustrated / concerned but the seemingly constant state of misery is weird to me.

It's not bias, but just an absence of real media attention of real substance.

Look at about 10 years ago in Edmonton, a very vocal minority wanted Kevin Lowe fired for many of the same reasons people want Blake gone, lack of development, lack of playoff success, and it started to catch on. Hockey isn't a niche thing in Edmonton, it is THE sport in that area.

The media ignored it at first but then started asking tougher questions, specifically John MacKinnon and we got Lowe's absurd "I’ll say that there’s one other guy in hockey today that is still working in the game that has won more Stanley Cups than me. So I think I know a little bit about winning, if there’s ever a concern" comment and it snowballed from there.

The fans put up billboards and staged walkouts during games and eventually Lowe got moved to a role less directly related to hockey operations. Fans being unhappy with the direction of a team isn't a new thing and it really only took one reporter holding an executive accountable and asking tough questions to bring change.

Now LA, way niche market but many of those same cracks are starting to show and some fans see it. We need help though. We don't have access to executives to ask questions and demand accountability.
The media surrounding the Kings does, and it's becoming time to ask questions if we aren't already there.



"Seven years ago"
Lol. I forgot that was the comment that set Lowe off. How long ago was 2017 when Blake was hired?

 

[johnjm22]

Most fanbases are unhappy. It's the nature of sports fandom.

We pick our favorite team when we're 9 years old and they mostly disappoint us for the rest of our lives.

 

[All The Kings Men]

With respect

Sure.

 

[tigermask48]

Most fanbases are unhappy when they aren't winning.

Let me make a small but significant change if I can.
I doubt many if any Astros fans are angry about seven consecutive ALCS appearances.

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

I'm on the Saros bandwagon, but I fear the cost. They would ask for Clarke, and rightfully so. They will want youth.

I think Laferriere might make Kaliyev available, even though I think Arty is due for a breakout. Spence + Kaliyev might be enticing, they would want a pick as well. Can probably afford to give up one young D and one young F and still be set up for a few years.

I'm going to start to lose some people here (it's a little crazy I'll admit).... But I would offer a plethora of picks to make it happen (assuming Nashville actually ends up taking offers for him which is a huge TBD)

How often do we see goalies traded for 1st round picks?? Pretty rarely. Obviously Saros is a really high end goalie so it'd be warranted, but still. Even when Cory Schneider was traded back in the day it was just a single 1st round pick coming back in return and he was one of the best goalies in the world at the time.

You can argue the same for Saros so yeah, let's start there. Offering a 1st round pick probably already makes Nashville at least slightly interested.

Now you can dangle a Turcotte or Kaliyev in front of them and see if that does it but given the Kings window seems to essentially be right now - I'd rather overpay with picks than give up prospects in the 19-22 age range who should be able to help the team win over the next 3-5 years.

I'd start with something like: 2024 1st, 2025 3rd, Lizotte, and Copley/Rittich/Talbot (take your pick).

If that doesn't get it done (it probably doesn't), I'd throw in more picks to try to start moving the needle. Nashville would either be re-tooling or full-on rebuilding if they're making Saros available. So they should be interested in picks.

Ultimately.... If it ends up needing to be a package of say: 2024 1st, 2025 3rd, Arthur Kaliyev, Blake Lizotte, and a goalie (to make the roster stuff work)... I'd do it. That's an insane package for a goalie tbh, but again, I think Saros would be worth it and would make this team legit contenders.

Honestly...... I could be persuaded to offer TWO (2) (!!!!!!!!) firsts if it meant keeping a guy like Turcotte or Kaliyev because again, how likely is a 2024 or 2025 1st rounder that goes in the 24-32 overall range going to be to be an impact player at the NHL level within 3-4 years of being drafted?? Not super likely. I'd rather have a great chance to win for the next 2 years (longer if you can re-sign Saros) than cling on to picks that MIGHT end up being good players years down the road. If it doesn't work out we're probably rebuilding 4-5 years from now anyways. So go for it.

We will make the playoff somehow even by wildcard but this is the absolute best outcome.
This means we are to bad for playoff success

Here's the thing.... This just flat out might not be true. And it ESPECIALLY might not be true if the Kings can snag a legitimately good goalie - Like Saros.

 

[johnjm22]

Let me make a small but significant change if I can.

I'm sure when the Kings make the playoffs for the 3rd straight year fans around here will be very happy.

 

[tigermask48]

If it's another 1st round exit, it won't be all of us happy I guarantee you that.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Is the media biased or are the fans (HF Boards posters more specifically) just hypercritical/perpetually disgruntled??

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

The cap is also a concern but the cap has been flat for like 4 years - It's a concern for damn near every team in the league, some of which won't even have a chance to make the playoffs.

Yet if you scrolled through these boards you'd think the entire franchise was a complete dumpster fire.

Again, I'm not saying management has been perfect and I'm not saying people can't be critical / frustrated / concerned but the seemingly constant state of misery is weird to me.

That's because by and large around the league people don't know the first f***ing thing about the Kings. or the Ducks. Or the Yotes.

They have to write for their EST O6/Canadian team beat and then catch some west coast highlights in the AM.

 

[Eagle Fang]

I'll preface by saying that I acknowledge that you are in a tough spot. With that said.....what a bunch of cowardice hogwash. You don't want to ask difficult questions or discuss difficult topics but you want to talk about meaningless fluff that every other coward that is being fed? With respect (truly), 3 out of 10 fans give a damn about what you are talking about and what you come up with is already being discussed by the other blogger / podcasters that have better numbers than you do.

I hate to be blunt, but it's the honest to god truth and you know it. Why are you doing it if not to inform the people that might watch / listen to the things that they really want to know or hear? It's not the money. Unless there is some alternate form of funding, I can't see how the clicks and third party partnerships are paying the bills.

Why not use what you have to differentiate yourself by not being a lemming. I can guarantee that if you did, people like myself would start following your stuff again.

That's pretty blunt, but I actually agree with you for the most part. Certain things are of interest, especially when Gann, Hoven, or whoever interviews Yannetti about a recent draft. Other than that though, outside of game interviews on LAKI, the rest of the articles and podcasts out there are of little interest as they just cover the same vanilla things.

It's certainly not an easy thing to ask questions that would create 'conflict', but those are the questions I think most people want to hear an answer too.

Not an easy job for sure, but if there was ever a fan who didn't give AF and just started asking Blake and TMac real questions, I'd legit pay money to watch that.

 

[BaileyFan]

Around the league people are generally super high on the Kings. Everyone realizes the goaltending is concerning but other than that the Kings look pretty unreal. They have vets with championship experience. They have really good players in their primes (Fiala, PLD, Kempe, Danault, Moore, Gavrikov, Roy). And they have budding young talent that look ready to start taking the next step this year or next (Byfield, Kaliyev, Laferriere, Turcotte, Spence, Clarke).

People around the league don't watch the Kings. Every ESPN game last year had one of the announcers saying that the Kings were a big, heavy, grinding team, as if they hadn't seen a Kings game since 2016 (and then were shocked and appalled at how soft they actually play in the playoffs).

Ultimately.... If it ends up needing to be a package of say: 2024 1st, 2025 3rd, Arthur Kaliyev, Blake Lizotte, and a goalie (to make the roster stuff work)... I'd do it.

I agree that nothing should be off the table if Saros is available. That includes multiple 1sts and/or Clarke, who they won't even make space for on the roster anyway. The AdinHillWonACup takes were nothing but hopium from the start and the only way the Kings make a run is if they have a bonafide Saros-caliber starter who can flat out steal a series.

 

[Kurrilino]

Here's the thing.... This just flat out might not be true. And it ESPECIALLY might not be true if the Kings can snag a legitimately good goalie - Like Saros.

Did you actually watch what the Oilers did to our star players the last 2 playoff ?
I would also like to know where this miracle goalie comes from that beats out the 24-6 from Copley.
We are right against the cap and have nothing of interest to other teams to trade in.

Also the goalie is not the problem, our expensive core that can't compete is the issue and to address that, we need another rebuild.

 

[Kurrilino]

I agree that nothing should be off the table if Saros is available. That includes multiple 1sts and/or Clarke, who they won't even make space for on the roster anyway. The AdinHillWonACup takes were nothing but hopium from the start and the only way the Kings make a run is if they have a bonafide Saros-caliber starter who can flat out steal a series.

What is it with all this Saros worship?
He is a way undersized goalie playing behind a defense first team with a more competent defense than the Kings.
He also never won a single playoff series his whole life, where this nonsense of stealing a series comes from is far beyond me.

Saros is one of the last goalies i want in the Kings net, people already complained that Pettersen looks small in the net and he was 6'2.

 

[lumbergh]

I'm going to start to lose some people here (it's a little crazy I'll admit).... But I would offer a plethora of picks to make it happen (assuming Nashville actually ends up taking offers for him which is a huge TBD)

How often do we see goalies traded for 1st round picks?? Pretty rarely. Obviously Saros is a really high end goalie so it'd be warranted, but still. Even when Cory Schneider was traded back in the day it was just a single 1st round pick coming back in return and he was one of the best goalies in the world at the time.

You can argue the same for Saros so yeah, let's start there. Offering a 1st round pick probably already makes Nashville at least slightly interested.

Now you can dangle a Turcotte or Kaliyev in front of them and see if that does it but given the Kings window seems to essentially be right now - I'd rather overpay with picks than give up prospects in the 19-22 age range who should be able to help the team win over the next 3-5 years.

I'd start with something like: 2024 1st, 2025 3rd, Lizotte, and Copley/Rittich/Talbot (take your pick).

If that doesn't get it done (it probably doesn't), I'd throw in more picks to try to start moving the needle. Nashville would either be re-tooling or full-on rebuilding if they're making Saros available. So they should be interested in picks.

Ultimately.... If it ends up needing to be a package of say: 2024 1st, 2025 3rd, Arthur Kaliyev, Blake Lizotte, and a goalie (to make the roster stuff work)... I'd do it. That's an insane package for a goalie tbh, but again, I think Saros would be worth it and would make this team legit contenders.

Honestly...... I could be persuaded to offer TWO (2) (!!!!!!!!) firsts if it meant keeping a guy like Turcotte or Kaliyev because again, how likely is a 2024 or 2025 1st rounder that goes in the 24-32 overall range going to be to be an impact player at the NHL level within 3-4 years of being drafted?? Not super likely. I'd rather have a great chance to win for the next 2 years (longer if you can re-sign Saros) than cling on to picks that MIGHT end up being good players years down the road. If it doesn't work out we're probably rebuilding 4-5 years from now anyways. So go for it.


Here's the thing.... This just flat out might not be true. And it ESPECIALLY might not be true if the Kings can snag a legitimately good goalie - Like Saros.

When you can make a Saros trade work with the Kings' cap situation, then it becomes interesting.

 

[Sol]

Judging from the comments section, the fans who know him best aren't impressed with the story. Bold move my Blake...which seems to be what everyone around here is clamoring for until it actually happens.

That’s pretty romantic of you

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Sure.

It's true. I've followed you forever and want you to succeed. I also know that I don't speak for myself in what I said. I'd love for you to differentiate yourself from the others.

 

[Kurrilino]

If it doesn't work out we're probably rebuilding 4-5 years from now anyways. So go for it.

Yeah this will go well with all of the draft picks and prospects you just gave away for Saros just to go back to rebuild.
This is exactly what Blake does in reality and people have their pitchforks ready

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

What is it with all this Saros worship?
He is a way undersized goalie playing behind a defense first team with a more competent defense than the Kings.
He also never won a single playoff series his whole life, where this nonsense of stealing a series comes from is far beyond me.

Saros is one of the last goalies i want in the Kings net, people already complained that Pettersen looks small in the net and he was 6'2.

I disagree with you in that I think Saros is phenomenal, he's not a volume-saves boring butterfly goaltender, he's a game changer like Quick

however I agree with you in that he's not the magic pill