Kings Article: LA Kings Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Yannetti on the 2023 NHL Draft: “We’ve Got to Get a Little Creative”

[ibleedkings]

Blake has been a complete p***y of a GM until the Quick trade. "Got to grab this guy before some other team gets him". Hilarious.

Very paint-by-numbers with all the non-Quick moves generally being ones "Nobody will fault me if this doesn't work out". Very much the look of a "keep my job" v. the supposed genius they had to get in the GM chair ASAP before he was snapped up. Furthers the old boy's club throughout the management team. He gets credit for good signings but then he has horrible ones. Just painfully, painfully mediocre.

I don't like the guy. Not a secret. I want him to be the greatest GM in the history of the team and it sucks that were this far into the Blake era and it is generally playing out like one would expect. This guy was put on this planet to f***ing torment Kings fans.

I’m not even mad at his shitty signings. He royally f***ed up with Turcotte and Byfield. That’s gonna do him and this organization more harm than anything else.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

That was one of the reasons that Rosen gave in his end of the season report.

The frustrating thing is WI had Caufield, K’Andre Miller and Frederic with Granato as HC, all would be playing important roles on the Kings.

I think the issue with Blake is that he doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think 2-5 moves ahead. He’s a reactionary GM who only acts when forced to.

He was a stubborn player, and probably an equally stubborn GM. This PLD stuff makes no sense to me, We have Byfield, Danault and Kopitar currently anchoring their lines. Kopitar will retire a King in the next couple years, Byfield won’t be given up on, Danault has a NMC now and the final 3 years of his contract has a limited nmc.

I’m left scratching my head, just like when Byfield was drafted, Kings signed Danault, Turcotte was drafted at 5. We have a lot of resources tied up at center, and now Blake is going to throw more resources at PLD?

The only way it makes any sense for this coming season and beyond, is if the Kings trade Byfield. I have a hard time seeing the Kings doing that. Again, none of this makes any sense.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

I’m not even mad at his shitty signings. He royally f***ed up with Turcotte and Byfield. That’s gonna do him and this organization more harm than anything else.

Maybe, I wonder if Byfield has indicated to management that he’s unhappy whether that’s playing 3rd line, on the wing, or wants more playing time. There’s a number of reasons Byfield could be unhappy.

 

[King'sPawn]

Yup, that is exactly what Taylor would do.

Grebeshkov, Karlsson, Kopitar, Brown, Tukonen. The Kings would take the CSB faller every year, that is why everyone on here would always call the Kings the “draft winners” around back in the day. DT would mix in some of his beloved 6’4+ project picks like Steckel and Boyle in there.

With Turcotte it’s just time to come to reality. There certainly is some bad luck in that nobody saw him being this bad, but there is still blame to go around that the scouts had the right pick and the GM made a huge mistake and overruled them. And it’s not injuries, even when he has played he has struggled to produce offense at any level since being drafted. 1 goal in 21 B10 games, 18 goals in 97 AHL games, 0 points in 12 NHL games.

Look at those numbers and then realize LA used a #5 pick to get those. It was one of the worst decisions in the modern history of the franchise to override those scouts.

We're really suffering from having Zegras and Stutzle in the bottom-6, right where the Kings like to put their skilled prospects.

 

[kingsfan28]

That was one of the reasons that Rosen gave in his end of the season report.

The frustrating thing is WI had Caufield, K’Andre Miller and Frederic with Granato as HC, all would be playing important roles on the Kings.

Who's WI? K’Andre Miller would've been a good pick.

 

[King'sPawn]

Who's WI? K’Andre Miller would've been a good pick.

Wisconsin. The college team Turcotte, Caufield, Miller, etc played on

 

[kingsfan28]

I think the issue with Blake is that he doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think 2-5 moves ahead. He’s a reactionary GM who only acts when forced to.

He was a stubborn player, and probably an equally stubborn GM. This PLD stuff makes no sense to me, We have Byfield, Danault and Kopitar currently anchoring their lines. Kopitar will retire a King in the next couple years, Byfield won’t be given up on, Danault has a NMC now and the final 3 years of his contract has a limited nmc.

I’m left scratching my head, just like when Byfield was drafted, Kings signed Danault, Turcotte was drafted at 5. We have a lot of resources tied up at center, and now Blake is going to throw more resources at PLD?

The only way it makes any sense for this coming season and beyond, is if the Kings trade Byfield. I have a hard time seeing the Kings doing that. Again, none of this makes any sense.

It would be absolute insanity if the tries to get PLD. Seriously, did he not watch the 4th line this year, especially vs EDM?

 

[Statto]

I think the issue with Blake is that he doesn’t know what he wants and doesn’t think 2-5 moves ahead. He’s a reactionary GM who only acts when forced to.

He was a stubborn player, and probably an equally stubborn GM. This PLD stuff makes no sense to me, We have Byfield, Danault and Kopitar currently anchoring their lines. Kopitar will retire a King in the next couple years, Byfield won’t be given up on, Danault has a NMC now and the final 3 years of his contract has a limited nmc.

I’m left scratching my head, just like when Byfield was drafted, Kings signed Danault, Turcotte was drafted at 5. We have a lot of resources tied up at center, and now Blake is going to throw more resources at PLD?

The only way it makes any sense for this coming season and beyond, is if the Kings trade Byfield. I have a hard time seeing the Kings doing that. Again, none of this makes any sense.

We have no idea if there is anything in the PLD stuff. I agree it makes no sense and seems to me (I hope anyway) that someone is trying to push the price up for Mtl (Or whoever is in for him).

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Blake has been a complete p***y of a GM until the Quick trade. "Got to grab this guy before some other team gets him". Hilarious.

Very paint-by-numbers with all the non-Quick moves generally being ones "Nobody will fault me if this doesn't work out". Very much the look of a "keep my job" v. the supposed genius they had to get in the GM chair ASAP before he was snapped up. Furthers the old boy's club throughout the management team. He gets credit for good signings but then he has horrible ones. Just painfully, painfully mediocre.

I don't like the guy. Not a secret. I want him to be the greatest GM in the history of the team and it sucks that were this far into the Blake era and it is generally playing out like one would expect. This guy was put on this planet to f***ing torment Kings fans.

"Nobody will fault me if this doesn't work out" is the best description of Blake's thought process all around I think I've seen

 

[BigKing]

"Nobody will fault me if this doesn't work out" is the best description of Blake's thought process all around I think I've seen

It's what most GMs do. They don't want to stray too far from what is expected because you get crucified if you are wrong. Pick the #3 ranked guy at #5 and nobody is going to ask for your resignation if he busts. Without the Doughty pick, the Hickey pick would have probably sunk Lombardi. Imagine Hickey/Bogosian in back to back drafts.

It's just a bummer because there is such a lack of accountability from the media and public here in LA, you could actually be a bit of a maverick and not get crucified.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Here’s Blake’s vision for the team:

1. Take marching orders from Luc and not piss him off
2. Keep my commute to work under 30 minutes
3. Zero scandals in the press, minus mascots
4. Throw shit at the wall
5. Make the playoffs based on what sticks

 

[Peter James Bond II]

I wish in 1 of the several Yannetti interviews, he was asked about the drafted prospects that are turning pro: Pinelli, Laferriere...and recently turned pro: Huselius, Lee and even FA Krygier. Although he may have never scouted Krygier. He was asked about last yr's draftees: Hughes and was asked about Clarke and Portillo. With over an hour on Mayor's, these certainly should have been covered...
at least Pinelli and Laferriere, as they are pretty high profile and joining the Reign.

NikF brings up a good point in the Kings terrible draft record of Euros. It's time to move on from Ruutu...I see 3 other Euro scouts....never hear about them. Sweden, Finland, Russia? Why not one that covers Czechia and Slovakia? Seems like Slovakia is on the rise again. I have heard Yannetti say they do crossovers, and have scouts go to other areas, to see prospects....maybe they should send the USA scouts over to Europe at least once during the season.

Amateur Scout - Sweden	Niklas Andersson
Amateur Scout - Finland	Jussi Kari-Koskinen
Amateur Scout - Russia	Yuri Khmylev

 

[Bandit]

So the creativity was what exactly? What they had for lunch?