Speculation: LA Kings News, Rumors, Roster Thread 2022-23 Season

[bmr]

You don’t know that the smoke meant nothing, just like I don’t know that the smoke meant something.

But I would do the Fiala/Faber trade one hundred times out of one hundred, so who really cares whether or not Faber wanted to play here or Minnesota. Fiala is a top 32 player in the league.

Not only that, but Faber is a RHD and we simply don't have room for him. Even if we did and his development timeline was optimal, who are we going to get rid of?

I do think we spend a lot wasted mental energy on exploring what if scenarios. Faber will probably go on to have a great career in Minnesota, but we needed a guy like Fiala on this team and the trade will most likely work out for both teams.

 

[mysterman2]

I do think we spend a lot wasted mental energy on exploring what if scenarios. Faber will probably go on to have a great career in Minnesota, but we needed a guy like Fiala on this team and the trade will most likely work out for both teams.

this is the same wasted energy spent on If only we drafted player X instead of player Y.

 

[BigKing]

Kevin Fiala wasn't the "plan" but collecting assets and having cap space to make a move for a premium player was always part of the plan. Blake felt the time was right so he made a move from a position of strength: RHD prospect and a 1st after using six first round picks from 2017 - '21.

I'm not a huge Rob Blake guy but this type of move is Rebuild 101 type stuff. A move like this was always part of the plan.

 

[Cook24]

Mayor basically said in his most recent podcast that it doesn’t sound like the kings will make any big moves before deadline. Maybe depth LHD defenseman. Big L for rob blake if so. Same thing as last year with Stecher basically. Sounds like he’s content with possibly missing the playoffs…

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Don't you mean LHD?

I still don't understand all the criticism of Blake making moves in a vacuum or not being part of a larger plan. Is he the best GM in the league? Probably not - but we could do a lot worse. He and his staff has looked at the deficiencies of the team and have addressed them. These moves may not come at the pace that the fans expect or want, but i'm glad that he hasn't made any snap/rush decisions or try to implement quick fixes that might not have a lasting impact.

Positive moves during Blake's tenure:

1. L.A.'s prospect pool has grown to be one of the best in the league.
2. Additions of Arvidsson, Danault and Fiala who have been impact players.
3. His patience in letting prospects develop without making premature trades (i.e. Vilardi/others for Chychrun).
4. Some solid contractual/salary cap moves (Anderson, Durzi, others).
5. Hire of Jim Hiller to address powerplay issues.
6. Sending Petersen down when performance was suffering (i.e. making a necessary/difficult move).

There are some negatives as well. Kovalchuk/Petersen.. I am not a big McClellan guy and i'm not sure if Blake is going to make a big splash there if he can't get us over the hump. Culture/plan question marks.

I don't think anyone would be questioning Blake at all right now if we had a stud LHD and a bonafide #1 goaltender. No one expected Quick/Petersen to be as bad as they have been this year, least of all Blake. I also think they probably underestimated the loss of Maatta and the impact of not having the true LHD we all covet. You guys think Blake isn't aware of these deficiencies? I think it just comes down to how far you wanna go to mortgage the future of this team.

Bottom line for me: with a stud LHD and goaltender, we would definitely be a top tier team that is capable of making a deep playoff run.

I'm not a Rob Blake apologist - I just think we still owe him another year or two to see how the next moves shake out. Some of you would probably never give him any credit even if we were to win the Cup.

But again--it's not about being perfect or having the STUD surefire LHD and goaltender--it's that those positions are a total f***ing abyss. Arguably worst in the league from a depth chart standpoint. And not suddenly.

I don't hate Blake or root for him to fail like some but we are getting to the shit or get off the pot point and two of the six hockey positions are bottomless pits. I don't care how rosy everything else is, it's a very very blatant achilles heel. If we're going to give him credit for overflowing the C and RHD cupboards (and even that is debateable) then we have to give him shit for not balancing by using those assets to fix the other forseeable concerns.

 

[johnjm22]

People speculating Semyon Varlamov to LA.

Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60. (Playing on teams that will miss the playoffs)

Montembeault .587 (1yr 1M)
Anton Forsberg .466 (2yrs 2.75M)
Vejmelka .452 (2yrs 2.7M)
Carter Hart .407 (1yr 3.9M)
Varlamov .299 (UFA)
Hellberg .238 (UFA)
Korpisalo .148 (UFA)

Marc Bergevin needs to make some calls to his old team.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

Don't you mean LHD?

I still don't understand all the criticism of Blake making moves in a vacuum or not being part of a larger plan. Is he the best GM in the league? Probably not - but we could do a lot worse. He and his staff has looked at the deficiencies of the team and have addressed them. These moves may not come at the pace that the fans expect or want, but i'm glad that he hasn't made any snap/rush decisions or try to implement quick fixes that might not have a lasting impact.

Positive moves during Blake's tenure:

1. L.A.'s prospect pool has grown to be one of the best in the league.
2. Additions of Arvidsson, Danault and Fiala who have been impact players.
3. His patience in letting prospects develop without making premature trades (i.e. Vilardi/others for Chychrun).
4. Some solid contractual/salary cap moves (Anderson, Durzi, others).
5. Hire of Jim Hiller to address powerplay issues.
6. Sending Petersen down when performance was suffering (i.e. making a necessary/difficult move).

There are some negatives as well. Kovalchuk/Petersen.. I am not a big McClellan guy and i'm not sure if Blake is going to make a big splash there if he can't get us over the hump. Culture/plan question marks.

I don't think anyone would be questioning Blake at all right now if we had a stud LHD and a bonafide #1 goaltender. No one expected Quick/Petersen to be as bad as they have been this year, least of all Blake. I also think they probably underestimated the loss of Maatta and the impact of not having the true LHD we all covet. You guys think Blake isn't aware of these deficiencies? I think it just comes down to how far you wanna go to mortgage the future of this team.

Bottom line for me: with a stud LHD and goaltender, we would definitely be a top tier team that is capable of making a deep playoff run.

I'm not a Rob Blake apologist - I just think we still owe him another year or two to see how the next moves shake out. Some of you would probably never give him any credit even if we were to win the Cup.

No, I meant the massive logjam at RHD that is necessitating players like Durzi to line up on their off sides while also preventing talented prospects like Spence and Clarke from breaking into the NHL.

You can defend Rob Blake all you want. He has been the GM for six years now. Six. I’m not making excuses for him anymore. He tried to squeeze more playoff hockey out of the 12-14 core, failed to do so, audibled to a half-rebuild/retool, and now we’re here. He has failed to do anything he and Luc told the fanbase they would do after unceremoniously pushing aside the only executive to ever win anything for this eternally mediocre franchise.

I will be first in line to praise Blake when the Kings win a playoff round under his tenure. That’s the bar.

 

[johnjm22]

Mayor basically said in his most recent podcast that it doesn’t sound like the kings will make any big moves before deadline. Maybe depth LHD defenseman. Big L for rob blake if so. Same thing as last year with Stecher basically. Sounds like he’s content with possibly missing the playoffs…

I would call that a big W for Blake.

He should mostly stand pat, unless the opportunity to land a player that benefits the Kings for the long term falls into his lap.

 

[bland]

Not only that, but Faber is a RHD and we simply don't have room for him. Even if we did and his development timeline was optimal, who are we going to get rid of?

I do think we spend a lot wasted mental energy on exploring what if scenarios. Faber will probably go on to have a great career in Minnesota, but we needed a guy like Fiala on this team and the trade will most likely work out for both teams.

Not as badly as they need a player like Faber. Not even remotely as badly.

Blake grabbed Fiala because the opportunity was presented to him. It was poorly timed for the health of the franchise. Could it still be a positive? Sure - just not as likely as it being a mistake.

The Kings got flashier for the fans, but not better. Trading first round picks for frill players is inadvisable when all of the players coming in are also offensively oriented and the roster isn't ready to move forward. Add a player like Fiala when you have a better idea of where the kids fit,.

When you look at the organization from top down you clearly see that Blake has continually prioritized skill over spine. Trading for more skill now, especially at that cost, is like taking a cake out of the oven and putting it in the microwave to heat faster. Heat isn't the priority here. This team isn't close to contending and won't be until the kids prove their reliability and offer a clearer picture of what is really missing here.

Blake doesn't make good decisions. He makes acquisitions that punt the decisions further down the road, seemingly hoping that they resolve themselves.

There are players just as productive as Fiala available every offseason. Maybe not as highlight prolific, but just as productive. The best course was to continue building via the prospects and add what you REALLY need when the timing is right. This was not the case with Fiala. In a vacuum, terrific player. This isn't a vacuum.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Jesus christ some of the bullshit I read on here really makes me wonder how the f*** some of you turn on a computer in the morning....

 

[lumbergh]

Just furthers the narrative floating around here that Blake tends to make moves in a vacuum, with little consideration to a larger “plan”.

I say this as a huge fan of the Fiala acquisition, FWIW.

I don't understand why people think that trades are not part of the plan after accumulating a bunch of assets. Like every one of these prospects is going to make the team and become a top player on the Kings? No. You use the assets to acquire the right players for your team.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Not as badly as they need a player like Faber. Not even remotely as badly.

I think you are starting with a different premise than Blake: namely that he wants to expedite the rebuild for 8 and 11's tiny window... Faber is a lot less likely to fit into that window...for RB its a giant win to get a top 30 player locked in that contributes now. I do think he is way overbuilding the forwards at expense of the entire back end.. I think you have 10 vet F signed and still need to sign Vilardi.. while the d-corps and G flap in the wind.

 

[kingsholygrail]

People speculating Semyon Varlamov to LA.

Been speculating Varlamov since last year. Too easy for the writer of that article.

 

[Statto]

Then I would consider this season an absolute failure if they stay on pace to fall back of last year and Blake does nothing to address it.

I don't necessarily blaming Blake for not wanting to pay premium prices to fill holes--but these aren't sudden holes. These were forseen by anyone that's been paying attention and thus "what is Blake supposed to do?!?" isn't an excuse, it's literally his job to be on top of this and plenty of people around him get paid millions with vastly more tools than we have to have some foresight.

Us dumb message board idiots with no/little professional hockey experience saw the LHD and goaltending pipeline issues two years ago.

If he makes a move I just don’t want it to be a rental. I don’t mind a slightly raised price as long as it’s someone with term.

 

[Statto]

And I pointed out several other times that smoke meant nothing.

Nobody who keeps pushing this has yet to provide a similar instance of when a prospect refuses to sign with every team except one without having the player, agent, or an executive confirm it, but that 'everyone knew'. Especially when Faber could have tried to go pro after the trade and play for his "dream team" immediately.

Faber's not the only prospect who had a favorite team growing up with a special needs family member.

This need to rationalize the trade further is myopic.

The reality is that Faber could sign in MN in July and then be traded in October. So he has minimal control even now.

The trade made sense regardless of what Fabers plan is/was. Even if someone would have done the move i think everyone must see the rational for making it.

 

[Seattle King]

The whole "Lets win another Cup with Kopi and Doughty, one more time" plan seems to be a mirage.
If you choose to carry the $22 million twins on your roster why arent you doing everything you can to win now?
They wont be better next year. They will be older and probably even less engaged than they are now.
The Western Conference is up for grabs, nobody is locked in.
Next year management will be saying "Wait til next year when we have Kopi's AAV off the books, then we can really compete."
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
After this year do you really trust them to be better next year? The LHD crisis has been ongoing for multiple years. The goaltending crisis has been ongoing for multiple years. No action taken. Without Copley we would be last place.
I also agree that only cosmetic changes will occur between now and the TDL.
I am discouraged by a management team that doesnt have a sense of urgency and doesnt see the opportunity that is at hand.

 

[Statto]

But again--it's not about being perfect or having the STUD surefire LHD and goaltender--it's that those positions are a total f***ing abyss. Arguably worst in the league from a depth chart standpoint. And not suddenly.

I don't hate Blake or root for him to fail like some but we are getting to the shit or get off the pot point and two of the six hockey positions are bottomless pits. I don't care how rosy everything else is, it's a very very blatant achilles heel. If we're going to give him credit for overflowing the C and RHD cupboards (and even that is debateable) then we have to give him shit for not balancing by using those assets to fix the other forseeable concerns.

I’m ok with standing still on LD because of the situation in net. However my position will change if we don’t make a significant move in the off season, that’s the line for my patience even if it doesn’t count for much

 

[AnThGrt]

Mayor basically said in his most recent podcast that it doesn’t sound like the kings will make any big moves before deadline. Maybe depth LHD defenseman. Big L for rob blake if so. Same thing as last year with Stecher basically. Sounds like he’s content with possibly missing the playoffs…

Makes me feel that it is now more likely we do something bigger. Really wish there was a Hoven tag like there is an Eklund tag.

Do think any bigger deal is easier done in the off season. Goes without saying yet alone with the CAP.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Going fwd, I think you have to treat Petersen as a sunk cost and not let his 5m prevent you from restoring the goalie pipeline (similar to how minne lives with the crippling Parise and Suter buyouts). What this may boil down to is shipping one of the 4-5mil signed forwards off for cap space for D and G... with JQ off the books next year, yes you have 5.8 for a #1, but you also need a #2 if you want to think clearly about contending. On top of that you need to sign Vilardi and pick up an LD.

 

[King'sPawn]

The reality is that Faber could sign in MN in July and then be traded in October. So he has minimal control even now.

The trade made sense regardless of what Fabers plan is/was. Even if someone would have done the move i think everyone must see the rational for making it.

It makes sense and is defensible, even if I disagreed with the trade at the time and still right now, at best, it's "incomplete." He's a talented player having a great year, but we still have several more with him and we've yet to see how the pick and Faber turn out, professionally.

But I'm concerned at the volume in which speculation is being accepted as fact - and it's only growing in the assertion. Which is why I think it's important to hold the facts in check. As long as we're recognizing this is speculation, and there is a lot more evidence out there that most players don't behave in the way people are supposing Faber is behaving, and that NOBODY privy to the situation has hinted anything close to what the speculation has gone down, then sure, speculate away.

But stop posting it and utilizing it to defend the trade as fact.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

The whole "Lets win another Cup with Kopi and Doughty, one more time" plan seems to be a mirage.
If you choose to carry the $22 million twins on your roster why arent you doing everything you can to win now?
They wont be better next year. They will be older and probably even less engaged than they are now.
The Western Conference is up for grabs, nobody is locked in.
Next year management will be saying "Wait til next year when we have Kopi's AAV off the books, then we can really compete."
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
After this year do you really trust them to be better next year? The LHD crisis has been ongoing for multiple years. The goaltending crisis has been ongoing for multiple years. No action taken. Without Copley we would be last place.
I also agree that only cosmetic changes will occur between now and the TDL.
I am discouraged by a management team that doesnt have a sense of urgency and doesnt see the opportunity that is at hand.

The people who say things like, "rebuilds take time; we're not supposed to be good yet; be patient" are the same who screeched about trading Kopitar and Doughty for massive returns back in 2017-2019.

Let's also not forget Doughty's tantrum to the media a couple years ago about not wanting to go through a rebuild. Blake immediately hopped to, bringing in vets like Danault, Arvidsson, etc.

It's just the same exhausting doublethink. Trust the plan. Blake is both rebuilding and not rebuilding. These are not the droids you're looking for.

 

[NikF]

The biggest difference for me between Lombardi and Blake is that Lombardi had a vision, zeroed in on the players he wanted that specifically met his vision, made the acquisitions aggressively with the right timing and then reaped the rewards. I would almost bet my entire house DL had a plan of how he wanted the Kings culture to be, how he wanted them to play and circled names like Stoll, Williams, Greene, Richards, Mitchell etc. on his chart as targets. Then he made difficult decisions (Visnovsky, O'Sullivan, Simmonds, Schenn etc.) to get them. I don't think he woke up one day and thought "oh I dont have a #2LHD, oh I don't have a checking 3C, let me see which names are available today and pluck one." Sometimes it feels like that with Blake. I think DL went aggressively after the players he targeted.

It is true however that Lombardi was aided by having a clear #1C, and a #1D in his system by then. With Blake we don't know what we have with the kids, but then they're also asked to play supporting role on a veteran playoff bubble team, so finding out what they are will be even further delayed.

With Blake, the feeling I get is, his plan is basically to wait as long as possible until he is forced into a decision and into an acquisition that presents to himself as viable. There is a lack of quality in the *selection* process and then also the constant juggling between the youth and the 2012, 2014 Cup vets without committing to any direction.

I think DL lost it by the end of his tenure and I would not want him back to manage my team at this stage of his career if I was a fan, but there is no denying on a strategic level DL was much more confidence-inspiring. Blake to me seems like a bureaucrat, an administrative officer relative to Lombardi who felt more like a general.

 

[Fishhead]

Blake obviously has a plan, no GM is going to get hired without one. He doesn’t have the love of talking that Lombardi had, that’s the main difference. He is a little closer to the vest, but he certainly isn’t as outgoing.

He has the reputation of being very diligent and prepared around the league. It is a huge change from the last GM who would never shut up given the opportunity to talk. Its frustrating that all our info was taken away for sure, I was addicted to DL’s conferences.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

Pretty cool ad:

 

[Nasti]

The biggest difference for me between Lombardi and Blake is that Lombardi had a vision, zeroed in on the players he wanted that specifically met his vision, made the acquisitions aggressively with the right timing and then reaped the rewards. I would almost bet my entire house DL had a plan of how he wanted the Kings culture to be, how he wanted them to play and circled names like Stoll, Williams, Greene, Richards, Mitchell etc. on his chart as targets. Then he made difficult decisions (Visnovsky, O'Sullivan, Simmonds, Schenn etc.) to get them. I don't think he woke up one day and thought "oh I dont have a #2LHD, oh I don't have a checking 3C, let me see which names are available today and pluck one." Sometimes it feels like that with Blake. I think DL went aggressively after the players he targeted.

It is true however that Lombardi was aided by having a clear #1C, and a #1D in his system by then. With Blake we don't know what we have with the kids, but then they're also asked to play supporting role on a veteran playoff bubble team, so finding out what they are will be even further delayed.

With Blake, the feeling I get is, his plan is basically to wait as long as possible until he is forced into a decision and into an acquisition that presents to himself as viable. There is a lack of quality in the *selection* process and then also the constant juggling between the youth and the 2012, 2014 Cup vets without committing to any direction.

I think DL lost it by the end of his tenure and I would not want him back to manage my team at this stage of his career if I was a fan, but there is no denying on a strategic level DL was much more confidence-inspiring. Blake to me seems like a bureaucrat, an administrative officer relative to Lombardi who felt more like a general.

I have no doubt that Lombardi made a list of every player on every team and circled the ones who played with balls and were leaders. Mindset was the most important thing for him. Blake only seems to look at skill. He’s been far more like Taylor than Lombardi.