If playoffs were the main expectation, why wouldn't TMac and Blake be forcefully saying so before the season? Throwing the gauntlet down, lightning a fire under the team's asses, whatever you want to call it. I agree with you that those moves were meant to meaningfully improve this team, but I disagree that it was a make-or-break playoff year. Arvidsson was a reclamation project. Edler had been declining. Danault for sure was a big play, but we had no idea Moore and Arvidsson would blow up playing with him.
I think your point about getting contributions from different places than expected is a great one, but I think the fact that we're doing this well when some of the younger guys haven't emerged yet is even more encouraging for the future. I look at players like Kyrou and Terry elsewhere on top of the awesome development of our young defensemen. We had more spots on defense, and players stepped up. I've been frustrated more spots haven't been open in the top 9, but the forwards have demolished the AHL this year and guys like Kaliyev who did make it to the NHL have continually improved.
I'll stop this rant here, but I guess I'm just trying to paint an optimistic view of your points. I get not subscribing to it, but I'll throw it out there anyways.
Sounds like a lot of coach-speak to me. I trust actions more than words. Anytime a team brings in a 2nd line center, a 1st/2nd line winger and a 2nd pairing defender without giving up any NHL players off the roster it tells me they are trying to make the playoffs. I believe the playoffs was their goal all along, and credit to them, they are on pace to do it. We can argue whether it's the right long-term path, but Blake on his own or with a mandate from ownership tried to be way more competitive/make playoffs and went shopping this summer and did what he set out to accomplish, even with his best player being out for possibly half the season.
But long-term it has not been a positive, I can't see how anyone can view it as that. There just has to be more from young players, and it has to start very soon or it will go off the rails. I guess I am just pessimistic that players who have done nothing in the NHL are going to suddenly flip the switch and live up to draft projections or suddenly start scoring like the Kings will need. Could it happen? Sure, but with each passing month the chances of that happening become less and less. The Kings results as of now in developing these guys is just so poor it's hard to ignore. If a Top 3 pick isn't a decent NHL'er by his third season after being drafted the red flags go up and history isn't on their side. The red flags are 100% up with Dach and Kaako for instance, if both players were put on the market right now there is zero chance either comes close to bringing back the draft capital used to take them and they are fighting an uphill battle to avoid being busts. Byfield needs to be better next year or he risks going down the same path. Same thing with Turcotte, if he can't be an NHL regular by next year he is fighting an uphill going off of previous players of ever being anything useful in the NHL. Teams and GM's have pride and bias, GM's are always going to want to do everything they can to have their high picks in the lineup in many cases even when they are playing awful (QB). The fact that Blake brings in a free agent center and then signs Lizotte to an extension should give everyone a pretty good idea where he stands with his young centers, guarantee if all had gone well none of those moves happen.
This is where someone like Bland and I see eye to see. I've said numerous times I care about building a cup winner, not a Dave Taylor 7th seed and out team. I'll cheer on this team and hope they win and enjoy the 5-12 playoff games they'll likely play but it can still be a step back year in the overall rebuild. I would have traded this seasons results with the Sharks if it meant two of the Kings four first round picks took a big step towards being impact players in the NHL. I don't know how long you've been a fan, but I kind of look at this season as similar to 97-98. The Kings brought in some vets and made the playoffs, but Berg, Jokinen, Storr, MacLean, Rosa and Yachmenev who were the big shot prospects at the time all failed to live up to the hype. I think people often times underestimate how quickly young players go from prospects to either stars or busts. For every one Troy Terry who finds it late at 24 there are twenty Aki Berg's, Jeff Tambellini's and Jared Aulin's who dont.
Maybe my pessimism will be proven wrong next season and guys like Turcotte, Vilardi, Kupari and JAD suddenly find an offensive game in the NHL. I'm not pessimistic or optimistic on QB, I see both sides of the argument. I actually could see him exploding next season because its not a matter of skill like with Turcotte or skating with Vilardi, I think it's more mental and that can be more easily overcome. Just saying he needs to take a step to like the 40-45 range at minimum or the red flags are real.
