Speculation: LA Kings Offseason Thread

[Herby]

This certainly is one of the most oddly constructed rosters in the cap era.

Just crazy to think that in their original master plan they likely envisioned Kopitar, QB and Turcotte as the Top 3 C’s this season, with a combined salary of slightly less than $12m. And here is the reality, they instead are paying double that much to their 3 centers this season. That’s a massive whiff.

It’s tough because they had to improve the C position this off-season, you just aren’t winning with Danault and Lizotte as 2C and 3C, but they sure paid a premium for it and it has the team incredibly weak in goal and lacking depth at D and wing.

The Kings draft 6 centers and 4 d-man in the top 2 rounds between 2017 and 2021 and entering the 2023/24 offseason their are huge holes at C and D. I’m sorry but I have no idea, how in a results oriented business like this, that Yannetti is still employed. The team basically got rid of every Italian player in the last week, wish they had extended it into the scouting staff. He’s a fun interview (even if it’s 90% con man BS) and probably a good dude, but he’s flat out sucked at his job for awhile now.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Quick got 875 why did Talbot get a million plus bonuses? Blake is really bad at negotiation contracts.

Solomon and Lombardi had this down.

Couldn't possibly be because Quick just wanted to put a Ranger jersey on before he goes away, or that, who knows, maybe Talbot had some other option. Nope. It has to be because....

And damn, who knew that anyone could forget Cloutier? Learn something new each day.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Have to imagine a 1st + much more going away at the deadline for Hellebuyck retained unless voodoo strikes again

 

[Trash Panda]

Trevor Lewis checks a lot boxes and would be a smart pickup. A right shot 4th liner who wins more than his share of board battles and kills penalties? That's an ideal minimum salary signing.

Grundstrom - Lizotte - Lewis is the kind of competent 4th line this team was lacking all year. Certainly better than shoe-horning in a Kaliyev or Fagemo and asking them to forego their offensive instincts in favor of just getting pucks deep.

Prime Trevor Lewis? I completely agree.

This vintage of him? I’m far from sold.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Golden Knights - Hague, Carrier, and Koelesar.
Oilers - Kane, Nurse.
Kraken - Oleksiak, Dunn, Gourde
Anaheim - Carrick, Gudas
Flames - Zadorov

Guess who the Kings have. NO ONE. I'M DONE. F BLAKE.

 

[Sol]

I don’t really get any of this.. this team is structured and managed so poorly. Give up an arm and a leg for PLD who’s a center when we have Byfield already who can fight for the spot.

Now we have no money to address real weaknesses in goaltending and this team is still soft as f***. I think getting someone like Gudas and a decent goaltender would have been much more impactful than getting PLD.

Blake has done such a poor job it’s unbelievable.

 

[AbsentMojo]

Blake's big "insight" is you can go into a season with giant holes in more than 1 area and fix it at the deadline... Blake used to paint houses, but kept getting fired for leaving foot prints from a corner to the door at every gig. He had issues in college because he could only focus on 2 things at a time.. so each report card was like B+, B+, F, F, F.. and what the hell is his problem with putting someone with dropped balls and testosterone on the roster. He learned nothing from Lombardi.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I can't wait until Fiala and Kempe get taken out by a player like Cogliano again.

I have spoken to NHL players - word on the street the Kings are SOFT. No one is nervous playing LA without Lemieux.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Blake's big "insight" is you can go into a season with giant holes in more than 1 area and fix it at the deadline... Blake used to paint houses, but kept getting fired for leaving foot prints from a corner to the door at every gig. He had issues in college because he could only focus on 2 things at a time.. so each report card was like B+, B+, F, F, F.. and what the hell is his problem with putting someone with dropped balls and testosterone on the roster. He learned nothing from Lombardi.

He seems to be taking the opposite approach to building the team. While under DL our offense was the weakest link, it's now our defense and goaltending.

 

[funky]

Quick got 875 why did Talbot get a million plus bonuses? Blake is really bad at negotiation contracts.

Solomon and Lombardi had this down.

Because at this point even Talbot is a better goalie than Quick. This coming from a fan that lived Quick.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I can't wait until Fiala and Kempe get taken out by a player like Cogliano again.

I have spoken to NHL players - word on the street the Kings are SOFT. No one is nervous playing LA without Lemieux.

Yeah I"m not even close to as big on 'toughness' as you are but the Cogliano hit on Fiala was the latest in a long series of alarm bells

Especially playing with a short roster this year i expect lots of similar injuries and a follow up 'well what was blake supposed to do we're up against the cap' etc.

 

[Herby]

I don’t really get any of this.. this team is structured and managed so poorly. Give up an arm and a leg for PLD who’s a center when we have Byfield already who can fight for the spot.

Now we have no money to address real weaknesses in goaltending and this team is still soft as f***. I think getting someone like Gudas and a decent goaltender would have been much more impactful than getting PLD.

Blake has done such a poor job it’s unbelievable.

The organization clearly has no confidence that QB can play C atleast this season. Just like with the Danault signing, you don’t bring in veterans from the outside and give them long-term big money deals if you have faith in the players you drafted being able to play the rolls you expected of them. Nobody wanted to admit it at the time but Danault was anywhere from a massive hedge against Vilardi and Turcotte as C’s to a straight up write-off, the same is true here with PLD.

The comments all year about “I want QB back at C” , “QB should be with Fiala” etc etc. but the reality is the organization wasn’t going that direction, and all fans should have listened to them and adjusted their takes.

 

[CowMix]

Byfield-Kopitar-Kempe
Moore-PLD-Arvidsson
Fiala-Danault-Kaliyev/Fagemo
Grundstrom-Lizotte-Lewis
JAD

Anderson-Doughty
Gavrikov-Roy
Bjornfot?-Clarke
Spence

Copely-Talbot


^That's probably your opening night lineup, unless they sign a 35+ LHD.

I think you have the wingers on line 2 and 3 swapped but overall it looks like a playoff squad. The goaltending isn't any worse then last year and the forwards and defense should be improved.

I think what people are missing about lack of toughness is it is by design as we need a constant stream of injuries to gain as much LTIR cap space as possible to make that trade deadline splash lol

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Vancouver signing Cole AND Soucy

Wonder what that's like

 

[AbsentMojo]

He seems to be taking the opposite approach to building the team. While under DL our offense was the weakest link, it's now our defense and goaltending.

Yes he integrated nothing and seems to be doing the opposite... building from the edges in, D and goalie come last. Zero emphasis on the "heavy" game.. in fact the opposite there too. Its as if he isnt trying to build a team that can succeed in the playoffs... and there's your answer.

 

[funky]

Korpisalo getting more money and term than Andersen is hilarious.

Reimer 1yr 1.5m to Detroit. Add him to the long list of goalies that should've been signed instead of Talbot

Reimer sucks. Talbot is an equal. Just on a better contract.

 

[Sol]

McDavid and Draisaitl are probably drinking some champagne right now because they know come post season that they will score every shot they take.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Blake missed the playoffs. Obv he didn't watch Bennett, Lomberg, Tkachuk, Gudas vs Hague, McNabb, Carrier, Koelsar.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I also don't care what goalies signed for in ottawa, detroit

this is a team that's 'supposed' to make the 2nd round

Sure, Talbot and Copley 'should' be enough to make a WC/3rd seed spot. But what's the excuse going to be this year? Kick the can down the road one more year?

 

[Moses Doughty]

Signed Andreas Englund (LHD) 2 years 1 mil per year

His career highlight might be getting traded this past deadline 1 for 1 for Jack Johnson. What in the hell

 

[Sol]

The organization clearly has no confidence that QB can play C atleast this season. Just like with the Danault signing, you don’t bring in veterans from the outside and give them long-term big money deals if you have faith in the players you drafted being able to play the rolls you expected of them. Nobody wanted to admit it at the time but Danault was anywhere from a massive hedge against Vilardi and Turcotte as C’s to a straight up write-off, the same is true here with PLD.

The comments all year about “I want QB back at C” , “QB should be with Fiala” etc etc. but the reality is the organization wasn’t going that direction, and all fans should have listened to them and adjusted their takes.

If they truly don’t think Byfield could be a center then they never should have traded Vilardi who was already a much better winger. They should have gotten a package for Byfield to address the issues.

Even if Byfield is ass they should have let him take another crack at C next year then rush to get PLD and leave no room for goaltending.

Kings got bullied last year and lost. They will get bullied again. Korpisalo mentally collapsed in the playoffs after a few games and now our goaltending is worse.

I don’t get what this team is thinking.

 

[Little Psycho]

Who?

 

[tny760]

englund

lmao

the ole preseason lefty dumpster dive huh

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Are you f***ing shitting me

Haha sure go out and get the guy who killed Turcotte

f*** you Bjornfot and f*** you Turcotte in one deal!

 

[Johnny Utah]

Wow. I'm done. He's a terrible fighter.