Speculation: LA Kings Offseason Thread

[Rumpelstiltskin]

At this point, Blake has already toasted the rebuild with the winning with Kopi/DD path. So might as well go all-in now. Enjoy 1-3 years of going for it and then rebuild again (with a new GM hopefully)

Seriously, this is where I'm at, too. Use any non-Clarke prospect (this includes Byfield) available for a few clear-cut short-term roster upgrades (don't trade any 1sts past 2025 - they're gonna' need 'em), pray the wheels don't fall completely off Kopitar and Doughty, and just hope they can luck & will themselves to a Cup the next 2 seasons. It probably won't work, and the rest of this decade will almost certainly SUCK, but predicting what the new GM will do at the draft will be fun, right??

 

[YP44]

I really don’t want PLD, full stop. Malcontent wherever he goes and likely has his heart set on playing for the Habs. This team doesn’t need someone that is unmotivated to be their best.

needs to come with an extension for sure.

For a guy who does not like being in Columbus and Winnipeg he still plays his ass off. Imagine what his play would look like in a place he does like!

I think there are other areas of need that should be the focus of this team though

 

[Lt Dan]

don't tase me bro!

 

[funky]

Vegas one win away from the cup, so I’m not surprised the Kings are featured in premium rumors. The only surprise is that Chicago isn’t the top rumored trade destination with them about to draft #1.

I doubt PLD moves to the Kings. It’s too superficially good for Blake to win a bidding war. His strength is shoveling deep shit as effectively as possible. I give him credit for his yeoman like dedication to carrying Luc’s water.

The Chycrun saga is evidence that Rob isn’t prepared and ready to go all in for real. Arizona refused to take Petersen, so plan B was the lower ceiling LD at the cost of a franchise legend.

So he’s not going to shake up the roster for a 1 year all in move if it isn’t put on a warm plate for him. Which doesn’t happen outside of the fantasizing done by purple koolaid fiends.

One could argue that Blake got a better and healthier fit for L.A in Gavrikov.

I was huge on the get Chychrun wagon but the trade for Gavrikov brought in a better and more reliable and possible underrated player.

You would think that Blake moving a Kings legend in Quick would have shown he was ready to go all in.

Not a fan of Robitaille at all and not happy with how our prospects have developed but I am not going to bitch about the trade for Gavrikov. Is still young, plays hard, plays left point, big body and seems like he is awesome in the dressing room. Committed here for two more years. Is this not everything we were asking for? Also filled a short term hole at goal in the trade.

Not sure the hate on the trade.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Kings don't need anymore skilled players. They need sand paper. Wilson, Reaves, Frederic, M. Foligno, either Ritchie brother...anyone at this point.

 

[King'sPawn]

There are some ways to acquire Dubois, depending on what Winnipeg is looking for.

Futures? Not a chance. The Kings already spent a lot of valuable capital to acquire Fiala and Gavrikov for beyond a season.

If it's roster players, the Kings could trade Durzi + one of Iafallo/Moore/Arvidsson as part of a package. Say you go with Iafallo, you'd have the following setup:

Byfield - Kopitar - Kempe
Moore - Danault - Vilardi
Fiala - Dubois - Kaliyev
Grundstrom - Lizotte - Kupari/other

Anderson - Doughty
Gavrikov - Clarke
Bjornfot - Roy
Spence

The Kings don't have a prospect who can fill in for a skilled center slot right away if the plan is to have Byfield play on the wing. If the plan is to move him to center, they should do it right away and not bother trading for anyone.

Frankly, I just don't like the idea of trading to bring in more players. The Kings need to start getting more picks again. But if they are going to go for Wilson or Dubois, hopefully they can at least make some sensible trades and free up roster spots for the upcoming prospects.

Yannetti said on Hoven's podcast yesterday that they basically project players up to 7 years out, though (paraphrasing) they hope to see more yields within 5 years. The 2017 and 2018 draft class should start getting some action in the NHL if this is their development plan.

 

[Seattle King]

Blake will just fkup the picks when he uses them, he has a history of failure now, so why not let him trade them away for something that we already know is good? The Gavrikov deal was fine, he would have drafted shitty players with those picks anyway.

 

[chris kontos]

I have YET ANOTHER answer to all our problems.
Alex Killorn
Big, with a meanstreak, free agent center from tampa bay, 4.5/yr current salary. Harvard educated.
I once saw this guy hit alec martinez so fing hard he almost ended his career. Guy is tougher than a roofing nail with multiple stanley cups history.
Whaddya think?

 

[deaderhead28]

I see happy hour comes earlier in Jets lands when it comes to trades. One thinks Blake would actually entertain a deal with

"Helle 50 percent retained, Dubois 8 x 8 to LA for Kempe Kupari Clarke Arvidson 1st 23 or 24 (not sure they have this years) and another pick this year (we only have a handful currently) and if b4 July 1, rights to ufa korpisalo"

Blake's not giving up Kempe or Clarke, Gabe is going no where either.

 

[Seattle King]

I have YET ANOTHER answer to all our problems.
Alex Killorn
Big, with a meanstreak, free agent center from tampa bay, 4.5/yr current salary. Harvard educated.
I once saw this guy hit alec martinez so fing hard he almost ended his career. Guy is tougher than a roofing nail with multiple stanley cups history.
Whaddya think?

He's a winger, never been a C in his entire career

 

[AbsentMojo]

I have YET ANOTHER answer to all our problems.
Alex Killorn
Big, with a meanstreak, free agent center from tampa bay, 4.5/yr current salary. Harvard educated.
I once saw this guy hit alec martinez so fing hard he almost ended his career. Guy is tougher than a roofing nail with multiple stanley cups history.
Whaddya think?

I like that idea more than any ive heard -e.g. Wilson would require an overpay (salary and assets since he's signed). Killorn is 33 but had 2 straight 82 game seasons and career hight 64 points in 22/23. Move one of RV, Iafallo or Moore and get it done.

 

[YP44]

I see happy hour comes earlier in Jets lands when it comes to trades. One thinks Blake would actually entertain a deal with

"Helle 50 percent retained, Dubois 8 x 8 to LA for Kempe Kupari Clarke Arvidson 1st 23 or 24 (not sure they have this years) and another pick this year (we only have a handful currently) and if b4 July 1, rights to ufa korpisalo"

Blake's not giving up Kempe or Clarke, Gabe is going no where either.

I agree that is an out to lunch demand. However I would not Gabe is going nowhere. he should be going nowhere but what if he does not being in LA, or if he has huge contract demands. I know he is an RFA with little power here, but could still be moved.

 

[chris kontos]

He's a winger, never been a C in his entire career

Listed as a center on one site, if not i stand corrected.

 

[Seattle King]

Listed as a center on one site, if not i stand corrected.

Shit happens, no big, otherwise I like the guy and agree he would be solid. But LAK has too many wingers to play as it is and unless you are moving Iafallo's salary it doesnt make sense. TBL wont want a hockey trade they will want to move salary out so its unlikely.

 

[chris kontos]

He's a winger, never been a C in his entire career

Hockey reference. Lists killorn as c/lw.
But thanks

 

[YP44]

I have YET ANOTHER answer to all our problems.
Alex Killorn
Big, with a meanstreak, free agent center from tampa bay, 4.5/yr current salary. Harvard educated.
I once saw this guy hit alec martinez so fing hard he almost ended his career. Guy is tougher than a roofing nail with multiple stanley cups history.
Whaddya think?

there are worse options depends on what his contract demand is. But we already have a plethora of wingers

 

[AbsentMojo]

I like Killorn for adding some sandpaper and keeping/increasing point totals at wing -for similar price as someone like RV (not for addressing the fact LAK doesnt really have 1C or 3C )

 

[Lt Dan]

But we already have a plethora of wingers

 

[Seattle King]

Hockey reference. Lists killorn as c/lw.
But thanks

189 faceoff wins in 11 year career, do the math, he's not a C.
You're welcome.

 

[Kurrilino]

I agree that is an out to lunch demand. However I would not Gabe is going nowhere. he should be going nowhere but what if he does not being in LA, or if he has huge contract demands. I know he is an RFA with little power here, but could still be moved.

We have an organization that has no problems paying losers like Kopitar and Doughty $10 mill and you are concerned with a highly talented youngster demanding a fair compensation?
There are very few players like Vilardi available

189 faceoff wins in 11 year career, do the math, he's not a C.
You're welcome.

Maybe he is just bad at faceoffs?

 

[KopitarGOAT420]

I don't see how you are getting PLD without one of Byfield, GV or Clarke would go in the deal. You are not getting PLD straight up for Byfield. We're also not flush with picks -- we have no 1st round pick this year and no 2nd next year. The likelihood we get him for a quantity type deal with our limited picks seems very low even with his baggage & a high priced extension needed soon. We're going to need some low priced young salary guys like Spence, AK34, Pinelli, Bjornfot, etc. to fit in the limited cap space. My guess is either GV or Byfield would go (among others).

I guess I just fundamentally disagree (respectfully of course) with the assertion that a top prospect/young player needs to be included to land PLD.

At the end of the day it's all speculation on what the 'asking price' is - So who really knows.. But honestly the 'asking price' from WPG doesn't really matter - It's more about beating what other teams are offering - And other teams also realize WPG is backed into a corner so aren't going to be offering too much either.

As I pointed out, the Jets have virtually no bargaining power. How could they possibly demand more than a couple picks and maybe a decent prospect for a player who they'll just lose to MTL in free agency in a couple weeks if they don't trade him????

If I'm Winnipeg, I'd MUCH rather get say even just a 3rd round pick for him from LA than watch him walk to Montreal and get absolutely nothing out of it. And I realize obviously the Jets are probably going to get more than a 3rd rounder for PLD but I'm primarily just stressing the fact that if it really comes down to the wire, they're going to accept anything before they lose him for nothing.

So why would the Kings, or any team really, offer premium assets? At this point it's about damage control for the Jets and at the end of they day I think they'd accept a pretty modest trade package as opposed to losing him for nothing.

 

[chris kontos]

189 faceoff wins in 11 year career, do the math, he's not a C.
You're welcome

 

[Docgonzo]

Play wise in the future I’m surprisingly more worried about PLD than Wilson, just for PLD now forcing himself off his 2nd team by the age of 24. But the cost to acquire plus contract Wilson scares me more than PLD.

PLD or Wilson would definitely improve this team but still need that goalie.

 

[JTeller97]

Whether or not we get either PLD or Wilson, at least we're being linked with players of that ilk and clearly RB has an understanding of the style of player we need.

 

[CarlSneep]

I agree with the idea that the Kings need more top line/first pairing talent and should trade depth to get there.

It’s just that PLD & Wilson aren’t top line talent.