Speculation: LAK GM Search

[Guitpik]

I wonder how many times during Rob Blake’s exit interview did Luc call him “Ken”…

 

[Herby]

So what if he's 36 when he retires. What if his family loves it here, like his wife and kids, which from I heard is true . He decides to stay, you pay him market value, especially with the cap going up and the team doesn't spend another decade finding his replacement. His would be the one contract I'd be willing to pay for.

The earliest the team is going to return to being a viable contender is probably 2030, and at that point you have a 35 year old defenseman being paid for the player he was when he was 30. The Kings spent enough cap space in this decade paying player to play elsewhere, it would be nice if it's not continued into the next decade.

Every one of these signings and giving big money to guys in their 30's also delays the much needed tear down and rebuild.

But if the goal is to lose in the 1st round (which ownership seems fine with), then by all means keep paying guys on the wrong side of 30.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

And you'll be there defending every thing Robitaille does, just as you defended all of Blake's bizarre moves that nobody else in the league would have made.

The team has not won a playoff series or a division title in eight years under the leadership of Robitaille, perhaps the complainers were right?

Now that Blake is gone from the organization can we get an honest assessment of these moves.

1. Byfield in the AHL at 18?
2. Turcotte in the AHL at 19?
3. Clarke's handling in age 19 and 20 seasons?
4. Not making the trade for Eichel?
5. Making the trade for PLD?
6. Making the trade for Fiala?
7. Letting Roy walk for nothing
8. Letting Gavrikov hit UFA and probably the same result as Roy

It's not surprising at all that this team hasn't won anything under these guys, but I guess it's just people complaining about everything.

Maybe people wouldn't "complain about everything" if the team did something like win a playoff series. (3rd longest drought in the NHL)

Nope, not defending, also not sitting back day after day after day punching myself in the nuts for something I can't control, nor looking at with hindsight, nor thinking there is only one way to get shit done.

1. Covid season, it was NHL or AHL where do you put him? He wasn't ready for the NHL, didn't have the strength.
2. Turcotte, left school, he had no choice in the matter, had no guidance, LA put a gun to his head and said leave school and play pro, or we will f***ing kill you...so...sure give you that one.
3. Clarke's handling in age 19 and 20? What about it? He wasn't NHL ready, OHL was gonna do f***all for him, so they had him practice with professional, he played 9 games pro spaced out, wasn't ready for it, played 5 more AHL games pro, then the WJC, then assigned to the OHL, presumably with a laundry list of shit to work on, then the next year, he started with the AHL and ended in the NHL, and this year, full time in the NHL....the horror of having to work on shit, how the f*** did he ever survive that?
4. 30 other teams didn't trade for Eichel, let's act like there was ZERO risk in that trade...right?
5. If PLD had played half of how he played in WSH no one would have said shit.
6. Trade for Fiala was fine....there were ZERO people thinking Faber would be that good, that quickly. Since the trade, Fiala is top 50 in points in the NHL, tied with Boldy....that's total points, and 49th in PPG with players like Kempe, Tkcachuk, Barzal, Nikischin....
7. Show me a playoff team that has traded a top 4 defenseman for futures in the middle of a playoff race.
8. See above....

Go yell at the sky more, it suits you.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I will say, if Emerson is moved to another position, that gives me hope. It shows a willingness to deviate from the status quo, and an interest in bringing in better qualified and capable personnel.

Ken Holland's not a first choice, but if he brings in extra, I welcome the change.

Also important to note that Ken Holland's brother has been a scout for Dallas for the past 20 years, so he also has ties to Janko. Not saying he'll bring him in for certain, but if the plan is to transition him to be the next GM in a year or two, it might be a good sell.

Another reason not to be disappointed with the Kings not bringing Janko right away: Dallas is still in the playoffs. They may contend for the cup. Since the Cup final will end 1-2 weeks before the draft and free agency, the Kings can't wait that long to see if someone will become available.

I don't know if that's the plan, and I don't want to give false hope. But if the Kings didn't expect Blake to quit, getting a short-term GM like Holland while the playoffs are ongoing isn't the worst thing to happen, provided they have something bigger in mind.

Freidman was saying that is the plan, it's a short term hire, and they are still looking for someone to come in and be groomed to take over etc, he didn't give names on that end, just as an outline of what they are thinking etc.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Holland is 69.

Dallas is still in the playoffs - Kings could wait until they are done and poach our future GM still.

 

[DoktorJeep]

I don’t love or hate the move if Holland is the new GM. It’s a better choice than any of the internal candidates. And I’m hoping he is more proactive than Blake ever was.

I think he’ll be in front of the media a lot more, which isn’t hard to do with Blake’s thrice a season availability’s. And maybe he’ll get tougher questions because he’s not a home team hero.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

My moves:

-Make a pitch at Marner - he has ties to Hiller and DJ Smith and LA is not the Toronto market that torments him.
-If Marner doesn't bite, sign Brad Marchand or Jamie Benn to a 1-2 year deal. This is a typical Holland move. Kings went hard after Marchand and Benn spends summers in LA - I've seen him 3X in the past few years here. The Kings need some grit in the top 9.
-Let Gavy walk and sign Aaron Ekblad. Bigger and more offensive.
-Russell Morgan suggested trading Spence for Vince Dunn - that would shake things up. He also suggested the Kings signing Roslovic.
-Re-Sign Jeannot.

Jeannot brought grit...the Neanderthasl mentality against top flight teams especially in the play-offs does little when the 4th line is shit and the top 9 are gassed from playing way too much...Kings need more skill and more Right handed shooters on Offense

 

[Herby]

Nope, not defending, also not sitting back day after day after day punching myself in the nuts for something I can't control, nor looking at with hindsight, nor thinking there is only one way to get shit done.

1. Covid season, it was NHL or AHL where do you put him? He wasn't ready for the NHL, didn't have the strength.
2. Turcotte, left school, he had no choice in the matter, had no guidance, LA put a gun to his head and said leave school and play pro, or we will f***ing kill you...so...sure give you that one.
3. Clarke's handling in age 19 and 20? What about it? He wasn't NHL ready, OHL was gonna do f***all for him, so they had him practice with professional, he played 9 games pro spaced out, wasn't ready for it, played 5 more AHL games pro, then the WJC, then assigned to the OHL, presumably with a laundry list of shit to work on, then the next year, he started with the AHL and ended in the NHL, and this year, full time in the NHL....the horror of having to work on shit, how the f*** did he ever survive that?
4. 30 other teams didn't trade for Eichel, let's act like there was ZERO risk in that trade...right?
5. If PLD had played half of how he played in WSH no one would have said shit.
6. Trade for Fiala was fine....there were ZERO people thinking Faber would be that good, that quickly. Since the trade, Fiala is top 50 in points in the NHL, tied with Boldy....that's total points, and 49th in PPG with players like Kempe, Tkcachuk, Barzal, Nikischin....
7. Show me a playoff team that has traded a top 4 defenseman for futures in the middle of a playoff race.
8. See above....

Go yell at the sky more, it suits you.

Couldn't have put him in the NHL like dozens of other similar players over the years, most with excellent results.

Turcotte left school because the Kings made the ridiculous decision to sign him. Had the Kings told him they had no interest in signing him (like Montreal did with his teammate) he would have returned to school. But ya, lets blame the player for the development mistake, seems on par.

You think Clarke's development was enhanced by playing in the AHL his entire age 20 season? Do you think spending most of his age 19 season at a level he had already conquered and then his age 20 season "working with Muzz" in the minors has been good for his development?

Why couldn't the Kings have handled Clarke the same way NJ handled Hughes? Right to the NHL, no AHL time, increased icetime each month as the season went along. If the Kings are a "contender" so was NJ, how was NJ able to develop and deploy it's similar player in a much faster way?

Not all of those 30 teams had what was considered to be a top 3 prospect pool, and had also recently committed itself to being "contenders"

Fiala has not moved the needle at all in making the Kings contenders, which when you make a trade for a player like him, should be the case. I actually agree that once they went down the stupid "contender" path that they needed to throw a hail mary, they threw it and it hit the ground.

The 2001 Kings traded a top 4 d-man they knew they weren't going to re-sign. Considering that team won 7 playoff games that spring (almost as much as the 8 the Kings have won in four years)

You and Axl love to say how myself and others like RJ constantly complain and are one-sided, meanwhile you guys are the most one-sided fans on this forum. I would wager my entire net that over the last 8 years I have said more positive things about the Kings than the two of you have said negative (combined)

Can I ask you a simple yes or no question GBH.

Had the Kings handled things more "traditionally" in many things, but specifically player development, do you believe things are better off?

 

[MonkeysUncle]

Do you remember how hard it was to find a really good LHD? 10 years until they got Gav. He's not going anywhere, and it would be totally insane to trade high end assets to replace him because you let him walk. Good LHD's are the hardest thing to find.

You cant overpay and dollars and term. Hes going to be 30 and what your going to pay at least $7.5 ×7 for 3 good years. He had his best year in contract year which also something.
That does not makes sense financially or team building. The other thing is what if the system changes to an up tempo style whether it be next year or 3 years. Gavrikov succeeded like alot of D do in this system. Trading assets to get a player like Byram you do it.
So unless you trade Edmundson and you sign Gavrikov for $6×4 you walk away.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Jack roslovic is exactly the kind of plsyer the kings dont need. Russelmorgan should become his agent if he likes him that much

What, you don't think another 6 foot nothing 200 lb softie 40 point player is going to solve everything?

We were right there

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Do you remember how hard it was to find a really good LHD? 10 years until they got Gav. He's not going anywhere, and it would be totally insane to trade high end assets to replace him because you let him walk. Good LHD's are the hardest thing to find.

Gavrikov was LA's best overall D-man the whole year...sign him or look stupid...ditto for Kuz who instilled a love for Offensive hockey again for many players on our team...Kings need more of what Kuzmenko brought in Spades and it was exciting,Fun to watch...sign him or else...egg

 

[Lt Dan]

Holland is 69.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

You cant overpay and dollars and term. Hes going to be 30 and what your going to pay at least $7.5 ×7 for 3 good years. He had his best year in contract year which also something.
That does not makes sense financially or team building. The other thing is what if the system changes to an up tempo style whether it be next year or 3 years. Gavrikov succeeded like alot of D do in this system. Trading assets to get a player like Byram you do it.
So unless you trade Edmundson and you sign Gavrikov for $6×4 you walk away.

Holland isn’t looking at this thing long term. If he can sign Gav to whatever term, fine. It’s one less hole to fill and it’ll suck down the road but Hollands focus is now. He’s going to make a run for it, dude is 70 and isn’t going to be planning 6-7 years down the road.

Edmundson +youth/picks will certainly be traded for some veteran. Same with Moore and possibly Fiala.

 

[FSL KINGS]

Holland isn’t looking at this thing long term. If he can sign Gav to whatever term, fine. It’s one less hole to fill and it’ll suck down the road but Hollands focus is now. He’s going to make a run for it, dude is 70 and isn’t going to be planning 6-7 years down the road.

Edmundson +youth/picks will certainly be traded for some veteran. Same with Moore and possibly Fiala.

Going to love watching the GM try to get this team past the first round. This is going to be some entertainment.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Actually....it's WAY more 'bizarre' to shit on absolutely anything and everything the org (that you are supposedly a fan of) does.

It would make WAY more sense to me if you just came out and said you hated the team, I would have so much more respect for you.

Haters are always gonna hate...fan means you take the good with the bad and yes Blake made some boneheaded mistakes but getting the likes of Fiala was magic the guy carried his line the whole season...Kuz was excellent and was fantastic for aging Kopi-Star and coming Super-Star Kempe...Greentree will be an excellent Forward but can't be wasted on the 4th line not forever anyways...Edmundson was good for Clarke for the D and Clarke's maturity...Gavrikov is a top flight D-man but can't do all by himself...Doughty needs a resurgence and to stay the heck away from Preseason injury...Always good to hear the likes of you Axel giving someone a dressing down...some deserve it...haters are always gonna find what's wrong and not look at the positives...Kings had the SOilers but the balls and the Refs let the Kings down big time...it was like it was predestined...

 

[rebuildorbust]

Expecting Byfield and Clarke to be traded for vet scorers

 

[Herby]

I will say, if Emerson is moved to another position, that gives me hope. It shows a willingness to deviate from the status quo, and an interest in bringing in better qualified and capable personnel.

Ken Holland's not a first choice, but if he brings in extra, I welcome the change.

Also important to note that Ken Holland's brother has been a scout for Dallas for the past 20 years, so he also has ties to Janko. Not saying he'll bring him in for certain, but if the plan is to transition him to be the next GM in a year or two, it might be a good sell.

Another reason not to be disappointed with the Kings not bringing Janko right away: Dallas is still in the playoffs. They may contend for the cup. Since the Cup final will end 1-2 weeks before the draft and free agency, the Kings can't wait that long to see if someone will become available.

I don't know if that's the plan, and I don't want to give false hope. But if the Kings didn't expect Blake to quit, getting a short-term GM like Holland while the playoffs are ongoing isn't the worst thing to happen, provided they have something bigger in mind.

This is what I expected to happen. Players like Emerson and Murray have no history with Holland, or history of results (in the case of Murray he sucks at his job), with Emerson nobody really knows what his specific responsibilities were. They are under contract and will be paid, but it's highly unlikely either has the same say in what happens in the organization under Holland. Maybe with Yannetti it's different, because he has some success to fall back on. But I wouldn't be shocked if Holland brings one of his own guys in to run scouting.

Part of me feels bad for Yannetti, because the development has been so bizarre, but there have also been some picks where the evaluation was just really off too (Turcotte, Kaliyev, Bjornfot, Fagemo, Grans, JAD). That is a lot of whiffs on 1st and 2nd round picks, and the homerun (Faber) and the extra base-hits (Anderson, Laf) really don't make up for it enough. Although if Yanetti leaves, you are bringing in the GM and his scouting director who passed on Quinn Hughes at the 2018 draft. And I know Holland and Ty Wright both personally saw Hughes play a lot in his draft year. So maybe, like with everything else, it would be better to bring in someone from Dallas or Carolina to run scouting.

 

[funky]

Holland isn’t looking at this thing long term. If he can sign Gav to whatever term, fine. It’s one less hole to fill and it’ll suck down the road but Hollands focus is now. He’s going to make a run for it, dude is 70 and isn’t going to be planning 6-7 years down the road.

Edmundson +youth/picks will certainly be traded for some veteran. Same with Moore and possibly Fiala.

Can't see them trade Fiala after he established great chemistry with Byfield and knocked off his antics. Not much offence on the team and I would not want to lose the most skilled guy.

We need muscle that takes a regular shift and Edmundson does that. If there is an upgrade out there for not much of an increase or prospect/pick capital I am all for the upgrade but just like I don't want to lose skill, we can ill afford to lose any toughness.

Gav is a double edge sword. He has played well, very well at times. Saying that he is a very good one dimensional player. There is no offence and no physicality there. I do not think he deserves much of a raise, especially if he is getting term. I would love to see a 6 year 6.75 a year contract but he probably gets more elsewhere. Its just hard when you have Mikey Anderson who is the same type of player, maybe more physical in a smaller frame, but also has no idea what to do with a puck offensively and then Edmundson on the blue line. Yes all three help out our goalie but all three thwart any LA offensive production. If Gav is signed I hope we trade Mikey for a hybrid left shot dman.

Our system has been exposed 4 playoffs in a row and then numerous years prior. Each coach comes in and does a little tweak to cater to the roster construction. Maybe its time for a different roster construction and a new coaching concept.

Moore has no trade protection and can be replaced by Laf for the same price once extended. He would be my first one out the door. I will be pimping Moore, Anderson and a pick trade proposal like the Montreal fans used to pimp the Ryder ones.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Going to love watching the GM try to get this team past the first round. This is going to be some entertainment.

I’m interested to see if this thing turns into maple leaf’s west. Sign Marner + trade for McCabe etc given the ties to Toronto with Hiller and Holland.

I expect some crazy trade like Clarke for McCabe+Knies. Sign Marner to 10+ for 7-8 years. Fits this management crew perfectly.

 

[Docgonzo]

The only positive I can really think of is because Holland is an experienced GM he probably won’t get overridden by Luc to make certain moves. All the dumb moves will be his ideas.

 

[MonkeysUncle]

Holland isn’t looking at this thing long term. If he can sign Gav to whatever term, fine. It’s one less hole to fill and it’ll suck down the road but Hollands focus is now. He’s going to make a run for it, dude is 70 and isn’t going to be planning 6-7 years down the road.

Edmundson +youth/picks will certainly be traded for some veteran. Same with Moore and possibly Fiala.

Yes, I agree that they will do whatever they needs to be done for today, including some very stupid move which the Gavrikov signing would be for the $ and term. I was just saying that I think most people wouldn't do if they are looking long term, but that being said if you can get a impact Moblie Ld like a Byram or even Ryan Johnson it will help you now and future. The other thing to consider is if Holland brings in his son as assistant Gm, he's not going to want to screw him over.
Holland needs to be savvy

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

Haters are always gonna hate...fan means you take the good with the bad and yes Blake made some boneheaded mistakes but getting the likes of Fiala was magic the guy carried his line the whole season...Kuz was excellent and was fantastic for aging Kopi-Star and coming Super-Star Kempe...Greentree will be an excellent Forward but can't be wasted on the 4th line not forever anyways...Edmundson was good for Clarke for the D and Clarke's maturity...Gavrikov is a top flight D-man but can't do all by himself...Doughty needs a resurgence and to stay the heck away from Preseason injury...Always good to hear the likes of you Axel giving someone a dressing down...some deserve it...haters are always gonna find what's wrong and not look at the positives...Kings had the SOilers but the balls and the Refs let the Kings down big time...it was like it was predestined...

The wildest part to me, referring to your ‘haters are always going to hate’ comment…..is that if I identify as a Kings fan, I’m allowed to talk all the shit I want on this page about the org. Hell, I can tell the president, GM and the coach to all suck my ****, all good - nothing seems to be sacred around here. However, if it was an Oilers fan that came over here and said the SAME EXACT thing, that would be considered ‘trolling’, right?

I think we call that a double standard.

 

[Sol]

The wildest part to me, referring to your ‘haters are always going to hate’ comment…..is that if I identify as a Kings fan, I’m allowed to talk all the shit I want on this page about the org. Hell, I can tell the president, GM and the coach to all suck my ****, all good - nothing seems to be sacred around here. However, if it was an Oilers fan that came over here and said the SAME EXACT thing, that would be considered ‘trolling’, right?

I think we call that a double standard.

This is pretty surprising. How can you say things like this when you defend the organization tooth and nail, while ignoring the turnovers/firings of the people you are claiming are doing a great job constantly.

 

[Axl Rhoadz]

This is pretty surprising. How can you say things like this when you defend the organization tooth and nail, while ignoring the turnovers/firings of the people you are claiming are doing a great job constantly.

Huh?

 

[Sol]

Huh?

You’ve obsessed over Todd. And he was fired. You obsessed over Todd when he joined the Redwings when they went on a win streak, disappeared when the wings bombed again despite wings fans blaming him. You obsessed over Blake and said he was master class and then he’s gone the same season.

If you’re a fan, shouldn’t your values be based on success and not just corporate glazing. I just don’t understand what you stand to gain unless you’re doing some strange campaign PR on behalf of the Kings where they pay you to glaze the company men.