On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the Kings' offseason?

[aceofpace]

1 being the lowest.

7 for me. While this wasn't a very flashy offseason, we added a notable player by trade (Arvidsson), free agency (Danault), and draft (Clarke). One for each position and all without giving up any significant assets. Couldn't ask for much more, especially especially when more than half of the league got worse.

Click to read more...

 

[Peter James Bond III]

8

1. adding Arvidsson. At 28 and really pumped to prove Poile wrong, I feel he's going to do well. Maybe not the 30 goals again, but 20-25 and on this team, goes a long way. Giving up a #2 and #3 worth it. Kings have tons of prospects and needed a legit 20 goal threat, than the picks.
2. Danualt. Only could really complain about term, but most of these FA's were getting too much in dollars and / or term and Blake got the going rate, it seems.
Will solidify #2 center, which really was the biggest hole last year. Creates 5 on 5 offense and will be great on PK and shutdown Stone, McDavid as good as anyone could
and leave Kopi playing less tough minutes.
3. NOT giving up any of the prospects. Huge, huge, huge. I would have hated to see the #1 pick or Turcotte, Kaliyev, Faber...etc moved for anyone like a Reinhart.
All of the prospects cannot play in LA, but they all will take the next step in yr 2 with the Reign (many of them) It is ALWAYS the second year that the top ones
begin to turn the corner - OR NOT. Like how Kupari surprised to the upside this year. Need to see where Madden is. After 2 years, the Kings will have a more
clear idea on how good they will be. Also, instead of being forced to try to get the little top talent there was this Summer...Blake can be ready when the right
player can be targeted...and have a clearer idea in what he's giving up.
4. Draft of only 4 players...but Clarke is a gift and should have gone top 4 for sure. Pinelli was a gift at 42. Craig Button (I know.,..not the best judge, but still good)
says that if Helenius' skating was better, could have been top 10. WOW. And Kirsanov is a stud. He was even rated 1st round on some lists. So, 4 draftees that
all could have been round 1? (or high seconds) Yannetti said he was the most happy with this draft. So, there's that.
5. Extending Moore, getting Lias signed at 874,000.
6. Losing MacDermid. Really didn't want to see him play any more. Love the intensity and team guy, but a liability on the ice.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

1 being the lowest.

7 for me. While this wasn't a very flashy offseason, we added a notable player by trade (Arvidsson), free agency (Danault), and draft (Clarke). One for each position and all without giving up any significant assets. Couldn't ask for much more, especially especially when more than half of the league got worse.

I think the Kings got better for certain. Just how much remains to be seen! Wonder what the lines will be? Who the Kings will peddle off because of the 32 or so they can only keep 23 at the NHL level! I'm looking for some deals to start happening at camp or before the Season starts! Like the vets brought in together with the youngsters being hungry,will make for an interesting and great Camp

 

[Gjwrams]

Solid 8.

A 9 would have been trading up to get Wallstedt in the 1st round or landing that LHD stud.

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

Like to see a Tre Kroner line of Kempe,Lias and Arvidsson or Grundstrom

 

[Schrute farms]

8

 

[SettlementRichie10]

8

The team is better now than it was a couple months ago, and without sacrificing any future pieces. Hard to say Blake did a bad job this summer.

Only question now is how he reacts to prospects actually making the jump/busting/stagnating. For example, Bernier was the heir apparent in net for a long time. And then Quick came out of nowhere and stole the spot. Lombardi could have just audibled to his original plan and stuck with Bernier, but he did a good evaluation of both goaltenders and obviously made the right choice.

These small choices in which you’re deviating from the original plan are what separate average GMs from Cup winning ones.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

8

1. adding Arvidsson. At 28 and really pumped to prove Poile wrong, I feel he's going to do well. Maybe not the 30 goals again, but 20-25 and on this team, goes a long way. Giving up a #2 and #3 worth it. Kings have tons of prospects and needed a legit 20 goal threat, than the picks.
2. Danualt. Only could really complain about term, but most of these FA's were getting too much in dollars and / or term and Blake got the going rate, it seems.
Will solidify #2 center, which really was the biggest hole last year. Creates 5 on 5 offense and will be great on PK and shutdown Stone, McDavid as good as anyone could
and leave Kopi playing less tough minutes.
3. NOT giving up any of the prospects. Huge, huge, huge. I would have hated to see the #1 pick or Turcotte, Kaliyev, Faber...etc moved for anyone like a Reinhart.
All of the prospects cannot play in LA, but they all will take the next step in yr 2 with the Reign (many of them) It is ALWAYS the second year that the top ones
begin to turn the corner - OR NOT. Like how Kupari surprised to the upside this year. Need to see where Madden is. After 2 years, the Kings will have a more
clear idea on how good they will be. Also, instead of being forced to try to get the little top talent there was this Summer...Blake can be ready when the right
player can be targeted...and have a clearer idea in what he's giving up.
4. Draft of only 4 players...but Clarke is a gift and should have gone top 4 for sure. Pinelli was a gift at 42. Craig Button (I know.,..not the best judge, but still good)
says that if Helenius' skating was better, could have been top 10. WOW. And Kirsanov is a stud. He was even rated 1st round on some lists. So, 4 draftees that
all could have been round 1? (or high seconds) Yannetti said he was the most happy with this draft. So, there's that.
5. Extending Moore, getting Lias signed at 874,000.
6. Losing MacDermid. Really didn't want to see him play any more. Love the intensity and team guy, but a liability on the ice.

Solid 8.


A 9 would have been trading up to get Wallstedt in the 1st round or landing that LHD stud.

8.5. haha. There's nothing much I can add to these. With how giddy the org was with the draft, imagine if they would have landed Wallstedt? They went out and got talented guys that WORK HARD. That smells like Blake addressing several needs at once at absolutely reasonable--borderline bargain, looking at the market--prices. But I was all in on Danault previous to us landing him, I never thought we'd go get him. This was Blake's Jarret Stoll without trading Visnovsky. Is Edler a diet Matt Greene?

Yet...

8

The team is better now than it was a couple months ago, and without sacrificing any future pieces. Hard to say Blake did a bad job this summer.

Only question now is how he reacts to prospects actually making the jump/busting/stagnating. For example, Bernier was the heir apparent in net for a long time. And then Quick came out of nowhere and stole the spot. Lombardi could have just audibled to his original plan and stuck with Bernier, but he did a good evaluation of both goaltenders and obviously made the right choice.

These small choices in which you’re deviating from the original plan are what separate average GMs from Cup winning ones.

I also agree with this, and I think we're all waiting with bated breath to see how Blake handles serious curveballs. The "easy A" grace period is gone, what happens next matters bigtime. What if McLellan refuses to break the 1-3-1 and we just tank like 2012? Etc.

I think it remains to be seen if Blake is actually patient and waiting for his time to strike versus indecisive or paralyzed by analysis.

 

[Ghetty Green]

8.5

 

[Reclamation Project]

8

 

[Stimpythecat]

8

to go higher would have required addressing the LHD top pairing or getting a 2C even better than Danault all without giving up major assets. Just a 2nd and 3rd when the prospect pool is stacked and overflowing. We need quality over quantity at this point.

the easy part was the tear down. the hard part is getting the right leaders in and graduating Byfield, turcotte, kaliyev, etc. to the NHL. That and patience - most definitely patience.

 

[Mats26]

In relation to my expectations going into free agency.. a 5/10, but then reality started to set in when I saw these ridiculous contracts being signed. Was hoping to get a young core piece like Bertuzzi or Reinhart via trade and sign\trade for a top 3 dman. Prices were really crazy. Seattle didn't budge on any side deals either.

In the end, I would give it a solid 7.5. Expecting more firepower and goal scoring but we'll be a blue collar lunch pail team that might be harder to play against. We'll see. Clarke was a nice add though, Eklund would of been a real gem. But overall the draft was good.

 

[KINGS17]

I am going with a 7 until I see some tangible results on the ice.

 

[bmr]

8 for me also.

Even without tangible results, you have just added two really good 2-way players in Danault and Arvidsson and a strong, heavy presence on D with Edler. All of this without giving up any of our core prospects. You can't ask for much more than that. I am really looking forward to this season and see what the team brings. On the surface, it sure looks like we should make the playoffs.

 

[Bandit]

8 for sure. Blake has done well no doubt about it, but 9's and 10's are reserved for that hot girl/guy you oogle over pictures of online that you have no chance with but tell yourself "They're not that hot".

 

[Statto]

8.

Nothing I can add that’s not been covered. Not perfect (no LHD #1) but as good as could have been realistically expected. Now the really tough bit begins and it’ll be 2-3 years before we can judge, Blake has to decide who to keep, who to move and most important get the timings of any promotions to the NHL roster right. For my money he’s nailed the rebuild to date and has been nicely patient but this is the bit that decides how he will be thought of.

 

[tny760]

I am going with a 7 until I see some tangible results on the ice.

hard for me to even think about more than a 7

the right choices were probably made but i'm wary after all the middling that we've seen the last few seasons, and this wasn't really a "sink or swim" offseason anyway. i think next offseason will be twice as important

 

[Ray Martyniuk]

And the Tre Kroner Froward line could be called the Widing-Sandstrom's to pay homage to those talented and skilled former Los Angeles Kings! Juha the playmaker and Sandstrom the scorer with great size! Both of course could skate a pretty typical trade mark of all Swedish players! And down the road the Kings D-men...Bjornfot and Grans could be called the Norstrom's...oops I'm gone off on a tangent...oops sorry just remembering old days,decades

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

hard for me to even think about more than a 7

the right choices were probably made but i'm wary after all the middling that we've seen the last few seasons, and this wasn't really a "sink or swim" offseason anyway. i think next offseason will be twice as important

I think being tentative on that basis is completely fair.

What do you mean re sink or swim offseason?

 

[DoktorJeep]

If we’re measuring satisfaction, I’d have to pick a 7. I liked the Arvidsson trade. And I think Danault and Edler are lower risk moves, so I’m willing to be cautiously optimistic there. I don’t like Quick and Brown still being around at their cap hits. I’d be more excited if we had a sure fire 25 goal guy for the next couple years who was on the upswing versus hoping for a bounce back performance or an extended drink from the fountain of youth.

Bottom line, a bunch of stuff has to go right for this team to crack the 80 point tier. And this team has been boring as shit to watch for 7 years running. If we’re being honest, even during the cup runs, the wow moments were surrounded by a lot of grind em out hockey. If I can find a reason to stay awake past the half way point for 40’ish games this year, that will be a measurable improvement.

If we’re fed a steady diet of tweeners, I’m expecting another extended stay in snoozeville.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

If we’re measuring satisfaction, I’d have to pick a 7. I liked the Arvidsson trade. And I think Danault and Edler are lower risk moves, so I’m willing to be cautiously optimistic there. I don’t like Quick and Brown still being around at their cap hits. I’d be more excited if we had a sure fire 25 goal guy for the next couple years who was on the upswing versus hoping for a bounce back performance or an extended drink from the fountain of youth.

Bottom line, a bunch of stuff has to go right for this team to crack the 80 point tier. And this team has been boring as shit to watch for 7 years running. If we’re being honest, even during the cup runs, the wow moments were surrounded by a lot of grind em out hockey. If I can find a reason to stay awake past the half way point for 40’ish games this year, that will be a measurable improvement.

If we’re fed a steady diet of tweeners, I’m expecting another extended stay in snoozeville.

My biggest worry at this point is that we'll get another season of 1-3-1 like 2012 Terry Murray but without the coaching change.

 

[DoktorJeep]

My biggest worry at this point is that we'll get another season of 1-3-1 like 2012 Terry Murray but without the coaching change.

I hear ya. I struggle with wanting the Kings to pick up points at any cost versus superficial highlight reel moments. On the one hand if Byfield goes out and scores 28 goals, but the team gets 68 points, is that good moving forward. Or on the other hand, if the team makes the playoffs on the backs of a top 10 defense and bottom 20 offense, is that cause for true hope.

The feeling of being stuck in the middle makes it hard to put a number of satisfaction.

 

[tny760]

I think being tentative on that basis is completely fair.

What do you mean re sink or swim offseason?

i just feel like this season is gonna be real important for some of the kids to show what they got, so there's gonna be a lot of real important decisions made in the next offseason

lots of RFA/UFA contracts, lots of kids that should have made their case by then. i think those decisions NEED to be right, while i feel like this offseason's were kinda "don't be dumb" decisions

 

[Crown Royal]

I also agree with this, and I think we're all waiting with bated breath to see how Blake handles serious curveballs. The "easy A" grace period is gone, what happens next matters bigtime. What if McLellan refuses to break the 1-3-1 and we just tank like 2012? Etc.

I think it remains to be seen if Blake is actually patient and waiting for his time to strike versus indecisive or paralyzed by analysis.

I’m pleased with the rebuilding so far (8) but I find myself wondering if McLellan is the coach that can lead this team back to the cup again.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Really won't know until the season gets under way. I'm not disappointed in it though, so I guess at least a 5. We didn't sell the farm for Eichel and that circus so that's good.