Rumor: Planning Ahead: 2019 Off-Season

[Ziggy Stardust]

Where did Luc Robitaille Land in the Top NHL Executives Rankings?

This makes me more than a little uncomfortable.

Had his name been at the bottom, I’d be a lot more concerned.

 

[Ollie Weeks]

Had his name been at the bottom, I’d be a lot more concerned.

To me it would have made more sense. I assumed the piece was in reference to influence. Not success. I can only assume that’s what they are going for.

 

[Reaper45]

So, with Prokhorkin signed(or signing). The Kings have wayyyy too many forwards. Most of them are fringe 2nd liners, likely 3rd liners...

Kovalchuk-Kopitar-Brown
Iafallo-Carter-Toffoli
Grundstrom-Kempe-Wagner
Clifford-Amadio-Lewis
Prokhorkin,Vilardi,Kupari,JAD, Luff, our #5 2019 pick...

Looking at this, I’d say 2, maybe even 3 forwards need to be moved. Maybe 2 could be packaged for a top 4 defenseman...?

One of Carter or Lewis moved. Then Iafallo and Kempe moved for a top 4 defenseman.

Ok where to begin. Do Kovalchuk/Carter/Lewis/Toffoli make it past the draft? Prokhorkin is a giant question mark. Does he stick or does he go back to Russia like Shipachyev? Cant count on Vilardi yet until he makes it through a full camp. Kupari might start up but more likely hes Ontario bound. #5 is at least a season away from making an impact.

 

[BigKing]

Had his name been at the bottom, I’d be a lot more concerned.

How many playoff series have the teams helmed by the Top 5 executives won from 2015 - present?

 

[Sol]

I'd rather have extra forwards than a lack of.

Prohorkin signing could only be a low risk high reward move. If the Kings draft well this year with Prohorkin, Vilardi, Kupari. They'd be a better team sooner than most would have anticipated

 

[YP44]

I'd like to see Toffoli moved. If they have Prokhorkin playing center, I'd like to see Kempe put on wing.

I want to see the lines mixed up with a combination of youth/speed and a veteran on every line.

Roll the lines more evenly. Don't run Kopitar/Doughty into the ground. Take Brown & Kopitar off the #1 PK.

Throughout the season give Wagner/Kempe/Luff/Amadio/Grundstrom time in scoring roles until one of them sticks.


Kempe-Kopitar-Brown
Kovalchuk-Prokhorkin-Wagner
Grundstrom-Carter-Iafallo
Clifford-Amadio-Luff (Vilardi here if healthy?)
Lewis

Forbort-Doughty
Martinez-XXX (Voynov in 2nd half of season?)
XXX-XXX
Phaneuf

(Ladue, Walker, Roy, MacD compete for D spots)

Campbell
Quick

I like this as it give Wagner top 6. I could see Kovalchuk and Grunndstrom trading spots too.
I could also see Lewis moved at the draft

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'd rather have extra forwards than a lack of.

Prohorkin signing could only be a low risk high reward move. If the Kings draft well this year with Prohorkin, Vilardi, Kupari. They'd be a better team sooner than most would have anticipated

Those are still a lot of what-ifs, though.

We assume younger =/= better and while they're almost certain to be faster, high-pace, hungrier (and certainly more entertaining) there's still bust potential with plenty of those guys.

But as you point out 'too many' is good as competition is good.

 

[Papa Mocha 15]

Dorion.

For some reason, I thought TT would look good on Ottowa because they just made a few trades and would be looking to recoup.

 

[KingsFan7824]

So, with Prokhorkin signed(or signing). The Kings have wayyyy too many forwards. Most of them are fringe 2nd liners, likely 3rd liners...

Kovalchuk-Kopitar-Brown
Iafallo-Carter-Toffoli
Grundstrom-Kempe-Wagner
Clifford-Amadio-Lewis
Prokhorkin,Vilardi,Kupari,JAD, Luff, our #5 2019 pick...

Looking at this, I’d say 2, maybe even 3 forwards need to be moved. Maybe 2 could be packaged for a top 4 defenseman...?

One of Carter or Lewis moved. Then Iafallo and Kempe moved for a top 4 defenseman.

I'd agree, don't count on Vilardi for anything until he actually plays. He's played in fewer games every year for the last 4 years or whatever. He can't be part of any equation yet.

That knocks it down to 16 forwards, and JAD, Kupari, and Luff could all easily start in Ontario. Kupari could also be back in Finland for another year. He just turned 19. There's no rush. If he stays in Finland, that's another year before his contract kicks in at his ELC price. Given the old contracts on the Kings, pushing the cheap years ahead isn't a problem. Prokhorkin, have to wait and see what the contract is. If it's a one way deal, he's likely on the team. If it's two-way, it's up in the air. I don't know what his waiver eligibility would or wouldn't be though, so, that would also enter into it.

They can fit 14 forwards with what they have just fine. Nothing wrong with JAD being in Ontario. That roster has to be stocked with youth anyway, instead of guys like Matt Moulson. That's how shallow the Kings depth has been. They can help out Buffalo's youth, by doing the Sabres, Moulson, and Quick a favor. The less of that that happens, the better.

 

[KingsFan7824]

How many playoff series have the teams helmed by the Top 5 executives won from 2015 - present?

There's not much actual success on that list of top NHL team executives. What have the Devils done since 2012? We know Gretzky is great at pretty much one thing, and none of it is about management. Shanahan got Matthews, and they haven't done anything yet. The Wings are nothing. Not sure why Sather is listed. What does he do anymore? Holmgren is like a meme at this point. Why is anyone involved with the Panthers on the list? There's not a more irrelevant franchise.

 

[Little Psycho]

Leadership where are you?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Let's hope he brings some of this success with him. The Kings haven't had any success with a Russian player since Voynov, and he also became a headcase.

 

[YP44]

Leadership where are you?

eeks

 

[BigKing]

There's not much actual success on that list of top NHL team executives. What have the Devils done since 2012? We know Gretzky is great at pretty much one thing, and none of it is about management. Shanahan got Matthews, and they haven't done anything yet. The Wings are nothing. Not sure why Sather is listed. What does he do anymore? Holmgren is like a meme at this point. Why is anyone involved with the Panthers on the list? There's not a more irrelevant franchise.

That's the point. Like...sweet list. Means nothing about Luc's ability to oversee a winning organization.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Paywall article, but the comment about leadership is from Mike Richards.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Let's hope he brings some of this success with him. The Kings haven't had any success with a Russian player since Voynov, and he also became a headcase.

Especially with the treatment of Dergachyov and now Shafigullin.

KHL pretty clearly punishes guys with NHL visions.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Paywall article, but the comment about leadership is from Mike Richards.

Robyn Regehr quotes too! What a badass article.

I mean a concerning one too, but good research, tapping the right people.

I like that Blake at least acknowledges the issue, but what he does from this point is how he will ultimately be judged in my eyes:

"“For me, the entitlement aspect has to disappear,” Blake said at the end of the season. “We’re past the point of the championship teams. We’re gone. We’ve got to build something different. We have to restructure our roster, we all have to be on the same page, but you have to want to get better every day, and if you’re not, it’s not going to work.”
This is a major pivot for Blake, who on the day he was hired said the following:
“The culture is in place and I respect that culture, 100 percent. It’s a culture that you know has success … Sometimes you can come into maybe an organization and they haven’t won and they say they have this culture and that, but it has been proven here. Like I said, the core players like (Anze Kopitar) and Drew (Doughty) and Jeff (Carter) – they’ve been molded with that culture. It’s not coming out of them, so we’ll build on that.”"

now is when he puts his stamp on the team, no more piggybacking on DL.

Edit: Shit man, Mike Richards made me want to run through a wall for him just from that article

 

[DryIslandBartender]

Leadership where are you?

#Beachculture is back.

 

[Choralone]

I have the suspicion that if the sports executive article were not flattering about Luc, people here would be holding it up as an important document.

 

[YP44]

I may need to get the athletic

 

[BigBrown]

I can´t read the article but in regards to leadership, do they mean the players or coaches/management? Though I guess it could be both.

Regardless, it´s time for the players (especially those with letters) to step up.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I can´t read the article but in regards to leadership, do they mean the players or coaches/management? Though I guess it could be both.

Regardless, it´s time for the players (especially those with letters) to step up.

Seems to reference player leadership. There's a point where an unnamed player is saying essentially you can't really go to the coach and tell him his practices suck, but you can go to your other players and lift them up.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's evident that guys like Kopitar and Carter are missing the leaders that they leaned on in the locker. They're not like Richards or Regehr or Williams or Mitchell or Greene or Stoll. Those guys carried were the vocal leaders. That's not Kopitar, or Carter, or Toffoli. The team failed to groom anyone to replace those veterans who have been long gone.

 

[KINGS17]

#Beachculture is back.

#FTF (For The Fellas) - This bunch doesn't have it.

 

[kings11]

#FTF (For The Fellas) - This bunch doesn't have it.

Everyone knew that.. Brown and Kopitar were never vocal guys.. Doughty talks too much shit and is too emotional, that leaves Quick as the only vocal guy, at least from what i've seen at the games i went to..
I actually wanted JDub to stay but he was let go and our last locker room leader with him.. People need to quit correlating salary to leadership! hockey is like baseball in regards to leaders.. they're almost never your Stars or highest played players.