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So what is plan B?

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regulate

Registered User
Aug 19, 2007
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA
So let's get back to reality for a moment. I don't mean to be Debbie downer here, but let's say Gaborik does not re-sign with us. What is plan B? Do we go after a UFA? Do we make an impact trade? Do all three kids that are not waiver exempt (McNabb, Vey and Andreoff) make the team?

Please don't respond with "Gaborik is going to re-sign". We all hope that. But what does Lombardi do if he doesn't? What would you do?
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Plan B? This guy.. I hope.

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i would like to think Vanek would be a option. A skilled lw that i think would mess with Kopitar. I honestly think he would sign here. I know rumors have him signing in Minnesota but i think he wouldn't want to play 2nd fiddle to Parise. He would get top line mins on 5 on 5 and pp play here. This all said Gaborik is the better choice for la
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
i would like to think Vanek would be a option. A skilled lw that i think would mess with Kopitar. I honestly think he would sign here. I know rumors have him signing in Minnesota but i think he wouldn't want to play 2nd fiddle to Parise. He would get top line mins on 5 on 5 and pp play here. This all said Gaborik is the better choice for la
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If you think Lombardi would sign Vanek, you're crazy.

Between the questions about his attitude and work ethic, and the lax defensive play, I don't see any way that Lombardi even considers him.
 
agentfouser said:
If you think Lombardi would sign Vanek, you're crazy.

Between the questions about his attitude and work ethic, and the lax defensive play, I don't see any way that Lombardi even considers him.
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lol been called a lot worse. The same thing was said when Gaborik was aquired. This would be a good time to get him for cheaper bad playoff questionable work ethic would also have vanek play harder to prove people wrong. Buy low on him. Also easy to say no and sit back and criticize someones opinion and not offer any other suggestions. Who you got that better?
 
Moulson might be an option. He has great hands around the net, and is a proven 30 goal scorer on LW with an elite center (Travares). I would have concerns about his commitment to D, and he is obviously not as fast as Gabby, but he might fit.
 
KingCanadain1976 said:
lol been called a lot worse. The same thing was said when Gaborik was aquired. This would be a good time to get him for cheaper bad playoff questionable work ethic would also have vanek play harder to prove people wrong. Buy low on him. Also easy to say no and sit back and criticize someones opinion and not offer any other suggestions. Who you got that better?
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Who's better, I don't know.

My guess is that given the contract situation coming up at the end of next season, if Lombardi cannot get Gaborik he either sits on the money and starts re-upping our upcoming free agents or goes after a defenseman (Stralman? Deano pls). Gaborik presents a unique opportunity with his combination of skill and "fit," and I'm not convinced Lombardi would sign another winger just for the sake of doing so. The missed offense would have to come from within, and remember that Lombardi always insists on building the team from the back out. We have three older defensemen in Regher, Mitchell, and Greene, and we could stand an upgrade on all three of them. Regher is obviously locked up for next year, but if the money was there I could totally see Lombardi passing on both Mitchell and Greene and signing a free-agent instead. If you could find someone really solid to pair with Voynov, you'd have six defenders that rivaled our defensive core in 2012.
 
agentfouser said:
Who's better, I don't know.

My guess is that given the contract situation coming up at the end of next season, if Lombardi cannot get Gaborik he either sits on the money and starts re-upping our upcoming free agents or goes after a defenseman (Stralman? Deano pls). Gaborik presents a unique opportunity with his combination of skill and "fit," and I'm not convinced Lombardi would sign another winger just for the sake of doing so. The missed offense would have to come from within, and remember that Lombardi always insists on building the team from the back out. We have three older defensemen in Regher, Mitchell, and Greene, and we could stand an upgrade on all three of them. Regher is obviously locked up for next year, but if the money was there I could totally see Lombardi passing on both Mitchell and Greene and signing a free-agent instead. If you could find someone really solid to pair with Voynov, you'd have six defenders that rivaled our defensive core in 2012.
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I agree something is needed to our defense but it can be done from within. However the effect of a elite lw on the first line is something your massively underestimating imo. Vanek is that a elite lw that would fit on Kopitars left side. Look how good this team was with a proper lw for Kopitar dominate. It wouldn't be for the sake of doing so it would be done for the reason of keeping a dominate player on kopitar left. No matter how you feel about Vanek he is a elite lw and would be a good replacement for Gaborik should he decide to go eslewhere. Our defense is not really a need to do we have young defense man coming no real need for going outside our organization.
 
Pretty sure if he doesn't re-sign it means the Kings made the decision that he is the odd man out when it comes to the shedding the salary that is inevitable within the next year, which means they are going to try and re-sign Williams and keep Richards, I certainly hope that's not the case because I feel Gaborik is more important to the teams success than either of those guys, but that is certainly a possibility.

If he doesn't re-sign there certainly isn't a long term "plan b" option to replace him, because it would be about money and money is the issue for the Kings, they could bring in another rental at the deadline this season or go dumpster diving for a guy willing to take a one year deal.

If they do move on from Gaborik you have to feel like they think Richards can be a 2nd line center again and Carter moves back to the wing to replace Gaborik's production on the wing.

Brown - Kopitar - Toffoli
Pearson - Richards - Carter
King - Stoll - Williams
Clifford - Lewis - Rookie

Seems that roster would be quite a bit weaker than the one we ended the season with. Gaborik just added that element that the Kings were desperately lacking. I really hope he is re-signed.
 
agentfouser said:
If you think Lombardi would sign Vanek, you're crazy.

Between the questions about his attitude and work ethic, and the lax defensive play, I don't see any way that Lombardi even considers him.
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Whats the matter with Vanek's attitude? I never heard that before.

work ethic and defensive play.... they said the same about Gaborik.

LA needs a pony that can score, Vanek can score no matter who is on his line (unlike Moulson) so he should be considered.
 
The Kings are not going to pass on Gaborik, a guy who has already proven he is a fit both on and off the ice to sign Vanek for probably even more money unless Vanek is willing to pull a Marian Hossa in Detroit type situation and sign for one year to chase a Stanley Cup. Stranger things have happened but Vanek doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would do that.
 
Herby said:
Pretty sure if he doesn't re-sign it means the Kings made the decision that he is the odd man out when it comes to the shedding the salary that is inevitable within the next year, which means they are going to try and re-sign Williams and keep Richards, I certainly hope that's not the case because I feel Gaborik is more important to the teams success than either of those guys, but that is certainly a possibility.
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I am curious. You have repeated this over and over. Can you explain why you think it is "inevitable" that the Kings will shed salary? Thanks.
 
Pan B is whoever Columbus has available at the deadline, or maybe that's Plan A?
 
Quattro said:
I am curious. You have repeated this over and over. Can you explain why you think it is "inevitable" that the Kings will shed salary? Thanks.
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After next season, we have a bunch of key players hitting RFA or UFA status, and many will be due raises. That includes Stoll, Williams, Muzzin, and Martinez. We will have to make room to accommodate them, and then the year following that Kopitar's contract is up. He will most certainly command a big raise, and we must pay him basically whatever he asks for. If we win the Cup next year and Kopitar has a year and playoff with a similar or better performance--not exactly likely, but not entirely unlikely either--then he could go into contract negotiations as arguably the single most important player on the roster.

So, yeah, cap space will be important in the next few years.
 
kingsfan said:
Whats the matter with Vanek's attitude? I never heard that before.

work ethic and defensive play.... they said the same about Gaborik.

LA needs a pony that can score, Vanek can score no matter who is on his line (unlike Moulson) so he should be considered.
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I was rather imprecise, and was thinking of "attitude" and "work ethic" as largely synonymous. That was a bit lazy on my part, but if we remove attitude as distinct from work ethic, we still have a guy with a very questionable work ethic, a guy who has failed to raise his play at critical moments both in the playoffs and in the recent Olympics.

And yeah, he can score, but that's all he can do. He's a one-trick pony who doesn't work hard. That's the opposite of the kind of player Lombardi has sought. I don't think he even gets considered except for as long as it takes to dismiss him.
 
agentfouser said:
After next season, we have a bunch of key players hitting RFA or UFA status, and many will be due raises. That includes Stoll, Williams, Muzzin, and Martinez. We will have to make room to accommodate them, and then the year following that Kopitar's contract is up. He will most certainly command a big raise, and we must pay him basically whatever he asks for. If we win the Cup next year and Kopitar has a year and playoff with a similar or better performance--not exactly likely, but not entirely unlikely either--then he could go into contract negotiations as arguably the single most important player on the roster.

So, yeah, cap space will be important in the next few years.
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No, he will not. He is not that kind of a person. His agent will.
 
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