Confirmed with Link: Toffoli Signs for 3 Years/$4.6 AAV

[kings11]

I think the Kings need a solid Third Line Center that can produce, more than a Top 4 Defender. Dowd/Kempe/Shore are just not third line center material, if you ask me.

Maybe that's where the money should go.

IDK, I'd like to see Brown/Kempe/Brodzinski as a 3rd line... but with $4+ mill to play with and if we LTIR Greene and send down jackoff for Campbell we'd be around $5 mill for say 2/$10 Jumbo Joe???

Pearson - Kopitar - Toffoli
Brown - Carter - Gaborik
Kempe - Thornton - Brodzinski
Lewis - Dowd - Nolan
Clifford - Shore

Doughty - Forbort
LaDue - Muzzin
Gravel - Martinez
McNabb - Fantenberg

Quick
Campbell

The Cap space gain with the bridge deal, the ability to put a player or two on LTIR (Greene & Gabby and deal with it later), the expansion draft (losing either McNabb, Lewis, Nolan, Shore or Dowd) and the likely trading of a Dman (Muzzin, Martinez or McNabb) will likely allow us to sign a guy like Drouin if acquired to a large contract.. We actually have options in the short term, although as BK has pointed out we need space for DD...

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

From what I understand LTIR does not add cap space.

The team still has to account for it

They can't put him on LTIR until the season starts so they'll have to bury some contracts in the AHL until they can put him on there.

 

[Scottkmlps]

Nicely done Blake & Solomon, nicely done.

 

[BigKing]

Lomardi set a low standard based on the number of poor decisions he made leading up to his removal.

Getting Toffoli and Pearson locked up at under $9M combined is good. Restocking the cupboard with prospects that Lombardi would have looked over is good. I'm sure there are more transactions that will be made that'll address what this team has been lacking.

See, that's total BS right there.

Same scouts in place. Only argument one could make is that they actually signed here and maybe Rob Blake has a little "Wow, I'm talking to Rob Blake" cache that Lombardi doesn't have when these UDFAs are meeting with the team.

This is why I can't say that the moves Blake has made are things that Lombardi wouldn't have done. This is just like not pinning the 2006 draft on Lombardi even though he was GM for it. The scouts had been looking at Fantenberg, Iafallo and Imama prior to Blake becoming GM.

It's not like Blake stepped in to the room, pulled out a piece of paper dated July of 2016 and said "These are my guys" and signed them.

I'm not pining for Lombardi, but to claim he would "overlook" these guys is a real leap. I'll also say it is easier to sign UDFAs when they look at the current roster as opposed to even the 2015 off-season. No way the Kings and Lombardi were just overlooking UDFAs back then.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Futa said it himself that they've been going after free agent prospects that they may have previously looked over.

 

[damacles1156]

Mike Futa and staff, get no pass from me.

You can't simply blame all of the poor draft choices on Lombardi.

Futa has been consistently promoted for a reason, the GM is not a scout, and does not do the grunt work of making a draft board.

The Drafts and player development, is still in place.

 

[damacles1156]

Futa said it himself that they've been going after free agent prospects that they may have previously looked over.

Because Futa and his staff have failed at the draft table.

Part of that is Lombardi's fault, for trading too many picks.

But Futa does not get a pass in this.

 

[damacles1156]

If You're going to blame Lombardi for the Kings entire implosion. Then you have to give Lombardi a ton of credit, for winning two cups.

 

[The Tikkanen]

I wouldn't pencil Brown into the lineup just yet. Blake and Luc have said they want player who can attack the middle of the ice and produce more offense-that is not Dustin Brown. I think the TT and Pearson signings are the beginning of a major over haul that will put the Kings into position to win next year and the next few years with the core in win now mode and Doughty needing to be on a winner to make his decision to stay easier. The Kings have a number of extra pieces who cannot play the style the Kings want, Brown, Lewis, Shore, Clifford, I'd have the moving boxes and packing tape handy.

 

[BigKing]

Some blowhards can't get over their irrational feelings towards Rob Blake.

You're first comment in this thread was a "Still think Blake sucks? He's awesome!" post.

It can be Blake, Lou Lam or Jesus Christ himself: I'm not going to assess the hiring based on two good RFA signings and some UDFA signings.

It's extremely early in the process. I like what has happened so far as he hasn't done anything bad. Of course, it would be hard to do bad things at this point in time since the season is still going and we haven't reached the late-June/early-July frenzy.

 

[damacles1156]

IF Blake Signs some solid UFA Veterans to shore up the roster, I would be impressed.

Third line Center/ Top Four D. Maybe a Winger.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

If You're going to blame Lombardi for the Kings entire implosion. Then you have to give Lombardi a ton of credit, for winning two cups.

He certainly does deserve that credit. The first four years under Lombardi were very rough, things finally started to get better a year after Doughty was drafted and the Kings continued to show improvement from 2009-10 right through 2013-14, a five year span. It's been downhill ever since.

 

[theMajor]

Brown never "took less" or took a discount.

At the time he signed his 6 year deal at 3.175M, his career high in goals was 17. Adjusted for cap inflation 3.175M translates to 4.6M. That's not a discount for a guy that's never even scored 20 goals.

Brown negotiated that deal man to man with Lombardi, he didnt use an agent. regardless of how bad his contract looks now it was definitely seen as him taking a 'discount' when he signed

 

[damacles1156]

He certainly does deserve that credit. The first four years under Lombardi were very rough, things finally started to get better a year after Doughty was drafted and the Kings continued to show improvement from 2009-10 right through 2013-14, a five year span. It's been downhill ever since.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[BigKing]

I wouldn't pencil Brown into the lineup just yet. Blake and Luc have said they want player who can attack the middle of the ice and produce more offense-that is not Dustin Brown. I think the TT and Pearson signings are the beginning of a major over haul that will put the Kings into position to win next year and the next few years with the core in win now mode and Doughty needing to be on a winner to make his decision to stay easier. The Kings have a number of extra pieces who cannot play the style the Kings want, Brown, Lewis, Shore, Clifford, I'd have the moving boxes and packing tape handy.

Lewis can certainly play the style the Kings want as he can skate and is tenacious.

I know he is your #1 whipping boy, but there is no issue with him in the bottom six outside of cap hit.

One of the few guys that honestly laid it all out there last season.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You're first comment in this thread was a "Still think Blake sucks? He's awesome!" post.

It can be Blake, Lou Lam or Jesus Christ himself: I'm not going to assess the hiring based on two good RFA signings and some UDFA signings.

It's extremely early in the process. I like what has happened so far as he hasn't done anything bad. Of course, it would be hard to do bad things at this point in time since the season is still going and we haven't reached the late-June/early-July frenzy.

People trash Blake for an incident that occurred with a different management group back in 2001. A management group that ****ed this team over more so than Blake ever did.

That's being irrational, especially when they still hold ill feelings towards a man who may be more qualified than people thought of him when his hiring was announced.

 

[damacles1156]

Lewis can certainly play the style the Kings want as he can skate and is tenacious.

I know he is your #1 whipping boy, but there is no issue with him in the bottom six outside of cap hit.

One of the few guys that honestly laid it all out there last season.

Trevor Lewis is worth his cap hit, one of the reasons the bottom six, was actually good last season.

Lewis had 11 ES goals last season, more than Kopitar, more than Gaborik.

 

[BigKing]

I totally understand anyone's excitement about Blake since it seems like it has been awhile since there has been good news coming from the GMs office.

Just saying he is a rookie GM that has expansion, amateur draft and free agency all coming up in the next 30 days. Let's see how he does.

I greatly dislike the man but him doing well is in my best interests. He's ultimately going to **** us in the end like he always does so I'm just hoping it is 10 years and at least one more cup down the road when that happens. As far as irrational hate towards the guy: I argue it is rational from a fans perspective. Real life? Go get paid, Rob. As a Kings fan? Completely rational hate.

He has a golden opportunity to change my mind about him. I know that's what he's thinking about as he keeps these AAVs down and readies a Drouin trade

 

[BigKing]

Trevor Lewis is worth his cap hit, one of the reasons the bottom six, was actually good last season.

Lewis had 11 ES goals last season, more than Kopitar, more than Gaborik.

I think he is as well. Was just saying that with the Kings cap situation, that is really the only thing to pick on him for and that is a stretch.

The issue isn't Trevor Lewis, its the guys who are supposed to score not scoring. Until an NHL team can ice an entire group of forwards that score 10-15 goals each at minimum, Lewis is just fine on the bottom six of every team in the NHL.

 

[damacles1156]

I think he is as well. Was just saying that with the Kings cap situation, that is really the only thing to pick on him for and that is a stretch.

The issue isn't Trevor Lewis, its the guys who are supposed to score not scoring. Until an NHL team can ice an entire group of forwards that score 10-15 goals each at minimum, Lewis is just fine on the bottom six of every team in the NHL.

I agree.

Myself and Raccoon have tried to explain this numerous times (it falls on deaf ears mostly)

If you get 10-15 ES goals out of a Bottom six player, guess what ? You have one of the best bottom six players, in the entire league.

 

[funky]

I totally understand anyone's excitement about Blake since it seems like it has been awhile since there has been good news coming from the GMs office.

Just saying he is a rookie GM that has expansion, amateur draft and free agency all coming up in the next 30 days. Let's see how he does.

I greatly dislike the man but him doing well is in my best interests. He's ultimately going to **** us in the end like he always does so I'm just hoping it is 10 years and at least one more cup down the road when that happens. As far as irrational hate towards the guy: I argue it is rational from a fans perspective. Real life? Go get paid, Rob. As a Kings fan? Completely rational hate.

He has a golden opportunity to change my mind about him. I know that's what he's thinking about as he keeps these AAVs down and readies a Drouin trade

I personally really like Blake. I loved watching him grow as a rookie player to become one of the best defenseman in franchise history. His big shot, blooming checks and awesome attitude when you met him in person will always be something that I carry with me. So I am probably biased but I am very glad that it was Blake that took over from Dean. I wish Dean nothing but future success as he was the best GM this franchise ever seen. The poor man however had no idea how to keep a cup contender in tact and choose loyalty over self preservation but we all can be accused of looking through rose colored glasses time to time. Between his blunder with Richard's and then the unexpected one off situation just looking at him you could tell it took years off his life. I don't think there is a Phone on these words that will be forever grateful for the Stanley Cup winners that Lombardi built. In fairness Dave Taylor has to also be given credit for some of the core pieces on this team that were drafted and developed prior to Dean taking over.

I love Blake's signing to start the off-season and he took care of to the most important pieces in a fast, cost-effective, and fair way. I agree that he still has a lot of work ahead of him but I wouldn't pin my hopes too much on landing Drouin as team such as Tampa Bay have a lot more prospects and current NHL pieces that maybe more attractive than we do. I am a fan of Drouin and will love to see that happen. I also know Blake has to be careful and leave money in the bank to sign dowdy to the long term extension in a few years.

Back on point I love the extension and think it was very fair for both team and player. And due to the fact that Blake was there when It got done I do think he deserves some credit has to Solomon and rest of the crew

 

[johnjm22]

Brown negotiated that deal man to man with Lombardi, he didnt use an agent. regardless of how bad his contract looks now it was definitely seen as him taking a 'discount' when he signed

No it wasn't. Lombardi took a risk giving a guy who never produced in the NHL that type of contract. It paid off later when he became a 20 goal scorer.

 

[BigKing]

I loved Blake as a player as well. I could watch his hip check on Hecht on a loop for the rest of my life like Clockwork Orange style. Then "it" happened. Then he beat us in the playoffs two years in a row. Then he came back for a cash grab and refused to waive his NTC at the deadline. I met him--or tried to--in '97 but he was too cool for school. The latter isn't really a big deal but it is just a little more kindling for the fire. It's still the "C" thing and subsequent Avs years for me with his second stint being the cherry on the sundae.

Regardless, we are all behind him at this point. We've done the Blake thing ad nauseam on this board and I've already done more than I want to in this thread. I don't want him to fail and hope he becomes known more for being the great GM of the Kings than for being an NHL defenseman.

 

[kingsfan28]

From what I understand LTIR does not add cap space.

The team still has to account for it

The Flyers saved 5 mil plus in cap space when they put Pronger on LTIR for like 4 seasons, then traded him to ARZ . Everyone knew he was done and they figured out a way to skirt the cap by not having him retire.

 

[kingsfan28]

The new bromance...