Who is the Kings head coach next season

[Statto]

I agree but sadly it looks like it'll be Hiller again next year. Blake and Luc seem pretty content to keep him behind the helm and apparently he was in attendance at the Reign game last night - Can't imagine he would be scouting Reign games if it wasn't likely he'd be head coach (Although maybe he was trying to earn himself some brownie points lol but I doubt it)

Yeah in Hiller's defense it was his first head coaching opportunity ever and he stepped into a scenario where it was 'oh shit the team is spiraling - we really need you to get them back on track and make sure we make the playoffs'.

So in that context, it makes sense that he was having the team play so conservatively - He desperately needed the team to win to have a chance to keep his job. And he accomplished the goal that was set for him - He got them in the playoffs.

I'll be very interested to see how Hiller approaches next season (assuming he stays as head coach). Does he have new ideas for how the team should play? And does management allow him to actually proceed forward with those ideas? I really hope so but I guess we'll see.

I think Hiller, if given a free rein will definitely change it to a more offensive set up, similar to Fiala’s and Kempe’s comment as he did start to go off script in the play-offs. My concern is that he won’t get free rein and if they play 1-3-1 as a primary system we will know that is not the case. That’s not to say they should never use it, because there will always be the odd game or circumstance but it should be something like plan D.

Hiller is a very creative pp coach and I think he might be able to take that creativity to the big job, if so it might at least be more fun. I’m trying to get my head into being positive, granted, but for me Hiller was not the issue last season.

Any interest in jumping behind the bench?

I was once given that opportunity… was a definite NO from me. I know for certain I’m not, nor would I ever be, that guy. I know enough to know that I didn’t know enough . The were desperate at that point also, I must have been about 10th choice.

I think many people seriously underestimate how hard it is and that being a good player means very little, in terms of being able to do it. I genuinely think Hiller was doing the job with one hand tied behind his back.

 

[BigKing]

Bluc actively working on making PLD feel comfortable by being lazy when it comes to the coaching "search".

 

[FrozenKing18]

Bluc actively working on making PLD feel comfortable by being lazy when it comes to the coaching "search".

I imagine it being like an interview for a babysitter.

This here is our sweet Pierre. You will need to take good care of him. He can do no wrong.

 

[tny760]

Bluc actively working on making PLD feel comfortable by being lazy when it comes to the coaching "search".

probably on a monthlong vacation to reward himself

 

[johnjm22]

Bluc actively working on making PLD feel comfortable by being lazy when it comes to the coaching "search".

This was just his acclimation year. He'll be good next season.

He's only getting paid 11.25M this season. Nice little 3.25M bonus on July 1st.

 

[lumbergh]

I can't help but think that Blake is waiting for the AHL playoffs to end to make Dan Bylsma an offer. Former King, former teammate of Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille, former Cup winner, former Jack Adams winner, already coaching here in SoCal. Literally wrote a book on coaching. He has a very good playoff record as a coach of 55.1% winning percentage in his career.

Of course he's in the Kraken organization and may end up in Seattle in September.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-championship-dan-bylsma-returning-nhl

 

[fivehole32]

I can't help but think that Blake is waiting for the AHL playoffs to end to make Dan Bylsma an offer. Former King, former teammate of Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille, former Cup winner, former Jack Adams winner, already coaching here in SoCal. Literally wrote a book on coaching. He has a very good playoff record as a coach of 55.1% winning percentage in his career.

Of course he's in the Kraken organization and may end up in Seattle in September.

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-championship-dan-bylsma-returning-nhl

I could see that, however I don't think he wants the big seat in any organization. I think he likes the quiet life here in the desert. I know he comes out and skates with the older guys in the middle of the day, and I think he likes the developmental side of coaching from what he's told those guys. However throw enough money and other sweeteners and he could be game to do it.

 

[DoktorJeep]

We all know it doesn’t really matter who the head coach is next season. The top of the roster is set and the system will be primarily defensive in service of making the playoffs without elite talent.

The fact that our choices are limited due to sub par management is the real concern. My guess is Jim Hiller is Blake’s guy by default and the only question is does he make it past December in the job.

 

[Mindcircus]

We all know it doesn’t really matter who the head coach is next season. The top of the roster is set and the system will be primarily defensive in service of making the playoffs without elite talent.

The fact that our choices are limited due to sub par management is the real concern. My guess is Jim Hiller is Blake’s guy by default and the only question is does he make it past December in the job.

Hiller stays on multi year deal.

 

[ru4reals]

So I'm sure I'm late to the party so it's official.

LA Kings Name Jim Hiller Head Coach | Los Angeles Kings

Hiller will be formally unveiled in a press conference on Thursday, 5/23, at 10 AM

www.nhl.com

 

[Surf Nutz]

Any interest in jumping behind the bench?

Have you seen the recent wave models? South Pacific sending swells basin wide. Get some wind chop in da lake.

Hiller stays on multi year deal.

Called this one the moment he was announced as assistant exit door , doorman.

Fingers

still


frozen

 

[GameNight]

How many calls to former NHL coaches did BLuc make?

How many of them calls out to former NHL coaches were returned?

Zero is the answer to at least one of these questions. What a dark road we've gone down here.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

This guy was way off the mark.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Congrats to Jim Hiller. You beat out Dan Bylsma and Marco Sturm to be head coach of the fourth most valuable franchise in the league.

Talk about doing less with more.

 

[jgs]

Well it was just announced on NHL.com that Hiller will be the Kings Headcoach this coming season. I think he did the best that could have been done with the talent the Kings have.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

What a shock!

 

[Sol]

Depressing how we went from the class of the league under DL to the complete garbage bin under Blake. Truly unbelievable they could nosedive this hard with the foundation DL had built.

 

[kingsfan28]

Congrats to Jim Hiller. You beat out Dan Bylsma and Marco Sturm to be head coach of the fourth most valuable franchise in the league.

Talk about doing less with more.

He's still better than both. Bylmas lucked into a SC win, and got fired. Anyone remember his Sochi coaching stint and how bad he did when the games mattered ? He'd have been another "good ole boy " joining the team right along with the rest of Blakes wedding party.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Depressing how we went from the class of the league under DL to the complete garbage bin under Blake. Truly unbelievable they could nosedive this hard with the foundation DL had built.

That's what irks me most and was my real cemented point in the 'worse franchises...' thread

Yeah other teams make bad decisions and black hole

NONE of them have had success in the last decade. These guys went from Cup-WCF-Cup to blackhole/no future in record time with a championship infrastructure and infinite resources and non-meddling-ownership. Most of the other 'bad' franchises suffer from budgets, meddling owners, or no success/infrastructure--they've got everything they could possible want and f***ing SUNK it.

 

[The Butcher]

I imagine it being like an interview for a babysitter.

This here is our sweet Pierre. You will need to take good care of him. He can do no wrong.

Then he looks at you and says Call me PL

 

[johnjm22]

Depressing how we went from the class of the league under DL to the complete garbage bin under Blake. Truly unbelievable they could nosedive this hard with the foundation DL had built.

That's what irks me most and was my real cemented point in the 'worse franchises...' thread

Yeah other teams make bad decisions and black hole

NONE of them have had success in the last decade. These guys went from Cup-WCF-Cup to blackhole/no future in record time with a championship infrastructure and infinite resources and non-meddling-ownership. Most of the other 'bad' franchises suffer from budgets, meddling owners, or no success/infrastructure--they've got everything they could possible want and f***ing SUNK it.

To be fair, it was Lombardi that took the Kings to the black hole.

And I'm not sure I agree with the championship infrastructure thing. Dean made moves that got LA over the hump, but a lot of the moves he made were damaging for the future of the franchise.

I do agree that LA should be an ideal place to build a winner (deep resources, patient owner, non-critical media), so it's frustrating that we're in the god forsaken black hole (again).

 

[Nasti]

Christ.

 

[King'sPawn]

Christ.

He's been dead for a while.

But maybe he can perform another miracle and turn PLD into a 1C?

 

[FrozenKing18]

To be fair, it was Lombardi that took the Kings to the black hole.

And I'm not sure I agree with the championship infrastructure thing. Dean made moves that got LA over the hump, but a lot of the moves he made were damaging for the future of the franchise.

I do agree that LA should be an ideal place to build a winner (deep resources, patient owner, non-critical media), so it's frustrating that we're in the god forsaken black hole (again).

I’m curious. Do we know if Lombardi was aware that he was on a short leash and Luc was rubbing his hands behind the scenes? If so, was that a catalyst to those bad moves he made towards his downfall?

 

[21Dog]

He's been dead for a while.

But maybe he can perform another miracle and turn PLD into a 1C?

Water to wine would be easier.