Why did LAK let Matt Roy walk?

[Bandit]

Because Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille are incompetent morons

This is the only correct answer. They should have traded him at the deadline but you know… “We were right there” when we lost to the Oilers in 5.

 

[Lt Dan]

This is the only correct answer. They should have traded him at the deadline but you know… “We were right there” when we lost to the Oilers in 5.

We were so right there

 

[Bandit]

How many teams bound for the playoffs trade a top-four defenseman?

The Kings, since trading Faber, Vilardi, a 1st, a 2nd, Iafallo, and Kupari for Fiala and Dubois have been going all in for the playoffs.

Just because everyone has done the wrong thing for forever doesn’t mean it should continue.

Enter Luigi.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Washington sold and then made the playoffs. But it’s rare.

Happened with the Caps last year. Traded Mantha, Edmundson, and Kuznetsov before the TDL. Got back a 2nd, two 3rds, a 4th, and a 5th.

Basically offset the picks they lost when they used a bunch of 2nd thru 5th rounders to add Thompson, Mangiapane, Chychrun, and Eller, and traded up for Ilya Protas.

But the Caps were 10th in the East at the deadline, with a massive negative goal differential. They made the playoffs, but it's not like they were 5th in the conference on March 8th. They had one of the worst goal differentials of any team that's made the playoffs since the 21 team league.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Because the perfect ideal(trading a UFA at the deadline while you're making the playoffs but not a true contender) very rarely happens. People don't want to accept that making the playoffs, and even thinking you might get out of the 1st rd, is something every team does. Very, very, very rarely is that not the case. Other than the Sharks when they traded Douglas Murray and Ryan Clowe, which is over a decade ago, I don't know when it's happened. But people talk about it like it's common.

If you were a rookie GM, and you had a random trade for a RHD while you were in the playoff race, you're own owner would probably stop you from doing it.

Yep. Can't believe that people still don't understand that with "asset management" the human side is incredibly important. Being a clear playoff team with hopes of contending and selling an expiring deal for futures is capital L Loser Shit and just sends a horrible message to the team, coaching staff, fans, everybody.

Keeping Roy for the playoff run then letting him walk was one of the few Rob Blake moves that actually makes sense. The Caps thank him for both Roy and PLD though!

But that's exactly the point--it should never have gotten to this situation to begin with. You can't go from Doughty-Faber-Roy-Walker-Clarke-Spence-Durzi-Grans to losing Faber Walker Durzi and Grans to ALSO letting Roy walk for nothing when you had plenty of options. It wasn't a deadline-non-move; it was 1.5 years of indecision and bad other moves.

It's become a meme on our forum--"what was Blake SUPPOSED to do?"--because it looks like the right decision in the moment but ignores the trail of wreckage that leads to that moment.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

But the Caps were 10th in the East at the deadline, with a massive negative goal differential. They made the playoffs, but it's not like they were 5th in the conference on March 8th. They had one of the worst goal differentials of any team that's made the playoffs since the 21 team league.

no argument here. You said you couldn't remember the last time a playoff team sold at the TDL, so I was offering an example.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Strange thread, considering Roy hasn't been great for the Caps IMO.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

This



But mostly this



They went from Doughty-Faber-Roy-Walker-Clarke-Spence-Durzi-Grans and I'm probably forgetting one to Doughty-Clarke-Spence in like two years flat with nothing to show for it but Kevin Fialiability and assets related to departures of Petersen and PLD

Must be a SoCal thing….

We basically lost lindholm, montour, Theodore, Pettersson, Fowler, vatanen and Manson.

For Adam Henrique and some magic beans

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Strange thread, considering Roy hasn't been great for the Caps IMO.

And the Kings defense is just fine without him.

 

[Fripp]

This is a strange thread. The Kings are clearly doing just fine without him and the Caps are doing great with him - it all worked out well for both teams

I mean, yes, but the frustration comes from the 'losing him for nothing' part. Everyone knew they couldn't afford his next contract - he should have been a TDL move last year.

 

[Bandit]

And the Kings defense is just fine without him.

How’s the Kings offense? Goal? Future?

 

[Demandedace]

I mean, yes, but the frustration comes from the 'losing him for nothing' part. Everyone knew they couldn't afford his next contract - he should have been a TDL move last year.

They made the playoffs with him - why would they sell him at the deadline as a playoff team?

 

[Osprey]

They made the playoffs with him - why would they sell him at the deadline as a playoff team?

By the same logic, why let him leave during the Summer? Why trade Dubois when they also made the playoffs with him? Why fire McLellan mid-season when he had them in a playoff position? Sometimes, risking immediate setback is the right move to do what's best for the team in the long run.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

How’s the Kings offense? Goal? Future?

Can't speak for those, but Matt Roy is an inconsequential and I don't think he'll be worth that contract in the near future.

The Kings messed up in not moving him for anything.

 

[Bandit]

Can't speak for those, but Matt Roy is an inconsequential and I don't think he'll be worth that contract in the near future.

The Kings messed up in not moving him for anything.

Right. I’m not saying they should have signed him, they should have traded him at the deadline for help in other areas.

 

[Demandedace]

By the same logic, why let him leave during the Summer? Why trade Dubois when they also made the playoffs with him? Why fire McLellan mid-season when he had them in a playoff position? Whether it's mid-season or post-season, you need to be willing to make moves that could be temporary setbacks to do what'll hopefully be best for the team in the long run.

No lol that’s a lot different than an in season move to a playoff team

 

[Osprey]

No lol that’s a lot different than an in season move to a playoff team

How would trading him to Washington midseason have been much different than letting him sign there in the offseason? Was the extremely slim chance of facing him in the Stanley Cup Final last June worth sacrificing getting a return for him?

 

[majormajor]

The Kings messed up in not moving him for anything.

You have to confront the question of why teams in playoff position don't trade away their own top 4 D. Like this is not a Kings issue, teams in that position in general don't do that.

 

[tigermask48]

Weird timing with the kings being the number #1 team defensively without Doughty but Roy was getting old and pricey, and he was blocking the rookies from entering the lineup. His defensive game had started dropping too.

Going to be really funny when Doughty gets back and both the team defense and the PP suddenly get worse

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

I see everyone has met the delusion that is LA Kings fan.....who love the game, love the team, but have no f***ing idea on how teams work.....

 

[Osprey]

I see everyone has met the delusion that is LA Kings fan.....who love the game, love the team, but have no f***ing idea on how teams work.....

That's bold, considering that you were one of the very few Kings fans who loved and defended the trade for Dubois, even though giving up good assets for lazy malcontents generally isn't "how teams work," either.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

You have to confront the question of why teams in playoff position don't trade away their own top 4 D. Like this is not a Kings issue, teams in that position in general don't do that.

I was thinking perhaps they could have obtained something for dealing his UFA rights well before July 1, given how early the Kings bowed out. Roy also had a horrendous performance in the postseason, which is another reason why fans wished the team had moved on from him sooner.

 

[majormajor]

I was thinking perhaps they could have obtained something for dealing his UFA rights well before July 1, given how early the Kings bowed out. Roy also had a horrendous performance in the postseason

You may have just answered your own question. You can maybe get a 4th or 5th rounder for the negotiating rights for a soon to be UFA middle pair D. But if he's coming off a terrible playoff, maybe not.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

That's bold, considering that you were one of the very few Kings fans who loved and defended the trade for Dubois, even though giving up good assets for lazy malcontents generally isn't "how teams work," either.

Loved and defended? Got me confused with someone else, I thought it was the right move at the right time, Dubois had all the potential to be something, and he was still young, and teams make trades like that all the time. But how many playoff contention teams, trade top 4 D, at the TDL....I can wait on that answer.

 

[BaileyFan]

Could they have traded him prior to last season or at the TDL? It's the "walk for nothing" I'm most curious about. Did they think they had a shot at the Cup?

Yes they did. In fact, Robitaille said that they were “right there” with the Oilers after they got completely bulldozed in one of the most uncompetitive series in recent memory.

Blake reportedly tried very hard to keep Roy in the summer but he expressed a desire to move on from playing in California. All signs were pointing to Kings management dumping Spence for very little before Washington saved them from themselves for the 2nd time of the offseason.