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Why Did The Kings Trade Cammalleri

Herby said:
I'm not going to dispute that MC wasn't a player who chased money or was a PA guy first, those are actually pretty true statements.

But the reason he left was because DL didn't want to pay him $25m over five years, which is fine, there were plenty of UFA's that the Kings were going to be targeting the next year including Drury, Gaborik and Briere and DL felt better about potentially paying those guys than he did about paying MC, especially 6 years ago when the cap was significantly smaller.

But lets spare the culture BS, lets not forget that exactly a year after trading MC that he gave up assets to bring in the very definition of a me first, money chasing mercenary who ultimately did cause lockerroom troubles in Ryan Smyth, so culture mattered in June 2008 but it didn't matter in June 2009? I don't think so.

If MC had been a lockerroom cancer as some suggest the Kings wouldn't have considered picking him up at this years deadline.
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I totally agree that Smyth's contract was ridiculous, his play was very poor, and then he went back to Edmonton clearly chasing money. I don't miss the guy at all, and I would have preferred Cammalleri.

However, the guy was captain of Team Canada, and he certainly had the reputation for being a leader, a tough, gritty player; in retrospect and based on that reputation, it makes a lot of sense that Lombardi acquired him.

I'm curious what locker room issues emerged. What exactly went on and how do we know? I don't remember much from it.
 
agentfouser said:
I totally agree that Smyth's contract was ridiculous, his play was very poor, and then he went back to Edmonton clearly chasing money. I don't miss the guy at all, and I would have preferred Cammalleri.

However, the guy was captain of Team Canada, and he certainly had the reputation for being a leader, a tough, gritty player; in retrospect and based on that reputation, it makes a lot of sense that Lombardi acquired him.

I'm curious what locker room issues emerged. What exactly went on and how do we know? I don't remember much from it.
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I would be curious to hear what others heard. I heard that he was pissed that he didn't have a letter and was really bitter and negative.

DL has more than made up for it, but Smyth was a mistake. I wonder if he put a different player in Smyth's box/role if the Kings would have beat the Canucks in '10 or the Sharks in '11. I think they were both winnable series and Smyth was a succubus.
 
Gentle Ben Kenobi said:
I would be curious to hear what others heard. I heard that he was pissed that he didn't have a letter and was really bitter and negative.

DL has more than made up for it, but Smyth was a mistake. I wonder if he put a different player in Smyth's box/role if the Kings would have beat the Canucks in '10 or the Sharks in '11. I think they were both winnable series and Smyth was a succubus.
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Does this merit a new thread?
 
Herby said:
If MC had been a lockerroom cancer as some suggest the Kings wouldn't have considered picking him up at this years deadline.
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I don't think they did. From what I remember reading (think it was an article on Gann's site re:trade deadline and Gaborik), cammalleri was the last on the list of available scorers and wasn't ever really considered. And re: Smyth, I think he was brought in for his style of play. Standing in front of the net and banging in rebounds.
 
Herby said:
I'm not going to dispute that MC wasn't a player who chased money or was a PA guy first, those are actually pretty true statements.

But the reason he left was because DL didn't want to pay him $25m over five years, which is fine, there were plenty of UFA's that the Kings were going to be targeting the next year including Drury, Gaborik and Briere and DL felt better about potentially paying those guys than he did about paying MC, especially 6 years ago when the cap was significantly smaller.

But lets spare the culture BS, lets not forget that exactly a year after trading MC that he gave up assets to bring in the very definition of a me first, money chasing mercenary who ultimately did cause lockerroom troubles in Ryan Smyth, so culture mattered in June 2008 but it didn't matter in June 2009? I don't think so.

If MC had been a lockerroom cancer as some suggest the Kings wouldn't have considered picking him up at this years deadline.
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This and the following comments on Cammy and Smyth are exactly the kind of insight I'm looking for. Glad I bumped.

Smyth is a surprise, never knew there was so much hate. Just figured he was here to provide veteran leadership, but never really in the long term plans. Interesting about chasing the money, always thought he went back because that's where he was best known & famous for.
 
I remember it as being a good move back then. Perhaps its just because of the timing where we have to shell out the money and the state of the team. Didn't think DL was having great hindsight of Cammalleri was being a "mercenary" neither. Just the team wasn't ready at the moment.

We went after Drury. We traded part of Cammalleri package and O'Sullivan for Justin Williams. DL didn't like Kovalchuk but wanted to dish out $ to Brad Richard. Mike Richard was brought in. We "low-balled" Gaborik the first time around and he went to the Rangers.

So I just think that DL was just looking for leadership type players to lead the team full of young players. He probably didn't feel that the cap space spend toward Cammalleri is justified given the time and the direction that the team needed to move forward to and that's all. If it was 2014 and we just came off 2 cups then I'm sure DL would have pushed hard after Cammalleri
 
SC2008 said:
This and the following comments on Cammy and Smyth are exactly the kind of insight I'm looking for. Glad I bumped.

Smyth is a surprise, never knew there was so much hate. Just figured he was here to provide veteran leadership, but never really in the long term plans. Interesting about chasing the money, always thought he went back because that's where he was best known & famous for.
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Well that has been Smyth's M.O. for his entire career so it's safe to say the same thing was done here. Smyth was arguably the worst player on the team in the second half of 2011, he reportedly sulked when Murray cut his PP time and in his exit interview he was told that his role on the Kings was going to be reduced, which again should not have come as a surprise after the way he played to end his last season. Knowing it was a contract year and wanting to get the maximum contract Smyth told the Kings he wanted out to an Alberta based team, preferably the Oilers who for sentimental reasons, would most likely pay him the most money in his next contract. Smyth at first lied (no shock) to everyone about demanding the trade and then later came up with some BS excuse about wanting his kids to go to school in Edmonton and not feeling safe living in the mean streets of the South Bay.

Smyth ofcourse played the Mr. Oiler part to perfection, told everyone how happy he was to be "home" in Edmonton, and ofcourse took some unnecessary and immature shots at LA fans. A large percentage of casual Oiler fans drank the kool-aid and took back their hero, who ofcourse showed his true colors when after having another awful season Smyth and the Oilers hit a bit of a snag in contract negotiations and Smyth and his agent again threatened to go elsewhere if the Oilers didn't meet his salary demands. (Funny how Edmonton scools schools and being "home" in Edmonton didn't mean so much when the strategy to extort money from the Oilers almost didn't work")

Smyth got exactly what he deserved watching the Kings win a SC 11 months after he was traded, it is one thing to try and get maximum dollars for your services, but to go so low as to lie to people and use your children as an excuse to get what you want is absolutely pathetic and showed exactly what type of person Ryan Smyth was. That is why he firmly falls into the LA Kings Hall of Shame with the likes of Grant Fuhr, Kevin Stevens and Dmitri Khristich.

As for why DL acquired Smyth. I don't think it had anything to do with Cammalleri really. I think the Kings expected to get a bigger name UFA in either 08 or 09 and completely whiffed on everyone, the Kings knew they had to get someone and after all the good players were taken Lombardi did a classic Dave Taylor style dumpster dive and ended up with Smyth, who the Avs were happy to unload, even willing to take on Preissing's awful contract to get it done. The Avs likely knew Smyth had one year tops left and he was still owed almost $20 mill over three years and got out when they could. It all worked out for the Kings, but had Smyth not been a quitter money first player and actually played out his contract in 2012 the Kings probably don't have the financial means to acquire Jeff Carter and it's kind of scary to think what would have happened with no Carter in 2012 and what the team would look like had they missed the playoffs that year. So I guess you could thank Smyth in some ways for all the Kings success, but he is still an unprofessional clown.
 
There's nothing wrong with Smyth not happy playing for Murray. Heck, a lot of players were unhappy with him that year. I don't get the Smyth hate. The guy's a class act.
 
The Black1963 said:
There's nothing wrong with Smyth not happy playing for Murray. Heck, a lot of players were unhappy with him that year. I don't get the Smyth hate. The guy's a class act.
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How is he a class act?

The guy has always been about himself and getting as much money as possible and has had no problem lying to people to accomplish it. I'm amazed that you, who loves to value culture, team and hometown discounts could possibly say that Ryan Smyth is all class after some of the stunts he has pulled in his career. Using his kids and feeling unsafe playing for the Kings to get back to EDM and his next extension is all class, right?
 
Herby said:
How is he a class act?

The guy has always been about himself and getting as much money as possible and has had no problem lying to people to accomplish it. I'm amazed that you, who loves to value culture, team and hometown discounts could possibly say that Ryan Smyth is all class after some of the stunts he has pulled in his career. Using his kids and feeling unsafe playing for the Kings to get back to EDM and his next extension is all class, right?
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I just don't see Smyth wanting to play for EDM and not for Murray as a terrible thing. Like I said, a lot of players didn't enjoy kings hockey under Murray that year. No biggie.
 
The Black1963 said:
I just don't see Smyth wanting to play for EDM and not for Murray as a terrible thing. Like I said, a lot of players didn't enjoy kings hockey under Murray that year. No biggie.
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And how many demanded a trade, then lied to the media an fans about it, then used their kids as an excuse for their greed and then on top of it trashed the fanbase of the team he left, saying that the city was unsafe and the fans didn't appreciate hockey.

And Smyth had no business expecting PP time or a top 6 role for the next season, the guys play and effort in the second half of 2011 was pathetic, he was making $6m a year and completely mailed it in once they reduced his PP and icetime. And ofcourse he knew a reduced role on a contender would mean less money when it came to UFA in the summer of 2012, and ultimately the dollar was all that ever mattered to Smyth and he got a trade to the one team in the NHL that would give him a stupid extension for sentimental reasons.
 
Herby said:
And how many demanded a trade, then lied to the media an fans about it, then used their kids as an excuse for their greed and then on top of it trashed the fanbase of the team he left, saying that the city was unsafe and the fans didn't appreciate hockey.

And Smyth had no business expecting PP time or a top 6 role for the next season, the guys play and effort in the second half of 2011 was pathetic, he was making $6m a year and completely mailed it in once they reduced his PP and icetime. And ofcourse he knew a reduced role on a contender would mean less money when it came to UFA in the summer of 2012, and ultimately the dollar was all that ever mattered to Smyth and he got a trade to the one team in the NHL that would give him a stupid extension for sentimental reasons.
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You could say whatever you want about Smyth, but back then he was good enough to be on our pp, with the roster that we had. We're talking about our 3rd leading goal scorer that year. It isn't as if he was worthless.
 
The Black1963 said:
You could say whatever you want about Smyth, but back then he was good enough to be on our pp, with the roster that we had. We're talking about our 3rd leading goal scorer that year. It isn't as if he was worthless.
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Mr. October is a good thing when your a baseball player, not so good when you play hockey.

You were here posting on this site back then, you were watching the games, you are not an idiot, you know how crappy Smyth was. And in case you have forgotten...

Over the Kings final 41 games that season, Smyth posted 6G, 13A for 19 points and was a -7, all while making $6.2 million
 
Herby said:
Mr. October is a good thing when your a baseball player, not so good when you play hockey.

You were here posting on this site back then, you were watching the games, you are not an idiot, you know how crappy Smyth was. And in case you have forgotten...

Over the Kings final 41 games that season, Smyth posted 6G, 13A for 19 points and was a -7, all while making $6.2 million
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So, he averaged almost .5 pt a game. I know that's a HUGE deal to you, but it's not a big deal to me.

The bottom line is we were a better team with Smyth, than we would have been with Quincey and injured Preissing. Not a terrible trade that you make it out to be. It's about as even as it gets.
 
Herby said:
Smyth got exactly what he deserved watching the Kings win a SC 11 months after he was traded, it is one thing to try and get maximum dollars for your services, but to go so low as to lie to people and use your children as an excuse to get what you want is absolutely pathetic and showed exactly what type of person Ryan Smyth was. That is why he firmly falls into the LA Kings Hall of Shame with the likes of Grant Fuhr, Kevin Stevens and Dmitri Khristich.
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Whoa, this is getting good. Now Fuhr, Stevens (Probably drugs), and Khristich?! Why those 3?

Yea, I remember when Smyth was traded to the Isle, him and the oilers were like only 100k off and couldn't come to terms. Most fans blamed the franchise back then. Aside from that, I didn't follow him too closely except when he was beating the Sharks.
 
The Black1963 said:
So, he averaged almost .5 pt a game. I know that's a HUGE deal to you, but it's not a big deal to me.

The bottom line is we were a better team with Smyth, than we would have been with Quincey and injured Preissing. Not a terrible trade that you make it out to be. It's about as even as it gets.
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Hey, thought you were "annoyed" by this thread? :sarcasm: Can't resist the retro bump, eh.
 
Gentle Ben Kenobi said:
I would be curious to hear what others heard. I heard that he was pissed that he didn't have a letter and was really bitter and negative.

DL has more than made up for it, but Smyth was a mistake. I wonder if he put a different player in Smyth's box/role if the Kings would have beat the Canucks in '10 or the Sharks in '11. I think they were both winnable series and Smyth was a succubus.
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How? He played two seasons for us and had 100 points in 149 games, then had seven points in 12 playoff games. He did decent, not mention all it cost us was Kyle Quincey and a mid-round pick, and Colorado ate the Tom Priessing contract for us as well. I thought it was a really good deal at the time and I still think it was, not tmention DL recouped Colin Fraser and a later pick out of the trade as well, and Fraser was solid in our 2012 cup run.

I never liked Smyth and I agree with Herby that he was a money hungry player, but I'd do that trade over and over again.
 
kingsfan,

Smyth had a NTC and his cap hit was grotesque. There was a reason Colorado was so willing to get rid of him, even taking on Preissing's cap hit. Smyth was simply incapable of playing beyond the 40-50 game mark and as I mentioned the Kings don't have the financial space to add Carter with Smyth's awful cap hit still on the books, so if you enjoyed the 2012 Stanley Cup I don't see how you would do this trade over and over again.

Had Smyth been signed for one or even two years then maybe it's a risk you take, but committing over 6m a season for three years for a guy in his mid 30's who played a bruising style and was slowing down significantly was not a smart move by Lombardi.
 
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