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Will LA be a playoff team? .....24-25 edition

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If we're in the scenario of still wanting to be "right there" then i'm expecting more of the same, small moves. Honestly, at this point, I'd like for them to miss the playoffs, get higher up the draft board. Wishful thinking, maybe that's the catalyst for a clean house.
 
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Herby said:
How can they be contenders or awful?

There is no path to either thing as long as Blake and Robitaille are in charge.
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not to disagree, but i don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that there's either some "hero" trade made by blake that destroys the team or the team rebounds under some new system and the kids step in and kill it

i suppose that's the point you're trying to make though, that either route ends up as one side or the other of the black hole

blake's tampering puts a damper on this idea, but i think there's a non-zero chance that a new system could result in at least a playoff round win. not sure hiller's the guy for it but i think i owe them the offseason to shuffle the deck chairs
 
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They've said the same 'let's bring in youth (anyone remember Kaliyev top sixer?)' every summer for the last several with increasing levels of delusion.

I'm not getting fooled again.

The pattern is the pattern until they prove otherwise.

I'd say expect a trade for Couturier and further blackholing while purging youth.
 
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Raccoon Jesus said:
They've said the same 'let's bring in youth (anyone remember Kaliyev top sixer?)' every summer for the last several with increasing levels of delusion.

I'm not getting fooled again.

The pattern is the pattern until they prove otherwise.

I'd say expect a trade for Couturier and further blackholing while purging youth.
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Truth.

I think Thomas will get a spot tho.

Turcotte I’m still not sold that they are high on him. Where is his fit too? He shouldn’t be in a bottom six role imho.

Lee and Helenius are both pretty raw too. Can they bring size and grit?

The thing I least want to see is another year of Lizotte, Lewis, and Grundstrom, but it’s likely with BLuc.
 
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Nothing whatsoever will change until they allow the kid's strengths to determine the new identity and they let their weaknesses determine what they need to add.

They won't know what they have until they purge out the stale elements of the roster - and most importantly the room - and remove that ceiling that prevents growth.

Next year? More of the same, again.
 
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Every team gets better after Dubois leaves.

Blake has got to be looking at that 8.5M cap hit and thinking he'd love to allocate it elsewhere.

Fiala-Byfield-Kempe
xxxxx-Kopitar-xxxxx
Moore-Danault-Laferriere
Turcotte-Thomas-xxxxx

Anderson-Doughty
Gavrikov-Clarke
xxxxx-Spence
Englund

xxxxx
Portillo
 
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I’m going to take off my BEAGM hat here and keep it somewhat realistic.

- If they want to bring in the youth, i would add in Turcotte-Madden-Thomas and have that line cause some havoc.

- Size on the 4th line. Bring up Lee and Helenius. If you can, shed Grundy, Lewis, and Lizotte for a bottom 6 veteran guy to shepherd the two.

- Goalie. If you can ink a legit starter while getting rid of PLD, you take that and run.
If Portillo isn't being brought up, I say keep Rittich and go to FA route to get another goalie to keep a healthy rotation. You got Brossoit, Samsonov, and Stolarz as probably the steadiest out of the bunch. Otherwise, it's Rittich-Portillo.
 
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Feels like Turcotte and Thomas are going to graduate to the NHL roster. Clarke is also in that group, but a guy who could be a camp decision depending on the day of the week.

So the take away is that the bottom six forwards is where the opportunities lie. You have to expect Akil to get Arty’s roster spot. And Turc is likely to get Lewis’ if you’re willing to find a way to fill the PK minutes.

Which makes me think that Lizzo is back for a 1 year deal, hopefully for no more than he made this past season. Enough with the best 4C in the league fluff.
 
They dont even stick up for one another. And havent for a while.
My kid and my grandchildren live in new england so im subjected to alot of bruins stuff.
When i look at the boston bruins team culture and compare it to ours, its shocking. And saddening to me anyway.
I hreatly wish i could write something positive and hopeful about our teams future, but that would fly in the face of reason and common sense.
 
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kingsholygrail said:
They're gonna miss and miss big. That's my hot take.
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I wish.

I think, unfortunately, they have ENOUGH talent to get by picking on lesser teams. Guys like Fiala and PLD LIVE for beer league games. It'll be enough to get by if barely. Unless Clarke or Byfield somehow go nuclear and can carry the rest of the shit with them.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
I wish.

I think, unfortunately, they have ENOUGH talent to get by picking on lesser teams. Guys like Fiala and PLD LIVE for beer league games. It'll be enough to get by if barely. Unless Clarke or Byfield somehow go nuclear and can carry the rest of the shit with them.
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I mean, the hot take is missing big, but I think there are enough teams that will be better next year that can push the Kings out. The Blues came on hard late and just missed.
 
kingsholygrail said:
I mean, the hot take is missing big, but I think there are enough teams that will be better next year that can push the Kings out. The Blues came on hard late and just missed.
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It's going to be the same as last year. We knew Edmonton would be better and suspected Seattle would build off of the previous year. The Kings playoff chances depended on the progress of the other Canadian teams. Luckily for the Kings, the Kraken fell hard and only Vancouver rose.

Hot take: Vancouver struggles out of the gate and Tocchet is fired mid-year.
 
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Herby said:
How can they be contenders or awful?

There is no path to either thing as long as Blake and Robitaille are in charge.
Click to expand...
Contenders:
  • Add a legit #1 goalie with the potential to steal a game or two in the postseason
    • Or Portillo proves he's actually him
  • Add depth with size & toughness
  • PLD excels on the wing with better line mates (and is used as a net front presence on the PP)
  • Change the system to promote offense & creativity so they stop handcuffing skilled players throughout the lineup
  • Hire a head coach like Berube
  • Byfield takes another big step forward, Clarke steps in and is instantly a 50 point d-man
  • A couple steps forward from some other young players (Thomas, Turcotte, Laferriere, Fagemo, etc)
Awful:
  • Go with the 'budget goaltending' route again but this time it fails and they struggle to get decent goaltending
  • Byfield & Clarke (& other young players) stagnate or worse, regress
  • Kopitar and Doughty fall off a cliff
  • Injuries to key players
You can definitely make an argument that - with the right moves and some luck - the Kings could be a contender next year. You can also make the argument that - with the wrong moves and some bad luck - the Kings could be as bad as a bottom feeder next year.
 
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KopitarGOAT420 said:
Contenders:
  • Add a legit #1 goalie with the potential to steal a game or two in the postseason
    • Or Portillo proves he's actually him
  • Add depth with size & toughness
  • PLD excels on the wing with better line mates (and is used as a net front presence on the PP)
  • Change the system to promote offense & creativity so they stop handcuffing skilled players throughout the lineup
  • Hire a head coach like Berube
  • Byfield takes another big step forward, Clarke steps in and is instantly a 50 point d-man
  • A couple steps forward from some other young players (Thomas, Turcotte, Laferriere, Fagemo, etc)
Awful:
  • Go with the 'budget goaltending' route again but this time it fails and they struggle to get decent goaltending
  • Byfield & Clarke (& other young players) stagnate or worse, regress
  • Kopitar and Doughty fall off a cliff
  • Injuries to key players
You can definitely make an argument that - with the right moves and some luck - the Kings could be a contender next year. You can also make the argument that - with the wrong moves and some bad luck - the Kings could be as bad as a bottom feeder next year.
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They should probably start working on finding a legit 1C as well.
 
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