***Playoffs Rd 1 Gm 1 GDT LA Kings @ Edmonton Oilers 7:00pm on ESPN2 & BSSC***

[LAKingSteve]

Yep, there were risks if the Kings kept Vilardi. There were risks when the Kings traded for the often injured Justin Williams. This year Gabe had almost as many points as PLD in 40ish% fewer games. He scored more goals and was a beast on the PP. The Kings could have used that. PLD has dressed for more games, but at 50% of the effort. So, that is pretty much a wash.

I'll play devil's advocate. Who's to say that Gabe would have had the same success under the Kings system/coaching? It's so hard to make an apples to apples comparison. The one consistent theme is Gabe's inability to stay healthy. Assuming the Kings keep PLD, we're still 1-2 seasons away from knowing if the trade was a complete failure. Year one ain't promising though.

 

[symbology]

Do you think the last 5 years has been a mini rebuild? The fanbase was sold on the 5 year "the plan" which was supposed to make this team a contender. If the team fails to advance past the 3rd round for the 3rd year in a row, losing to the same team all 3 years, fires the coach the was supposed to lead the rebuild and will possibly fire the GM that was supposed to lead the rebuild...I'll call that an absolute failure.

Agree that it has been a failure. What type of rebuild do you call it? They did not move Quick, Kopi, or Doughty when they could have received a huge return. It was not a full rebuild, but a mini/on the fly rebuild that has been nothing but a road to absolute failure.

 

[symbology]

I'll play devil's advocate. Who's to say that Gabe would have had the same success under the Kings system/coaching? It's so hard to make an apples to apples comparison. The one consistent theme is Gabe's inability to stay healthy. Assuming the Kings keep PLD, we're still 1-2 seasons away from knowing if the trade was a complete failure. Year one ain't promising though.

Agree with a lot. My fear is my gut reaction to some of those early season interviews may have been correct. There were a few times that when PLD was asked why he chose LA, or what does he like about LA. His first and primary answer was, "it's LA, the beach, it's great" Not much about, this is a great team, the players etc. That rubbed me the wrong way. His play this year has done more of the same.

 

[LAKingSteve]

Agree that it has been a failure. What type of rebuild do you call it? They did not move Quick, Kopi, or Doughty when they could have received a huge return. It was not a full rebuild, but a mini/on the fly rebuild that has been nothing but a road to absolute failure.

Added Arvi, Fiala, PLD, Danault, Gavrikov, Englund and 2 goalies (plus one you traded for to dump Quick and let walk), traded quite a few assets/prospects/players and draft picks. Brought up several young kids who, outside of Moore and QB, have yet to have what you would call a significant impact.

If you just look at the 2019-20 roster, who is still here? Kopi, Dewey, Kempe, Mikey (played 6 games), Grundstrom (played 13 games), Lizzo, Roy and Moore (42 games)? Everyone else on this current roster was either acquired via FA/trade or from our once top rated farm system who as stated above, has not produced at the level you might expect. All to basically just be a first round exit team facing perhaps an even bigger rebuild with a new GM.

So going from a core of what you'd call 5 everyday players on the 2019 roster to what we have now...that feels like a pretty significant rebuild in the last 5 seasons.

 

[SirJW]

It's gonna be a long summer...

 

[Statue4Deano]

Do you think the last 5 years has been a mini rebuild? The fanbase was sold on the 5 year "the plan" which was supposed to make this team a contender. If the team fails to advance past the 3rd round for the 3rd year in a row, losing to the same team all 3 years, fires the coach the was supposed to lead the rebuild and will possibly fire the GM that was supposed to lead the rebuild...I'll call that an absolute failure.

A failure for the fans, yeah. But what if the goal dictated from above wasn’t the cup? What if the real goal was to fill the building, including a round or two of playoffs and all the associated revenue? If that were the goal then I can certainly see Blake coming back next year.

 

[LAKingSteve]

A failure for the fans, yeah. But what if the goal dictated from above wasn’t the cup? What if the real goal was to fill the building, including a round or two of playoffs and all the associated revenue? If that were the goal then I can certainly see Blake coming back next year.

I don't believe that was the 5-year goal for "the plan", but if it was none of us should be spending a penny on tickets next season.

 

[Pevsfreedom]

I don't believe that was the 5-year goal for "the plan, but if it was none of us should be spending a penny on tickets next season.

I for one refuse to buy any tickets at Crypto.com! Never mind the 3k mile distance.

 

[Clif]

A failure for the fans, yeah. But what if the goal dictated from above wasn’t the cup? What if the real goal was to fill the building, including a round or two of playoffs and all the associated revenue? If that were the goal then I can certainly see Blake coming back next year.

I like your perspective quite a bit most of the time but Game 1 fried your brain. If revenues are such a serious goal (and they are) then they’d want a Cup winner because that’s even more rounds, and a Championship helps justify raising ticket prices, not to mention boost the fanbase.

A detached higher-up brass in AEG who is absentee and doesn’t care enough to hold Luc and the boys accountable is much more likely.

And really, how do you even build a team to just make a round or two? It’s easier to try and make a contending team and fall short (in Blake’s case by a lot) then to thread the needle between competitive and black hole. It’s still hard to make the playoffs.

 

[Statue4Deano]

I like your perspective quite a bit most of the time but Game 1 fried your brain. If revenues are such a serious goal (and they are) then they’d want a Cup winner because that’s even more rounds, and a Championship helps justify raising ticket prices, not to mention boost the fanbase.

Guilty as charged.

I have no coherent explanation why when Dean Lombardi originally took over in 2007 his initial plan was to stay competitive while building a modern organization. It was only after Crawford and Cloutier flamed out that ownership green lit the full tear down and rebuild from the scratch.

And then when Blake took over in 2017, he refused (or wasn’t allowed) to tear it down and start over to lay the foundation correctly. He gave out stupid contracts to remain competitive while trying to fill the cracks.

The common connection there is ownership. Maybe it’s a coincidence but the end result is all I really care about. That end result has looked completely overmatched for a majority of the season and after game 1 of this series.

Once this series is done the organization is back at a fork in the road. Continue down the same path and fight for a wild card spot next season or roll the dice and rebuild.

 

[hokiecat]

You'd either have to throw in a top prospect or eat half the salary to unload him. It's not out of the question but my gut tells me it's not happening. They'll ride it out at least 2-3 years before they do anything with him.

I agree. It doesn't make sense to retain salary when you can buy him out for 1/3 cost until he turns 26. But I don't see the Kings doing anything. We're already a playoff team even with the wasted cap hit. AEG will be happy with butts in seats.

 

[hokiecat]

Do you think the last 5 years has been a mini rebuild? The fanbase was sold on the 5 year "the plan" which was supposed to make this team a contender. If the team fails to advance past the 3rd round for the 3rd year in a row, losing to the same team all 3 years, fires the coach the was supposed to lead the rebuild and will possibly fire the GM that was supposed to lead the rebuild...I'll call that an absolute failure.

Exacty! We tore it down to the studs. We drafted #2, #5, and #8/9 overall. This team was non-competitive for 2 years. Thankfully it was COVID era so those were short seasons but we had no chance. The trades since the last deadline have ruined the Kings future. We overpaid for Gavrikov and then got completely screwed in getting PLD. This team is going to be stuck in the middle with too much talent (Kempe, Moore, Byfield, Danault, etc) to fail but not enough coming in (prospects generally barren with no top picks) to break through and no cap space to add targeted signings.

 

[Statue4Deano]

Exacty! We tore it down to the studs. We drafted #2, #5, and #8/9 overall. This team was non-competitive for 2 years. Thankfully it was COVID era so those were short seasons but we had no chance. The trades since the last deadline have ruined the Kings future. We overpaid for Gavrikov and then got completely screwed in getting PLD. This team is going to be stuck in the middle with too much talent (Kempe, Moore, Byfield, Danault, etc) to fail but not enough coming in (prospects generally barren with no top picks) to break through and no cap space to add targeted signings.

A rebuild isn’t about where you pick in the draft. It’s about organizational focus and approach to infrastructure. Blake has had the same vision and approach since getting promoted. The team bottomed out because of that vision.

The Fiala trade was meant to be a final nudge out of the cellar and it worked. Every move since then was made to shore up their position as a middling playoff team. His vision remains in tact.

 

[Clif]

Guilty as charged.

I have no coherent explanation why when Dean Lombardi originally took over in 2007 his initial plan was to stay competitive while building a modern organization. It was only after Crawford and Cloutier flamed out that ownership green lit the full tear down and rebuild from the scratch.

And then when Blake took over in 2017, he refused (or wasn’t allowed) to tear it down and start over to lay the foundation correctly. He gave out stupid contracts to remain competitive while trying to fill the cracks.

The common connection there is ownership. Maybe it’s a coincidence but the end result is all I really care about. That end result has looked completely overmatched for a majority of the season and after game 1 of this series.

Once this series is done the organization is back at a fork in the road. Continue down the same path and fight for a wild card spot next season or roll the dice and rebuild.

I remember it differently with Lombardi. I’m open to being wrong - but I don’t think I am. From what I recall, he said he was building the team from the net out. He even tried to sign Luongo but of course Lou opted for Van. They were further along. Cloutier came on the recommendation of Crawford and when he flamed out, Lombardi had already commenced with building the roster from the backend out but now minus the goalie, hence the parade of weirdos. Then unexpectedly struck gold with the best American goalie of all time.

Lombardi was clear from the beginning he was rebuilding everything - firing all the scouts and building up the prospect pool. He talked black hole early on too. His first season as GM they had the 4th overall pick. The Bernier pick at 11 was from Taylor’s last season. He never tried to be competitive from the start and traded lots of veterans that first year.

I don’t see ownership getting behind a too-the-studs rebuild when the team made the playoffs the third year in a row. Lombardi took over when the team had an epic meltdown and a full rebuild was easier to sell. Ironically something similar happened this year, but still: they recovered and playoffs again.

Another first round loss isn’t unheard of. Look at TOR and MN. So being realistic what are the goals? Recover from the PLD trade. Even if it means keeping him, then who is the coach and how do you make sure he plays him as a top 6 center and in a role to succeed? Which trades do you make to shore up the D the right way? Too long already but I’m more bullish that a course correct is available. But more patience is required again. Rob totally rushed this.

 

[symbology]

I remember it differently with Lombardi. I’m open to being wrong - but I don’t think I am. From what I recall, he said he was building the team from the net out. He even tried to sign Luongo but of course Lou opted for Van. They were further along. Cloutier came on the recommendation of Crawford and when he flamed out, Lombardi had already commenced with building the roster from the backend out but now minus the goalie, hence the parade of weirdos. Then unexpectedly struck gold with the best American goalie of all time.

Lombardi was clear from the beginning he was rebuilding everything - firing all the scouts and building up the prospect pool. He talked black hole early on too. His first season as GM they had the 4th overall pick. The Bernier pick at 11 was from Taylor’s last season. He never tried to be competitive from the start and traded lots of veterans that first year.

I don’t see ownership getting behind a too-the-studs rebuild when the team made the playoffs the third year in a row. Lombardi took over when the team had an epic meltdown and a full rebuild was easier to sell. Ironically something similar happened this year, but still: they recovered and playoffs again.

Another first round loss isn’t unheard of. Look at TOR and MN. So being realistic what are the goals? Recover from the PLD trade. Even if it means keeping him, then who is the coach and how do you make sure he plays him as a top 6 center and in a role to succeed? Which trades do you make to shore up the D the right way? Too long already but I’m more bullish that a course correct is available. But more patience is required again. Rob totally rushed this.

Sounds about right. Dean tried to sign Chara as well, if memory serves me. Which, in all honesty it normally does not serve we worth a darn.

 

[Clif]

Sounds about right. Dean tried to sign Chara as well, if memory serves me. Which, in all honesty it normally does not serve we worth a darn.

Wow - I forgot about that but remember it now also. Another piece Dean wanted to build around. Amazing how he couldn’t get a good free agent to save his life. Lucked out with Willie since he had been hurt.

 

[Illegal_Stick]

Sounds about right. Dean tried to sign Chara as well, if memory serves me. Which, in all honesty it normally does not serve we worth a darn.

Definitely did. At one point it was being reported we had signed him. Maybe an hour later it was confirmed the Bruins had.