HELENE ELLIOTT Nails It - LA TIMES

I know it's behind a pay wall but it's a good habit to post the source link.
 
Dang, no mention of bringing color back to the brand!
 
I realize the writer of an newspaper article often does not write the article's title, but what exactly were the supposed "excuses" being made? They were tearing down the roster and adding assets for the past few seasons. Then this offseason, they decided it was time to add some veteran pieces and try to complete. None of that involves making excuses.
 
What are the excuses for their terrible decision making?

Answer: They didn’t know any better
 
i think the excuses revolve around the notion that they set a goal for making the playoffs last season and missed that, and in the article Luc specifically says, "no excuses..." implying that last season did not meet expectations. They've improved a decent amount from the team last season, so they pretty much have to get into the playoffs now. And I agree... I don't care what people think is the most realistic timeline for a rebuild, the team has signaled its plans to get into the playoffs. It's time to put up or get fired.
 
Elliot's a fine hockey writer. I've always enjoyed her work. I have a media friend that knows her and he says she's sharp as a tack.

Anyway, it's fall and you can practically smell the stinky hockey pads in the air right now. And fans wearing Kings jerseys and hats are starting to come out of the woodwork...

...I ran into a couple of Kings fans at the AAA office in Montrose yesterday, one inside and the other out in the parking lot. I asked the guy inside, "So, do you think the Kings make the playoffs this year?"

His reply: "No, not this year. I think it's going to take another year or two. We're still too young and too old..."

Then I asked him what he thought of Blake before adding that I admired Blake's patient approach to the rebuild. "Patience is fine, but he did this rebuild all wrong. He played it like we're some small market team. I'm hoping for a new GM next year, if not at some point during this season."

I replied, "Yeah, but if we were to win it all this season, he'd look like a genius."

He laughed, "Um, no man, the Kings are not going to win at all this year..."

I appreciated the fact that I spoke his honest opinion. He sure as heck didn't hold back. Then I got outside and I asked the other Kings fan the same question. He answered, "Oh hell yeah we're making the playoffs! We have the perfect mix of youth and vets...we've got smarts and speed and I like the fact we're doing this the right way. We're building a future dynasty!" I just smiled and replied, "I hope you're right..."

Well, there you have it. Lots of differences of opinion.

I personally have no freakin' idea. I've been right about the Kings in the past a few times, most recently in 2012 when I decided to go to as many Kings games as possible after we changed coaches and traded for Jeff Carter. I just had this gut feeling.

After attending 11 straight losses, then seeing The Royal Rebound game against the Stars in 2007, we saw 16 more losses in a row over the course of the next four seasons. I suddenly felt like I was a bad luck charm for the Kings (and I was at both the Frenzy on Fig and the Miracle on Manchester). But I just had this funny feeling we we're going to turn it around. Because we were in last place and seemingly out of the playoff race, we were able to buy tickets off Stub Hub for five bucks, and we saw seven straight wins in a row, starting on February 25th two days after we traded for Carter. We beat the Blackhawks, Ducks, Red Wings, Predators, Sharks, Blues and Oilers and squeaked into the playoffs. My gut was right.

But I don't have any feel for this team right now. I haven't see a game in almost three years and I honestly don't know what to expect. If we suck, it wouldn't surprise me, and if we make the playoffs it wouldn't surprise me either. All I know is I'll be happy to see another game in person, mask or COVID regulations or whatever. But it would be a bonus if we didn't suck. The end of last season was ugly, as bad as I've ever seen this team play, and that includes the Dark Days After The Great One.
 
jammer06 said:
I know it's behind a pay wall but it's a good habit to post the source link.
Click to expand...

Actually- I posted the entire article - I named the writer & her publication - I am not sure why my post was edited by SirJW.

What’s wrong with posting an entire article? Anyone can post a link. But I have a subscription-so I’m sharing.
 
Rogie-Vachon said:
What’s wrong with posting an entire article? Anyone can post a link. But I have a subscription-so I’m sharing.
Click to expand...
Posting an entire article is a copyright violation and this site can get into deep legal trouble.
 
I like Heline and I won’t go as far to say she’s wrong, but I don’t think narrowly missing the playoffs this year is a red line for management to keep their jobs. Failing miserably this year would probably make me question the direction (or more likely a coaching change), but I like how they’re being patient. Next year is probably my playoffs/red-line year.
 
Her reporting is top notch, throwback but not overtly editorial.

Still its out there that the team is playoff or bust so let's see how this goes.
 
Helene, despite being a Ducks fan (and maybe because of it) does a very good job of not holding back when it comes to the Kings. She's never been afraid of being critical of the team and leadership. I still believe the Kings are a couple years away from being a legit contender.

She and I chatted on FB and we both kinda agree that the time is now for the Kings to get the kids some impactful playing time. Say what you want about the Ducks but I think they are doing the right thing by getting Zegras and Drysdale regular minutes at the NHL level. There will be growing pains but they'll be seasoned before some of our "future star" kids will.
 
This was a disjointed, careless, spineless team last season. Danault, Arvidsson and Edler certainly addressed many areas of weakness, but until their is some accountability and actual leadership that brings cohesion between the vets, kids and newcomers it is unlikely that this team will overachieve its way into the playoffs.

It's one thing to be respected and be a role model of professionalism but it is entirely another thing to get people around you to raise their ability and play as a team instead of as a collection of individuals. Those qualities were absent in the leadership group of the past several seasons. Let's see how much impact the new veterans have before we assume that making the playoffs is Blake's Waterloo.

Personally, I expect them to go veteran heavy early, fade from contention, then start to integrate the kids in around mid December. And that is still very much part of the natural progression of a rebuilding team.
 
Sultanic said:
This was a disjointed, careless, spineless team last season. Danault, Arvidsson and Edler certainly addressed many areas of weakness, but until their is some accountability and actual leadership that brings cohesion between the vets, kids and newcomers it is unlikely that this team will overachieve its way into the playoffs.

It's one thing to be respected and be a role model of professionalism but it is entirely another thing to get people around you to raise their ability and play as a team instead of as a collection of individuals. Those qualities were absent in the leadership group of the past several seasons. Let's see how much impact the new veterans have before we assume that making the playoffs is Blake's Waterloo.

Personally, I expect them to go veteran heavy early, fade from contention, then start to integrate the kids in around mid December. And that is still very much part of the natural progression of a rebuilding team.
Click to expand...

That sounds vaguely familiar. Wash, rinse, repeat. We've been in this cycle for years.

"It's like d?j? vu all over again!"

-Yogi Berra
 
For what it's worth, Vegas has us missing the playoffs (with a +6600 chance of winning the Cup). But they do have us above the Ducks and Sharks, so there's that.

We just seem to be a team without an identity and true leadership. A rudderless boat adrift on the high seas of the NHL, with nary a paddle or a captain at the helm (sorry, catching up on some old classics...way too much Melville and Hemingway of late):sail:
 
LAKingSteve said:
She and I chatted on FB and we both kinda agree that the time is now for the Kings to get the kids some impactful playing time. Say what you want about the Ducks but I think they are doing the right thing by getting Zegras and Drysdale regular minutes at the NHL level. There will be growing pains but they'll be seasoned before some of our "future star" kids will.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, it's time to see younger players like Kupari and Turcotte get legitimate playing time in the NHL as a priority, not as an afterthought. That said, I think the Kings development plan has been much stronger than the Ducks with the Kings bringing up younger players in waves and taking time to identify growth areas and work on development prior to letting them lose in the NHL and potentially developing a plethora of bad habits as a result of doing so too early.

On the Ducks side they had the advantage that both Zegras and Drysdale were dominant in the AHL and the Ducks had a more polished AHL product last season. I would credit the Ducks AHL stability and model as a strength over the Kings which the Kings need to improve this year.
 
DryKing said:
Totally agree, it's time to see younger players like Kupari and Turcotte get legitimate playing time in the NHL as a priority, not as an afterthought. That said, I think the Kings development plan has been much stronger than the Ducks with the Kings bringing up younger players in waves and taking time to identify growth areas and work on development prior to letting them lose in the NHL and potentially developing a plethora of bad habits as a result of doing so too early.

On the Ducks side they had the advantage that both Zegras and Drysdale were dominant in the AHL and the Ducks had a more polished AHL product last season. I would credit the Ducks AHL stability and model as a strength over the Kings which the Kings need to improve this year.
Click to expand...

Both Turcotte and Kupari have the tools make the team out of camp. I was so impressed by each of them in the rookie tournament. And either player could perform well at center or on the wing. Hope we have seen the last on Lizotte and Wagner on the NHL roster. Both of those guys were given ample opportunity to solidify a spot in previous seasons. Turcotte and Kupari are an upgrade on both.
 
VCRW said:
Both Turcotte and Kupari have the tools make the team out of camp. I was so impressed by each of them in the rookie tournament. And either player could perform well at center or on the wing. Hope we have seen the last on Lizotte and Wagner on the NHL roster. Both of those guys were given ample opportunity to solidify a spot in previous seasons. Turcotte and Kupari are an upgrade on both.
Click to expand...

I agree.

I like both kids, and there's no denying Lizotte's effort, but they've had their chances and it's time to move on.
 
Sultanic said:
This was a disjointed, careless, spineless team last season. Danault, Arvidsson and Edler certainly addressed many areas of weakness, but until their is some accountability and actual leadership that brings cohesion between the vets, kids and newcomers it is unlikely that this team will overachieve its way into the playoffs.

It's one thing to be respected and be a role model of professionalism but it is entirely another thing to get people around you to raise their ability and play as a team instead of as a collection of individuals. Those qualities were absent in the leadership group of the past several seasons. Let's see how much impact the new veterans have before we assume that making the playoffs is Blake's Waterloo.

Personally, I expect them to go veteran heavy early, fade from contention, then start to integrate the kids in around mid December. And that is still very much part of the natural progression of a rebuilding team.
Click to expand...

Sul: I would have hit harder that there is no (proven) consistent scorer top to bottom, regardless of what person is in the line up.

And, three years ago I jokingly wanted Shea Weber on the squad for leadership reasons, two years ago I was serious and last year, I was not shocked that his rag-tag bunch of Toffolis' skated in the cup final.

But...no one likes me for a reason. =)
 
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