Confirmed with Link Kings name Holland their 10th GM in History

[symbology]

lol. No change in staff. Holland really signed on to be Luc’s puppet. Incredible.

Yes and No, IMO. I think the focus needs to be changes on the ice. The team wants to win next year, so small tweaks and not a rebuild. I am not sure if changing a bunch of the off ice staff is the right thing to do when trying to win now. I guess it could work, but not sure those folks were the problem anyway. I don't think any of the people you want replaced signed their name to the PLD trade and then that contract.

As KH said, he has 6 weeks to FA. That is not a lot of time to interview current personnel, figure out which ones you want replaced, then go out and find replacements. I think there are more important things for KH to be doing over the next 6 weeks.

If the team was out of the playoffs a month before the season ended, and Blake was fired and KH hired. He would have time to maybe make the changes you are talking about. That is not the situation the Kings are in right now.

 

[symbology]

Organization reached a new low.

My guess is part of being hired was AEG stating that they are not willing to pay for yet another coach after going through Blake's coach roulette.

I guess Holland will be a company man just like Luc.

What if at the end of the season Hiller admitted to his mistakes and said he learned from them and would not react in the same way next time. Why fire him? He has improved this team since he took over as the HC. Give the guy the benefit of the doubt, IMO.

 

[symbology]

Personally I had no problem with anything I heard at the press conference.
A new GM isn’t going to say much beyond the obvious publicly.
I think I heard Holland state the basic concept and process. He said the team is already a pretty good team. He said the players have to get better. He said he will make moves. He knows from experience that some moves will work and others won’t. He stated that you can’t make a mistake with a $90M signing. He said Hiller will learn as he goes. His goal as GM is to build a Cup contender.
All of what he said is basic.

We won’t be able to judge Holland until we see what he actually does. This press conference has nothing to do with that verdict. Time will tell us.

^^This^^ I heard KH say make some tweaks/changes (to players) and tweaks/changes to how they play. If he makes the correct moves, we all may just get what we want. A team going on a deep run in the playoffs.

 

[JayWells24]

I feel like someone just kicked me in the stomach when I heard KH say Hiller is still the coach.

I have no words to describe my disappointment. Hoping after a few days of week he rethinks that decision. Sad.

 

[dannybuoy1]

To be fair, the Oilers were not a playoff team when Holland came on board, despite having McDrai. They were a much better, and deeper, team when he left. They got to within a goal of the Cup last season in large part because of the players Holland brought in.

eggsactly.

 

[Clif]

Personally I had no problem with anything I heard at the press conference.
A new GM isn’t going to say much beyond the obvious publicly.
I think I heard Holland state the basic concept and process. He said the team is already a pretty good team. He said the players have to get better. He said he will make moves. He knows from experience that some moves will work and others won’t. He stated that you can’t make a mistake with a $90M signing. He said Hiller will learn as he goes. His goal as GM is to build a Cup contender.
All of what he said is basic.

We won’t be able to judge Holland until we see what he actually does. This press conference has nothing to do with that verdict. Time will tell us.

This exactly. I like that he said he doesn’t want to screw the team up since they’re already a good team and one he saw as being a Cup contender pre-playoffs. I like that he said it’s really 4 games they’re looking at.

I don’t like that Hiller is staying, but I’m not surprised. I like that someone questioned Holland about the shortened bench. I don’t like that he evaded the answer, but I also don’t really expect anything else. Can’t really throw the coach under the bus.

I like that he emphasized rolling four lines. He said Hiller will improve as a coach. I think this is much as we are going to get on this topic. What happened happened and it’s over. I think Hiller doesn’t trust Spence and he’s a decent trade chip.

 

[Statue4Deano]

Yes and No, IMO. I think the focus needs to be changes on the ice. The team wants to win next year, so small tweaks and not a rebuild. I am not sure if changing a bunch of the off ice staff is the right thing to do when trying to win now. I guess it could work, but not sure those folks were the problem anyway. I don't think any of the people you want replaced signed their name to the PLD trade and then that contract.

As KH said, he has 6 weeks to FA. That is not a lot of time to interview current personnel, figure out which ones you want replaced, then go out and find replacements. I think there are more important things for KH to be doing over the next 6 weeks.

If the team was out of the playoffs a month before the season ended, and Blake was fired and KH hired. He would have time to maybe make the changes you are talking about. That is not the situation the Kings are in right now.

I agree that change for change sake usually isn’t the right answer. My issue is more about the lip service from the top.

Luc made it a point to say he wanted an outside perspective after Blake departed. If the only set of outside eyes he saw fit to hire was someone coming out of retirement it looks suspiciously like Holland is here to rubber stamp ownership’s agenda.

I’ve got no problem with the Holland hire. I’m sure Luc could’ve done a lot worse than bringing in a Hall of Fame executive. I really just hope Luc lets him do his job.

 

[DryKing]

I agree that change for change sake usually isn’t the right answer. My issue is more about the lip service from the top.

Luc made it a point to say he wanted an outside perspective after Blake departed. If the only set of outside eyes he saw fit to hire was someone coming out of retirement it looks suspiciously like Holland is here to rubber stamp ownership’s agenda.

I’ve got no problem with the Holland hire. I’m sure Luc could’ve done a lot worse than bringing in a Hall of Fame executive. I really just hope Luc lets him do his job.

I really think a comment which Luc made when discussing Blake's departure was very telling. He said something along the lines of "we all make decisions together but the GM has the final say." That. to me, translates as "I have my hand in everything and am willing to use the GM as a patsy."

Maybe I am reading it wrong, but pretty sure Holland signed up to set his son up for the future, knowing Luc will be calling the shots and he'll act as patsy if needed.

 

[DoubleMinor]

I agree that change for change sake usually isn’t the right answer. My issue is more about the lip service from the top.

Luc made it a point to say he wanted an outside perspective after Blake departed. If the only set of outside eyes he saw fit to hire was someone coming out of retirement it looks suspiciously like Holland is here to rubber stamp ownership’s agenda.

I’ve got no problem with the Holland hire. I’m sure Luc could’ve done a lot worse than bringing in a Hall of Fame executive. I really just hope Luc lets him do his job.

I know I wouldn’t come out of retirement to be a Yes man for anyone.
The other side of the argument is that Holland wants to add to his legacy.
Any of us who are/were employed by someone were in a sense a rubber stamp for ownership. Even if your job is to lead a department you still need to acquiesce to the philosophy of the company. There is more leeway in some upper management roles but we all still need to comply with the corporate culture.

I think Holland will have lots of authority to make moves he wants. If not he wouldn’t have been the choice. If the org wanted a puppet they would have brought in someone who did not have the resume that Holland has. Holland is “outside” enough for my taste.

Again, time and results will ultimately judge this. I don’t think introductory remarks are that much of a guide. These are typically exercises in not saying much of anything, just the “I’m excited to be here, it’s a great opportunity” stuff. This is what I heard from both Luc and Holland.

 

[santiclaws]

I agree that change for change sake usually isn’t the right answer. My issue is more about the lip service from the top.

Luc made it a point to say he wanted an outside perspective after Blake departed. If the only set of outside eyes he saw fit to hire was someone coming out of retirement it looks suspiciously like Holland is here to rubber stamp ownership’s agenda.

I’ve got no problem with the Holland hire. I’m sure Luc could’ve done a lot worse than bringing in a Hall of Fame executive. I really just hope Luc lets him do his job.

I don't know that Luc could have hired anyone who could give less of a f*** about Luc's input. This is almost certainly Holland's last GM gig. It's almost certainly a short-term deal. If he doesn't do what Luc wants, what is Luc going to do? He can't fire Holland without making himself look BAD. If he fires Holland he would almost be firing himself. He has almost zero leverage.

 

[MonkeysUncle]

I don't know that Luc could have hired anyone who could give less of a f*** about Luc's input. This is almost certainly Holland's last GM gig. It's almost certainly a short-term deal. If he doesn't do what Luc wants, what is Luc going to do? He can't fire Holland without making himself look BAD. If he fires Holland he would almost be firing himself. He has almost zero leverage.

This might be Luc's last kick at the can either way

 

[hokiecat]

I think (am hoping) there is more to Gavi coming back then you realize. Maybe KH does not think the Kings need 3 of the same type of D on the LHS. Maybe one of the missing pieces of a LHD with some skill and mobility. If so, that would mean someone has to go. Should be Edmundson, but some other guy signed him to 4 years.

4 years with a juicy contract.

I'm curious how willing people are to go all in on Gavrikov. I was not a fan of the trade but he was IMO, the undisputed number 1 last season. He's not a great number 1 defenseman like Makar or Werenski but he was the Kings best blueliner. I'd be willing to overpay a little to keep him. If not, Holland needs to be aggressive on day one to replace him with a top 4 LD (maybe an Orlov).

 

[Birdman]

4 years with a juicy contract.

I'm curious how willing people are to go all in on Gavrikov. I was not a fan of the trade but he was IMO, the undisputed number 1 last season. He's not a great number 1 defenseman like Makar or Werenski but he was the Kings best blueliner. I'd be willing to overpay a little to keep him. If not, Holland needs to be aggressive on day one to replace him with a top 4 LD (maybe an Orlov).

Dude plays solid defense. You need one of those on each pair, and 4 of them to kill penalties.

He’s prone to the occasional cough up, but who isn’t ?

 

[Sevenhole]

^^This^^ I heard KH say make some tweaks/changes (to players) and tweaks/changes to how they play. If he makes the correct moves, we all may just get what we want. A team going on a deep run in

With the powerplay being the first “tweak/change” please!

 

[ChiKingFan]

^^This^^ I heard KH say make some tweaks/changes (to players) and tweaks/changes to how they play. If he makes the correct moves, we all may just get what we want. A team going on a deep run in the playoffs.

This team was better than the team going to the conference finals. The biggest problem was that coach didn’t trust five of his skaters to play more than a couple minutes. There’s two potential fixes for that. You can convince coach that he was wrong, and that a guy who played 80 games and was +23 in the regular season is good enough to play in the playoffs. Or, you can get a couple guys that the coach feels comfortable using in the playoffs. Finding 3rd pair D and 4th line forwards should be easy.

Need to resign Gav, Tanner, and probably Kuz. May not even have to got outside the organization for the 4th line if three of Helenius, Lee, Thomas, Turcotte, Jeannot can mature.

TL;DR, completely disagree with the idea that the Kings are two or three superstars away from contending (but would gladly take two or three superstars).

 

[symbology]

This team was better than the team going to the conference finals. The biggest problem was that coach didn’t trust five of his skaters to play more than a couple minutes. There’s two potential fixes for that. You can convince coach that he was wrong, and that a guy who played 80 games and was +23 in the regular season is good enough to play in the playoffs. Or, you can get a couple guys that the coach feels comfortable using in the playoffs. Finding 3rd pair D and 4th line forwards should be easy.

Need to resign Gav, Tanner, and probably Kuz. May not even have to got outside the organization for the 4th line if three of Helenius, Lee, Thomas, Turcotte, Jeannot can mature.

TL;DR, completely disagree with the idea that the Kings are two or three superstars away from contending (but would gladly take two or three superstars).

I get what you are trying to say, but this team lost the series. That is the bottom line. Their luck and ability to score on the PP helped them get a jump on the Oilers. Also, the Oilers were not sharp the first two games. The Kings took advantage.

The Oilers have a 4th line consisting of Janmark, Henrique and Fredric which is far better than Turcotte, Helenius and Malott. Also, the McDrai pair are two of the top 5 players in the league. The Oilers were a deeper team than many expected.

The Kings big slow D found themselves having problems trying to contain McDrai and company.

I am not sure that I agree that the Kings were the better team. The 3rd period of just about every game in that series proves otherwise. As does the last 4 games. Yes, the Kings found themselves with a lead in the series and were close to making it 3-0. They could have won that series. Do you think that the Kings would have taken Vegas in 5 games? They almost got teh sweep in that series.

Sure, you can argue that Hiller was to blame for shortening the bench, that is valid. That being said, those that were benched were not playing strong/well enough to make the decision to play them an easy one for Hiller.

Sounds like you think finding a 3rd pairing D is a need. I am fine with that. However, I would like to add that the Kings need get a mobile PMD on the left side. Having Kempe playing the point on the PP is fine, when the guys down low are getting it down. When that goes south having your leading scorer at the point is not a recipe for success. Especially when the team is pressing 5 on 5 late in the game and trying to get a goal. The makeup of the D is wrong when you throw your leading scorer at the left point to play D.

 

[Bollocks]

Not exactly a confidence inspiring first press conference.

To be clear, Holland can absolutely do the job. He’ll fill holes on the roster with good players and the team will make the playoffs next season. If that’s all you need out of a GM then Luc made the right hire.

But Blake did exactly that 4 seasons in a row...all while introducing quite a few young players that would quite possibly be left behind and/or traded with a more "ruthless/assertive" win-now GM at the helm...

@Bollocks id really like you to expound on exactly how Futa would be an inspired hire and not also a retread? I'm legitimately curious. He's interviewed with multiple franchises at this point and not one has given him the keys. I loved him when he was here but it's 2025 now and he's on the radio.

For the simple fact that it would signal a different approach - win-now with most likely strategy being sacrificing the future that the Kings don't have A LOT of, unlike Edmonton that was stacked after years and years of suckage VS. someone who is also a scout by trade but one that worked and learned NHL business in cap era under Lombardi.

If you don't put your GM in a high-pressure, win-now mode, you're much less likely to f*** up your futue. I thought a win-now strategy when Rob was hired was flawed because there was even LESS future he could trade to improve the team significantly, but the team had DD and Kopi in their prime and from running a pro team business standpoint it made too much sense.

How does a win-now approach look now that there is a little bit of talent in the depths of this organization - but really it's only 3 good/blue chip prospects + 2 fringe young NHLers - very little cap space and with DD and Kopi being 35+? Hats off to both, but I think now's the time to transition into post-DD and post-Kopi era. Sure, QB seems to be a good heir apparent to Kopi, but I do have some doubts about Clarke...but maybe the staff disagrees and does indeed see a future Cup-chasing star in him and not just a very capable offensive juggernaut that can't be relied upon playing 30 minutes in the playoffs in all possible situations...


I think we will see very soon (draft and then UFA) what Ken's plan is and whether or not it's a promising plan or not. I just hope he doesn't sell the farm for short-term solutions...and I hope he doesn't neglect giving young players NHL exposure during regular season.

The cap increasing could very well be a "trap" and I hope he's aware of that. Yes, it's increasing, but it's increasing for every team out there and fixing the Kings IMO isn't possible in an all-out UFA bidding war for stars (or "stars")...was that comment aimed at that? You can't go wrong with a 90m $ signing? Was he serious?

(Do Blues have any RFAs he could offer sheet in order to revenge them taking Oilers players and making Holland look bad?)

 

[Dr. Tran]

(Do Blues have any RFAs he could offer sheet in order to revenge them taking Oilers players and making Holland look bad?)

No. I looked.

 

[Dr. Tran]

I don't know why anyone would be so negative about the hiring & the press conference. Unless it's that you favored another GM candidate. And you can't expect him to come in & say this guy, this guy, & that guy are out. That doesn't make sense for where this team is at. We finished with 105 points, 2nd in the Pacific & 6th overall. And as much as Hiller screwed up, it's perfectly valid to say he did a great job in the regular season. And it's valid not to want to pay someone not to coach for a full year. So I never expected to see immediate changes to the staff. However, it's not out off the question that by the end of next season changes could be made if the team doesn't do better in the playoffs. It's just like any other job where the employees have to impress the new boss. One thing that was a little weird wasn't the vagueness about the multi year contract & how long it actually is.I don't know what that means.

I think overall it was a pretty good press conference. He was pretty positive about the team, which he should be. But I don't think he can be judged, positively or negatively, by anything he said at the press conference. It will be from the moves he makes.

 

[Dr. Tran]

IMO, Doughty and Kopi have continued to play at a high level for longer than we should have reasonably expected. Which has been great in terms of not having albatross contracts (Doughty 3-4 years ago was on the bad contract list) and should allow Holland to reinvest the salary into younger and more effective players.

Which RFA's would you like the Kings to target? Who is worth the compensation packages?

I've been thinking about this for a few days now. I don't know exactly but I have a few players in mind. Knies would be nice of course. So would Cuylie from the NYR. Maybe either Paterka or McLeod from Buffalo. Or maybe we get Vilardi back. But I might actually prefer a defenseman over a forward. Especially one that's more mobile & has some offensive ability. So Bowen Byram, K'Andre Miller, or Noah Dobson. Another name I'd consider is Evan Bouchard. I know he's very risky defensively. But he's very high reward. He just became the 2nd fastest defenceman in NHL history to record 50 career playoff assists in 60 games, only trailing Bobby Orr with 59. That's impressive. And more importantly, we'd stick it to Edmonton. But it's hard to say. We would have to target a team that's close to the cap or has a lot of decisions to make. But with the cap going up, I don't know who that would be, if anyone. I also don't know if Holland would use offer sheets. I was hoping someone on the Blues would be an RFA but no such luck.