Marner Watch

The Kings can make the playoffs, I would like to see them move past the first round. Actually, I would like to see them move to the final. Does Marner get you past the first and possibly second round?

The Leafs have had a very good stacked team for a while now, I would like to know their record in the first round with Marner in the lineup.
 
Does Marner keep us competitive vs. Seattle, ANA, CHI, Utah, SJ in the next 2-3 years?

Not to mention LV will always be competitive, EDM will be there assuming they can resign McD...

We have a huge conundrum at the back and zero cap space if we were to sign Mitch, which we won't.

I think this draft's accumulation of picks is a sign that a soft tank is the works, when in reality it should be a full tank. Trade Moore and Phil for starters, see what Fiala could bring in return.

This team is not built for the playoffs. And there are 6 teams behind us about to make big leaps. It's purgatory for the next 3-5 years at least. QB's best years might be wasted unfortunately. There is no easy fix for this team.

I'd sign Marner on a hope and prayer, but he's clearly not coming.
 
A potential new wrinkle…

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Whatever happens, half of the Kings fanbase will be pi$$ed while the other half will breathe a sigh of relief because they didn't want to tie up that much salary on a guy that has a rep for disappearing in the playoffs. Of course, him going to Vegas will really irk people, even if they didn't want him here in LA.
 
LAKingSteve said:
Whatever happens, half of the Kings fanbase will be pi$$ed while the other half will breathe a sigh of relief because they didn't want to tie up that much salary on a guy that has a rep for disappearing in the playoffs. Of course, him going to Vegas will really irk people, even if they didn't want him here in LA.
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I’d be fine with Marner not coming here. However, him going to Vegas would be rough. We already have to deal with McDavid/Drai and now we’d have Eichel and Marner on our plate.
I know Marner’s playoff history but he’d be going to a team that’s proven they can win which is exactly what Marner needs..
 
Statue4Deano said:
Hey listen we got Kuzmenko. The guy who nobody wanted and we lucked into fixing the 1st line and PP.

The more I hear Holland speak the less confidence I have in him fixing the roster/organization.
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Depends on your definition of fix.

I’m more confident that he will build a team capable of getting out of the first round. It may be problematic for us to make the playoffs however.
 
Everything points at making a run at McD next season...especially if Gavy walks and we sign a veteran on a one year deal...

Connor has alluded for the 1st time that his future might not be in Edmonton...the Edmonton to LA superstar precedent is there...Connor has spoken about LA positively...

I don't know how I will make it through all the McD talk leading up to 7/1/2026

I kind of hope he just signs an extension and puts me out of my misery quickly.
 
Pickle_Pucks said:
Everything points at making a run at McD next season...especially if Gavy walks and we sign a veteran on a one year deal...

Connor has alluded for the 1st time that his future might not be in Edmonton...the Edmonton to LA superstar precedent is there...Connor has spoken about LA positively...

I don't know how I will make it through all the McD talk leading up to 7/1/2026

I kind of hope he just signs an extension and puts me out of my misery quickly.
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McDavid will only leave Edmonton for his best chance at winning a Cup. Signing with LA is not his best opportunity for a ring.
 
Statue4Deano said:
McDavid will only leave Edmonton for his best chance at winning a Cup. Signing with LA is not his best opportunity for a ring.
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McD - Prime QB - Prime Kempe - Prime Fiala - Prime Laf - Prime Anderson - Hopefully Clarke can take a big step - Greentree looks like he could be a difference maker, but of course that's TBD

DD a respectable Canadian vet...you trade Moore and Phil for some younger affordable pieces...

One or 2 of our young goalies should work out...

That's a pretty elite team if one or two pieces fall into place. The keys would be getting the right returns for Moore and Phil. Greentree hitting his stride early, and one or two random prospects exceeding expectations.

This looks like a team that could be setting itself up to actually have the cap space. Holland is writing this season off IMO.

Vegas won't be able to just magically open 18 million in space after Marner...well, it wouldn't surprise me.

Is he not absolutely sick of the media? LA is perfect and that has the makings of an elite team with just a couple deft moves.
 
I don’t think it’s impossible. He has had some mentoring from Wayne over the years and Wayne does still say good things about playing in LA. When Lombardi was choosing where to work he (dl) said Gretzky told him there was no feeling like winning in LA. I know it’s unlikely but it’s possible.
 
Statue4Deano said:
McDavid will only leave Edmonton for his best chance at winning a Cup. Signing with LA is not his best opportunity for a ring.
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I don’t disagree with this because at some point McDavid desperately wants a Cup on his resume.
But, does a generational talent continue to keep trying in a remote location where that Cup may not happen?
McDavid may actually want to experience playing in a big market. If you think he gets acclaim and attention in his current location, what does he get in LA, NY or CHI? Additionally, think of the increased revenue sources that comes from the advertising revenue in big markets. Michael Jordan would offer a good example.

While I believe it’s a long shot I certainly can’t rule out the possibility. In fact it’s probably a better bet than even I suspect.

The Kings are hardly in trouble talent-wise. They have some really good players, some very good secondary/role players, a couple of good prospects, and $25 million in cap space.
In the next two years they will get out from Kopi and Drew contracts totaling 18M AND the cap is increasing significantly.

There is plenty of reason to think the Kings can continue to make acquisitions to get better and make some long playoff runs.

Obviously things could go sideways. But I would bet that’s not the direction this goes.
I keep reminding myself that the Kings were more of an obstacle to the Oilers this year than either Dallas or Vegas. The Kings could have (and should have) won their series. I can’t say that about the other two Western Conference opponents.
 
Pickle_Pucks said:
McD - Prime QB - Prime Kempe - Prime Fiala - Prime Laf - Prime Anderson - Hopefully Clarke can take a big step - Greentree looks like he could be a difference maker, but of course that's TBD

DD a respectable Canadian vet...you trade Moore and Phil for some younger affordable pieces...

One or 2 of our young goalies should work out...

That's a pretty elite team if one or two pieces fall into place. The keys would be getting the right returns for Moore and Phil. Greentree hitting his stride early, and one or two random prospects exceeding expectations.

This looks like a team that could be setting itself up to actually have the cap space. Holland is writing this season off IMO.

Vegas won't be able to just magically open 18 million in space after Marner...well, it wouldn't surprise me.

Is he not absolutely sick of the media? LA is perfect and that has the makings of an elite team with just a couple deft moves.
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He could sign in San Jose or Chicago for the same amount of money and he’d be surrounded by far more talented players than LA. Those teams are younger but their depth and ceilings are higher especially when you add McDavid on their 1st lines.

The Kings as they stand today have about a 2 year window where they can still push the best team in the Conference to Game 6/7. In year 3 suddenly Doughty is 38 years old. Kopi is long retired while Fiala & Kempe are 31 years old leaving their scoring prime.

Rob Blake did an abysmal job of layering NHL level talent drafted and developed internally. This is partly why I believe he gave up as GM. He saw the blackhole staring him right in the face and he didn’t have the stomach to guide the team through it any longer.

Yes we all love Byfield and most of us like Clarke but he missed on Turcotte. That miss created a giant hole in the development pipeline where the team creates young internal replacements for older more expensive vets. He also missed on 6/7 out of 8 2nd round picks from 2017-2023. The one 2nd round pick that did hit was a home run in Brock Faber but he traded him for Fiala. Again gaping holes in the development pipeline. 1st and 2nd round picks are absolutely vital in creating team depth in age layers. All those missed mean instead of 10 or 11 22-25 year olds fighting to make an impact on the NHL roster now we’ve got 4. It was 5 but Holland just traded away Spence.

Anyway all of this is why I was hoping there would be a real push for Marner as a shortcut to buy some time to fix the broken prospect pipeline but no dice. Same thing can be applied to McDavid. He won’t want to be part of this mess either.
 
Statue4Deano said:
He could sign in San Jose or Chicago for the same amount of money and he’d be surrounded by far more talented players than LA. Those teams are younger but their depth and ceilings are higher especially when you add McDavid on their 1st lines.

The Kings as they stand today have about a 2 year window where they can still push the best team in the Conference to Game 6/7. In year 3 suddenly Doughty is 38 years old. Kopi is long retired while Fiala & Kempe are 31 years old leaving their scoring prime.

Rob Blake did an abysmal job of layering NHL level talent drafted and developed internally. This is partly why I believe he gave up as GM. He saw the blackhole staring him right in the face and he didn’t have the stomach to guide the team through it any longer.

Yes we all love Byfield and most of us like Clarke but he missed on Turcotte. That miss created a giant hole in the development pipeline where the team creates young internal replacements for older more expensive vets. He also missed on 6/7 out of 8 2nd round picks from 2017-2023. The one 2nd round pick that did hit was a home run in Brock Faber but he traded him for Fiala. Again gaping holes in the development pipeline. 1st and 2nd round picks are absolutely vital in creating team depth in age layers. All those missed mean instead of 10 or 11 22-25 year olds fighting to make an impact on the NHL roster now we’ve got 4. It was 5 but Holland just traded away Spence.

Anyway all of this is why I was hoping there would be a real push for Marner as a shortcut to buy some time to fix the broken prospect pipeline but no dice. Same thing can be applied to McDavid. He won’t want to be part of this mess either.
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I’m for an all in push, but I suggested an alternate plan in the other thread, which I think also gives the Kings an extraction plan should things not come together in the next two years. Those guys would all still have trade value on the way out, along with trading out guys like Fiala and Kempe at their peak, if this type of plan fails, a true bottom dwelling rebuild is required. You can only extract so much in trade for a singular 14 million dollar player, if he need should arise to trade him out
 
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Jesse Blake is saying the rumored contract that Vegas is looking at is 4 x 12 for Marner. He does not say what that source was.


 
Statue4Deano said:
He could sign in San Jose or Chicago for the same amount of money and he’d be surrounded by far more talented players than LA. Those teams are younger but their depth and ceilings are higher especially when you add McDavid on their 1st lines.

The Kings as they stand today have about a 2 year window where they can still push the best team in the Conference to Game 6/7. In year 3 suddenly Doughty is 38 years old. Kopi is long retired while Fiala & Kempe are 31 years old leaving their scoring prime.

Rob Blake did an abysmal job of layering NHL level talent drafted and developed internally. This is partly why I believe he gave up as GM. He saw the blackhole staring him right in the face and he didn’t have the stomach to guide the team through it any longer.

Yes we all love Byfield and most of us like Clarke but he missed on Turcotte. That miss created a giant hole in the development pipeline where the team creates young internal replacements for older more expensive vets. He also missed on 6/7 out of 8 2nd round picks from 2017-2023. The one 2nd round pick that did hit was a home run in Brock Faber but he traded him for Fiala. Again gaping holes in the development pipeline. 1st and 2nd round picks are absolutely vital in creating team depth in age layers. All those missed mean instead of 10 or 11 22-25 year olds fighting to make an impact on the NHL roster now we’ve got 4. It was 5 but Holland just traded away Spence.

Anyway all of this is why I was hoping there would be a real push for Marner as a shortcut to buy some time to fix the broken prospect pipeline but no dice. Same thing can be applied to McDavid. He won’t want to be part of this mess either.
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I like how you left out ANA. That is the real nightmare scenario. He could go there and turn them into a top 3-5 team overnight if their youth even half pans out.
 
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