Official LA Kings Off-Season

[Clif]

Biggest concern for Gabe is injuries. The above is based on one season of 63 games. He's played 152 total games, always had injuries. Don't get me wrong, love the guy, but there is risk there.

In terms of warming up to the trade, that is the one thing that moves it for me. I’m still conflicted, but I appreciate you pointing this out again because it really needs to be remembered when looking at this proposal.

That said, if Blake is going bold by gambling on PLD, he could always go bold by gambling Gabe stays healthy. Seriously a very hard trade to take either way.

 

[Statue4Deano]

The rumor mill keeps churning

 

[LAKingSteve]

The rumor mill keeps churning

Oof. That's a lot and still have the same cap space issues if PLD is $8MM per year as rumored. Iafallo $4MM, Kupari RFA ($875K qualifying offer), Gabe ($3MM). So you move out 3 guys to cover the cap hit of one guy and still have to fill the Kupari and Vilardi holes in the lineup.

 

[SaltyPuck]

I've also seen Harkins name come up as a part of the trade as well...trading for a new C was unexpected but trading for 2??

PLD for three roster players doesn't make much sense to me, and trading PLD + another center doesn't make much more...

 

[Statue4Deano]

Oof. That's a lot and still have the same cap space issues if PLD is $8MM per year as rumored. Iafallo $4MM, Kupari RFA ($875K qualifying offer), Gabe ($3MM). So you move out 3 guys to cover the cap hit of one guy and still have to fill the Kupari and Vilardi holes in the lineup.

I think the issue is Vilardi will not sign for $3MM. If he does then the trade doesn’t make a ton of sense to me but if he wants $4+ on short term then I’d rather take the upgrade in Dubois.

 

[HeadInjury]

I'm used to being pleased with Kings trades the past few seasons. Can't say I am excited about this potential one.

 

[LAKingSteve]

I think the issue is Vilardi will not sign for $3MM. If he does then the trade doesn’t make a ton of sense to me but if he wants $4+ on short term then I’d rather take the upgrade in Dubois.

They supposedly haven't had any talks, but I guess it is possible they know what he wants.

 

[Statue4Deano]

They supposedly haven't had any talks, but I guess it is possible they know what he wants.

No talks at this point seems like a significant red flag. Sometimes a player is just ready to move on even if they don’t explicitly leak it to the media like Dubois’ people did.

Ultimately I trust Blake to handle this correctly. The organization has publicly supported Vilardi from day 1. And there’s no reason to believe they don’t want to keep him around at the right price. Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

 

[Clif]

MTL traded 31st and 37th picks for Newhook. This is feeling closer to done.

Word from Dreger:

 

[HeadInjury]

Dreger's comment doesn't seem to make any sense. A new contract for Dubois would kick in July 1 and he would be traded by then. There's no cap complications at all unless they couldn't fit in what they are receiving, which isn't the case, particularly with neither Gabe or Kupari even signed.

 

[SaltyPuck]

Dreger's comment doesn't seem to make any sense. A new contract for Dubois would kick in July 1 and he would be traded by then. There's no cap complications at all unless they couldn't fit in what they are receiving, which isn't the case, particularly with neither Gabe or Kupari even signed.

It doubly doesn't make sense when you consider that even if the cap limits were in effect, TOR has more cap space than we do... Any situation where it wouldn't work for TOR it would definitely not work for us.

 

[symbology]

Hearing 8x8.5 for PLD.

Also, pulled this from another board.

"Under Article 50.5 of the 2013 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, any team that is trying to re-sign a player to a multi-year contract after December 1 needs to have “Payroll Room.” Basically, Payroll Room is the difference between the cap ceiling and the total amount of all Average Annual Values (“AAV”) and bonuses for the team’s one-way contract players, any deferred bonuses applicable during the current season, any buyout amounts, any outstanding offer sheets, any qualifying offers, or any money earned from two-way players while those players are playing in the NHL.[1]

So, if a team wants to re-sign a player, the difference between the team’s Payroll Room and the cap ceiling must exceed the amount of the AAV of the player’s contract. For those who keep up with NHL Free Agency, this isn’t a hard concept: you have to have cap space for the player to acquire him.

But in the world of extensions, it gets a bit trickier. In order to sign a player to an extension, the team needs enough of that difference to be able to afford his AAV this season. However, if the team does not have enough cap space from this difference, then the team may pull from any available cap space received from the expiration of the AAVs of its other players’ contracts at the end of the season so long as the cap space received would accommodate the player’s AAV after re-signing after the space is added to the existing difference in cap space.”

 

[LAKingSteve]

No talks at this point seems like a significant red flag. Sometimes a player is just ready to move on even if they don’t explicitly leak it to the media like Dubois’ people did.

Ultimately I trust Blake to handle this correctly. The organization has publicly supported Vilardi from day 1. And there’s no reason to believe they don’t want to keep him around at the right price. Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

Yep, this was my concern. Either he had made it clear he wanted to be moved OR the Kings had already made up their mind on him.

 

[hokiecat]

No talks at this point seems like a significant red flag. Sometimes a player is just ready to move on even if they don’t explicitly leak it to the media like Dubois’ people did.

Ultimately I trust Blake to handle this correctly. The organization has publicly supported Vilardi from day 1. And there’s no reason to believe they don’t want to keep him around at the right price. Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.

Found the Blake burner account.

I trust Blake to botch this like he did the Kovalchuk signing. Instead of going 8x8, he went 8x8.5. So we're overpaying. And there is ZERO EVIDENCE that Gabe was playing hardball or going silent or anything like that. You can spin it however you want to rationalize the trade but absolutely nothing has leaked to the media where Gabe was a making exorbitant demands or ready to move on.

 

[symbology]

From Dreger

Pending trade call the Jets and Kings complete a marathon trade. Pierre-Luc Dubois to LA. Iafallo, Vilardi, Kupari and a 2nd in 2024 (orig Mtl’s pick) to Winnipeg for PLD. As
@reporterchris
reported, extension for PLD in LA is 8 years, $8.5 aav.


WTF Blake?

 

[symbology]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/winnipeg-jet...s-eight-year-68m-contract-extension-1.1978046

 

[Statue4Deano]

Found the Blake burner account.

I trust Blake to botch this like he did the Kovalchuk signing. Instead of going 8x8, he went 8x8.5. So we're overpaying. And there is ZERO EVIDENCE that Gabe was playing hardball or going silent or anything like that. You can spin it however you want to rationalize the trade but absolutely nothing has leaked to the media where Gabe was a making exorbitant demands or ready to move on.

Blake has made plenty of questionable moves and he will make bad moves in the future. Trading for a 25 year old #1 center with size and skill is not one of them.

Vilardi is a fine player when he’s healthy. Iafallo and Kupari are useful players. None of the 3 have the impact that Dubois has when he’s on his game. Simple as that.

This is Blake’s version of the Mike Richards trade. My only hope is it works out exactly the same for the Kings.

 

[Pickle_Pucks]

PLD's contribution next season is fairly predictable. He'll put up close to a PPG and put in another 10-15% defensively. That's all you can ask for. If he can get his FO% above 50% that's another nice step up. Those numbers will be easy to achieve with 2nd line match ups and PP1 times. This improves the team A LOT. 3rd line is now an absolute terror matchup as well.

The key to the season will hinge on *at least* one legitimate break out season from someone on an ELD. Be it Byfield, AK. Clarke, Cromiak, Pinelli or Turcotte (from left field?), ideally it's Byfield but someone will have to thrown down a huge outprefromance (65 points from QB, 25-30 goals for AK, 50 points for Clarke, something along those lines). Ideally some noticeable steps from Toby too as he's going to see as much ice time as the coaching staff thinks he can handle.

That's what the season is riding on, PLD will get his in a big way. Need much more from the youngsters next season and there are zero excuses left. Goaltending will be slightly above league average hopefully, and that's still a big upgrade from last year.

 

[Bollocks]

In terms of warming up to the trade, that is the one thing that moves it for me. I’m still conflicted, but I appreciate you pointing this out again because it really needs to be remembered when looking at this proposal.

That said, if Blake is going bold by gambling on PLD, he could always go bold by gambling Gabe stays healthy. Seriously a very hard trade to take either way.

PLD is a considerably lesser gamble than Gabe, IMHO...and definitely a player that's more suitable for playoff grind.

PLD's contribution next season is fairly predictable. He'll put up close to a PPG and put in another 10-15% defensively. That's all you can ask for. If he can get his FO% above 50% that's another nice step up. Those numbers will be easy to achieve with 2nd line match ups and PP1 times. This improves the team A LOT. 3rd line is now an absolute terror matchup as well.

The key to the season will hinge on *at least* one legitimate break out season from someone on an ELD. Be it Byfield, AK. Clarke, Cromiak, Pinelli or Turcotte (from left field?), ideally it's Byfield but someone will have to thrown down a huge outprefromance (65 points from QB, 25-30 goals for AK, 50 points for Clarke, something along those lines). Ideally some noticeable steps from Toby too as he's going to see as much ice time as the coaching staff thinks he can handle.

That's what the season is riding on, PLD will get his in a big way. Need much more from the youngsters next season and there are zero excuses left. Goaltending will be slightly above league average hopefully, and that's still a big upgrade from last year.

There's basically no Cup winner out there (in cap era) without "lucky breakouts" of cost controlled talent. Chances with 6 talented players (I don't count Turcotte as a realistic option for the NHL next season, he *needs* at least one full and decently productive AHL season without concussions before even considering jumping to the NHL) are, thankfully, pretty high.

Let's also not forget about Lias. A forever talented kid that maybe finally makes it after a first full, non-yoyo productive season at the AHL. If you look at his playing history he was *always* on the move. Few season ago it was SHL, AHL, NHL and international hockey in 9 months. He barely had time to train FFS.

 

[Clif]

PLD is a considerably lesser gamble than Gabe, IMHO...and definitely a player that's more suitable for playoff grind.

I’ve warmed up to this trade. Will say more in the thread you started.