The Mayor thinks Rob Blake is returning as GM next season

I usually keep my patience when it comes to the failures the Kings have had to endure throughout the past years and eras but I can't seem to hold it with Blake still being our GM. We need a new fresh voice to guide this team and Blake is not the answer to this team's problems anymore. If the Kings hold on to Blake as GM, he will do more of the same crap that will lead this team nowhere but more disappointments and unneeded complications until the Kings are too handicapped to make it in the playoffs or solve their cap space on players that are anchors like PLD.

Unfortunately, it's all up to AEG's decision to determine who will stay and who will go, so our opinions don't matter. 😞
 
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G Desjardins said:
If boring hockey gets you two Stanley Cups, that's great, but what's the need for it 10 years later? The rest of the league has moved on, the Kings haven't.
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Have they?

I am by no means stating that the 1-3-1 is the way to the promised land, it’s far from it. But how is the recipe that we used to win 10 years ago not relevant anymore? It wasn’t the 1-3-1.

Sutter modified it after being here a month and went to a more pressure forecheck, and he had the horses to force the issue.

Vegas system seems pretty close, and look who happens to be the most vocal coach on their bench?

All the teams now that seem to be successful are the ones that are taking the body. This is a far cry from the days of the Oilers and Penguins.
 
Statue4Deano said:

OPINION: Rob Blake Will Return as Kings GM Next Season

mayorsmanor.com mayorsmanor.com

And it sounds like Hiller will be back too.



Can’t wait to see everyone talking up the 1-3-1 in training camp…
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As with most of us, I have no real insight into what Hiller thinks about anything.
What I do know is that Hiller was thrown into a mess. He was the Coach for what, three months?

I think if any of us in our jobs were given a position to make changes we would certainly want more time to make things better.

When Hiller was given the position there was no time to institute structural reforms. I suspect Hiller was asked to get this team to the playoffs.

While this team slightly improved under Hiller I honestly don’t know how any of us can make an assessment of his abilities. This team was a mess before he got the job.

The real question for me has always been what the second sentence is.
“The Kings have relieved Hiller of his duties.
The Kings have hired ____________________.”

I’m not a big coaching carousel guy. I’m not terribly interested in a retread.

If not Hiller, then who?
Sure, there are some names like Gallant, Vigneault, Berube….

But those guys don’t currently have jobs. I wonder why that is? (Not being snarky. Just stating a fact.) All of them have had teams that did not perform for whatever reasons.

Hiller is here. I would be curious what he might go with a training camp and a full year.

I think disappointment and frustration are causing some sense of wanting to blow things up. I think people are dismissing Hiller for the wrong reasons.

I don’t have any problem giving him the chance. I don’t quite understand the negativity associated with him.
 
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DoubleMinor said:
As with most of us, I have no real insight into what Hiller thinks about anything.
What I do know is that Hiller was thrown into a mess. He was the Coach for what, three months?

I think if any of us in our jobs were given a position to make changes we would certainly want more time to make things better.

When Hiller was given the position there was no time to institute structural reforms. I suspect Hiller was asked to get this team to the playoffs.

While this team slightly improved under Hiller I honestly don’t know how any of us can make an assessment of his abilities. This team was a mess before he got the job.

The real question for me has always been what the second sentence is.
“The Kings have relieved Hiller of his duties.
The Kings have hired ____________________.”

I’m not a big coaching carousel guy. I’m not terribly interested in a retread.

If not Hiller, then who?
Sure, there are some names like Gallant, Vigneault, Berube….

But those guys don’t currently have jobs. I wonder why that is? (Not being snarky. Just stating a fact.) All of them have had teams that did not perform for whatever reasons.

Hiller is here. I would be curious what he might go with a training camp and a full year.

I think disappointment and frustration are causing some sense of wanting to blow things up. I think people are dismissing Hiller for the wrong reasons.

I don’t have any problem giving him the chance. I don’t quite understand the negativity associated with him.
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Agreed it is hard to truly evaluate Hiller, but based off what I saw I 100% believe that bringing on either Gallant (my top choice) or Berube would place the Kings in a far superior position to make a deep run into the playoffs.

Based on Hiller's time as Head Coach, here is my opinion:

Positives:
-High Emotional Intelligence (which goes a long way to building a team culture and getting all players engaged)
-Added a very strong supporting Assistance Coach (DJ)
-Is able to adapt gameplay to the opponent on a limited basis (better than McLellan was able to)
-Seems to take ownership
-Has good composure

Negatives:
-Lacks experience
-Makes adjustments but is far to slow in enacting them; adjustments made are incomplete (failed to alter the PP, made adjustments to PK but not until game 5, made slight adjustments to defensive zone net front presence, rode a goalie in a cold streak and waited to the series was almost lost to put in the better goaltending option)
-Didn't utilize all players efficiently
-Still a question mark when it comes to player development
-Didn't see anything that stood out as being Hiller's impact on the team system (appeared to strongly ride what McLellan has put in place)

Side note: There was a reason Cassidy was let go as head coach of Boston as well. What did he do? He went to Vegas and won a Cup, with the potential to win another this year.
 
If Blake's going to be staying, then come Fall time I can, sadly, see myself devoting most of my time to the other vegetable patch.
 
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DryKing said:
Agreed it is hard to truly evaluate Hiller, but based off what I saw I 100% believe that bringing on either Gallant (my top choice) or Berube would place the Kings in a far superior position to make a deep run into the playoffs.

Based on Hiller's time as Head Coach, here is my opinion:

Positives:
-High Emotional Intelligence (which goes a long way to building a team culture and getting all players engaged)
-Added a very strong supporting Assistance Coach (DJ)
-Is able to adapt gameplay to the opponent on a limited basis (better than McLellan was able to)
-Seems to take ownership
-Has good composure

Negatives:
-Lacks experience
-Makes adjustments but is far to slow in enacting them; adjustments made are incomplete (failed to alter the PP, made adjustments to PK but not until game 5, made slight adjustments to defensive zone net front presence, rode a goalie in a cold streak and waited to the series was almost lost to put in the better goaltending option)
-Didn't utilize all players efficiently
-Still a question mark when it comes to player development
-Didn't see anything that stood out as being Hiller's impact on the team system (appeared to strongly ride what McLellan has put in place)

Side note: There was a reason Cassidy was let go as head coach of Boston as well. What did he do? He went to Vegas and won a Cup, with the potential to win another this year.
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Yeah, I think this is a pretty fair analysis of Hiller. I can’t really argue against your points. And I think the Cassidy note is worth considering.

All coaches get the axe eventually. Some are hired just to get fired. Some are fired because they aren’t up to the task. Others have issues with the front office. Myriads of reasons.

I am not familiar enough with the dynamics with every situation about any of the potential candidates if Hiller is let go.
Gallant was in Vegas before DeBoer & Cassidy. Why was Gallant let go? I can’t say I know the details well enough.

But with Hiller my sense is there just isn’t enough info on him. Too small of a sample size. Which certainly makes it risky certainly. It also makes him cheaper in both term and $’s. I think Hiller would take a one one or two year deal.
Gallant isn’t coming for less that 5 years at $5M.
Not that I’m paying, so I don’t necessarily care. But my point with a Hiller contract is you take a chance and it’s easy to move on with less years and dollars committed if he turns out to be over his head.

With regard to your negatives about Hiller (which again, are entirely fair) I can’t say that Hiller had a lot of choices with his strategic moves. Not many players were doing enough.
I do agree that he was slow on the special teams issues.
I think he did go too long with Talbot, but I don’t think Rittich was good at all in Game 5. Pick your poison with two guys in net who were adequate at best.

Really, it comes down to the sample size. I suspect Hiller was told to get to the playoffs and see what this team wants to be.
I just don’t think there was enough time for system changes when he took over, and I doubt Scotty Bowman could have saved this team in the playoffs.

With Hiller, I almost think of Pat Riley with the Lakers decades ago. Riley did not have the resume but actually was a good coach. There is enough with Hiller that I wonder if perhaps he might actually be the guy if given the opportunity.

I don’t know what the Kings will do. I don’t know what they should do, to be honest. I just don’t know that I personally think I’d walk away from Hiller after 30 games. But I can easily be wrong. It actually has happened 😂
 
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Halfwall said:
Some of you guys must not be watching the remaining playoff games. Every game I've turned on is like 0-0 into the 3rd. Oh wait, Dallas/Vegas is practically 80's hockey at 1-1 in the 3rd.
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It’s not our system. It’s, goaltending and blocked shots…? Good goalie seems to be a better outcome for all teams.
 
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Halfwall said:
Some of you guys must not be watching the remaining playoff games. Every game I've turned on is like 0-0 into the 3rd. Oh wait, Dallas/Vegas is practically 80's hockey at 1-1 in the 3rd.
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Stars were the #3 scoring team in the league. Averaged over 3.5 goals per game. #8 goals allowed.

The remaining teams + goals scored rank:
Dallas 3rd
Colorado 1st

Vancouver 6th
Edmonton 4th

NYR 7th
Carolina 8th

Florida 11th
Boston 13th

The Kings were 16th and 3rd in goals allowed. How’d they do? Winnipeg was 15th and 1st in goals allowed. How’d they do? Having an effective offense isn’t just about scoring 4 or 5 goals a game. Sometimes it’s the difference between scoring 1 goal and 2.
 
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