2025-26 Off Season Thread

[PuckinUgly57]

Well, we saw our Kings get tossed aside, time to move on and see what happens this summer. All things Kings and league in this thread, I'll start a season thread in October.

Obviously the Blake news is big for LA but the Draft Lottery was tonight and the Islanders jumped SJ and took 1OA. SJ dropped to 2OA, they should still get a good player. We'll they should, they may pull a Kings and take Buster but I'd trust their drafting over LAs, they have some solid young talent as it is.

 

[Kings4OT]

Arrival needs to make the jump to #1C (haha sure), Kopi wont be able to shoulder that load...he might have to drop to #3 and that's gonna hurt bad....Dunno is a good tweener 2/3 at best which is almost where kopi will be....he is just slowing down and the exhaustion really got to him msking unKopistar mistakes...would really benefit with less minutes IMO. Not too worried about wingers but we know they arent gonna cut it anyways. Hoping LA doesnt shit the bed on GM and that GM doesnt roll around in said shit keeping Jill....as I would like to watch next season even if they start shedding players and have a rebuild path....have a feeling they arent goon go that route and just tweak whats there unfortunately.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Same boat. GM will determine so much of this.

Buster, he isn't ready for 1C responsibilities. He shrinks when everything matters. That still leaves the Dunno Kopitar issue, neither is a true 1C at all and it's very debatable that either is a 2C or 3C at this point. That is a massive hole and needs to be addressed. All I do know is Kopitar cannot be run out shift after shift expecting him to do what he did 15 years ago. Just not possible.

You know, the more and more I look at this the happier I am Bowlby is gone. He completely trashed the roster, didn't take advantage of what he had and his vision was as bad as Stevie Wonder.

How anyone supported this guy is beyond me. He's left this franchise in purgatory.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Def happy Blake gone. Wasn't 100% bad, but missed a lot, and was rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. He's at the helm, Kings haven't left the 1st round in a decade. It is what it is. Robitaille addressing public tomorrow, and no other decisions apparently have been made.

Gavrikov and Kuzmenko said they're in no hurry, which would lead me to believe they'll see what's out there. But I don't know.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Gavrikov is looking for a retirement contract, he would have gotten that under Blake. Now, maybe not so much. He's a good defensive defender but even though it may be market I don't think $7 million+ would be a wise investment especially on a 7/8 tear term. That won't age well.

Kuzmenko had his hot minute but as the series went on he disappeared. Maybe it's not fair, so did Kopitar and Kempe, but he's the dude fighting for a contract not those other two.

I don't believe he is a $5.5 million a year guy and maybe he has been given indications that won't happen here in LA. Wouldn't be surprised to see him walk or stay in LA.

 

[Kings4OT]

Kuz showed why he has bounced around...he is s headcase. Jill got past that and got him rolling, Jill also brought it back in a bad way....kuz had no idea what was going on when LA was leading, and just crumbled

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Kuz showed why he has bounced around...he is s headcase. Jill got past that and got him rolling, Jill also brought it back in a bad way....kuz had no idea what was going on when LA was leading, and just crumbled

At least Bowlby didn't give up a first or get fleeced as he usually does, a third and 50% retention is probably one of his better deals. But if Kuzmenko thinks he will get $5.5 again, that's a stretch.

$3.75 million tops, maybe $4 million, but he showed exactly why he's bounced around a bit. Good player but I could see a big contract blowing up in LAs face. He will have to be a perfect fit both role and contract wise.

 

[Kings4OT]

Gav is great, but agree need to see what the direction really is. Ducks, SJ, Flames all could be bigger problems...Canucks most likely in WTF land with LA. Would rather rip the bandaid off, not fair for DD8 and Kopi....but can give Buster some time to develope (lol) and maybe get some youth going

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Current draft order, Kings picking 27th. Draft order changed this season for the 16 PO teams, order is based on inverse position in the standings.

2025 NHL Draft Order | Tankathon

View the current order of the 2025 NHL Draft, with traded picks.

www.tankathon.com

So they get bounced in the first again and pick 27th, that's awesome. The second round pick is Tampa's from the Jeannot trade.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

TA, Jill article:

Kings coach Jim Hiller retains ‘status quo’ attitude amid uncertainty after Rob Blake’s departure​

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Hiller has coached the Los Angeles Kings for just 16 months — if you count his time on interim status — but he has been in the business long enough to know how things can work when a team’s management structure changes.

On Monday, the Kings and general manager Rob Blake separated after eight seasons. This was no blind side move. Blake didn’t have a contract for next season and there weren’t any talks toward renewal. Hiller didn’t know about Blake’s future and, in a March interview with The Athletic, said he hadn’t asked.

That day, Hiller also offered a defense of his boss and the work he had done, even knowing that uncertainty about Blake’s future could one day cloud his own.

“I would say if you look back from seven years ago to today, I would think Blakey’s done an excellent job,” Hiller told The Athletic. “… How I’m judged, how Blakey (is judged), it’s out of my control. I can only worry about myself. I’m not going to be the one to evaluate Blakey, that’s for sure. If I was, as I (say now), I think he’s done a terrific job.”

Now that Blake is out of a job — whether by his own choice or mutual agreement, as a team-released statement indicated — Hiller knows that his status as head coach isn’t settled, even though he just completed the first year of a three-year contract. His in-game decisions in the first round against Edmonton, some of which proved disastrous, didn’t put him in the best light, even after one of the best regular seasons in Kings history.

Team president Luc Robitaille is scheduled to address reporters on Tuesday about Blake’s departure and the Kings’ path toward hiring a new GM. But Hiller and Robitaille will talk about where Hiller fits into the new equation.

“I haven’t had those conversations yet,” Hiller said. “I’ll be talking to Luc at some point for sure. But I do understand whenever there’s change like that, significant change, there’s usually more.”

There is no known timeline for the Kings to hire a new GM, but it might be decisive for Hiller to connect with his new boss. Even though he performed well enough to have his interim tag removed last May — three months after taking over for Todd McLellan — Hiller might have to win over another boss to remain in charge of the Kings’ bench.

“I’m proceeding for sure like I’m the head coach,” Hiller said. “At some point, I will talk to Luc and then at some point Luc — I would assume it’s Luc — is going to do a search for the GM and hire a GM. And then at some point, I will assume I’ll be speaking with him.

“Status quo for me. There’s players here that have to be talked to and given a plan and all those types of things.”

The status quo hasn’t worked when it comes to the Kings and the postseason. They have been eliminated by the Oilers in the first round for four consecutive years, and they failed to win a playoff series in any of Blake’s eight seasons in charge. Now, change is coming to the front office — and possibly more, if it filters downward.

Before he got into his future on Monday, Hiller offered a reminder that the Kings had enjoyed a season with many accomplishments, “one which I think had plenty of highs for us during the course of seven months.”

“Then this last week, the lowest of lows, as you can all imagine,” he continued. “And I think today is another one of those, I would hope, for all of us.”

Some Kings fans might feel different about Blake’s departure, but that was not the messaging coming out of the Kings’ offices on an appropriately cloudy Monday near the Pacific Ocean. Blake is held in high esteem by the franchise, even if his track record as GM was mixed and never included playoff success.

“It’s a hard day,” Kings captain Anže Kopitar said. “I’ve known Blakey for 20 years now. He was my teammate before. He was our GM. More importantly, I think he’s my friend, or our friend (motioning toward Drew Doughty). I think he did a good job building this team. I think we showed it this year. We didn’t deliver. Obviously didn’t move on. He paid the price for it, really.

“He’s a very, very exceptional human. Looking back now, he’s done a lot for me as a player, as a GM, as a mentor. It sucks to see him leave, for sure. At least for a little bit next year, it’s going to be weird not having him around.”

Now we will see if Hiller is around when the Kings gather again for training camp. This was his second playoff series. Last spring’s five-game loss could be seen as somewhat educational as a first-time NHL head coach whose mission was merely to get the Kings in the playoffs and salvage what was dissolving into a lost season.

This year’s disappointment felt different, given that many considered the Kings to be a better team and the Oilers to be more vulnerable than in the three previous playoff meetings. The Kings took a 2-0 series lead, but everything changed when they got to Edmonton for the first of four consecutive losses.

“Listen, it was a hard series,” Hiller said. “You can always look back and say, maybe we could have done this or could have done that. I think every time you lose, no matter who you’re playing or if you don’t win and achieve your goal, you can always think, maybe we should have did this better or different. But in the end, you make decisions in the moment with the information you have. It didn’t turn out for us.”

One of those fateful decisions came in Game 3, when Hiller challenged, for goalie interference, Evander Kane’s score-tying goal with 6:42 left in the third period. The lost challenge gave the Oilers a power play, and Evan Bouchard scored the winning goal 10 seconds later.

On Monday, Hiller acknowledged that was a turning point.

“Yeah, that would have been one of them,” he said. “Well, in hindsight, that’s a pretty easy evaluation. In hindsight, it’s really easy. Obviously, in the moment, it was more difficult and we were disappointed with the way it went. We would have liked to come out and killed the penalty thereafter. I think that compounds with the call. Yeah, that’s a big moment. There’s no question.”

Things then spiraled for the Kings. Two excellent periods in Game 4 were wasted when they squandered a 3-1 lead and Edmonton tied the game on Bouchard’s goal with 28.4 seconds left. They lost that game in overtime and then were beaten soundly in Game 5 as the Oilers grabbed control of the series for good.

“Going back to the challenge, it’s not why we lost the series,” Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “But I think games 3 and 4, those were emotional losses for our group. When you lose games like that, it’s tough to fall asleep that night. A couple of hours of sleep and you know you’re playing the next day, it wears you down. I think those games 3 and 4 definitely they hit us hard. We had a chance to bounce back at home and Game 5 was probably our worst game.”

As his job-evaluation process continues, Hiller can fall back on his lauded communication skills and the fact that the Kings tied franchise records this season with 48 wins and 105 points. Edmundson, who signed with Los Angeles last season and had one of the best seasons of his career, said Hiller talked to him right away and established that he’d play a big role while also guiding young defender Brandt Clarke as his partner.

“The coaches trust me,” Edmundson said, “and I think my team did also.”

Another free-agent signing from last summer, Warren Foegele, echoed similar thoughts when it came to Hiller and his demanding yet personable style.

“Jimmy called me in the summer and said that he envisioned me with a bigger role,” said Foegele, who had career-highs of 24 goals and 46 points. “Kind of challenged me to push myself, to be more consistent and take on more minutes. I thought he was awesome for that. He gave me a lot of confidence.”

Man, I never really had an opinion on Jill but he sure sounds like he's smug as hell.

 

[Kings4OT]

TA, Jill article:

Kings coach Jim Hiller retains ‘status quo’ attitude amid uncertainty after Rob Blake’s departure​

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Hiller has coached the Los Angeles Kings for just 16 months — if you count his time on interim status — but he has been in the business long enough to know how things can work when a team’s management structure changes.

On Monday, the Kings and general manager Rob Blake separated after eight seasons. This was no blind side move. Blake didn’t have a contract for next season and there weren’t any talks toward renewal. Hiller didn’t know about Blake’s future and, in a March interview with The Athletic, said he hadn’t asked.

That day, Hiller also offered a defense of his boss and the work he had done, even knowing that uncertainty about Blake’s future could one day cloud his own.

“I would say if you look back from seven years ago to today, I would think Blakey’s done an excellent job,” Hiller told The Athletic. “… How I’m judged, how Blakey (is judged), it’s out of my control. I can only worry about myself. I’m not going to be the one to evaluate Blakey, that’s for sure. If I was, as I (say now), I think he’s done a terrific job.”

Now that Blake is out of a job — whether by his own choice or mutual agreement, as a team-released statement indicated — Hiller knows that his status as head coach isn’t settled, even though he just completed the first year of a three-year contract. His in-game decisions in the first round against Edmonton, some of which proved disastrous, didn’t put him in the best light, even after one of the best regular seasons in Kings history.

Team president Luc Robitaille is scheduled to address reporters on Tuesday about Blake’s departure and the Kings’ path toward hiring a new GM. But Hiller and Robitaille will talk about where Hiller fits into the new equation.

“I haven’t had those conversations yet,” Hiller said. “I’ll be talking to Luc at some point for sure. But I do understand whenever there’s change like that, significant change, there’s usually more.”

There is no known timeline for the Kings to hire a new GM, but it might be decisive for Hiller to connect with his new boss. Even though he performed well enough to have his interim tag removed last May — three months after taking over for Todd McLellan — Hiller might have to win over another boss to remain in charge of the Kings’ bench.

“I’m proceeding for sure like I’m the head coach,” Hiller said. “At some point, I will talk to Luc and then at some point Luc — I would assume it’s Luc — is going to do a search for the GM and hire a GM. And then at some point, I will assume I’ll be speaking with him.

“Status quo for me. There’s players here that have to be talked to and given a plan and all those types of things.”

The status quo hasn’t worked when it comes to the Kings and the postseason. They have been eliminated by the Oilers in the first round for four consecutive years, and they failed to win a playoff series in any of Blake’s eight seasons in charge. Now, change is coming to the front office — and possibly more, if it filters downward.

Before he got into his future on Monday, Hiller offered a reminder that the Kings had enjoyed a season with many accomplishments, “one which I think had plenty of highs for us during the course of seven months.”

“Then this last week, the lowest of lows, as you can all imagine,” he continued. “And I think today is another one of those, I would hope, for all of us.”

Some Kings fans might feel different about Blake’s departure, but that was not the messaging coming out of the Kings’ offices on an appropriately cloudy Monday near the Pacific Ocean. Blake is held in high esteem by the franchise, even if his track record as GM was mixed and never included playoff success.

“It’s a hard day,” Kings captain Anže Kopitar said. “I’ve known Blakey for 20 years now. He was my teammate before. He was our GM. More importantly, I think he’s my friend, or our friend (motioning toward Drew Doughty). I think he did a good job building this team. I think we showed it this year. We didn’t deliver. Obviously didn’t move on. He paid the price for it, really.

“He’s a very, very exceptional human. Looking back now, he’s done a lot for me as a player, as a GM, as a mentor. It sucks to see him leave, for sure. At least for a little bit next year, it’s going to be weird not having him around.”

Now we will see if Hiller is around when the Kings gather again for training camp. This was his second playoff series. Last spring’s five-game loss could be seen as somewhat educational as a first-time NHL head coach whose mission was merely to get the Kings in the playoffs and salvage what was dissolving into a lost season.

This year’s disappointment felt different, given that many considered the Kings to be a better team and the Oilers to be more vulnerable than in the three previous playoff meetings. The Kings took a 2-0 series lead, but everything changed when they got to Edmonton for the first of four consecutive losses.

“Listen, it was a hard series,” Hiller said. “You can always look back and say, maybe we could have done this or could have done that. I think every time you lose, no matter who you’re playing or if you don’t win and achieve your goal, you can always think, maybe we should have did this better or different. But in the end, you make decisions in the moment with the information you have. It didn’t turn out for us.”

One of those fateful decisions came in Game 3, when Hiller challenged, for goalie interference, Evander Kane’s score-tying goal with 6:42 left in the third period. The lost challenge gave the Oilers a power play, and Evan Bouchard scored the winning goal 10 seconds later.

On Monday, Hiller acknowledged that was a turning point.

“Yeah, that would have been one of them,” he said. “Well, in hindsight, that’s a pretty easy evaluation. In hindsight, it’s really easy. Obviously, in the moment, it was more difficult and we were disappointed with the way it went. We would have liked to come out and killed the penalty thereafter. I think that compounds with the call. Yeah, that’s a big moment. There’s no question.”

Things then spiraled for the Kings. Two excellent periods in Game 4 were wasted when they squandered a 3-1 lead and Edmonton tied the game on Bouchard’s goal with 28.4 seconds left. They lost that game in overtime and then were beaten soundly in Game 5 as the Oilers grabbed control of the series for good.

“Going back to the challenge, it’s not why we lost the series,” Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson said. “But I think games 3 and 4, those were emotional losses for our group. When you lose games like that, it’s tough to fall asleep that night. A couple of hours of sleep and you know you’re playing the next day, it wears you down. I think those games 3 and 4 definitely they hit us hard. We had a chance to bounce back at home and Game 5 was probably our worst game.”

As his job-evaluation process continues, Hiller can fall back on his lauded communication skills and the fact that the Kings tied franchise records this season with 48 wins and 105 points. Edmundson, who signed with Los Angeles last season and had one of the best seasons of his career, said Hiller talked to him right away and established that he’d play a big role while also guiding young defender Brandt Clarke as his partner.

“The coaches trust me,” Edmundson said, “and I think my team did also.”

Another free-agent signing from last summer, Warren Foegele, echoed similar thoughts when it came to Hiller and his demanding yet personable style.

“Jimmy called me in the summer and said that he envisioned me with a bigger role,” said Foegele, who had career-highs of 24 goals and 46 points. “Kind of challenged me to push myself, to be more consistent and take on more minutes. I thought he was awesome for that. He gave me a lot of confidence.”

Man, I never really had an opinion on Jill but he sure sounds like he's smug as hell.

Imagine making some of the biggest coaching blunders ever (and multiple of them) in your sport and being smug about it....tells you all you need to know about why I refuse to support this ass hat in any way

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Injury updates:

Jeannot did indeed suffer a groin injury. I suspected it was a groin or an ankle, zero contact, just pivoting and grabbed his junk immediately after. Couldn't tell if it was the ankle for sure but groin was top of my list. Bummer too, I think having him in may have made Jill play L4 way more and he would have been a good deterrent for Kane, Perry and Nurse.

Doughty was not 100% at all, we knew that. Saying he needs another month to heal and then summer regiment will start. Makes you wonder what his motivations were for 4 Nations. I would have much rather had him sit out and be more ready against Edmonton for LA than play in a meaningless tournament for Canada.

 

[Fox4Kings]

I believe all those quotes came from the exit interviews. Pretty good watch for those that haven't seen it. Definitely long. Q got asked about his fail to clear moment, he owned it. They drilled Kuz, Gavrikov and Juice about signing new contracts.

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

I dont know if he came across smug to me. Maybe I read it wrong.

I really just want them to name a new GM as soon as possible. According to Mayors mannor it seems like the replacement will come within the organization. If thats the case, I dont see them getting rid of Hiller. I wonder if Luc would have a say in whether Hiller stays or not as well.
I feel like there is a lot of work for the new GM with free agents, draft and free agency all coming up. I dont want them running around last minute to sign players or overpay FA's for the sake of singing someone.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Imagine making some of the biggest coaching blunders ever (and multiple of them) in your sport and being smug about it....tells you all you need to know about why I refuse to support this ass hat in any way

Dude was doing so well during the season, and especially since the trade deadline, but WTF are these answers? I'm joking paraphrasing, but it reads like "Yeah, you look back at how I fucked up in consecutive games, and they for sure cost us the series, but you make decisions in the moment, with the info you have, and that's how it goes. Definitely not going to stress about it either. Ready to just enjoy my summer, and I should definitely be the coach next season".

Wild that this ego was not apparent until this nightmare series.

 

[Kings4OT]

Dude was doing so well during the season, and especially since the trade deadline, but WTF are these answers? I'm joking paraphrasing, but it reads like "Yeah, you look back at how I fucked up in consecutive games, and they for sure cost us the series, but you make decisions in the moment, with the info you have, and that's how it goes. Definitely not going to stress about it either. Ready to just enjoy my summer, and I should definitely be the coach next season".

Wild that this ego was not apparent until this nightmare series.

I had very little complaints of Jill coaching regular season and really liked that with Kuz he was able to finally nail down what lines were supposed to do....clear vision, even players mentioned this as why they did so well after the deadline. He went away from everything that worked and was successful and is kinda like "oh well, sucks to be a Kings fan, see you next year."

If leadership isnt accountable, how is a player supposed to be?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Quennville hired as Ducks coach, interesting move.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Kings GM candidates per TA:

L.A. Kings GM opening: 13 possible candidates to replace Rob Blake​

The separation was finalized last weekend but Rob Blake had been talking with Luc Robitaille about his future as the Los Angeles Kings’ general manager for months, if not longer.

Blake, who was finishing up his contract, stepped aside upon mutual agreement after eight seasons. A fourth consecutive first-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers was difficult to go out on, but both sides felt it was necessary.

“I think at one point, we both realized and agreed that it was time to probably bring a new voice, just to get us to that next level,” Robitaille said during his news conference Tuesday.

Now the Kings president will lead a search for a GM. Robitaille said it began Monday, and that the incoming GM likely will make the decision about the future of coach Jim Hiller.

There is no stated timeline, but Robitaille said he understands there is urgency, with the draft and free agency less than two months away. Key front office personnel such as assistant GM Nelson Emerson and director of player development Glen Murray remain under contract. Asked whether he’d prefer someone with prior NHL GM experience, Robitaille said he’s keeping an open mind about candidates.

“I’m not going to close any doors on anything, but we got to get the best person to help us get to the next level,” Robitaille said. “And that’s what’s more important for me right now. It’s not fair to say we’re going to go one way or the other.”

The Kings’ next GM will take over a club that Blake positioned to contend, with an average of 102 points over the last four seasons — but also a team that has been unable to get past the first round. Blake’s track record was mixed but Robitaille thanked his friend, stating he “has more integrity than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“He’s left us with a damn good team,” he added. “And he left this franchise in great shape.”

Who could become Blake’s successor? Here are some potential candidates, listed in alphabetical order.

Marc Bergevin​

The Kings might be tight-lipped about their search, but things certainly line up for Bergevin to be the early favorite — maybe the clear favorite. Bergevin has been a senior adviser to Blake since January 2022 but also spent nine-plus years as GM of the Montreal Canadiens. He’s had Robitaille’s ear. Bergevin was also quite visible around the team this season. The New York Islanders are also looking at him as a possible GM successor to Lou Lamoriello.

“(Marc’s) a really good hockey mind,” Robitaille said. “He’s been really good for our team.”

Pat Brisson​

Would Brisson consider leaving behind his agency and running a club? It’s not as if the 60-year-old super-agent hasn’t been asked before. What makes him a possibility here is his tight relationship with Robitaille — the two have been friends for decades, and Brisson represented Robitaille as a player — and the fact that he works out of the Los Angeles area. Perhaps the sticking point here is that Brisson might be more interested in being a team president — Robitaille’s position — than a GM. Years ago, the Islanders talked to Brisson about heading hockey operations.

Mathieu Darche​

Darche has been mentioned prominently as a “when, not if” candidate when it comes to running his own team. He has worked closely with Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois, trying to keep a star-laden franchise with a championship pedigree in contention mode. Darche, 48, who worked three years as the Bolts’ director of hockey operations before the promotion to assistant GM, does heavy lifting behind the scenes when it comes to contract work and identifying trade targets.

Nelson Emerson​

There isn’t any question that Emerson has put in the time. After a 12-year, 771-game NHL playing career that wound down with the Kings, Emerson, now 57, joined the organization first as an assistant coach in 2006 before moving into player development and then further up the ranks as director of player personnel. He’s been their sole assistant GM since Blake promoted his close friend — and former college teammate at Bowling Green — three years ago. Familiarity could work for him or against him, depending on whether Robitaille is intent on bringing in a different voice and mindset.

Mike Futa​

Could Futa re-enter Kings HQ? There is a sense that a return of the former executive — best known for co-running the Kings’ scouting department during their Stanley Cup-winning years — would be viewed favorably by a segment of the fan base. These days, Futa is staying visible in his native Toronto, co-hosting a daily Sportsnet show across Canada. But he was part of the Kings’ front office from 2007-20, including serving as Blake’s assistant GM for three years until being let go when Emerson and Murray gained more prominent roles. Would he want to return?

Mike Gillis​

Need an experienced GM with a fresh set of eyes who can take a team to the next level? Gills, 66, might seem off the board but he presided over a Vancouver Canucks club that had four 100-point seasons, two Presidents’ Trophies and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in his six years. Gillis has a strong personality, and that might make for an interesting dynamic in the Kings’ front office, but he’s extremely well-connected, going back to his days as an agent. The fact that his tenure didn’t end well in Vancouver might be a strike against him.

Cammi Granato/Èmilie Castonguay​

Combining these two isn’t a slight on either, but is a reflection of their shared roles as assistant GMs with the Canucks. Both are seen as risers within the NHL management community. It is still Jim Rutherford’s show in Vancouver, with GM Patrik Allvin doing the day-to-day business, but Granato and Castonguay are accomplished. Castonguay has been lauded for her work handling player contracts and management of the salary cap. Granato, one of the first two female players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, is focused on the player-personnel wing while also overseeing scouting.

Jarmo Kekäläinen​

Kekäläinen is taking a breather after 11 seasons as the GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a tenure marked by big moves, key free-agent defections and the highs of the 2019 and 2020 playoffs, when the Blue Jackets upset Tampa Bay and Toronto in consecutive years. Kekäläinen didn’t lift Columbus to lasting success, but he’s long been respected and praised for his scouting acumen. Energized and refreshed a year after being fired in Columbus, Kekäläinen likely is eager to get a second shot in the big chair.

Brandon Pridham​

Pridham is another from the “when, not if” category. He’s been part of the Brendan Shanahan sphere with the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving as assistant GM under Kyle Dubas and then Brad Treliving. And while he has worked for an organization with vast resources, Pridham, 51, has extensive salary-cap knowledge in keeping the Leafs compliant. (It doesn’t hurt that he once worked as the NHL’s cap enforcer.) He also negotiates contracts and is considered an expert in the collective-bargaining agreement. The Leafs have been determined to keep him, rebuffing previous overtures from Pittsburgh and Calgary.

Scott White/Mark Janko​

GM Jim Nill has built a consistent Stanley Cup contender in Dallas, blending high-performing veterans with homegrown talent that is set to lead the club into the future. Tapping into the Stars’ management tree should be considered. White and Janko have been Nill’s assistants, with White running a successful AHL club and Janko handling the Stars’ contracts — in a particularly effective manner with their core players. Either executive could be a successor to Nill if the longtime executive decides he’s tired of the daily grind.

Ray Whitney​

Whitney was a finalist for the San Jose Sharks’ GM opening in 2022, which eventually went to Mike Grier. That hasn’t stopped “The Wizard” from eyeing a management role. He’s been in the NHL’s Department of Player Safety since 2017. Personable and popular, the 53-year-old Whitney certainly would have the league’s backing, but his inexperience in a team’s front office could be a drawback. He also has no tangential tie to the Kings, unlike with the Sharks, for whom he once played.

 

[Kings4OT]

So your saying Emerson is the next GM lol

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Joel Quenneville hired as Ducks coach after 2021 resignation amid Blackhawks scandal

Four years after he resigned from the Panthers amid a sexual-assault investigation involving his former team, Joel Quenneville is back in the NHL.

www.usatoday.com

Interesting choice. I would have thought Quenneville was toxic after what happened with the Hawks.