2024-25 Off Season Thread

[CaptHowdy00]

Well, my biggest concern is that this is a lame duck year for Blowby. Unless the next incarceration of the Kings not only gets out of the first round, but has a good showing in the second round (getting swept in four games in the second round is not an improvement) the entire front office, scouting department and all coaches (other than Ranford, he’s a goalie whisperer) should be fired.
And whomever they name the next GM, needs to remove any other remnants of Blowby’s friends, teammates, acquaintances, beer buddies and all assorted other hangers on should be removed ASAP.
This team needs an absolute clean slate.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Fixing every NHL team's biggest draft errorFixing every NHL team’s biggest draft error: Kucherov to Flames? Bergeron to Kings?

A hypothetical, what-if redraft.

Kings specifically.

Speaking of cross-state rivals, what if in 2003, at No. 27, the Kings had drafted Corey Perry instead of Jeff Tambellini? The Kings had three No. 1 choices in that seminal draft and took Dustin Brown at No. 13 and Brian Boyle at No. 26. Not terrible. With the second of two consecutive picks, they opted for Tambellini, the son of former NHLer Steve. Jeff played 242 NHL games. Perry? He won a Hart Trophy and, this year, made the Stanley Cup Final with his fifth different team, something that had never been done before. Also, the idea of Perry wreaking havoc for the Kings against the cross-town rival Ducks is just too delicious a scenario to imagine. By the way, in that same draft, at No. 44, the Kings selected Konstantin Pushkarev. The next player off the board at No. 45 was future Hall of Famer Bergeron to Boston. Ouch.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Oh geez Pushkarev, I remember LGK going nuts thinking he was going to be Federov 2.0. I believe he was a throw in in the Norstrom to Dallas deal in 2007 or 2008, total bust.

Same thing with Loktionov but I believe somehow that dude got his name on one of the Cups.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Well, my biggest concern is that this is a lame duck year for Blowby. Unless the next incarceration of the Kings not only gets out of the first round, but has a good showing in the second round (getting swept in four games in the second round is not an improvement) the entire front office, scouting department and all coaches (other than Ranford, he’s a goalie whisperer) should be fired.
And whomever they name the next GM, needs to remove any other remnants of Blowby’s friends, teammates, acquaintances, beer buddies and all assorted other hangers on should be removed ASAP.
This team needs an absolute clean slate.

Absolutely has to be a clean slate. Blake has slowly eroded the culture within the organization, and as that presser showed it's clearly apparent (the they can't accept losing theme). All in a short 7 years.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

So let’s start hypothesizing on who the next GM and President should be.
First it absolutely has to be someone outside of the Kings organization.
Second, they have to have front office experience with a successful franchise.
Third, they should have a plan that can be easily and succinctly explained to the fans. With short and long term goals. Saying “the goal is to win the cup” is a cop out because that’s just a line. There need to be concrete plans as to how and over what time frame this could be achieved.

 

[Kings4OT]

So let’s start hypothesizing on who the next GM and President should be.
First it absolutely has to be someone outside of the Kings organization.
Second, they have to have front office experience with a successful franchise.
Third, they should have a plan that can be easily and succinctly explained to the fans. With short and long term goals. Saying “the goal is to win the cup” is a cop out because that’s just a line. There need to be concrete plans as to how and over what time frame this could be achieved.

Me, 5years. The goal is making a team that can skate, play D and stand up when needed. If you draft mostly the best player available Instead of the player you think you need in 3 years, You can more easily move those best player available for or guys in other organizations you want. Fill your team weakness with UFA and above all, manage that cap. Having assets and cap space Can turn you into a winner quickly.

 

[histkng23]

Oh geez Pushkarev, I remember LGK going nuts thinking he was going to be Federov 2.0. I believe he was a throw in in the Norstrom to Dallas deal in 2007 or 2008, total bust.

Same thing with Loktionov but I believe somehow that dude got his name on one of the Cups.

I always rail on this pick, because someone got in Dave Taylor's ear that Detroit was high on Pushkarev, and sounded like Taylor "panicked" and made the pick. Especially when Bergeron, Weber, and Corey Crawford were all chosen within the next 8 picks. The other nominee for "worst pick ever" was Dany Roussin in 2005 at #50. Roussin was an overage, reentry player, but had played the last 2 years of his Junior career as a winger for Crosby, so his numbers were clearly inflated.

Loktionov actually did not get his name engraved on the Cup. Guess he was quite upset about it, because he did appear in a couple games during the St. Louis series when Colin Fraser's wife delivered their baby, and I want to say there was some medical concerns after the delivery. But Loki was pissed because Davis Drewiske did get his name engraved, yet he only played 9 games during the season, and none during the playoffs. While Loki had played 39 regular season games, and 2 in the playoffs. Remember reading that the reasoning was that Drewiske had been with the club the entire season as the 7th Dman, while Loki was only with the club part of the season & as an emergency player during the playoffs.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Thanks for the backstory. I remember Detroit being hot on Pushkarev, amazing how they felt pressured and let at least 4 quality NHLers slip through their hands. Missing out on Bergeron, holy crap - imagine a 1-2 of Kopitar and Bergeron for 15 years, no one would ever be able to score against those two lines.

I knew Roussin would be a bust, it was clear as day he benefitted from playing with Crosby. I'm not sure that guy ever saw NHL ice for any team.

Interesting about Loktionov, I completely thought he got his name on that 2012 Cup. Drewiske was a full blown culture guy, very well liked in the locker room, ultimate teammate. I remember he got boarded hard in a game and all 4 other guys on the ice just charged whoever did it and started throwing blows. I believe he was injured during 2011-12 which is why he only played 9 games. One of Dumbo's better signings who fit the bill to a T and a culture changer. How Blake has missed on this aspect of team building in 7 years is mind boggling.

Clear speculation, but I wonder if Loktionov wasn't held in the same light in the organization and locker room to preclude him from getting his name on it.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Having assets and cap space Can turn you into a winner quickly.

Unless you're Rob Blake, dude had plenty of both just 3 years ago and somehow managed to cap a team out while remaining mediocre. That takes some serious stupid decision making to reach that status so quickly.

I'd just add to your sentence "if the correct management team is in place".

 

[Kings4OT]

I'd just add to your sentence "if the correct management team is in place".

I would be correct management lol....i want a 5y deal!

 

[histkng23]

Interesting about Loktionov, I completely thought he got his name on that 2012 Cup. Drewiske was a full blown culture guy, very well liked in the locker room, ultimate teammate. I remember he got boarded hard in a game and all 4 other guys on the ice just charged whoever did it and started throwing blows. I believe he was injured during 2011-12 which is why he only played 9 games. One of Dumbo's better signings who fit the bill to a T and a culture changer. How Blake has missed on this aspect of team building in 7 years is mind boggling.

Clear speculation, but I wonder if Loktionov wasn't held in the same light in the organization and locker room to preclude him from get his name on it.

I guess only the organization will know the sentiment towards Loki, but if you look at his game log from that season, you can gauge that he wasn't making much of a difference. In the two playoff games he got into, he barely played by his TOI shows.

Andrei Loktionov 2011-12 Game Log | Hockey-Reference.com

Gamelogs for Andrei Loktionov for 2011-12

www.hockey-reference.com

Also, his nonplaying coincided with the trade for Carter. Plus, who knows what he was like in the locker room, and Sutter was probably not much of a fan, was traded to NJ for another 5th at the start of the 2013 shortened season (since the roster was set more or less).

Los Angeles Kings Trade History - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Los Angeles Kings NHL trade history. Trades can be filtered on players, teams, dates, and events

www.capfriendly.com

 

[histkng23]

Was reading this article on MM, and realized another nugget of information that points to Blake's GM capabilities.... Team went over the cap at some point last season, and was hit with a penalty (maybe someone mentioned this in a previous thread, if so, sorry for the redundancy).

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2024-25 Lineup, Salary Cap, and Summer Roster Notes

mayorsmanor.com

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I would be correct management lol....i want a 5y deal!

The way he dishes out contracts you'd get 7 years.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Was reading this article on MM, and realized another nugget of information that points to Blake's GM capabilities.... Team went over the cap at some point last season, and was hit with a penalty (maybe someone mentioned this in a previous thread, if so, sorry for the redundancy).

FIRST LOOK: LA Kings 2024-25 Lineup, Salary Cap, and Summer Roster Notes

mayorsmanor.com

View attachment 365092

Thanks for the link, good read. I still do not see how Buster gets $5.5 million logically speaking, but again its Bowlby and he loves to overpay. I'm not expecting more than $3.5 million tops, he just hasn't earned it yet.

Then again he dished out crap like Petersen so who knows.

 

[xis]

Goodrow placed on waivers by Rangers | NHL.com

Option to buy out remaining 3 seasons of forward's contract if unclaimed

www.nhl.com

Rangers waived Barclay Goodrow. If he clears waivers I wouldn't mind him as a 4th line center if NYR is willing to retain some of the $3.641 million for the next 3 years in a trade. For around $1.5M he's a good fit for the 4th line C spot. He has a NTC so he'd have to agree to come here. The Kings can claim him off waivers but that would mean their on the hook for the full 3.641M for the next 3 years.

Not a big regular season offensive player but he's always good in the playoffs.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Would be a solid pick up for sure. Big game player and a massive improvement over The Lizard for 4C.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

NHL buyout watch 2024: 12 players to monitor ahead of the offseason windowNHL buyout watch 2024: 12 players to monitor ahead of the offseason window

Ok, I know maybe beating a dead horse, but it’s an interesting read. Also, Cal Petersen is also sucking wind.

From the article:

Cal Petersen, Philadelphia Flyers​

SEASON	INITIAL CAP HIT	POST-BUYOUT CAP HIT	SAVINGS
2024-25	$5,000,000	$1,000,000	$4,000,000
2025-26	$0	$2,000,000	-$2,000,000
TOTAL	$5,000,000	$3,000,000	$2,000,000

As this list continues, you’ll begin to sense an emerging theme: Big-money goaltenders are overrepresented among the least efficient contracts in the sport.

A few years ago, Cal Petersen was one of hockey’s most promising young netminders. Last summer, however, the 29-year-old was dealt as a toxic contractual asset by the Los Angeles Kings to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he only appeared in five NHL games this past season.

With one year remaining on Petersen’s deal, and both Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson on the Flyers’ books with one-way, multi-year deals, a buyout of the final year of Petersen’s deal feels like an inevitability this offseason. The math makes sense for the Flyers, who would save $4 million in salary and against the salary cap for the 2024-25 campaign at the cost of just $2 million in dead cap space for 2025-26.

PL Dubois, Los Angeles Kings​

SEASON	INITIAL CAP HIT	POST BUYOUT CAP HIT	SAVINGS
2024-25	$8,500,000	$1,630,952	$6,869,048
2025-26	$8,500,000	$1,530,952	$6,969,048
2026-27	$8,500,000	$2,530,952	$5,969,048
2027-28	$8,500,000	$3,780,952	$4,719,048
2028-29	$8,500,000	$3,800,952	$4,699,048
2029-30	$8,500,000	$3,820,952	$4,679,048
2030-31	$8,500,000	$2,820,952	$5,679,048
2031-32	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2032-33	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2033-34	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2034-35	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2035-36	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2036-37	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
2037-38	$0	$1,130,952	-$1,130,952
TOTAL	$59,500,000	$27,833,328	$31,666,667

The Los Angeles Kings took a big swing by adding PL Dubois to their lineup last summer, and the results were calamitous.

Dubois looked like a shell of the aggressive, physical two-way center with high-end playmaking ability we’ve seen in the past. Meanwhile, the glue guys the Kings sent to Winnipeg in the deal flourished, helping the Jets level up as a defensive unit during the regular season. Could the Kings cut the cord on this failed experiment after just one season?

If they do, it might be an opportunistic decision more than anything else. Dubois’ situation is one of the most unique to track during the buyout window.

Dubois is 25 years old, but he’ll turn 26 on June 24. If he’s bought out before his birthdate, he can be bought out at the “one-third” buyout ratio eligible solely for players under 26. If he’s bought out after June 24, the cap math changes fundamentally from the Kings’ perspective, halving the total cap benefit of the move:

SEASON	INITIAL CAP HIT	POST-BUYOUT CAP HIT	SAVINGS
2024-25	$8,500,000	$2,761,905	$5,738,095
2025-26	$8,500,000	$2,661,905	$5,838,095
2026-27	$8,500,000	$3,661,905	$4,838,095
2027-28	$8,500,000	$4,911,905	$3,588,095
2028-29	$8,500,000	$4,931,905	$3,568,095
2029-30	$8,500,000	$4,951,905	$3,548,095
2030-31	$8,500,000	$3,951,905	$4,548,095
2031-32	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2032-33	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2033-34	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2034-35	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2035-36	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2036-37	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
2037-38	$0	$2,261,905	-$2,261,905
TOTAL	$59,500,000	$43,666,670	$15,833,333

Kings general manager Rob Blake insisted he doesn’t intend to buy out Dubois, defiantly telling the media at locker room cleanout day that the club intended to help Dubois find his game instead. The opportunity to do so at a one-third buyout rate, however, may be too unique and too tempting for the Kings to miss.

Joonas Korpisalo, Ottawa Senators​

SEASON	INITIAL CAP HIT	POST-BUYOUT CAP HIT	SAVINGS
2024-25	$4,000,000	$333,333	$3,666,667
2025-26	$4,000,000	$833,333	$3,166,667
2026-27	$4,000,000	$1,833,333	$2,166,667
2027-28	$4,000,000	$2,333,333	$1,666,667
2028-29	$0	$1,333,333	-$1,333,333
2029-30	$0	$1,333,333	-$1,333,333
2030-31	$0	$1,333,333	-$1,333,333
2031-32	$0	$1,333,333	-$1,333,333
TOTAL	$16,000,000	$10,666,664	$5,333,333

New Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios poured cold water on the notion of his club utilizing a buyout on any of his players at his season-ending media press conference a few months ago, but he left himself plenty of wiggle room to change his mind.

“I would consider anything,” Staios said. “But I don’t believe there’s any consideration for that for this group at this time.”

A couple of Senators players could be the subject of a buyout this offseason. Veteran defender Travis Hamonic — who has a $1.1 million cap hit, but that figure can’t be buried without his consent due to a no-movement clause — is one of them, although incoming Senators coach Travis Green had high regard for Hamonic’s game when he previously coached him in Vancouver.

The more pertinent consideration might be Joonas Korpisalo, who endured a miserable first season in net for the Senators, winning just 21 of his 49 starts and posting a dismal .890 save percentage.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

The Petersen contract is so bad it continues to affect OTHER teams. The PLD contract is a huge risk but I've always felt this was the worst deal Blake ever handed out because the contract itself was not only bad but it affected other parts of tye organization.

I can overlook Kovalchuk in 2018, Blake misjudged the team and figured they could contend still so he went out and signed him (3 years/$18 million). This Petersen contract however, so premature and was unnecessary, cost retention on Provarov and his deal and moved a solid defender in Walker and a prospect as well.

Complete ripple effect for really no reason at all.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

The Mayor, 7 goalie targets for LA this summer:

The 7 Goaltenders for LA Kings to Target This Summer

mayorsmanor.com

 

[Kings4OT]

Kuemper for PLG?

Thats the rumblings