2025-26 Off Season Thread

[Kings4OT]

I think someone else here mentioned him....i would love to see Stoll in a office/management side position....I think he would hold others accountable and bring a better perspective.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Sounds like me right around mid 2010's. Kings were just in the sunken place, and it was so hard to get motivated to watch them. Never good, but actually never bad enough to get that high draft capital. Just tons of 8th-12th overall picks going nowhere. Never make the playoffs. That span from like 2001-2010, which was such a significant part of my life.

It'll get figured out. Edmonton is all in right now, so there's also that. Draisaitl money kicks in next year, and McDavid money year after that. Cap it going up, but those are going to be the biggest contracts in the league. At least Holland already said the Kings plan to spend to the cap, so let's see how this roster shakes out. I don't love the hire, or love the retention of Hiller, but you see the heater Edmonton is on, and maybe there's only so much that can be done to overcome that matchup. See what happens with free agency, and then next year we'll see how this team is looking. Feels like Vegas might finally take that step back too, but who knows. Bunch of teams like Anaheim also ready to take that next step.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Sounds like me right around mid 2010's. Kings were just in the sunken place, and it was so hard to get motivated to watch them. Never good, but actually never bad enough to get that high draft capital. Just tons of 8th-12th overall picks going nowhere. Never make the playoffs. That span from like 2001-2010, which was such a significant part of my life.

The 2000s were indeed weird. Starts off with Andy Murray coming in, Kings immediately a better team with Palffy acquired, Detroit shells them, next season it's the Stunner at Staples and then the wheels come off in 2003. Granted they did have massive injuries to core players but that 2003-04 team was putrid to watch.

The Kings had an internal cap at the time of about $45 million, AEG wasn't going to spend to that (thus Blake traded) so instead of adding they make cheap moves like getting Yushkevich, trading Schneider, etc which keeps them from progressing and then of course the whole thing blows up in 2005, missing the playoffs when on Jan 1 2006 they were the number one team in the WC but ended in like an 11 game skid or whatever and miss altogether.

Only when Dumbo came in did it get a hard reset and honestly I was OK with that because he had a plan and followed it and was honest about it - this will take a minute to build. Bowlby had only the word "PLAN" written on a post it and nothing else putting the Kings right back to those mushy middle teams. Which I'd be fine with if the draft picks turned out or showed promise like they did under Dumbo but Blake biffed those too.

It's a tough spot to be as a Kings fan because you see these PO teams left and so many have homegrown players making a difference and putting them over the top.

Holland did say he will spend to the cap but I'm curious what that means. You can make a move for 3 players let's say and hit the cap but if they're not the right players it doesn't matter.

The Gavrikov situation is one I'm most keeping my eye on because if he leaves that creates a whole different chain of events or path to building a team.

It'll get figured out. Edmonton is all in right now, so there's also that. Draisaitl money kicks in next year, and McDavid money year after that. Cap it going up, but those are going to be the biggest contracts in the league. At least Holland already said the Kings plan to spend to the cap, so let's see how this roster shakes out. I don't love the hire, or love the retention of Hiller, but you see the heater Edmonton is on, and maybe there's only so much that can be done to overcome that matchup. See what happens with free agency, and then next year we'll see how this team is looking. Feels like Vegas might finally take that step back too, but who knows. Bunch of teams like Anaheim also ready to take that next step.

Anaheim is about a year away from making a big step, time to hire Blake so he can make ill advised trades parting with high picks and prospects and set the game plan back a while.

=)~~