Blake should NEVER have been GM.

[CaptHowdy00]

Elliott: Rob Blake and the Kings need to take major steps forward next season

The Kings missed the playoffs for the third season in a row and the fifth time in seven seasons. The time is now for GM Rob Blake to make the team better.

www.latimes.com

I maybe rooting for the Kings to tank next season, just so Flake gets canned.
Say what you want about Dumbo and Darryl, but they accomplished something that no other GM or Coach in Kings’ history.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

I hear your frustration for sure. These past two years have been super weird with the lockdowns, so hard to know what's up or down. I'm grateful the Kings sucked during this time. Imagine 2012-2014 Kings and the whole world shutdown? Yikes. I actually was thinking that watching the Lightning this week. First time their fans had seen them since before they won the cup. Not a single fan watched a single game in person during their run (I mean, I'm sure someone saw, but you know what I mean).

This year, playing the same teams over and over and over was boring. They sold us on helmet ads to make up for lost revenue, but those will never go away, and I read an article earlier today saying the league is looking at logo patches already for next year and the future. Gonna be full Euro soccer with jersey ads eventually. There's an autographed Kopitar picture of him beating Brodeur in 2012 and the angle is ice-level and is basically one giant advertisement as the whole picture background. Takes a little bit away from that moment in my opinion.

I'm like most with the Kings. They're my #1 but once they won it, it was like we weren't the ones with a chip on our shoulder anymore. Always just losers and every 5-10 years we'd get a decent team who could maybe scare a higher seed in the first round, but ultimately lose in 6 games. Watching them win it, however, was such an amazing experience, and then to have it twice was just perfect. "Once you're lucky, twice you're good". My old college roommate is from Seattle and it was same thing. Loveable losers in the north, and so much of his personality was tied to being that depressive fan of the "Rain City Bitch Pigeons". Once the Seahawks won it, it was like that Identity was gone. I still don't think he's filled that void. I'd never talk negatively of Dean Lombardi. Dude did it right and took his shots at chasing a cup. Hit on 2, and missed on a few. Biggest whiff being Lucic trade in my opinion, but it is what it is. He took the risks and gambled 1st round picks every year to try to make it happen. I really can't complain.

As for THIS team. We'll see what happens with Seattle Kraken expansion draft and the actual draft. Saw Kings have like 5% chance at 1st overall pick and 12% at 2nd overall. Most likely picking around 8th.

Blake has gotten good value for trades, and he seems to be drafting the right guys. Consensus studs. But what is up with their development? I'd hope a few of these dude would've came in and pushed the vets in training camp. Put them on notice that there are some studs coming in. But that's hasn't seemed to happen yet. I question Todd McLlelan overall. Was hoping the team would've taken a bigger step this year. But they don't really do anything particularly well.

I'm not really on the Eichel bandwagon. Would I hate it if he came? No, probably not. But he makes $10mil/year and has a crazy neck issue that they say makes him untradeable until they know what's up with that situation.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

But Blake said he heard the cries to use their cap, so we'll see what happens. Sounds like this should be a busy summer for this team.

 

[Kings4OT]

I dont think blakes done a horrible job, he just hasnt done a good job. Most of us knew this was coming and hoped they would have started turning the corner back to good already. Im not sold on many of the early draftees as players i was hoping for are already makng pro impact. Still, they have value as do the picks....if used properly the kings can be above average next season easily without sacrificing the future. Just remains to be seen if blake and crew can envision a "team" or just collect some stuff.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I dont think blakes done a horrible job, he just hasnt done a good job. Most of us knew this was coming and hoped they would have started turning the corner back to good already. Im not sold on many of the early draftees as players i was hoping for are already makng pro impact. Still, they have value as do the picks....if used properly the kings can be above average next season easily without sacrificing the future. Just remains to be seen if blake and crew can envision a "team" or just collect some stuff.

This.

He has cleaned up the financial mess he inherited (for the most part, the Phaneuf and Kovalchuk messes were his and they were huge - Phaneuf's cap drops from $4.062 million to $1.062 million next season but he's still on the books for 2 more years . However he also managed to dump off Gaborik in the same deal. Anyone realize Gaborik is on the Lightning? Another salary dump deal and he won't get his name on the Cup, but damn that contract is well traveled) and acquired a ton of picks but I agree, he hasn't done a good enough job overall.

My biggest concern as you mentioned, is the development of prospects. This is his fifth freaking draft - so go back to 2017 - and while other teams are integrating their prospects into their line ups more consistently from the 2017+ drafts, the Kings are not. That alarms me because it's not like the Kings are winning games either with what's on the roster. He has purged many of the veterans who were not performing or had handcuffed him, yet here we are in Year 4 and the product is worse than it's been in 15 years.

And on a deeper level, whatever prospects have been getting time, they aren't looking like everyday NHL players either which brings me to the drafting and development and that department. The Kings have not produced a consistent player since Kempe in 2014 (who improved this season but still a little inconsistent) and no legitimate NHL player since Pearson in 2012 - that is almost 10 years.

Blake has loitered around the franchise like a hobo in a lot for far too long, which is how he ended up in the position he did. Personally I would have given the position to someone like Futa if he stuck around before Blake. Blake is not experienced enough, which is a surprise considering he was an AGM for almost 5 years under Lombardi.

While Dumbo was a high stakes roller who lost but also won more than he did IMO, Blake is like the complete opposite and seems like he is scared to make a mistake. They stated 100% POs are the goal next season, if they don't make it they need to clean the whole damn house out including both Blake and Robitaille and look outside the organization for competent people.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

“Hobo in the parking lot” what an awesome freaking analogy.
I tend to agree about the development of the picks. Mine main issue is that, there has been no progression for the team. Other than Kopitar, the core is really not the same.
iMHO, they should trade Dewey, Brown and Quick so that the returns can be either plugged in right away or at least be good enough in a year or so.
Blake isn’t GM material, I’m sure he can look at a player and know whether or not that player is good, but he doesn’t have the ability to build a team that is going to go anywhere, whether it’s through the draft or signing FAs.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

“Hobo in the parking lot” what an awesome freaking analogy.
I tend to agree about the development of the picks. Mine main issue is that, there has been no progression for the team. Other than Kopitar, the core is really not the same.
iMHO, they should trade Dewey, Brown and Quick so that the returns can be either plugged in right away or at least be good enough in a year or so.
Blake isn’t GM material, I’m sure he can look at a player and know whether or not that player is good, but he doesn’t have the ability to build a team that is going to go anywhere, whether it’s through the draft or signing FAs.

Doughty is not going anywhere, he actually had a solid season. He became a little more risky again and looks like he has several good years left in him. That's not even mentioning his contract, which very few teams can absorb (especially after a pandemic induced flat cap for years) and the ones who can aren't in any/much better shape than LA.

Brown will be exposed in the expansion draft, but I would be surprised to see him picked. He is done and makes too much money to be a PP specialist which is pretty much what he was this season. Once that PP was figured out and shut down by the opposition, he wasn't very productive at all. I think he will be here in 2021-22, will end the season as a King and run out that contract and retire, he deserves to have his jersey retired.

Only other scenario I see is a trade for a mid level prospect or something including salary retention for LA or a side deal with Seattle although that means the Kings have someone else they want which I don't see of the players who will be exposed except for maybe Clague. Wagner, Luff, etc aren't really going to help them or don't make sense financially (Matta) when better options will exist from other teams.

Quick is injured again and had shoulder surgery last week, his durability and price ($5.8 million cap hit for two more years but actual dollars are $3 million and $2 million), not to mention no real openings for a goalie limit his market.

I guess that moron Dubas could be suckered into take a flyer on him, he obviously has no idea how to actually build a winning team and may think he is getting 2012 Quick.

=)~~