I still love them.

[CaptHowdy00]

It sucks that they let this get away from them. Only the third SC champion not to make the playoffs the following season.
There were many things that had gone wrong. It seems part of this, is the fact that as a whole the team was tired. 64 playoff games in 3 years is a lot. Add to that the fact that some of the guys played in the Olympics and one can say that that in a span of 3 seasons they have played 4 seasons worth of games.
But these are just excuses. The Black Hawks can say the same thing, and yet the same team has made the playoffs again, and they look strong to win the Cup. We can say that Voynov being to e the entire season and Mitchel leaving made this team struggle defensively, but again that would just be an excuse. We as fans can bring up the Richards situation or the injuries, but other teams have struggled too if not more. And those teams will make the playoffs.
I do still think that the Kings have a very bright future an in Deanno I Trust. But some changes do have to be made this offseason.
1) Richards needs to be bought out.
2) Voynov needs to be removed from the team.
3) Brown needs to give up the C and take an A.
4) Give the C to either Kopitar.
5) Williams did not produce this year because (my opinion only) he did not have a steady Center the whole season.
6) Stoll needs to start playing better or be shipped off.
7) Deanno needs to find a 2 top 6 wing that can be slotted in with Kopi and Gabbo. Maybe a euro that plays the same way.
8) Get a solid top 3 d-man that can play with DD as a stay at home.

this team does not need an overhaul. And maybe it is a good thing that they missed this year, because they can get a full Summer's rest and be ready to go next year. But they can't do what they have done for the last couple of years anymore. The can let half of a season go by, and say that they will hit the switch when it matters. They need to come out of the gate ready to at the entire season. I think that the major thing that needs to be tweaked, is the whole built for the playoffs idea. A team needs to be balanced, so that they can play an entire season and the playoffs. Other teams seem to be able to do it, so why can't the Kings?

Ok I'm done with me rant. Goodnight.

 

[ratenstein]

#'s 1 and 8, yeah.
I'll wait and see on #2

 

[Kings4OT]

Buying out Richards now is pointless, that ship sailed. There are now too many bad contracts to buy them all out. Williams seems to be the only guy they treated like crap with his contract and it showed in his play since all that was shelved. Need to get someone to replace Mitchell, sure the Voynov thing hurt but I think Mitchell has been the big blow on D. Stoll has been worthless. Stripping the C from Brown, not sure what this would do as the players know who leadership is. This team can still be good but I stand by what I said last season that its hard to stay on top and it only takes a couple of bad decisions to bring it all down and now here we are. The cap wasted on Richards/Brown/Muffin.....hard to overcome and when everyone wants some awesome winger where is that cap coming from?

 

[lasportzphan]

A lot of you guys have shown concern for the big contracts Dean-O has tossed around over the last few years. And it appears now the rooster has come home to roost.

But isn't this the reality of trying to keep a winner together while the league ants to enforce parity? With a salary cap in place, it's easy to get outbid by any team who would gladly pull talent away from the best team in hockey.

For example, the Muzzin deal is starting to feel like a burden, but what other options do we have?

 

[Kings4OT]

So if Muffin isn't worth his salary there wouldn't be another option ever? I never fully understand this as every year high salary or last year contracts are dangled around as bait for trading. IMO it is better to have flexibility and make due until something come along that is a more permanent fix. Of course im only successful in my life and have never run an NHL team, but giving myself options has kept me on top.

 

[pete6835]

Manager at McDonald's now that they raised the minimum wage?

Yep, you're on top.

 

[Kings4OT]

Manager at McDonald's now that they raised the minimum wage?

Yep, you're on top.

I guess where your at that's quite a step up