PLD Gone

[LAKINGSFAN]

See below.

Kings trade Dubois to Capitals for Kuemper

No salary is retained on either side of the deal, per league sources.

www.nytimes.com

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I was just remembering his grand tour of LA last summer, first pitch at a Dodgers game, the social media stuff, etc. and the dude is gone in literally 12 months. That's some seriously funny shit looking back in retrospect.

I don't think there's been any other player in LA history who came in with so much hype and was gone after 1 season. Maybe Tomas Vlasak in 1999, started as LW1 with Palffy and Stumpel but left for Europe again after 10 games, but he wasn't making $8.5 million a season.

And speaking of dollars, not sure if anyone looked at Dubois' actual contract, but in cash he is going to be making $11.25 million this season, would have been the highest cash payout on the team. That's absolutely insane when you think about it - more than Kopitar and Doughty.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

So essentially the Kings gave up Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari, plus a second-round draft pick, for Darcy fucking Kuemper? Blowby is a fucking idiot.

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

I will at least give Blake credit. He swallowed his pride and got rid of him instead of try to make it work. I really did want PLD to work. I was excited hoping he and Buster would be the future up the middle.
Funny Puck, I was thinking the same thing about him coming in last year and with all of the hype and interviews and now he is gone. Crazy.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

So essentially the Kings gave up Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari, plus a second-round draft pick, for Darcy fucking Kuemper? Blowby is a fucking idiot.

That package should have netted a franchise young goalie like Swayman or even a guy like Hellebuyck.

Mind boggling when you think about it.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

I will at least give Blake credit. He swallowed his pride and got rid of him instead of try to make it work. I really did want PLD to work. I was excited hoping he and Buster would be the future up the middle.

That was absolutely the thought process from everyone I assume including the Kings. Had this worked out in a few years the 1-4 center depth probably would have been Buster/PLD, PLD/Buster, Dunno/Kopitar and Kopitar/Dunno.

Or Kopitar could have retired instead of being a 3C or 4C and someone else would have taken that slot. I don't think anyone remotely imagined this would end up in such an unmitigated disaster.

I'll also give Bowlby some credit for pulling it off especially without any additional assets to lose the contract, that could have been an anchor on LA for either nearly a decade if PLD didn't deliver or 14 years of dead cap if they bought him out.

But not too much because this is the second time in a year he has had to swim himself out of problems he created due to poor judgment calls that shouldn't have happened in the first place.

Kings need a starting goalie? Let's go out and trade significant assets for an enigmatic center. Brilliant. Almost reminds me of when the Kings couldn't score but Dumbo doubles down and trades for Ben Bishop instead of a winger, but at least the Kings were still somewhat in true contention at that time. The Kings lost Cernak in that deal too but it actually made sense why Dumbo did it. Blake's moves mostly have not made sense at all.

Blake is simply not a good GM and regardless how this all plays out shouldn't have a job next summer. I've definitely seen enough of his "team building" and now us fans are stuck with a high priced team with no identity, no stars, no game breakers in any position, no young up and comers like Johnston after having the best depth pool in the league and no real shot at a Cup any time soon.

Funny Puck, I was thinking the same thing about him coming in last year and with all of the hype and interviews and now he is gone. Crazy.

Well he definitely won't be seen at Nabu a few times a week in LA anymore or surrounded by the lights and glamor of Hollywood or hot girls on the beach so maybe he can actually focus on hockey now and fulfill his talent and promise. The boy is running out of fresh starts at only 25.

Still waiting for some Caps articles on him to see what his reaction was to all this, he's still a human and I feel he was shocked when he got that call. He probably hadn't even settled in to his home here in LA completely yet after the trade and now he's on the move again back to cold weather and a smaller market team that won't be competitive for most of his contract. Has to be humbling considering he was traded for a 34 year old goalie.

Probably wasn't expecting that considering Blake's EOS presser where he said no buyout and they'll work to get him better but apparently discussions on this started at the Combine in Buffalo earlier this month.

 

[Kings4OT]

Im 100% glad hes gone As the Kings Did very little to.Try to make him work out at all..... Even if they did, That laziness will never go away. It will be Easier to shed Kuemper Contract When it doesn't work out

 

[PuckinUgly57]

It was a big swing and a big miss with huge ramifications. Fiala is one of the few guys I've seen who adjust and perform almost immediately after being traded but generally speaking you see guys get comfortable and start producing their second plus season with a new team.

I was confident this would be the season he would establish himself as a core piece of LA moving forward, now we will never know and he has to start over again in Washington. They aren't a defensive structured team though so I'm fully expecting him to revert back to 60+ points especially since he will be elevated and playing more meaningful minutes than what he got in LA.

I don't feel sorry for the guy, not my intention here, but I think he will play better this season there especially since I think he will spend a majority of his ice time with Ovechkin. Their window is long gone, now it's all about getting 895 for Ovechkin before he retires which will be very soon, he will be 39 in September and is 52 goals short. It'll probably take 2 seasons and he will call.it a career after that.

Regarding Kuemper, Bowlby said don't expect Portillo in LA full time for about 2-3 seasons which lines up with the remaining term on his contract. Unless he completely shits the bed or something falls into Blake's lap that's the starter for the next 3 years. I don't see them moving him until the last year of his deal when he will be a UFA and if Portillo starts to establish himself as an NHL caliber goaltender.

I think he does get a cup of coffee later this season to get a taste of being an NHL professional and see what the Kings have in him.

 

[Kings4OT]

And speaking of dollars, not sure if anyone looked at Dubois' actual contract, but in cash he is going to be making $11.25 million this season, would have been the highest cash payout on the team. That's absolutely insane when you think about it - more than Kopitar and Doughty.

Now you know why they bought cap friendly, They don't want anyone to know how much he makes

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Pretty much what we've discussed here, the idea is to get Ovechkin the record since they won't be really competitive for some time.

All I care about with Pierre-Luc Dubois is can he help Ovechkin score

I'll give credit to Brian MacLellan for this: the guy knows how to make a big splash in the summertime. Trading for…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Waking up today. Honestly relieved to now have PLD on the books. Not just the lack of production. I can't remember even one moment this season where he had a redeeming moment. Not soundbytes to come back to either. Every quote is like filtered through a coach or Blake.

Anyway. Onward we move. What a feverdream the PLD saga felt like.

 

[Kings4OT]

Can't wait to get back to having that 60 point third line C we all miss.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

B6 has killed LA the last few years, those are the guys that win you a playoff series.

The more you look at the Cup teams, the more amazing it becomes how spread out and productive all 4 lines were. I mean Colin Friggin Frasier scored a huge goal, as did Clifford, guys like King and Nolan. Lewis hounded Hamhuis for almost a zone and a half to create the turnover that Stoll (3C) scored on to win the Canuck series.

Instead we're stuck with guys like Lewis just way older, Lizotte who gets rag dolled practically every shift, Grundstrom who didn't score much at all after the first month of the season, etc.

Completely ineffective and poorly built B6 lines because of overpayments on the top 2 lines or poor drafting forcing money and/or assets to be spent taking away resources.

 

[Kings4OT]

Rumor is Bos/Mtl were in on PLG, so makes sense Kings got Kuemper

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Look whose birthday it is today! What a complex situation. The early 1/3 buyout option was for if it happened before his birthday. But since this series went 7 games, he turned 26 and season wasn't over, so that option was removed.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Can't wait to get back to having that 60 point third line C we all miss.

We were already missing that. Since he put up 40 points last year. The 1 point in 5 games against Edmonton was pretty much the last piece for me. No scrums, no fights, no points. Just comes off as defeatist. It is what it is, but personally, I'm glad he's gone.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Was thinking again about the Kings special they did. They had this bit about PLD and Byfield basically connecting and swapping friendship bracelets. They were setup to be the 1-2 punch down the middle for the next 10-12 years. Again, this all feels like it was just a fever dream.

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

What did it for me with PLD is the Wild game. I believe he was challenged by Foligno and he backed away and while he was skating to the bench he pushed Faber. When he came over, I didnt know much about him other than he wanted out of Winnepeg and Columbus. I remember someone saying that he played with an edge and had some grit. I was pretty excited knowing thats what the roster was in dyer need of. I saw none of that and thought pushing a smaller younger player in Faber was a punk move. Then hearing he was a cancer in the lockeroom. I am glad he is gone.

Its too bad Lizzard doesnt have the size that PLD has. He would be a perfect match. If somehow we could just combine the two. LOL

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Look whose birthday it is today! What a complex situation. The early 1/3 buyout option was for if it happened before his birthday. But since this series went 7 games, he turned 26 and season wasn't over, so that option was removed.

Jesus, I was 23 when this dude was born. If he gets bought out, which I don't think the Caps will do, he's a hell of a lot richer than he would have been yesterday.

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Was thinking again about the Kings special they did. They had this bit about PLD and Byfield basically connecting and swapping friendship bracelets. They were setup to be the 1-2 punch down the middle for the next 10-12 years. Again, this all feels like it was just a fever dream.

It really does, it's like some surreal dream turned nightmare like that.

I still have not seen a damn thing except "I'm excited to be here" on Twitter and even that wasn't from him, it was from Friedman or some other media guy.

I'm really curious to hear his thoughts of the LA experience, why it didn't work and what he plans to do differently.