Speculation: 2021-21 LA Kings News/Rumors/Roster discussion

[tny760]

classic coyotes, several years too late

that org just can't stop shooting itself in the foot

 

[FSL KINGS]

OEL was NEVER as good as his rep, never mind now. Pass.

Chychrun already a better player than OEL's rep.

What's the cost on Chychrun to get AZ to move him? 1st (8oa) + Björnfot + Vilardi?

What's the cost for OEL with that contract? 3rd + Luff?

Not saying OEL should be a target. Outside of the perfect fit (Chychrun, Werenski) , Blake shouldn't be looking to move the 1st. Means going to the value bin to fill holes.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

What's the cost on Chychrun to get AZ to move him? 1st (8oa) + Björnfot + Vilardi?

What's the cost for OEL with that contract? 3rd + Luff?

Not saying OEL should be a target. Outside of the perfect fit (Chychrun, Werenski) , Blake shouldn't be looking to move the 1st. Means going to the value bin to fill holes.

I don't think even that would do it. What would you ask for for Doughty in 2011?

There's a certain point at which you can't just 'replace' a guy and IMO Chychrun is in that category along with guys like Makar and Heiskanen. You can put together 'fair value' but nothing would make sense for the franchise sending the #1 dman.

 

[Mats26]

With 7 picks in the first 4 rounds of the draft, I have to think Blake will not be utilizing every pick on drafting another 17-18 year old.

He’s got to be moving up and or bringing in more mature talent from another team during the draft….right?

Moving up in the draft is possible. I can see a trade with the Bluejackets, they need centers\forwards we have them. Problem is most are still prospects with no NHL experiance unless they really like Vilardi or JAD.

We can also move the #8 pick for a more established player, also a possibility.

What I don't see happening is us getting invloved in a bidding war for a player, when we need to send more than we have too. If that's the case we got to use that cap space we have for leverage.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

EK was one of the best players in the world in his prime, that Ottawa team taking what ended up being 2x champion Pittsburgh to Game 7 OT was a testament to just how great he was. And plenty of players of that era have echoed those sentiments. Not many who could do what he could do transitioning from offense to defense, even a guy like Hughes who is amazing at doing that doesn't really compare. People kind of throw around the generational label to easily (like Eichel isn't generational), I think EK really fits the label of generational, he was that good for about 6-7 years.

OEL was never close to that level and makes no sense for the Kings now, regardless of what the cost is. He turns 30 in a month and his play has declined significantly from his prime years, also an $8.25 cap hit with a full NMC for the next 6 seasons? No thanks, that is the type of deal that could really hurt the Kings in say 3-5 years when the team might be good again and they are carrying that kind of cap hit on what could easily be a replacement level player by then.

Arizona is going to have to retain a decent amount to get any kind of value from a team with a 2-3 year window.

'


If the Canucks are in fact after him I could see something where they send Myers back which eats some of that salary, but yeah, people can complain about Doughty's contract but he's at least able to do #1 duties at a high level, OEL is overpaid, hard to move, AND just sitting there on your 2nd pairing.

 

[Herby]

I don't see the Ducks trading Zegras for Eichel for the same reason I don't think the Kings would deal QB, players that young who project as high end 1C's in a short time just have a ton of value. They would also kind of be in the same spot with the Kings if they were to trade QB, who is their big secondary guy behind Eichel if they trade QB? Just seems like a lateral move. Drysdale I don't know, they are better on the blueline than up front, so I guess it's possible. Eichel is a special talent and the prospects of an Eichel-Zegras duo up the middle for the next atleast five years would be appealing, but man Drysdale had a pretty damn good D+1.

The Sharks? Doesn't seem to make any sense, the Sharks are way further behind the Kings in what should be their rebuild, that kind of happens when you essentially trade Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris for the corpse of Erik Karlsson. But it's a fools errand to try and figure out what is going on between the ears of Doug Wilson. I am no Blake fan, but I'd rather Blake be the Kings GM for the next dozen years than have Doug Wilson in charge for even a day. Doug Wilson still having a job in SJ is one of the great mysteries of the sport, he has been GM since 2003.

 

[johnjm22]

When was the last time a bottom feeder team traded for one of the best players in the league?

Those types of players get traded to teams who are a player away from contending.

Kings/Ducks/Sharks are 3 of the worst teams in the NHL. It doesn't make any sense for them to trade for such a player. On top of that, Eichel doesn't want to go to any of these teams. He wants out of Buffalo because they're terrible. He wants to go to a good team.

 

[Reaper45]

I can see the Ducks trading some combo of their 1st plus Steel, Jones, Heinen and Terry for Eichel. I can’t see it being much better than that. Same with the Kings.

 

[RocketKing]

In terms of improving the offense, I guess I’d prefer that we go after Reinhart and Id expect it to cost Vilardi plus a significant add. No deal if Buffalo has to have Turcott. If it had to include the 8 OA then it would be a tough sell but Is still likely do it as long as he came extended.

Blake Coleman would be one of my prime targets in UFA, we need what both of these guys bring. Coleman has a strong overall game and extremely versatile while being good on any top 3 Kings lines.

 

[Steve Zissou]

When was the last time a bottom feeder team traded for one of the best players in the league?

Those types of players get traded to teams who are a player away from contending.

Kings/Ducks/Sharks are 3 of the worst teams in the NHL. It doesn't make any sense for them to trade for such a player. On top of that, Eichel doesn't want to go to any of these teams. He wants out of Buffalo because they're terrible. He wants to go to a good team.

Yes but with a shortened season due to COVID coupled with a flat cap for multiple years and an expansion draft coming up there's a ton of variables muddying the waters this upcoming off-season.

 

[TruKingFan]

Did someone say Defense?


How do we feel about OEL? 6 years at 8.25M. Is he starting to regress? Could he be reenergized like Brown after Sutter? How much would you be willing to part with?

Hard f****in pass on OEL.

 

[johnjm22]

The whole reason for Reinhart wanting out is because he doesn't want to play for a loser anymore.

Eichel and him are wasting away their careers on loser teams. An NHL career is short.

Neither of them want to come to LA. They want to go to contenders.

They don't have movement clauses, but trading for players they don't want you probably isn't going to turn out well.

 

[KingsFan7824]

2017 draft is when the Kings started holding on to their picks again. This will be the 5th draft since then.

And yes, about 8 drafts. Not every case of course.

So holding onto picks is rebuilding? Sort of, I guess.

I don't see the Ducks trading Zegras for Eichel for the same reason I don't think the Kings would deal QB, players that young who project as high end 1C's in a short time just have a ton of value. They would also kind of be in the same spot with the Kings if they were to trade QB, who is their big secondary guy behind Eichel if they trade QB? Just seems like a lateral move. Drysdale I don't know, they are better on the blueline than up front, so I guess it's possible. Eichel is a special talent and the prospects of an Eichel-Zegras duo up the middle for the next atleast five years would be appealing, but man Drysdale had a pretty damn good D+1.

The Sharks? Doesn't seem to make any sense, the Sharks are way further behind the Kings in what should be their rebuild, that kind of happens when you essentially trade Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris for the corpse of Erik Karlsson. But it's a fools errand to try and figure out what is going on between the ears of Doug Wilson. I am no Blake fan, but I'd rather Blake be the Kings GM for the next dozen years than have Doug Wilson in charge for even a day. Doug Wilson still having a job in SJ is one of the great mysteries of the sport, he has been GM since 2003.

Taking Vegas out, and even if you include the last couple years, the Sharks are tied for the best pts% in the league. The most regulation wins. The 2nd most playoff GP. 4th most playoff wins. There's no Cup, and if you're asking why he hasn't been fired in the last year or so, ok, but his entire run in SJ has been extremely successful. Change for the sake of change, but whoever you bring in today to fix the Sharks is just inheriting a contract mess.

And yeah, that pick should've been protected, and what happened to both Ott and SJ is why any 1st rd pick traded in the future going forward will very likely be top-____ protected, but you can't pin Stutzle on him. That's not who he traded. I guess Norris for the corpse of Karlsson is bad enough, but no, it wasn't essentially Stutzle. That trade happened in Sept 2018.

It's too difficult to win to do the Sharks a disservice for what they've managed to do in the last decade and a half. It bothers me that we do that. The Kings barely managed to do it for like 5 years. All the gifs with Wilson and Thornton, the no Cup, it's all great, but it just bugs me when we downplay what the Sharks were able to do.

When was the last time a bottom feeder team traded for one of the best players in the league?

Those types of players get traded to teams who are a player away from contending.

Kings/Ducks/Sharks are 3 of the worst teams in the NHL. It doesn't make any sense for them to trade for such a player. On top of that, Eichel doesn't want to go to any of these teams. He wants out of Buffalo because they're terrible. He wants to go to a good team.

There aren't many ready made contenders, or even good teams, that can take on Eichel. Either in terms of cap or prospects. Not many good teams with a really good 25 year old will trade that 25 year old for Eichel either.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The whole reason for Reinhart wanting out is because he doesn't want to play for a loser anymore.

Eichel and him are wasting away their careers on loser teams. An NHL career is short.

Neither of them want to come to LA. They want to go to contenders.

They don't have movement clauses, but trading for players they don't want you probably isn't going to turn out well.

You think Richards wanted to come to LA? They weren't a contender before he got here, and they weren't even a contender after they got him. Still 2 major moves away. Unplanned major moves btw.

 

[johnjm22]

You think Richards wanted to come to LA? They weren't a contender before he got here, and they weren't even a contender after they got him. Still 2 major moves away. Unplanned major moves btw.

Huh? What are you talking about?

The Kings were an established playoff team when they acquired him. They were considered an upcoming franchise on the verge of contending.


It's hard to find media previews of that season but here are some:

Jon Buccigross ESPN:
"I picked the Kings to win the West because they are so strong from the net out."
Buccigross: Time to revisit and judge my preseason picks

Sports Illustrated 2011/12 predictions: 4th in the WC
"The Kings long re-build is paying off as the team enters the truly elite this season."
The Hockey News 2011-12 NHL predictions

The Mayor: 2nd in the WC
NHL 2011-12 season predictions – timing is everything

NHL Standing Prediction in 3 years, written in 2011: Kings 2nd in the leauge.
NHL Predictions: League Standings 3 Years from Now

ESPN 2011/12 NHL Preview LA Kings:
After years of careful rebuilding produced one of the most talented young teams in the NHL and back-to-back trips to the first round of the playoffs, the Kings feel ready to take that next step as a contender.
ESPN.com's 2011-12 NHL preview: Los Angeles Kings

2011 Power Rankings, Kings 4th in WC
NHL Power Rankings, Western Conference: Chicago Leads The Way, Columbus Is Still Bad

2011/12 predictions: 3rd in the WC
"The Kings are among the best teams in hockey heading into this season."
http://test.thehockeywriters.com/201112-nhl-season-predictions-western-conference/

 

[KingsFan7824]

Huh? What are you talking about?

The Kings were an established playoff team when they acquired him. They were considered an upcoming franchise on the verge of contending.


It's hard to find media previews of that season but here are some:

Jon Buccigross ESPN:
"I picked the Kings to win the West because they are so strong from the net out."
Buccigross: Time to revisit and judge my preseason picks

Sports Illustrated 2011/12 predictions: 4th in the WC
"The Kings long re-build is paying off as the team enters the truly elite this season."
The Hockey News 2011-12 NHL predictions

The Mayor: 2nd in the WC
NHL 2011-12 season predictions – timing is everything

NHL Standing Prediction in 3 years, written in 2011: Kings 2nd in the leauge.
NHL Predictions: League Standings 3 Years from Now

ESPN 2011/12 NHL Preview LA Kings:
After years of careful rebuilding produced one of the most talented young teams in the NHL and back-to-back trips to the first round of the playoffs, the Kings feel ready to take that next step as a contender.
ESPN.com's 2011-12 NHL preview: Los Angeles Kings

2011 Power Rankings, Kings 4th in WC
NHL Power Rankings, Western Conference: Chicago Leads The Way, Columbus Is Still Bad

2011/12 predictions: 3rd in the WC
"The Kings are among the best teams in hockey heading into this season."
http://test.thehockeywriters.com/201112-nhl-season-predictions-western-conference/

That's nice. And we saw what on the ice once the season started?

Still, do you think Richards wanted to come out here?

 

[Herby]

Richards signed a 12 year contract about the same time that his best friend did, he probably didn't want to leave Philadelphia, it doesn't mean it was an indictment against the Kings. The Kings were considered an up and coming young team in the summer of 2011. Kopitar and Doughty were both considered stars and were 24 and 21 at the time of the trade. Quick was 25 and already one of the best goalies in the league, Johnson was still considered a very good young player at the time, coming off a 42 point season at 23/24 and having been a member of the US olympic team the year before. Just zero comparison to what the Kings have right now. That team was loaded with young stars, the Kings have one maybe young star right now.

As far as the Sharks and Wilson, the object of the game is to build a team that wins a SC, if you can't do it in 19 seasons, in a league of 30 teams despite being the beneficiary of one of the worst trades in NHL history you have to say it's not working and move on. Making it to the 2nd round perennially and losing to usually less talented teams is really nothing to be excited about. And you answered your own question, yes he didn't trade Stutzle, but he traded the asset that was used to draft him because as you said he committed horrible asset management by not protecting the pick and it caused him to miss out on a player with league scoring champion upside. How can that be ignored?

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

At $8.25m for the next 6 seasons and almost 30? Hard pass.

 

[johnjm22]

That's nice. And we saw what on the ice once the season started?

Still, do you think Richards wanted to come out here?

If he had to be moved, yes I think a team on the rise like the Kings would be one of the optimal places to go.

He said himself we was excited when he found out he was going to L.A and felt fortunate he was going to the Kings.

It's not analogous to the current situation with Eichel.

The Kings/Ducks/Sharks/Sabres type teams are EXACTLY what Eichel is trying to get away from.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Richards signed a 12 year contract about the same time that his best friend did, he probably didn't want to leave Philadelphia, it doesn't mean it was an indictment against the Kings. The Kings were considered an up and coming young team in the summer of 2011. Kopitar and Doughty were both considered stars and were 24 and 21 at the time of the trade. Quick was 25 and already one of the best goalies in the league, Johnson was still considered a very good young player at the time, coming off a 42 point season at 23/24 and having been a member of the US olympic team the year before. Just zero comparison to what the Kings have right now. That team was loaded with young stars, the Kings have one maybe young star right now.

As far as the Sharks and Wilson, the object of the game is to build a team that wins a SC, if you can't do it in 19 seasons, in a league of 30 teams despite being the beneficiary of one of the worst trades in NHL history you have to say it's not working and move on. Making it to the 2nd round perennially and losing to usually less talented teams is really nothing to be excited about. And you answered your own question, yes he didn't trade Stutzle, but he traded the asset that was used to draft him because as you said he committed horrible asset management by not protecting the pick and it caused him to miss out on a player with league scoring champion upside. How can that be ignored?

And up to that point that Kings hadn't even won a playoff series, and were barely hanging onto a playoff spot during their "contender" season.

Horrible asset management is a bit much. At least with DL, he traded the 2015 pick that day. The pick that eventually went to Ott was traded 2 years before. There was no real reason to think the 19-20 Sharks would tank as hard as they did. If we're going to rip Wilson, then we can't give DL all that much credit for 11-12, because the Kings hadn't won a single playoff series up to the point of the Richards trade, and he gave up a recent 5th overall pick, before the team had shown they could win anything meaningful.

Great trade in hindsight, but it was this close to possibly ruining the Kings, maybe even more than Lucic, since Richards broke down, and Schenn and Simmonds played pretty damn well for a number of years. But again, the only thing that matters is the championship. Anything you do to get one is fine. If you do the same things but don't win, well you're a terrible idiot GM like Doug Wilson.

If he had to be moved, yes I think a team on the rise like the Kings would be one of the optimal places to go.

He said himself we was excited when he found out he was going to L.A and felt fortunate he was going to the Kings.

It's not analogous to the current situation with Eichel.

The Kings/Ducks/Sharks are EXACTLY what Eichel is trying to get away from.

That's true if those 3 teams are the Sabres. I'm not sure any of the 3 have the same baggage as the Sabres currently do. Then again, baggage can seem to disappear quickly, like in Ottawa this year. Or, Montreal.

But again, what ready made contender is able to bring Eichel in? What June 2011 version of the Kings can bring in Eichel, at $10m? I guess the Rangers would be the closest example.

 

[johnjm22]

That's true if those 3 teams are the Sabres. I'm not sure any of the 3 have the same baggage as the Sabres currently do. Then again, baggage can seem to disappear quickly, like in Ottawa this year. Or, Montreal.

Those teams and the Sabres are all in the same situation. Bottom feeder teams that aren't expected to contend anytime soon.

But again, what ready made contender is able to bring Eichel in? What June 2011 version of the Kings can bring in Eichel, at $10m? I guess the Rangers would be the closest example.

That's a different subject.

But usually teams figure out away to make these types of trades work.

 

[DryIslandBartender]

That's nice. And we saw what on the ice once the season started?

Still, do you think Richards wanted to come out here?

No he wanted to stay in Philly, but if he had to go anywhere the Kings were full of Flyer guys in the organization. DL, Hextall, Terry Murray, Stevens, Justin Williams etc. So he didn’t mind.

 

[KINGS17]

You think Richards wanted to come to LA? They weren't a contender before he got here, and they weren't even a contender after they got him. Still 2 major moves away. Unplanned major moves btw.

The Kings had been to the playoffs two seasons in a row, and players around the NHL were well aware of Kopitar, Brown, Doughty, and Quick.

Mike Richards was also well acquainted with Dean Lombardi, so I doubt it was that gut wrenching for him.

 

[johnjm22]

Mike Richards was also well acquainted with Dean Lombardi, so I doubt it was that gut wrenching for him.

He had also played for Terry Murray and John Stevens before and spoke very highly of both.

 

[kingsboy11]

When you sign the deal that Richards did you don't really want to leave, that being said there were plenty of worse places to get traded to than an up and coming team like the Kings. I'm sure Richards was fine with the trade after he got over the initial shock.

I just think Eichel wants to get of Buffalo, I don't he cares too much where he goes as long as its not there.