BigKing
Blake Out of Hell III: Back in to Hell
Crass-
You can buy that last year's team was good or that it was buoyed by performances that were unlikely to be repeated.
While the percentages can be low either way RE: retool/rebuild, it is pretty much universally accepted that you have a better chance at an impact player the higher you draft.
Blake has signed college free agents. It's nice that he is doing that with Iafallo being a nice freebie. In regards to the actual NHL lineup, Iafallo is the only one to make an impact. For all intents and purposes, it is the same dudes except for Iafallo and then natural progression from guys drafted under DL. Kovalchuk is his big acquisition and it does not impact a "retool" but it definitely impacts a rebuild by possibly making the team better for a worse draft pick. Since I don't think they are retooling, Kovalchuk doesn't hurt a retool since he can't hurt something that isn't occuring. Blake and Co. are simply running the Cup guys out there while trying to add to it instead of retooling: retooling would mean upgrading old tools for some new ones as opposed to adding some small tools and a heavily used tool to the toolbox while still almost-exclusively using the same tools you've been using for years with no results. Also, cap space is an asset. Powder could have been kept dry to make a trade for Nylander and then you'd have the cap space along with whatever went out the other way to sign a young, proven asset that could help much more than Kovalchuk. Now they are jammed up even more than before.
Blake is presiding over the worst start since the Kings were outright tanking. That team was not sold as a contender while this team has been. Why should the core "be rewarded" after winning one playoff game in four seasons? They just got rewarded for a shit season by getting Sutter fired the year before. As for "betraying", this is a business and these guys get paid handsomely with guaranteed contracts. Gretzky was traded twice so anyone can go.
While it is true you just have to get in to have a chance, let's be honest about the long term outlook of this franchise. That said, I'm cheering for them to win and make the playoffs since it is obvious they aren't interested in a rebuild. This start puts them on a collision course for the black hole, however. That's where Dave Taylor lived for his entire tenure, pretty much.
I believe Blake has Luc (AEG) in his ear whereas Lombardi had autonomy. We've seen what happens when AEG is too involved in the NHL roster. Blake can draft and sign UDFAs however he pleases but AEG is back to having too much of a say with NHL squad. Why should I care if the bandwagon fans start to leave? They've been making money hand-over-fist for years now and I guarantee they've gained some life long fans since the 2012 run. They would be fine except they would rather try to milk this for as long as possible.
You can buy that last year's team was good or that it was buoyed by performances that were unlikely to be repeated.
While the percentages can be low either way RE: retool/rebuild, it is pretty much universally accepted that you have a better chance at an impact player the higher you draft.
Blake has signed college free agents. It's nice that he is doing that with Iafallo being a nice freebie. In regards to the actual NHL lineup, Iafallo is the only one to make an impact. For all intents and purposes, it is the same dudes except for Iafallo and then natural progression from guys drafted under DL. Kovalchuk is his big acquisition and it does not impact a "retool" but it definitely impacts a rebuild by possibly making the team better for a worse draft pick. Since I don't think they are retooling, Kovalchuk doesn't hurt a retool since he can't hurt something that isn't occuring. Blake and Co. are simply running the Cup guys out there while trying to add to it instead of retooling: retooling would mean upgrading old tools for some new ones as opposed to adding some small tools and a heavily used tool to the toolbox while still almost-exclusively using the same tools you've been using for years with no results. Also, cap space is an asset. Powder could have been kept dry to make a trade for Nylander and then you'd have the cap space along with whatever went out the other way to sign a young, proven asset that could help much more than Kovalchuk. Now they are jammed up even more than before.
Blake is presiding over the worst start since the Kings were outright tanking. That team was not sold as a contender while this team has been. Why should the core "be rewarded" after winning one playoff game in four seasons? They just got rewarded for a shit season by getting Sutter fired the year before. As for "betraying", this is a business and these guys get paid handsomely with guaranteed contracts. Gretzky was traded twice so anyone can go.
While it is true you just have to get in to have a chance, let's be honest about the long term outlook of this franchise. That said, I'm cheering for them to win and make the playoffs since it is obvious they aren't interested in a rebuild. This start puts them on a collision course for the black hole, however. That's where Dave Taylor lived for his entire tenure, pretty much.
I believe Blake has Luc (AEG) in his ear whereas Lombardi had autonomy. We've seen what happens when AEG is too involved in the NHL roster. Blake can draft and sign UDFAs however he pleases but AEG is back to having too much of a say with NHL squad. Why should I care if the bandwagon fans start to leave? They've been making money hand-over-fist for years now and I guarantee they've gained some life long fans since the 2012 run. They would be fine except they would rather try to milk this for as long as possible.
