2019 Draft Discussion

[Dexter Sinister]

I fear that Blake and Luc will decide to trade our 1st to try to salvage this season.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I fear that Blake and Luc will decide to trade our 1st to try to salvage this season.

Then they haven't learned from past mistakes. It would be absolutely nonsensical to do so and would pretty much confirm that they are clueless about the current state of the franchise.

I can't believe they'd be so inept to do such a thing.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Looks like Kings are destined to be sellers at deadline. If no decent deals can be made now, hold off and get better returns at deadline.
Except for Voynov, if he clears to play. Trade him for best offer and package a lame-a-kin like Pearson with him if possible

Deadline: Carter, Muzzin, Toffoli, Martinez, Quick (yes, Quick. if he's healthy and playing decent, will get a great return - more than anyone listed here)
and if Kopi, DD, or Koval ASKS to be traded, do it. (not expecting that, however) Blow it up.

With a Hughes, Kupari, JAD, Vilardi, Brickley, Clague, Thomas, Remapl?
AND good returns on Quick, Carter, (good young ROSTER player + ) this does not have to be a 3-4 year rebuild.

They're not going to get rid of all those guys by the deadline. Going by goalie trade history, don't expect a great return for Quick, even if some other team wants a 33 year old $6m goalie signed until 2023 that's been getting hurt more often.

I fear that Blake and Luc will decide to trade our 1st to try to salvage this season.

Other than just the general ripping on Robitaille and Blake, there's no actual reason to think they would do that. Robitaille is so inept and vain that he would want to be able to sell the 1st overall pick to the ticket paying fans as an accomplishment.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

They're not going to get rid of all those guys by the deadline. Going by goalie trade history, don't expect a great return for Quick, even if some other team wants a 33 year old $6m goalie signed until 2023 that's been getting hurt more often.



Other than just the general ripping on Robitaille and Blake, there's no actual reason to think they would do that. Robitaille is so inept and vain that he would want to be able to sell the 1st overall pick to the ticket paying fans as an accomplishment.

I know there's no evidence of them doing something like that, but I think that is what scares me, there is no evidence to the contrary either.

 

[regulate]

I fear that Blake and Luc will decide to trade our 1st to try to salvage this season.

Blake has been steadfast not moving his high picks. The return would have to an offer he couldn't refuse, and that offer is very unlikely to come along.

 

[DAkings20]

It is obvious to anyone with half a brain that the Kings have entered back into rebuild mode. Blake needs to get on the tank train.

 

[Fishhead]

Blake has been steadfast not moving his high picks. The return would have to an offer he couldn't refuse, and that offer is very unlikely to come along.

This is the only thing I don't worry about at all with Blake. If anything, he will try and add more.

 

[King'sPawn]

I, too, am worried at how dumb management can be

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Tank Watch: NJ, DET and FL all won!!!! Kings are doing a solid (or actually not; more like diarrhea) and holding down #31 steadfastly.

 

[Jericho111091]

We're 31! We're 31!

 

[YP44]

draft will be fun this year!!

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

draft will be fun this year!!

The only things left to look forward to this season: the end of the season, the draft lottery, and the draft.

 

[YP44]

The only things left to look forward to this season: the end of the season, the draft lottery, and the draft.

I already feel disappointed for the lottery results

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Meanwhile...THE TANK is spectacular! NJ won and the Blues are the next closest now, 4 ahead of the Kings...and the Blues play LV tomorrow - both near the bottom
and 2 (or possible 3) points going to one of them - or hopefully a tie and points for everyone!

The Tank is safe for now...The 11 King points are firmly 31st.

 

[KingsOfCali25]

I'd look to trade Carter, Muzzin/Martinez for 1st round picks. Come out with...

1)Hughes/Kakko/Podkolzin
2) Soderstrom/Turcotte
3) Honka/Dorofeyev/Poulin

Would make us deep in top prospects

 

[Maynard]

The tank will not happen. They will be in last place until the day after they miss the playoffs. Then they will go on the longest winning streak in franchise history, effectively launching themselves deep into the black hole at warp speed. then pick at #13.

 

[Peter James Bond II]

Jack Hughes:

"""electrifying and dynamic player … has ability to be a difference-maker … very elusive … attacks lanes … always a step ahead … plays smart, ISS Hockey 2017"""

How will this work on the Kings? Jack would be 3 steps ahead of his King teammates. He plays smart while the Kings play stoopid. Attacking lanes is
not even permissible in the Kings' system, for that matter.

Gotta stick to the system! Get pucks deep, work hard! Not sure if Jack can do that.

 

[damacles1156]

Jack Hughes:

"""electrifying and dynamic player … has ability to be a difference-maker … very elusive … attacks lanes … always a step ahead … plays smart, ISS Hockey 2017"""

How will this work on the Kings? Jack would be 3 steps ahead of his King teammates. He plays smart while the Kings play stoopid. Attacking lanes is
not even permissible in the Kings' system, for that matter.

Gotta stick to the system! Get pucks deep, work hard! Not sure if Jack can do that.

The Kings don't have a system, the things you just described the Kings don't do. This narrative that the Kings play any system is just false. It's one of the reasons they are losing so much, and look poorly doing so.

They don't play Sutter hockey , they don't play Lombardi hockey, the don't play Stevens hockey, they don't play fast or as a five man unit, they don't hit anyone, they don't even play dump and chase.

You notice Nashville kicked into high gear third period and their D looked like it didn't even break a sweat ? That's a result of not getting pucks deep AT ALL.

 

[kilowatt]

The Kings don't have a system, the things you just described the Kings don't do. This narrative that the Kings play any system is just false. It's one of the reasons they are losing so much, and look poorly doing so.

They don't play Sutter hockey , they don't play Lombardi hockey, the don't play Stevens hockey, they don't play fast or as a five man unit, they don't hit anyone, they don't even play dump and chase.

You notice Nashville kicked into high gear third period and their D looked like it didn't even break a sweat ? That's a result of not getting pucks deep AT ALL.

So what are you trying to say? Stacking our forwards on the opponent’s blue line and having a defenseman try to dangle their way past a crowded blue line isn’t an effective offensive zone entry strategy?

 

[kingsboy11]

I was going to respond to some of the posts in the Lintuniemi thread, but it feels like it addresses more of the draft in general so I'll post it here.



I think if you see guys like Futa and Yennetti talk about skill in this video and I think these past 2 drafts makes it evident Blake and company are committed to stocking up skilled guys, but also keeping that character trait that Lombardi loved and coveted. Is it fair to criticize Futa and Yannetti for previous drafts? I absolutely think so, but but I think if you look at these past 2 drafts I think its clear what direction they want to go.

My favorite quote from this is from Yannetti. "You wanted skill, well you got ****ing skill."

I think where the issues lies now is that Blake, Stevens and Robitaille wanted to change our style and identity with the current guys. It worked early on last season, but for whatever reason couldn't keep that production up and now we find ourselves in an identity crisis and literally dead last in the league. They probably should've anticipated that this kind of change was not going to happen overnight and they were probably setting expectations way to high for this club after their performances the previous season. If they do tank the season and end up getting Hughes, I think it fully cements what kind of team they are going for.

However, I think one issue that could concerning, and Kings Pawn has brought it up a couple of times, is development. I think this team does a good job of making NHL players. Hell I never thought MacDermid would ever see NHL ice, but he got over 30 games last season. But when you look at the players we've brought in through our own picks, they aren't guys who went above and beyond what everyone initially thought they might be. Toffoli is the only player I can think of in recent memory who is a legit top 6 forward. Pearson was for a while, but his game fell off a cliff. I think the real question the next couple of years is can we get guys like Vilardi, JAD, Kupari and Thomas to fully develop their offensive potential?

 

[King'sPawn]

This is where Blake is failing massively as a GM, and where Lombardi excelled at. There is not an identity with the organization right now. Are they trying to be faster? Obviously. Are they trying to be hard to play against? It's a tagline.

I'm also sure the Kings are trying to get more skill into the organization, and Hughes shows a lot of it.

But we can't even identify a player and say "This is a Blake player" Iafallo has integrated very well into the Kings, but we can't even imagine how certain players would fit in with Blake's vision.

The two drafts under Blake have been very different, as well. 2018 was more speed and high risk, 2017 was more skill and safety.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I was going to respond to some of the posts in the Lintuniemi thread, but it feels like it addresses more of the draft in general so I'll post it here.



I think if you see guys like Futa and Yennetti talk about skill in this video and I think these past 2 drafts makes it evident Blake and company are committed to stocking up skilled guys, but also keeping that character trait that Lombardi loved and coveted. Is it fair to criticize Futa and Yannetti for previous drafts? I absolutely think so, but but I think if you look at these past 2 drafts I think its clear what direction they want to go.

My favorite quote from this is from Yannetti. "You wanted skill, well you got ****ing skill."

I think where the issues lies now is that Blake, Stevens and Robitaille wanted to change our style and identity with the current guys. It worked early on last season, but for whatever reason couldn't keep that production up and now we find ourselves in an identity crisis and literally dead last in the league. They probably should've anticipated that this kind of change was not going to happen overnight and they were probably setting expectations way to high for this club after their performances the previous season. If they do tank the season and end up getting Hughes, I think it fully cements what kind of team they are going for.

However, I think one issue that could concerning, and Kings Pawn has brought it up a couple of times, is development. I think this team does a good job of making NHL players. Hell I never thought MacDermid would ever see NHL ice, but he got over 30 games last season. But when you look at the players we've brought in through our own picks, they aren't guys who went above and beyond what everyone initially thought they might be. Toffoli is the only player I can think of in recent memory who is a legit top 6 forward. Pearson was for a while, but his game fell off a cliff. I think the real question the next couple of years is can we get guys like Vilardi, JAD, Kupari and Thomas to fully develop their offensive potential?

I think the answer to that though is actually letting guys offensively dominate at a lower level long enough as well instead of going "oh thank god, a scoring forward" and throwing them in the lineup to ruin them. Like, sending JAD down was probably the right move. Wagner is a guy I'm concerned about right now as an example, I see him as a guy with an Andrew Cogliano type upside, but that upside will likely be stifled if he doesn't get the chance to handle the puck more. It's great to call him up and give him a cup of coffee to learn something and go back down and apply it--but don't call him up just to sit him on the bench for too long. We might be seeing that with Kempe a bit now as well--a guy whose whole 'issue' and why he dropped was inconsistency. He would have been better served with another year or two in the AHL imo, but as a desperate team, we rushed a prospect and possibly ruined some of that upside.

 

[Fishhead]

I always thought this would be kind of a throwaway year, I just never thought we would be this good at it!

 

[KINGS17]

This is where Blake is failing massively as a GM, and where Lombardi excelled at. There is not an identity with the organization right now. Are they trying to be faster? Obviously. Are they trying to be hard to play against? It's a tagline.

I'm also sure the Kings are trying to get more skill into the organization, and Hughes shows a lot of it.

But we can't even identify a player and say "This is a Blake player" Iafallo has integrated very well into the Kings, but we can't even imagine how certain players would fit in with Blake's vision.

The two drafts under Blake have been very different, as well. 2018 was more speed and high risk, 2017 was more skill and safety.

This is a real concern. Blake can draft Hughes and the next 5 overall number 1's, but this organization doesn't have a fundamental direction and style, it will fail.

I don't know if Iafallo is really a "Blake player". Sure he signed him, but all the scouting was done under Lombardi. He seems to fit the Lombardi mold better.