Very good interview.
I would have thought that that the amateur scouts would have had more input on certain development decisions like where teenagers play, but it seems that Yannetti and his team mostly focus on draft eligible players and once a player is drafted they are turned over to Emerson. And while there have been some evaluation mistakes the vast majority of the struggles of the Kings high pick prospects can be attributed to poor development decisions. It seems like Yannetti's job is to go buy the steaks and its on Emerson (and Blake) to not cook the steaks well-done, which sadly for a couple of these kids they clearly did. Did Yanenetti pick sirloin when filet was available, in some cases yeah, but he also has found some great gems in the later rounds. I know he would never answer it, but I wonder how Yannetti feels his picks would have done had they been handled properly. His reputation might be way better if QB has 100 NHL games under his belt, Turcotte and Kupari hadn't been signed as teenagers and even if Vilardi had been put at wing the entire 20/21 season. Nelson Emerson is a prime reason why it can be a bad idea to hire your best friend. If you own the place, cool, hire whoever. But when you are a GM who has to answer to higher ups it is a bad look when your best friend is doing as questionable a job with development as Emerson is.
Lombardi has now gone six offseasons without being hired as a GM. Is this a personal choice or does he interview so poorly he can't get hired? It just seems amazing that a guy who won 2 cups in the last decade can't get hired but there has to be reasons. I think DL is very stubborn and loyal to his specific style of play and right now that style of play is viewed as archaic by most people in the league. Calling speed a fad is not a comment that has aged well. I still think that Lombardi could be a good closer for a team that is very close but just needs the final couple of correct additions to go over the top. June 2014 was like the Berlin Wall for Dean's time as Kings GM, it was just two different worlds. Especially from 2010 to final cup vs. final 3 seasons. Dean went from having the Midas touch where everything he did worked out (Richards, Carter, Williams, Mitchell, Scuderi, Sutter) to having a three season run that makes Sam McMaster look like Bill Belichick.
I wish I could have asked him how much different it is to draft and evaluate NCAA players now when they are mostly drafted out of the NTDP, USHL and Canadian Jr A. vs the past when they were drafted after their freshman year. I remember hearing a podcast where someone said it made the scouts lives much more difficult. He did touch on it a bit with Hughes, a player he said would have scored a ton in the USHL but that they were better able to evaluate him vs. tougher NCAA competition.
