Speculation: Fire Rob Blake Blow it Up Offseason Thread (update: Robitaille, Blake and Hiller stay)

[AbsentMojo]

Luc really is lucky.. down to his name.. next time they mention his name at a home game, the 300 section will boo while the 200s say Luc and he will claim everyone still loves him

 

[LAKings88]

Getting a legit goalie is one the relatively easy things to do this summer, 22M in cap space, you have to let Roy, Arvidsson, Lizotte go, replace them from within, and you have about 10M to play around with.....

Where did you get that number? Hoven has reported 15m no?

 

[johnjm22]

Where did you get that number? Hoven has reported 15m no?

We have about 20M or so.

But that's only with 12 players under contract.

Again, it's going to depend on what they do with Byfield.

 

[funky]

We have about 20M or so.

But that's only with 12 players under contract.

Again, it's going to depend on what they do with Byfield.

Does that count the 4.5 million in penalties between bonuses and player buyouts?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Where did you get that number? Hoven has reported 15m no?

Saw it on Cap Friendly, maybe I saw it wrong?

$20,900,000 is what it's reporting, that's with NO ONE signed, no UFA, no RFA etc

Los Angeles Kings Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Los Angeles Kings salary cap, contracts, roster, draft picks, salary, cap space, stats, salary cap projections, and daily cap tracking

www.capfriendly.com

 

[johnjm22]

Does that count the 4.5 million in penalties between bonuses and player buyouts?

Yes it does.

 

[King'sPawn]

Blake was named captain in 1996. 5 years later, he gave up the C after leading the team to zero playoff series wins in a contract dispute. And then he won the cup with some other team.

In 2006, he returned to the Kings, possibly Dean Lombardi’s worst decision of all time. He scores 34 points and gets paid $6M. Next season, he puts on the C once again after Matty Norstrom says eff it and retires.

Soon after the Kings draft Drew Doughty, Rob Blake packs his bags for San Jose for $5M and the opportunity to grab Patty Marleau’s captaincy when he was stripped.

This guy is a master at grabbing the bag and failing upward while never missing a good wave. We should all be so fortunate.

Not to mention the lip service that was spewed during these different phases. Like when he refused to waive his NTC to send him to San Jose for futures, because he "wanted to stay in LA" but then signed as a free agent 4 days into free agency because a deal wasn't made fast enough.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

EVERY TIMe I think it can't get darker

f*** this

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

We have about 20M or so.

But that's only with 12 players under contract.

Again, it's going to depend on what they do with Byfield.

Correct, assuming they let the UFA's go, resign Rittich to league minimum 1 year deal, and resign the RFA's Byfield, Spence, Kaliyev, Grundstrom, I would let Lizotte go, at 1.6, if he wants league minimum, then yea bring him back,

Kaliyev and Grundstrom won't be expensive, Spence, 2-3 year deal probably, Byfield try and lock him into an 8 year deal, 8 year, 8 million, 8 year 9 million,

So, 20 million - 9million, - 1 million for Rittich, minus 1.5 million for Kaliyev Grundstrom, leaves about 8.5 million to find a #1 G, and a LD, and then you use Turcotte, Thomas, Moverare, to fill the holes.

 

[johnjm22]

Correct, assuming they let the UFA's go, resign Rittich to league minimum 1 year deal, and resign the RFA's Byfield, Spence, Kaliyev, Grundstrom, I would let Lizotte go, at 1.6, if he wants league minimum, then yea bring him back,

Kaliyev and Grundstrom won't be expensive, Spence, 2-3 year deal probably, Byfield try and lock him into an 8 year deal, 8 year, 8 million, 8 year 9 million,

So, 20 million - 9million, - 1 million for Rittich, minus 1.5 million for Kaliyev Grundstrom, leaves about 8.5 million to find a #1 G, and a LD, and then you use Turcotte, Thomas, Moverare, to fill the holes.

Lizotte would require a qualifying offer. He's a RFA. The offer would have to be 100% of the previous years salary.

If you signed QB to a 8M hit, you'd only have about 4.5M in space after all expected RFA's are re-signed. Depends on whether Lizotte or Grundstrom are qualified though, and how much Spence will get.

 

[Sol]

Rob Blake has investigated Rob Blake and found himself of no wrong doing.

 

[funky]

Rob Blake has investigated Rob Blake and found himself of no wrong doing.

That’s only after he checked with Luc and made sure that that was the right answer

 

[Mattias]

Rob Blake has investigated Rob Blake and found himself of no wrong doing.

Rob Blake was pulled over on the LA freeway and given a $267 ticket. He negotiated his way out by providing $10,000 and a first round pick.

 

[BaileyFan]

Of course trading Spence was his plan all along. Blake is about to teach him the same lesson that he taught Vilardi: that it is not okay to ask for a raise after a good season when you have no UFA eligibility.

Cue the “Spence was greedy, Spence hated Kings fans and only wanted to sign long term in *wherever*, Spence is just LaDue 2.0” copium takes.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Cant' wait till the propoganda arm starts intensifying the Spence hate

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Lizotte would require a qualifying offer. He's a RFA. The offer would have to be 100% of the previous years salary.

If you signed QB to a 8M hit, you'd only have about 4.5M in space after all expected RFA's are re-signed. Depends on whether Lizotte or Grundstrom are qualified though, and how much Spence will get.

How is that math working? If it's 20.9, Byfield takes 8 million of it, you only qualify Spence, Grundstrom, Kaliyev?

 

[Bandit]

One of the worst written articles I've ever seen about a team I follow.



He begins by spewing BS. Vegas won the SC last year with their 3rd coach in their 6 year existence. Their roster that won the Cup in 2023 had only 5 players from their roster that made the finals in 2018. How many teams in NHL since the 1967 expansion have hired a GM, had that GM win 0 playoff series in 7 years and then went on to success?



Lombardi was fired 3 years after winning a Stanley Cup, Blake returns for an 8th season despite zero playoff success. Lombardi probably did deserve to be fired, but Blake's last three seasons have been just as bad as DL's final three were, and probably worse. Things like the PLD and Fiala trade and the overriding of his scouting staff on a Top 5 pick were worse than anything DL did. BTW amazing to see Hoven just openly talk about DL's "Grave Errors" and "Horrific Blunders" when he just excuses every single one of Blake's, and these two bufoons wonder why people think they are in bed with the management team?



No he didn't, he inherited a team that had 1 playoff win in the previous 3 seasons and proceeded to tell everyone they were contenders and he would fix it. He has yet to win a playoff series.

Hoven's "less patience" thing is just such a crock of BS. Most of the same fans bitching now to fire Blake were also bitching when Blake prematurely ended the rebuild. Kings fans want to see a cup winner built and are willing to wait for it to be done properly. They were 15 years ago, and they still are now. To claim that 7 f'n years of no playoff wins is being impatient is just such a joke, it's amazing he even had the nerve to type it.



You never speak objectively. But anyways, what are the wins?

What are the big wins in the Rob Blake era? Drafting Mikey Anderson? You could say Faber, but he f'ed that one up. Giving Danault the most money? Hasn't moved the needle at all. Drafting QB? He hasn't been as good as either of the next 2 forwards taken.

Here are the losses

Kovalchuk signing
Stevens hire
WD hiring
Fiala trade
PLD trade
Turcotte override
Koala hire
Quick fiasco
Kaliyev fiasco



Yeah of course he pushing the organizational line that QB should take a bridge deal. You know how you don't have cap troubles to sign your best young player? You don't give old guys and never was players a combined $16m in salary to play C for you when you have your supposed C of the future on the roster. Every other team in the league would have been happy to sign him to an 8 year deal, but this is the Kings under Rob Blake, so doing what 31 other teams would do doesn't matter, just like with stupid college signings and putting guys in the AHL, smartest men in the room.

QB should tell these guys to pound sand, they give PLD 8 years and then want to play bridge games with QB.



Why can't Portillo compete for an NHL job? The guy is 24 years old and played very well in the AHL, but he's completely shut out of an NHL opportunity before camp even starts? We know the "slow-cook" of forwards and d-man goes into 22, 23, 24. With goalies is it 25 or 26?



Is that why he didn't trade him?

And yeah, Arvidsson as the only RH shot. Well shocking considering he drafted mostly left-hand shots, and the one right-hand shot he did have who was half way decent was traded in the summer for a left-shot C (yeah the same position he used three high 1sts on)



None of these moves are going to help the Kings beat EDM. Clarke will eventually be a very good offensive d-man, but there aren't enough game-breaking forwards on this team to do any playoff damage. And that's because Blake utterly failed at the draft table and made a horrific decision to end his rebuild.

Hoven is beyond clueless if he thinks Turcotte and Thomas move the needle at all, especially when you factor in Kopitar, Doughty, Danault, VA (if he comes back) will all be a year older and a year worse.



This must have been the part where Hoven had to take a leak and Blake took over.



And we are supposed to be excited about this roster?

This roster is a distant 4th in the division, while the teams below us are all getting better by doing proper rebuilds.



8 years, 68 million and 4 assets for a left winger. Awesome asset management!



TT must add some value on the volleyball courts or something. On the ice he's another older player you are hoping doesn't decline. I'm sure the Kings will give him a 4 year deal or something.

You just put more effort into thinking critically about this teams direction and future than the jerkoffs that get paid handsomely to do so.

Congratulations, your reward is enjoying another shit season of rudderless hockey.

 

[johnjm22]

How is that math working? If it's 20.9, Byfield takes 8 million of it, you only qualify Spence, Grundstrom, Kaliyev?

21 man roster with Grundstrom and Liz re-signed and Moverare as the #7 along with Clarke called up.

Grundstrom 1.3M
Kaliyev 940K
Liz 1.675M
Portillo 919K
Spence 1M
Thomas 814K
Turcotte 940K

That's with Portillo as the only goalie signed.

 

[kingsfan28]

I really hope someone ask Rob "WTF happened" in a very unprofessional way and brings up the fact that the fanbase hates him more than ever. Hold him accountable!

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

21 man roster with Grundstrom and Liz re-signed and Moverare as the #7 along with Clarke called up.

Grundstrom 1.3M
Kaliyev 940K
Liz 1.675M
Portillo 919K
Spence 1M
Thomas 814K
Turcotte 940K

That's with Portillo as the only goalie signed.

Ah OK gotcha, I'd let Lizotte go don't qualify him

 

[kingsfan28]

21 man roster with Grundstrom and Liz re-signed and Moverare as the #7 along with Clarke called up.

Grundstrom 1.3M
Kaliyev 940K
Liz 1.675M
Portillo 919K
Spence 1M
Thomas 814K
Turcotte 940K

That's with Portillo as the only goalie signed.

Can't see any situation Kaliyev is brought back, after this last season. Once he fell out of favor his days were limited. They really need to gut the 4th line and rebuild it with guys over 6 feet, especially at center.

 

[kingsfan28]

It’s a culture of just make the playoffs vs build a contender.

I’m still ok with Fiala but they are still trying to make a race horse pull a cart there.

Drafting centers and turning them into wingers.

Poor draft choices on top of poor development.

Bad contracts to unproven players.

A boring system.

Not trading Roy and bringing up Clarke in his place. We all knew it was a one and done year.

I wish the fans would boycott even one game in protest.

This happen a lot around the league. Two example on the Kings were Kempe and Vilardi. Both just couldn't get it done as centers, once they moved to the wing , they started to excel. Byfield I still believe will end up at center.

 

[All The Kings Men]

I just wrote up a big ol' post about how the Kings will have $13+M in cap space once you replace all the UFA/RFA with league minimum contracts and that you have to account for Byfield raise, and raises for some of the other players or their replacements but I couldn't stop myself from saying nasty things about some people with minions that will 100% get me tattled on so how do I create a burner account?

 

[LAKings88]

This happen a lot around the league. Two example on the Kings were Kempe and Vilardi. Both just couldn't get it done as centers, once they moved to the wing , they started to excel. Byfield I still believe will end up at center.

It seems the Kings are masters of this.

 

[tny760]

I just wrote up a big ol' post about how the Kings will have $13+M in cap space once you replace all the UFA/RFA with league minimum contracts and that you have to account for Byfield raise, and raises for some of the other players or their replacements but I couldn't stop myself from saying nasty things about some people with minions that will 100% get me tattled on so how do I create a burner account?