Kings fire John Stevens, assistant Don Nachbaur; Desjardins hired as interim

[KingPuckChoo]

I’m so sorry Kings fans

be sorry for us if we finish dead last but end up with anything else than a 1st overall pick

other than that, no need to feel bad for us, thanks though

 

[CauZuki]

I'm just saying.. Eklund called this

Something something, broken clock.

 

[SomeDude]

Kings string together a solid month after players are motivated from their coach getting canned, interim tag removed and multi-year contract given, then 2-3 years of mediocrity before the cycle re-starts.

 

[typicalsavage]

You don't rebuild when your #1 c and d are in their prime and two of the top 10 players in the league.

The Kings roster is better than what we have seen so far and has underachieved a bit.

It doesn't help though that they haven't added a single high end young talent to the roster in over 5 years.

They can easliy re-tool like the Bruins. Throw this year and pick up Hughes or another guy in the draft, trade: Carter, Martinez, Muzzin, Pearson, that would get them some nice assets. Maybe 2-3 years they can comeback and be a contender again.

 

[Little Psycho]

I’m so sorry Kings fans

Why? Kings can use rock bottom as a solid foundation to rebuild the team on.

 

[Laterade]

Dang, best of luck with Willie. At least you know where your management is going. He is truly the tank commander because he will take most of the blame for not keeping your team prepared on a consistent basis. I will never forgive him the way he treated Nikita Tryamkin. The only players that benefited during his tenure was Jayson Megna, Michael Chaput, Nic Dowd, Derek Dorsett, Luca Sbisa and Jack Skille.

 

[TARS]

I hope their lines are balanced. Prepare for lines 1 and 4 to see equal ice time.

 

[damacles1156]

I hope their lines are balanced. Prepare for lines 1 and 4 to see equal ice time.

That's a welcome change from Stevens who was way too quick to shorten the bench and grind Doughty+Kopitar into dust.

 

[Don Nachbaur 26]

Should I go back to Western Canada or ride it out in gorgeous Southern California?

 

[Sam Spade]

Damn it, I had Hakstol.

 

[Little Psycho]

I hope their lines are balanced. Prepare for lines 1 and 4 to see equal ice time.

That's cool. I lost count how many 24 minute games Kopitar has played and Doughty recently played 30 minutes.

 

[CapnZin]

Take notes Hextall... that’s how you properly run an organization

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

I don't think the Canucks ever really quit on Willie but I've never seen such a blatantly incompetent coach at the NHL level other than maybe Eakins.

Rolled the lines 1-2-3-4 literally every time and cost us a playoff series by doing so, loves his veterans (don't know how maybe Medicine Hat Tiger or Texas Star alumni they have), got a **** ton of too many men penalties and never had any sort of good possession metrics.

There was a season where Derek Dorsett led our team in TOI while trailing.

I'll never forget that Calgary series. Literally gifted them it because he just couldn't try anything except 1-2-3-4 like f***ing clockwork. I would laugh, but if LA wants to tank this season, they just brought in the perfect general.

 

[damacles1156]

That's cool. I lost count how many 24 minute games Kopitar has played and Doughty recently played 30 minutes.

In a game in November for gods sake... I can understand if it's playoffs or March/April during playoff push.

 

[Brock Radunske]

I wish the hawks had the same balls. Freaking cowards in our front office.

To fire Q?
Yeah, he's the problem. Not the aging roster who has already proved everything they could in this league....

 

[MAHJ71]

Can Blake also fire a CBJ coach or two?

Asking for a friend..

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Contrary to popular belief, Willie is not a bad coach. He was just not well suited for a team that should be prioritizing young player development over winning.

I think he'll do well in LA.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Dang, best of luck with Willie. At least you know where your management is going. He is truly the tank commander because he will take most of the blame for not keeping your team prepared on a consistent basis. I will never forgive him the way he treated Nikita Tryamkin. The only players that benefited during his tenure was Jayson Megna, Michael Chaput, Nic Dowd, Derek Dorsett, Luca Sbisa and Jack Skille.

He never coached Dowd. I agree with your overall sentiment though.

Also worth mentioning that Willie doesn’t believe in matching lines (playing certain lines depending on who the opponent puts out). He just rolls lines regularly. He benched Goldobin for an entire game right after he scored his first goal as a Canuck. He spoon fed PP time to Vey when he had not earned any merit for it. He truly is a bad coach based on his time with the Canucks.

 

[CraigBillington]

This has potential to be fantastic

 

[Bubbles]

Contrary to popular belief, Willie is not a bad coach. He was just not well suited for a team that should be prioritizing young player development over winning.

I think he'll do well in LA.

Nope, he was crap. He would put Chaput, Megna and Vey on the Sedins line for no reason at all. He even put Dorsett on that line for a while. He actually slowed Bo Horvat's development. He actually succeeded despite given crap time from Willie.

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Nope, he was crap. He would put Chaput, Megna and Vey on the Sedins line for no reason at all. He even put Dorsett on that line for a while. He actually slowed Bo Horvat's development. He actually succeeded despite given crap time from Willie.

Who would you have put there? The Sedins were slow, defensive liabilities for the last couple of years.

 

[stampedingviking]

lmao

 

[RandV]

That's a welcome change from Stevens who was way too quick to shorten the bench and grind Doughty+Kopitar into dust.

Actually I recall in year 2 for the first 20 games or so when teenagers McCann and Virtanen made the Canucks regardless of how they played Willie simply 'couldn't trust them' and always benched them in the 3rd, only playing 3 veteran lines tiring them out in the process and costing games.

To Desjardin's credit, compared to the work Torts put in the prior year Willie did an exceptional job his first summer here through training camp and into the start of the season. There were some oddities through that season though and then the wheels just completely fell off in the playoffs and things just went down hill from there. And the problem with his coaching was only compounded with incompetent management from Linden & Benning, I always considered them the three stooges.

I think in a very specific set of circumstances he could succeed in this league, on a competitive team with good management, built something like Nashville maybe, he'd probably work. I've always suspected that the fundamental flaw with his coaching though is he just started that career too late, and it's harder to teach old dogs new tricks so he's just unable to adjust. Also has the worst case of dad-coach I've ever seen in the NHL, but don't let him get a hold of any of his old Medicine Hat players and you won't have to worry about that.

Oh and keep any 18-21 year old's far away from him. They'll have to succeed in spite of him.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Hey Kings fans, are you guys ready to watch a bottom 6 plug to get more ice times than Kopitar???

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

ehh tbf desjardins didnt get much nhl coaching experience before being handed the canucks. maybe he could prove people wrong.

he did coach two whl teams (never missed the playoffs once over 9 years and typically over 40 wins which is relatively impressive in the chl) to championships and an ahl team to a championship.

That totally justified playing Linden Vey over Bo Horvat and even Henrik Sedin to an extend

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Honestly he’s a less glorified Dallas Eakins, horrible horrible horrible coach.

He's a worse speaker version of Dallas Eakin

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

I don't think the Canucks ever really quit on Willie but I've never seen such a blatantly incompetent coach at the NHL level other than maybe Eakins.

Rolled the lines 1-2-3-4 literally every time and cost us a playoff series by doing so, loves his veterans (don't know how maybe Medicine Hat Tiger or Texas Star alumni they have), got a **** ton of too many men penalties and never had any sort of good possession metrics.

There was a season where Derek Dorsett led our team in TOI while trailing.

Can't say it better
The guy simply doesn't know the meaning of "line matching" especially in the playoffs

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

you mean there's a 32nd spot in rankings? i didn't know...

they hired Desjardins as an interim coach

we are currently dead last, to me the sense is that they prefer to keep it that way and retool properly with a potential top 5 pick, there's literally no risk, they haven't signed Desjardins to a five year deal

i don't think you quite understand what this deal entails

so you're saying they are waving the white flag in early November?
Okay, that seems like a good appeal to Kopitar, Doughty and Quick