Kings Article: LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi: “You Can’t Re-Create, You Have To Re-Inventâ€

[FrozenRoyalty]

On May 6, Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi held an informal conference call with the media that was cut short by technical difficulties after he answered only 2-3 questions.

Nevertheless, he gave the media a lot of material, virtually all of it gold.

To find out what he and the Kings have been up to since they were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs, including what's going on with head coach Darryl Sutter's contract negotiations, check out...

LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi: “You Can’t Re-Create, You Have To Re-Inventâ€

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[King'sPawn]

Great article. Hopefully you can get some more info/ask more questions after the technical difficulties have been resolved.

 

[KingTrouty]

Great article, indeed! Love me some Dean. Loved this quote:

“Just to think you can reach back from the past and think you have it all is a real misgotten conclusion, and [the scouts] were great,” Lombardi noted. “Those guys, like I said, making progress when they walked out of here and they were working around the clock, and one of them said, ‘You know what? It feels like seven years ago.’ I said, ‘You’re right, because we’re stimulated again and not living in the past.’ So there you go. That’s what’s going on here, and I think for everybody, in the terms of debriefing what happened here and how we’re going to attack, everybody needs to take a good look, ‘do you want to go through this?’ Because there’s a lot of work to be done here.”

The creative spark seems to be lit again, we have an elite front office. This is indeed very exciting. When it's my other teams that I follow (Angels, Cowboys), I often shudder at the proclamations of their respective GM's and/or owners. Dean is elite, every Kings fan should be reminded of that often.

 

[TruKingFan]

Dean's got his work cut out for him to try and reinvent this team with the cap restrictions he imposed on himself when he signed those retirement contracts (Brown, Gaborik, Quick and Greene). Looks like we're going around in circles.

 

[damacles1156]

Dean's got his work cut out for him to try and reinvent this team with the cap restrictions he imposed on himself when he signed those retirement contracts (Brown, Gaborik, Quick and Greene). Looks like we're going around in circles.

Wants to hand Lucic one as well...Scary.

 

[Omni Owl]

...when he should be addressing that top 4 D hole, he wants to hand out a big contract with term to a LWer, albeit an effective one (though not in the playoffs). But this team needs another quality D man like I need a sedative after watching that first round exit.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

...can we even give the guys some time to work before we crap on their not-yet-happened moves?

 

[damacles1156]

...can we even give the guys some time to work before we crap on their not-yet-happened moves?

Even at 5 million for say Six years, I think that's a bad deal.

Should just let Lucic walk. Lucic probably won't take a pay cut anyway so it probably doesn't matter.

 

[Omni Owl]

...can we even give the guys some time to work before we crap on their not-yet-happened moves?

The Lucic deal sounds like its going thru, even though I hope it falls out. I really like the guy, but its not going to benefit the team. We need to address the gaping hole on the back end first.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I'm just saying that in the article posted DL says everything practically everyone wants to hear, but he's still getting executed for moves that haven't yet been made.

 

[deeshamrock]

The Lucic deal sounds like its going thru, even though I hope it falls out. I really like the guy, but its not going to benefit the team. We need to address the gaping hole on the back end first.

The Lucic deal is moving slowly because of the gap between the differences, from what Friedman said on TSN about 10 days ago. That the Lucic camp was 'pretty firm' on their 6.25M area and The Kings were at 5.5 'area'. And that Lucic wants a LTC, would like 7 - 8 (not happening, even DL wouldn't go there I hope)

But giving a career average 17 goal , 44 pt player that much money and term doesn't benefit the team's goal of becoming a contender again. Because he's got a temper and nasty disposition won't help, he doesn't posses the elite high end speed and skill that a top LW should have, esp for that money. He's turning 28 next month and most of those years will be when he in his 30's, giving them 6 players in that range, far too many. That Dl told LeBrun during the first round that he 'adores' Lucic, is disturbing. He said when the trade went thru Lucic was a player he always 'coveted' , it was a want over need choice. The player he 'wanted' not one he 'needed'. That 'big heavy' game style DL likes is a thing of the past. A competitive team has to adapt and evolve, not 'reinvent'. That money, IMO, should be put to better use on the blue line, all Lucic did was take the spot Pearson should have had.

And from some rumblings close to the NHLPA, that escalator that the NHL is counting on to get that possible 74 might not be happening.
And then what of Toffoli's 7M or more next year???

 

[Herby]

The Kings are going to be so horrible in 4-5 years. DL knows this, probably knows he will retire or move upstairs at that point anyways, so I don't think he is thinking beyond 2019-2020 or so

 

[WHOneedsSOX]

The Kings are going to be so horrible in 4-5 years. DL knows this, probably knows he will retire or move upstairs at that point anyways, so I don't think he is thinking beyond 2019-2020 or so

That's why I wouldn't be completely surprised if Doughty walks in 2019. Probably pretty unlikely but not a lock he's going to stay.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

That's why I wouldn't be completely surprised if Doughty walks in 2019. Probably pretty unlikely but not a lock he's going to stay.

Let's start Doughty to Toronto rumors now.

 

[Thrice]

Let's start Doughty to Toronto rumors now.

I know it's an easy joke but in three years Auston Mattews(assuming this is who Toronto picks) will just be entering his prime. It doesn't seem all that crazy to speculate that Doughty would strongly consider going back home, while taking a massive UFA paycheck that a franchise like Toronto could easily afford.

The Kings are going to be stuck in cap hell right as Doughty hits UFA. We hope that Doughty won't mind playing through the black hole and being a part of another (re)build but I think that's a pretty big assumption.

 

[Omni Owl]

The Lucic deal is moving slowly because of the gap between the differences, from what Friedman said on TSN about 10 days ago. That the Lucic camp was 'pretty firm' on their 6.25M area and The Kings were at 5.5 'area'. And that Lucic wants a LTC, would like 7 - 8 (not happening, even DL wouldn't go there I hope)

But giving a career average 17 goal , 44 pt player that much money and term doesn't benefit the team's goal of becoming a contender again. Because he's got a temper and nasty disposition won't help, he doesn't posses the elite high end speed and skill that a top LW should have, esp for that money. He's turning 28 next month and most of those years will be when he in his 30's, giving them 6 players in that range, far too many. That Dl told LeBrun during the first round that he 'adores' Lucic, is disturbing. He said when the trade went thru Lucic was a player he always 'coveted' , it was a want over need choice. The player he 'wanted' not one he 'needed'. That 'big heavy' game style DL likes is a thing of the past. A competitive team has to adapt and evolve, not 'reinvent'. That money, IMO, should be put to better use on the blue line, all Lucic did was take the spot Pearson should have had.

And from some rumblings close to the NHLPA, that escalator that the NHL is counting on to get that possible 74 might not be happening.
And then what of Toffoli's 7M or more next year???

Absolutely. Looch took some really awful team hurting penalties throughout the season and post-season. Not to mention he disappeared when it mattered the most. DL has been worrying me lately, he gets overly attached to a certain guy which ends up biting him in the ass later on. Defense is a far more important area to be strong at compared to LW. Let the guy walk and focus on D, its not like we'd miss him if he vanishes in the post-season anyway.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The Kings are going to be so horrible in 4-5 years. DL knows this, probably knows he will retire or move upstairs at that point anyways, so I don't think he is thinking beyond 2019-2020 or so

Very true and for a guy to go from going 'all in' to having buyer's remorse and thinking about the future made me think of him thinking of an exit plan to replace himself with Futa and kick himself upstairs, but no one will WANT to take his place if he strips down the assets completely. And that also seems at odds with what Sutter wants to do, so that's why I think this is going to be a very interesting summer contrary to what some posters think. Very little 'staying the course' imo.

I know it's an easy joke but in three years Auston Mattews(assuming this is who Toronto picks) will just be entering his prime. It doesn't seem all that crazy to speculate that Doughty would strongly consider going back home, while taking a massive UFA paycheck that a franchise like Toronto could easily afford.

The Kings are going to be stuck in cap hell right as Doughty hits UFA. We hope that Doughty won't mind playing through the black hole and being a part of another (re)build but I think that's a pretty big assumption.

Oh holy **** I don't even want to think about that.

 

[KingsFan7824]

There's only so much you can pay Lucic, Brown, Gaborik, Toffoli, and Pearson. The money for the last 2 has to come from somewhere. You can let Lucic walk for nothing. You can trade Brown and/or Gaborik, but they won't break even with either guy.

Brown wasting too much cap space, Richards falling apart, and Voynov. If Brown is still putting up 20+ goals and 50 points, you don't have to get Lucic. If Richards had remained even a 3rd line center, they're not scrambling for one for years. It goes without saying with Voynov. The 2015 pick may have been kept or traded for something in addition to, instead of replacing. Same with this year's pick.

Whatever Lombardi does this summer, there's going to be a significant hole somewhere going into next season. I get still trying to win, because you still have the core in place, and they're still productive. But, clearly, 1 playoff win, in 5 playoff games, in 2 years, there's not enough there, so do you keep spending more money, but getting less for it?

 

[KingsFan7824]

but no one will WANT to take his place if he strips down the assets completely.

It's 1 of only 30 jobs that all these guys are working toward for years and years. Maybe a proven guy won't want it, but someone will want it, no matter what the state of the franchise.

 

[Trolfoli]

Let me try to help. Lucic is a productive top 6 winger. If the Kings let him walk then they need to replace him with another top 6 winger. Not KING/BROWN. Kings don't have the assets to trade for a cheap top 6 wing. So that means UFA. Which means they'll all be asking for as much as Lucic and be about the same age! You guys see how this works?

Kings also need a top 4D. Removing a top6 wing and crashing the offense by having Brown/King in the top 6 full time doesn't make this team better. It shifts where the suck is.


On the TO thing: You guys think we could get Kadri/Bozak + Lupul + Franson for Doughty?

Edit: Really we just need the Red Woman to come and resurrect this team.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

It's 1 of only 30 jobs that all these guys are working toward for years and years. Maybe a proven guy won't want it, but someone will want it, no matter what the state of the franchise.

OH for sure, I Meant from the context of promoting from within--why would Futa sit here and watch DL destroy everything before letting him take over? I know that's a lot of speculation all around, was just a thought.

 

[kingsfan28]

OH for sure, I Meant from the context of promoting from within--why would Futa sit here and watch DL destroy everything before letting him take over? I know that's a lot of speculation all around, was just a thought.

I would rather have DL be moved upstairs long before the suck starts. Futa seems to be the heir apparent and I hope he's in place before the team is back to the "just good enough to make the playoffs" Taylor era.

 

[TruKingFan]

The Kings are going to be stuck in cap hell right as Doughty hits UFA. We hope that Doughty won't mind playing through the black hole and being a part of another (re)build but I think that's a pretty big assumption.

He'll be traded for s***load to enable the Kings to rebuild. And Toffoli at 7M?

 

[deeshamrock]

He'll be traded for s***load to enable the Kings to rebuild. And Toffoli at 7M?

Last laugh on you, sparky, he's a talented goal scoring forward who if he stays healthy should hit 30 or more again next year.
That is the going rate for a top forward who pots 30 or more a year. If the Kings can't shell that out, he'll sign elsewhere.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Goddamn, I miss Voynov (on the ice).