Speculation: Who gets relieved of their job?

Vamos Rafa

Registered User
Jan 11, 2010
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Armenia, California
Ummm I don't think its hard to accept at all. He has 2 cups. Which is the overall goal is it not? Sustained success with no cups over winning two championships?

Why not 2 Cups WITH sustained success? That's the overall goal. It's not like our team got really old. If you really go into detail, we have never really been a powerhouse team outside of 2012-2014. I know it sounds greedy as a fan but you can't just settle. You just don't want to turn into the Carolina Hurricanes after winning the Cup.
 

ibleedkings

Rob Fake
Jul 19, 2004
2,992
1,486
Santa Clarita
Hopefully both are gone. I appreciate what both have done and will always be thankful, but now it's time for a change.

Also totally irrelevant, but why do I feel if Mcdavid played here he would have to pay his dues either playing in the minors or on the 3rd or 4th line on the Kings?
 

King'sPawn

Enjoy the chaos
Jul 1, 2003
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Why not 2 Cups WITH sustained success? That's the overall goal. It's not like our team got really old. If you really go into detail, we have never really been a powerhouse team outside of 2012-2014. I know it sounds greedy as a fan but you can't just settle. You just don't want to turn into the Carolina Hurricanes after winning the Cup.

Only the Blackhawks have had sustained success after winning a cup.

It's good to have high expectations, but it reaches a point of being unreasonable.
 

Fishhead

Registered User
Jul 15, 2003
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The Penguins as well. And by sustained success, I mean not resorting to rebuilding and tanking for a high draft pick.

I wouldn't say the Penguins had sustained success. If anything they underachieved, they should have won more cups for sure. But neither them nor the Blackhawks had situations like the Voynov one, and to a lesser extent the Richards one. Both of those were unforseen, so it's hard to pin them on DL. We expected Richards to fall off because of his style, just not so quickly. Voynov was out of nowhere. Maintaining success requires both good planning and a lot of luck. Had VV and MR turned out differently, this team would still be formidable. Had the Penguins not been unfortunate with injuries, they probably would have won at least another championship. A lot of pieces need to fall in place.

DL is absolutely guilty of making some poor deadline decisions in the last few years, which is tied into his poor UFA signings. Had he kept some of those assets, he would have been able to make better acquisitions in the off season and wouldn't have had to buy crap. Overall he can't be faulted that much, he built a team for long term success, it just didn't work out completely.

My main concern with DL is if he still has that fire and passion required to go through the process again. He puts everything into his job, I would have been worn out a long time ago. I think the same thing is going on with the team, which is why a new voice in the room is needed. Gotta re-light the fire with the team as a whole.
 

Fishhead

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Jul 15, 2003
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Hopefully both are gone. I appreciate what both have done and will always be thankful, but now it's time for a change.

Also totally irrelevant, but why do I feel if Mcdavid played here he would have to pay his dues either playing in the minors or on the 3rd or 4th line on the Kings?

With his obvious talent, he would be the first line center. The guys the Kings bring in who have to pay dues are minor leaguers compared to McDavid.
 

KINGS17

Smartest in the Room
Apr 6, 2006
32,320
11,113
Why not 2 Cups WITH sustained success? That's the overall goal. It's not like our team got really old. If you really go into detail, we have never really been a powerhouse team outside of 2012-2014. I know it sounds greedy as a fan but you can't just settle. You just don't want to turn into the Carolina Hurricanes after winning the Cup.

Several key components became too old or too expensive.

Mitchell, Greene, Stoll, Richards, Scuderi, Williams, and throw in current players like Brown and Gaborik.

To add to the problem the younger guys who were supposed to take the reins of leadership have failed to do so, and it doesn't appear they will.

Right now it's a black hole team. Time to pick a direction and start moving toward a new goal.
 

KINGS17

Smartest in the Room
Apr 6, 2006
32,320
11,113
Hopefully both are gone. I appreciate what both have done and will always be thankful, but now it's time for a change.

Also totally irrelevant, but why do I feel if Mcdavid played here he would have to pay his dues either playing in the minors or on the 3rd or 4th line on the Kings?

Really? Because that's what happened with Drew Doughty, right?
 

Raccoon Jesus

Todd McLellan is an inside agent
Oct 30, 2008
61,490
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But it's not "one more chance"

Dean's contract is up and he's not going to sign a one year extension, so it's 3-4 more chances for Dean, after these last three years that is what you want?

I think the fact that it's almost the end of the season and DL is un-signed is pretty telling.

Let's hope you're right:



I did think it was otherwise weird to not have matching term on DL/Sutter's deals.

Why not 2 Cups WITH sustained success? That's the overall goal. It's not like our team got really old. If you really go into detail, we have never really been a powerhouse team outside of 2012-2014. I know it sounds greedy as a fan but you can't just settle. You just don't want to turn into the Carolina Hurricanes after winning the Cup.

We didn't. We promptly went back to the WCF then won ANOTHER cup before all the nightmares began. So you're saying you'd rather be the St. Louis Blues/San Jose Sharks?
 

King'sPawn

Enjoy the chaos
Jul 1, 2003
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The Penguins as well. And by sustained success, I mean not resorting to rebuilding and tanking for a high draft pick.

The Penguins have multiple high picks when they did tank still on the roster. And it was 8 years in between cups. I still don't consider that sustained success.
 

Harambae

Registered User
Sep 17, 2016
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Neither are losing their jobs. Sutter will have the excuse of injuries and rookies. DL has the excuse of a poor transaction market due to the impending expansion draft.

no sutters time is up. LA has been in a mediocre state for the last few years id be surprised if he was back
 

Fishhead

Registered User
Jul 15, 2003
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Right now it's a black hole team. Time to pick a direction and start moving toward a new goal.

This is the key.

Who are the right folks going forward? Is DL too attached to make the tough decisions? I think DL is aware of his shortcomings and would be the first to admit it if he feels he's not the right guy going forward. He's the kind of guy who would absolutely step down if his heart's not in it. The first thing he needs to ask himself is if he is willing to bring in a new coach over the summer.
 

Pandaman11

Registered User
Dec 3, 2009
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Sutter must go. He has nothing left to give. And his style of outshooting opponents 40-20 and lose 1-3 doesn't work. Thanks for the two Cups but this is the end of the line.

I'd give Lombardi one more chance. Of course he made mistakes (Gaborik & Brown contracts, holding on to Richards, Sekera trade, thinking that Iginla has anything left to give in this league, throwing away draft picks), but I got the feeling that if he's fired, he just becomes another Jim Rutherford elsewhere.
 

KingsFan7824

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Dec 4, 2003
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The #1 issue for the Kings since June 2014 was Voynov. Can't lose him for nothing. Not in a cap world. 3 years later and he still hasn't been replaced. #2 was that this roster made a run before the Sekera trade. Lombardi felt the need to give the defending champs a shot. With Voynov there, no need for Sekera. He got Sekera though, and somehow they managed to miss the playoffs. Terrible 4v4 OT team, awesome 3v3 OT team. Makes no sense, but whatever. Because they actually missed the playoffs, Carolina got the 2016 pick. That was the Matthews/Laine draft, and since the Kings proved they could miss the playoffs already, Lombardi got Lucic in order to hopefully get the team back in the playoffs, because can you imagine the Kings missing the playoffs and Carolina winning the 2016 lottery with the Kings pick?

Yes, the Richards thing was a mistake. Gaborik? Go back even on this site's Gaborik signing thread. It was a risk, but the majority seemed to be at least cool with it.

If they go out in 4 or 5 quiet games to the Sharks in 2014, I imagine everyone would've been let go, the same way Penner and Scuderi were allowed to walk after 2013. No Greene, no Richards, no Mitchell, no Gaborik.

14-15: lose Voynov, can't win in OT.
15-16: choked at home, or else they win the division
16-17: lose Quick, Kopitar has a career worst season, Lombardi started retooling the roster for the future after the 2016 playoffs, and simply too many regulation losses, especially at home, against not so great teams.
 

deeshamrock

Registered User
Jul 25, 2011
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Philadelphia, PA
A related question would be does DL even want to go through a rebuilding process? He's got nothing to prove, he's built a multiple cup winner before. Sutter has nothing to prove either.

I don't think either get canned because of what they accomplished, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Sutter go back to the farm to get away from the game and DL focus on being president. If neither are back, I think that's the most likely scenario.

What they accomplished over the last three years is 1 playoff win and a team that underachieves. 2012-2014 was a great run and full props to the GM and team he put together , overloaded with heart and leadership, but the composition of what that success came from has changed dramatically. DL has a certain philosophy as a GM and that hasn't changed, it's part of his makeup and who he is. And his decision making over the last 3 yrs has been awful for the most part. Sutter lost this team a long time ago, long before this year.
But his contract was given on the promise of not being fired, so that decision depends on his ego, if he walks/retires.
Or if they name a new GM and his best buddy isn't there anymore. That might affect his decision.

After 2 yrs of underachieving and 1 post season win , last year the owners gave DL one more chance when Sutter's contract was being negotiated and he decided to stay his ground with 'his style' calling the Pens win the 'flavor of the month'.
He cashed in that chip and owners should persuade him for the good of the organization to take a new job. This teams needs a new direction, new vision and new path forward.
That would best be served with a new GM and coach.
 

Winger23

Registered User
May 3, 2007
5,759
622
Imo the coaching staff needs to go. Too many weird decisions especially late in games on who gets ice time for my liking. Also it infuriates me how long they wait to pull the goalie.

I'd like to see half the roster replaced as well but don't think it's a reasonable thing to ask. They have so many holes not sure how they could do it with the contracts tying up too much money.
 

AlphaBravo

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
2,298
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Yerevan
I think the top priority is finding another coach. The Mayor raised the most important risk with keeping Sutter on this team next year--he will suck the offensive talent out of the young kids we recently called up (Kempe, Brodzinski, and Dowd as well). These kids come up and play with life for several games, and then they slowly become vanilla. I am sure part of that has to do with them getting worn down from NHL play, but I think the Kings system takes all creativity they have out of play.

We wont be able to dump the contracts of Brown and Gaborik, so the GM will need to focus on the next best thing--getting rid of Clifford and Lewis. Because we are top heavy on the salary cap, we need to essentially only have bottom six forwards that make $1 million or less on this roster.
 

theMajor

Registered User
Feb 9, 2012
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Socal
why are people so gung-ho on getting rid of Lewis? I know we all like to joke about his stone hands but hes very valuable
 

Johnny Utah

Registered User
Aug 2, 2005
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Santa Monica, CA
Kings need at least a small change if nothing else in management or coaching staff.

I wouldn't move Lewis either - he is having a career high in goals and second highest point total. He is versatile and fast.

The issue is Gaborik and Brown - Kings have to dump at least one of them for any kind of roster makeover to take place.

We can break the Kings rosters into 3 groups.

The core forwards who likely will not get traded...Kopitar, Carter, Toffoli, and Pearson.

Then you have the young players....Kempe, Mersh, Brodzinski, and Dowd.

Then you have the bottom 6 fodder....Shore, Clifford, Nolan, Andreoff.

Right there you have 12 forwards and that doesn't include Gaborik or Brown.

That would leave the Kings with 14 forwards next season. Someone is gone for sure.
 

CowMix

Go Kings Go!
Feb 12, 2006
5,647
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why are people so gung-ho on getting rid of Lewis? I know we all like to joke about his stone hands but hes very valuable

It's pretty common on these boards for people to hate on third and fourth liners for not putting up 2nd line levels of offensive production.
 

AlphaBravo

Registered User
Jan 31, 2015
2,298
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Yerevan
It's pretty common on these boards for people to hate on third and fourth liners for not putting up 2nd line levels of offensive production.

My proposal to trade Lewis has nothing to do with his performance. He is a fast forward that is good in his own zone. The issue is the cap. No team will take Brown or Gaborik, so we have to get rid of cap space through secondary options. Getting rid of Lewis and Clifford and replacing them with two $1million dollar players saves us $1.6 million in cap space. Then if we trade Martinez or Muzzin for a forward on his entry level deal, that opens up about another $3 million in cap. The open cap space will give the GM flexibility to make moves if there is a deal to be made in the off season.
 

lumbergh

It was an idea. I didn't say it was a good idea.
Jan 8, 2007
6,229
5,457
Richmond, VA
It's pretty common on these boards for people to hate on third and fourth liners for not putting up 2nd line levels of offensive production.

Guess who has the fifth most 5 vs. 5 points among Kings forwards.
 

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