More answers

I'll do my best to answer some of the questions that were posted last night and today...

-- The Kings did not have conference calls with any of their signings, at least not yet. Usually those are reserved for really big names, but perhaps I can look into getting Stuart on the phone or perhaps a couple of the guys might be in town at some point. If they are, I certainly would like to speak with them.

-- As far as player interviews, my general philosophy on that is that I try not to bother them during the summer, unless it's an emergency situation. I have some numbers, but the thing is, these guys are obliged to talk to me almost every single day from mid-September until April. The summer is their time to relax and get away from their daily obligations. If I run into someone at the rink, that's one thing, but I don't get in the habit of calling them just to chat. An exception this summer would be when Cammalleri signs. In that case, I'll definitely want to get his thoughts.

-- Yes, I think there is good reason to expect a big free agent next summer. I don't know who, but when Lombardi spoke the other day, he was very encouraged about how much cap room the Kings will have in '08 and '09. It's far too early to speculate, because guys can still re-sign, etc., but having that cap space is a big part of Lombardi's plan. Which makes it all the more befuddling that people would buy into stuff about Hasek. I can think of five reasons, off the top of my head, why that's a bad idea and why it's probably just a funny Internet rumor.

-- I believe that O'Sullivan is the most interesting King going into next season, in terms of which direction he will go. The first half of last season was a mess for him, but he impressed Crawford when he came back. When Lombardi talks about the young guys having to earn their spots, he might as well be painting a big bull's eye on O'Sullivan's back. At the start of last season, O'Sullivan didn't seem prepared for the transition to the NHL. He seemed to figure it out in the last couple months. We'll see if he carries it over.

-- Dallman does indeed look as though he's stuck in that No. 7 spot. But you never know. Injuries can happen, trades can happen and he might just flat-out out-play someone penciled in ahead of him.

-- The signings certainly make the Kings a lot better. If LaBarbera provides solid goaltending, it should be a playoff team. If some of the young guys develop quickly and show that they're NHL-ready, maybe the Kings could do what the Ducks did two years ago. But I don't think so. I think that's another year away.

-- The top young guy in the system who would push Ivanans for that ``enforcer'' spot is Kevin Westgarth. But Westgarth has only one year of pro experience so I'd be surprised if he grabbed that spot this season.