Thank you!

Rich, you continue to be the only real source for Kings news, and you're doing a great job; thanks again and keep it up. Glad that the site visit numbers have been big- I think it's a testament to the fact that there really is a powerful Kings fan base here that's starving for news / insight / analysis. Would you or your editor ever consider an article on this particular phenomenon?

Rich, Thanks for all the effort yesterday bringing us the latest news, or non-news. Yes it is extremely frustrating to sit and watch the FA's that were so coveted by Kings' fans go elsewhere, but I also appreciate DL's restraint in not giving in to the idiocy that some of these other GMs were guilty of yesterday. A number of those signings were just plain irresponsible. I can't wait to see how Philly and the Rangers are handcuffed in three years when they haven't won anything and can't move any of these guys. I just hope that DL has SOMEthing up his sleeve.

Please ask Dean what happened with Scott Hannan? 4.5 was reasonable - Also, does this mean your "recent player" is now Stuart?

Do players NOT want to play for Crawford?

Do they NOT want to play for a goaltending tandem of Cloutier/LaBarbera?

Thanks again Rich

Looks like we might get Preissing.
http://ottawasun.com/Sports/2007/07/02/4307136.html

I am in a wait and see mode.......although i still wanted to sign Drury !

If he thinks the length of contract some of these guys got were just too crazy here is a question. Does he thing guys like Gomez, Drury, Smyth are really going to turn out to be lemons in 3-5 years? In their careers have they ever shown the propensity to slack or not compete?

And talking about guys that signed for shorter terms what about Schneider too?

Rich, THANK YOU & the Daily News for providing us with this great source for Kings information!

Glad I could help out with the webpage traffic. You do a great service to Kings fans and we should be thanking you. Glad to see you're in good with the boss now. Keep up the good work.

Does he thing guys like Gomez, Drury, Smyth are really going to turn out to be lemons in 3-5 years? In their careers have they ever shown the propensity to slack or not compete?

I think there's a decent chance one of these three will turn into a lemon, yes (hint: his name rhymes with Shmott Shmomez).

Drury and Gomez are reliable for 60-70 points a year. The Rangers are paying them 6-7 million/per for OK but not overwhelming stats. Gomez's payday is the bigger coup, considering he has only once scored more than 19 goals in the NHL. Remember the common wisdom that Petr Sykora was going to rack up the points when he left the Devils?

Putting it another way, Gomez strikes me as a very similar player to Jozef Stumpel. Stumpel just signed a contract extension for $2.25 million/per. Is Gomez worth 3+ Stumpels?

Smyth's game is going to erode faster, I think, given the type of player he is and the punishment he takes. Think current Glen Murray and Gary Roberts and Owen Nolan, not Brendan Shanahan.

We'll know in years 3 and 4 of these contracts whether they were worth it, but these signings are far from slam dunks.

Rich,
Thanks for the constant and in-depth coverage on the Kings, which has been missing from the L.A. sports scene for a while. It's greatly appreciated.

mm.

All the thanks goes to you Rich.
I have to say, it seems that most sports journalists in this town only report on hockey because it's part of their job. Their stories read as if they drew shortest straw in the news room because the non interest really comes out in their writing. So it's hard enough to find any hockey info in LA during the regular season let alone during the off season. Your articles and blog are interesting and entertaining reading, It's just like having an inside source in the Kings organization. The other commentators on the blog are great too, some are straight comedy. Keep up the great work Rich because I'm hooked.
** Get that passport ready! As a reward, I'm hoping your boss sends you over to England to cover the historic season openers???

No, thank you. You are providing us hockey fans with the only real hockey news source in LA. Hopefully your bosses realize that and they give you greater resources to cover hockey. I get the paper delivered daily for two main reasons the read about USC football and Kings hockey.

Just wanted to thank you for all your excellent coverage of the Kings. This blog has been one of the best sources for real and up-to-date Kings news and information.

Thanks Rich. You've made the offseason a little more bearable.