Open forum?

Thanks Rich...

Thru your time interacting with the players thru interviews or being in the locker room... How do the guys get along?? What type of personalities do the young "core" players have? Of the young guys, which ones stand out to you as Captain Material??

Thanks.

What is the status of Jack Johnson? He left yeasterday's game early having taken a shot on the foot.

Does anyone know if there is an email address to contact Bob Miller? I bought his book and want to have him sign it, but I don't live in the LA area. So I missed all his signing days. I am going to Sharks game on April 1st in SJ, and wanted to ask him if it was okay for me to come by the press box after the game to get his signature. Any information would help, thanks.

Okay, here's a line of questioning I doubt DL would be willing to bite on at this point, but just a thought...

Assuming we end up holding the #1 pick in the 2008 entry draft, would DL consider trading down or does he feel there is a player worth using it on?

What I'd be getting at is the organization appears to be chock full of offensive talent, but thin on D. Guys like Doughty, Pietrango, Bogosian and Schenn are out there early in the first round, but not likely to require the #1 pick to get.

I'm not here trying to lobby for something like that, but wondering just how crazy DL is. :)

Would he be willing to step up there with the #1 in hand and not choose Stamkos or willing to trade down with Stamkos out there?

I kind of think if we get the #1 overall, his hands are tied (he has to take Stamkos), but wondering if he feels that way.

An update on Jack Johnson's status would be appreciated. If you have to be non-specific (ie. undisclosed lower body injury) then it's understandable, but how about a time estimate on his return if he's going to miss some games? Thank you!

Oh yeah, and jONNY, I'm pretty sure that question was asked and answered in the last installment of open forum, so you may want to go check out what was said previously.

And who is Captain Material? Is he like Captain Planet or something? And would you really want Rich revealing his secret identity?

Rich, a question for Dean:

With the Ontario team coming to the ECHL next year, can we expect to see more Kings prospects placed closer to home and in the ECHL than when the team supplied Reading with a smattering of marginal prospects. Granted the AHL is a far better developmental league, but to have a team so close in proximity to Los Angeles, you obviously think it would be beneficial to keep a closer eye on some players. It doesn't SEEM logical, but perhaps there'll be a method to said madness. (After all, when Manchester needs reinforcements, the trip from Ontario, CA to New Hampshire is far more costly than the ride from Reading...)

If you have the number one pick is there any way you DON'T pick the best player in the draft in Stamkos?

I have been wondering, is Dean's philosophy to draft more for talent or more towards character? I've heard a few successful winning G.M.s say they think about character first.

My questions would be why did DL not address Cloutier
accusations directly and why is Cloutier still in an
LA jersey taking away time
from a promising young G who will soon be a FA.
Finally since Manchester is
making a push why is Harrold not being sent down
to help them since he was their best D-man. Does this say Harrold is up for good?

Are there plans for an organized Draft viewing party and will non-season-ticket holders allowed to join in?

Hey Rich,

A question for you or for Dean. At the trading deadline, I was a little surprised and disappointed to see that The Kings didn't make a run at now Coyotes goalie Al Montoya. That seems to be a guy we would really could have benefited from acquiring the Coyotes did not seem to have to give up a lot to get him. To make matters worse he went to a division rival. Thoughts?

If you get the number 1 overall pick, are you willing to trade that pick down even if Stamkos is still the consenus #1?

If you get the number 1 overall pick, are you willing to trade that pick down even if Stamkos is still the consenus #1?

Bushnik.... I read all the posts on here, and I don't remember that question being answered, nor do I feel like going back. I also believe Rich said hold the DL type questions, because he's setting up a Q&A.

What do you think of Stamkos? And if given the chance, would picking him up be a priority?

i'll refer back to this comment made by crow the other day on here for my question:

"When you look at shoring things up, the one thing you can control is the amount of rush chances you give up. There's going to be mistakes and there's going to be mistakes in coverage down deep in the zone, with a young team, but we're not talking about those. We're talking specifically about how we can eliminate rush chances.''

i replied with this:

"so... that standing in front of our own net - while the other team cycles at will - until they hypnotize our defense and they score on an unchallenged pass to the guy right in front of crease/net thing isn't an issue???

cool."

i would like to know if crow was pleased with our defensive strategy/execution against the sharks last night as "rush chances" were down even though we looked like we were on the PK the entire game.

i realize he is on the spot answering questions from all over the place, but this sound bite/blurb really bothers me. we excuse break downs in coverage down low because we're "young"???

C'MON CROW... this is the NHL our average age is 28+.

give us a break... blown coverage down low is our biggest, most glaring issue... well aside from the goal tending that is.

the big concern for the kings this year has been the lack of big, "defensive" defensmen. it seems like someone in that mold might be called up sooner or later; is it most likely to be piskula or petiot that gets the call? or is deano looking at a trade for that type of guy during the offseason?

You do a great job Rich! The Kings have tons of picks early on in. What in terms of draft picks do you think it would cost to turn the dallas pick into a top 10 pick or top 15 pick?

What are the team's plans for Cloutier next season?

Rich can you ask Lumbardi if he's at all interested in bringing back Jasen Alisson? Jason was the kind of leader we belong. Also is Ryan Flinn still around because some of our best moments came when he'd win a fight for us and that really sparked the team. Thanks Rich

Rich,

Can you ask Dean this one simple question:

WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION FOR NEXT YEAR?

It seems to me that in both of the last 2 years we have failed ON THE ICE IN THE NHL. I don't believe starting this year or last Dean would have truly taken as "acceptable" the early exit from playoff contention and the many months spent in 30th place. I think it's time he sets a PROJECTION that is concrete in some fashion, and puts the heat on him, his coach and his players to achieve SOMETHING in the NHL, since to date they have achieved NOTHING. I see no reason why he can't say "WE INTEND TO BATTLE FOR THE PLAYOFFS" or WE INTEND TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS or WE EXPECT TO BE LAST AGAIN. Whatever it is he should have a goal and should be man enough to share it with the fans? It is year 3 right? Can you ask him the simple question above and NOT LET HIM OFF THE HOOK? Thanks

The 1st round of the draft seems to be loaded with defensemen. Does he see the rest of the draft being strong in any particular area?

Question for Dean, with a few draft questions already mentioned, how important is it for the team to make moves on draft day (draftee's, possible trades) versus waiting till UFA's hit the market in July?

When you get a chance, do you think you could interview with Handzus and see how he is doing? Or maybe give us your thoughts on him?

This is a player that usually (when he is healthy) always has 40-50+ points a season and was one of the best two way forwards in the league. Now his stats have lagged significantly due to injury. How is he feeling and what does he see in his future? As the King's four million dollar man, how soon does he expect to be back on his game to claim the second line center position that was his to lose at the start of the season? I am really interested in his projections for himself next season if he can get healthy and his overall healing process now.

For someone paid so much to play so little, we hear very little from or about him and I was just looking for an update.

Rich,

Not sure if this would be a question for Lombardi and/or Crawford, but given that Handzus hasn't worked out as a number two center this year, would there be any consideration to trying Frolov at center?

He certainly has the size and defensive awareness to be an effective center, but would have to learn faceoffs.

Rich,

I'm just curious how your picks for L.A. Kings Madness is going. Now that Krusher is out of the mix, do you have a player you're leaning towards?

Jonny or jONNY,

You know, I certainly didn't mean any offense nor was I trying to shut you down, but just trying to point you toward info you wanted...considering your reply, I'd say you're lazy and absentminded:

"``What's your take on the locker room chemistry? Do they all seem to get along? Is it old guys vs young guys? Point producers vs non point producers?''

Regardless of how it is now, it will never be as bad as it was with Sean Avery. I know most fans loved him, but he was a loud, divisive figure in the locker room. You'll never see a team with 20-some guys who all adore each other equally, but in general I think the Kings have pretty good chemistry. The younger guys, such as Cammalleri, Johnson and Kopitar, are showing leadership but are still respectful of the older players. It's a fairly low-key room, which contributes to good chemistry, but it's also a bit of a cause for concern, since I think the organization would like to see a little more ``fire'' in the room."

Not that Rich actually answered the question (nice Avery feint there), but good thing you read every post.

And where is there an 'n' in my name? I've never figured out why so many people make that mistake. 'Bushnik' certainly isn't a common name (not any more common than mine, right) so I'm puzzled on that one. Maybe I'll take up the moniker 'Captain Material' from here on out to avoid confusion...

Question about the Kings defense. Has Lombardi made any indication of what "mold" of defenseman he'll be going after this summer? Personally, I'd love to see the Kings pick up a guy like Mike Commodore, or even bring Matty Norstrom back. This team desperately needs a defensive core that's tougher to play against. I know the new rules focus on offense, but I hate seeing the kings goaltenders having to make 40+ saves every game.

Is there any truth to the rumors I have been hearing about the NHL selling naming rights to the Stanley Cup ala golf's FedEx Cup and Nascar's Sprint Cup?

If the Kings get the number 1 pick can they really pass up Stamkos? I know the Kings have a lot of good young forwards, but great young forwards are not a dime a dozen and this kid is being compared to Sidney Crosby. Considering the role injuries have played in hurting the Kings over the last several years wouldn't it be a good idea to stock up as much as possible on talented players?

How stupid will the Kings look if they pass up on another future Hall of Famer? (remember how Ray Bourque should have been a King but they traded the pick away that would have been him?)

It is true that the Kings can use some more defensemen, but I have two issues with wasting the number one pick on a defenseman. First, defensemen take too long to develop. Say they draft Doughty, well he is going to need at least two more years to be a solid NHL defenseman and probably 5 years until he is a superstar. I expect the Kings to be a good team long before that! Young forwards can usually come in and play at the NHL level competitively right away (eg, Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Kopitar, Toews, Kane, etc..), but it never works that way with d-men (eg, Jonhson, Pronger, Blake, etc...). Second, the draft is not the only way to pick up a good defenseman. They could trade for one. Especially if they have Stamkos, that makes a guy like Cammalleri expendable and he would be great trade bait to pick up a d-man. They could also bring in a top-flight d-man via free agency. There are going to be plenty of good d-men available this summer, Redden, McCabe, Kaberle, and Norstrom are all free agents this summer I believe. And the fact is that the team needs a veteran d-man who can come in now and be effective, not one who *might* be good four years from now!

Actually, I have a third issue. The Kings have a lot of good young forwards, but they need a Crosby-type kid to come in and lead this crew. I still believe Kopitar is going to reach that level in another couple of years, but look at Pittsburgh where you have two of the 5 best forwards in the NHL in Crosby and Malkin, growing and learning the NHL game together. In this market especially, the Kings need that same kind of pairing.

Seriously, yes it is nice to have a system full of great young talent for the future, but if the Kings are not at least knocking on the door of the playoffs by next season I will be one very unhappy fan. It is only the desire to see Stamkos become a King that has made me not completely furious at how awful this team has been this season.

Thanks for doing this Rich.

First I think Lubo has been down right horrible on D this year. In all honesty he scares me when he has the puck outside of the offensive zone. I always thought of Lubo as mediocre defensively but I think he's really taken a drop this year. Also I think he's not shooting the puck nearly enough and his meager 7 goals are a direct result. I'm curious as to what you and/or DL thinks of Lubo's play this year and does he plan on bringing in some quality defensive D men for next year instead of seven offensive D men. I think there's a big hole on D right now.

Secondly about the play of Jack Johnson. He definately hasn't lived up to the hype of JMFJ. I haven't seen him hit with any kind of intensity or do much with the puck in the offensive zone. I was wondering if that is the result of the coaches telling him to simplify his game or is he just slacking off for some reason or whatever...

Lastly, seeing Cloutier play a series of good games since being recalled, does DL think he's the answer again or what's the plan for next year? Are we going with three or four goalies battling for spots next year again? Are they content with what we have or looking around the league?

Thanks again!

Hey Rich,
You do an awesome job with this blog and thanks for keeping us updated on the real dirt.

My question, if you do the open forum is this: When are the Kings going to draft a player who is ready to step up to the Kings rather quickly. Most of the guys that have been drafted recently are "projects" and are many years away? (I am talking about just offense and defense not goaltenders)

Rich,

My question is about Hextall's quote from Ersberg's performance against Ottawa. The quote was printed in the CP as such, ""We saw him last year at the World Championships. We had him identified before that, and then we watched him there. We had a hole on our reserve list in that age group, so we took a shot at him," said Kings goaltending coach Ron Hextall, who played in the NHL for 13 seasons.

"His athleticism and quickness are the best aspects of his game, as well as his lateral movement. He's not the biggest guy, so he's got to use his athletic ability. Obviously, this gives us a chance to look at him and gives him a chance to prove something. But I can't imagine him locking up a spot for next season in these last 14 games."

My question is, what exactly did he mean by that? If Ersberg finishes the last few games here on a roll, does that not count for anything? Is he only going to be a camp invitee?!?

Question for DL

What is the health status of Handzus? Will he be 100% next near? What do you see his role as next season based on your current roster? 2nd line center or playing against the top line as a stopper so-to-speak?

Thank you.

Ask Dean how it feels to accomplish something no Kings team has ever done - finish last overall! Even in the bad days of the late 60's and early 70's they had the Oakland Seals to kick around. Another question - why can't the Kings beat Phoenix? Probably because the Coyotes younger players are better than ours? Same with Chicago? I predict both MC and DL will be fired at the end of next season.

Ask Lubomir Visnovsky what are his thoughts on why he is playing so badly.

My question is a continuation of Brian's second question - Jack Johnson has stated this year that he is not playing the defensive role that he is used to and therefore has had a learning curve beyond adjusting to the NHL-level game. Have the coaching staff shed any light onto their approach for developing Jack Johnson? What kind of player are they hoping he becomes?

Jack Handy - when MC or DL refer to this team as young, what they are really saying is that the difference makers, the talented players, are young. When DL says 'this is not a young team' he is stating the point you proved - that they are near the middle when it comes to average age.

Garrett, good points, I think most people here agree with your drafting philosophy. Personally, I would like to see them take Stamkos first and pick 'D' in Jake Gardiner with Dallas' pick. He is going to be a good one.

posted this in a different comment section, but I would love the following:

"To quote an LGKer with screenename TONYSCV, here's an interview idea for you Rich, that I agree with and would like to see someday:

Someday I'd love to hear an interview from one of DL's amateur scouts that details what all goes in to selecting a player. I'm sure it'd be really interesting. Far more analysis than any of us could ever do for sure.

I'd love to hear from someone who has worked for other GM's who can contrast the difference. Everything I've read would seem to indicate that DL's scouting staff must work their tails off to keep up with what DL expects to get in terms of feedback and analysis on players.

Thanks!"

JAB

All season long this team had a serious problem with their defensive coverage in their own zone. The defensemen were unable to clear the front of the net and the forwards kept losing the battles along the boards. Obviously the answer is quality defensemen. This is how I would grade the play of our defensemen.
Blake D (To old)
Stuart B- (Traded)
Visnovsky D- (Bad season)
Modry C+ (Traded)
Johnson C (still learning)
Preissing C (to small)
Dallman C- (to small)
Harrold C- (to small)
This says it all. With such play how can a team have any chance of winning.
And I know that Dean knows the problem he is facing for next season.

Rich, I don't really have a question but thought I would post these stats for you to comment on. Think of it as a Rorschach test. First thing that comes to mind:

GP G A PTS +/- PIM $$$

Ladislav Nagy, LW 38 9 17 26 -2 18 $3.75M
Brad Stuart, D (8 Det) 63 5 16 21 -16 67 $3.5M
Kyle Calder, LW 64 7 13 20 -11 18 $2.75M
Tom Preissing, D 69 6 14 20 -8 14 $2.75M
Michal Handzus, C 74 5 14 19 -20 43 $4M

TOTALS 32 74 106 -57 160 $16.75M

If you DON'T draft Stamkos, do you REALLY expect season ticket holders to sign up for yet another dismal season or three, while the Lakers will be extremely competitive and be a better option for spending that extra cash during a nationwide recession?

What do you think about next year?
I would not be shocked to see most, if not all of our UFA's being replaced with the better Manchester people. This would allow for use to develop a 2nd level of youth. I know that we need to bring then along for two to three years from now , but oh my GOD, last place again. How do you see next year and our youth?

could you please ask DL when he plans on resigning sully? or is he willing to let another team pull a kevin lowe and get the first round picks instead?

Rich, do you think we can make the playoffs next season ? Is an Ersberg/Labarbara combo a stopgap until Bernier is ready ?

Do you see Sully being locked up before he is able to be signed to an offer sheet & do you see Sully signing an offer sheet if one because available.

What is the worst possible pick that Kings could wind
up with in the lottery? My
guess is it would be #4.
Sorry about posting questions for DL in my last post.

About a year ago, you discussed seeing a board in Lombardi's office with long term plans complete with players not on the team at the time. Since you can't disclose the specific details, how has reality compared to what you saw?