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Q: Dean Lombardi almost always says he does not want to rush youth into the NHL. On the other hand, several teams have had good luck playing the young guns if they are better than the alternative (older, less talented players). Rich, what is your opinion? Personally, I'd rather see the young guys come up from Manchester next season and learn and grow in the NHL. It didn't hurt Frolov, Kopitar, O'Sullivan, Johnson, Brown ... if the player is talented, a year of experience against NHL competition is pricelss in my opinion. Thanks, Rich, for what I think is the best blog on the Daily News website ... keep up the good work!

A: Thanks, and yes, this is the one part of Lombardi's thinking that I have struggled the most to understand. Not that I think he's wrong, necessarily, just that I don't totally understand it. Every player has to be a rookie at some point, and struggle at some point, but why not put them out there now, when expectations are still fairly low? The ideal situation, of course, is to have a strong group of in-their-prime veterans to lead the team, so that the young guys can come in, under the radar, and learn. Well, the Kings don't have that ideal situation, and might not have it for a while. The one asterisk to this, however, is goaltenders, who do seem to be at greater risk of having their confidence harmed at a young age.

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Q: Any chance on getting a Russian in the second round??? I believe one named Tikhonov should do well for us...

A: Well, if you're a believer in the mock drafts, Tikhonov would be there for the taking in the second round.

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Q; 1) Is there a website anyone knows of where there is a list of all the players who are scheduled to be free agents this summer? I would love to know who I should be hoping the Kings will go after come July.

2) Also, has Lombardi started talking to Patrick O'Sullivan yet about re-signing him for next season? I'm starting to get a little worried that he won't be signed by July 1 and Edmonton will sweep in and offer him $40 million. Wouldn't it be nice to see Sully locked up for the next 5+ years like Brownie?

3) Speaking of long-term contracts, I know it may be a little early, but how about getting Kopitar locked up long-term as well? He is only signed through next season, but we know he is going to be the core of this team for a long time, so sign him now instead of waiting until next season when the negotiations can become a distraction. I don't expect him to get quite Ovechkin-type money, but I feel like Anze should probably get something like a 10-year, $80 million deal.

A: 1) There are a few out there. Here's one that lists them by position and here's one that lists them by current team. Maybe you can come up with a wish list for Lombardi.

2) I think this was covered with a previous answer.

3) I think you answered your own question: it's a little early. I understand the eagerness, on part of fans, to lock up all these young players early, but it's a complicated business. Plus it assumes, for one thing, that Kopitar WANTS to be locked up right now. I can't imagine he does. If he takes another step forward next season, he will be even more valuable. On Lombardi's side, he will keep a close eye on the market this summer and see what type of money players who are in Kopitar's skill/age range are getting.

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Q: In one of your interviews Dean mentions that at the trade deadline there was a deal on the table that involved a player not on the NHL team and how it showed the Kings finally had depth. Can he shed any light on which team he was talking with and what players they were inquiring about. Is there any chance this deal might be revisited on, before or after draft day?

A: I suppose there's a chance it might be revisited, but as I understand, it was a matter of the other GM deciding he didn't want a deal after all, so it would be up to that GM to revisit it, I suppose. There was a question a while back about which players might be considered ``untouchable.'' From people I've talked to, I think you can safely add Thomas Hickey to that list. Although I don't think that's a big surprise.

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Q: Few quick questions: First, is there any interest in re-signing Klemm and/or Dallman?

Second, Who are the top TWO dmen available in this year's draft?

Lastly, even if you were to draft a dman with your first pick, will you also be looking to sign a FA dman as well?

A: Probably not both of them, but perhaps one of them, to serve that hybrid-player/veteran-player role. Scouting services would indicate that the top two defensemen in this year's draft are Drew Doughty and Zach Bogosian, although Alex Pietrangelo ranks high as well. And yes, as previously said, I believe there will be interest in bringing in at least one other defenseman.

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Q: Maybe you can help me out with this, Rich. I'm sure it would be cheaper than what a shrink would charge... Why in the good Lord's name do I even bother to continue following this team? I mean, isn't 19 years long enough?

A: I've been a Chicago Cubs fan for 20 years, so you're asking the wrong person, my friend.

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Q: 1) Who do you think the Kings should take with #2 overall ?
2) Any word on the status of resigning O'Sullivan ?
3) Talking to Dean Lombardi, Marc Crawford and Cammy, do you get the sense they are concerned their days are numbered ?
4) Do you think the Kings can package Cammy and the DAL pick for a top 10 pick ?
5) Do you think they can trade with NSH for one of their young defensemen ?

A: 1) Tough to say, as I haven't seen anything other than relatively short highlight clips. Doughty looks very talented but Pietrangelo's size is also tempting.

2) Sure is a popular topic, isn't it?

3) No, I don't. Doesn't mean they SHOULDN'T be concerned though. I didn't expect that Crawford would be fired this year, under any circumstances, but if the wheels should start to fall off again early next season, I would not be surprised at all. He will definitely be the first name on those ``coaching hot seat'' lists. Lombardi has a longer rope, because I think management really does believe in his rebuilding project. If the prospects keep showing promise, and the NHL team improves, he will be fine. So will Crawford, for that matter.

4/5) Again, this is all speculation. I'm not talking about you specifically, Bob, but I think the tendency among fans is to say, ``Why doesn't he just do (fill in the blank)? Well, because it's really not that easy. Those of us on the outside have no idea how many calls these GMs make/field in a given week. They're constantly mulling over offers and proposed trades. I have SOME idea of the scope of it, but nowhere near the complete picture. But anyway, to answer your specific questions, I think both of those deals have potential.

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Q: I am curious to know what DL & MC's ideal style of play would be. Would it be to have a team that would overpower an opponent using a physical or finesse style. Based on how the team is currently structured, I think I might know the answer, but, maybe not. It has been said by Kings' staff that we were not as strong defensively as we should have been. Do DL & MC believe this is because the defensemen did not play up to expectations or because the defensive system was not adopted by the whole team? In other words, what failed defensively?

A: The style of play goes back to an answer I wrote a little earlier, about having the system fit the players, rather than the players fit the system. I think Crawford has been pretty consistent, going back to his Colorado and Vancouver days, about how he likes the game to be played, but perhaps defensively that could use a little tweaking to fit the particular talent he has with the Kings. What failed defensively? Not playing to expectations and, for the most part, not being tough enough to play against. I looked at the lineup most nights and thought, ``Who are the opponents supposed to fear?'' And that's not a knock on the talents of these players, but it's just my observation.