Forum answers IV
Here's the next round of answers. I have the Marc Crawford interview ready to go, but I want to get through the questions first, so hopefully I'll accomplish that real soon!
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Q: Who do think DL likes in the draft? Who do you see LA taking with the 2nd pick? DL keeps talking about that 22nd 1st rounder. It almost sounds like he's resigned to trading the pick. What do you see him doing? Packaging the 22nd with another pick(s) for a higher 1st rounder and possibly a better shot at a top tier Dman? I like the rumor about Zatkoff going to Manchester. Will he? Your thoughts. Also, Alex Martinez might be ready for the jump to Manchester. How do you see Martinez fitting into LA's plans? Free agents: It's early but you know who's available. In your mind, who stands out that you think the Kings should or will pursue? Any? Also, rumor has it that Demitra may be returning to LA. Your thoughts.....
A: It's fairly impossible to predict what Lombardi will do. I don't think anyone anticipated Thomas Hickey last year. And yes, I wouldn't be surprised to see him package that second first-round pick. Lombardi has been dropping heavy hints that he wants to make some type of move in the draft. Alec Martinez had another solid year at Miami and, given the lack of defensive depth that we're all aware of, he will certainly get a chance to prove himself. As for free agents, the list of defensemen doesn't look as strong as the Kings would probably like. I don't see Demitra coming back to the Kings, because I just don't think he fits, but it's not impossible.
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Q: 1. Seeing the talent level of SoCal players rise over the years and some born and raised hockey players from LA playing in college and the pros, how do the Kings see Gabe Gauthier in their future plans? It would be awesome to have an LA kid playing regularly for the Kings.
2. What happened to Brady Murray? He started the season with the Kings, was sent down and we haven't heard a word about him since.
A: 1) Gauthier is a guy who could make the Kings in an energy-line role, but he really has to make himself stand out because there are a lot of players who could fill a role like that. Training camp will be big for him, because if he doesn't stand out then, I don't know if he ever will.
2) The injury bug got Brady Murray in Manchester, but he did manage to play 56 games and total 13 goals and 13 assists. He's another guy who could fill one of those third- or fourth-line roles but needs to make himself stand out again, just as he did in training camp last year.
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Q: Rich, have you got any word on the signing of Davis Dreweski or the play of Josh Kidd the 7th round dmen taken in 08' now playing in Manchester? Who do you think have filled some of those "Empty Boxes" on DL's list looking forward?
A: It's a little early to analyze the play of two guys who just got to Manchester. They don't know the league and the coaches don't know them, so the whole thing takes a little time. The fact that the Monarchs are getting ready for the playoffs complicates things further. It would be wiser to evaluate them during the prospects camp. And I think O'Sullivan, Harrold and Ellis are three guys who filled boxes this year.
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Q: Does Boyle have a chance to be the second line center next season? Or will the Kings go after a vet to fill that spot? I am tired of seeing Army as the 1st or second line center. He is no more than a 3rd line center.
A: He certainly has a chance. That's a fairly big step up for him, but the Kings really do need somebody to fill that role. Derek Armstrong has value, but the Kings get the most out of him when he's a third- or fourth-line center, not a top-six forward. This is where the signing of Handzus really hurt the Kings. They were counting on him to be that second-line center, and he ended up being an anchor for most of the season. He will probably get another chance to fill that role, because it's hard to see the Kings signing another veteran center when they have already committed $4 million to Handzus.
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Q: If you have season tickets, are you renewing?
A: I don't think I could afford season tickets.
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Q: do you think DL will trade cammy? and if so what are the most likely options out there?
Second, who do you think DL will take with his first pick, and is there any desire to move up in this draft to get two early first round dmen instead of one? lastly, what are your line combos for next season right now (forwards of course, we dont even have a true set of dmen?
A: I definitely think Cammalleri's name will be part of trade talks. It all depends on how much interest there is in him. It's so hard to say who Lombardi will pick, and yes, I think he will look into the possibility of moving up...or down...or sideways. Well, you get the idea. He will be active. Line combos? Good question. I'll have to throw this out to you guys like we did last summer. Here's a thought, just with the players under contract:
O'Sullivan-Kopitar-Brown
Cammalleri-Handzus-Frolov
Calder-Armstrong-Purcell
Ivanans-Boyle-Zeiler
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Q: 1. Scott Thornton's NTC came as a shock to Kings fans. Do any Kings aside from Handzus and Visnovsky currently have NTCs/NMCs for 2008-09 and beyond?
2. It's been mentoned by Lombardi at Breakfast with the GM and on TV the last couple games that the Kings have 15 draft picks for the upcoming draft. I know of 14 (mentioned below), but what is the 15th?
Round 1: 2 (LA, Dallas - Norstrom)
Round 2: 3 (LA, Calgary - Conroy, Detroit - Stuart)
Round 3: 3 (LA, Philadelphia - Modry, NY Rangers - Avery, not signing Marek)
Round 4: 2 (Vancouver - Sopel, Dallas through Tampa Bay - Munce)
Round 5: 1 (LA)
Round 6: 1 (LA)
Round 7: 2 (LA, Anaheim - Aubin)
A: 1) No, just Handzus and Visnovsky.
2) Yeah, there's an additional sixth-round pick there. I think it was a compensatory pick.
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Q: I see a lot of comments from people claiming that the players don't respect MC. What are your thoughts? Do you think the players respect Crawford?
A: There's really no such thing as ``the players.'' In any locker room, on any team, there is going to be a segment of players that adores the coach and a segment of players that hates the coach. And beyond that, winning and losing goes a long way to determining how ``good'' the coach is in the eyes of the players. It matters less that the players like the coach and more that they like each other and play for each other. The coach's job is to motivate the players, have a good system and get the players to improve. All of that will show up in the standings, which is all that matters in the end.
I wouldn't mind seeing Demitra back in a King's uniform. Maybe he'll get our other two Slavaks (Lubo and Handzus)back into form. Plus he could fill that second line center role (though his primary position is the wing). Can you imagine having Sully, Lewis, and Demitra one the roster at once? HAHA
Quote To Note: “Lord knows it’s a victory we really need. It would be a nice shot in the arm for the organization. … I’m going to church (Sunday).”—Kings coach Marc Crawford, discussing his team’s chances of winning the draft lottery. Alas, the Kings lost out to Tampa Bay and will pick second.
For all of you that think DL has a plan and know what he is doing lets review what he has done so far..
Sulivan trade - great
J.J. trade- great
Willsie- Bad
Calder- Bad
Nagy -Bad
McCAuley-Bad
Handzus-Bad
Coultier-Bad
Blake- Bad (overpaid)
Preissing-Neutral
Ellis-dime a dozen
Conroy trade- nothing yet
Avery trade- nothing yet
Norstrom trade- nothing yet
After 2 years a BID FAT F
Demitra? JUST SAY 'NO'!
This team has enough offense. It needs shut-down d-men, goaltending, and defense-first forwards.
There is no conditional 6th round pick. The Kings received a 4th round pick along with a 2nd for Brad Stuart. But yes, LA does have (15) picks.
Renbe - You forgot to mention the signings of Purcell and Ersberg, just like to know the rating on that.
Also, could you go thru the draft picks he's picked and how they rate in the Juniors and College
Lastly, I'd like to see who you would have signed, how that ties into the cap to determine a better course of action
Please list the assets DL had when he took over from Dave Taylor so we can get an idea of what types of trades he came up with.
I'm said this on the blog before, no one has presented a better case, could be there isn't one, or it could they are afraid to be on the hot seat.
I've been a Kings fan 20 years, this is the first time they've had a plan and executing it without distration. DL gets one more year before I cast judgement, Crawford gets the first 20 games of next year.
The official Kings site had the fourth rounder in the Stuart trade as a 2009 pick, though it wouldn't surprise me if the press release was incorrect.
Renbe, if you're gonna rate Lombardi, then you have to rate his performance based on what he had to work with. I take issue with some of your statements.
Renbe said:
Calder- Bad
(Actually, a very reasonable contract, he was good and then played injured. Should bounce back next year.)
Nagy -Bad
(1year contract didn't hurt us. Player underachieved, then got injured. Probably gone.)
Blake- Bad (overpaid)
(Based on the market and his performance up to that point, he was not overpaid, but rather underachieved.)
Preissing-Neutral
(Actually the 4 year deals to TP and Handzus are the ones that deserve the most scrutiny, I think.)
Ellis-dime a dozen
(Too soon to say that.)
Conroy trade- nothing yet
Avery trade- nothing yet
Norstrom trade- nothing yet (Salary relief and draft picks this year. Conroy wasn't playing well, Avery was a cancer, and Norstrom was generally a stride late and a poke check short.)
After 2 years a BID FAT F (If you look at the entire picture, that's not even close to accurate. You can say the on ice product is a big fat F, and that he is ultimately responsible for that, but let's be real. Teams don't magically turn around in one year. As a GM, I can't say he's any lower than a C+, and I certainly can't think of anyone who's done better with drafting, scouting, player development, accessibility to the fans, or even just having a plan. Personally I'd give him a solid B. He's made a couple of blunders, but hindsight is 20/20.)
Renbe -
Just going over your list and wanted to comment.
Willsie, Calder, Nagy, McCauley, Ellis - None of these guys are negatives. They simply did not matter. If you can come up with better options that could have filled the holes those guys filled, please provide that info.
All these guys were short term patches, so it's hard for me to judge DL on the choices in the big picture. This is how he plugged holes. With Calder and Nagy, he was hoping he'd get lucky, but none of these guys were long term bad decisions that affected the club.
Blake (overpaid) - so what? Had Blake not been signed, do you think ticket prices would have been lower? Do you think Blake was eating up salary and keeping us from getting another player who would have been better?
I find it ridiculous that people obsess over high salaries when first off we have cap space, and second it means nothing to how much they pay to see a guy play. By all accounts, Blake was a second choice after Chara didn't want to come here, and his salary certainly didn't keep DL from going after (albeit unsuccessfully) high price tag guys like Elias and Drury. Please, explain how Blake being overpaid matters at all.
Handzus - the books are not closed on this guy. I do think he's being paid a bit of a premium, but he had one bad season here when there is still plenty of indication out there that he is exactly the kind of character people so much want and he could still regain his form next year when he isn't starting the season coming off injuries and illness.
People want to throw this guy out of town...but basically people were talking about giving up on O'Sullivan at the end of last year and talking how his trade was negative, not positive.
Conroy, Avery, Norstrom...add Stuart - Conroy we signed as a UFA and got back a 2nd rounder in a deep draft (plus some other things). Sounds like a pretty positive return on no investment to me for a guy who was not finding his game in LA.
Avery is without a doubt addition by subtraction I think everyone will agree. Everyone is obsessed with a locker room they can't see into. Okay, anyone think Avery being in there is a good thing?
Norstrom was traded for a 1st, a 2nd, and two 3rds (Modry). As much as seeing him go was tough, that is a pretty solid return you have to agree.
Stuart was also signed as a UFA and traded for a 2nd in a deep draft. Again, pretty good return for no investment.
Considering where this team is and the realities of building taking lots of assests (draft picks), I'm at a loss as to how people could see these deals as being "nothing yet".
Before these trades we have a bunch of veterans, many aging, and are going nowhere fast (now that there is nothing). After these trades we have a lot of solid draft picks and a prosepct or two. For a building team that is called progress.
And people don't even mention the fact that DL took the organization from using typewritters to PCs.
I know people are unhappy because we're not winning. I just wish that people would say, "I'm unhappy because we're not winning", instead of saying, "I'm unhappy because DL sucks and Blake is overpaid and they should trade this guy and that guy (who I have no real knowledge of whatsoever) has a bad character and is a cancer and selfish and blah blah blah blah blah...."
Re: Brady Murray and Josh Kidd...
I recently saw a Monarchs game, and was very impressed with both. I believe Murray is more than ready to step into next year's line-up as a Giuliano with a much better offensive game. And Kidd looked awfully good, but needs work--he's very sound positionally, tall, but could use about 20 more pounds of muscle. Coach Morris had him on the first PK unit that whole game.
You should try that at you job...yea boss I know my product is worse than when I got here 2 years ago but look at what you gave me. I'll turn it around in another 2-3 years just keep paying me. I not a GM but i couldn't have done a worse job..we are the worst team in hockey (2nd). I know what I wouldn't have done and that is give long contracts to injured players, Cluts, McCauley, Handzus. I wouldn't have given a 4 year contract to the leading defense scorer from a team that showed no interest in resigning him (clue #1) Preissing. What I would have done is sign a couple of young gritty player who give it all every night like, Ryan Clowe and Shawn Thornton instead of Willise and Thornton. Sign the 2 biggest stay at home, clear the front of the net defenseman like Comrie, Sutton or Sarich to pair with our small quick ones.
Then look at maybe Rafalski, Sykora or maybe an Owen Nolan. Good character guys with strong reputations instead of Nagy or Calder. And maybe instead of stock piling 11 draft picks which is a crap shoot. I would have 7 or 8 picks and gotten more young defensman since it an obvious weak spot in our system. But then again I'm not a GM just a fan.
Renbe you are right you are a fan and not a GM. You are not privy to all the meetings with scouts, players, coaches, families and officials that surround a hockey team and information that goes into a GM's job. Why would you think that all those players you list as alternatives were not already thought of and considered, but why would another club give these guys to the Kings or maybe they don't want to sign with the Kings. Part of my thrill after 30 years of watching this team (since there aren't many thrills on the ice since 1993)is watching Lombardi rebuild this team almost from scratch. Although I consider myself a very knowledgeable fan, I am smart enough to know that Lombardi has much better credentials than me to steer this team in the right direction and I will sit back and watch it happen. Every GM makes mistakes, look what Ken Holland gave up for Bertuzzi last year....
Let's give this GM some time to build a winner....hockey isn't instant gratification.
They were all free agents last year.
Because I'm sure Lombardi passed on Sykora, Clowe, Nolan, Rafalski (!!!!!!) and all of those other players you mentioned who were dying to come and play here for cheap!
Dude, sorry. We all enjoy a game of armchair GM, but you can't let it ruin your day.
I am so sick of reading people's bitchy comments about Lombardi! All of the players he has signed may not have panned out. He took a chance on Nagy and at times Nagy looked pretty damn good but overall it wasn't the right fit. Handzus is coming off an injury that always takes a while before a player is back at 100%, usually about a season, so he is right on pace. Lombardi has made some great moves in acquiring young players for the team like O'Sullivan and a lot of draft picks some which will undoubtedly pan out.
Apparently you people have forgotten the dark ages that were the Dave Taylor era. Awesome trades like two first rounders (Tambellini and Grebeshkov) for a rental player (Mark Parrish) in a season when the team still missed the playoffs. Or how about the Huet and Bonk for Garon deal? Now Huet is one of the top goalies in the NHL and the Kings got nothing for Garon when he split for Edmonton. Then there was the absolutely brilliant move when he let Ziggy Palffy walk without ever even offering him a new deal so that after trading Olli Jokinen for him (you know, the only good first round pick Taylor ever made after the super choices of Aki Berg and Jamie Storr) we got 3 injury-plagued years with Ziggy while Jokinen is a sought-after star back east. Oh I almost forgot the Blake deal where Taylor didn't just give away the captain but sent along Steve Reinprecht, another of the few good young prospects the team had at the time.
Yeah, I miss those days of trading away the future (draft picks and prospects) for useless over-rated veterans who never help the team succeed too! Lombardi sucks! He really should trade Kopitar and Frolov to the Avalanche for Milan Hejduk. Or maybe the Rangers would be willing to part with Shanahan in exchange for Johnson. Ok, throw Moller in too.
SHUT UP and let the man work! Thanks to the poor way in which this team has been run forever the Kings are basically an expansion team again right now. Deal with it! This entire franchise is being re-built from the ground up. But once the foundation is in place (and it is getting there) there si going to be something special here.
Rich, thanx again, that was excellent!
Captain Material, outstanding perspectives on what DL has done, the positives do out weigh the negatives.
NMKingsFan, I always enjoy your posts and yes, with the cap, etc I wouldn't want DL's job either. He's done an excellent job with what he had to work with. The team is improving; without DL I doubt LA would be the No. 5 rated team in prospects. The Kings are much improved from where we were. 29th? Yes. But now we have a farm system where the team will develop it's players from within instead of relying on overpriced, underachieving free agents. No, Handzus didn't work out this year but it doesn't mean he won't next year. The guy was busted up from the beginning and should do better next year, same for Blake who also played injured the first part of this year as well, then came on later. Calder played well the first part of the year then got injured, he couldn't even hold his stick but still managed to finish his checks and muck it in the corners, not a bad performance overall. I know it's a reach, but signing Blake to a 1 or even a 2 year at a reduced rate wouldn't be a bad thing for LA. It would hold them over until the Dkids are in place, something that will also take time and something LA does not have a great deal of in the minors. Overall, I give DL a B but when you look at the kids in the minors and the picks he's stockpiled in a very deep year, I like him more in the B+ range. Let's see how the draft, the UFA's and the team looks next fall before throwing any more stones.....
PS - How are the Scorpions doing??