Lombardi, (more) on optimism
Here's Dean Lombardi, relating a recent incident that made him feel confident about the Kings' future. He said:
``Little things tell you you're headed in the right direction. When you're in this stage, it's about building a reserve list. I've always analogized it to a balance sheet. That's the muscle and balance of your organization. The hard part of building is, you're trying to keep an eye on your team but you're also looking at how our reserve list stacks up against the competition. When the reserve list is built, it's fun to be a fantasy GM and just think about trades. We're not there yet.
``One thing that tells me we're headed in the right direction is, at the trade deadline we were looking at a player. To make the deal, it would have required giving up a younger player who's not on our team. The other team gave me four names that i don't think anyone but our hardcore fans has heard of. That's the first time, sitting in this chair, where somebody has said, `To make this deal, we need one of these four players.' As your reserve list gets stronger, and other GMs start asking about your players, it tells you that your reserve list is stronger. That was the first time, other than with Kopitar, that somebody came to me and said, `We like this guy and this guy and this guy.'
``We're more than happy with a kid like Simmonds. Hickey gets his team into the next round. These are all things that are positive to me. Watching Boyle compete and be a winner. These are all things that I'm looking for that tell me we're headed in the right direction.''
Enough of this optimism talk.
Enough of these excuses.
Enough talk. PERIOD.
Talk is for lovers.
Kings fans deserve a contender. 40 years of losing is enough.
I'm sick and tired of spending $27,000 for a suite, that I share with other Attorneys and Media Excecs, only to have our season end first week of April.
It sucks to think the Kings are still two seasons away from competing for the playoffs but it's nice to see the foundation of that team is being developed the right way. Thank God these kids aren't being rushed into the NHL and thankfully Lombardi values draft picks and doesn't trade them away.
I would think some of those names were Moeller, Simmonds, Hickey and maybe even Martinez or Herseley.
anthony you should try following your own advice and stop talking,its always the same thing over and over with you,obviously you dont really understand what is going on with the kings,what would you prefer,dave taylor to come back and trade the farm for a bunch of rental players that will leave at the end of the seaon like he always did,because that is what put this team in this position,or let the man who actually knows what he is doing,unlike you,build this team to be a contender for years to come,ive been a fan for over 20 years,and this is first time that i actually think a cup is within reach in the next few years,so just stop already or go play with the ducks
Anthony,
I'm just curious, what would your plan be for building a winner in L.A.? Being a lawyer you're obviously a bright guy and I'm sure you're sick of losing like the rest of us, but I personally like what Lombardi is doing. I'm glad we don't have another McMaster/Beverly train wreck GM or that we're not simply mediocre/horrible and crossing our fingers for the playoffs ala Dave Taylor. Thoughts?
Anthony, why do you bitch non stop? If you dont like it, go root for another team. Lombardi is finally doing things the right way and yet you're bashing him. Where were you when Taylor was trying to re-build on the fly? Where were you when McMaster traded any and all promising kids for aging vets? Why weren't you bitching about it then? Just stop already. Guys like you are the reason the rest of the known world HATES lawyers.
Hey, I still want them to bring up all the "young studs" next season and just things fly. Boyle, Moulson, Purcell - we've all already seen that they're really good. I don't agree with the GM's opinion that putting their feet to the fire too soon can wreck their game. I think the opposite is actually true, that you take bigger strides when you are competing against better competition. Heck, even Kopitar has a lot of growing to do, and he's already a terrific young player. Once he gets his conditioning down and improves his shot a big (his slap shot isn't the strongest, and remember that big whiff on the one-timer last week?), Kopi will be among the league's elite. And Anze didn't spend any time at all in the minors and he even had to overcome playing in a different COUNTRY! A lot of teams around the league play youngsters and they thrive as does the team - it's time to let the kids play so that we don't waste the best years of Brown and Frolov and O'Sullivan, etc.
Let the Kids play!
as much as I bag on Lombardi and already know the team will not compete for much of anything next season, it's far more amusing to note that Anthony sick and tired of spending $27,000 for a suite, that I share with other Attorneys and Media Excecs, only to have our season end first week of April LOL - (a) no one's putting a gun to your head, (b) try the 200 section. MUCH cheaper and the sightlines are just as good, (c) "other" Attorneys and Media Excecs (sic)... OK here's the great revelation. I would have laid odds on you being 14 at best, and not doing well in High School either... WOW! and finally, (d) "our" season ends in late November/early December. The games go on, but they are merely filler for the schedule.
Fellow Kings fans.
I won't bash any of you, the way you bash my comments.
I'm going with DL'S track record.
In 2 years with this organization. The kings have ended up 28th and 29th.
In San Jose, his record was below 500, I believe. But I may be wrong.
I also believe that Patrick Marlau and Nabakov are the only key players left after his so-called briliant tenure as GM.
Furthermore, I don't see any San Jose players wearing Rings.
I can only go with this mans track record.
Guys, lets have a civil debate without any name calling. Please.
Dang it. Anthony gets dibs on the dessert cart!
Only a dream to those of us who get Premire tickets now and then...
Anthony...I feel the frustration, we all do. But as it already has been stated, we are going in the right direction. Heck! at least we are going in some direction! Being a Kings fan since Mario Lessard was our goalie, we have never shown that we have a "plan". Well, in my opinion, Lombardi has a "plan". I think success is closer then we think.
There is something to be said for bringing youth up to give them a taste of the Big show and see how they do. However, it is a very slippery slope when youre talking about development. We've seen over and over again what pushing a player to the next level can do when he isnt ready mentally, physically, psychologically. (Storr, anyone??)
Clearly Im not as frustrated as some of you, but my impatience is tempered by the realization that for the first time in a very long time the Kings have a viable pipeline in place. Dave Taylor started it and his picks are really making a difference now (Frolov, Brown, Boyle in Manchester, Kopitar). I think DLombardi is doing a great job and analyzing the teams needs and looking at each player and his development individually and I appreciate the fact that that the kids that are being brought up are coming up because theyve shown theyre ready or almost ready to make that leap. Kopitar cant be compared to the kids in Manchester because he spent two years in the Swedish Elite before coming to the Kings.
Sure the going is slow, but there is so much potential for the Future that it almost makes a couple more years of suck for the long term gain worthwhile.
@Anthony
http://www.hockeyfights.com/news/52070
There is DL's history as of joining the LA Kings. I think much of the Shark's current success is owed to Dean Lombardi.
He is building this franchise into a constant playoff threat. We have been in mediocrity for a long time now. Lets give this guy some time to turn the franchise around.
You are too focused on the now and pure results and stats. You have got to see that we have a very good future to look forward to and how much talent we have no piled up in our reserves and on our team.
We look a lot like the Sharks did a decade ago. Let the man do his job and build this team the right way.
Anthony you have supporters on this board!!!!!!
Anthony, how long do you think it takes to create a winner from nothing? That's what DL inherited from Taylor and the previous group.The whole org was a total mess and he's come in and cleaned things up from the front office all the way down to our training staff.The fact that we had a goalie coach (under Taylor) who never played in goal, let alone worked with our goalies, should speak volumes as to how screwed up things were. We are finally headed in the right direction, yet your still stuck in the "win now" mentality that got us in this position in the first place.
8-10 more wins. That is what it's going to take to make a run at the playoffs. How many games did we let slip away this year? How many games would a decent defense have gotten us a win?
Anthony,
nobody would bash you if you had a clue on what Lombardi's trying to do. To overhaul the ENTIRE organization from top to bottom and expect to be winning at the NHL level is among an awful lot. You maybe reading what Lombardi is saying, but youre not hearing.
HOW ABOUT PAVELSKI,MICHALEK,CARLE,BERNIER WHO WAS JUST TRADED,CLOWE,GOC,CHEECHOO,THOSE ARE JUST THE ONES THAT ARE STILL N THE TEAM,ONES WHO LEFT THAT TURNED OUT TO BE PRETTY GOOD PLAYERS-KIPRUSOFF,TOSKALA,MARCO STURM,BRAD STUART,THE LAST TWO ARE THE TWO PLAYERS HE DRAFTED THAT ALLOWED THE JOE THORNTON TRADE TO HAPPEN,TOM CAVANAGH JUST MADE HIS DEBUT,EHROFF IS STILL THERE,IF YOU DONT THINK THESE ARE GOOD TO GREAT PLAYERS THEN YOU KNOW LESS ABOUT THE SPORT THAN I THOUGHT,JUST BECAUSE THE SHARKS HAVENT WON THE CUP DOESNT MEAN THAT THEY ARE A BAD TEAM,THEY ARE A VERY GOOD TEAM THAT HAS A CHANCE EVERY YEAR,THANKS TO LOMBARDI FOR THE DRAFTS,AND JUST BECAUSE HE DID NOT MAKE THE THORNTON TRADE DOES NOT MEAN HE DIDNT HAVE A PART IN IT,IF HE DID NOT DRAFT STURM AND STUART AND SIGN WAYNE PRIMEAU,SAN JOSE NEVER WOULD HAVE GOT HIM IN THAT TRADE,SO JUST BACK OFF AND LET HIM DO HIS JOB THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE,MAKE HIS OWN TRADES,BUILD THE TEAM TO BE STRONG FOR YEARS TO COME THAN BE GOOD FOR A SHORT TIME
Irish said:
"Anthony,
Being a lawyer you're obviously a bright guy".....
Please, If I had a dime for every idiot attorney I know, I'd be in a suite like Anthony.
Anyway, Anthony I'm not going to bag on you for having an opinion (or being a lawyer)but you need to give DL some credit. We have some serious talent being built and he's the reason why.
What we really need are a couple big physical stay at home defenders to compliment our the JJ's and lubo's. We need to put the Fear of God into anyone who goes to the net.
IF DL gets us a couple, and with a healthy Babs and Ersberg, we may even be in the playoffs next year.
Anthony I don't see any name calling here, you are the one with the constant:
Dumbardi
Lubo cookie
Lord Cammi
Old man Blake
Crawfish
While we can't always be positive on this board, your constant negativity and belaboring of the same tired issues gets to be a bore.
Lighten up dude!
The truth is always somewhere in the middle. I believe anybody who qualifies to be a GM in the NHL wants nothing less than to have a winning team on the ice and a stock of future players waiting in the wings. DL has and is doing a great job of stocking us with resources for the future. He has not done a good job at putting a team together at the NHL level. In this area he has far more failures than success (Sully and JJ). We have no choice but to wait and see if these “prospects” pan out to be what he expects them to be. You can look at the Sharks as either a success for being what they are now or a failure for not having gone all the way. However, where would they be without Thornton whom Dean had nothing to do with. I think our team should have been much more competitive than we were. Next year will be Dean’s 3rd year and we should expect to see a team who competes for a playoff spot. I will reserve judgment until the end of next season. You should too.
I will admit that I have been critical of people not seeing the bigger picture with the King's the last two seasons, especially those like Anthony who are so blatant with their lack of hockey knowledge that it is simply negligent (almost criminal). I too have suffered for many, many years watching mediocre (at best) King's teams hitting the ice. But because I have played the game and when I watch the game I see more than just goals and hits, I can see a lot of progress and more importantly "potential" over the past two seasons. Yes we have a long way to go and not all problems are solved with a trade or a draft pick (e.g. goalie maturity, defense). But just watch these kids play! You can't tell me that you don't get chills watching Brownie or Anze or now even Sully skate up the ice or watch JMFJ skate out of the zone thinking he's going to take it the whole way! Or watching Ersberg or Bernier knowing that it isn't long before these guys are winning 35-45 games a year. Or even the thought of a guy like Doughty or Sheen thumping guys like Bertuzzi or Kunitz on their asses! You can't tell me that you can't see this or feel excited about this? If not, I feel sorry for you. And your probably spending too much money on a suite with your "lawyers and execs" who'd much rather brag about going to games then actually taking the time to watch them, enjoy them and become a TRUE hockey and Kings fan!
It's refreshing to see many Kings fans seeing the big picture of what DL is trying to do. Yes, it's true that San Jose hasn't won the cup but, seriously, look at that team. Not only are they one of the best in the league but they are going to be in the elite for a LONG TIME as the vast majority of their team is in the prime or even a bit on the young side. Are you telling me you wouldn't kill to have a team like that here? Well they got that way b/c of the plan DL put into place which was building it from the ground up with players within the organization (mainly draft picks). That is exactly what DL is trying to do with the Kings but it definitely TAKES TIME. I completely understand two valid criticisms of DL: 1) his FA signings have sucked - absolutely true and he needs to do better in that area; 2) he mislead the fans when he first got here in saying that there wasn't a need for a complete rebuild when, in fact, that is exactly what he is doing. Nonetheless, in my opinion, he is unquestionably doing things the right way. Our foundation is unbelievably strong and could be that way for a VERY long time. NONE of our best players (kopi, brown, sully, frolov, johnson, cammi) has even hit their prime yet, though Cammi and Frolov are getting pretty close to that age. Our prospects/farm system is very strong with several players potentially making the club in the next year or two. It will be much, MUCH stronger very soon with us having 11 picks in the first 4 rounds of a very strong draft.
There's no doubt it's frustrating now. But I've been following this team for 30 years now and it seems very likely for the first time since I've been following the Kings that we are close to approaching a time where we will finally begin a long stretch of winning seasons. Yes, it might still be another year or so before that starts but that seems a very reasonable price to pay to have many years of being a cup contender.
Irish Pat--
"you're a lawyer so obviously you're a bright guy...." Obviously--you haven't known many lawyers.
The last Anonymous comment - DL was the person that stocked SJ with the players needed to make that trade for Thornton, he had everything to do with that trade. Think about it this way, what did Dave Taylor leave DL to make a "Thornton" level deal? Kopi, Brown, Boyle, and Bernier, Lubo, whom we should not trade, and Demitra, which no one will argue is a bad trade for Sully. SJ got Thornton and didn't give up Marleau or Cheechoo, their two best forwards, because they were stocked with talent.
And a GM can give the coach a good team, but it’s up to the coach to bring it all together. Ron Wilson wasn't DL's choice, yet he can't seem to win it.
With that said and in all fairness to DL doubters, in the coach selection category, DL still needs to prove himself, I don't believe any of his coaches have performed greatly for him (I state it that way because MC does have a Stanley cup ring, but I believe it had to do with an incredibly great squad that won a Stanley cup after he was gone)
As for free agents, tell me you wouldn’t sign these players:
Preissing – Top 5 plus./minus guy in the league last year
Handzus – Highly productive two way player that averaged a point a game briefly before his knee injury
Nagy – His talent is undeniable, can put points up on the board, but has never brought it together, willing to accept a one year contract at a discount
Stuart – Has shown signs of brilliance in his career leading up to last summer, but recent inconsistencies have hurt his stock, willing to sign for one year at a cheap rate.
Calder – Had a great year in Chicago, and then went to a terrible Philly team where everyone struggled, before being traded to DET where he picked it up. He is willing to take the punishment in front of the net to score (Kings lacked that)
His risks on these players that had upside didn’t pan out, I agree with you there, but his risk on no name players like Teddy Purcell and Ersberg proved to be brilliant (yet we consistently forget about these signings.)…I’ll pose this question again on this board, after day one of free agent signing, when the Kings tried to get Briere or Drury, who would you have taken? Take a look at the free agents last summer, how they did BEFORE this season, and why we should have signed them. If you can come up with a better scenario that is realistic (as in the player was just looking for money, unlike Kariya, Tkachuk), then DL criticism is justified, otherwise, just face the fact we didn’t have many options and did the best we could.
Don't tell Anthony (or anyone) what it takes to be a "TRUE hockey and Kings fan." Just because you are buying 100% into DL's moves doesn't mean others have legitimate gripes with him.
In all these replies, I didn't see Cloutier's name mentioned once, or any mention of his UFA's performances.
If DL is such a great GM, how can he obviously miss so badly in those areas?
Bruce K... Don't you see, Cloutier and the others were part of the plan to finish last and get a high draft pick!
Bruce K, it's true that some of DL's moves have had poor results. But don't forget that he's had to try and plug HUGE holes in this lineup. Some of his moves were just temporary patchwork stuff designed to field a team. Now it is true that the Cloutier thing was nothing but a dismal failure, but he was trying to upgrade the rather shaky goal position. On the other hand, don't forget that his two biggest trades have produced excellent, foundation-type young players: Johnson and O'Sullivan. He has also found a couple of talented, undrafted players who have had good years in Manchester. And of course, although draft selections don't always pan out, I certainly don't mind that we have twice as many picks as any other team in this deep draft. All I'm saying is that there a lot more reasons to be optimistic now than under any other previous Kings management team.
Marc Nathan, I'm with you. Anthony is more likely the son of a lawyer, one who may or may not have access to a suite. Even if by some chance he is an adult, his emotional development is more than a little stunted. It's good to see that someone else here isn't taking his s*** at face value.