June 2008 Archives

Lubomir Visnovsky had a conference call today, in which he discussed being ``very disappointed'' with how the trade from the Kings to Edmonton went down.

TSN.ca wrote...``It started with a call on Sunday from his agent Neil Sheehy telling him he was traded to the Oilers, who were not among the six teams that had been discussed as possible destinations, including two unspecified Canadian clubs.''

"No one called me from the L.A. organization," Visnovsky said Monday on a conference call from his home in Slovakia. "The general manager from the Edmonton Oilers, Kevin Lowe, called me, but no one from L.A. Big surprise for me."

Visnovsky attributed his troubles last season, in part, to playing on the left side on the power play.

"I love to play on the right," he said. "It's easy for my one-timer. It's my strong side."

Visnovsky also discussed the fact that his fiancee is pregnant with the couple's first child but said he's not upset about the move to Edmonton.

"I told Kevin that for family, it's a better life in L.A., but for hockey, it's a better life in Edmonton," he said, but quickly diffused fears that he may ask out after one season. "It's OK - she's strong and she helps me," he said. "If I'm happy, she'll be happy."

Visnovsky also said about the move...

"I'm very happy to play for Edmonton," he said. "In Canada, hockey is the No. 1 sport, just like in Slovakia. I love countries that love hockey. Edmonton has a big history, they won five Stanley Cups. They have great fans and one of the best ice (surfaces) in the league."

Lombardi spoke to Visnovsky's no-trade clause during his conference call this morning. His comments are earlier on the blog, here.

Here's the situation with Dan Cloutier, with a bit of a refresher. The Kings sought to buy out the final year of Cloutier's contract. This came after two doctors examined Cloutier and determined him healthy enough to play. Cloutier challenged this, and sought to have the buyout nullified so that he could receive his full salary next season.

So here's the update. Cloutier found a (third) doctor who said he was NOT healthy enough to play. The process has been ``suspended'' because the two sides have completely different opinions, and the process is likely headed to an arbitrator. I don't know who or when that would be, because frankly I'm not sure if there's any type of precedent for this. That will probably require talking to someone at the league at a later date.

UPDATE: I should make the correct amendment that the Kings would only get salary-cap relief from a long-term injury if they're in danger of being above the salary-cap limit. As we know, that's a highly unlikely scenario.

Here are the comments from Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. I also expect to have an update on the Dan Cloutier situation shortly...

Finally, a reporter asked Lombardi a rather pointless question about whether he was concerned about his job status...

``When I took this job, I looked at two things. There were no young defensemen and no young goalies. I interviewed with five teams. I said, `If you want to be a contender and you want to do this right, you've got a massive rebuilding.' (In baseball) you're not going to win without good pitching and defense. You saw it with the Celtics, good defense. Defense wins championships. If you're not solid on the back end, you're not going to be a contender. It goes back to Jack Johnson and then why we had to be aggressive at the draft. It's why maybe you you take a little chance on Hickey. It's all about getting the back end fixed. If you're going to take this job and make decisions based on the pressure, you're going to be spinning your wheels. People in hockey know what you're doing. When you're in the building mode and trying to do it the right way, it's just an occupational hazard.''

That's all from Dean Lombardi today. I will post the quotes from Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene next...

First, here's what Dean Lombardi said about the progress of contract negotiations with restricted free agent Patrick O'Sullivan...

``(Jeff Solomon) is down there working on him now. Solly has to get to work. That's our team's lawyer. We had some preliminary dialogue there before the draft but the next stage is getting some of these guys under contract.''

I asked whether he thought something was ``close''...

``I'm not sure. After today we might know a little more.''

Lombardi was asked whether the Kings would consider signing a ``bridge'' goalie this summer...

``That's a good question. I think I've been asked this before. If we do get a goalie, it would strictly be a bridge. I don't want to get into a two-year deal. We were fairly aggressive on Vokoun (last summer) because I thought he was a proven No. 1. So i don't see us taking a swing at a (long-)term deal. The bridge would probably be the only thing. The one thing we might look at is, we do have our development camp coming up and I'll be curious to see where Bernier and Quick and Zatkoff are. Is one of them ready to back up Jason? We'll see where Ersberg is. It's dangerous to talk about that but it does allow us to see where they're at. Ideally, I'd like to see them do the thing we did with (the goalies) in San Jose. So the most we would look at is a bridge.''

I asked Lombardi about free agency, and whether these recent trades made it more likely that he would spend more money on the free-agent market this week...

``Obviously we talked about Blakey. That's a guy who is on the front burner. I do think what I'd like to look at is... I think our forwards are OK. I like the way our forwards stack up. A guy we're looking at is a defenseman, with decent money, who has to fit with next year and the year after and fit with what we think our young players will become. I will look at a defenseman in that area who fits within the budget and fits with these young players. if that's not there, we're just not going to grab anybody. We try not to get somebody in that position. It's dangerous with young players, to say, `Oh, he's going to play.' You like to be in that position on the back end, and have all those young players and say, `There's a job there but you have to prove to me you're ready.' The first step is to try to get a guy who fits within our budget and within the future plan.''

This is what Lombardi had to say about Visnovsky's no-movement clause, and how he felt about trading a guy who was 48 hours away from the clause...

``That certainly wasn't easy. I talked to his representatives at the draft. That (clause) put us under the gun, in terms of being able to do a deal that made sense. It did heighten it a little bit. I don't know why we do it like this, but it seems like nothing gets done without a deadline, whether it's a draft deadline or a trade deadline or a no-trade thing.''

As a follow-up, I asked if that meant Visnovsky's representatives were aware that a deal was possible...

``I think it was pretty evident. Like I said, I had met with his agent at the draft. Let's get real. Before I even got to the draft it was evident that we were looking to move these two players (Cammalleri and Visnovsky).''

Here's what Lombardi had to say about the ongoing coaching search...

``We've been inundated with some incredibly competent people. I could say the number has reached 30, from all areas of experience, from proven NHL coaches to minor-league coaches to junior coaches. We have them listed in those three areas and that's it. First we had to deal with the critical nature of the draft, the critical nature of getting the business plan to match the hockey plan and the critical nature of free agency. If we spread ourselves too thin and try to do too much at once, that wasn't smart. .... I told the candidates at the draft, no disrespect but we have to get through the draft and then tomorrow, as soon as (free agency is) over we will give all our energy to the coaching search. As a practical matter, maybe (the search) goes a little longer than you'd like, but it's more important that you do it right.''

On whether he thinks it's important to get a coach in place before signing players...

``I'd go the other way. If you're in the NBA, where those players have to fit a coach's system, there's an element of that. We're still in the process of putting this together. This is what we have to work with and this is where we're going. So the question is, who's the best coach to fit that model? If we were at Detroit's level, it's very clearly different. When you're in the building mold, you're going to get young players and develop a core. Putting that in place, you need a coach who will answer, `How are you going to handle those young players? What are you going to do to make Kopitar and Brown be better? What are you going to do if the goaltending isn't quite there yet?' The coach's job has to have a builder's sector to it. He has to be able to see the forest through the trees. When it's over you have to find a way to make these players better. I had one of the best of the business with this with Darryl Sutter in San Jose. That coach has to understand that coming in. When you're talking about young players with upside, your coaches have to trust your personnel.''

On whether it's safe to say he's looking for a ``teacher'' as a new coach...

``We all have certain strengths, whether we're coaches or scouts or whatever. You'd like to have your coach be able to motivate and get respect and be a good bench coach. If you put down those qualities, you'd like to have all `A's.' We're all stronger in some areas than others. When you put down qualities of the coach for this team, it's safe to assume that being a teacher is a big part of it. You have to command respect and also be able you can win every night.''

Here's what Lombardi had to say in response to a question about whether the trade would make it easier to resign players such as Kopitar and Johnson...

``That's a huge part of it. There's two things that have to happen here. The business plan has to match the hockey plan. It has to match where we're going to be this year. If we're going to do it right, whether it's keeping the pick and getting Doughty or whatever, what sense does it make if we can't keep them here for the long haul? It's looking at next year and the year after. This is a function of young guys getting enormous (contracts) early. We have to have this cash base, from a business plan, and a business plan that matches the hockey plan.''

Lombardi, on whether he had permission, in advance, to negotiate a contract extension with Jarret Stoll, who is a restricted free agent this summer...

``We didn't get to that point. Obviously that is an issue, that we're going to have to sign these two players. I think it's reasonable that we'll have a good opportunity. Sometimes the mechanics of the deal don't always allow for (prior negotiation).''

Here's what Lombardi had to say about parting with Lubomir Visnovsky, on his perceived struggles last season...

``He's a very good player. I think the world of this guy. You've got the top guys... and he's right there in the next layer. He's a quality person and I can't say enough about him as a player. As far as his production, you probably touched on it. I think his production will rebound. This can happen when your team is struggling and guys get off their games. I think that was the case a little with Lubo. The one thing that Lubo has is a bomb from the point. I think you see more guys in shooting lanes, so there might be a little of that there. But now (Edmonton) has two guys out there, and if anybody wants to get in the shooting lanes they're still going to need some protection.''

Here's what Lombardi had to say about the possibility of Rob Blake returning next season...

``I've had a number of meetings with Blakey. The first one was probably a month ago. With a player of Blakey's stature and pedigree and the incredible influence he has on young players, it's important he understands the direction we're heading. One thing that happens with older players, they want to go to a contender, and that's certainly reasonable. However, if you want to take on the job of being a part of this job and nurturing young players and leaving your legacy through those young players... this is the spot for you. We met three times, because I need him to come in with an enthusiasm and an understanding. I think it's great if he wants to come back but it's important that we're on the same page. You're talking about a Hall of Fame player; his influence is going to be important. How the players see his enthusiasm at the rink is critical. If he understands that and wants to be a part of it, we will welcome him back with open arms.''

As a follow-up question, Lombardi was asked whether he thought a deal with Blake would get done soon...

``I talked with his agent last night. I don't want to speak for him but I went over that situation and I think there's a chance we're going to be a match.''

Here's what Dean Lombardi had to say about the direction the organization is taking this summer...

``As far as the direction, we've been very clear, and even more so in the last month. The idea of putting together a group of players that don't just have a chance for the playoffs, but to be a bona-fide contender. The only way we were going to do that was by going to the draft table. When I got here there were no young defensemen and goaltending was an issue, but I think we've made tremendous progress. That's where Greene also fits with that group. He's a guy with size. He obviously fits with us right now but I'm seeing a nice mix of what he brings with our other defensemen coming through the pipeline. This is what I talk about, when you're a GM and when you have to go out and get six free agents. That's not always exciting for a GM because that means he's got so many holes to fill. You've got to get bridge players to bring your young guys along. We don't have to carpet bomb the free-agent market this year because we have some young players who I didn't want to force through last year. We've got a chance with a young defenseman (Thomas Hickey) we sent back last year and now we have two first-round picks who can challenge (for roster spots). Now we have homegrown Kings who can challenge for the lineup. If you try to force them, you're just spinning your wheels.

``I've never traded a young player and I've never traded a (high) draft pick. We had 15 picks this year and we have 12 for next year. The path hasn't changed and we will continue on that path next year. I told ownership, `This is going to be hard if you want to be a contender.' It's not unusual for owners to say, `Let's go on a hybrid plan.' It's very clear to me that it's, `Let's stay with it and not build it piecemeal.' Have we ever traded a young player or a draft pick? As we continue to build and become contenders, there will be a time when we move young assets, but it hasn't happened yet.''

To start off the quotes, here's what Dean Lombardi had to say about the qualities of the two players he just acquired, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene...

``Competitors. That's the first thing that comes to mind with both of them. They're both very competitive players. Secondly, in Stollie's case, he had an off year last year but I saw this kid a lot when I was scouting for Philadelphia. This is a good player who can do a lot of things. He's good on faceoffs, he's on the power play and he can kill penalties. The best thing I liked was his competitiveness. Greene, same thing. I've watched him going back to his draft year and he was a raw player. I think he's certainly improved since college. I think there's more upside with him but he really comes to play. On both of them, they have a chance to grow, given their age and where they are in their careers. They have a chance to grow and fit with Kopitar and Johnson and the rest of these guys.''

Just got off the calls with Dean Lombardi, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. I'll be posting full quotes throughout the day, but here are some highlights...

-- The word Lombardi used repeatedly with the two new players was ``competitiveness.'' It's a big quality he sees in both of them and a primary motivator for the trade, along with the desire to get younger at two positions and acquire two NHL-ready players who have the potential to be part of the organization for a long time.

-- Lombardi is confident that a short-term deal with Rob Blake will be reached soon.

-- Lombardi spoke highly of Visnovsky and said he's confident that Visnovsky will be a top ``second-tier'' defenseman. He hinted that part of Visnovsky's struggles might have come from pressing and trying to improve a struggling team last season.

-- Prior to the trade, the Kings did not negotiate an extension with Stoll. They would like to sign him to a long-term deal.

-- Roughly 30 coaching candidates have contacted the Kings. Lombardi, once again, stated that he will wait until after free agency dies down before he seriously starts looking at candidates.

-- Lombardi said that Visnovsky's representatives were well aware that a trade was possible, especially since there had been talks of a trade for the last couple weeks. (As an aside, I have no interest in publishing translated ``quotes'' from Visnovsky. Last summer, after the huge uproar about the ``communist'' comments, Visnovsky told me he never even spoke to that reporter in question).

-- As far as free agency, the Kings are unlikely to sign a forward now that they have Stoll but will likely look at two defensemen, Blake being one. He's not looking at five- or six-year contracts for defensemen; more like two or three years, it sounds like.

-- The Kings are still talking to O'Sullivan's representatives, but when I asked if anything was ``close,'' Lombardi said he wouldn't use that term. Jeff Solomon, the Kings' top guy on such matters, is working on this.

-- For the first time ever, Lombardi raised the possibility of signing a ``bridge'' goalie to a one-year contract. He also, however, hedged his bets considerably on this and said he wanted to look at Bernier, Quick and Zatkoff during the prospects camp to see if one of them is ready to back up LaBarbera.

That's all for now. I'll post extensive comments from Lombardi, Stoll and Greene throughout the afternoon.

Dean Lombardi, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene will be available for interviews a bit later today, so I'll have all those comments up as soon as possible. Also, for those who haven't seen it online, here's the link to today's Daily News story about the trade...

Kings defenseman Visnovsky traded to Edmonton

This was the quote from Lubomir Visnovsky a year ago, after he signed his five-year, $28-million contract extension with the Kings...

``I'm very happy that I'll be staying with this organization for a long time,'' said Visnovsky from his offseason home in Slovakia. ``I love Los Angeles and I want to play in the playoffs with the Kings.''

Just goes to show how quickly things can change in the NHL...

Just to clarify a couple things...Lubomir Visnovsky has a no-movement clause in his new contract, which is due to kick in on July 1. That runs until 2012, when it turns into a limited no-trade clause. Also, Visnovsky's actual salary next season is $7 million, but his salary-camp number (contract dollars divided by years) is $5.6 million.

Here's a released quote from Kings GM Dean Lombardi about the trade:

``It's never easy to give up a player of Lubo's caliber, but for the direction of this franchise, this exchange allows us to add two players who fit the long-term vision for this team," Lombardi said. ``We appreciate Lubo's service and outstanding play these last seven years in Los Angeles. He was not only a great player for us, but a class act.''

That's expected to be the only comment from Lombardi tonight. Lombardi, Stoll and Greene will be available for comment tomorrow.

From Edmonton, to the Kings...

Jarret Stoll, center... Stoll, 26, made $2.2 million last season, when he totaled 14 goals and 22 assists in 81 games. Stoll is a restricted free agent this summer. His best season, statistically, was his second full season, 2005-06, when he had 22 goals and 46 assists in 82 games. He had concussion issues in 2006-07 that limited him to 51 games.

Matt Greene, defenseman... Greene, 25, is due $1.15 million next season and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2009. Greene had zero goals and one assist in 46 games last season. His season was limited because of a broken ankle. In 2006-07, his first full NHL season, Greene had one goal, nine assists and 109 penalty minutes in 78 games.

Lubomir Visnovsky is due $5.6 million next season in the first year of his contract extension.

Lubomir Visnovsky has been traded to Edmonton for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. More info to follow...

Back from Minneapolis and, as usual, it feels good to be in L.A. For those who haven't been there, Minneapolis has a nice downtown area. But I found it interesting to note that in the ``State of Hockey,'' I saw more people wearing Kevin Garnett Boston Celtics jerseys than anything else. They're confused people these days, those Minnesotans...

The free-agent signing period begins Tuesday, and it's such a different feel from last year, when the Kings were presumed to be in the hunt for so many of the ``big-name'' free agents. It certainly doesn't appear as though that will be the case this week.

At this point, I would expect the Kings to sign two free-agent defensemen and one free-agent forward, probably a winger. Brad Stuart and Rob Blake remain the most-likely defensemen to be signed. The Kings will have a better shot at getting Stuart than was initially expected and are helped by the fact that Stuart's agent is Pat Brisson, who is L.A.-based, a close friend of Luc Robitaille and also the agent for Blake and Jack Johnson. It might come down to how much Detroit is bluffing and how much Ken Holland is really willing to spend on Stuart. Stuart made $3.5 million last season and Detroit is claiming it only wants to spend around $3 million per season on Stuart. We'll see.

As for Blake, he will return as long as he has the desire to play and the Kings feel he's healthy and ready to go. Shouldn't be much of a question that he will be back.

As for which forward might sign, that's a completely open book. Go ahead and speculate away. It's one of those trickle-down effect things. The top free-agent forwards will sign and then teams will start to take a closer look at the second-tier guys. So we'll have to see how that shakes out. It's impossible to predict that market right now.

I expect to get Dean Lombardi on the phone tomorrow to get his thoughts going into free agency, and of course on Tuesday I'll have continuous updates throughout the day.

Don tracked down defenseman Colten Teubert, one of the Kings' first-round draft picks, for a great interview. From everything I've read and heard from Teubert, it seems like he's going to be quite a personality and quite a player to watch. Don did a great job of bringing out his personality, so enjoy!

Don did a great job of getting a scouting report on Kings third-round selection Andrew Campbell, courtesy of Ben Leeson, a reporter for the Sault Star who covered Campbell's junior team in Sault Ste. Marie. On a related note, I've received several emails since the draft from people in Canada who have seen Campbell play and are excited about him. Lombardi described him as a Wayne Simmonds-type prospect, in terms of being a late bloomer, and there's growing evidence of that. Here's Ben Leeson's scouting report...

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``Campbell is a come-from-behind prospect and made some very big strides in 2007-08.

He plays a solid positional game at both ends of the ice, is a solid penalty killer and won himself power-play time down the stretch this past season.

He's tough for forward to beat because of his big wingspan and willingness to finish checks.

He's not known as a tough guy, but we'll drop the gloves and hold his own when need be.

He has a nice wrist shot that he gets off quickly.

He had success playing with slapshot artist Josh Godfrey on the power play last year. With Godfrey covered, Campbell often took a pass and snuck in deep and beat the goaltender.

While he's deceptively strong, he could probably pack on a few pounds of muscle to handle the big boys in the professional game. And he's not a bad skater, but getting quicker would help.''

-----

And here's a video of Campbell (in the dark jersey) in action...

Sorry for the lack of posts, but the days are taken up by workshops here at this sports editors conference in Minneapolis.

So by now, this is fairly old news, but next season's salary cap will be $56.7 million and the ``floor'' will be $40.7 million. Except the Kings to be much closer to the floor than the ceiling.

So the salary cap increases by six million. I saw one of the comments asking about whether this was a positive and a negative. I see it as a real negative, and the discussion around the NHL is trending this way. The sense is that it's creating the type of class warfare that existed before the lockout, although to a lesser extent. The ``haves'' will be able to spend $56 million and the ``have nots'' won't. You might ask, wasn't the new collective-bargaining agreement supposed to prevent that? Yes, yes it was. It's a good question for Gary Bettman and some of the owners...

Hello from humid Minneapolis. Here's the news on the qualifying offers. It's just a list, no context right now of why the other two guys weren't offered. This is official as of 2 p.m. today...

The Kings have extended qualifying offers to the following players:

Erik Ersberg
Gabe Gauthier
Peter Harrold
Matt Moulson
Patrick O'Sullivan
Joe Piskula
Brad Richardson

The Kings have not extended qualifying offers to the following players:

Petr Kanko
Dany Roussin

From what I understand, today is the day for qualifying offers to restricted free agents. I'm on my way to a sports editors' convention in Minneapolis for the rest of the week, but I will do my best to post, later today, the news about qualifying offers...

Here's the last of them. Thanks again for all the great questions...

More answers... I'll do one more round to pick up some of the questions that made their way onto the other posts...

Wednesday? Well, it should be a Wednesday, shouldn't it? By the way, anyone want to buy a hockey team? I understand there's one in Anaheim with an empty owner's office this afternoon. Yikes... Here's the next set of answers...

The Kings have announced that they will play an additional preseason game, Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City against San Jose. The game will start at 6 p.m. Pacific time and be played at the E-Center, where the ECHL Utah Grizzlies play.

As I continue to go through the great questions, I thought I would post Don's interview with former King Jay Wells, as part of catching up with some of the most popular Kings of the recent past. Don got some great stories out of Jay, which makes this a really good read...

Wow, I guess I didn't realize how many questions there were. It's like trying to get to the bottom of the Super Big Gulp. You just keep getting more soda... But I love the questions, so here's another round....

The next round of answers on a Wednesday morning, as hopefully temperatures around the Southland continue to drop a little...

The next set of answers follows...

Here's the deal, according to the Kings...

Before Cloutier was placed on waivers, he was examined by Dr. Ronald Kvitne, a highly respected orthopedic surgeon, who determined that Cloutier was healthy enough to play. Cloutier sought a second opinion, and that doctor also deemed him healthy enough to play.

So the Kings went ahead, put Cloutier on waivers and bought out his contract.

Now, Cloutier wants to seek a third opinion. If that doctor says Cloutier is unable to play, the buyout might be nullified and Cloutier might get his $3.1 million, but the Kings would be able to get salary-cap relief through a long-term injury situation. But first, we'll have to see what this third doctor says. What a mess.

In unrelated news, Barry Melrose will be announced as Tampa Bay's new coach tomorrow. That leaves the Kings as the only NHL team without a coach at the moment.

Here's the third set of answers, as the Kings work to see how California's workers compensation laws might impact Dan Cloutier. Just joking...

It just never ends. According to a report on TSN.ca, Dan Cloutier's buyout might not go as planned. Just as a follow to this, if this story is true and the Kings are not able to actually buy out Cloutier, they could list him as a long-term injury and get cap relief that way.

Report: Medical to determine Cloutier's free agent status

I should have mentioned before... A heartfelt ``thank you'' to all the ``thank you'' messages and e-mails I have received. They are very much appreciated. The interaction with all of you passionate and knowledgeable fans is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job, so as always, I greatly appreciate all your continued support. So here's the second part of the ``open forum'' answers...

Here's the first set of the answers from yesterday. These might be the best questions ever, so it's been a lot of fun answering them. For those just getting to work on a Monday morning, feel free to continue adding your own questions to the ``Open Forum'' post.

Just so everyone is on the same page, here's a list of some of the important upcoming dates involving the Kings:

July 1: Free-agent signing period begins. This is also when the Kings can negotiate extensions with players such as Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson.

July 8-13: Prospects camp, in El Segundo. No names have been finalized yet, but I would expect to see both Drew Doughty and Colten Teubert there.

Mid-to-late July: Expected hiring of new coach. The Kings aren't expected to resume interviewing candidates until after the dust settles in free agency.

Keep the ``open forum'' questions coming in the other post. Thanks...

Seems as though there are a lot of questions out there, and a good time for an ``open forum'' in general. Good ahead and post any questions you think I might be able to answer and I'll start getting them tonight. Thanks again for the massive numbers on the blog this weekend...

After reading scouting reports and talking to Lombardi about the draft picks, one word -- or some variation of it -- kept coming up: toughness. The Kings seemed to be making a point of drafting guys who had a distinct edge to their games. I asked Lombardi if that was a coincidence or whether it was a philosophy...

Lombardi said: ``Well, I think that's one of those things when you're in personnel. When you look at the assets of a NHL player, we all have what we prefer. All things being equal, and I've told you before, my favorite players have been Mike Ricci and Brian Marchment. They stand for team and for competitiveness, by nature. That being said, you have to be careful, because other elements are still important. A guy has to be well rounded. But every general manager has a philosophy. You can talk about a Teubert or whatever, and go right on down the line. It's probably safe to say we tend toward that direction.

``But you can't overlook the other things and just start drafting tough guys who can't play. So it's a balancing act. That's why when I talk about building a staff and getting on the same page, in terms of philosophy, that's one of those things that I'm talking about. These are the kind of guys we like. All things being equal, we trend that way. That's not to say it's right or wrong, but yeah, I can't deny it. When I say those guys (Ricci and Marchment) are my two favorite players, it's pretty clear what they do.''

As provided in a comment -- thanks! -- here's a video of Justin Azevedo scoring a goal for Kitchener. It's two seasons ago, but you'll sort of get the idea...

I asked Dean Lombardi if his attention would now turn to finding a coach to replace Marc Crawford. Lombardi took a little tangent, and talked about free agency and signing the young core players, but eventually went into his thoughts on coaching.

Here's what he had to say...

The other very interesting pick the Kings made today was Justin Azevedo, who was the most outstanding player in the Ontario Hockey League last season. That's saying something in a league that included Steven Stamkos and John Tavares. Azevedo was the OHL's leading scorer, with 124 points (43 goals and 81 assists). The downside? He's listed at either 5-foot-7 or 5-8 and he was 20 years old, often playing against kids a couple years his junior.

Lombardi talked about how taking Azevedo in the sixth round was a risk worth taking.

Lombardi said: ``Usually the theory there is, when you're in the later rounds, if you can find a guy with a NHL asset, and then you can develop other assets, you might have something. When you look at a player like that, he's going to have holes (in his game) or he's not going to be there in the sixth or seventh round. So do you look at a guy who is 50 percent across the board, in terms of the assets you're looking for in a NHL player, or do you say, `OK, the kid's got one NHL asset right now and maybe other things will come along.'?

``In his case, he's got a Teubert-like mentality in terms of his competitiveness. In terms of his committment and the way he competes, it's at a NHL level. Now whether or not his skating improves, whether or not his size is a liability...whatever you want to go with that's not there, well, we'll see if that develops. But there's no question that, when you look at him, his committment and competitiveness are at a high level.''

One of the Kings' moves that begged for some explanation was their third-round selection of Andrew Campbell from Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL. The Kings made a trade with Buffalo and moved up seven spots to grab Campbell, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, with the No. 74 pick. Here what Lombardi had to say about Campbell:

``Probably he's a version of (Wayne) Simmonds, who comes on later, after the draft. He's a big defenseman who I think, during his draft year, moved from `project' to `prospect.' He's young and he has size, and I think with our development program, we've got a shot. That's probably what turned the corner for us on him. A lot of kids will do that during their draft year, particularly kids with size. They just keep getting better. There was one game where he took a puck to the face and came out for his next shift. He saved a goal by taking a puck in his face. I remember watching it and thinking, `Holy smoke.'

``Our guys liked him. Mike Futa, there in Ontario, really does a great job on the background of these kids. He just kept rising, and in the playoffs he kept getting better. He was one of (coach Craig) Hartsburg's better defensemen on that team, which went a fairly long way in the playoffs. Then like I said, we saw him put his face in front of a puck and come out for his next shift and we thought, `This is our kind of guy.' I was a little nervous that there was one team, in particular, that was picking ahead of us, that made me a little nervous. I said, `Let's make sure we get him and take a shot here.'''

Here's what Dean Lombardi had to say about the two Russian players, defenseman Vjateslav Voinov and center Andrei Loktionov, the Kings drafted this weekend. The concern with Russian players has been whether NHL teams would be able to sign them and bring them to North America. Lombardi explains why, even though both players are under contract in Russia, he's confident they will play in North America next season.

Lombardi said: ``Yeah, I think the first thing with Voinov, as with Loktionov, was that Solly (Jeff Solomon, director of hockey operations) did all the background work to make sure these kids were coming here. That's the big question with all the Russians. It's very different than in the past, when you could always offer a better opportunity and a bigger contract. That's the case with Russia anymore. So if you draft a kid, you've got to be cognizant of the fact that he has to really want to play here, because you're not going to be able to bribe him with money.

``Then, I don't know if you know all the background, with the Russians trying to get all these kids to sign five-year deals, but that's a whole other issue. It doesn't make sense for us to take them -- you might take a flier on a guy in a later round -- unless they're committed to coming over here and player either junior hockey or in the minors. The thing about Voinov is, he's a good player, a good prospect. He's a right-shot defenseman and he's one of the top defensemen on that Russian team, but if he wasn't committed to coming here then it wouldn't make sense (to draft him). All our researched showed that he'd even be willing to play junior hockey, if he had to.

``A lot of kids will say, `Well, I'm not going over until I'm ready for the NHL.' Well, this kid was prepared to play junior hockey and give up that five-year contract, with a lot of money. That told us a lot, in terms of his desire to play here. So we just stepped up and took him. Same with Loktionov. It's kind of interesting, because he's from (Igor) Larionov's hometown and he was actually at our rink two weeks ago with Larionov. Larionov has kind of taken him under his wing. If he's half as smart as Larionov on the ice, he's going to be a good player. He's also another one who is committed to playing over here this year, whether it's juniors or the NHL.

``What you've got now in Russia is, the contracts they have... Like I said, we had to get all this down before the draft. It's getting all the rules and talking to the agents, as far as what the kid wants to do. In Russia, the contract can be broken if you give notice. It's weird for us because in our society, a contract is a contract. But in Russia, you can sign a three-year contract and, if you give notice, the contract is no good after 30 days. For us, even I would say, `Well, what good is the contract?' But it's a different society. So those kids can give notice.

``Then with those five-year contracts they're trying to get the kids to sign, (they say) `OK, the 30-day rule applies, but if you give us notice you have to pay us a lot of money.' So, they're trying to keep their own players. They have a lot of money, unlike the past. It actually reflects what's going on in their society, going from communism to capitalism. It makes for an interesting study in itself. So, he does have a contract, but if he gives a 30-day notice, he can go. If he signs a five-year contract, he would have to pay a lot of money (to break it). As long as he stays away from that, he can sign with a NHL team.

I asked Dean Lombardi, in general, about his busy two days. The Kings entered with 15 picks but ended up leaving with only nine players. I wondered how much of that was by design.

Lombardi said: ``This is the hard part about a draft, and it goes back to what I talk about with a staff and chemistry. You can run hypotheticals, and it's something we try to do. The right analogy is, it's like a cross-examination. You can be prepared but you have to be able to think on your feet, because you don't know exactly what is going to happen. Regardless of how many times you try to prepare for what could happen, it's never the way you planned. So to say we went into this and said, `Oh yeah, we intended to go up and down and all around,' you can't unless you see where things start to fall. Regardless of how much you prepare, there's always something you didn't plan for, so you have to respond quickly and get people on the phone. So I wish I could tell you it's part of some grand, master plan, but it's not. Some things work and some things don't.''

I asked Lombardi if, given that, he was pleased with the way his staff reacted to situations and made decisions on the fly...

Lombardi said: ``When you say, `on the fly,' it's not on the fly as in, you're not ready. All I'm saying is, you don't know what will happen until people start going, who other teams select that might be on your list. You always have some disappointments and you try some things and you hope you can get a player in another layer. Sometimes you don't. The whole point is, did you maximize your opportunities? I think we were pretty good. I think there's some disappointment and some things we could have done better, but that's all part of the process. I don't think I've ever walked away from a draft, quite frankly, where I don't say to myself, `We should have tried this.' I couldn't sit here and tell you that everything is great, but I haven't been through one yet where I didn't think we could have tried something else.''

I'll be posting more of the interview as I go along. Trying to write the newspaper story as well...

I'll put the full quotes from Lombardi throughout the rest of the day, but here's a summary of what he had to say at the end of the draft:

-- The number of trades he made was not by design but was (as usually happens in a draft) a response to things that take place. He was pleased with that way he staff responded to situations but said there's always room for improvement.

-- The two Russians, Voinov and Loktionov, are under three-year contracts in Russia, but Lombardi said that under Russian rules, players can break those contracts by giving 30-day notice. He believes both players want to play in North American next season. The danger is if they sign huge five-year contracts with signing bonuses, but he's confident that they won't.

-- The Kings traded up seven spots to grab Andrew Campbell because they believed another team might grab him, and they really liked him. Lombardi described him as a Wayne Simmonds-type situation, ``a project who turned into a prospect.'' They think he has great potential and is very competitive.

-- The pick that seems to be getting the most buzz, Justin Azevedo, is a guy who intrigues Lombardi. He said Azevedo is a guy who doesn't yet have a complete game but is a good gamble in the sixth round.

-- The coaching search isn't likely to end soon. Lombardi does not intend to interview any more candidates before the start of the free agency period and said the immediate focus is on free agency. Lombardi said it's important to find the right person and the right fit and, when I asked him about this, agreed that the urgency is lessened by the fact that the Kings are essentially the only team without a coach. There's no competition.

I'm still waiting (and waiting, and waiting) to hear from Dean Lombardi, but for now here's a new story on the drafting of Justin Azevedo by the Kings in the sixth round. This is shaping up to be one of the more compelling picks of the entire second day of the draft.

Third time's a charm for Azevedo

Dean Lombardi: ``When you're in the later rounds of the draft, you're looking for a player that has one side of the game and you hope the other side develops. He has an unbelievable amount of heart and character. Guys like that you never can count out.''

Justin Azevedo: ``When you see how successful Derek Roy has been [with the Buffalo Sabres], you think, 'I could be like that.' Even [Richards], he brought the [Philadelphia] Flyers to the Eastern Conference final. They are outstanding and they work hard every night. It would be nice if I could do something like that.''

Just to tie up the two remaining loose ends...

The Kings traded their No. 179 pick (sixth round) to Chicago for the Blackhawks' sixth-round pick in 2009.

The Kings traded their 185th pick (seventh round) to St. Louis for the Blues' seventh-round pick in 2009.

The NHL draft is done...seven rounds, 211 picks.

If you just woke up and want a quick-and-easy recap of what the Kings did, you can click here. Or, the NHL website has the ability to sort all picks by team, round, position, etc.

Again, there will be quotes from Dean Lombardi later, once things wind down in Ottawa.

Garrett Roe, the Kings' seventh-round pick, had 18 goals and 27 assists in 39 games as a freshman for St. Cloud State. He is 20 years old and spent time in the junior-level USHL.

Roe grew up in the hockey non-hotbed of Vienna, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C.

Bob Motzko, St. Cloud State coach, said this about Roe on the College Hockey News website last November:

"(Roe) is a whale of a competitor. He brings a high energy level every night, and he's been finding a way to put it all together. He's been a big part of the success of our forward group, and if we keep making progress the way we have (the last two weeks) we'll be a tough team to beat."

"(Roe's) a tremendous student. We just got our grade reports, and he's got straight A's going. He's a hard-working, likeable kid ... the prototypical student athlete."

Roe feature on WCHA website
College Hockey News feature on Roe

Perhaps most importantly, Roe is from St. Cloud State, the alma mater of Kings communications director (and part-time radio personality) Mike Kalinowski.

With their seventh-round pick (No. 183 overall) the Kings drafted Garrett Roe, a left winger out of St. Cloud State University. Roe is 20 years old and listed at 5-8, 162 pounds.

The Kings have traded their second seventh-round pick (No. 185) to St. Louis...which is where the pick started. In return, the Kings got a 2009 seventh-round pick.

This SHOULD be the end of the Kings' draft. We'll see what happens, and I expect to get Dean Lombardi on the phone sometime this late morning/afternoon.

Big surprise, huh? The Kings traded their second sixth-round pick (No. 179) to Chicago for the Blackhawks' sixth-round pick in 2009.

Brett Hextall, son of Kings assistant general manager Ron Hextall, was drafted in the sixth round (159th overall) by Phoenix. Hextall, a center, is scheduled to attend the University of North Dakota.

Justin Azevedo in the sixth round is a very interesting pick. As I said, he won OHL player of the year honors playing in Kitchener, in the same league as Steven Stamkos and John Tavares. But his size (5-7 or 5-8, roughly 180 pounds) apparently had a lot of teams doubting his NHL future.

His coach at Kitchener was Peter DeBoer, recently hired as coach of the Florida Panthers.

DeBoer told the Canadian Press, "I think he just needs someone to give him an opportunity. You're going to be reading about him five years from now and guys are going to be kicking themselves for missing out on him. He's proven all his critics wrong from the day he arrived in Kitchener and this tops it all off. An amazing season for an amazing kid."

Of winning the player of the year award, Azevedo said, ``I've had to do it all my life in every league I've played in. I had to prove that no matter how small I was, I could play in every league. Coming into this league, I knew it would be the same. Being recognized for it, is awesome. I never really thought about winning anything. I just went out there, played my game and worked as hard as I could to help the team. There were a lot of great names who won this award before me. I'm just ecstatic about winning it.''

There are some good stories out there about this kid:

Hockey's Future Q&A
London Free Press
Canadian Press

With their first pick of the sixth round (153rd overall), the Kings drafted center Justin Azevedo from Kitchener of the OHL. Azevedo is listed at 5-7, 183 pounds and is 20 years old.

Azevedo was the OHL's leading scorer, with 124 points (43 goals and 81 assists) and was voted player of the year by media. He played in the same league as No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos and John Tavares, the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft. Interesting pick.

The Kings have now officially bought out the final year of goalie Dan Cloutier's contract. He's off the roster, but a portion of his salary will still count against the salary cap. The Kings will take a salary-cap hit of roughly $1.03 million in each of the next two seasons.

Here's the official NHL profile of third-round pick Geordie Wudrick:

And here's a goal scored by fifth-round pick Andrei Loktionov for Russia during the 2007 Under-18 championships.

OK, to (hopefully) clear up any confusion and reset the table a little, here's a recap of what the Kings did with the 15 picks they entered the draft with.

ROUND ONE
2. Drew Doughty, D
(13. Colten Teubert, D. Kings made three-way trade, gave up No. 28, No. 48 and Michael Cammalleri and got No. 12 pick. Kings then traded No. 12 for No. 13.)
28. See above.

ROUND TWO
32. Vjateslav Voinov, D
48. Traded to Calgary in three-way deal (see above).
61. Traded to Colorado for Brad Richardson.

ROUND THREE
63. Robert Czarnik, RW/C
(74. Andrew Campbell, D. Kings acquired this from Buffalo, gave up No. 81 and No. 101.)
81. See above.
88. Geordie Wudrick, LW

ROUND FOUR
92. Traded to San Jose for fourth-round pick in 2009 and fifth-round pick in 2010.
101. Traded to Buffalo. (see No. 74)

ROUND FIVE
123. Andrei Loktionov, C

ROUND SIX
153. Justin Azevedo, C
179. Traded to Chicago for sixth-round pick in 2009.

ROUND SEVEN
183. Garrett Roe, LW
185. Traded to St. Louis for seventh-round pick in 2009.

With their first fifth-round pick (No. 123 overall), the Kings drafted Russian center Andrei Loktionov. He's a 5-11, 187-pounder and 18 years old.

I'm working on a recap of the picks, trades, etc., from today.

Robert Czarnik intends to attend the University of Michigan this fall.

CORRECTION (part 2): The Kings traded their first fourth-round pick, No. 92, to San Jose for the Sharks' fourth-round pick in 2009 (not 2008), plus a fifth-round pick in 2010. Yes, really, we're already talking about 2010 picks.

Here was TSN.ca's reports of the first two players drafted by the Kings today. Much more on Voinov, less on Czarnik.

-----

VJATESLAV VOINOV

PROFILE
Pos: Defence
Shoots: R
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Born: 01/15/1990
From: Chelyabinsk, RUS
Team: Chelyabinsk (RUS)

RANKINGS
TSN: 44
CSB: 8 ES
ISS: 37
RLR: 53
McK: 50
THN: 76

Comparable: Danny Markov

From TSN: The Russian defenceman is one of the chief agitators in the draft, an in your face type of guy who doesn't back off an inch. When most of his Russian teammates threw in the towel against Canada in the Summit Series last fall, Voinov played every shift of every game as if it mattered. The Russian factor will come into play on how high he goes, but it wouldn't be outlandish if a team toyed with the idea of taking him late in the first round. Chances are, though, that he'll go in the second.

From NHL Central Scouting: Vjateslav is a talented and skilled defenseman who needs some time to develop. He is strong in the defensive zone and is able to make good decisions with the puck. He needs to get stronger and to improve on his first-step quickness.

-----

ROBERT CZARNIK

RANKINGS
TSN: HM
CSB: 88 NAS
ISS: 32
RLR: 80
MCK: 97
THN: 57

It seems the Kings also gave up their No. 101 fourth-round pick to Buffalo in that swap of third-round picks. So the Kings aren't scheduled to pick again until the start of the fifth round. The draft is seven picks into the fourth round right now.

Here's what Kings third-round pick Geordie Wudrick had to say in a TV interview a few minutes ago:

``I feel absolutely honored. This is by far the most exciting day of my life. I've been through a lot this year. My best friend passed away earlier this year. This is a great honor to be drafted by the L.A. Kings and I'm just thrilled right now.''

``Just growing up, I was a Canucks fan, but ... I'm going to enjoy beating them. The L.A. Kings were my No. 1 choice going into the draft today, if I could have chosen. It's going to be a great organization in the next few years. They've got a lot of guys. Kopitar is a great player. Going into camp is going to be absolutely fun and a great chance to play alongside all these great players they drafted this year and the past couple years.''

Geordie Wudrick, the Kings' third-round pick at No. 88, is a left winger from Swift Current in the WHL. On his bio on the team's website, it says Wudrick ``looks up to NHL players Sidney Crosby, Eric Staal, and Anze Kopitar.'' Wudrick had 20 goals and 24 assists in 66 games with Swift Current last season.

Hockey's Future's analysis: ``Established himself as a confident handler of the puck. He continues to develop a nose for the net, showing little hesitation to aggressively drive through traffic to create scoring opportunities.''

Here's what Wudrick told his hometown paper, the Southwest Booster:

"To tell you truth all of the different rankings have me all over the place right now. I know Central Scouting has me about 71st among North Americans. Hockey News and ISS rating all have me about 50th overall. I am thinking that it is so wide open that I could go anywhere from possibly late first round to third of fourth but who knows."

"It is going to be a pretty exiting time and I am trying not to get too stressed out about whether I go first, second, third or fourth round it is just going to be an exiting time. I am just going to be there just in case any teams want to do any last minute interviews just for convenience purposes that way."

"I am living here in North Vancouver by myself right now and working out right in downtown Vancouver with a couple of trainers that I have been working with over the past couple of summers. Just working on things that obviously I need to get better at like upper body strength and getting faster. I am working on all my skills on-ice a couple of times a week as well."

Wudrick ready for NHL Entry Draft day

With their 88th overall pick, the Kings drafted Geordie Wudrick, a left winger from Swift Current of the WHL. Wudrick, 18, is listed at 6-3, 204 pounds.

Backing up a little, here's the official video from the NHL on Colten Teubert, the defenseman the Kings selected with the No. 13 overall pick yesterday.

With the 74th overall pick, the Kings drafted Andrew Campbell, a defenseman from Sault Ste. Marie of the OHL. Campbell is 6-3, 205 pounds and 20 years old. This pick is from Buffalo. The Kings gave up their third-round No. 81 pick, the one from the Rangers, to get this pick.

The Kings traded their 61st overall pick to Colorado for center Brad Richardson. Richardson, 23, has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Avalanche. He had two goals and three assists in 22 games last season.

Here's the info on Robert Czarnik, the Kings' first third-round pick.

FROM ISS:

Position: Right wing
Born: 1-25-90
Height: 6-0
Weight: 178
ISS Ranking: 32
ISS Nov. Ranking: 53

Skating: Good
Shot/Scoring: Very Good
Puckhandling: Very Good
Hockey Sense: Very Good

Scouting report: Czarnik is a good all around player. His speed is decent and he has above average hand eye coordination. Czarnik is strong on the backcheck and understands his responsibilities all over the ice. He is not afraid to engage the opponent physically, especially on the forecheck. Despite not having a large frame, he does a nice job of battling along the boards and using his body to protect the puck.

-----

Last season, on the USA U-18 team, Czarnik had 15 goals and 15 assists in 49 games.

Hockey's Future's analysis is: ``Czarnik is a talented offensive player who still has a lot of room to develop as a hockey player. He has good vision on the ice and a solid shot.''

Hockey's Future report

-----

Czarnik was listed as the 88th best North American skater by Central Scouting.

With the 63rd pick, the Kings selected Robert Czarnik, a center/right wing. Czarnik, 6-0 and 178 pounds, played for the USA developmental program. He's a native of Roseville, Mich. More info to follow.

The third round is about to begin, with the 62nd pick. The Kings have picks 63, 81 and 88.

Here's how they finished the second round:
57. Eric Mestery, D, Washington
58. Dmitri Kugryshev, RW, Washington
59. Tyler Beskorowany, G, Dallas
60. Jimmy Hayes, RW, Toronto
61. Peter Delmas, G, Colorado (from Kings)

The Kings traded the final pick of the second round (61st overall) to Colorado, which took goalie Peter Delmas. I'll try to find the trade details ASAP.

46. Colby Robak, D, to Florida
47. Maxime Sauve, C, to Boston
48. Mitch Wahl, C, to Calgary
49. Jared Staal, RW, to Phoenix
50. Cameron Gaunce, D, to Colorado
51. Derek Stepan, C, to Rangers
52. Brandon Burlon, D, to New Jersey
53. Travis Hamonic, D, to Islanders
54. Patrice Cormier, C, to New Jersey
55. Marco Scandella, D, to Minnesota
56. Danny Kristo, RW, to Montreal

It's a little uncertain to me how his first name is accurately spelled. It's either Vjateslav or Vyacheslav. Call him Double-V for now. Here's what Central Scouting had to say about him:

"Vjateslav is a talented and skilled defenseman who needs some time to develop. He is strong in the defensive zone and is able to make good decisions with the puck. He needs to get stronger and to improve on his first-step quickness."

This past season was either the first or second of his three-year contract in Russia. Not totally sure which. That's a question for Lombardi at the end of the day.

They're really moving in Ottawa...

31. Jacob Markstrom, G, to Florida
32. Vjateslav Voinov, D, to Kings
33. Philip McRae, C, to St. Louis
34. Jake Allen, G, to St. Louis
35. Nicolas Deschamps, C, to Ducks
36. Corey Trevino, C, to Islanders
37. Cody Goloubef, D, to Columbus
38. Roman Josi, D, to Nashville
39. Eric O'Dell, C, to Ducks
40. Aaron Ness, D, to Islanders
41. Yann Sauve, D, to Vancouver
42. Patrick Wiercioch, D, to Ottawa
43. Justin Schultz, D, to Ducks
44. Luke Adam, C, to Buffalo
45. Zac Dalpe, C, to Carolina

Here's what International Scouting Services had to say about Voinov:

Position: Left defense
Born: 1-15-90
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
ISS ranking: #37
ISS Nov. ranking: #17

Report Card
Skating: Good
Shot/Scoring: Very Good
Puckhandling: Very Good
Hockey Sense: Very Good

Scouting report: Voinov is a good rushing defenseman and is a physical presence who has strong offensive upside. Already a veteran in Russia's top league, Voinov was up and down in the WJC but really held his own against his own age group at the Under 18's. Protects the net well and loves to get involved offensively, whether on the rush or jumping in from the point zone.

Vyacheslav Voinov, the Kings' second-round pick (No. 32 overall) is an 18-year-old Russian defenseman who has spent the last two seasons with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Russian Hockey League. Last season, Voinov had four points, a plus-3 rating and 20 penalty minutes in 36 games. He played in both the under-18s and the World Junior Championships for Russia.

Voinov was ranked 17th among skates by ISS in November but had slipped. He's known as an offensive player who has some edge.

Here is Hockey Future's report on Voinov:

Vyacheslav Voinov

The Kings picked Russian defenseman Vjateslav Voinov with the 32nd pick.

The second round of the draft is just about to begin in Ottawa. The Kings hold the second pick of the second round (32nd overall) and he final pick of the round (61st overall). I'll immediately post the name of the player the Kings pick, and then, a few minutes later, whatever biographical information I have. As for the other picks, I'll list them in groups of five or so.

The response yesterday to the blog was massive. A record number of terms of hits. Unbelievable. As always, thanks for the tremendous support.

Even though, by this afternoon, everyone was fairly certain the Kings would draft defenseman Drew Doughty with the No. 2 pick, there was a nervous moment for Doughty just before the draft started.

Sitting in the stands with his family, Doughty watched as Kings GM Dean Lombardi and Calgary GM Darryl Sutter had a long conversation and shook hands. Doughty thought the worst.

``I kind of buried my head in my hands,'' Doughty said. ``I said, `Oh, no.' I really wanted to be a L.A. King.''

Doughty, who grew up as a fan of the Wayne Gretzky-era Kings, was concerned that the Kings had just traded their No. 2 pick to Calgary. Doughty was quite relieved to learn that while the Kings did trade a first-round draft pick, it was their No. 28 pick and had nothing to do with him or the No. 2 pick. A few minutes later, Doughty became a King.

Here's the path the Kings took to drafting defenseman Colten Teubert with the No. 13 pick tonight...

The Kings acquired a 2008 first-round pick from Dallas in the trade last season that sent Mattias Norstrom to the Stars. That pick ended up being the No. 28 overall pick.

The Kings sent that No. 28 pick, along with the No. 17 pick they acquired by trading Michael Cammalleri to Calgary, for the Ducks' No. 12 pick, which the Ducks had acquired from Edmonton.

The Kings, eyeing defenseman Colten Teubert, thought they could move down from the No. 12 spot and still get Teubert. They had a deal in place, with an unnamed team, to move down two or three spots but Buffalo, which held the No. 13 pick, was nervous about missing out on its targeted player. The Kings and Sabres talked, and the Kings agreed to trade the No. 12 pick for Buffalo's No. 13 pick, plus a third-round pick in 2009, UNLESS the Kings and Sabres coveted the same player.

How did they resolve this? Each GM got out pen and paper and wrote down which player he wanted to draft. They agreed to make the 12-13 swap if they coveted different players, so that the third, unamed team wouldn't swoop in and steal Buffalo's targeted player. They showed each other the papers. The Kings wanted Teubert; the Sabres wanted Tyler Myers.

The Kings and Sabres made the swap. Buffalo took Myers at No. 12 and the Kings took Teubert at No. 13.

And it's just that simple...

Here are some quotes from Dean Lombardi after the first round of the draft. I didn't get to ask him about Dan Cloutier because he had to cut the call short. I'll get it tomorrow.

On his analysis of the two picks...
``Doughty's hockey sense is off the charts. I think everyone has a handle of what type of player he is and the special player he could become. ... I think we got (toughness) from Teubert and I think that element was lacking in our group.''

On the decision to trade back up in the first round...
``We set a target from (picks) 11 to 13. That's where we had to be to assure ourselves that we had (Teubert). I was offered some good players (for Cammalleri) who could help us now but they didn't help us in terms of this young core we have put together.''

On how the three-team trade came together...
``I couldn't get anyone to trade with me outright. What was clear to me was that I couldn't get into where I needed to be (to get Teubert). To give up Cammalleri, we had to be in that layer, where Teubert would be there. I couldn't get there outright (trading with one team), so I had to work at sprucing it up a little. ... (Pick No.) 17 was not enough for me to get what I wanted. I thought he was going in the 13-15 range so I was going to teams in the 11 to 14 range. I'm going to teams saying, `If I get 17, would you take 17 and 32?' You start laying out your cards. We (Lombardi, Brian Burke and Darryl Sutter) were all upfront about what we wanted.''

On the decision to trade down from No. 12 to No. 13...
``There was a choice. I could have traded and moved down two spots if I wanted to get cute with it. There was an opportunity for me to move back two or three spots and take a chance that (Teubert) would be there. Finally I went to (Buffalo) and said I won't trade with this other team if you tell me who you're taking. So we wrote down who we both wanted and kind of turned the paper over. Sort of like blackjack, showing your cards. We didn't have the same player written down, so we made the trade.''

On the idea that this is the most important draft in franchise history...
``I got pressure put on me by my owner (team governor Tim Leiweke), who said, `I want the best Kings draft in history.' ... That's a little internal pressure, which is good. ... I guess we won't know unti we're down the road a little ways, but I don't know which draft isn't important.''

On the decision to trade Michael Cammalleri...
``This kid is obviously a good player, but it became fairly clear to me that he was probably going to be a one-year asset, and it's very clear that our ownership wants a young nucleus. ... I think that arbitration process, people said the Kings won but you never win. Quite frankly it's a lose-lose situation. That was certainly a factor going forward. OUr chances of losing him and not maximizing our value were pretty good.''

Sorry about that, folks, but you should be able to comment now. I apologize and I thank you for the patience. I'm curious to hear what everyone thought of today's action. In fact, a poll might be in order. I'll get a few of the Lombardi quotes up tonight...

That's all from the draft party. By all accounts, the crowd reaction to everything the Kings did tonight was very positive. Quite a turnaround from last year's booing of the Thomas Hickey pick. For those who haven't been inside Nokia Theater yet...it's a fantastic venue.

I'll post the Lombardi quotes a bit later, when I get home. Sorry about the inability to comment for the latter part of the night. I'm extremely disappointed by that, and I'm hopeful that it will be resolved tonight.

Back at it bright and early tomorrow morning. Who will be joining me at 7 a.m.?

23. Tyler Cuma to Minnesota (from New Jersey)
24. Mattias Tedenby to New Jersey (from Minnesota)
25. Greg Nemisz to Calgary
26. Tyler Ennis to Buffalo
27. John Carlson to Washington
28. Viktor Tikhonov to Phoenix (from Ducks)
29. Daultan Leveille to Atlanta
30. Thomas McCollum to Detroit

I'll have actual quotes from Dean Lombardi later, but I first have to write my actual newspaper story. Here's a summary of what Lombardi had to say...

-- Doughty's hockey sense is ``off the charts'' and the Kings targeted Teubert from the beginning because of his great toughness, which he called ``an element that's missing in our group.''

-- The Kings wanted to trade back into the 11-13 range in order to grab Teubert but were having a difficult time finding trade partners. He couldn't find a team who would take Cammalleri for a pick in that range. That's when he pulled both the Ducks and Flames into the discussion, because he was afraid that Teubert wouldn't be available at No. 17.

-- Both Doughty and Teubert will be given opportunities to earn a spot on the NHL roster this season.

-- Lombardi expressed some disappointment at having to trade Cammalleri, but seemed to accept it as a reality. He noted that the Kings were unlikely to sign Cammalleri before he became an unrestricted free agent and that he wanted to trade Cammalleri while he still had value.

I'll post actual quotes later tonight...

Michael Cammalleri told Rogers Sportsnet tonight...

``I am thrilled to becoming to Calgary. I have always wanted to play in Canada. Now I get to live it. I look forward to playing in the Saddledome (in front of) the Flames fans. I know some of the players on the Flames and look forward to working with them to bring the Cup to Calgary.''

18. Chet Pickard to Nashville
19. Luca Sbisa to Philadelphia
20. Michael Del Zotto to New York Rangers
21. Anton Gustafsson to Washington (from New Jersey)
22. Jordan Eberle to Edmonton

Dean Lombardi expected soon...

Quotes from Colten Teubert:

On whether he knew the Kings would draft him...
``Me and my dad were just talking, and the next thing you know my name was being called.''

On whether he's had any meetings with the Kings...
``We had a meeting at the (draft) combine, so I guess it went pretty well.''

On what he told them...
``I told them that I'm a punishing defenseman, a player that forwards don't like to play against.''

On whether he knows Drew Doughty and what their on-ice relationship might be like...
``I played with him at the top-prospects game. He's a great guy. I can be a safety valve for him when he goes up on the rush. I will complement him in some ways just as he will complement me.''

Zach Boychuk, C, No. 14 to Carolina
Erik Karlsson, D, No. 15 to Ottawa (trade with Nashville)
Joe Colborne, C, No. 16 to Boston
Jake Gardiner, D, No. 17 to the Ducks

We're schedule to talk to Colten Teubert soon.

And I understand there's problems with commenting right now. Hopefully someone is working on fixing that right now.

(from TSN.ca)

COLTEN TEUBERT

PROFILE
Pos: Defence
Shoots: R
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Born: 03/08/1990
From: White Rock, BC
Team: Regina (WHL)

RANKINGS
TSN: 13
CSB: 18 NAS
ISS: 18
RLR: 16
McK: 14
THN: 13

Comparable: Shea Weber

From TSN: The hard-rock defenceman, who draws comparisons to Shea Weber and Adam Foote, is as competitive and feisty a player as there is in this draft. What he lacks in offensive upside, he makes up for with his ferocity and defensive prowess. He relishes the opportunity to go head-to-head with the other teams' top players. By all accounts, there is no love lost between him and Kyle Beach.

From NHL Central Scouting: Colten is a smooth skating defenseman, who can skate the puck out of trouble and can jump up the ice with the puck. Has the ability to take charge of the game.

With the No. 13 pick, the Kings selected defenseman Colten Teubert of the Regina Pats of the WHL.

Buffalo uses the Kings' No. 12 pick to take defenseman Tyler Myers. The Kings are now on the clock at No. 13.

Kings drop one spot, to No. 13, and Buffalo moves up to get the Kings' No. 12 pick. The Kings also get Buffalo's third-round pick in 2009.

Kyle Beach goes No. 11 to Chicago.

The Kings are on the clock. If they're looking at defense, both Tyler Myers and Colten Teubert are available. Or will it be a center>

Cody Hodgson goes No. 10 to the Vancouver Canucks.

More comments from Kings draft pick Drew Doughty:

On his feelings about hearing his name announced...
``It's an unbelievable feeling. I had so many emotions going through my body. When they called my name I couldn't stop shaking. It's a dream come true. I'm so excited about putting on that jersey.''

On joining the Kings...
``The No. 1 thing is just gelling as a team. Hopefully I can make the team better and we can win a Stanley Cup some day.''

On comparisons to Ray Bourque...
``It's an unbelievable feeling, and overwhelming, to be compared to him. I know how much he accomplished and if I could accomplish half of those things, that would be incredible.''

On trying to make the NHL this coming season...
``I'm very prepared and I think I can make the team. That's my No. 1 goal. I'm going to do everything in my power to make the team and help turn it around.''

On whether he knew, in advance, that the Kings were drafting him...
``No, they didn't tell me. I saw Dean Lombardi shaking hands with the Calgary GM. I kind of buried my head in my hands and said, `Oh, no.' I really wanted to be a L.A. King.''

On what he knows about the current Kings...
``I don't really know too much right now. I know guys like Thomas Hickey and Wayne Simmonds and Jonathan Bernier. I know all three of them very well. But I don't know a lot about the Kings, just because I'm so far away, but I'm looking forward to coming out there.''

Mikkel Boedker goes eighth to Phoenix.

Nashville traded with the Islanders to get the No. 7 pick and picked Colin Wilson.

Nikita Filatov goes No. 6 to Columbus.

More quotes from Drew Doughty coming shortly.

Columbus sends the No. 19 pick and a third-round pick (No. 67) to Philadelphia for R.J. Umberger and a fourth-round pick (No. 118 overall).

Luke Schenn goes fifth to Toronto.

Toronto is now on the clock at No. 5. The Islanders are now picking No. 7. There's another aspect of the trade involving a lower draft pick.

Alex Pietrangelo to St. Louis.

So who is on everyone's wish list for the No. 12 pick?

Florida traded Olli Jokinen to Phoenix for defensemen Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton and the 49th overall pick.

Calgary traded Alex Tanguay and a fifth-round pick to Montreal for the No. 25 overall pick and a second-round pick in 2009.

Zach Bogosian goes third, to Atlanta.

To clarify, here's the breakdown of the trade...
To Kings: Ducks' No. 12 overall pick in 2008, Calgary's second-round pick in 2009
To Ducks: Calgary's No. 17 overall pick in 2008, Kings' No. 28 overall pick in 2008
To Calgary: Michael Cammalleri, Kings' No. 48 overall pick in 2008

On the telecast, Drew Doughty was asked whether he intends to play in the NHL next season.

``Yeah I do. I think that's my main focus. I really want to step in and make an impact in the NHL next year. I really want to be on the Kings. It's a dream come true.''

On the weight he lost since the end of the season, and whether he was trying to make a statement by getting in shape.

``I didn't like being told I wasn't committed. I worked really hard this summer to be fit.''

The Kings select Drew Doughty with the No. 2 pick.

It seems as though the Kings also gave up their No. 48 second-round pick, to Calgary, and got a second-round pick in next year's draft.

Kings are on the clock...

Three-way deal:

To the Kings: The No. 12 pick, which belonged to the Ducks.
To Calgary: Michael Cammalleri
To the Ducks: Calgary's No. 17 pick and the Kings' No. 28 pick.

Here at the Nokia Theater, which is really a beautiful venue. The fans are starting to filter inside, with Jim Fox doing a fabulous job working the crowd. It's a nice setup on the stage, where Jim, Bob Miller and Luc Robitaille will start hosting around 4 p.m. Lots of chatter and speculation about whether the Kings will be able to trade back into the top 15, but nothing yet and no indication that the No. 2 pick will be anyone but Drew Doughty.

Hopefully my math is correct here...If the Kings do end up buying out Dan Cloutier's contract, they will take a salary-cap hit of $1.05 million during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. They'll be on the hook, salary-cap wise, for two-thirds of his remaining contract. He's due $3.1 million next season, so that would be just under $2.1 million. Then that's spread over double the time of the remaining contract, so that's two years at roughly $1.05 million each year.

Dan Cloutier has been placed on waivers. If no team picks him up (highly unlikely), he can (and will) be bought out. This is the news that has been expected for a while.

No big news out of Ottawa this morning -- thankfully, no rumors of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Jari Kurri all coming out of retirement to play for the Kings -- but here's a link to the story that appeared in this morning's Daily News (and other papers).

Kings begin busy offseason with today's draft; Doughty appears to be their pick

Still every reason to believe that Doughty will be the pick.

I'll be heading down to the draft party this afternoon for a full report on the draft...

Here's what I know...

-- It's probably 94 percent certain that the Kings will choose Drew Doughty. Dean Lombardi has not said so explicitly, nor will he, but I wouldn't say something like that if I had serious doubts. I'm leaving a five-percent margin of error, in case the Kings get overwhelmed by a trade offer tomorrow, and a one-percent margin of error in case they discover tomorrow that Zach Bogosian can stop pucks with his teeth and score on 80-foot slap shots.

-- The likelihood of any trade, at this point, is fairly low. I really believed that the Kings would be able to package Cammalleri or Visnovsky, but it doesn't seem that the trade market in Ottawa is as strong as some anticipated it would be. There seems to be a willingness among some teams to wait and see how free agency shakes out.

-- A Kings move back into the top 15 of the draft is possible, but not probable, at this point, given the trade market. Lombardi did comment on this point, and said, ``I'm not sure I can get (a pick) high enough that I just don't sit. You put your lines in the water and see what happens.''

Again, I'll admittedly hedge my bets on the last two, because as I write this, there's still about 17 hours until the draft, and anything could happen. But that's what is out there at the moment.

People listed under ``Malkin'' on Wikipedia.org:

Michelle Malkin (born 1970), American political columnist
Myron Samuel Malkin (1924-1994), director of the NASA space shuttle program
Peter Malkin (1927-2005), Israeli secret agent
Gary Remal Malkin, six-time Emmy Award-winning film and television composer
Russ Malkin, British film producer and director

What do they have in common? They're all more likely to be members of the Los Angeles Kings organization than this person:

Evgeni Malkin (born 1986), Russian ice hockey player

Here it is, straight from Dean Lombardi's mouth 15 minutes ago:

``There's absolutely nothing to it,'' Lombardi said of rumors that the Kings might trade for Malkin. ``I talked to (the Penguins) as part of my due diligence to talk to every team. Then I hear all these reports that we're getting him. I had to call Ray (Shero, Penguins GM) this morning and say, `I hear I'm trading for him. What am I giving you?'''

OK?

Another short, more general update coming soon...

P.S.: A round of applause goes out to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Penguins blog for this entry: Keep your Malkin jersey

Here's what TSN said in a story today:

-----

One report out of Ottawa had 2008 Hart Trophy candidate Evgeni Malkin on the move from the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins, while Jason Spezza's name continues to be mentioned as possible trade bait. The latter claim was quickly disputed by the Senators' chief deal maker.

"You guys make up more stuff than I can ever imagine," Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray told reporters on Thursday. "I heard a rumour last night that Pittsburgh was moving one of their star players. I talked to their manager today to see if I could be included in the discussions and they kind of laughed at me."

-----

Pretty much says it all.

I'm still waiting to hear from Lombardi. Chances are, he will call about five minutes after I walk out of the office. But if there's an update to be made tonight, I'll certainly make it.

The Associated Press just moved this draft-preview story with the following tidbit from Dean Lombardi. I'm expecting to get him on the phone myself shortly.

-----

With his staff "bunkered down around the mattress" of his hotel room, Lombardi said Thursday he was busy fielding calls from as many as 20 teams, and weighing whether to trade the pick or use it on one of a solid corps of defense prospects ranked behind Stamkos.

"Probably 50-50," Lombardi said, regarding what he'll do.

For those who might not have been checking the blog on a daily basis over the past few weeks, Don has done a series of great interviews with some of the top prospects in this year's draft. I figured this would be a good day to post links to the interviews with the top four defenseman prospects, since the Kings are almost certain to get one of them. Even for those who saw them the first time, it's a good refresher!

Zach Bogosian

Drew Doughty, part one

Drew Doughty, part two

Alex Pietrangelo

Luke Schenn

Thanks to J.P. Hoornstra, our Ducks beat writer, for passing these along. Ducks GM Brian Burke had a conference call this morning and had the following to say about Kings-related draft topics...

-----

On Doughty vs. Bogosian:
``More guys would say that Doughty's ready to play right now. Bogosian's got more upside, but he hasn't become the player he's going to be and Doughty has. He's ready to play.''

On who Kings will pick:
``I don't want to speak for Dean (Lombardi), he's one of my best friends, but that's certainly the betting money here in Ottawa, is that Doughty's going two.''

On if Kings will trade:
``I've talked to Dean, he's told me they're picking (at 2). (Atlanta at) three, they're picking. (St. Louis at) four, they're picking unless someone blows them out of the water. I don't sense they're urgent to move. I'd be very happy if I got to go up a pick.''

With the start of the draft just over 30 hours away...

-- The Kings are fully expected to choose either Zach Bogosian or Drew Doughty with the No. 2 overall pick, assuming they're not overwhelmed by a trade offer for the pick.

-- If the Kings jump back into the top 15 (or so) of the draft, they will have their eyes on another defenseman. This depends entirely, of course, on how the draft shapes up.

-- If the Kings keep the No. 28 pick, they're hoping to find that one of the centers they covet is still available.

Here's what Dean Lombardi told the Canadian Press today. It's pretty consistent with a) what he said after the Crawford firing and b) the exact same thing that's said by every GM every year before the draft. They're keeping options open, etc., etc. An enterprising reader could probably go back 12 months and find almost-identical quotes. So we'll see what happens. Quotes like this speak to how fluid the situation is...

``On the first front, I figured I had two legitimate offers for the pick outright that I presented to ownership last week. But it was very clear the direction they want to go, which is more committed towards putting together a solid nucleus.

"As far as moving down in the draft, those are still options. That still has to remain in the equation. And I would suggest that that could go right up until we make the pick. I think the deal outright for the pick, you're probably in or out for sure the day before.

"The one where you're moving moving down, as I've done in the past, can sometimes not happen until right up to making the pick. I've had one legitimate proposal that deserves consideration in terms of moving back."

As part of his series, tracking down some of the most popular Kings of the recent past, Don tracked down Kelly Hrudey, Kings goalie from 1989 to 1996. Hrudey, now 47, is best known, of course, for helping the Kings reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. Hrudey now serves as a commentator for CBC's ``Hockey Night in Canada.'' Thanks to Don for the great interview...

With just a couple days before the draft and so many rumors floating around, it's probably a wise time to consolidate stuff here and talk about some of the comments and/or emails that have been coming in.

-- Cammalleri's name is being thrown around a lot, and I don't think anyone is surprised by that. From talking to people involved, I would say that if a trade happens with him, it will happen at or before the draft. It's significantly less likely to happen after the draft. The Pitkanen rumors have been around. They have legs, as they say. The only problem with that is, they'll had ``legs'' for a while and there hasn't been a trade. General rule...the longer something is out there, the less likely it is to get done. And several other teams are poking around, looking at Pitkanen. But if you're going to entertain yourself thinking up Cammalleri trade possibilities, think under-30 defenseman and draft pick. And...go.

-- The only other ``established'' King whose name might be out there is Visnovsky. Again, this is another one that some of you more astute readers have sniffed out. Again, it would likely be a situation that creates some depth and increased youth on the blue line. There's nothing really to say, beyond that, at the moment. Just something to keep an eye on.

-- I think there needs to be some type of understanding about the No. 2 pick. There's two sides to this. One is this: the Kings, I'm told, have already turned down about a half-dozen offers for the pick. The other side is this: Dean Lombardi has showed he's not afraid to do unconventional things. That's why I will always hesitate to say, ``This is what the Kings are thinking,'' because I'm not exaggerating when I say that it can change from day to day. That's just the reality of the situation. And it's the reality of the trade market. Things change so fast.

-- The Kings are still not interested in Ray Emery. That much I can say for certain.

-- The bottom line is this: I have a very strong feeling -- based on a combination of talking to people and my own instinct -- that SOMETHING will happen between now and about 4:15 p.m. Pacific time Friday, and given the names and situations involved here, it's likely to be a fairly large ``something.'' Of course, that sounds completely vague and unhelpful. I understand that, but there's absolutely no way to predict what will happen.

Hope to see some of you at the draft party. For those who aren't attending, I will be there blogging with live updates, quotes, etc.

I forgot to mention a couple days ago... Dean Lombardi said he placed a call ``to Darryl Sutter, the general manager, to ask about the availability of Darryl Sutter, the coach.'' Lombardi and Sutter are close from their time together in San Jose. Alas, Sutter is staying in Calgary...

(Seriously, it's a joke. Lombardi and Sutter talk very frequently. Both knew it was never going down.)

Here's another Q&A from Don, this one with prospect David Meckler, who will be a restricted free agent this summer...

Don caught up with Gabe Gauthier, who is one of those players who will enter training camp competing for a spot on the Kings' roster. Gauthier, 24, did not record a point in three games with the Kings last season. He totaled 23 goals and 37 assists with the Manchester Monarchs. Here's Don's interview with Gauthier...

If the Kings were interested in trading for Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter...they aren't now. Suter has signed a four-year, $14-million extension with the Predators today. Nashville is still trying to lock up defenseman Shea Weber.

Is it that time already? The Kings announced their preseason schedule today. No ticket-sale information is available yet, other than that tickets for the game in Kansas City are already on sale. Here's the schedule...

Day, Date ------- Opponent -- City (Venue),Time (Pacific)

Mon., Sept. 22 -- Coyotes -- Los Angeles (STAPLES Center), 7:30 p.m.
Mon., Sept. 22 -- Blues -- Kansas City (Sprint Center), 5:05 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 24 -- Avalanche -- Denver (Pepsi Center), 6 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 27 -- Avalanche -- Las Vegas (MGM Grand), 7 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 30 -- Ducks -- Los Angeles (STAPLES Center), 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct. 1 -- Ducks -- Anaheim (Honda Center), 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 4 -- Coyotes -- Phoenix (Jobing.com Arena), 7 p.m.

To clarify, yes there are two games on Sept. 22 and yes, it will be a split-squad type of deal. Per CBA rules, a certain number of veterans must be in each game, but since that's early in camp, there will be plenty of players available.

Just a couple things, before some of the rumor mill starts spinning out of control...

-- There is no ambiguity about whether the Kings will hire Mark Morris. Unless they have a dramatic change of heart, they're not going to. It's a combination of the fact that the Kings like the job Morris is doing in Manchester, plus the fact that they don't think he's quite experienced enough. And really, that could be a hint going forward, that the Kings are looking for someone who has more than just a couple years coaching at the pro level.

-- Dave Tippett is under contract with the Dallas Stars for the 2008-09 season. They're currently talking about an extension beyond next season.

-- The Kings aren't going to do anything dramatic, such as trade out of the top 10 of the draft or anything like that. They've had offers for the pick but turned it down. Just use some common sense here. The Kings badly need a defenseman. There are great defensemen available at the top of the draft. Why would they trade. If anything, they might try to trade up to get a second defenseman in the first round. Much more likely.

Kings associate coach Mike Johnston has spoken twice with Dean Lombardi and Ron Hextall about the head-coaching job. There were a pair of 90-minute interviews, on Thursday and Saturday, but no hiring is imminent. In fact, Lombardi said the Kings will wait until after the draft -- coming up Friday and Saturday -- to conduct any more interviews. Lombardi described the meetings by saying, ``They were fine. We haven't really even talked about this team. We talked about his philosophies.''

About the search in general, Lombardi said, ``We haven't met with anybody else and we haven't talked to anybody. ... I think we are very clear on what we're going to be looking for. We're not married, by any stretch, to (hiring) a high-profile guy. It's important that we get a guy with the kind of qualifications we need.''

Lombardi clarified one other thing: Mark Morris will not be the next coach. Not because he doesn't like Morris. In fact, if anything it's the opposite. ``Arguably, that job is almost as critical as the one we have here,'' Lombardi said, referring to Morris' job as coach of the AHL Manchester Monarchs.

The Kings' traveling caravan heads to Ottawa on Monday to start draft-week preparations.

Since a few days have passed, and a few potential names have surfaced and others have either fallen off the map or proved less likely, here's an updated poll to see who you want to see behind the Kings' bench next season. Pick a name, or write in your own.

Don did a write-up on Mike Johnston the other day, since Johnston is, so far, the only confirmed candidate for the Kings' coaching job. With Don's big help, here's a rundown of some more potential coaches the Kings might look at. Obviously, some are more realistic than others and there are a couple names, a couple junior-level coaches, who could be included, but we'll see how things develop...

Sorry to have been out all day and out of touch, but scratch two more names off the potential-coaches list. Craig Hartsburg is hired in Ottawa and Peter DeBoer is hired in Florida...

Congats to Washington's Bruce Boudreau, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach this season. Boudreau over 21 games into the season and, in his first experience as a NHL coach, led the Caps to the playoffs. Boudreau spent 2001-05 as coach of the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings' American Hockey League affiliate, but they, uh, fired him. Oops...

There are conflicting reports out of Ottawa that the Senators are set to hire either Peter DeBoer, coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, or former Ducks coach Craig Hartsburg of the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Both could be considered as potential candidates for the Kings job. Interesting, again, that if the Senators ended up hiring DeBoer, they would follow the San Jose Sharks in hiring a coach with no NHL head-coaching experience. Ottawa has also talked to Bob Hartley

Here's the last set of answers from the original post. I'll do one more, to answer some of the questions that trickled in yesterday and today. Thanks for all the good questions!

I didn't want this to get lost in all the Marc Crawford news, but Don did a real nice interview with Anze Kopitar recently. Obviously the interview took place before Tuesday's news, but it's still a good chance to catch up with Kopitar and hear about his experiences at the World Championships and his...trip to Egypt? Here's a video of Kopitar at the World Championships, followed by the Q&A...

Here's the second set of answers...

Here's the first set of answers from this morning's questions...

The San Jose Sharks will hire Detroit assistant Todd McLelland as their new coach, according a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

Of McLelland, the paper writes, `` McLellan, 40, has been an assistant to Babcock for the past three seasons. Before that, McLellan was coach of the Houston Aeros and led that American Hockey League team to the Calder Cup title in 2003.''

Interesting choice. San Jose, considered a more ``ready-made'' team in terms of winning, hires a coach without NHL coaching experience. Will the Kings continue that trend?

Don was kind enough to put together this bio of Mike Johnston, since he's the first person to be publicly named as a potential candidate. I get the impression that people don't know a lot about Johnston. He's a very pleasant guy but has kept a fairly low profile as associate coach since 2006. Here's a bit of his history...

-----

MIKE JOHNSTON

Associate Coach, L.A. Kings (2006-current)
Associate Coach, Vancouver Canucks (1999-2006)
Assistant Coach, Team Canada (World Championships, 2006)
General Manager/Associate Coach, Team Canada (1994-1999)
Head Coach, Team Canada (1998-1999)
Assistant Coach, Canadian Olympic Team (1998)
Head Coach, University of New Brunswick (1989-1994)

Holds a Master's degree in Coaching Science.

In 2004 he co-authored "Simply the Best: Insights and Strategies from
Great Hockey Coaches," (link) and then the 2007 follow-up, "Simply the Best:
Players on Performance." (link)

Simply the Best homepage

Finally, we have some clarity in terms of how many draft picks the Kings will have next week -- the number is 15 -- and where they are. Click below to see how the picks from other teams were acquired.

Round Overall Selection

1 2nd
1 28th (From Dallas)
2 32nd
2 48th (From Calgary)
2 61st (From Detroit)
3 63rd
3 81st (From NY Rangers)
3 88th (From Philadelphia)
4 92nd (From Tampa Bay)
4 101st (From Vancouver)
5 123rd
6 153rd
6 179th (From Dallas)
7 183rd
7 185th (From Anaheim)

Here's what Marc Crawford had to say today. I'll say that coaches certainly are not obligated to call reporters after they get fired, so I definitely appreciate Marc returning the call. Here's what he had to say about yesterday's firing...

Marc Crawford graciously returned my call a bit earlier this morning. I'll be posting quotes from him shortly. It's almost needless to say, but he was quite surprised by yesterday's developments.

Seems like an appropriate day to throw it open to questions, if you have something you think I might be able to answer. Fire away...

What follows is the transcript of Dean Lombardi's conference call with reporters today regarding the firing of Marc Crawford. All...27...minutes...of...it. There's audio of it on the Kings' website, and tomorrow I will figure out how to link it, but at the moment I'm starting to see double. So please pardon any typos below. Tomorrow, we can also start the process of talking about some of the likely candidates. Should be an interesting few weeks...

Just to clarify, all of the assistant coaches are still currently employed by the Kings. Dean Lombardi has indicated that he's interested in talking to associate coach Mike Johnston about interviewing for the job. The other assistant-coach jobs, it seems, will be left to the discretion of the new coach.

In the last part of this interview, I asked Lombardi what, specifically, he saw from Crawford that convinced him Crawford wasn't the right fit...

``In anything like this, when you put it all together, it just comes down to your gut. Because you can't just pick out one thing and say, `Oh, that's it.'That's really not the case. You go through the analytics that I talked about and maybe you've got some things that you witnessed in the past that might relate to the future, but in the end it's a gut call. And that's the truth. Obviously you could make a list and say, `OK, what about this and that,' but that's not totally accurate either.''

I asked Lombardi about the meeting, this morning, in which he broke the news to Crawford...

``I know it's cliche-ish to say it's hard, but it really is. If you ever get used to doing something like that, you've probably got a problem. It's not fun and it wears you out. It's a tough process and I don't know anyone in this position who does like it.''

Finally, I asked Lombardi if he felt it was important to get a coach in place before either the NHL draft, which starts June 20, or the Kings' development camp, which usually takes place in early July...

``I don't think the draft is critical at all, in terms of that. A coach doesn't really have responsibilities, other than to meet the kid. Obviously the development camp, yeah, there's a little bit (of importance) but Jamie (Kompon) and Nellie (Nelson Emerson) kind of run that and a lot of it is individual skills, so we're OK here. So I guess what I'm saying is yeah, it would be nice, but for us to hurry a decision because we want him there, and maybe making the wrong decision, no. The draft is totally irrelevant, as far as I'm concerned, for the coaching part. The development camp would have its advantages, no question, however not enough of an advantage to force our hand.''

I'm going to try to transcribe Lombardi's conference call from earlier, if my fingers don't start cramping.

Here's where Lombardi talks, more specifically, about what he might be looking for in his next coach. First, he addresses the idea that, because the Kings are going deeper into their youth movement, he might be looking to hire someone who has experience coaching younger players...

``I'm open to anything, but I think it's fair to say that when you talk about having experience with kids, I don't know how many of us have really had experience, necessarily, with this generation of players. Clearly I think it's safe to say that the ability to not only deal with young players but young people, that's a two-pronged thing. Being up there in Toronto, at the combine and meeting the kids and meeting the parents, it just keeps reaffirming what I believe about the need to communicate with young people. It isn't like when (assistant GM Ron Hextall) was out there and you just had to kick him in the (butt) and he did what he was told.''

To clarify, I asked Lombardi whether he thought that his next coach needed certain specific qualifications to make him ``fit.''...

``No. Talking about the communication with young people, I do think that the challenges for coaches are changing, just like they are for GMs. The quality of an open mind...not to change your values or anything. You can't have a coach questioning his values. He has to have what he believes in and stick with it. But he has to have an open mind to adjust, and that's easier said than done. We're dealing with an evolving game here, with the (salary) cap and everything. And then obviously a solid work ethic (is important). I know these are cliches but they're not easy to find sometimes. That would be more important to me than a long resume or a track record. If he's got those, all the better.''

Here's more from Lombardi, talking about the natural assumption that the Kings might already have a new coach in mind...

``People can think whatever they're thinking, but we haven't done any research or anything like that. I think we were solely focused on the right fit here, but I think it's safe to say we realize the importance of this hire and I'm not going to hurry it. I guess one indication that we don't really have anybody in mind is that I don't see myself rushing to get someone here this week. I guess if I had somebody in mind, I'd be on the phone signing him right now, but I'm not anywhere near something like that. I mean, whenever you fire someone, a coach or whatever, the thought is always in the back of your mind. `OK, who are we going to get to replace him?' But in terms of us already finding someone and saying, `This is the guy who would fit,' no. We're not even near that.''

OK, finally I can get to the full quotes from tonight. Here's the first part, with Dean Lombardi answering the question of why he fired Marc Crawford today, more than two months after the season ended...

``It's hard to explain. I guess the timing is a little odd. I had some concerns in terms of the team's performance. Although I didn't think we were world-beaters, I also didn't think we should have been out of it in January. I think it's fair to assume we probably should have been in it. We probably weren't good enough to get in but I thought we were off the map way too early. The other thing that's hard to judge is, yeah, we were better down the stretch but, as I've always said, in those games nobody respects you and nobody is `up' for you. I don't know what they mean once you're out of it early.

``But that's all in the past. What I was doing going forward was a number of things. I think we were getting a handle on what was in the draft, what possibly was in play for us (trade-wise). We've gotten a handle, since the season ended, in terms of Manchester did go out in the first round of the playoffs, we had a chance to see those kids a little further along. We had exit meetings with some of them, where we got a feel for where they are in terms of coming into our lineup, and I think we feel pretty good about that. Then you come into managing the payroll. I think we see some changes in there that are happening that -- I don't want to say `force us' -- but in order to continue this plan and make sure we keep these players, I think we had to make some adjustments in our projections.

``So this issues are, OK, I have some concerns about the past, and then there was, OK, what are we doing going forward. At the end of it all, you go to ownership and say, `OK, this is your new periodic.' They know the plan, and what I want. It's not unusual for ownership, in any organization, to say, `You know what, you have to adjust the plan because we don't want to take the heat,' or `We want to make the playoffs,' or whatever. But really, the message I got was, `Stay with this and actually, even go younger. Don't get off it.' It was more toward the plan. So now, this is the team we're looking to have and it's clear to me that that's what they (ownership) want. Now, do we have the right fit? You can do all your analytics but when it comes down to it, you go with your gut and you say, `You know, with the way we're going to have to do this, I don't think (Crawford) is the best fit.' There you go. That's two months in a nutshell.''

It's going to take me a while to transcribe stuff, because I also have some non-Kings duties tonight, but here's what Lombardi said, paraphrased...

-- The move was made now because the Kings did some evaluation in terms of where they're going. Lombardi indicated that there's going to be more of a move toward youth for next season -- and that others in the organization have encouraged him to go ``even younger'' with the roster -- and he believed, based on that, that a coaching change was in order.

-- Lombardi said there was no particular thing, or concern, that led him to make the change. He attributed it mostly to a ``gut feeling'' and a combination of factors.

-- He does not have a replacement already in mind and does not expect, at this point, to make a hire before the draft. Lombardi seemed more open to the possibility of hiring a coach before the development camp.

-- There are no pre-qualifications to be the next Kings coach. It doesn't have to be someone with NHL experience and it doesn't have to be someone with a ``reputation'' for coaching young players.

Lombardi went into deal on more of these topics, and I will post the full comments as soon as possible.

Figured you might be interested to see what Tiger Woods had to say when he spoke at the U.S. Open for the first time since his comment about how nobody watches the NHL anymore.
``Oh, yeah, I've gotten a lot of grief over that. I love the sport. I love watching it, but I don't like watching it on TV. In person, it's absolutely incredible, what they're able to do and what they can do. TV doesn't do justice to that. But then, neither does ... a lot of sports are the same way. It is what it is. I said what I said and I was trying to be funny about it, but people didn't perceive it that way.''

Former Kings captain Mattias Norstrom announced his retirement today, at age 36. Norstrom told Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet, ``Dallas wanted to keep me, but it is over now. I promised myself 10 years ago that I would quit while I still had a strong position in the team. And now it is over.''

I had been told, last week, that Norstrom might be set to sign a contract to play in Sweden, but today's comments indicate that he's done. The newspaper reported that Norstrom ``intends to focus on his family and get an ordinary job.''

``The last game against Detroit was my final one,'' Norstrom said. ``I studied building techniques in high school, so carpentry is a possible alternative, but let's see. I will think about it during the summer.''

Carpentry? Somehow, that seems to fit.

After some initial crossed wires, I expect to have some comments from Dean Lombardi soon. Any questions? I have also reached out to Marc Crawford, but it's usually iffy as to whether a coach will speak in these situations.

And to answer a question from earlier, I'll say honestly that no, I did not see this coming. I hesitate to speak for other reporters, but I think it's fair to say that this subject had come up a few times over the last few months, and at no point did Lombardi indicate or infer that Crawford's job was in serious jeopardy.

Who's your pick?

Conference call scheduled at some point this afternoon...

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KINGS ANNOUNCE COACHING CHANGE
Kings 21st coach in team history will not return next season
Jun 10, 2008, 4:15 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi Tuesday announced that Marc Crawford will not return next season as the team's head coach. Crawford has one season remaining on his contract.

In his two seasons as head coach, Crawford posted a 59-84-21 with the Kings.

Kings All-Time Coaching History | Kings Coaches' History Gallery

"We appreciate Marc's commitment the two seasons he has been here," said Lombardi. "However, we believe that in evaluating where we are at and, more importantly, where we are going as an organization, we feel this coaching change was the right decision to make. We wish Marc the best in his future endeavors."

The Kings hired Marc Crawford as the 21st head coach in Kings history on May 22, 2006. Crawford formerly was the Head Coach of the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques.

Crawford began his NHL coaching career with Quebec in 1994 and in his first season he became the youngest coach to win the Jack Adams Trophy. After the Nordiques relocated to Denver he won the Stanley Cup in 1996 and with the win became the third-youngest coach in NHL history to raise Lord Stanley. Colorado went 16-6 that post-season and swept Florida in the Finals.

Crawford coached the Avalanche for two seasons after winning the Cup before leaving following the 1997-98 season. He then spent time providing analysis for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada before being hired as the 15th head coach of the Canucks in January of 1999, the club he played every game of his nine-year professional career with.

Crawford compiled a 246-213-70 record in 529 regular season games over seven seasons in Vancouver and the Canucks made the playoffs four of the last five seasons he was there. In 2003-04, the Canucks won the Northwest Division title (the franchise's first division title since 1992-93) and in 2003 the Canucks advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals.

Overall, in 12 seasons and 905 games behind the bench as an NHL head coach, Crawford, has compiled a regular season record of 438-342-125 and a playoff mark of 43-40. He is also the first head coach in Kings history to have a Stanley Cup on his resume.

Updates to follow...here's an initial quote from Dean Lombardi:

"We appreciate Marc's commitment the two seasons he has been here," said Lombardi. "However, we believe that in evaluating where we are at and, more importantly, where we are going as an organization, we feel this coaching change was the right decision to make. We wish Marc the best in his future endeavors."

It's no secret that since Kings president/general manager Dean Lombardi was hired two years ago, his main focus has been on improving the Kings' defense. It seems as though a crucial point has been reached. You might remember that in my last interview with Dean Lomardi, he debated whether now was the time to go ``all in'' with the Kings' young players, perhaps even at the risk of exposing them too early.

Consider the Kings' situation on defense. Right now there's basically Jack Johnson, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Preissing and a bunch of holes. The reserve list is starting to fill up with players such as Peter Harrold, Thomas Hickey, Alec Martinez and whichever defenseman the Kings select with the No. 2 pick this year (most likely Drew Doughty or Zach Bogosian). Is now the time to start playing those guys at the NHL level? Or would the Kings be better served by holding off a year on a player such as Hickey and going with a ``bridge'' player, a veteran who will fill that spot for one more season?

What are the factors here? Consider baseball. On one hand, there's C.C. Sabathia, who made his major-league debut at age 20. He won 17 games that season, has never thrown fewer than 188 innings in a season since and won the Cy Young Award last year. On the other hand, there's Edwin Jackson, considered the top pitching prospect in 2003. Jackson made his major-league debut on his 20th birthday and outdueled Randy Johnson. The next year, almost assured a spot in the Dodgers' rotation, he struggled. He now has a career ERA of 5.30.

Would you play a young defenseman, such as Hickey or Martinez or the draft pick, next year? There's the excitement of watching them play for the Kings, and the ability to watch them learn the NHL game, as Jack Johnson did last season. On the other hand, there's the risk that they might be overwhelmed, might start to doubt themselves and have their long-term development harmed.

So here's the question. You bring a prospect to the NHL next season, and there's a 50-50 chance he will either succeed or have his development stunted. Or, you wait one year, and there's a 90-percent chance he will succeed and a 10-percent chance he will have his development stunted. But during that year, that roster spot is filled by a nondescript veteran plugger.

What do you think? Feel free to add to your answer with an explanatory comment...

We've been hoping, for a couple weeks, that he would change his mind for some reason, but George Foulsham, our assistant managing editor, will be leaving the paper after today. It's a sad day for us in the newsroom, because George is not only a fun and steadying presence, he's also a journalist of the highest caliber.

And, in the most relevant sense here, George has been a huge supporter of this blog and my efforts to cover the Kings. He has provided invaluable feedback and advice and, in our dark days a couple months ago, he stepped up and helped me by blogging and covering a Kings game on his own time. George is a big Kings fan and a hockey fan in general, so I asked him to write something for the blog, to talk about his intertwined experiences of being a fan and a journalist all these years. Best of luck, George!

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By George Foulsham
Assistant Managing Editor

I've been a newspaper journalist for 35 years. And a Kings fan for 24 years. Both have been rewarding and maddening experiences.

I'm leaving newspapers for a great job in the public affairs office at UC Santa Barbara. The Daily News is my ninth paper, with stops along the way at the Herald Examiner and the Los Angeles Times (where they still don't think hockey is a sport).

I've been in the Rose Garden for a Reagan press conference, in Texas Stadium for the Clint Longley miracle win over the Redskins and I've worked with some of the best journalists in the country. I leave the business with mixed emotions.

While my career has provided plenty of highlights (and too many lowlights), one of the biggest thrills came in April when Rich Hammond asked if I'd be interested in covering a Kings game. Against the Canadiens. It took about 5 minutes to realize that it was an opportunity I couldn't resist. The biggest challenge: Could I be objective?

Some of you may argue that sportswriters aren't unbiased, but most journalists adhere to a code of ethics that mandates our objectivity. Still, when you've been a Kings fan since Dave "Tiger" Williams was throwing his weight around the Forum, it's not easy being nonpartisan. I love the Kings. And I hate the Kings.

So, in that respect, I'm a lot like most of you who follow this blog. We hang on every post by Rich (who might be the best blogger in town, by the way) and can't wait for the next juicy morsel about anything from the World Championships to whom the Kings will draft with that No. 2 pick.

We've been thrilled by Gretzky, had our hearts broken by McSorley's stick, and cried when Robitaille hung 'em up. And we watched in anger as the Kings' owner refused to part with enough cash to bring a front-line, 40-goal sniper to Staples Center. But, deep down, we love the Kings. Yes, it's disappointing when the same owner ponies up big bucks for a Beckham, or invests in an aging boxer. But we still love the Kings.

So, like the rest of you, I will stick with this team, maybe even invest a few (more) bucks for some tickets, and follow this team that has underachieved, but seems to have the potential to do great things. Brown, Kopitar, O'Sullivan and Johnson are the foundation of a team that will either thrill us or break our hearts, again.

Through it all, Rich will be our tour guide. And, please don't tell my new boss at UCSB, but I'll be a frequent visitor to Inside the Kings.

So now, after being an objective journalist for 35 years, I can finally say, in print:

GO KINGS!

(George with his great-niece, Allison.)

For those waiting for big trade news... well, keep waiting. For now, there's this:

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The Los Angeles Kings have acquired a fifth-round draft choice in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman T.J. Fast, it was announced today by Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi.

Fast, 20, was selected by the Kings in the second-round (60th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played in 71 games this past season with Tri-City of the Western Hockey League where he recorded 54 points (17-37=54) and 92 penalty minutes.

Derek Armstrong threw out the ceremonial first pitch this afternoon at Dodger Stadium. Thanks to the Dodgers' fantastic staff photographer, Jon SooHoo, here's some pictures from the day. Armstrong met with Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, a Montreal native and a hockey fan, and manager Joe Torre...

I have to admit, I haven't really been following this story with Luc Robitaille and Onco Petroleum, and it really doesn't have any relevance to the Kings but it seems to be a very persistent story up in Canada. So I figured, especially since it's a slow week, that people might be interested in seeing what it's all about...

Ex-NHLer's name added to lend star power

Don has brought another great new feature to the site, in which he will attempt to catch up with as many former Kings greats as possible. He started with a good one, as he tracked down Bernie Nicholls, best known for his 70-goal season in 1988-89. In the interview, Nicholls talks about some of his glory days and gives an update about what he's up to these days.

As a bit of a refresher, here's one of Nicholls' more memorable goals from that 1988-89 season.