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.”