Happy Draft Eve

Hey Rich
the Lakers sold their first round pick for 3 million dollars to the Knicks today. Could you ever see the NHL letting teams do this someday, as a way for a cap strapped team to get some space back?

SSSooooo

UUUHhhh

Without quoting any rumors... how reliable is Colin Jeffrey?

Rich?

Awesome Rich. So glad there is going to be a chat. Going to be a fun day no matter which path the Kings choose.

RICH...

I guess i should use proper punctuation when being as sincere as possible, (yes, I'm capable).

But I can't help but feel compelled to thank you wholeheartedly for your amazing coverage, not only during the season, but far beyond and now, on the eve of draft day.

You and the Daily News have provided Los Angeles Kings fans with a tremendous source information, coupling fair, accurate and prudent reporting with an entertaining blog, lending a voice to the many loyal followers.

I really wanted to thank you for all that you do.

And now there's nothing left to do, but to watch it all unfurl. I think we can all take a deep breath and try to make way through all the fact and fiction. I thank you, once again, for being able to assist us during this process.

Holy crap! Michael Jackson is dead!!

ok ... my question just got answered..

sorry..

breathe

breathe

breeeaaathe

Thank you, Rich. I don't know if we can say that enough.

It is truly the information age, chats and TV coverage and tweets. 20 years ago we had to wait for the morning paper. I'm sure I'd be a little bitter about the paper stuff if I we're you but you are blazing a new trail in "News".

It's like nothing that has gone before to have you as our man immersed in the thick of things. Keep up the good work. I applaud you and your boss for keeping a passionate crew of fans connected. "The Daily News" is becoming "The News of the Moment". Totally relevant.

Interesting...i wouldn't rely on any of these, but it i thought i'd start to contribute:

According to espn(i know espn is worthless)

The L.A. Kings are now the favorites to land Dany Heatley. The rumor, from the Strib's Michael Russo's Twitter, is that Heatley will be swapped for Alex Frolov, the No. 5 pick and another player.

Well said variable. I concur 100%

did the world just collectively stop, because people are falling off the planet at a record pace...?

ed...farah...michael... wow... i wonder if these three were ever on the same carson show...? rest in peace and thank you for all of the positive contributions you have provided to the rest of us, the ordinary...

...And now it begins, in earnest.

Nothing is real unless it is confirmed by DL and/or the Kings, OR Rich.

Rich, what is the approximate time of the REAL start of the draft (Islanders on the clock)?

Hollywood Urban Legend has it that the famous pass away in threes...

...These three were very tortured in the course of their lives. May they and their families rest in peace.

Speaking of news and the loss of cultural icons, the news folks at CBS on "death watch" for Walter Cronkite too.

no trade proposal for heatley is even remotely credible unless it involves preissing going to Ott.

Anyways, after watching this (http://kings.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=731&id=44077), does anyone really think the kings are going to give up Frolov and the #5 for heatley?

anonandonanon--

Such an appropriate screen name, today.

WOW ... hailing back from when CBS was respectable

I have a draft question that I'm sure Rich or one of you blog posters will hopefully be able to answer:

Each team has a specific amount of time to get to the podium and announce their draft choice. My question- What if they don't get up there in time? Has this ever happened? I'm watching the NBA Draft and as each team takes their sweet-ass time waltzing up to the podium I was just wondering if they didn't make it would the following team get to pick ahead of them? Do they drop one slot? Is there an array of fists shaking furiously at the commissioner?

@Irish Pat: If I'm not mistaken each team has something like 10 minutes in the NHL draft to make their pick. The Minnesota Vikings in the NFL famously took too long a few years ago and didn't get their pick in and they were skipped and didn't get to "redo" the pick. I assume it would be the same thing in the NHL.

R.I.P. Michael. You were - a strange bird - and the biggest pop star I can ever remember seeing.

Irish Pat -

Although they use the expression "on the clock" to refer to the time when a given team is supposed to get its butt to the podium, there is -- as far as I know -- no clock, that is, no time limit. However, I would be willing to bet, since the thing is televised in prime time, that the commissioner sends out a memo dictating what they expect the rhythm of the "show" to be.

Otherwise, you could have your staff blocking aisles and otherwise detaining GMs.

So, what is the best case scenario for the Kings? What do you all want to see happen this weekend?

my best scenario is what some poster said forgot who it was. But it was Toronto getting the 2nd overall and trading hedman to us for schenn. Or Toronto getting the 4th overall leaving us with kane! I also read somewhere that the best idea for the kings is trading

"the 5th and Jack Johnson for Tomas Kaberle, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and the 7th overall and then draft Magnus Paajarvi-Svennson (who I personally like more than Schenn). I don't know, we'll see in the next few days. I just want to have a good night's sleep for once."

R.I.P. Michael, we were all hoping you could have made it.

Evander Kane or bust!

Garrett -

1 - Trade Johnson and Zatkoff to someone with a pick 11-20 and use it to select Kassian.

2 - Keep the #5 pick and select Schenn.

Thanks for the clarity Quisp and Paul. Interesting story about the Vikes too.

Quisp-
are you saying keep the 5th then trade JJ and zatkoff for a 11-20 pick? along with the 5th?

If you trade for Heatley (which I doubt), the Sens 9th pick better be coming back.

I know it means nothing until we get to the playoffs with a legit cup run with these players but the article on the "Best All Time Picks: 1-30"...there are 4 Kings listed in the "Up and coming" - #2-Dewey; #3-JMFJ; #11-Kopi; and #17-Trevor Lewis...

mike -

keep the #5 and take schenn. then package jj and zatkoff and send them to someone for their mid-1st rounder, and select kassian. so we end up with schenn and kassian.

alternatively, package johnson and the 5th to the avs for the 3rd, and take duchene.

or how about stoll, johnson and zatkoff to the avs for the 3rd pick, and we keep the 5th and take duchene AND schenn?

I know, sorry. Ha ha.

I've noticed you seem eager to get rid of JJ Quisp.

Are you just musing and know he is a good asset or are you down on him for some reason?

You guys got some interesting ideas! None involve going after VL or IK via trades....?

You guys got some interesting ideas! None involve going after VL or IK via trades....?

How this garret. Trade B.Boyle 5th overall and JJ to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek!!! HA ;)

jdm -

i like him very much. I just think he's a tradable asset that would be less painful to lose than, say, Brown or Frolov. I would say Stoll instead of Johnson, if I thought it would mean anything to anyone. The fact is, there is no-one on the Kings who is both coveted by other teams and easy for the Kings to part with. This is why Calder and Preissing to CAR for Williams was not feasible, but POS for Williams was.

I agree Quisp.

I'm fine with trading Johnson for the right piece or keeping him and watching him blossom like I'm still sure he will.

However, the real question is, do you think they NEED to make a trade for an impact player and thus need to include Johnson?

I would like that, but I'm not so sure its a must. I think so long as we get a 2nd line LW and a bottom 6 vet and perhaps a dman in FA (though I am also happy with throwing Drewiske to the wolves because I think he can handle it), we'll be OK going in to next season. I think if the Kopitar and Brown step up that team could get us to the playoffs, and a mid to late season trade could seal the deal. I reserve hope that Atlanta sucks through January and Kovalchuk gives them the finger. Then he goes to the Olympics and LOVES playing with Frolov who just signed his new retirement contract in LA and talks up how great and up and coming the Kings are and how great it is to play here (the Kings have started 09-10 slow, but before the Olympic break have gone on a 12-3-1 tear, propelling them to a tie with Anaheim for 2nd in the division behind San Jose). At this point, Frolov comes back and Dean says "You talk to Kovie" and Frolov replies "Do it Deano."

All i know is that 4:00 Pacific Time can not get here any sooner :). Hopefully i'll get to see the most intriguing part of the draft before i leave for the Dodger Game ;)

JDM -

No, I don't think the Kings need to trade for an impact player. In fact, I think they have to be very careful how they proceed, mostly because acquiring the wrong player -- or, really, the wrong contract -- will have dire consequences down the line, when the cap drops, when Doughty et al are due for their big contracts, etc.. I personally don't have a problem with DL basically standing pat, in the sense of no trades for Heatley, LaCavalier, or whoever. STanding pat does not mean, however, ignoring the void at left wing. Something needs to be done, unless DL thinks his left side can legitimately be Frolov/Moulson/Purcell/Wudrick or Clune or somebody.

As far as trades go, DL has a lot of prospects to deal with, and some of them he's going to trade away before they mature. They can't all bear fruit for the Kings. It makes sense to start shipping some of those kids off, not necessarily tomorrow, but over the course of the next season...I certainly expect the herd to be thinned out a bit.

I was glad to see the Sens' brass say late today that there were no SERIOUS offers. That to me says, right off the bat, that there was NO offer of Fro, JJ and the #5, because that's not only serious it's arguably over-paying. I think bringing in Heatley under those circumstances would be a potential clusterf**k. Frankly, I'd rather he re-sign f'ing Cammalleri, who I don't even really like that much (though I acknowledge he can score in boatloads). If we have to choose our bad attitude poison, I'd prefer one that doesn't cost us our leading scorer, a future top pair defenseman and a top five pick in a deep draft.

And, really, if he's going to deal a player I like (e.g. Johnson), I would prefer he do it to get someone like Kassian, who can really make a difference (I believe, and of course I know nothing) than to send him somewhere for a problem tenant like Heatley (who I used to love, actually, but asking for this trade, the second time in a few short years, and his attitude re the coach and playing defense and whining about powerplay time, etc. ETC. -- I mean, really, I can probably to relearn to love him, but how much writing on the wall do we really need??).

And, as if this isn't obvious (not to mention the fact that I've said it a thousand times), trading a LW for another LW solves nothing.

So, back to the question you asked. No, DL doesn't NEED to make a trade. But he is in (or may be in) a unique position to make an extremely advantageous trade, given the cap situation and, as one reporter noted, literally ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PLAYERS on the trading block today.

if people are going to be scrambling to dump salaries for the next year or fifteen months, then I say the prescription is patience.

Lastly, if he trades Moller, I will literally cry.

Moller will be the 2nd line center by the all star beak....Oscar is going nowhere!

The only issue with DL not dealing for a big gun now would be the fact that there really won't be any available within the next few years. The only way he'll be able to nab one is via trade, which is likely not the way he wants to pursue said player.

Quisp-

I doubt he deals Moller. He's our best shot of having a modern day Cliff Ronning. His potential is way too high for DL to add him into any deals. That's how I feel, anyway.

I could see maybe Purcell moving, Boyle or Lewis, but not Oscar.

"The only issue with DL not dealing for a big gun now would be the fact that there really won't be any available within the next few years. The only way he'll be able to nab one is via trade, which is likely not the way he wants to pursue said player."

That's not really the case ersberg. In '10 guys like Nash and Kovachuk are UFA's next year and in '11 you've got Richards, Chara, Thornton, Gagne, Bergeron, Cheechoo... As for pursuing via trade in the future, the kings have publicly stated essentially that they expect other teams are going to be in cap trouble in the coming years and will be forced to trade some of their best players for little in return (look at the flyers for ex), and the kings because of their cap situation will be able to oblige.

You're right, my verbage was incorrect. I should have stated..

The only issue with DL not dealing for a big gun now would be the fact that there really won't be any available --that would be interested in joining the Kings-- within the next few years.

Nash-stays in COL
Kovy-stays in ATL or dealt to a top contender
Richards through Bergeron-stay with their respective teams
Cheechoo-He's the only one I could see coming here. He's not exactly considered a "top guy" anymore, but I think he 'could' make rebound in LA.

I realize teams will have to make deals to get rid of payroll, but until we prove we're a contender, they won't be coming to LA.

Sorry, I'm not following your reasoning. Make a deal now when we're not a contender because no one will trade with us in the future when we're not a contender-huh?

As for the FA's, you don't know what they're going to do so you can't just write them all off. I just love it when people say it's a "fact" that players are not "interested in joining the Kings"- really, based on what? Unless you've actually spoken with any of these guys, there is nothing to that kind of assertion.

Well..

If you TRADE for a player, the player goes where he's traded, correct? I.e Vinny(before July 1st-NTC). Same for Heatley.

Even if they have an NMC/NTC, they will eventually waive since they either asked to leave or asked to waive it. No player wants to play where he's not wanted.

FA's have to say.."yes, I'll sign to play for your team"..correct? Example: Would Nash come to LA? Seriously. Hossa? Lol. Maybe Gaborik, but we'll see about that one. I would argue he could just easily go to VAN or even MON.

That's my point. My point is, Lombardi needs to grow a pair, suck it up, and make a deal.

No teams win a championship without super-stars. Period. Unless you're the 2002 Angels. Even then, they didn't exactly have chopped liver on their line-up.

Perhaps Hossa and Nash wouldn't sign with last year's team but what if the this year's team finishes just out of the playoffs or in the playoffs- do you think Nash, etc would not consider signing then? If so, then explain why Campbell signed with Chi last year when they didn't make the playoffs when he could have gone pretty much anywhere?

Now if you think the kings are in a position to challenge for a championhsip next year, i could see why you'd be for a deal now. Otherwise, i don't see any significant need for an immediate move (based on future availabity of players).

Yes, I think we can contend sooner than people realize 'if' we get a couple of big guys and Quick plays like he did last season.

I don't see it as productive to have big guns come aboard in the "year" we need him(them). I think it's best to have them during 'some' of the steps towards that point.

Unfortunately, Campbell actually hurt more than he's helped but I see your point.

Okay, now i see we're you're coming from. I still would rather wait a year and take a chance at Nash or Kovalchuk than settle for a winger (Which is really the A1 priority, a LW) in this FA crop. I'm not really sold on any of them being the right fit.

I think the better bet is that the Kings get one in trade, but again this might be better to wait a year on. When the cap drops, many teams are going to be hurting to get under and will be forced to move high end players (ex, Gagne, Vanek, Staal, Smyth) or be unable to re-sign young players (James Neal, Filatov) to larger contracts. (note- i'm not saying these exact guys will necessarily be available because it all depends on how there teams manage their cap, but at least a few will)