Open forum?

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With the draft and free agency having died down, I thought it might be a good time to open things up for an “open forum” question and answer session. Go ahead and post any questions that you think I or fellow readers might be able to answer…

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  • Jesse

    Hi Rich…. Do you think we will be signing any other UFA’s or are we just about done? What are your thoughts on Moller playing this year or being sent to Manchester?

  • Garrett

    Where do you put us in points this year? Playoffs?

  • Geno

    Hey Rich, Do you see Hickey making the team at training camp replacing Quincey? Do you see them signing or trading for another scoring winger? Kovalev?

  • Joey

    Rich, thanks as usual. How long before the Smyth trade were you (even off the record) aware of it? Does Lombardi expect Hickey to replace Quincey or will they go with Gauthier. I would think Gauthier would make the better seventh D-Man. You are THE best.

  • Kevin Y

    1) What are the chances that the roster the Kings have right now will be the roster they have come October? And if not, we’ve heard that DL is looking for another veteran defenseman. Who do you think the Kings are most likely to get? 2) Does DL have any timetable on trying to sign Johnson to a new contract to try to avoid what happened with O’Sullivan last season?

  • Aaron

    Rich,

    Do you think the Kings will add a left winger to play with Handzus and Simmonds on the third line?

  • Tompa

    Did the trade for Smyth pretty much seal the deal for Frolov? After doing the math I find it hard to believe they will fit him under the cap next season, assuming the cap goes down.

  • jet

    Rich,

    Can you ask why we do not play the Ducks and Sharks rookies any more? Also, didn’t rookie camp use to be 5 or 6 days? Why the cut back?

    Can you also ask, maybe a scout, what they saw in Berube, the Goalie? The rest of the draft looks great, but this one is confusing.

    Variable,

    My son got his housing assignment and it is adjacent to People’s park. Is that a safe area? If it is not, go ahead and embellish.

  • jet

    one more, what about Kostopolus, at say 900K on the 3rd line?

  • Chris Bond

    Has DL had any talks with the Fro Camp? If so are they close at all? What about Jacks Deal are they close?
    If you dont know can you ask thank you…..

  • PaulCat1969

    Rich,

    With the departure of Quincey, what do you think comes of our Point Men on the Power Play. I would think Doughty and Stoll would make up one pair but who would you pair Johnson with? I wouldn’t think Scuderi, Greene or O’Donnell would be a replacement or least not good ones.

    Thoughts?

  • Chris Bond

    Oh what do you all and DL think about he Hawks screw up on the “QO” to Kris V. and is it possible to pick him up if the NHLPA gets him out of his deal and he becomes a UFA?

  • variable

    JET…

    wikipedia gives an accurate description, so i think that should give you a better idea…remember, it is berkeley, so it’s no different in the ideological sense as it was when we we’re growing up and/or our parents…

    best of luck to yr son…
    peace (symbol)…!

  • Hemorrhage

    Do you think Purcell still has a place on the team or could be moved?

  • RealDrew

    How do you forsee the addition of the Scuderi and Smyth contracts affecting the Kings ability to sign some of the other guys like Quick and Frolov? What is your initial assessment of the Smythe trade? With the addition of Smyth, do you still believe that a top 6 forward is the Kings greatest area of need?

  • Cricket

    Rich, thanks so much for all you do.

    Any insight as to how the summer training is going with the guys in L.A.? Are they working with the new trainer yet, and if so, do you know what the response is? I’m curious to hear, say, who’s dedicating a lot of time to working out in the offseason and showing that committment.

  • variable

    rich…

    1. i hope you get a paid vacation this summer…not a furlough…

    2. in yr opinion, which team out there is still looking to make a significant trade (buyers/sellers)…?

    3. i’ll spare you a frolov question…

    4. which team has come out of the draft/signing day(s) best/worst up until this point…? who made the best move…? i still don’t know what philly was thinking (pronger), do you…?

    5. where does the barrie/koules battle end…? which way are they really leaning w/vinny, marty & co…?

    6. thank you for yr dedication…

  • Chris Bond

    I like Quick but do you all think we have a top notch goal teneder?

  • Good2BKings

    Rich,

    There are lots of people posting their ideas about potential lines. I can’t remember if it was something I read here or read Bob or Jim say, but isn’t Terry Murray into building “base pairs” with his forwards and using the other forwards as “parts” to complete his lines? For instance, Stoll and Brown were a base pair last year and saw parts such as Frolov, Sully, Moeller, and Williams from time to time on their line.

    That being said, who do you think will be the “base pairs” and who do you think will be the parts?

    I would like to think the Kings can move forward with the roster you posted yesterday. There are certainly enough players for Terry Murray to create his pairs and parts lists. However, there are quite a few posters who still think the Kings should add free agents such as Kovalev and Moen. What are your thoughts on adding guys such as these to the roster? From your knowledge of the Kings and Dean Lombardi, do feel that Lombardi would still like to sign any UFAs at the forward position?

    Thanks for all you do, Rich. We all love having this forum.

  • alma

    Is there anyway to find out from AEG how ticket sales are going for Kings Fest?

  • pobo the hobo

    Hey Rich, I visit this site multiple times a day(as i’m sure many other fans do). Do you happen to know how many hits you get in a day on average?

    Thanks again for everything.

  • Daniel

    Rich,

    In your estimation, how much has the hockey IQ of the average reader/poster risen (or fallen) since you started your blog?

    Thanks,

  • Irish Pat

    Rich,

    Thank you for providing us with the details and information of the Smyth deal over the holiday weekend. Your dedication and commitment is appreciated and respected.

    1.) I’m glad all Kings games will be in HD next season (WOO-HOO!), but there were quite a few games that weren’t telecast last season, in particular 3 of the last 4(?). If the Kings go to Canada at the end of this season and they’re battling for the 8th spot, are we going to be left high and dry? I’m a little concerned.

    2.) Will you be doing a Jim Fox Q&A this off-season? I recall them being very good and it was fun having him answer our questions.

    3.) Will Dean Lombardi ever “tweet” or is he still trying to type his first “tweet” from the draft?

    Thanks again Rich.

  • BakoCAcameraGuy

    Rich,

    Are there any residual injury issues for Ryan Smyth?

    Do you think any other left wing will be obtained this year?

    Do you think Brayden Schenn can make the team this year, realistically?

  • KevinWestgarth

    Rich,

    Do you think DL is interested in signing Travis Moen?

  • MacSwede

    1. What do you think will happen if Kings will miss the playoffs next year? We talked about it before, and DL said that if the players still develop and we feel that we have done progress, then we might be satisfied even if me miss the playoffs. But really? That was before we aquired Smyth, Scuderi and maybe some more.. Do you feel that the management are compelled to do something, like kicking DL or TM? 2. Do you still se us go after Kovalchuck after next season? Maybe if we fail to sign Fro.. 3. Would you rather see us resign Fro (especially if he had a good season) than taking Kovi?

  • http://www.insidesocal.com CupRun2012

    Rich, with all the excitement surrounding the Kings new acquisitions, have you heard anything from TM? In evaluating talent for FAs and potential trades, does DL consult with TM? After all it’s TM that needs to make the team work on the ice. Thanks again for letting us in on the inside info!

  • Major Frank Burns

    Have you heard DL or anyone talk about dong something about the rule that doesn’t allow players under 20 to enter the AHL when they can play junior? Seems counterproductive.

    Do you think there is a lack of speed up front or lack of puck-moving defensemen with the subtracktion of Quincey?

  • Starlight

    Again, thank you for all your great work, especially sacrificing parts of your Fourth of July weekend to get the interview done with Ryan Smyth.

    First off, I’m curious about how things work behind the scenes in general. For example, how do the Kings (or in general, NHL teams) get to away games (except ones like Anaheim of course) – do they have their own plane, or do they just book seats on regular flights? What does a typical day look like at an away game for a player (outside of the actual game)? How big is the King’s staff outside of players? All those little things that you never see anyone write about. I’m sure I could think of more, but if I do I’ll ask in another open forum I guess ;)

    An unrelated question, that might be answered by readers rather than you actually: Is there anyplace where you can buy DVDs in relation to the Kings? I’d be very interested in buying some kind of season review DVD for each year for example, as well as a Luc Robitaille DVD (or several!). Having all of Luc’s goals in a DVD set would be wonderful for example. Anyway, I tried looking on Amazon and eBay and such but pretty much all you normally find is Gretzky stuff and the occasional Detroit, Rangers, Canadiens, etc. There’s nothing on the official Kings store, so I find myself wondering why this doesn’t exist. All the material is there, someone just has to put it together on DVDs – it amazes me that the Kings aren’t trying to make money on this. There has to be a reason, maybe you could find out Rich? Luc is the president of business operations, so he might even be the right man to talk to :)

    Thanks!

  • KevinWestgarth

    MacSwede,

    DL and TM’s jobs are safe, as they should be. DL is the sole reason for this team’s present and future status looking quite bright. TM worked on the defensive aspect on the game, and now we will see a player like Kopi evolve into a two-way threat.

  • nykingfan

    Thanks for your hard work during the off-season. It’s the only thing us hardcore fans have to look forward to during this time of the year about hockey.

    What’s your take on the job the Lombardi has done this off-season?

    Obviously it is the off-season so nothing has played out other than on paper, but what’s your opinion on going after the type of players he got as opposed to teams like the Rangers who look only for the big name guys?

  • TB

    Rich…as always, your work is greatly appreciated.

    1. Have you ever seen that ridiculous guy who attends almost all the home games? He calls himself Rental Man, and I hate him. What do you think can be done to have the arena control this incredibly annoying dancing freak??? He ruins the game experience for everyone around him.

    2. I don’t know if anyone ever asked…but do you play hockey at all?

    3. Since its the offseason…I thought I’d go off-topic…what was the greatest sports moment you got to personally cover?

  • jet

    variable – thx, but wiki is where I read “Now, during welcome orientations, freshmen students living in dormitories in the vicinity of Peoples Park are warned to stay away for safety concerns, especially at night.” For 30K, I’d like to feel a little more comfortable.
    Sorry for the intrusion Rich, variable is my sole source.

  • Ethan

    Rich last season at least 13 games weren’t televised locally. Will this change? These days most teams televise all their games(Lakers, Dodgers and even Clippers) so why aren’t all the Kings games televised?

  • Tornado12

    Thanks Rich for everything,
    1) Were there/are there any plans to institute a fee for access to this site?
    2) Ive heard this question before, but dont remember an answer…do any kings players/management visit this site regularly, and if so, who are they?
    3) How does the screening process for posts work? Do you have to see every post before they can be shown?
    4) What do the little symbols after each sign-in name mean?
    some hockey questions-
    1)What grade would the give the Kings off-season thus far?
    2)What holes do see needing to be filled still?
    3)Any predictions for players that may surprise out of camp and make the roster?
    4)Why is Lewis “penciled” in for next year in most peoples minds? To me, he hasn’t proven himself at the NHL level yet?
    5)Do you see Hickey making it? If not, when do you see his window closing?
    You are awsome Rich, you and Helene Elliot are the only writers in this market that ever produce anything about the Kings worth reading!

  • Silence Dogood

    Would you discuss your views on the strengths, weaknesses and your expectations of the young forwards in the Kings organization such as Purcell, Simmonds, Moller, Lewis, Moulson, Schenn, Parse, Azevedo, Cliche, Roe, Dowd and/or anyone else who is presently a King property.

    Do you have a pick (or two or three) for “Most Likely to Break out” in 2009-10?

    Thank you for your stellar work. I check daily.

  • Rob

    Hi Rich,

    My question is regarding off-season workouts. I heard some stuff about Kopitar hitting the gym. Any info on any players packing on muscles to slap the on-comming checkers off of them ? Anybody we can expect to come back stronger ?

  • Brooklyn King

    Hi Rich,
    With Piskula and Bagnall having been recently qualified, and the movement of Quincey, can you see either getting the seventh d spot? Does this also mean that Drewiske has a spot to lose? Is there also any chance that we can set up a petition to rid ourselves of the third jersey logo?

    Thanks again for all you do for us.

  • Quisp

    (1) I just noticed that Parse, Clune and Cliche are missing from the prospect camp roster. Not surprised about Parse, but I am surprised about the other two. Is there an update to be had?

    (2) Hextall, somewhere in one of those interviews, said something about Richardson not working out, not being a good fit, something like that. Do you have any sense of his status?

    (3) How tall are you?

    (4) The Beatles catalogue will be released on 9-9-09 in stereo and mono. Will you be getting the stereo mixes, mono mixes, or both?

    (5) Which three Kings players or prospects are direct descendants of the original Gretzky trade?

  • 4thlinechecker

    Hammond,
    Do you think we could set something up where we can all get together, before a game or somthing? I am sure we would all like to buy you a beer to show our appreciation?

    I thought it was hilarious with all the rumors that we ended up with scuderi and smyth, because I never heard a hint of that at all. Did you have a good idea and just couldnt share?

    I love the trade,and signing, but I will miss Q. Do you like the Scuds signing? and do you like the Smyth trade?

    Do you see Brown giving up the C to smyth? Do you think smyth will at least get an A?

  • cheesehl

    Are the Kings done? Will we see any other additions?

    Do you think Purcell makes the team or is traded?

    How many other offers did the Avalanche get for Smyth?

    Did you have a good 4th of July?

  • Pumpernicholl

    Thank you for the open forum, Rich:

    Dean Lombardi said at the beginning of the summer that Anze Kopitar was “not even close” to being in the kind of shape one expects out of an elite athlete. Have you heard about any kind of different training approach that Kopitar may be taking this summer in response to Lombardi’s challenge?

    Also, do you get any impression that Lombardi may be already worrying about not getting his money’s worth for Kopitar’s large multi-year contract?

  • Luc20

    TB,
    couldn’t agree more with your comments on the dancing freak. what a friggin loser! and he does it at Ducks games too. i mean, what’s his incentive for doing that? they can’t be paying that clown, can they? disturbing.

    ps, love the Smyth deal and to DL: DON’T LET FRO WALK after the season. Make it happen. Can’t wait for October

  • Chris Bond

    Rich I wish I would have grouped my questions together but this is the last one.
    When the Kings land a big player you seem to get a interview before he is even in town how does this take place, I know you dont have the cell phone number of every NHL player so how do you get them on the phone so fast. Does someone from the Kings set it up and give you a phone number? How does it work?

  • deadmarsh

    Does anyone else besides me feel JMFJ wants to play for a “Winning” team like Detroit/Pens? If so what do you guys think of sending JMFJ, Frolov to the Pens for Stall? Also I also dont believe Kopi has earned his huge contract as of yet mostly because he produces just as much as Brown, the captain, for twice the money and seams to be twice as lazy. Has he ever even thrown a check? Finally as far as getting together and buying Rich a drink we should all get as many kings fans possible and go to a Ducks Kings game in Anaheim. Its always great to sit in Anahiem and hear the chant “Lets Go Kings”.

  • DP

    How do you see Manchester and Ontario shaping up to look like this coming season? Has Purcell fallen in the depth charts? What was the reaction from AEG and Kings personnel seeing the poll that listed the Kings as being one of the bottom ten teams in terms of fans voting for “Most Bang for your buck”? Who is the prospect to shoot up the charts this season?

  • drew

    At the end of last season you interviewed Lombardi where he said that making the playoffs next season was not a necessity. A month or so later he was interviewed (again by you, I believe) where he stated that he did believe that making the playoffs next season was important for the franchise. Obviously something radically changed for him to change his personal opinion 180 degrees, so did someone from AEG get his ear and remind him that to sell tickets the fans need to see some glimmer of hope toward a Cup in the near future starting with the first playoff berth since 2002?

    Also, why is Lombardi so fixated on modeling the Kings after the Flyers instead of another franchise like the Penguins or Red Wings that has actually won a championship in the past 30+ years?

  • drew

    Did DL have to get AEG’s permission to acquire Smyth since he earns more than minimum wage? If so, did he wait until AEG was distracted with the Jackson death to spring the deal on them for approval? Obviously Smyth has been available for awhile so I find the timing a tad curious.

  • danny

    Frolov Frolov Frolov.

    What is up with my man Frolov. Our leading goal scorer and in my opinion he was our best forward last season. Whats DL’s feeling on him? Do you get the feeling that DL is not very high on him and if so why do you think that is?

    Thanks

  • Jammer06

    Rich,
    How much do you follow the kings community activities? It seems they need more help getting the word out on some of them as I barely found out about the kings alumni camps this year. My cousin did do the beginner camp with DE and had a blast. Seems that it’s hard to find out about these things though and the website is very unweildy to get it. Is there a newsletter or something we can get on?

  • Orphios

    Rich,

    Our top 6 forwards are now Fro, Brown, Kopi, Stoll, Smyth, and Williams. Given this, do you feel Purcell has now lost his opportunity with the Kings. Also, with Smyth having some age and us giving up Quincy for him, do you feel DL is moving away a little from youth and looking for a more veteran team. Does Smyth’s cap # for 3 years prohibt us from retaining Frolov and, if so, was this a good move?

  • drew

    OK, one more before the boss catches me doing this instead of working. What would you do to market the Kings better, or is winning all that is needed to ignite the town? They seem to barely advertise, and I know Marketing head Chris McGowan always says they’re doing so much but I see so little evidence of this. Not that it was intentional, but for example the fact the Smyth deal went done on the evening of July 3 means it elicited as little publicity as humanly possible. Does not surprise me since the Kings still seem to think that marketing means picking up a loaf of bread and some milk at the store, but there seems to be so much room for improvement (starting with replacing those ancient player banners at TSC).

  • drew

    DL said at the recent state of the franchise that he and his staff are only as good as the players on the ice. Since the last 3 seasons the Kings have been relatively dreadful with bottom 10 finishes each time, what does this say about Lombardi and the others in management?

  • AK47

    I don’t know if these have been asked but..

    1) How much trust do you think DL and TM have in Trevor Lewis? I’m guessing they expect him to come into training camp and either take Derek Armstrong’s old position (4th line center) or Kyle Calder’s old position (3rd line winger).. Which do you think he’ll play Rich? Or do you think he’ll stay in Manchester?

    2) Is LA on the market for a gritty player, like Blair Betts, Taylor Pyatt, Travis Moen, Mark Bell.. Any guys that can play on the left side with Handzus and Simmonds..

    3) What are Teddy Purcell and Jack Johnson’s statuses? Do you personally think Jack will be a King next year and the years after that?

    4) Do you listen to the Wu-Tang Clan? or any rap/hip-hop music in general?

    5) Hypothetically, if we make the playoffs next year, are the Kings comfortable going in there with Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg? Both guys are unexperienced..

  • typicaljs

    52 comments in I’d be shocked if this question hasn’t been asked at least 10 times by now, and I apologize for being so lazy as to not read through to see how many times it’s been asked so I make sure not to. But could you please tell me how you think the third line will look come sept/oct. rich ? Or I guess who do you have on the third line with Handzus and Simmonds ? especially if you don’t see the kings picking up a UFA to fill that role.

    Again, I apologize for being probably at least the 5th person to ask that question and still asking.

  • NMKingsFan

    Quisp–
    I will try to answer your question #5, but I think I have an additional name. I didn’t look up any residuals from the Gretzky trade to St. Louis in ’96, there may be some from there.
    Original trade, Kings got Gretzky, Krushelnyski and McSorley. Krush didn’t really provide any residuals (traded for John McIntyre) except for that memorable floater goal over Vernon in the playoffs.
    McSorley though (in addition to Jari Kurri) gave us Mattias Norstrom and Norstrom begot a trade that would give us Johan Fransson(dunno if he is still with Kings)and draft picks that led to the selection of Tuebert, Simmonds and Wudrick. Very twisted trail involving many traded picks, but I think I got them right. Who did you have?

  • kluka68

    Rich, thanks a lot for everything you are doing for LA kings fans. I wonder if there is some kinda Hall of Fame for writers, you should be one of the candidates for sure ! Here is my questions:
    1.WIth Ryan Smyth trade do you acpect any other trade for star player next summer?
    2.Kinda stupid question but i was always wondering if NHL players have salary like us month to month or they just get paid during seson?

  • Mike

    If the Kings make significant progress this season ie into the playoffs or maybe winning a series do you think that TM will be the coach to take us to the next level. Im thinking that since Chicago seems to be our role model, and they sacked Savard for Quenville at the beginning of last year, do you see the Kings doing something similar?

  • darko25o

    Posting the prospective lines seems to be a popular practive of most on this list. I’m interested to see what your predictions are. Thanks Rich!

  • Peter

    What are we doing about a scorer? I seem to remember one of your posts stating that DL said something about July 11th. What is Kyle Calder’s status? What has the new trainer been doing with are “little” players (i.e. Moller and Simmonds)?

  • Bill

    Rich,

    Lombardi seems to be satisfied with the power play numbers he saw last year and it appears that Kompon is here for another year. I’ve been genuinely surprised by both. What is your opinion of the Kings’ PP and are you also a little surprised to see Kompon return? When you look at how many games the Kings were shut out last season, how many one goal losses they had and then see that for many of those the PP was 0-for, I don’t understand why Lombardi has given Kompon and the PP good reviews. I look at baseball for comparison. It’s not just how many home runs you hit, it’s how much impact did they have on the outcome of the game. A hitter that belts 40 HRs but only has 80 RBI’s isn’t doing as much for the team as a player that hits 35 but has 105 RBI.

  • Chris

    Hi Rich

    What were your thoughts on the Smyth trade? Do you think Smyth is worth the $6.2 mill he earns. Was there any rumblings of anyone else coming via trade? I know DL has his Philly connection, was there any truth to the Gagner or Hartnell rumors?

  • OneTimer

    Rich- I’m next to say a million thanks for all you do.

    Question: how much does Scuderi know about Doughty?

    Lemme rephrase that … Are you as looking forward to (as we are), of hearing Scuderi say into Daryl Evans interview microphone (after say the first 20 games of the season): “Wow … I had no idea this kid was this flippin’ good, this young.”

    Just curious? Thanks

  • Otto Ped

    Who if anyone will be replacing Quincy on the fan cruise later this month?

  • Pezeveng

    I’m always curious when the Kings trade for a new player, like recently with Smyth, you say “I’ll be able to get an interview with him by tomorrow.” I take it you don’t already have his contact information. How do you get a hold of a player if you’ve never been able to talk with him before? Do you contact the Kings and request that they give you Smyth’s information?

  • mcpuck

    Who do you think the leader is for the 2nd line center position? Handzus? Stoll? or someone who can produce scoring wise?

  • http://ravensmorelnad.com Raven

    What ae the Chances we trade for Kaberle now that Beauchemin has taken his place? it would replace Quincey’s production almost exactly.

  • Quisp

    NMKingsFan –

    YES! Only it was Moller, not Simmonds, who was selected with the Stars’ second round pick from the Norstrom deal. Teubert was selected with the 13th pick in 2008, which was acquired by trading Dallas’s 1st rounder (from norstrom trade) plus Cammy and then swapping with Buffalo to pick Teubert. Wudrick was had in trade for Modry, who came (back) to LA in the Norstrom trade. Actually, now that I think about it, the pick we got from Buffalo in the pick swap is the most recent descendant of the Gretzky trade. That pick was packaged with another pick to Calgary in order to move up and select DesLauriers.

    You’re right about Franssen (sp?), who I didn’t include because he’s off in Europe somewhere.

    Simmonds was selected with a pick acquired from Vancouver in the Sopel trade.

  • Deadmarsh

    Wow someone has the same screen name as me. Lame! :-{

  • Jimmy Crack Corn

    Do you think TM spoke to brother BM for insight about Heatley’s character (flaws) before pulling out of any reported trade dialogues or do you think they got word of the “red flags” through the media like everyone else? I think there’s quite a few GM’s that would be willing to forget about his negotiation tactics and take him on for 40-50 goals a season. How forgiving could DL be and for what price?

  • Jimmy Crack Corn

    Understanding that Smyth has made Heatley a mute point for the Kings, where do you see him landing? Are there GM’s that care more about stats and less about character?

  • jet

    JCC – a 7.2M per contract is near impossible to move in the new cap era. The stupid GMs were already identified and used. The couple of teams still with cap room want lotto selections next year. they will not bite. He is not moving and he is going to be miserable. Tambalenni was his best shot, seeing as heater played for him with Canada.

  • Datacloud

    Please answer if this hasn’t been brought up more than a couple of times:

    How is Drewiske not the 6th defenseman? I hear a lot of talk about another veteran d-man coming in to fill that spot. Granted, he played what, a quarter of a season, but he was the best defenseman on the team not named Doughty over that stretch. Poise, vision, intelligence – the kid has what it takes. What are your thoughts, and the thoughts of the KIngs’ organization on this? I think it’s his spot to lose. Anybody else coming in is purely insurance and our 7th guy.

    Then of course, there’s Harrold…

  • Quisp

    Datacloud –

    Scuderi/Doughty
    Johnson/Greene
    Drewiske/SOD
    Harrold

    as of now, right?

  • Derek Bargaehr

    Rich: Thanks for the dedication, enjoy your vacation! You make my work day much more interesting.

    1) I’m confused as to why Quick isn’t our No. 1 goaltender for ’09-’10 (at the very least tentatively, if not clearly) coming into this season. Granted, I didn’t get to watch every game, but nearly every game he gave the team a chance to win. He was nearly perfect when it came to breakaways and odd-man rushes (so many spectacular post-to-posts). To me, he’s the best thing that’s happened to the Kings in goal since…since…wow, it’s been a long time, huh?

    2) How do you see our third/fourth lines changing, if at all, this next season? What ‘personalities’ do you think TM will want out of those lines?

    3) What odds would you place on Simmonds putting up 30+ goals this year? I’m sorry, I love the kid, and I really hope he turns out to be our best surprise. He’s got grit, speed, and a great shot. I think if given the chance and experience in the upper lines he can be a fantastic player. Any chance TM will give him a shot in the top 6 for a while?

    4) Is there any truth to this ‘sophomore slump’ rubbish I hear tossed about? With folks like Simmonds, Doughty, and Quick coming into their second year, it vaguely worries me, like that spicy burrito you eat before a long drive.

  • JT Snow

    Rich, does it scare you with such young players on our team that need to be developed from a fitness perspective consistently and properly, that the strength coach was fired in the offseason, or simply let go? Players like Doughty, Moller, Simmonds are very young and need to properly exercise with clear goals in mind over these months. Another player like Purcell, needs to gain weight but his body type needs to be examined and scrutinized by the strength staff to properly put weight on him, he is 23-24 and needs 20+ lbs. What are your thoughts? If I was going to fire the strength coach I would have done it prior to the end of the season so as to not lose one second of time for the new guy coming in…

  • lordstanleyscup

    Rich,

    Terrific job as always. Hope I got these few questions submitted in time:

    1) Do you know who the other two teams with exclusive negotiating rights for Hossa were? What was the compensation going to be? My presumption is that the Blackhawks were not one of them as they did not have to give up anything after signing him.
    2) As a loyal fan, I hope for the best and can appreciate Lombardi’s openness with his plan over the past few years. Still, in analyzing his process, do you or has he even mentioned to you any potential shortcomings to his plan that will not allow the Kings to be a consistent winner (Injuries not withstanding).
    3) A little crystal balling…in 2-3 years Stoll, Williams, Smyth, and Handzus contracts are up (as well as Frolov this year). Obviously, there is free agency, but who are the current prospects that can fill some of those top six vacancies? In my mind Schenn, Loktionov, and Moller, maybe. Kinda of thin on talent, no?

  • Krystoff

    Why would Kings management bring in a player like Scuderi (stay at home defenseman with little offensive upside) at an inflated rate when the problem, quite obviously, is scoring goals?
    Likewise, how does an aging (33) Ryan Smyth, at over 6 million per season, fit into these plans of building through the draft and going young?
    This is not a knock on either player, but it doesn’t really jive with what we’ve been hearing from management, does it?
    Can you draw any parallels to Lombardi’s brief tenure in San Jose?

  • zamboni

    What do you think about Brayden Schenn? With who was left at #5 do you think he was the right choice, or would you have rather them go with MSP? Also, when do you think he will be up with the Kings? I remember you saying definitely not next year, but do you think we’ll have to wait 4 years like we are with Hickey? If the Leafs drafted Schenn(Brayden, of course)do you think he’d be in the NHL this year?

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