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A quick interview with Dean Lombardi...

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Question: How did this one come together?

LOMBARDI: ``We were trying to avoid what happened last year with Orpik. It was the exact same situation. With Orpik last year, we knew what Pittsburgh offered, and we made our offer but the (current team) is always going to get the last chance, and they got him. In this case, we found out what Pittsburgh was offered and we knew we just had to blow them out of the water. When you're talking about offers, it's not just the money. It's cost of living in L.A. and it's taxes. If you're offering $500,000 more, it's really not that much when you look at everything. So we knew we had to blow Pittsburgh out of the water, but we wanted this guy. He has a ring and there are no questions at all about his character.''

Question: Where do you see him fitting in with the guys already here?

LOMBARDI: ``He's a steady guy who can go with Doughty and a steady guy that can go with Johnson. We like the guys we have, the Quinceys and the Greenes, but the real steady guys I've got are the ones that are coming up through the system now. I didn't want to have to play those kids right away. I wanted another guy with experience, and now I can put all of those kids in the minors for a year and I've got a guy with a ring. Now hopefully I don't have to go back into that (free-agent) market for a while looking for guys (on defense).''

Question: Looking at the roster, it would seem that you have six NHL-ready defensemen. Is there a chance one of the kids could still jump out at you?

LOMBARDI: ``Sure there's a chance, but there's also a question of how the money might even out. It's a huge price to pay to break a kid in at this level. You get him in, then he maybe has one good year and then, boom, he's asking for (a big contract). When you build depth, you try to do it the way Detroit did with (Jonathan) Ericsson, and bring them along slowly. Let's say Hickey comes in and lights it up in training camp. OK, that's a good problem to have, but in the long run, if you can wait until your guys are completely ready, you hopefully end up like Detroit. It gets tough when you have a situation like we had with Moller. He has a great camp and we take him, but he's not really a man yet. I hate to do that, so this (Scuderi signing) helps us.''

OK, here are all the quotes from tonight's interview with Dean Lombardi. I typed fast, so excuse any typos. The only thing to add is that I asked Lombardi if he had any talks with agent Don Meehan about Alexander Frolov, and Lombardi said those would take place after the free-agency stuff sorts out a little more.

Hope you enjoy the quotes...

OK, this should be the end of the interview. I hope everyone found it interesting and informative. Obviously, I couldn't ask every question, and I know there are a lot of specific questions that people want answered, but hopefully from the long answers, you'll see why I asked the type of questions I did. A lot of the draft/prospect related questions can be asked at the end of the season, and the period leading up to the draft and free agency. For now, I'm going to rest my hands.

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Question: In your opinion, which Kings player has had the most surprising season?

LOMBARDI: ``I think you'd have to say that any time an 18-year-old comes in plays that type of minutes with that much poise... As much as I like this kid (Doughty), I don't know if I've seen this before, at this age.''

Question: On one of your teams, or ever?

LOMBARDI: ``On any team. Ray Bourque, I saw him break in. I'm not saying he's Ray Bourque, but he's not out of place. The funny thing is, I thought his worst game was against the Islanders, the one we just played. That was his worst game, by far. And it was kind of weird, because he has raised the bar so high with his play. Now, when he has a game that might be considered an average game for a 19-year-old, it sticks out like, `That was awful.' But if he had thrown you that back in October, when he was just breaking in, you would say, `Well, that's a 19-year-old.'

Question: You're going to the GM meetings in a couple weeks, and fighting will be a topic of discussion. When it comes up, what will you say?

LOMBARDI: ``I'm absolutely, positively against taking fighting out of the game.''

Question: Are you in favor of any of these reforms, or anything?

LOMBARDI: ``I'm OK with the idea that the helmet stays on.''

Question: What about the idea that you need to get rid of the ``staged'' fights?

LOMBARDI: ``What's a staged fight? I don't know what that means. Is that when somebody starts talking tough to one of our skill guys and our guy says, `You want to talk to me?' and they fight? Is that staged? I think it's answering the bell, and saying, `Quit screwing around with our guys.' What's staged? So (Evgeni Artyukhin) runs Doughty and we go after Artyukhin, is that staged?

Question: Going back to Michael Cammalleri. He's on pace to be a 40-goal scorer with Calgary. When you look back at how that played out, is there any part of you that wishes it could have played out differently, or was it just inevitable?

LOMBARDI: ``It doesn't surprise me that he's scoring up there. We had to make a conscious decision, based on the type of culture we wanted here, the type of player I wanted to use to set the identity of this franchise and, thirdly, signability. We answered those questions. Am I surprised that he's on a 40-goal pace, up there in his contract year with Iginla? We all know the kid can score goals.

``I wasn't trading a 20-goal scorer. I was a little surprised I didn't get a little more action on him, but I think the reason was that he's a one-year asset, to any team we were talking to. They didn't want to inherit the same problem I was having. Now Calgary's got that issue right now. It's like a double-edged sword. I don't think it's any secret where he really wants to go, so what do I want that problem for?''

Question: Coming into training camp, there were a handful of guys who you pretty much said had earned a spot on the team...

LOMBARDI: ``That they had a job to lose. That was the point. They had paid their dues enough, and it was, `We've got a box open for you. You're not boxed in by the fact that there's a veteran there, and that you can play your (butt) off and not get a job.' Generally, that happens a lot with young players. I thought those three guys had paid their dues and did a good job in the minors and did what they were asked in the summer. `There's the box. Grab it, but we're not giving it to you. You've got to grab it. Moulson did early.''

Question: Are we talking about three guys or four? Boyle, Purcell and Moulson, and I thought Harrold was on that list too...

LOMBARDI: ``OK, we had Harrold in there too. Moulson was the guy who looked really good at the beginning. Harry was the guy I knew -- well, I shouldn't say I knew -- but Harry's competitiveness is off the charts. Harry, like, forces you to find a spot for him. When I talked about three guys, I was thinking of the forwards, because Harry didn't really surprise me. Harry always gave you the sense that once it was there for the taking, he would take it. That's just the way he plays. So then, of the four, he's the only one who really grabbed it, in my mind.''

Question: What does that say for the other three?

LOMBARDI: ``Well, they got beat out by two 19-year-olds, frankly. Moller and Simmonds. What was told to them, when they were up here, is, `You're not hard enough.' In the battle areas, they weren't good enough. One of the things that happens -- and this is the hard part -- is they can still get their points in the minors.

Question: Jack Johnson, another restricted free agent situation...

LOMBARDI: ``We're working on that now.''

Question: Is it going be a Kopitar situation or an O'Sullivan situation, in terms of how difficult negotiations will be?

LOMBARDI: ``Well, number one, we don't have to worry about losing him. We're not worried about that. His issue, to me, is finding the right number. Here's the problem, which is what we're all struggling with now. There's the economy, and the issue of the cap coming down. I think it's fairly safe to say that it's going to come down a bit this year, but what we're hearing is that the true impact of what's happening out there, in terms of the sponsorship dollars, is not going to be felt until the year after.

``So that's the real rub, and it's hard. That drives me crazy, because this situation probably penalizes a team like us, that is building this way, more than others, because we have to make projections. We have to make projections, and I don't know what the budget is going to be. That's based on the cap, so it's pretty friggin' hard. That, to me, is going to be as big an issue as the contract. We'll figure it out, but it's frustrating.

Question: Jonathan Quick is here and doing well. If you would have asked for predictions, as to which young goalie would be here having success, they probably would have said Bernier...

LOMBARDI: ``Not here. You didn't hear that from me. I told you, Quick is underestimated. You didn't hear that from the hockey people. The point was, let it play out. People forget, too, that Quick is a little older, because he did two years of college. It's real hard (to make the jump from junior). Mason has done it, but that's an aberration, in the way young goaltenders come along.

``Nabokov, Kiprusoff and Toskala. I've said it before. Warren Strelow (former Sharks goalie coach) had those goalies. (He said,) `Don't evaluate them. Make them better every day.' Don't go around saying, `Bernier is going to be our No. 1,' because we don't know. I remember (Strelow) standing up...he had all that experience and we were sitting around in our goaltending meeting talking. He said, `It doesn't matter. Don't be making predictions. We don't know. We don't know how mentally tough they are. It's our job to make them better every day.' And we hit on all three of those guys.

Question: You talk about the team's ``core'' a lot, and many people have picked up on the fact that you usually don't mention Frolov as part of that core. Is that on purpose? Are you anticipating contract difficulties there?

LOMBARDI: ``It depends on what you define as your core. Here's the thing, and I've said this to Fro so I can say it publicly. I think we all see that he's got a lot of ability. I go back to the fact that if he had grown up in the Detroit environment, where winning was expected, and hadn't gone six years of his career without a playoff game, would he be further along in terms of being that core player who understands the importance of winning and being a teammate?

``This is one thing I've always said, in defense of these kids, like him and Brown. They've got to figure it out on their own, versus `pass the torch,' so to speak. That's what Detroit is able to do. If Datsyuk had grown up (playing) in Florida, is he the same player? There's a reason he was not a top pick, and part of it was (willingness to) come to play every night and win. But he goes to Detroit and he is broken in right. If he's in Florida, who knows?

Question: You've built up quite a stable of young talent, particularly on the back end, and a lot of draft picks. You know you're not going to be able to keep all of these guys forever. What's the process like of determining who your ``must-keep'' players are? Is most of it scouting? Is some of it just guess-work?

LOMBARDI: ``It's a lot more fun than being where I was 24 months ago, I can tell you that. It's a nice process to have. What's that process like? Again, you never know. You do the first part, and determine which boxes you need to fill and what you need. You're always evaluating. You have guys you talk about, who you know you won't trade.

``What good teams do when they make deals, and this is why you don't see a lot of deals right now, it's hard to fill a hole and not create a hole. That's why you don't see a lot of trades, because there are a lot of issues with the cap and cash. It still comes down to making a good deal, but not a lot of teams can do that.

Question: Since you started here, you've been all about the ``boxes'' and trying to fill roster spots. Are you getting closer to filling them completely, and has that board changed significantly in the last year?

LOMBARDI: ``No question, just because of the back end. In 24 months, it has completely changed. You've got four guys who are (age) 25 or under and who can hold down those boxes for a long time. That's a radical change from Sopel, Norstrom and Blake, that crew. Aaron Miller. Do you know how agonizing that is? `OK, we have to have a bridge here.' `This kid isn't ready.'

Question: You're on pace for 85 points, which would be a 14-point improvement over last season. In the past, you defined ``success'' largely by how well you could build the reserve list and develop young players. At what point do you start measuring success based primarily on wins and losses?

LOMBARDI: ``I think we're starting with that. If you look at Saturday's game -- and (Ron Hextall) said this and he has been in enough of them -- that was the first game in which the two points were critical. When, in the last three years, have we had a game when we needed those two points? Now, this year we've had what you might call critical games, in terms of how we responded.

``Like the Calgary game. We get blown out and go into Edmonton. But it wasn't so much the two points there, it was getting a feel for the character of your team. How good are you? What's the makeup and character of your team? They responded in Edmonton. After Montreal...we started that road trip and we got screwed. And we're at the beginning of the road trip. It's an awful schedule, because we have to fly in the day before and play in the afternoon. We should have got two points out of that. Then we've got to go to Ottawa, and we've got to find a way. We weren't that great in Ottawa, but it was pretty good and we got the points and got out of there.

``But there have been a lot of games here where...I talk about building a soul and a culture. I look for little signs of that, as this is coming together. What I see in the room after the Islanders game...that was the first game we had where we expected to win. That's the other thing that happens. Which games have we had where we went into a building and said, `We know we're the better team, now go out there and win the game'? Every game this year, it's been...we don't know how good we are. That's one of the things about a young team.

Question: Can you give people a general sense of what this month is like, leading up to the deadline? How many GMs will you talk to in an average week?

LOMBARDI: ``You know what? You'll take your list, and it's almost like a funnel effect. First of all, your due diligence requires you to do your job properly and talk to every team. Generally -- you see the pro scouts in here right now, and they've been here the last four days -- you try to see a match. The one thing that's different for us now is, before we were clearly sellers and looking for draft picks. Those are easier deals, whether it's Brad Stuart or Rob Blake or all those guys that we had on the market when we were trying to acquire draft picks. Those calls are, `OK, what are you looking for? And here's the price.' So you were able to set up a framework.

``We're not in that situation now. We're the youngest team in the league, so I don't have a lot of those veteran guys. So that part of the trade deadline is very different. To me, that's one of those things that, when you're looking for progress, that indicates progress. The bridges are gone, and you've got a lot of players that you're trying to build with, and you don't have a lot of those guys. That's progress. It's one of those intangible things, because you know your reserve list is getting stronger and you're heading in the right direction.

Question: The terms ``buyer'' and ``seller'' are easy to throw around, but they don't necessarily describe what's happening before the deadline. Would you say, in terms of talking to GMs, that you're an aggressor, or that you're taking more calls than you're making?

LOMBARDI: ``The problem is that everyone is still in it. There aren't many sellers, period. There are a few out there that are fairly obvious, but not a lot. Nobody in our conference is out of it, and you've got a few in the East. Things can shake out a little more as you get to the deadline. Some people might realize, `You know, instead of holding this middle ground, we have to rebuild.'

``So a team that's technically not out of the playoffs might just face reality (and say), `We're never going to be any good,' and stop trying to get stuck in the middle. So they wouldn't be your classic `seller,' in the sense that they're out of the playoffs, but there are two things that are different. One, they realize that they have to go back to the draft table and basically rebuild, and/or they're concerned about the cap coming down. So you might run into a little of that.

``People might say, `Screw it. It's not worth it to stay in the playoff race, or give the illusion of staying in it. Let's see if we can get some of this cash out of here.' I don't have any evidence of that yet, but if you're trying to think about the marketplace, I can see that entering into the equation. Again, I have no evidence of that just yet. It's just my instincts and some of the chatter, that it might happen.''

OK, here's the start of the massive Dean Lombardi interview. I don't know if I've ever done an interview with anyone that lasted this long, so hopefully you'll find it worth the time. Some answers are (much) longer than others, but I'll break it up into the 13 areas/questions that we covered. I'll put the first part here, and then you can click to read the entire answer. The early part of the interview focuses on the trade deadline and things that might happen in the short term, then we get more specific.

Funny thing...while Lombardi was talking about trades, a GM called his office phone. My friends up north will be surprised and saddened to know that it wasn't Ottawa. But Lombardi actually turned off his Blackberry while we talked, which was a classy and courteous move. Anyway, here's the start of it. Pace yourselves.

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Question: You're still very much in the playoff race. As the trade deadline approaches, will you make decisions based strictly on long-term planning, or will you factor in where the team is in the standings?

LOMBARDI: ``The problem with answering that is that there's no set formula. It would depend on the price. Ideally, what's a home run to you? When you get a guy who helps now and fits long term, right? So obviously if it fits long term, you're probably willing to pay more of a price, in terms of futures, what most people would want. So that would be your ideal thing. You get a guy at the deadline who fits now and fits with you for the next two, three, four years and continues to grow with this team. So that's your short- and long-term one. That's your ideal. That's the one you pay the most for.

As part of the feature story on Dustin Brown, I talked to Dean Lombardi to get his thoughts on Brown. The question came up a few days ago about who selects the captains. It's up to team management. Coaches can seek input from players, and there's certainly a lot of talking involved, but in the end, it's up to the coaching staff. Lombardi has seen Brown for two full seasons now, so here you can read his thoughts about the development of the Kings' new captain...

Here's what Terry Murray had to say about his attempts to identify team leaders, plus when the Kings might make their first and second round of cuts...

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Question: You have talked about establishing a leadership group in training camp. Do you see that coming together?

MURRAY: ``The leadership group is starting to show. They're starting to step up and do the things that you like to see, as a new coach coming in, setting the example on the ice by jumping to the front of the line with the execution of the drills, the tempo that they're executing the drills at, and in the locker room. The veteran guys, just in their preparation around the younger players and coming out mentally ready to practice, is a great way of establishing themselves to me, as a new coach. I'm watching it very closely. I think this is a critical thing, a critical decision for the organization to make as we get to the end of the training camp.''

Question: Are you expecting cuts after the games?

MURRAY: ``We're planning, and again everything was just penciled in going back to two or three weeks ago, to make some changes, to cut numbers back with the junior players in particular. Then as we get through the game next weekend at Las Vegas, we'll come back and make a hard decision on a pretty significant group of guys.

Upon his hiring, one of the first things Terry Murray talked about was sitting down with Chad Smith, the Kings' strength and conditioning coach, to discuss how players could be in the best possible physical condition. Here, Murray talks about the importance of the issue...

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Question: You talked, early on, about the importance of fitness. How is that working out, and do you have any specific ideas about what you'd like to see from guys?

MURRAY: ``Fitness, to me, is... I put great value in it. In order to play today's game, with the skating requirements, with the ice that's available, with the restrictions that are put on the hooking and the holding that weren't there before the lockout, you've got to be able to get around the ice. If one player is attacking with his speed, the support in this game today is critical. You need to have close, 10-15 foot support, so that means five players up the ice, five players back on the defensive side of things. That requires a lot of work. So we're looking at high-level intensity, a lot of work, a lot of battling.

``Goal scoring is very hard today. The checking schemes that are out there are very sophisticated. They're all back to `home plate' and you really have to dig in and pay a hard price in one-on-one situations. It becomes very hard and it takes a great physical conditioning level to be able to be a goal scorer today. So that's why we're doing a lot of the skating. I know players come into camp in good shape. but we're trying to get it to the next level as quickly as possible. It's a primary issue with me, all the time, the physical conditioning side of it.''

Here's what Terry Murray had to say about the start of the preseason schedule. Murray will be at Staples Center tonight to coach half of the team, and Mark Hardy and Jamie Kompon are in Kansas City with the other group.

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Question: Are you ready for preseason games, or does it feel too soon?

MURRAY: `` I think we're ready to get going with some games. You get three days on the ice with the players and they get excited about the games coming up and they want to start to play. The practices can sometimes be getting a little long for some of the veteran players, so the sooner we get out and play some games, the better.''

Question: Is this a good situation for you, since this is your first look at the young players?

MURRAY: ``And the first look at all the players, as a part of this hockey club. I know a couple of the guys who were a part of the Flyers organization in the past. Even a player like Matt Greene, coming from Edmonton, I really don't know him very well, so I am coming into this with open eyes, and if you want to call it a new look, a fresh look. It's a fresh opportunity for all the players to go out and try to impress a new coaching staff and show us what they are capable of doing, to grab some open positions.

``There are positions on this hockey club that are available, and that's where the games will mean a lot. We're really looking forward to, once we get through the two games (today), to get into a routine of playing one game, and then have a couple days of practice. You can really get a lot more accomplished that way and the players are able to show what they do bring to the table.''

Those of you who have been to practice have no doubt noticed the five black dots that are spray-painted in front of each goal. Terry Murray explains what they're all about...

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``They're kind of a reference point, for where the players are supposed to be, taking care of `home plate' to eliminate some of the grade-one scoring chances that I saw as I watched video of last year's games. That's a priority coming into this training camp. ... The dots are a reference point, for when the puck is coming in to your defensive zone. You're coming back to what I call `home plate' in positioning. You want to be that tight. The prime scoring area is right there in front of your net, below the hash marks. That's where we have to have proper positioning, to protect and help our goaltending out. As the puck is moved to different parts of the ice, below the goal line, there's a slight adjustment for each player to make. The dots are the positions that they need to read right now, and as we move forward they will become instinctive and that will be a part of their game from this point on.''

Terry Murray was asked about team leadership...

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Question: Have you thought about a team captain?

MURRAY: The captaincy and the alternates, I think I'll just take my time on that. I think the 22 days of training camp are really important for me to see how that's going to unfol, who's going to step up in critical situations in the eight exhbition games that we have. And then sit down with people in the organization, not only the coaching staff but with management upstairs and make the decision. I do want a captain and I do want two alternate captains. I want to stay with those three people. I don't want to rotate. I really feel that that's important for an organization to make that kind of a decision, that we know what we're doing, we know the people we want to lead us. When the time comes, we'll have that sense and we'll make the right decision.

Here's what Terry Murray said about the absence of Patrick O'Sullivan, who is still away from camp as the Kings try to work out a contract...

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Question: O'Sullivan is supposed to be a big part of your team. The fact that he's not here, does that impact the way you prepare at all?

MURRAY: You know, quite honestly I don't know what I'm missing, because I don't know him yet. I've watched a little bit of video from last year's games, so I have a little sense of what he is and what he offers, but it's the business today, and it gives other players a great opportunity, guys who have played in Manchester, to come in and show us what they can do. They're going to get opportunities in a game that they probably might not have (otherwise), so take advantage of it.

Here's what Terry Murray had to say about his goalie situation, and the fact that he has eight (eight!) goalies in camp...

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Question: Have you ever, as a coach, had eight goalies in camp before?

MURRAY: You know, I don't think I have ever had eight goalies in camp before. It works good. We have four teams, so each one gets a break and each one gets an opportunity to get their work done. It's great to have that kind of competition, not only for the big club but for the American League team, Manchester. It's healthy, it's good, it pushes people to another level.

Question: Have you thought about how you will manage them in all the preseason games?

MURRAY: I haven't really got a handle on that yet. I'm going to have to spend some time with Bill Ranford, to get some feedback from him. The two NHL games in one day, certainly you're going to get four guys playing right away. I don't know if all eight are deserving of the chance to play in an NHL game. I still have to see that and figure that out. With the help of the other coaches, we'll make the right decision on that.

OK, as promised, Lombardi called back, and now I have much more detail on the situation with Patrick O'Sullivan. First...I wrote this in a deliberately vague way before, because I wasn't certain of the facts, but O'Sullivan is NOT ``holding out,'' or any variation of the term. The Kings have requested that he not attend training camp until a deal is done. Lombardi explains, in the interview, why that's the case. Second, when asked directly for an update on the contract negotiations, Lombardi said, ``We're not very close. That's the truth.'' Here's the entire interview...

Here's an interview from a couple days ago with Terry Murray, discussing some of the happenings at the rookie camp and what he expects from some of these young players...

To wrap things up, Terry Murray talks about the importance of forechecking and also sums up some of his general thoughts about team play. He gets very detailed at one point about forechecking, neutral-zone play, etc. I hope everyone found the details of the GM breakfast helpful. Here's the last part...

Here, Terry Murray talks about his offensive philosophies, and his thoughts on how the Kings can be a higher-scoring team and be tougher at the same time...

Finishing up the stuff from the GM breakfast, Terry Murray gave a long answer regarding his philosophies and how the Kings will play under his command. To simplify things, I've decided to break it into three parts: defense, offense and forechecking. First, here's what Murray had to say about the importance of establishing a strong defense, which was his major theme throughout the breakfast...

Lombardi was asked a question about his labeling of certain players as ``bridge'' players and, essentially, whether he risked marginalizing those players by indicating that they weren't really a part of the team's future. Lombardi spent the first part of his answer trying to identify whether any of the current Kings fit that description, then tried to clarify what he means when he talks about ``bridge'' players...

Here's what Terry Murray had to say about how he plans to help develop the Kings' young defensemen...

MURRAY: Mark Hardy is now back with the L.A. Kings, working with us. He was a defenseman for years and a good coach. It's now our job, to work with the young guys, develop their individual skillS, through small groups on the ice, video sessions, communication and small-group meetings, and to put that team in place. One thing they need to know... If you're going to be a good defenseman in this league, you can only play as well as the team structure that's in place.

You have to have help from your forwards. It takes five guys on the ice, six guys with the goalie, to play well in the defensive part of the game. That's the plan and that's the style that we have to have in place. That's the philosophy that we have to have all these young guys and the veterans buy into, that they're going to play hard for each other. When that foundation is there, then you see the young guys, their true talent and their abilities will start to come out. Then you'll see much better hockey players, individually, as the season goes on, because of the structure that's going to be laid down in training camp.

This is the answer that I alluded to the other day, in which Lombardi was asked to evaluate himself and gave a long and winding answer. It might be a bit difficult to follow at times, but I thought people would be interested in the response, since I believe it's the first time Lombardi has ever talked publicly about things he would have done differently...

A question was asked about the Visnovsky trade, and why the Kings dealt Visnovsky so quickly after seemingly designating him as a ``franchise player'' going forward. For the first part of his answer, Lombardi went to his age-distribution chart and talked the fans through his opinion of why the trade made sense, from a standpoint of making the defense younger. He also spoke about the financial side of the deal and Hextall talked about why he felt the trade made sense from an on-ice standpoint...

Back to one of everyone's favorite subjects, here's what Jeff Solomon and Dean Lombardi had to say about the Patrick O'Sullivan contract negotiations. Funny thing is, they actually begged for a question for Solomon, since apparently none where asked of him at a similar event last summer. He had to figure this one was coming... In this answer, Solomon goes into some specifics about how negotiations like these can get complicated, and Lombardi gives another impassioned ``warning'' to rival GMs who might try to poach the Kings' restricted free agents in the future. After Lombardi finished, Bob Miller, always ready with the straight line, said, ``Thank you, Clint.'' You'll understand when you read the end of Lombardi's answer...

Terry Murray was asked about the schedule and the fact that the Kings have so many home games at the beginning and so many road games at the end. He said, in part, ``I don't know anything about scheduling; I just coach. ... I know that if you finish low in the standings, you're going to get a crappy schedule. That's well known throughout the game and throughout sports, I think. We have to ignore what the schedule is. ... Our goal is to win every game. That's how we have to approach the season. We're going to battle and be the best we can be every night.'' Noting that games typically get tougher after the all-star break, Murray said, ``We just have to deal with it and not worry about what building we're in.''

Another popular topic of discussion has been the presumed need for the Kings to get bigger and tougher on defense. In this answer, Lombardi discusses the need to improve in that area and talks about how the Kings are starting to accomplish it. He also his describes his model for defensive success, the one put together by the Dallas Stars, and talks about how the Kings' version is starting to take form.

Kicking off some of the Q&A, here's what Dean Lombardi had to say about who he thinks will be the teams to beat in the Western Conference, and who is primarily on the Kings' radar...

OK, here's the final part of the Terry Murray interview. In this last part, Murray talks about his evolution as a coach and how he might have changed over the years.

Hope everyone found the interview worthwhile... I'm sure there will be another long-form interview with Dean Lombardi before the start of training camp, and once players start arriving there will be some Q&As with them as well.

Here's the last part of the Murray interview...

Terry Murray talks here about his new coaches, assistants Mark Hardy, Jamie Kompon and Nelson Emerson and goaltending coach Bill Ranford, why he picked them and how they might work together...

I thought it might be interesting to ask Terry Murray what attributes he considered most important in his players. You probably won't consider his answer to be anything surprising or groundbreaking, but it does give some insight into what type of player might thrive in the new Murray system...

Who made Terry Murray the coach that he is today? In this part of the interview, Murray talks about his coaching mentors, the men who helped shape him and influence his coaching philosophies today. The list includes a former NHL head coach, a former NHL assistant coach and a family member...

Here, Terry Murray talks about the balance between pushing his young players to win without breaking their spirits. He outlines how he intends to deal with young players on a day-to-day basis and how he thinks he can best help them improve...

Picking up from yesterday, here on Terry Murray's thoughts on goaltending, particularly on whether he thinks it's important to establish a No. 1 goalie in training camp and how he feels, in general, about playing young goalies...

I figured this question/answer was worth its own post because it might generate some discussion. This is where Terry Murray talks about how he would like to see the team play, and I think a good percentage of you will like the answer.

I've only transcribed about 30 of the 50 minutes, so there's plenty more to come, resuming in the morning. Here's the last part for tonight...

Toughness seemed to be an area of great concerned in terms of the Kings, and Terry Murray talks about it here, in terms of his emphasis on having a well-conditioned team and the importance of having a team that doesn't allow itself to get pushed around. Here's what Murray had to say...

Terry Murray talks here about the number of young players expected to be a part of the Kings' plans this season, specifically how he intends to evaluate them in training camp and the balance between holding them accountable but not being too tough on them...

Here, Terry Murray talks primarily about leadership, how he believes he can turn around the losing culture of the Kings, how he thinks he can help players develop and, perhaps most importantly, how he will go about selecting the team's captain and assistant captains...

In this part of the interview, Terry Murray talks about why he chose to pursue the Kings coaching job, one that Dean Lombardi has called the toughest in the league. Murray also talks about what his new players should expect from him when training camp begins next month...

OK, here's the first part of today's interview with Terry Murray, who was gracious with his time and sat down with me for well over an hour. I tried to incorporate as many reader questions/topics as possible, but understand that the questions that were very player-specific will be better answered after the first week of training camp or so.

We'll start off general here, with Murray talking about what his first month as Kings coach has been like...

I caught up with new Kings assistant coach Mark Hardy for a phone interview. Hardy had been in line to be coach of the AHL team in Rockford, Ill., but chose to join Terry Murray's staff with the Kings. Hardy spent parts of 11 seasons as a Kings defenseman and spent six seasons as a Kings assistant under Andy Murray. Here's the interview...

We had some blog server issues the other day but we're back up and running...

I talked to Jeff Solomon, who handles contract stuff as the Kings' director of hockey operations, about the two major remaining restricted free agents, Patrick O'Sullivan and Jarret Stoll. Nothing groundbreaking, other than that the re-signing of Stoll, in Solomon's view, is much closer to becoming a reality. As for O'Sullivan, this will hardly qualify as breaking news, but the issue continues to be what Solomon calls ``comps,'' or comparable players. The key is finding where exactly O'Sullivan fits, in terms of other players' age, statistics and salary. There's really no way to gauge ``progress.'' Talks are ongoing.

I also asked Solomon about the potential of signing Doughty and Teubert soon, and whether Tampa Bay's signing of Stamkos creates any type of ``domino'' effect in terms of draft picks signing. Given the fairly restrictive nature of entry-level contracts, it's not so much of an issue. A player such as a Stamkos will automatically get the maximum in terms of salary and bonus money, and the players drafted below will fall in line. Solomon said he has already had talks with Doughty's agent and will soon begin talks with Teubert's agent.

Finally, here's what Lombardi had to say about the controversy surrounding the Lubomir Visnovsky trade, particularly the allegations that Lombardi ``never called'' Visnovsky after the trade and essentially went back on his word to trade Visnovsky to a pre-approved team. Lombardi discusses both of these topics in detail.

Thanks again to everyone for the support today. We'll get back at it tomorrow, in what should be a very interesting day.

Here's the final quotes...

I asked Lombardi about the potential of signing Rob Blake and the fact that it didn't happen today...

``Part of the thing we're looking at there is getting the (defenseman) who fits across the board, like I said, then work on a number of other things. And we'll see if it works (with Blake) and if we can make it work financially for him as well as us. But we've got to keep the door open right now, in terms of getting a guy who fits not only this year but going forward.''

Then I asked about Patrick O'Sullivan, and whether the big money given to young players would have a negative impact on the Kings' ability to sign him...

``No, we had kind of adjusted for that, going in, when we did our projections. I don't think you can kid yourself. The one thing you learn early in your career is, you don't think, `Oh yeah, we can get him for this.' You put in your number, going across three or four years, and you make it realistic. I think the number we have is realistic. I guess the numbers you're talking about for the young players... I don't think a lot changed (for O'Sullivan). If you're talking about the top young guys, Patrick hasn't gone to that level. If you're talking about (Corey) Perry and (Jeff) Carter and those guys. If he takes another step, God bless him, but I don't think it's fair to say he's in that range.

``The one significant one that happened in the market today was probably (David) Backes, with that offer sheet. And part of the number you use, don't forget, depends on the term. We're in good position with him in terms of our rights. Then there's a number you'd lock him in at, but you're keeping an eye on the free-agent line. But I think our number is OK. I don't think anything really changed in the free-agent market that wasn't there. (Ryan) Getzlaf was already there, and some of those guys. The other thing is, a lot of these deals are done before July 1, but some of them aren't signed and announced. So some of them don't come down until today, but we knew what those numbers were, even before the draft.''

I asked if he was still confident that something could be done with O'Sullivan soon...

``Oh yeah, but I'll be honest with you. We just haven't grinded on that yet. After this free agency, I'll make Solly (Jeff Solomon) go to work. (laughs) And that includes the other (restricted free agents) too. Those things tend to drag out.''

I asked Lombardi about the salary-cap floor and how much of a problem -- if at all -- it might be getting to $40 million...

``No, it's not a problem for us in terms of the cap. I'm more looking at cash. Even when we're looking at the (defenseman) who can go across the line, I'm actually looking more at the cash, the next year and the year after. I think we're certainly set up with the cap space then. As far as the strict legalities of hitting the floor, don't forget that certain bonus money counts. So when Doughty signs -- and we have a couple other kids there too, such as Purcell and Johnson -- for purposes of the cap, their bonus money counts.''

I asked Lombardi about Brad Stuart, who signed in Detroit for four years at $3.75 million per year. I asked if he was concerned about giving Stuart a four-year contract...

``Certainly he was a guy we were very interested in. But that's a situation where he really liked that team there. So I think that's where he was leaning, and good for him. You want players who want to win. Obviously, Detroit, they've got it going. To be honest with you, the (four years) didn't scare us off. In all honesty, he was one of the guys we were looking at when we talk about guys who fit across the board.''

OK, here's the first part of the Lombardi interview from tonight, starting with his general impressions of how the day went and how it related to the Kings. Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion about the job Lombardi does, but you know a person has been working hard when he stops in the middle of a sentence and says, ``Is today Tuesday?'' We've all been there, right? So, here's the first part, with more to come...

OK, here we go... I'll transcribe the stuff in a bit, but I figured you would want to know the highlights ASAP...

-- There aren't any quotes on this subject, because I threw it in at the end, but a deal for Khabibulin is very, very, very, very -- I'd keep going, but I think you get the point -- unlikely. There's just not interest there right now, and I doubt that will change. The rumor had legs because it SEEMED to fit the loose parameters of what the Kings needed, but there's really nothing to it right now.

-- The Kings were right there on Brad Stuart, and apparently didn't have a problem with either the term or the money, but Stuart decided that he wanted to play for the Red Wings. To this, Lombardi basically tipped his hat and said, ``I can't blame him for that.''

-- Lombardi still has his eye on a defenseman who, in his words, fits with both the present and the future. He's not at liberty to name names, obviously, but I don't think it's hard to do some reading between the lines, right?

-- Rob Blake is still there as a strong possibility, and discussions are ongoing.

-- There are ongoing talks with Patrick O'Sullivan, and Lombardi isn't particularly concerned that the run of big contracts for young players will negatively impact his ability to sign O'Sullivan. Sounds as though it's something that won't get done tonight or tomorrow, but that it's not a huge roadblock.

-- There's no concern about the $40-million ``floor.'' There are still players to be signed and, as Lombardi pointed out, there are also bonuses that must be included. Jack Johnson has significant bonus money, as will Drew Doughty, when he signs. So while it might seem as though there's a big gap there, it will be filled quickly.

-- Lombardi spoke extensively about the Visnovsky situation and gave his side of the story, which included calling Visnovsky's agent immediately after the trade and attempting to call Visnovsky three times on Monday morning, and finally leaving a message on the third call. (It was pre-dawn in Slovakia when the trade went down here Sunday night.) As for the ``six-teams list,'' Lombardi said he told Visnovsky that he would do his best to accommodate his wishes but made no promises.

So those are the highlights. I'll get to work on the quotes, for those who want to burn the midnight oil with me. And thanks much for all the support and kind words. They keep me going on these long days. Much appreciated...

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.''

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.''

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...

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.''

As part of its coverage of the NHL draft combine, TSN did an interview with Dean Lombardi, during which he doesn't tip his hand about which direction he's leaning (although we all know it's a defenseman) and talks about a couple of the prospects in particular.

Lombardi on TSN.ca

Hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend. It's hard to beat sleeping in on a Monday morning. But to get back into the swing of things, here's an interview Don just did with Mark Morris, coach of the AHL Manchester Monarchs. In the interview, Mark gives some perspective on the season and what it's like to coach at the highest minor-league level. It's another great interview by Don with an interesting subject...

Here's the third and final installment of the question-and-answer session from last night. Hopefully I did an adequate job of proving y'all with the major points addressed. And given that two-thirds of those who have voted in the poll say they don't care that the Kings are losing money, it seems that Chris McGowan, for the most part, was correct...

Here's the second part of the event from last night, broken down to give you some highlights of the questions asked and answered. I'll have one more after this...

I'll do my best here to give the high points (or low points, depending upon how you look at it) of the Kings' season-ticket-holder ``roundtable'' event from last night. If you have any follow-up questions, fire away, but I'll try to give a good summation of the questions and answers from the event. The participants in this event were assistant general manager Ron Hextall, chief marketing officer Chris McGowan and team president Luc Robitaille. Here's the first part of it...

Just got back a bit ago from the event. A very interesting night. Quite a few verbal grenades lobbed at assistant general manager Ron Hextall, chief marketing officer Chris McGowan and team president Luc Robitaille -- most of them directed toward the first two -- but they hung fairly tough and did a decent job of appeasing the crowd. Hextall, for not having a ton of management experience, seems very comfortable in these situations and isn't afraid to give frank answers, to the extent that he can without tampering and/or giving away closely guarded secrets. For those who might have been wondering, Dean Lombardi is out of town for some draft-related scouting.

So what did I learn tonight?

1) Lots of people are angry about parking-price increases. Lots of people. It's a huge issue, even more than the ticket-price increases. Most of the anger seems to be regarding Lot 8, which has increased from $20 to $30 per game. There was particular concern among the female fans, who expressed concern about walking to their parking lots, which are getting farther and farther away even as they're also getting more and more expensive. Not a lot of answers from the Kings folks on this one. They say they don't totally control the parking prices and that much of the problem comes from new construction taking the place of parking lots. That one got a lot of justified chuckles, because who's building the majority of those buildings? A fella by the name of Anschutz.

2) Fans don't care that the Kings are losing money. Fans didn't say that; Chris McGowan did, several times. They're done talking about the fact that they're losing money because, they say, the fans don't care. So either I've been way off base on the importance of this issue, or what I saw tonight was a real strong attempt at a Jedi Mind Trick.

3) There are some angry fans out there. And I'm not necessarily saying it's unjustified, but even people who were complementary of the Kings in some areas had some real stinging criticisms, in just about every area you can imagine. Parking prices, ticket prices, beer prices, price and selection of food, season-ticket representatives, time-share salesmen, free-agent signings, draft picks (including Thomas Hickey, a year later) and coaching. That's just off the top of my head. Again, I'm not saying all the questions -- or even most of them -- were unjustified, and there were a lot of strong questions as well, but I have to say that I underestimated how upset fans are.

There are so many other things. I took very detailed notes and starting tomorrow morning I'll go through and give you the highlights of the questions and answers. As I indicated before, Hextall gave the best answers, on topics ranging from acquiring a goalie (don't hold your breath), acquiring a defenseman (they will aggressively look to trade for a 30-or-under defenseman), Jonathan Bernier playing in L.A. next year (possible but far from certain), the re-signing of Patrick O'Sullivan (they're working on it), the buyout of Dan Cloutier (they're talking about it but haven't made a decision) and a bunch of other stuff. I'll get into more detail tomorrow morning...

Finally...the end. Here's the last part of the interview with Mark Yannetti and Michael Futa. It focuses mainly on where the organization stands now and where it's heading and (hopefully) will give you some idea of their vision for the future. I hope everyone found the interview worthwhile! Here's the last part...

OK, I thought this would be the final installment, but there's still another one to come. In this part, Michael Futa and Mark Yannetti discuss what it's like to work for Dean Lombardi and discuss how it can be both challenging and rewarding. It's a bit of an insight as to what it's like to work for the Kings these days...

In this third installment of the interview, Futa and Yannetti talk about preparing for all the different scenarios they might face on draft day, plus they discuss how there is a consensus, among the staff, about which player to select with the No. 2 pick...

Here's the second part of the interview with Mark Yannetti and Michael Futa, in which they start to go into some detail about what their lives are like these days, and how hectic the weeks leading up to the draft can be...

Here's the first part of the long interview I did on Saturday with Michael Futa and Mark Yannetti, the Kings' co-directors of amateur scouting. The interview took place after I sat in on their session, so you'll read a couple references to that morning's meeting.

For a little background, Futa and Yannetti were named to their roles on June 5, 2007, so this is really their first year overseeing the Kings' draft efforts.

Previously, Yannetti worked as a scout for the Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Futa spent the previous five seasons as the general manager of the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League.

What follows is the start of a lengthy, wide-ranging interview. As you'll see, it starts with a simple question but a long, involved answer in which the guys discuss their work and their philosophy. After this, the questions and answers will get more specific. Here's the first part...

Here's the last of it. It comes back to the financial problems, although I must issue a disclaimer. They talk about salaries going up, and at the time, sitting in that conference room, I didn't have access to the fact that the Kings' payroll has dropped significantly since 2004 (although it has raised slightly since 2003). So what follows might seem like something of an incomplete answer. You can be sure this topic won't just die out though...

I hope everyone found the quotes from this meeting worthwhile...

Resuming the quotes from the meeting last week... Maybe the most interesting thing, at the beginning, is Robitaille's quote about the Kings drafting a defenseman. That's certainly no shock to anyone, but it's the first time anyone in the organization has outright said that a defenseman is on the way. Beyond that, there's some talk about how to market this team, as it develops, and about the proper way to bring along the top prospects.

Someone asked, in a comment, about a follow-up question regarding the Kings losing money. That's coming, in the next and final installment of these quotes. For now, here's some stuff on the young talent...

Alec Martinez
Defenseman
DOB - 7-26-87
Stats:
Miami/Ohio (NCAA): 10 goals, 20 assists (30 points), 42 PIM (final 2008 stats)

Accolades: Named Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Best Defensive Defenseman for 2008.

From Inside College Hockey.com:

12/20/07: Martinez does it all -- he's an extremely reliable defender.

3/14/08: Martinez continually exudes a strong presence at both ends of the ice. The junior notched 26 points on seven goals and 19 assists, all while maintaining a gaudy +26 plus-minus rating that many blueliners sacrifice in exchange for those kind of offensive numbers.

Here's the big ``meat'' part of the ``meeting,'' in which the execs discuss how the ticket-price increases might help the on-ice product in the long term, and I discover that the franchise is losing MORE money than it was before we all endured the lockout. At the end, they discuss the plans for the new season-ticket holder website. Here's the next part of the interview...

Here we get more into the question-and-answer part of the meeting, in which the execs talk about why the price increases had to happen now, and if they're prepared for the inevitable backlash from the fans...

What follows here is a statement, really, from Kings chief marketing officer Chris McGowan, about the season-ticket price increases and what the organization is doing to make the increases more palatable. In future posts, we'll get around to talking about why the increases had to be done this summer, coming off a terrible season, and why they're important to the health of the organization. Here's the McGowan quotes...

The meeting I had at the Kings' offices Wednesday lasted more than two hours, and I want to share as much of it as possible, so I'm going through the process of transcribing quotes and sorting it all out. I'll share the first part now, which deals with the Kings' vision for the future and, specifically, why the fans should have faith that things are improving. Dean Lombardi and Luc Robitaille address the issue...

Here's the second (and last) part of Don's interview with Marc Crawford:

Kudos to Don Fulton for once again getting another great interview, this one with Kings coach Marc Crawford. Don asks some strong questions and gets some good answers. Here you go...

This is the last part of the Lombardi stuff I got a few days ago. To really understand this, you have to go back to last summer. Or, for those of you who were at the GM breakfast recently, you might have gotten a taste of this. Basically, it goes back to Lombardi's grand scheme for the future, in which he pencils in what he wants the Kings to look like, long-term. Players he thinks are going to be around a while (Kopitar, Brown, Johnson, Bernier, etc) are written into roles, some other players are projected and other spots are left open. Those spots, such as for a second-line center or a third-line winger, are what Lombardi refers to when he says he has ``boxes'' he needs to fill. So here's what he had to say, in regards to those boxes:

``When i look up and down, there's a few more boxes filled. Ideally. they're all homegrown players. There are still going to be some holes. Right now, Bernier and Quick are playing in Manchester. That's exiting. The one thing that shows up (as a negative) is the darn backend. That's a hard position to develop. That's why you take the swing at Hickey. It's thin down there. That's the only part where its like, `OK, at least I can see the forwards coming.'' I look at the D and there's too many open boxes. There are a couple kids in college I think are ready to turn pro but it's still an issue. Do i jump the gun and push a kid a little sooner? I'm not sure.

``We started with about 15 boxes open, then last year we were down to 12. Maybe now it's down to six or seven, but the problem is most of them are on the back end. It is still thin. When I go to Manchester, we have a couple guys who maybe get to that 5-6 (fifth or sixth defenseman) level, but I don't want to limit those kids. Unlike Purcell and Boyle at forward, we don't have anybody knocking on the door there.''

Here's Dean Lombardi, relating a recent incident that made him feel confident about the Kings' future. He said:

``Little things tell you you're headed in the right direction. When you're in this stage, it's about building a reserve list. I've always analogized it to a balance sheet. That's the muscle and balance of your organization. The hard part of building is, you're trying to keep an eye on your team but you're also looking at how our reserve list stacks up against the competition. When the reserve list is built, it's fun to be a fantasy GM and just think about trades. We're not there yet.

``One thing that tells me we're headed in the right direction is, at the trade deadline we were looking at a player. To make the deal, it would have required giving up a younger player who's not on our team. The other team gave me four names that i don't think anyone but our hardcore fans has heard of. That's the first time, sitting in this chair, where somebody has said, `To make this deal, we need one of these four players.' As your reserve list gets stronger, and other GMs start asking about your players, it tells you that your reserve list is stronger. That was the first time, other than with Kopitar, that somebody came to me and said, `We like this guy and this guy and this guy.'

``We're more than happy with a kid like Simmonds. Hickey gets his team into the next round. These are all things that are positive to me. Watching Boyle compete and be a winner. These are all things that I'm looking for that tell me we're headed in the right direction.''

Here's some more of the stuff from Lombardi from last week. We spent some time talking about what went wrong, but these are some of the things he thinks went right. In particular, three players:

``I think Johnson, in some cases, exceeded my expectations for a young defenseman. I've broken in a lot of young defensemen and it's a very difficult position for a young player. I think he adapted very well. It's clear he has to work on some things and get better. The way he performed, for a young defenseman, he's only going to get better. You're never sure about a guy coming out of college in a difficult position with expectations. It was better than i expected.

``The emergence of O'sullivan was a pleasant surprise. The way he's grown up, not only on the ice but off the ice. The way he has learned to conduct himself from the summer on, maturing, i think has been incredible, from where he was 24 months ago. I've talked to him about how there's still another level for him. If he can make half the improvements he's made over the last 12 months, he's going to be a great player.

``The emergence of Dustin Brown. A lot of people limited this guy to thinking he would be in a third-line role. He can be a top-level player if he continues to improve. I think he's a guy who's going to emerge, not only as a good player but as a leader.''

Lombardi also had this to say about Kopitar:

``I've seen too many players, after their rookie year, forget they haven't made it. I haven't seen that with him and that's encouraging. Those are the things, for us, that when we're building, are key.''

Here's what Dean Lombardi had to say tonight about the Kings getting the No. 2 pick in the entry draft...

On picking No. 2: ``Everybody would like to win the lottery, but there's no doubt in my mind that we're going to get a very good player at No. 2. ... I wouldn't say you wouldn't want the No. 1 (pick), but we're comfortable with where we are.''

On whether he's targeting a defenseman with the pick: ``Without tipping my hand, I think it's safe to say there's some pretty good defensemen. All you've got to do is look down the road (to Anaheim) at (Scott) Niedermayer and (Chris) Pronger and their impact on winning. ... It's been a while since there's been a crop of four (defensemen) like this. That's pretty unusual. They all bring something to the table.''

On the options created by having so many picks in this draft: ``There is always the potential to move, and to let anyone know what we're thinking, it doesn't make sense. I'm not saying that we're going to do something, but the option is there. The option goes away if you let people know what you're going to do.''

On whether he has a strategy, as far as drafting a certain number of players at a certain position: ``You still have to lean toward the best player. What those (numerous) picks do is give you options.''

A year later, it seems that everyone's favorite topic is still goaltending, namely what the Kings can do to solidify theirs. While some are still clamoring for a major trade or free-agent signing, Dean Lombardi attempted to explain why that's not likely to happen. Here's what he said:

``That possibly is not even there to tempt you. We saw this two years ago, when we put Cloutier on the two-year deal. It didn't work out. You can talk about trades. How many proven No. 1s do you feel really good
about (trading for)? I don't think there's much of a shot. I don't think there's a No. 1 out there like that. Vokoun fits that category, but we tried that last year and it didn't work out. Is there going to be that caliber of player on the market? I don't think so.

``Ersberg being a little older gives you some comfort there, even though he got (to the NHL) a little earlier than i thought. I think he's showed some potential. Our mindset has to be, all are guys are going to be No 1s
and we're going to make them into that. What we didn't have in the past was guys who had potential. Quick, seeing him win big games in the minors is encouraging. You watch him let in a (bad) goal and the whole team comes over to tap him on the pads, then he shuts them down the rest of the way. We've got Bernier there. Zatkoff goes to the (college) final four and should be ready for the next step. They all have enormous potential, and in the end it's up to them to see who's going to be the best.

``Jason (LaBarbera) has paid his dues. I think he's earned the right to consider himself the No. 1 guy. He's got some progress to make and he's doing that, particularly in terms of getting himself in top condition. We're going to make them all better. Do i see us signing a free-agent goalie? No. Do i see us forcing a trade? No.''

I thought it was fair to ask Lombardi about the free-agent signings he made last summer, and his analysis of the players. He forgot to mention Nagy, and I forgot to follow up on it because we got off on a different subject. Anyway, here's what he had to say:

``Michal Handzus, we expected him to be better. He started skating better in the second half. He's not the fleetest afoot anyway. He got himself in a rut and started pressing. He'd be the first to tell you he wasn't
where he expects to be. Until the last couple months his skating wasn't where he expected to be. Next year, I expect him to be more like we expected him to be when we got him.

``Stewy (Brad Stuart) did what we expected. Wasn't any more, wasn't any less. Plays hard.

``Calder, he was probably a little below where i expected. He started out really well and then tapered off. In terms of what Kyle is, hes that gritty third-line player. He's a good fit in the right mix. Again, these aren't the guys you were expecting to turn this around.

``Preissing, maybe you expected more in terms of numbers. He got more confident with the puck. I think he was probably sub-prime early but you're starting to see it. Is it way out of line with what you expected? Not really. When you have to bring in players to fill this many holes, it's not good.''

Here's what Dean Lombardi had to say the other day about the Kings' last-place finish in the Western Conference, and the fact that the Kings have missed the playoffs every season since 2002:

``I think we expected to be in the (playoff) hunt. I think it was realistic to think. That was a realistic expectation. The major culprit is goals against. Last year it was easy to pin it on the goaltending. It was fairly obvious. I think we started to make some adjustments in the second half of this year to tighten things up, plus Ersberg played pretty well. Even before that... I think Jason (LaBarbera) has to go to another level, but his performance was good enough to let us stay in the hunt. We had to tighten up in our own end and we didn't do it.

``I don't care how good you are. You can't win... You look at the correlation between where teams are in the conference and their goals against. Obviously we can score some goals, and look where we are. I see what we have (in terms of defensemen) in Manchester and what we have here and it's still an issue that we have to upgrade on the back, in terms of young players. We have to clarify the way we're going to play. We can't be standing here with this type of goals against. Is (the goaltending) at a Kiprusoff level? No, but it was more than respectable. I do think Jason did a good job before he got hurt. Think there are areas for him for him to improve, especially in terms of his physical condition, but he's working on that.''

OK, FINALLY I have a little time to start putting some of the Lombardi stuff up here. And since tomorrow is the draft lottery, and the draft seems to be the big topic of discussion these days, I'll start with Lombardi's thoughts on the draft. I had him address two areas, one being the concern, expressed here and elsewhere, that the Kings might not take Stamkos if they got the first pick. The response to that was:

``I'm all for communicating with the fans and media, but I'm not going to tell anyone what my plans are. What I was trying to say (in previous comments) was that we're doing our job and looking at everything out there.''

And what, I also wanted to know, is ``everything out there''? Does that mean the possibility to significant movement on draft day? Perhaps packaging some of those picks to move up? Lombardi said:

``Go back and watch my history. I don't want to say I'm a pioneer, but with the whole idea of moving, I think my record for moving is to be active. You don't move just to move. The high number of picks gives us flexibility in a lot of ways. Having those picks, particularly in the first three rounds, that might be the
difference in moving up. That's part of training your staff. As much as you prepare, still have to make split-second decisions. You force your staff to react quickly when things come up. You have to make that split-second decision but we're more prepared than we were last year.

``We've got the cards to play, in terms of draft picks, but you still have to play them. We have to look at every angle. In the end, you might end up doing nothing. That doesn't mean you won't look at 100 different things. You might move up, you might move down or you might move some of those picks into next year. You have X number of spots you need to fill in your organization every year, so maybe you wait