Lombardi certainly didn’t do anything special at the trade deadline, but I liked the deals he did make. A second and a fourth for Stuart was as good as you can expect. That he got anything at all for Aubin was a minor miracle. You also have to include the recent Modry deal, which did well to net the Kings another third rounder. The deadline might be remembered more for the deals that weren’t made but, when it comes to Blake and Thornton, Lombardi was handcuffed. Granted, he may have put the handcuffs on himself by giving them no-trade clauses in their contracts. However, as he said in his interview, no-trade clauses have been running all the rage in the NHL the past few years. You have to figure he could have gotten for Blake the deal Colorado gave for Adam Foote — a conditional first-round pick. It’s less than he wanted, but perhaps he should have taken it. Basically, to justify not making that deal, he has to re-sign Blake to a reasonable contract in the offseason. Lombardi also was handcuffed by injuries when it came to guys like Nagy and Armstrong. I think the Kings should move Cammalleri in a deal for a promising, young defenseman. But perhaps this wasn’t the right time. There’s no reason that trade can’t wait until the offseason. For making solid deals for the future, though not nailing the big trade, I’d give Lombardi and the Kings a C+.

I’m interested in your take with these two polls …