Kings fire Sutter, Lombardi

[langway05]

Kings fire Sutter, Lombardi; promote Robitaille, Blake

The Los Angeles Kings on Monday fired coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Dean Lombardi, who led the franchise to its only two Stanley Cup championships.

The Kings also promoted defenceman Rob Blake to vice-president and general manager, while longtime executive Luc Robitaille has been promoted to team president in charge of all hockey and business operations.

Los Angeles won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, but hasn't won a playoff round since.

"This was an extremely difficult decision and was made with an enormous amount of consideration for what we have accomplished in our past," said Dan Beckerman, the president of AEG, the sports conglomerate that owns the Kings. "But the present and future of our organization is the highest priority."

The Kings (39-35-8) missed the playoffs this spring for the second time in three years with their worst record since 2009. They finished 10th in the 14-team Western Conference, fading down the stretch with a team that struggled to keep up with faster, younger opponents.

 

[TheGriceBoys]

Shocker! No, not really.

 

[pathshot]

Shocker! No, not really.

Yeah, what could really be done here? The team lacked confidence and underperformed all year. I have no idea what happened with Tyler Toffoli's progress. Budaj did a ridiculously great job of keeping the team competitive, but just...not....enough...scoring. Ugh.

 

[30ranfordfan]

Can somebody explain to me how anyone can look at the Oilers, see what hiring two former players to run things does to your team, and then conclude "good idea!"

Maybe I'm not giving Blake & Robitaille enough credit. Maybe they're better suited for this jobs than Lowe & MacTavish were... and it's not like no former (star) players have made good executives - but I see a trend developing around the league:

- Edmonton toiled in futility under the leadership of Lowe & MacTavish
- Vancouver has been getting progressively worse since Linden took over
- Colorado has become a dumpster fire under Joe Sakic
- Boston is worse off today with Neely & Sweeny running the show

Is there reason to believe that LA is going to be different?

 

[pathshot]

Can somebody explain to me how anyone can look at the Oilers, see what hiring two former players to run things does to your team, and then conclude "good idea!"

*SNIP*

Is there reason to believe that LA is going to be different?

Nothing beyond "they are not those people".

Both have been part of the organization in some fashion for the last few years in an executive capacity. I sincerely hope Blake doesn't exhibit the creativity employed by Lombardi in making awful deals - both in terms of contracts and trades. My understanding of the AGM gig Blake held was basically cap maintenance, call-ups, etc.

The prospect pipeline is ugly. I'd almost prefer they pick a terrible coach for the next season just so they can throw them under the bus once they're finally ready to compete again.

 

[30ranfordfan]

I don't want to paint all former-players-turned-executives with one brush. After working for the Wings for a few years, Yzerman seems to be doing an okay job in Tampa. Shanahan, I guess, has done a fair job in Toronto (I think it really speaks to his ability to hire people that know what they're doing... rather than do everything himself).

Blake as the AGM for a couple of years, I suppose that does mean he's not unqualified for the job.

I just find it suspicious when players get top level jobs with the teams they used to star for. How many vacant GM jobs would Blake have been considered for this off season?

Nothing beyond "they are not those people".

Both have been part of the organization in some fashion for the last few years in an executive capacity. I sincerely hope Blake doesn't exhibit the creativity employed by Lombardi in making awful deals - both in terms of contracts and trades. My understanding of the AGM gig Blake held was basically cap maintenance, call-ups, etc.

The prospect pipeline is ugly. I'd almost prefer they pick a terrible coach for the next season just so they can throw them under the bus once they're finally ready to compete again.

 

[geschrocks33]

I don't want to paint all former-players-turned-executives with one brush. After working for the Wings for a few years, Yzerman seems to be doing an okay job in Tampa. Shanahan, I guess, has done a fair job in Toronto (I think it really speaks to his ability to hire people that know what they're doing... rather than do everything himself).

Blake as the AGM for a couple of years, I suppose that does mean he's not unqualified for the job.

I just find it suspicious when players get top level jobs with the teams they used to star for. How many vacant GM jobs would Blake have been considered for this off season?

I don't necessarily agree or disagree with you but I'll make a point on the bolded statement...

In real world situations, who gets the better shot at a job opening, someone internal, or external? Internal 99.9% of the time from my experience. So he's already in the organization, has a 10 times more likely he ends up moving up there than he would going to a different team.

 

[pathshot]

In real world situations, who gets the better shot at a job opening, someone internal, or external? Internal 99.9% of the time from my experience.

What industry is that, because I'm not buying it?

It's not uncommon at all to jump to a new company to move up, well, anywhere. GM openings are a bit fewer, but it would be interesting to see how many executives organically came up from a gig within their organization vs. got their first GM job with a new team.

 

[sprague11]

Bunch of bad contracts and an under performing team (only 2 20 goal scorers on THIS roster? really?) With Toffoli and Pearson needing new contracts something has to give. Maybe Vegas does them a solid and takes Gabby?

 

[pathshot]

Bunch of bad contracts and an under performing team (only 2 20 goal scorers on THIS roster? really?) With Toffoli and Pearson needing new contracts something has to give. Maybe Vegas does them a solid and takes Gabby?

Yeah, I could see a deal in which Vegas trades for Gaborik for "future considerations" and those considerations end up being "picking Dustin Brown".

 

[DredJAw]

Yeah, I could see a deal in which Vegas trades for Gaborik for "future considerations" and those considerations end up being "picking Dustin Brown".

So Vegas is going to take Brown & Gaborik?

I don't think they are going to help LA rectify their mistakes.

 

[Bossy22]

Yeah, I could see a deal in which Vegas trades for Gaborik for "future considerations" and those considerations end up being "picking Dustin Brown".

Lol! In LA's dreams!!! Throw in 8 first round picks and it's doable

 

[sprague11]

To be blunt, if I'm ANY team in the league I'm staying away from both of those albatross contracts. Maybe LA can hope Gabby gets hot and they can find a sucker, but unless they're taking David Clarkson in return those contracts are going nowhere. Not as long as either of them are active.

 

[Hama]

So Vegas is going to take Brown & Gaborik?

I don't think they are going to help LA rectify their mistakes.

Who knows - but Vegas will have cap room to play with - and will take contracts as long as there are picks and near ready prospects who can play in the deal.

You can argue they start off with about $45M in guys that the draft - and will have to get to $54M by opening night if the cap stays the same. So they already have $16M on top of that $54M to max out on Cap $- so potentially with $25M in cap room to absorb - they'll have a lot more flexibility than all of the teams trying to unload cap space...

 

[pathshot]

Lol! In LA's dreams!!! Throw in 8 first round picks and it's doable

DON'T TELL ME I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DREAM MIKE BOSSY GUY

I wouldn't be surprised if one of those guys is dangled in front of Vegas to either pick someone else or not pick someone specific - especially from the defense, which is the only spot in which the Kings seem deep.

 

[DredJAw]

DON'T TELL ME I'M NOT ALLOWED TO DREAM MIKE BOSSY GUY

I wouldn't be surprised if one of those guys is dangled in front of Vegas to either pick someone else or not pick someone specific - especially from the defense, which is the only spot in which the Kings seem deep.

Dangling those guys in front of Vegas is not enticing at all. No way they'd want to add those awful contracts.

Dangling them while adding draft picks attached to them maybe but that's the last thing LA should be doing is giving away picks.

 

[DredJAw]

Seriously, if Gaborick or Brown get put on waivers (for free) not a single team in the league would take them.

Heck if you add a 1st round pick next to them I doubt anyone still takes them.

That first round pick would essentially cost $30 million dollars in real money (in browns case). No team in the league would pay $30M for a middle first rounder. Doesn't make any sort of business or hockey sense.

 

[TheGriceBoys]

As I said in the Buffalo thread, LA has a bunch of horrid contracts, notably Gabby, Brown and Quick. Kopitar's is too early to tell, but based on the length of it and the terms, I am guessing it won't look so hot at the end.

LA has the franchise-type players down the middle in Kopitar, Doughty and Quick, and they are all still young enough to get another Cup or two. Defense is solid and stocked in the system, goaltending is marginal after Quick and even he is a concern because of health. When he is in, he's one of the elite in the NHL, but he's been injury prone. Forward corps needs a big revamp on the bottom two lines.

 

[geschrocks33]

John Stevens as new coach, what does everyone think of that?

 

[30ranfordfan]

I don't know....

They might be able to entice Vegas into taking one. They have to get to the Cap Floor, so where is that money going to be spent??

The Gaborik contract might actually be movable after next season too. Starting in 2018-19, his salary is actually less than his cap hit.... and the last two years, it's close to 1.5 million per season difference. That smacks of something the Coyotes might want

LA still has the pieces to turn things around. A core with Quick, Kopitar, and Doughty (Barrie already said that, lol) isn't something I'd write off. Not for a while, anyway.

Of they could blow it all up, but I think even as a team that missed that playoffs this year, they're still too close to contending to do that.

If they could give away Brown and/or Gaborik, and use that money to retool they could get real good again, real quick. If they go into full "blow it up" mode - what kind of return would Doughty get?