Kings fire Sutter, Lombardi

[TheGriceBoys]

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

I think it's a solid hire and a fair one. He has paid his dues, been there since the Terry Murray era and he has helped the team more than most realize. I think he has earned this shot. Whether it will work out, who knows? But I think fresh blood was in order so hopefully the team responds to him even though he's been around awhile.

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?

Doughty would get HUGE return, he's a top 3 dman in the league. But I don't think any of he big 3 (that we both mentioned) are going anywhere. I hate to say never, but I believe Kopitar and Doughy are the only potential "lifers" in LA, playing their first and last days in a Kings sweater.

Quick may go at some point because goalies tend to burn out faster and Quick is definitely injury prone due to his style of stretching like Gumby across the crease. And his contract stinks.

Kopitar's contract will be a hindrance at some point as well but I could see him just retiring or kicking in his modified NTC to "help" LA, AKA, still get paid and go to a contender in the latter years of his career, provided LA isn't contending. In years 5 and 6 Kopitar's salary goes down to $8 mil per along with the MNTC. Years 7 & 8 are $7 mil per with the MNTC.

Kings have to ditch Gabby and Brown's deals like yesterday. Both contracts are awful and both players are shells of what they were.

Kings need to let go of the "past glory" mindset and live for today and icing the best team possible.

Example is Matt Greene. I'm sorry, nice guy, was solid for a lot of years, but the guy simply cannot play in the new NHL. He's been totally hampered by injuries and is just too slow to hang with the young mans fast paced NHL.

Similar to the front office bringing in Luc and Blake as glory boys. Just because things or people from the past were great or you have feelings of nostalgia, I don't care, I want my team to keep winning.

Blackhawks are in a similar situation and were able to retool on the fly but they are going to need to overhaul a bit as well now.

Hoping LA does some great things in this offseason with paring salary and adding some more youth, speed and depth at forward.

 

[30ranfordfan]

Toronto media is great for this... but of course the sports radio around here has brought up the fact that the Leafs really lake a true #1 dman, combine that with LA "needing" to rebuild, and Drew Doughty to the Leafs just makes too much sense.

(No, I don't buy that. I don't think the Kings NEED to tear it down, and I don't think the Leafs are simply a #1 damn away from being bonafide contenders. I do think the conversation is entertaining though, so when idle chit-chat at work happened on this idea, I did engage )

If the Kings were going to deal DD, the trade you look at is Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall... and then everyone has to remember what you just said: Doughty is a top 5 dman in the league, Larsson is not. Without getting too puny here... LA would want a Kings' Ransom in return. If Larsson was worth Hall, Doughty is worth something better than Hall.

When the idea of trading him to Toronto was suggest to me ("Leafs should go after that guy") I suggested that 1. LA is not trading him.... but if you're serious: Offer Marner, Gardiner, and your 1st round pick... and LA might not hang up the phone.

Of course I was told that's way too much for the Leafs to give up....

I think it's a solid hire and a fair one. He has paid his dues, been there since the Terry Murray era and he has helped the team more than most realize. I think he has earned this shot. Whether it will work out, who knows? But I think fresh blood was in order so hopefully the team responds to him even though he's been around awhile.



Doughty would get HUGE return, he's a top 3 dman in the league. But I don't think any of he big 3 (that we both mentioned) are going anywhere. I hate to say never, but I believe Kopitar and Doughy are the only potential "lifers" in LA, playing their first and last days in a Kings sweater.

Quick may go at some point because goalies tend to burn out faster and Quick is definitely injury prone due to his style of stretching like Gumby across the crease. And his contract stinks.

Kopitar's contract will be a hindrance at some point as well but I could see him just retiring or kicking in his modified NTC to "help" LA, AKA, still get paid and go to a contender in the latter years of his career, provided LA isn't contending. In years 5 and 6 Kopitar's salary goes down to $8 mil per along with the MNTC. Years 7 & 8 are $7 mil per with the MNTC.

Kings have to ditch Gabby and Brown's deals like yesterday. Both contracts are awful and both players are shells of what they were.

Kings need to let go of the "past glory" mindset and live for today and icing the best team possible.

Example is Matt Greene. I'm sorry, nice guy, was solid for a lot of years, but the guy simply cannot play in the new NHL. He's been totally hampered by injuries and is just too slow to hang with the young mans fast paced NHL.

Similar to the front office bringing in Luc and Blake as glory boys. Just because things or people from the past were great or you have feelings of nostalgia, I don't care, I want my team to keep winning.

Blackhawks are in a similar situation and were able to retool on the fly but they are going to need to overhaul a bit as well now.

Hoping LA does some great things in this offseason with paring salary and adding some more youth, speed and depth at forward.

 

[canucksfreak19]

With this hire it seems as though the Kings think they still have a chance to make a deep playoff run. I think that window is pretty much closed.

 

[slckrsx]

If I'm the Leafs and I hear Marner, or Nylander's names brought up I hang up the phone. Doughty would be great but I think it's too early for the Leafs to offer up one of those two for him. We may have a D man on the Marlies who can fit into our top six and we may be able to get another top 4 in a trade elsewhere.

 

[DredJAw]

When the idea of trading him to Toronto was suggest to me ("Leafs should go after that guy") I suggested that 1. LA is not trading him.... but if you're serious: Offer Marner, Gardiner, and your 1st round pick... and LA might not hang up the phone.

Of course I was told that's way too much for the Leafs to give up....

That is beyond absurd.

The Leafs wouldn't trade Marner straight up for Doughty, never mind adding Gardiner and a 1st rounder.

Marner is 8 years younger on an entry level deal. Doughty is making $7M and a free agent in 2 years (when he's 29 no less) likely to command $8-9M.

Do you know the value of a star player on an entry level deal with his prime years ahead of him? In this NHL it's absurd.

In 4-5 years when Marner hits 23 and enters his prime, and Doughty is 32 and exiting his this deal would look downright awful.

Not to mention Gardiner is a legit #2/3 dman, who's younger and almost half the salary.

And a 1st.

If the Leafs offered that to LA they would be ridiculous to turn that down. The Leafs aren't interested in rebuilding LA for them.

 

[pathshot]

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.

One, they have to get themselves to the floor somehow.

Two, I was talking expansion draft, not entry draft.

 

[canucksfreak19]

One, they have to get themselves to the floor somehow.

Two, I was talking expansion draft, not entry draft.

I understand; however, Gaborik is not an enticement. If they wanted to trade Gaborik, and have Vegas pick Brown in the expansion draft the Kings would likely have to throw in a first round pick, or significant prospect as well.

Helping a team get to the cap floor is not an inducement in and of itself.