The NHL season starts Thursday for the Kings, who must make significant progress after three straight first-round playoff exits or face front office changes.
Fantastic content, thanks for being straight about the Blake era. Turns out Luc's group of friends aren't necessarily the best candidates for the jobs they hold. Needing an injection of toughness from the waiver wire is damning, as is the lack of presence from what was just 4ish years ago considered the best prospect pool in the league. Saying we are making progress when the Playoffs were 4-3, 4-2, then 4-1 (as you said) against the same team IS NOT PROGRESS. Saying, "We were right there" is flatly delusional. The games were not close, and if that were true we wouldn't have needed a new coach.
It's an old saying that the leaders can fire the followers, but not the other way around. There has been no accountability except to fire McLellan, the one guy they "group-thinked" into compliance and mediocrity. There could be no greater measure of failure, in my mind, than to give up on so many high draft picks, lose players and watch them win Cups with Vegas (Vegas had our entire Left Side Defense and won a Cup with it after we jettisoned those players; Hutton, Martinez, McNabb plus Amadio and Quick). To lose those players and have them proven elsewhere, to fade so many draft picks into nowhereville, and then to end up having Trevor Lewis as the best option available is a confession of ineptitude. Lewis is indeed a known commodity and can be relied on to be a decent-at-best PK man (you can't really be called good if you suck at faceoffs on PK) while notching single digit goals and riding pine most of the 3rd period. For me, the organ-eye-zation is more loyal to Luc era players now filling jobs than the players they have on the ice or on the Reign. Kopi deserved better than a year with Willie Desjardins and the rest of the buffoonery from the front office. Luc is a legend, Blake is a legend, but that was as players. I can not believe that if Blake was looking for work he would be in any great demand. Yet, like Trevor Lewis and dozens more, it's just a nepotism scam from the good ole boys per diem crowd masquerading as loyalty to culture. How about loyalty to the players whose careers are entrusted to these guys instead of the players that don't play anymore?
How about loyalty to the future instead of the past?
And here we go with another season. Hope it’s a fun one to watch. I do enjoy having Nick call the games. Thanks for writing about the team. It keeps me informed since I don’t always pay attention as I’m used to!
In my opinion a lot of things have to go right for this team to move forward. They’re not deep enough to withstand a lot of injuries. They need Byfield to assert himself as the #1 center as I don’t believe Kopitar has the foot speed to defend against the top centers in the league. And they’re going to need a big step forward from there group of young players. It will take all of this and more to make the playoffs and escape the first round. Great analysis Helene!
It’s actually 7 away games to start the season before the home opener.
Can’t believe Blake is still at the helm… too many costly moves and getting nothing for free agents when he knew they were leaving. Bergevin is in the wings and should have been given the GM job at the conclusion of last season.
It’s going to be a tough year and I hope we don’t have to suffer for a full season before Blake’s dismissal.
Fantastic content, thanks for being straight about the Blake era. Turns out Luc's group of friends aren't necessarily the best candidates for the jobs they hold. Needing an injection of toughness from the waiver wire is damning, as is the lack of presence from what was just 4ish years ago considered the best prospect pool in the league. Saying we are making progress when the Playoffs were 4-3, 4-2, then 4-1 (as you said) against the same team IS NOT PROGRESS. Saying, "We were right there" is flatly delusional. The games were not close, and if that were true we wouldn't have needed a new coach.
It's an old saying that the leaders can fire the followers, but not the other way around. There has been no accountability except to fire McLellan, the one guy they "group-thinked" into compliance and mediocrity. There could be no greater measure of failure, in my mind, than to give up on so many high draft picks, lose players and watch them win Cups with Vegas (Vegas had our entire Left Side Defense and won a Cup with it after we jettisoned those players; Hutton, Martinez, McNabb plus Amadio and Quick). To lose those players and have them proven elsewhere, to fade so many draft picks into nowhereville, and then to end up having Trevor Lewis as the best option available is a confession of ineptitude. Lewis is indeed a known commodity and can be relied on to be a decent-at-best PK man (you can't really be called good if you suck at faceoffs on PK) while notching single digit goals and riding pine most of the 3rd period. For me, the organ-eye-zation is more loyal to Luc era players now filling jobs than the players they have on the ice or on the Reign. Kopi deserved better than a year with Willie Desjardins and the rest of the buffoonery from the front office. Luc is a legend, Blake is a legend, but that was as players. I can not believe that if Blake was looking for work he would be in any great demand. Yet, like Trevor Lewis and dozens more, it's just a nepotism scam from the good ole boys per diem crowd masquerading as loyalty to culture. How about loyalty to the players whose careers are entrusted to these guys instead of the players that don't play anymore?
How about loyalty to the future instead of the past?
And here we go with another season. Hope it’s a fun one to watch. I do enjoy having Nick call the games. Thanks for writing about the team. It keeps me informed since I don’t always pay attention as I’m used to!
In my opinion a lot of things have to go right for this team to move forward. They’re not deep enough to withstand a lot of injuries. They need Byfield to assert himself as the #1 center as I don’t believe Kopitar has the foot speed to defend against the top centers in the league. And they’re going to need a big step forward from there group of young players. It will take all of this and more to make the playoffs and escape the first round. Great analysis Helene!
It’s actually 7 away games to start the season before the home opener.
Can’t believe Blake is still at the helm… too many costly moves and getting nothing for free agents when he knew they were leaving. Bergevin is in the wings and should have been given the GM job at the conclusion of last season.
It’s going to be a tough year and I hope we don’t have to suffer for a full season before Blake’s dismissal.
Thanks for pointing out my error. I have fixed the length of the trip.