Kings president Luc Robitaille said he has begun the search for a general manager to replace Rob Blake and said Blake left the franchise "in real good shape." In truth, it could be a lot better.
Let’s take a moment to look at Bergevin. In his 9 years as GM he went through 5 coaches. In 2021 he drafted Logan Maillou who was fined for a sexual misconduct incident in Sweden and had asked not to be drafted. That was his 1st round selection. If this guy becomes Luc’s number 1 choice this won’t go well.
He was also around for the Kyle Beach cover up in Chicago. Involved in the specific incident or not, still part of a terrible organization and culture... no thanks.
I can't say I feel even remotely confident after watching that full interview with that empty suit. Luc is either sincerely convinced they are "right there" with a 39 year old Slovenian legend with 250,000 miles on the old odometer and a 35-36 year old future Hall of Fame defenseman who has seen his best days get further and further away in the rear view mirror.
It's either that or Luc is completely delusional. Neither are good options nor give the fan base any reassurance of the organization's vision. Luc continues to present himself as a guy faking it until he makes it, playing big boy executive while not knowing what the hell to actually do in his role. Until Luc can keep his hands out of the hockey operations pie, we are in a world of sputtering trouble.
I had much the same reaction. I’m so disappointed, and I have trouble believing someone who gives different versions of the future all in one press session.
What I heard was Luc Robitaille saying that it’s gonna be really hard for a new guy (GM) to come in and say this coach isn’t gonna be our coach.
So let me get this straight; they’re all gonna sit around in a room together and the GM has the final word? All he has to do is look across the table, at his new boss who is now on record saying that Hiller will probably stay, and say “hey boss, I disagree and this is what I want to do”? Then Luc is gonna say go ahead and do whatever you want?
Robitaille’s discussion was full of contradictions. You don’t wanna lock a guy up, but Hiller is probably gonna stay? You don’t wanna cross the line, you want to let each guy do his job, but we all sit in a room together and make a group decision?
It’s just like I said in comments to previous articles; it’s group think.
Group think is a cowardly management style and makes actual independence a myth.
Luc couldn’t even describe a single trait he was looking for in a new GM. He just kept saying, “we need the right guy.”
It’s all pablum and platitudes.
Beckerman is on the phone every day according to Luc, also just as I suspected, overbearing input in a micromanagement group think and a cowardly management style where minimal accountability is further diluted by joint decision-making.
There was not even mention of Kelly Cheeseman, who is the COO of the Galaxy and Kings for god’s sake.
This foolishness is exhausting to analyze. It just goes around in circles.
Did any media ask Luc, aka the empty suit, about shortening the bench DURING THE PlAYOFFS? Did Luc condone this lunacy? Would have been interesting to find out why the Kings waited until the playoffs to distrust Clarke, Turcotte, et al. And what is most disheartening is that it sounds like Luc considers this season to have been rather successful. Luc should be in charge of community relations, not running the franchise toward mediocrity every season.
Luc, please CALL MIKE FUTA...!!! I'm tired of losing to Edmonton. Bring us back to 2012-2014 when Futes and Lombardi gave us Cups... do the smart thing. CALL FUTES.
Luc should be in another position as 'face of the Kings' but definitely not in the front office. As for Torts, no thanks. He has short shelf lives everywhere he goes.
Excellent analysis! How can something so obvious to all of us not be understood or absorbed by management?Or do they truly not care about winning as long as the team is profitable? It’s incomprehensible to me that Luc retains his job after years of mediocrity while DL had an amazingly short leash considering all that he accomplished. Helene, do you get any feeling that Luc is one of these dysfunctional execs who wants to feel like the smartest guy in the room rather than surrounding himself with the brightest and most capable?
Thanks. Whether the Kings make money is an interesting question. Bookkeeping is a science. It has been my understanding that they’ve regularly lost money, but media rights fees have grown since I last did a deep dive on that. I think Luc, like most executives, surrounds himself with friends who will agree with him on crucial matters. Nice for him but not the best way to operate a successful business. .
The team has never lost money. As long as they pay rent to their parent, it's just creative bookkeeping. Anschutz needs to have some red on his ledger, the Kings are it, for tax purposes.
These Billionaire owners, didn't become this wealthy without a team of accounts behind them. Well maybe with the exception of Mark Cuban, he is just a cement head.
Here's something that occurred to me last night. Luc seems so hesitant to go anywhere outside the LA Kings Ecosystem to find a new GM - i.e. someone who hasn't had part of their history, that he's severely limited his options.
I'm sure there are other talented hockey people outside his domain, that could a) have a fresh point of view and b) have a clearer vision as to what needs to be repaired/changed and what needs to stay the same. Obviously there was a lot of the good in this team the way they played in the regular season, as well as portions of the playoffs.
Edmonton is sooo far into their heads after four years of misery, I don't think someone coming from the Kings Ecosystem is going to be able to fix that. Maybe.... maybe Futa? But I'm not all that certain. Anyway, the successful franchises look Everywhere. Luc just seems to not want to engage with anyone who maybe comes from another franchise. I had heard some buzz about Mathieu Darche, the assistant in Tampa. He knows exactly what it takes to build a winner. He's seen what works and what doesn't. I doubt Luc would even consider reaching out to him for an interview to see if he'd be interested. Therefore I'm more or less expecting more of the same in LA Kings Land...... unfortunately.
Yup. As I noted, look what happened when they went outside the organization to hire Lombardi. He didn’t owe anything to any pals in his new organization. He was honest about cleaning out their entire operation. That’s what they needed now but I knew they wouldn’t do it.
I could care less about Luc and what he did on the ice. He along with Blake were THE problem. Sprinkle in the Hermosa Surf club of Murray, Emerson, Storr, etc. and it reeks of buddy incest...I mean the damn organization family tree goes straight up.
I fully expect Luc to screw this up because he's borderline delusional at this point and it's maddening that the fans have to endure more of the same.
Let’s take a moment to look at Bergevin. In his 9 years as GM he went through 5 coaches. In 2021 he drafted Logan Maillou who was fined for a sexual misconduct incident in Sweden and had asked not to be drafted. That was his 1st round selection. If this guy becomes Luc’s number 1 choice this won’t go well.
He was also around for the Kyle Beach cover up in Chicago. Involved in the specific incident or not, still part of a terrible organization and culture... no thanks.
Uff, Ducks hiring Quentin...
I can't say I feel even remotely confident after watching that full interview with that empty suit. Luc is either sincerely convinced they are "right there" with a 39 year old Slovenian legend with 250,000 miles on the old odometer and a 35-36 year old future Hall of Fame defenseman who has seen his best days get further and further away in the rear view mirror.
It's either that or Luc is completely delusional. Neither are good options nor give the fan base any reassurance of the organization's vision. Luc continues to present himself as a guy faking it until he makes it, playing big boy executive while not knowing what the hell to actually do in his role. Until Luc can keep his hands out of the hockey operations pie, we are in a world of sputtering trouble.
I had much the same reaction. I’m so disappointed, and I have trouble believing someone who gives different versions of the future all in one press session.
What I heard was Luc Robitaille saying that it’s gonna be really hard for a new guy (GM) to come in and say this coach isn’t gonna be our coach.
So let me get this straight; they’re all gonna sit around in a room together and the GM has the final word? All he has to do is look across the table, at his new boss who is now on record saying that Hiller will probably stay, and say “hey boss, I disagree and this is what I want to do”? Then Luc is gonna say go ahead and do whatever you want?
Robitaille’s discussion was full of contradictions. You don’t wanna lock a guy up, but Hiller is probably gonna stay? You don’t wanna cross the line, you want to let each guy do his job, but we all sit in a room together and make a group decision?
It’s just like I said in comments to previous articles; it’s group think.
Group think is a cowardly management style and makes actual independence a myth.
Luc couldn’t even describe a single trait he was looking for in a new GM. He just kept saying, “we need the right guy.”
It’s all pablum and platitudes.
Beckerman is on the phone every day according to Luc, also just as I suspected, overbearing input in a micromanagement group think and a cowardly management style where minimal accountability is further diluted by joint decision-making.
There was not even mention of Kelly Cheeseman, who is the COO of the Galaxy and Kings for god’s sake.
This foolishness is exhausting to analyze. It just goes around in circles.
I am glad somebody else mentioned Beckerman and Cheeseman. They are the ones in command of this hot mess.
I noticed when you were on top of that also. They get to hide behind the scenes.
Did any media ask Luc, aka the empty suit, about shortening the bench DURING THE PlAYOFFS? Did Luc condone this lunacy? Would have been interesting to find out why the Kings waited until the playoffs to distrust Clarke, Turcotte, et al. And what is most disheartening is that it sounds like Luc considers this season to have been rather successful. Luc should be in charge of community relations, not running the franchise toward mediocrity every season.
Luc, please CALL MIKE FUTA...!!! I'm tired of losing to Edmonton. Bring us back to 2012-2014 when Futes and Lombardi gave us Cups... do the smart thing. CALL FUTES.
Luc should also be out of a job.
Every stupid decision made by Blake was blessed by him.
A kickass coach like Sutter comes to mind…. Torts!
Blake was the first… all 3 have to go.
Luc should be in another position as 'face of the Kings' but definitely not in the front office. As for Torts, no thanks. He has short shelf lives everywhere he goes.
Excellent analysis! How can something so obvious to all of us not be understood or absorbed by management?Or do they truly not care about winning as long as the team is profitable? It’s incomprehensible to me that Luc retains his job after years of mediocrity while DL had an amazingly short leash considering all that he accomplished. Helene, do you get any feeling that Luc is one of these dysfunctional execs who wants to feel like the smartest guy in the room rather than surrounding himself with the brightest and most capable?
Thanks. Whether the Kings make money is an interesting question. Bookkeeping is a science. It has been my understanding that they’ve regularly lost money, but media rights fees have grown since I last did a deep dive on that. I think Luc, like most executives, surrounds himself with friends who will agree with him on crucial matters. Nice for him but not the best way to operate a successful business. .
The team has never lost money. As long as they pay rent to their parent, it's just creative bookkeeping. Anschutz needs to have some red on his ledger, the Kings are it, for tax purposes.
These Billionaire owners, didn't become this wealthy without a team of accounts behind them. Well maybe with the exception of Mark Cuban, he is just a cement head.
Here's something that occurred to me last night. Luc seems so hesitant to go anywhere outside the LA Kings Ecosystem to find a new GM - i.e. someone who hasn't had part of their history, that he's severely limited his options.
I'm sure there are other talented hockey people outside his domain, that could a) have a fresh point of view and b) have a clearer vision as to what needs to be repaired/changed and what needs to stay the same. Obviously there was a lot of the good in this team the way they played in the regular season, as well as portions of the playoffs.
Edmonton is sooo far into their heads after four years of misery, I don't think someone coming from the Kings Ecosystem is going to be able to fix that. Maybe.... maybe Futa? But I'm not all that certain. Anyway, the successful franchises look Everywhere. Luc just seems to not want to engage with anyone who maybe comes from another franchise. I had heard some buzz about Mathieu Darche, the assistant in Tampa. He knows exactly what it takes to build a winner. He's seen what works and what doesn't. I doubt Luc would even consider reaching out to him for an interview to see if he'd be interested. Therefore I'm more or less expecting more of the same in LA Kings Land...... unfortunately.
Yup. As I noted, look what happened when they went outside the organization to hire Lombardi. He didn’t owe anything to any pals in his new organization. He was honest about cleaning out their entire operation. That’s what they needed now but I knew they wouldn’t do it.
I could care less about Luc and what he did on the ice. He along with Blake were THE problem. Sprinkle in the Hermosa Surf club of Murray, Emerson, Storr, etc. and it reeks of buddy incest...I mean the damn organization family tree goes straight up.
I fully expect Luc to screw this up because he's borderline delusional at this point and it's maddening that the fans have to endure more of the same.