Comments on: LA Kings inactive on Day 1 of Free Agency

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:59:06 +0000

I've said all summer long that Gagne is just the guy I could see Lombardi taking and I am absolutely against that. One check to the jaw and he's one concussion away from retirement.

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:06:27 +0000

keith, i too like the acquistion of either Scudari or Beauchamin. the other person who i would like to have is Chad LaRose. he is quick and a great penalty killer and is not afraid of the corners. i did completely forget about Harts. that would be an awesome pick up especially since Philly has to drop money somewhere. Lupul was even quoted as saying that someone else will be moved…no Briere or Gagne please!! i am tired of waiting..i want to know when “Lie” wieke will be at the franchise meeting?

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:50:00 +0000

Just to play devil's advocate (and I am not a Dean Lombardi fan today), he did obtain rights to negotiate with Hossa at the draft. That was an important move that shows that he was ready to bone up and pay the man. The problem (and this is a HUGE problem), is that Hossa didn't want to play in LA.

So, other than signing Beauchemin or Scuderi (yeah, rumors of that now), we need to make a trade. And I have the perfect guy. We'll have to pay out the ass for him but Scott Hartnell of the Philadelphia Flyers (who are over the cap by over $2 million) would be a perfect fit. He can score goals, great in the locker room, fans love him and he's clutch in the playoffs. Not to mention, he's young and hasn't even hit his prime. If we need to overpay, so be it.

At this point, a trade is the only thing that will get this team into the playoffs in the next 3 years.

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:45:58 +0000

with everyone gone, i see no one coming to the kings other then Heatley. someone who i originally would have liked to obtain, but now, i have my reasons on why i would not want such a cancer in the locker room. The only other person who i would like to see the kings acquire via trade since that seems to be the only way now this team will get better is Phil Kessel. he is fast and a highly skilled player. plus the Bruins need to dump some salary and i do not see him costing us the farm team. Looking at Dean's track record, he may decline him too. only time will tell whiuch direction this team goes. I thought heading into this season we had a clear direction..playoffs or bust! Now it looks like the same scenario as every year since Dean took over …no playoff hockey and money saved!! As i stated earlier, THANK GOD FOR THE DUCKS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WATCH PLAYOFF HOCKEY.

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:44:57 +0000

Pavel Demitra, maybe? That'd be my best guess. Although he's a far cry from Gaborik or Hossa.

Where it is fair to compare LA to ChiTown is in depth of prospects. I'm sorry but Toews, Kane, Keith and Versteeg do not compare to Kopitar, Brown, Doughty and Johnson. Chicago is doing a great job of adding big names to supplement their young core. Unfortunately, LA isn't doing that (or they just CAN't do that).

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:38:47 +0000

because i so pissed of with this team and Dean right now, i felt there was a need to put this on this page in addition to the discussion forum as i did earlier. I see this team going no where fast and i am not sure what to expect now heading into next season. leading me to sometimes wonder why i still pay for season tickets. Once again, the Kings did nothing in free agency. Gaborik just signed a 5 year deal with the Rangers and we are left out in the cold. This team is never going to compete for the playoffs..(we are becoming the Clippers of hockey). It was reported that the Kings were going to pursue someone since we have a lot of money and once again, it did not happen. We still have no scoring on the wing and no help in sight. Are we planning on paying stupid money to Havalat. If we do, i should not be surprised since that would be a typical Kings move…i am losing my patience fast with this team..at least we have the Ducks who seem to always enjoy the playoffs. maybe i should turn to the darkside afterall.

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:59:06 +0000

I've said all summer long that Gagne is just the guy I could see Lombardi taking and I am absolutely against that. One check to the jaw and he's one concussion away from retirement.

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:06:27 +0000

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:50:00 +0000

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:45:58 +0000

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:44:57 +0000

Pavel Demitra, maybe? That'd be my best guess. Although he's a far cry from Gaborik or Hossa.

By: collector Joe

collector Joe — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:38:47 +0000

By: Chris Kaliszewski

Chris Kaliszewski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:36:47 +0000

It almost makes me miss the days of Dave Taylor and the big Free Agent signings. This Dean Lombardi “8 year plan” is really frustrating. I have confidence in our young players but I also wish the Kings were a team that could and would sign some name players. Most of the problem is players not seeing LA as a 'winning team' close to anything but another higher draft pic.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:40:02 +0000

Comparing the Kings to Chicago is not appropriate, as the Blackhawks have historically signed big names to go with their great drafts. They have pushed on the cap maximum. LA has hardly done anything of the sort. Who was the last big name the Kings signed in his prime?

By: Chris Bond

Chris Bond — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:11:25 +0000

Kings were on the list of team he would go to and we have the cap space….with that said who wants a guy that does not want to play for your team. If I were Murry I would want him gone and the list he gave was short and made shorter yesteday when some of the team spent big bucks. He will be a King before the end of summer, I just hope we dont sell the farm to get him. I would hate it to be a Kopi, Fro, JFMF, Brown, kind of thing. Dont give what we got to get just one peice of a big puzzle.

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:07:57 +0000

At some point, Murray's going to have to accept less for Heater. Given Danny's attitude, there won't be many takers for him. Now that the Rangers have $7.5M tied up in Gaborik, there are very few teams who can take on his salary. Murray will be begging someone to take him, in my opinion. I just don't think Los Angeles will be one of them who does.

By: Stu_Coles

Stu_Coles — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:23:03 +0000

Edmonton were prepared to give up Penner, Cogliano and Smid AND suck up his $8m this year plus stupidly long deal. Now he's down to $4m, it makes him more attractive from a buyer's perspective but Ottawa are going to want to get their $4m's worth that they've already paid for him.

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:54:36 +0000

I don't think Heatley is an option and I'm not sure I'd want him to be. He rejected a trade to Edmonton already (beggers can't be choosers – he *asked* to be traded). Now Murray has to pay Heater his $4M bonus. This makes the price tag for his services huge.

I don't think Lombardi wants a guy who's that big of a cancer in the locker room.

By: Chris Bond

Chris Bond — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:53:52 +0000

Before he maid the comment to Rich Hammond, I think we were all ready to linch him. It sucks but at least he made a effort. I really think we are going to get Heatly, I know that sounds nuts but I want to be the one who says it first. So there I did it.
Go Kings

By: Keith Korneluk

Keith Korneluk — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:43:04 +0000

This is the third July 1 in a row where the Kings have done jack squat. Lombardi tantalized us at the draft with "we are now in a position where we can trade the number one pick" and kept the pick. That's okay, we got a hell of a player out of it.

Then he says that LA has the cap space to be active in free agency. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar said that they want Lombardi to add a scoring left winger. He ends up with nothing.

I would have been encouraged to hear that we had acquired the negotiating rights to Marian Hossa and failed to sign him because he wanted to play for a contender but I had heard that before (see Zdeno Chara and Patrick Elias).

On the morning of July 2, there is only one team in the entire National Hockey League who has not signed anyone. That team is the Los Angeles Kings. Oh yeah, we also have more available cap space than anyone in the league. This is not excusable.

So maybe we can hope for another "bridge" player to be signed in Alexi Kovalev. Oh yeah, Jamie Lundmark is available too.

By: Chris Kaliszewski

Chris Kaliszewski — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:55:33 +0000

Interesting day…