Takes and trash talk from both ALL sides of the NHL's most obscure PATHETIC* rivalry

* Thanks, Kevin Lowe!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Blah, Blah, Blah, Retarded, Blah, Blah, Blah



Yeah, the Kings are going to be forced to give up Jack Johnson to get over the cap floor. Why would they sign Marek Malik when they can trade away their best defenseman and get Nikolai Khabibulin? WHY NOT?

40 comments:

Unknown said...

Derp.

Earl Sleek said...

Geez, do any of these guys know their basic economics?

He identifies the Kings as a singular team with cap space and four teams with over-the-cap-issues that need resolution. One team that needs salary, and four that need to shed it.

Yeah, I can see how the Kings are fucked in this situation. If they don't bend to the whims to the Blackhawks, what alternative do they possibly have?

Oh, any one of the THREE ADDITIONAL TRADE PARTNER OPTIONS you already identified in your article?

Morons! It's not the team with many options that is in a tough position; rather it's the multiple teams with one obvious option. Ah, but who wants to actually consider the Kings' perspective? Better to talk about them behind their back, I guess. Besides, there's nothing stopping the Kings from signing some random dude for a few million dollars; that's an easier out-strategy than the over-the-cap teams have.

Still, if the new BoC movement is Schneider-for-Kopitar, I suppose I could grudgingly support that.

RudyKelly said...

Besides, there's nothing stopping the Kings from signing some random dude for a few million dollars; that's an easier out-strategy than the over-the-cap teams have.

Exactly. The Ducks have to get rid of someone and they need a trade partner to do it, while the Kings could just sign Joe Bumfuck for $2 million and they'd be fine.

Earl Sleek said...

Holy smokes! Kevin Lowe is no longer a general manager!

Burke wins?

the Kings could just sign Joe Bumfuck for $2 million and they'd be fine.

Aw, c'mon. I was at least imagining another shot at Dancin' Anson Carter.

PJ Swenson said...

Am I the only one that thinks the over/under for the Kings meltdown with Bernier and LaBarbera behind that defense is somewhere around 25-30 games?

Granted, it will not be as bad as calling up Fukufuji or Sean Burke, but it will be another flavor of the same embarassment. No matter how talented the youth up front, or the prospects in the system.

That is the problem with being so far under the salary floor. It is not the fact that you can sign a few scrubs and make the team cash legal. It is the fact that you have gigantic holes on your roster and your fans are going to end up complaining about missing the playoffs yet again while no one is covering the team.

The reality is that Dean Lombardi is probably still heavily working the phones, but teams are asking too much right now. Not Kopitar, that is like asking the Bruins to make the Joe Thornton trade a second time, but a combination of other players and picks that is too much for salary other teams want to probably dump anyways.

Lombardi will trade a third liner, prospect, pick for a goaltender before the start of the season or Earl will dye his hair blue for opening night.

PJ Swenson said...

Meant to say trade a second or third liner.

Earl Sleek said...

Lombardi will trade a third liner, prospect, pick for a goaltender before the start of the season or Earl will dye his hair blue for opening night.

Wha wha wha?

Well, I'm reading this as that I'll dye Lombardi's hair blue. I guess I'm game for that.

As to the rest of your point, though, PJ: I agree. What's not really addressed here is whether hitting the salary floor is really sufficient for the Kings, who I'd think now more than ever need to step up in this Shark/Duck dominated BoC.

I understand that Kings fans have long-term patience (they have to!), and there's plenty of talk about "the plan", but I dunno, can't they at least make a better effort at pretending to compete? If the Kings were locked into bad players, that would be one thing. However, not spending money is another matter completely.

It's not my fight, that's for sure, but I think Kings fans should be asking some harder questions: Why has the salary floor become the Kings' assumed aim? Is there really no reason to try for better this year?

RudyKelly said...

Well, they were going to try for better, but then Brad Stuart signed with the Red Wings and Rob Blake fucked them. They wouldn't have traded Lubo if they had known they wouldn't get Blake, Stuart or Orpik. And the fact is that the Kings' best forward not yet 21, their best defenseman is 22, and their best goaltender is 20. Who are they going to pick up off the free agent market that is going to change that? There's not much they can do except wait a little while.

Like I said before, this season will settle a lot of things for the Kings. They'll know what to expect from Boyle, Purcell and Moulson, their younger prospects will make enough of a name for themselves that people will start asking for them instead of Kopitar, and the Kings will be able to move a few of them for a defenseman.

And if the Kings will be fine with Labarbera and Ersberg and Bernier. They need another goaltender like Step-Brothers needed another dropped storyline.

jamestobrien said...

I'm of the opinion that the Kings should suck this year. The Ducks are going to make a major drop after this season, the Sharks are aging worse than a meth addict and the Stars aren't exactly full of spring chickens either (especially after trading Mike Smith).

So, the Kings should make like an angry wife: wait for the husband/rest of the Pacific to fall asleep and then glue its dick to its stomach.

Or something.

Anonymous said...

So, the Kings should make like an angry wife: wait for the husband/rest of the Pacific to fall asleep and then glue its dick to its stomach.

Vivid imagery there.

What I don't get about the Kings off-season is that they seemed to be in a good position for the future last year. A good collection of skill in their forwards, a mixture of young D men and veterans that could mentor them. The biggest hole was goaltending, where their prospects were realistically still 2-3 years out from being ready, and rushing goalies is a great way to destroy them.

But it looks like Crazy Lombardi has emerged again, and he's been acting erratically. Sharks fans may remember him from back in the day (firing coach Kevin Constantine while driving around San Jose, and continuing the pleasure ride for another 3 hours). Why trade Lubo? Why give mixed messages to Blake? Why trade Camalleri? Why do nothing to solve your goaltending problems? Why not!!???

Unknown said...

The Kings goaltending will be fine. The reason the kings were shitty on d last year was because their team defense was a joke (huge gap between forwards and D) and because they had zero toughness. Both of those categories have improved (Crawford gone, Murray in; I guess we'll have to wait and see on toughness) and the one shitty goaltender we had is gone (even though it seems the fucker is rather difficult to get rid of). And what "gigantic holes" are you referring to? We are missing a defenseman, I'll grant you that, but it is obvious to everyone the kings are not competing for the cup this season, so I don't think using a couple young guys equals gigantic holes. I think maybe you should watch some games before you make your snap judgements on a team, because it makes you look like a horse's ass that doesn't know what he's talking about to those of us who do watch them. Good luck on your second round "meltdown" next season.

Earl Sleek said...

The Ducks are going to make a major drop after this season

We'll see. The only thing I can say about next year for the Ducks is there's a lot of uncertainty, but nothing that makes me say they'll automatically be terrible. It's a blank lineup for the most part (except the top line, the top d-man, and in net), but there's plenty of opportunity to create a team. It doesn't have to be a step backwards.

it is obvious to everyone the kings are not competing for the cup this season

Well, sure. Spending the bare minimum will get you that label for sure. Still, could the unspent money be used to fortify or improve the team? Undoubtedly, and I hate to put a ceiling on that opportunity like "no matter what they would spend they still can't contend."

I dunno--look at Pittsburgh. They had a lot of guys on the cheap last year (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, etc.) and were able to surround them with some pricey talent and get themselves into the cup finals.

A year later? Their cheap guys aren't so cheap, and their window looks to be shutting rather than opening. The Kings, instead of using their Penguin-like window of cheap talent, seem to say "wait until these guys are pricey--then we'll spend some money." It seems like a pissed-away opportunity, I guess, and I don't know why Kings fans are so resigned to it.

Unknown said...

The kings aren't the penguins last season. They are the penguins 2 years ago. It isn't time to sign big free agents right now. Watching the veterans not care last season is the reason I'm willing to let kids and a few veterans who will fight for jobs make up our team. The free agent pool this off season was pretty weak, that is why you see guys like Jeff Finger getting what he got and Sundin getting $10 million offers. What's the point of overpaying (and worse, overpaying for 4-6 years) for a guy you don't need when you can get a better player either next year or the next? What WILL piss off kings fans is if we can't resign O'Sullivan or Kopitar, because then Deano was blowing smoke up our ass.

Earl Sleek said...

I suppose, Nut, but I'll say that the optmimal year to surround Kopitar with pricey talent isn't next year. And as to the UFA market this summer, I don't think that's the only way to spend money. There's plenty of players on contracts that could be had, if Lombardi wasn't playing Scrooge.

Besides, next year is next year. Regardless of what the Kings do next summer, it doesn't mean that this has to be a wasted year, does it? If that's the fanbase's belief, perhaps Deano is already blowing smoke up asses.

Unknown said...

Another year of experience and opportunites for Boyle, Purcell, Kopitar, Doughty, Bernier, etc., doesn't add up to a wasted year in my book. And I never said next year would be a wasted year, that would be you and PJ. I'm expecting a much more competitive team than last year (although I feel that way every off season).

Anonymous said...

Which nonchalant guard at the mental asylum is responsible for letting that retard near a keyboard? Jesus, only if you take everything he said and flip it upside down do you get a coherent, legitimate article.

Earl Sleek said...

And I never said next year would be a wasted year, that would be you and PJ.

Sure, I feel like I took that term from somebody, but I'm agreeable enough to it. It's at least a wasted opportunity to ice a better team by spending more than the league's minimum.

As for the experience, I guess that's something, but I'm not wasting a lot of time wishing that Getzlaf and Perry could have been first-line players earlier in their careers. They managed to get experience playing behind Selanne -- they didn't need to be forced onto the top line in order to develop into legitimate top liners, I guess. In fact, I'm of the opinion that I think they're better off today having gone through 4th and 2nd line duties.

Mike in OC said...

It isn't time to sign big free agents right now.

Everybody seems to think that the Kings have no desire to sign players, from everything I see and hear it sounds more like they have been trying to sign players, but they just don't want to come to play in LA.

Some (like Kariya) are taking LESS money to play on other teams (and in some cases, no better off than LA).

Blake's agent implied that the Kings owners are cheapskates. The Lubo deal did not help either. All that makes it much tougher on Dean I'm sure.

Maybe things will change in Kansas, who knows.

Earl Sleek said...

from everything I see and hear it sounds more like they have been trying to sign players, but they just don't want to come to play in LA.

That's why a trade might be the optimal solution.

Does next year look any more promising? I don't see how the Kings get any UFA credibility by spending as little as legally possible.

RudyKelly said...

So I guess the Kings should do something retarded like trade their superstar third base prospect Andy Laroche and former 1st round pick Bryan Morris for fucknut Manny Ramirez? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Unknown said...

Again, Lombardi's previous comments show that his approach is to protect young players and bring them in ssssllllllooooowwwllly. I doubt any of the young guys who get a chance are going to jump right in to first or second line play unless they prove that they can handle it first (Purcell or Boyle are the only two forwards that I see cracking the top two lines this season). Doughtly or Hickey will probably be 5th or 6th d-men if they make the team this year unless they are insanely awesome.

RudyKelly said...

No matter how you feel about it, I think the important thing to remember is that the Kings have Anze Kopitar, Jack Johnson, Jonathan Bernier, Dustin Brown, Patrick O'Sullivan, Oscar Moller, Wayne Simmonds, Colten Teubert, Thomas Hickey, Brian Boyle, Ted Purcell, and Matt Moulson. It's almost impossible to fuck this up.

And Earl, I'm pretty sure the idea is to have a low payroll now so we can make sure we can afford Kopitar, Johnson, Boyle, Purcell and Frolov in the next 2 years. If we signed, say, Jeff Finger, we might not be able to do that.

Earl Sleek said...

Lombardi's previous comments show that his approach is to protect young players and bring them in ssssllllllooooowwwllly.

Fine, but I still don't know what this has to do with spending budget. If the belief is (a) this team is not a contender this year, and (b) they are spending as little as possible to do so, it seems that a GM might seek to upgrade.

Instead, all I seem to hear from the Kings' end is that "it's useless" or "we'll kill the prospects" or stuff like that.

If we signed, say, Jeff Finger, we might not be able to do that.

Yeah, it doesn't need to be a blind spend-money-on-anything approach. Certainly looking to the future would be ideal.

I don't know what's wrong with 1-year commitments for the Kings this summer, unless there really isn't a desire to improve this year's results. Perhaps that might be the case for management, but I don't know why the fans seem content with it.

RudyKelly said...

Well, who were they going to get on a 1-year deal? There's still time and I am positive the Kings are going to add one defenseman some time before camp.

Earl Sleek said...

They can get Matty Schneider for a song, probably get a Marchant thrown in if they wanted it.

And that's just from the Ducks. I'm sure there's plenty of final-year guys available on overspent teams.

Certainly, there is still time, and for sure the Kings aren't done. But what do you expect their payroll to be at the start of the year? And does that seem sufficient for a team with a horrid success rate and promises of a better future?

Mike in OC said...

I for one like this approch by the Kings.

If that thoery about saving the money for the young guys is correct, why did they trade Lubo right before his payday kicked in, and why take Michael Cammalleri to arbitration after he lit it up for them?

From here it looks like it's not at all that complicated, they just do not want to spend the dough.

RudyKelly said...

I don't really care what the payroll is, as long as it's not too low or too high. If in 2 years the Kings are still at the same payroll then I'll be pissed, but they haven't had the opportunity to prove that they're being frugal yet. I'm just not going to worry about it until then.

Unknown said...

I think most die hard kings fans would say yes.

Earl Sleek said...

I guess we'll wait and see. However, it's much easier for me to imagine the day when even the die-hards say, "Damn, I wish Lombardi opened the purse-strings this year" than the retrospective "Thank god we didn't spend more than the minimum."

Mike in OC said...

but they haven't had the opportunity to prove that they're being frugal yet

I guess that's the difference, I saw the Lubo and Blake deals as exactly that.

If Blake was worth more than 4 million to anyone, it should have been the Kings. Just because he is a fan fav. and sells tickets. Former franchise player and all.

But they refused to pay more than 4 million and he goes to San Jose for 5 Million for 1 Year (that also could have been the one year player mentioned)

For a difference of 1 million on a team 13 mil UNDER the minimum, they lose Blake (and probably the chance to retire his jersey)

Unknown said...

And for one million dollars, Blake chose to have those Kings fans hate him one more time and not have his jersey retired by the team he played for for most of his career. So its all relative.

RudyKelly said...

Blake told them he wanted $4 million. Lombardi told him to hold on so he could work out other deals. Blake waited 2 days and then signed with the Sharks. If Lombardi was guilty of anything, it was assuming that Blake would have a sense of loyalty towards the team.

I guess we'll wait and see.

Yeah, basically. Now leave me alone, I'm trying to find out about Manny.

Earl Sleek said...

Now leave me alone, I'm trying to find out about Manny.

Oh right, that other L.A. team that does spend money.

RudyKelly said...

The Dodgers have $46 million dollars invested in one outfield spot. I guess they can have Manny play 7 innings, insert Pierre as a pinch runner, and then have Jones come in as a defensive replacement. Now that's how you spend money!

Anonymous said...

Dodgers get Manny.

Anonymous said...

Gretzky hangs them up.

Earl Sleek said...

Gretzky hangs them up.

I suppose I'll ask: huh??

Doogie2K said...

I guess we'll have to wait and see on toughness

If nothing else, I can assure you that Matt Greene does bring toughness. What else he brings is a much different subject, and what he might bring in the future (assuming he's a late bloomer and not just a career #6 defenceman) was a matter of some debate in the Oilersphere before the trade.

Again, Lombardi's previous comments show that his approach is to protect young players and bring them in ssssllllllooooowwwllly.

Protecting the young players and bringing them in slowly is what Detroit does. LA is not doing what Detroit is doing. Granted, no one is really doing what Detroit is doing, but LA isn't even in the same country as Detroit (give or take a river). For starters, you need at least some veteran talent to protect the kids. To borrow from my own team, I see no Shawn Horcoff, no Erik Cole, not even Steve Staios.

Gretzky hangs them up.

Wait, what? You mean he won't be playing for the Oilers this year, after all? VADER-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Maybe he's retiring so he can replace that dude behind the bench in Phoenix.

Anonymous said...

blah blah blah retarded?
what does that mean?
using the word retarded as slang is just wrong.

Unknown said...

If you are saying the Kings aren't in the same country as the red wings because they don't have veterans, why do you use shitty oiler veterans as an example?