GM Dean Lombardi compares rebuilds by Oilers and Kings

Several teams around the NHL have gone through painful rebuilds over the last decade, with a few already cashing in and finding success. Pittsburgh is typically the franchise most point to for how to 'get it right.' More recently, the Blackhawks have been receiving praise, having won the Stanley Cup in 2010.

Entering the season, many considered the Los Angeles Kings to be on the threshold of achieving similar success. And the team right behind them in the process is the Edmonton Oilers. While LA has largely been built on goaltending and defense, the Oil's clear strength is the abundance of top flight forwards they've drafted recently.

Late last week, Kings GM Dean Lombardi was a guest on Mark Spector's radio show (Team 1260, Edmonton). We've already posted several of Lombardi's comments in previous articles. Here, he tackles the rebuilding process for both the Kings and Oilers...

On the notion LA is just a key free agent away - "The most critical thing - and I told Darryl (Sutter) this when he took over the team - of all the things we can do, we have to make our young players, in fact, top players. Not only top players in the sense of notoriety or contract, but they have to become, in fact, core players (who) can match up with Datsyuk and Lidstrom, Thornton and Boyle and all these guys. That is the number one thing that has to happen. If we don't do that - if these players don't, in fact, become 'winners,' then anything else I do in free agency or trades, it's just going to be conversation because it's not going to happen.

Robitaille on Rogie and Roenick - Hall of Fame worthy?

Luc Robitaille was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 9, 2009.

That was about as 'no-brainer' of a selection as the committee has had in recent years. He finished his career with 668 goals and a Stanley Cup, just to name a few of his accomplishments.

Going back even further in Kings history though, this November will make it 40 years since the Kings added their best goaltender to date, Rogie Vachon.

A few nights after the anniversary of LA sending four players to Montreal for a 5-foot-7 goalie, this year's Hall of Fame class will be inducted and once again, Vachon will not be there - just like every other year since he was first eligible in 1987.

Why? How has this happened?

Sure, he played in Los Angeles during the '70s. To say it wasn't a hockey hotbed is an understatement of epic proportions. However, his stats say he should be in. With 355 wins (including 171 in LA, with a 2.82 goals against average), 51 shutouts, a Vezina trophy, three Stanley Cups and a gold medal at the 1976 Canada Cup (where he had two shutouts in seven games played and a 1.39 GAA)...how has nor received the call?

On the other hand, it's not that surprising. The first shot on goal the guy ever faced in the NHL was against some forward named Gordie Howe. It's been an uphill battle ever since!

Recently, I asked Robitaille, now the Kings' President of Business Operations, if it's something the team can get behind and help make a push for.

LA Kings center Anze Kopitar - What if? And what's next?

March 23, 1994 will forever be remembered as the night Kings captain Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe to become the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history.

I'm not so sure March 26, 2011 will have the same staying power over time. But, for now, it's the date that Kings players, fans and management can't erase from their minds.

When Anze Kopitar went down with an injury that afternoon it instantly created numerous 'what if' scenarios.

Perhaps, if he hadn't damaged his leg, we'd be talking about the second round today, instead of next season.

Thus, rightfully so, GM Dean Lombardi and coach Terry Murray brought him up several times during our recent de-brief meetings...

Lombardi on Kopitar's defensive improvement - "Over his first couple of years in the league...he was free-wheeling and it looked great on offense, but he was not a great defensive player. I think, this year, he became one of the best defensive players in the league. You've got a guy here now that has has already done the Yzerman, Sakic transformation. It usually took those guys until 25, 26 (years old) before they figured out how to be a complete player. This kid has done it at an early age. I think that's huge, particularly when you’re dealing with big bodies like San Jose down low. But that’s the irony of it. We all looked at it and thought missing his offense (would be an issue in the series), but we end up missing his defense."

They also missed his compete level - "I remember, during the season, the way he (Kopitar) competed with one-goal leads, the way he played at the ends of some games. It said, 'We're going to win this game.' You could just see where this guy said, 'We will not lose this game.' So, that stride is huge."

Is there a Hockey News curse?

Sports fans know all too well about 'the curse' and what it can do to their favorite team or player. The Red Sox had the curse of the Bambino. The Cubs still have the goat. Entire seasons have been lost due to the Sports Illustrated curse. Plus, you have the Madden Football video game curse. This year it was a two-fer, with both Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu showcased on the popular game...and, yep, they both were injured.

Hockey fans take note, because there may be some negative karma brewing in the print world north of the border too. It's possible The Hockey News is the latest sports related curse to be rearing its ugly head.

Perhaps it isn't Ryan Smyth's fault after all that Anze Kopitar has lost his mojo.

Case in point - November 2008 Av's captain Joe Sakic is featured on the cover of The Hockey News. Three weeks later he injures his back, then some fingers and hand injuries. That's it, he's lost for the season and then retires.

You want more? The very next issue showcased young Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn on the cover. Less than a month later he gets the famous lower body injury (knee) and misses a month of action.

Fast forward to this season. One of the best goalies in the world, Roberto Luongo, gets the cover for a late September issue. A month later, he injures his ribs and has to miss a handful of games.

OK, so you say injuries are just part of the game and it's a coincidence. Well, how about playoff performance?

April 16, 2009 Joe Thornton was the Playoff Preview cover boy. By now, everybody knows what happened to his Sharks in the first round after entering the playoffs as the top team in the West.

The following issue featured Zdeno Chara, captain of the East's top team - the Boston Bruins. What happens? Done, bounced in the second round by Carolina.

Not good enough for you? Let's look at some recent stats then...

Chris Pronger, Flyers defenseman, poses for a cover of The Hockey News in early November. The issue was released on 11/9/09. Prior to that he was a +11 with 14 points in 14 games. Since that time he is a -1 with just 11 points in 27 games. Cursed!

The next issue focused on three rookies playing for various New York teams. Last year's number one draft pick, John Tavares of the New York Islanders had 18 points and was a -1 in the 20 games prior. His numbers gave gone south since: -7, 10 points in 23 games. Another New York kid, Michael Del Zotto of the Rangers, was getting early Calder Trophy pub with his pre-cover play of 15 points in 20 games. Man, have times changed - only 5 points in 21 games since and a terrible -16 rating.

Which brings us to Kopitar. What's wrong with Anze? It's the million dollar question right now. Many people speculated it was the absence of Ryan Smyth. However, Rhyno's back now and things haven't really changed.

Kopi was The Hockey News cover boy for the December 14th issue. Ignoring his red hot start to the year - for the sake of trying to factor in the Smyth impact - in the 20 games prior to the issue being released on December 7th Anze had 16 points. The Kings have played 12 games from that point forward, a strech where Kopitar has just 5 points.

Is there a new curse to worry about in the world of hockey?

It's one possible explanation.

The Mayor
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