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.

Gagne - 'Mike Richards is the type of guy I want on my team'

Most old sayings are still around because they're often true.

In the case of 'familiarity breeds contempt' - it may make sense when applied to many other things, yet Simon Gagne sees his relationship with Mike Richards an entirely different way.

"He's a really quiet guy and he's really shy. But, on the ice, he's definitely the type of guy you want to have on your team. He's going to take a check for you. If somebody gives you a cheap shot, he's going to be the first one to go and respond on that. I had a chance to play with him for five years in Philadelphia. Even we he got to the league, he was 20 years old, I think - you could tell though that he was going to be that type of player. That's the perfect model for the type of hockey I think we're going to play here in the West. He's a guy that I want to have on my team when the playoffs come. I'm glad that I'll be able to play with him again."

I'll have more with Gagne up soon, including a TV show that he's been using to get tips on the LA lifestyle, some notes on a few of the 'firsts' he's already experienced as a member of the Kings and he he evaluates the team's training facility compared to those in Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

For more on Richards though, check out the links below to read what others have had to say about him recently.

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Penner says Moreau adds more leadership to the LA Kings

If you're a free agent hockey player still looking for a job, here's a word to the wise - put your stats away for now and hold up a sign that says 'have letter, will travel.'

That is, if you have one.

LA Kings GM Dean Lombardi has been collecting former captains and assistants this summer - from Mike Richards and Simon Gagne, to his latest signee, Ethan Moreau.

Yes, he's another former Oiler - joining Dustin Penner, Matt Greene and Jarret Stoll among others.

However, Moreau is also the former captain in Edmonton, something Penner thinks shouldn't go unnoticed.

"He's captained a Canadian franchise, in a market that can be hard to play in," began Penner when we spoke by phone yesterday afternoon. "He's a great addition to our team and I think he's an important piece of the puzzle."

Although they were last in the same dressing room during the 2009-10 season, Penner said - "I've been in regular contact with him since the day we stopped playing together."

In fact, they've spoken several times over the last few weeks and Moreau sent Penner a text right after he caught wind he was going to be with the Kings.

Look for LA Kings to add 'sandpaper' in next few days

Flyers West?

Nah, it may be time to resurrect 'Oliers South.'

Before Kings GM Dean Lombardi was accused of trying to bring a Philadelphia brand of hockey to Los Angeles, he was on the verge of repeating the cycle of team leaders from the early '90s.

After Wayne Gretzky arrived, the franchise eventually acquired nearly every one of his former Oiler teammates - with one notable exception, Mark Messier.

When guys like Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and Ryan Smyth started to fill the Kings locker room, some wondered if 'Oilers South' was about to make a comeback.

That story had been pushed to the back burner a bit though as the collection of former Flyers started to increase, peaking with Mike Richards and Simon Gagne nearly two months ago.

Now...we don't deal with rumors much here on MayorsManor...so, this is more than a rumor.

In the next few days, look for another former Oiler to sign a one-year deal with the Kings (for around $1-million).

Lombardi and Robitaille on Kings pursuit of Brad Richards

When Kings GM Dean Lombardi speaks, he almost always makes sense.

People may not like what he has to say at times, but he pretty much tells it as it is.

Several years ago when some questioned his signing of Dan Cloutier to an extension before he was fully healthy, Lombardi explained that it was a calculated gamble. He looked ahead to the next summer's free agent goalie market and didn't like what he saw. So, he tried to lock up Cloutier at a discount. It backfired, sure. But, it's too easy to evaluate performance after the fact. Go back to the day he did the deal. His logic was correct.

When he once referred to some of his free agent signings as 'bridge' players, all but admitting they weren't that good - or were just good enough - and their primary purpose was to buy time for a few prospects to further develop, it might have sounded harsh. But, it was true.

So, you can imagine the raised eyebrows recently when he referred to the Kings failed attempt to sign unrestricted free agent Brad Richards as the organization's 'finest hour.'

Wait, what? Does the expression now have a new meaning? He clearly wasn't being sarcastic.

Here's what he said, in full, when asked what he would change about how the Kings approached the Richards pursuit - "We're getting there. As much as we're respected now, until it gets done here, we're not going to create that destination site, like the Lakers are. It's really hard - for the American kid, the baseball player or the basketball kid, the whole LA thing, it's very much a part of our culture. For so much of the hockey on the east coast and up north though, (LA) still seems like it's out in nowhere land. But, it's been proven that once you get it going here, you will be attractive. When Gretzky was here, every player wanted to play here. So, we're close. We're respected, where people will seriously consider us. But, to beat out those guys in the east, who have the tradition and everything else, we're going to have to get it done and then we're going to go to the top.

LA Kings coaches heaping praise at goalie Martin Jones

Martin Jones (photo: Kasey Spatz)

You never quite know what you're going to get with a prospect.

Young forwards usually need to learn the defensive side of the game before being NHL ready. Defensemen tend to mature around the age of 24. Goalies, historically, take a little longer.

As is the case with LA's two Jonathans, Quick and Bernier, Martin Jones is probably a little ahead of the curve.

Only 21, he was signed as a free agent in October 2008. The following season he wrapped up his junior career in stellar style, being named the 2009-10 WHL Goaltender of the Year (behind a 2.21 goals-against average and .919 save percentage).

What did he do for an encore? He turned pro, went to Manchester (AHL) and practically stole the starting job from Jeff Zatkoff. In 39 games played, he posted a 23-12-1 record with a 2.25 goals-against-average and a .924 save percentage. He also was the starting goaltender in the AHL All-Star Game - yes, as a rookie.

Summing it up, he's pretty much sky rocketed to third on the team's overall depth chart in net.

As for his performance at Development Camp this week, here's what Head Coach Terry Murray and (former Stanley Cup winner, now) Goaltending Coach Bill Ranford thought of his performance:

Coach Murray - "This young man, to me, has maybe grown more than anyone on the ice right now (in camp). I've seen incredible change in maturity and composure. In sitting in and listening to the goaltender sessions they had before getting on the ice, he's very astute, very analytical, technical, well-spoken. He's a man. He's becoming a very intelligent person about the game and I think it just translates right into his game on the ice. We're seeing that big body, he's really grown a lot too, in a couple years now. We're seeing a player who's going to keep pushing it up here. He definitely needs more time and needs to be the number one guy in the American Hockey League and all of that stuff. We have a player on our hands here."

Lombardi has a plan for free agents, not just wingn' it

For those not following along on twitter and/or facebook today, here is where things stand with free agency...

Back when Kings GM Dean Lombardi arrived in Los Angeles in the spring of 2006 he immediately began talking about building the team from the net out.

More recently, he's acknowledged that the team needs to be stronger at center if they want to compete with the upper echelon of the Western Conference - teams like Vancouver, San Jose and Detroit.

So, while a bunch of free agent forwards signed elsewhere today - Andrew Brunette (Chicago), Eric Cole (Montreal), Tomas Fleischmann (Florida), Jeff Halpern (Washington), Jaromir Jagr (Philadelphia), Ville Lenio (Buffalo), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Carolina), Michael Ryder (Dallas), Steve Sullivan (Pittsburgh), Marco Sturm (Vancouver), Scottie Upshall (Florida), Kris Versteeg (Florida via trade) and Joel Ward (Washington) - Lombardi headed to Toronto in pusuit of another center.

There are unconfirmed reports he's asked coach Terry Murray how feasible it is to start 12 centers on offense. Which is great news to prospects like Andrei Loktionov and Jordan Weal, who would be needed for those 11th and 12 spots.

So, for now we wait.

Three teams have yet to make a big splash today - the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers.

Thus, we're actually right back where we started. The same three teams that have been rumored for over a month to be the front runners for uber UFA Brad Richards are still in the hunt.

Oh yeah, one more thing... there's also a very good, often injured, former Flyer winger who hasn't signed with anybody yet. Perhaps he's plan B.

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LA Kings Roundtable on player contracts, roster changes

Just in time for the weekend - part five of the recent roundtable discussion on the Los Angeles Kings is now available!

Joining me on the panel were Dennis Bernstein of The 4th Period, Jon Moncrief of the Examiner, Dave Joseph of ESPN and several others.

The group was pulled together by the guys over at KingsCast and in this segment we talk in-depth about which players will be back next year, a certain player that has privately said he's willing to come back at a discounted rate and roster changes that need to take place for the team to become Stanley Cup contenders. Plus, some lively debate on Jarret Stoll, Ryan Smyth, Michal Handzus, Willie Mitchell, Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis and more!



If you haven't been keeping up with the whole series, here's a recap:

Part one of the roundtable featured discussion on Drew Doughty - click here to watch now.

Part two featured discussion on the power play and prospects - click here to watch now.

Part three had lots of talk on free agent signings, trade rumors, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Bernier, Dustin Penner and much more - click here to watch now.

Part four went up earlier this week and was mainly about coaching and Johnson vs. Doughty - click here to watch now.

More videos will be released by KingsCast in the weeks to come.

The Mayor
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LA Kings Roundtable on Trades, Kopitar and Penner

Part three of the recent roundtable discussion on the Los Angeles Kings is now available.

The conversation continues with Dennis Bernstein of The 4th Period, Jon Moncrief of the Examiner, Dave Joseph of ESPN and several others.

The group was pulled together by the guys over at KingsCast and in this segment we talk in-depth about what the Kings should do in the off-season - including deals involving Brad Richards, Rick Nash, Jonathan Bernier, Philadelphia Flyers, etc. - possible future line combinations, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Penner and much more.



Part one of the roundtable featured discussion on Drew Doughty - click here to watch now.

Part two of the roundtable featured discussion on the power play and prospects - click here to watch now.

More videos will be released by KingsCast in the days to come.



The Mayor
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POLL: Who should the LA Kings re-sign?

The Kings have a plethora of restricted free agents to evaluate - most notably, Drew Doughty and Wayne Simmonds.

However, they also have four unrestricted free agents they need to make decisions on by July 1st - Peter Harrold, John Zeiler, Michal Handzus and Alexei Ponikarovsky.

Let's focus on the latter two.

Earlier today I posted comments from coach Terry Murray regarding why he would want Handzus back - including saying, "He's a real linchpin kind of a guy. He's a leader. He’s a great example. He's a professional in all senses of the word - getting ready, doing the work that needs to be done to be a player." (read the full article here)

As for Ponikarovsky, he said "Big body, a 6-5" guy. I need him to score more, though," before later adding "It wasn’t because of poor play. I mean, he's trying, he cares. He’s going to the net. He's using his size most of the time. I just need more of what you've shown for seven years on your resume, a 20-goal scorer. What happened? He can do some good things."

Both decisions will basically come down to money (of course) and possible replacements (i.e. younger prospects and/or other players available via the free agent market or trade).

Ignoring money - or assuming the contracts were reasonable (as the Kings no longer have to over-pay to get players, they have plenty of prospects now to fill third and fourth-line roles)...

If you were Kings GM Dean Lombardi, what would you do?



Poll closes Saturday at noon PST.

The Mayor
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Ponikarovsky wants to win 'em all

Dean Lombardi evaluates Terry Murray's performance this season

Coach Murray says Wayne Simmonds 'hit a wall' this season

Doughty says the Kings will 'do anything to win'
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Kings coach Murray on why he wants Handzus back

Remember high school math? You learned a bunch of stuff you thought you'd never use.

Well, here's your chance.

Michal Handzus' four-year career as an LA King could best be described as a bell curve (go look it up if you forgot).

The signing itself was panned and the first year didn't do much to squash the chatter. After all, four-million is a lot of coin for a guy that scored - gulp - seven goals.

He followed that up with 18 and 20-goal seasons, more typical of what GM Dean Lombardi was expecting. Additionally, he was the Kings best defensive player during that stretch.

This season, he looked to be on the downside of that bell curve - at least offensively speaking - posting just 12 goals. Some critics will argue he was playing with Alexander Frolov the two seasons prior, compared to 'carrying' Alexei Ponikarovsky this season. Perhaps.

Putting it all together, coach Terry Murray said he'd like to have him back...

"He's a real linchpin kind of a guy. He's a leader. He’s a great example. He's a professional in all senses of the word - getting ready, doing the work that needs to be done to be a player. The tough part for him (was that) I had to elevate him to a situation in the playoffs, because of circumstances. Somebody might look at it and say, 'Jeez, I don’t know,' but we know. He's an important guy.'

Oh, and here's one for you - how many games do you think Handzus has missed since signing with LA?  Remember, he was coming off of major knee surgery when he joined the Kings.

Answer - one. ONE GAME in four years.

Yes, Drew Doughty's contract will take top priority in the months to come. However, Lombardi said it looks like the salary cap will be going up, to "around 63 million."

Which is good news if the team wants to try and fit Handzus back into the fold.

Odds are, he'll be back. Expect a one-year deal for about two-million.



The Mayor
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RECAP: Rob Scuderi on NHL Power Play (Radio)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi joined the guys on the Power Play to talk a little past (why he signed in LA), present (the road trip) and future (the Kings Stanley Cup possibilities).

Please note - as always, these recaps are near exact quotes. However, some information has been paraphrased for brevity.

Here's a quick recap...

* [topic: What did guys in the room say after the first period in Detroit, with the Kings trailing?] Most of the veterans and the guys talking had the same things to say 'Don't respect the team too much. The Red Wings have a way of putting a team in ah. You sit back and kind of watch them do there thing. Although they are a very good team, you have to remember we're a good team too.' Right off the bat in the second period everybody responded with the right type of attitude, and more importantly, the right type of play.

* [Any confidence carrying over from the 6-1-3 road stretch in February?] We were extremely disappointed in the January homestand. We had a great chance to make up ground and instead we lost a bunch. You don't want to play catch up hockey on the road. However, it seemed to light a fire under our rear ends and get everybody going. Yes, after having that success, we probably entered this road trip with the confidence we can do the same type of thing.

Kings - Coyotes Preview with Eric Belanger

To get something of value, you have to give up something of value.

It's an old adage when it comes to making trades in the NHL and it almost always proves true. Perhaps, not as often in the salary cap era - when more and more teams seem to be making 'cap trades' instead of 'hockey trades' (see Marco Sturm) - but, it certainly was true in the summer of 2006.

Shorty after Dean Lombardi arrived as the new GM of the Kings he started tweaking the roster, with one of his stated goals being to build his reserve list (i.e. add young players). In a trade that shocked some of the fan base he shipped popular Eric Belanger and young defenseman Tim Gleason to Carolina for Oleg Tverdovsky and an unknown blueliner named Jack Johnson.

Sure, in the years to come, many in the hockey world would come to sing the praises of Johnson. However, at the time, he was a college defenseman who had been drafted by the Hurricanes - hardly things that put you on the national hockey radar.

Belanger had cemented his place in Kings history five years earlier when, as a rookie, he scored an overtime goal to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in a playoff game known as the 'Frenzy on Figueroa.'

Five teams later, Belanger now finds himself in Phoenix, having just signed a free agent contract there this past summer.  Prior to tonight's Kings-Coyotes game we caught up with him...

MayorsManor Podcast - featuring Ian Laperriere

Ian Laperriere is one of the most popular players in Kings history, having played for the team from 1996-2004.

In this interview we cover the trade that brought him to Los Angeles, the highs and lows of his career, playoff memories at Staples Center, contract talks with the Kings...plus, a word association segment that is one for the ages. Truly candid comments from Lappy.

[note: this is a duplicate post due to a problem with the feed to itunes yesterday...sorry for the confusion]

To play the podcast, simply click on the title of this article above (MayorsManor Podcast - featuring Ian Laperriere).

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MayorsManor Podcast - featuring Ian Laperriere

Trevor Lewis is wearing #22 this season. Before him were names like Baumgartner, Huddy, Tocchet, Conroy and Halpern. However, for most Kings fans there's only one #22...Ian Laperriere.

And the admiration for Lappy isn't just among the fans.

"Ian, the way he plays, tells it all" said captain Dustin Brown when talking about the four leaders that inspired him earlier in his career. Luc Robitaille specifically called out Laperriere during his Hall of Fame induction speech. So, it really doesn't matter who you're talking with, from coaches to teammates to opponents, everybody has deep respect from what Lappy brings to the game of hockey.

Therefore, when it came time to launch the new MayorsManor podcast, he was the perfect guest. Not only does he have great stories, that French-Canadian accent could only mean one thing - hockey!

He doesn't need much more of an introduction, so let's get right to it.

In this interview we cover the trade that brought him to Los Angeles, the highs and lows of his career, playoff memories at Staples Center, contract talks with the Kings...plus, a word association segment that is one for the ages.  Truly candid comments from Lappy.



update: ALSO AVAILABLE on itunes - click here to start



FOR A LIST OF OTHER MayorsManor PODCASTS - click here


The Mayor
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.

Kovy Finally Arrives in LA

Later tonight Ilya Kovalchuk will rejoin the Kings for the first time since his visit to their training facility back on July 13th.

Only this time around, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene probably won't be as accommodating as they were during his last trip to Los Angeles. Having spurned the team for a better contract with New Jersey, he'll be wearing a Devils sweater when he takes to the ice at Staples Center.

The entire summer romance - er, courtship - between Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Kovy, his agent Jay Grossman and all the parties involved has been chronicled to death. By now, everybody knows how it all turned out. Similar to the Rob Blake situation, fans appear to be split into two camps - some feel rejected (they're angry), others are glad he didn't sign here (they're happy, or at least neutral).

We checked in with three well respected experts from ESPN and Hockey Night in Canada to get their take on the situation. Hopefully, they'll be able to offer a little bit more of an impartial point of view...

Two Minutes In the Box... with Willie Mitchell

It seems like nearly every team in the league is always looking to add another top-six forward and a quality defenseman.

Over the summer, the Kings were in that same position. So, while the Ilya Kovalchuk negotiations dominated the early headlines, perhaps the deal deserving equal attention was Dean Lombardi's ability to acquire Willie Mitchell.

The Kings GM loves to compare hockey to baseball and in MLB it's said that pitching wins championships. In the NHL, it's defense (and goaltending...and your centers...but, hey, that wouldn't make for a good story).

Mitchell was coming off a serious concussion that forced him to miss the second half of last season. Just hearing that worried Kings fans who know all too well about how things turned out with players like Jason Allison and Adam Deadmarsh.

Perhaps this was different. Premier teams in the league - such as the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks - were also heavily pursuing the free agent blueliner. Low and behold, he signed in LA, making a strong defensive core even better.

Below are some comments from Mitchell about how he's fitting in with the Kings, what he's learned about Drew Doughty and the play of young Jake Muzzin...

MM:  Any thoughts so far after a few games here with the Kings?

Welcome to LA - 10 Tidbits on Willie Mitchell

It's been an interesting summer for the LA Kings in terms of roster moves.

While the July headlines were dominated with news on various left wingers, August will certainly be remembered as the month of D.

Just weeks after word surfaced that Matt Greene could possibly be out until November recovering from a shoulder injury, the Kings once-deep prospect pool suddenly thinned as reports indicated Colten Teubert and Vyacheslav Voinov were hurt as well and would not be ready to start the season.

Enter Willie Mitchell.  Earlier today the Kings signed the unrestricted free agent to a two-year contract...beating out the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals among others.

Here are 10 Tidbits on the rugged defenseman...

* Mitchell was voted the Vancouver Canucks best defenseman in the spring of 2008 and 2009. He wasn't able to achieve the hat-trick this year after being forced to miss the second half of the season due to a hit from the Penguins Evgeni Malkin in mid-January.

*  He openly criticized the NHL for their response to the hit that left him with post-concussion syndrome, saying “I'm not happy with the hit I took. We're taught from a young age that you don't hit from behind. I had my numbers facing a player in a dangerous zone, a dangerous spot, and he hit me. More than that, I'm disappointed in the league, disappointed in Colin Campbell."  He went on to say that he thinks Campbell often "hands down suspensions and fines (based on injuries), and I think that's the wrong thing to do. You rob a bank and there's $50 million in there or rob a bank and there's $5 in there, you're going to jail for the same amount of time. (Campbell) saw me get up off the ice and didn't make any ruling on it.”

Two Minutes w/ Modano

Had a chance to catch up with Mike Modano yesterday...

As was reported late last week he has signed a one-year deal to join the Detroit Red Wings as their third line center.

A few weeks ago I tweeted that Modano had spoken with good friend Jeremy Roenick at length about his impending decision to come back or retire...and at Friday's press conference it was noted that he also consulted with Brett Hull. What I found interesting yesterday was that he talked with several other athletes as well - and not just from the world of hockey - while mulling things over.

For example, at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe last month he spoke with "a number of guys," including Charles Barkley, Marcus Allen and Joe Sakic.  According to Mike, "Everyone had their own spin on things."  Understandably so when you look at that trio.

10 Tidbits on Alex Ponikarovsky

While it was the Karate Kid receiving the remake treatment this summer, it will probably be another Ralph Macchio flick, The Outsiders, that will have more staying power as the calendar flips to the winter months.

Earlier today the the Los Angeles Kings announced the signing of unrestricted free agent Alexei Ponikarovsky. And although he was formerly known as "The Poni Express", out in Hollywood...er, Hockeywood...he'll simply be Poni Boy.

Here are 10 Tidbits to get you primed and ready to go on the Kings newest left wing...with a special twitter twist:

* First question out of the gate, does Ponikarovsky have the longest last name of any player in Kings history?  No.  Well, he's tied.  There's the popular Mike Krushelnyski from the end of the 80s.  Then, according to several alert tweeters - including @KingsKoolAid, @kevinsyoung and @LHHockey - you also have Sheldon Kannegiesser ('73-77) and Steve Clippingdale (16 games in '76-77) checking in with 12 letters.  @SoundFlyer14 thinks Frank St. Marseille tops them all with 13 "units" (including the period and space).  But, I don't count that way.  That's just me.

* The comparisons to Alexander Frolov are almost too easy - both could be classified as "classic underachievers".  They've even played for the same teams back in Russia, just not concurrently.  Frolov spent time with Krylja Sovetov in '01-02 (just before joining the Kings), while Poni played there three seasons prior.  During the NHL lockout in '04, Frolov spent some time at home playing for Moscow Dynamo.  Poni was there from '98-00 (ironically, just before he came over to play for the Maple Leafs).

* Similar to Ilya Kovalchuck's apparent obsession with the number 17, Poni has one he favors too.  Supposedly, he's been wearing 23 to honor his grandparents and wife, who were all born that day.  He'll need a new number in LA though.  Dustin Brown isn't trading that for a trip to Hawaii or a year's membership at a nice country club.