DEAN LOMBARDI
This season: 40-27-15 record, 16-4 in playoffs.
The good: After back-to-back playoff appearances, Lombardi could have taken a “stay the course’’ attitude and simply hoped his young team would develop on its own. Instead, last June, he made a bold move for Mike Richards, and also acquiesced to Ryan Smyth’s trade request and made a deal with Edmonton that freed up significant salary-cap space. With the Kings looking as though they were circling the drain in February, Lombardi called up Dwight King and Jordan Nolan, then made a trade for Jeff Carter. That series of moves put the Kings in position to win the Stanley Cup.
The bad: The Kings finished the regular season with 95 points, just five points ahead of ninth-place Calgary in the Western Conference. If things had broken slightly differently, the Flames would have made the playoffs and, quite possibly, the Kings would be breaking in a new general manager right now. Given all the patience and investment, it’s doubtful that Kings management/ownership would have tolerated a step backward from this team. Lombardi bought himself a substantial grace period by winning the Cup, but will the Kings now take the next step to be a year-in, year-out contender?
Going forward: On paper, it looks good. Over the last couple years, Lombardi and staff have methodically locked up key young players to long-term contracts, while still leaving room for additions. This summer, for instance, he kept everyone under contract but still had enough room to take a swing at a player such as Zach Parise or Shane Doan. Lombardi’s goal is to build a long-term winner, in the vein of the Detroit Red Wings. That will be difficult, because it requires a lot of good fortune, but if the Kings, individually, can play to their potential, the team has a chance to be a winner for years to come.
Can’t believe I gave him an “A”…Seemed unfathomable in February.
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:26 pm
@evan, Maybe you shouldn’t have. I gave Dean a B. His trades and draft picks have been average. He’s done really well with the cap space and hiring Suter.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:46 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED,
Can one do better than win the Stanley Cup? Sometimes I think that all of us armchair GM’s grade the real GM way too hard.
Question: Is there another GM who has done better?
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:08 pm
@Michael J., GMs role is more long term. Evaluating trades and draft picks done this year should really be voted on in a couple of years. His best move was hiring Sutter, which most on this sight didn’t like the the time it happened. Shows what we know. The B I voted was not an F. He did a great job, but the Kings came within a few points of missing the playoffs and if that had happened, like Rich said we might be voting on who should be the next GM. I know what you’re saying “you can’t do better than win the cup”, but DL was average in some trades and picks, so he could do better.
OneTimer Reply:
July 25th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED,
Allow me to point out how you just contradicted yourself:
- First you state, “His best move was hiring Sutter”, which means (I’m assuming) you would grade him with an A for this act alone, since (again, as you state) this was the best thing he did, and it obviously worked out quite well.
- Next you go on to explain or “blame” the GM for coming “within a few points of missing the playoffs”. (Somehow you think the GM is laregely responsible for this, and yes I understand that “ultimately” the GM is responsible for the product.)
BUT – as others have asked, how does the on-ice performance of the PLAYERS (hold that thought for 4 more seconds) justify your measurement of a GM, and not squarely a measurement of the COACH!? ESPECIALLY given the fact, that after making a coaching change (which DL did) to a more successful coach (“his best move”) … it was these VERY SAME PLAYERS that the GM had assembled (including King and Nolan – another late GM move) who won the Cup?
In summary:
Same players (added by the GM) + Different coach (added by the GM) = CUP (The best possible result any team could wish for.)
The man brought the Cup to LA after 45 years of failure … DL gets an A, whereas around Dec/Jan time, it looked like he might be fired in a few short months.
kingsofsb Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:04 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, You win the cup as a GM you get an A. What do you guys expect, us to win all 82 regular season games, then win 16 straight in the playoffs. Come on.
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NOW IMPRESSED Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:11 pm
@kingsofsb, Did you vote A for all the players? They all won the cup. DLs role was to give Sutter the best possible team. He did GOOD on that, but it wasn’t the best possible.
Shuchuk Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:52 pm
@kingsofsb, seriously, it’s not like the GM laces up the skates and plays each night. DL gets an A. he built the team that won the cup, and he built this team for the long haul. A, no question about it.
kings of SB Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:48 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, How do you deny the empirical evidence, his trades, free agents, coaching choices, and draft picks executed the game plan that won the cup. All this and we still have our entire cup winning team intact for next year, we are in good shape in terms of the cap, and core locked up for many years? Keep in mind an “A” grade is reserved for the top 10% of a group. So you don’t think that DL was one of the top 3 GM’s this year?
What would DL have had to do for you to give him an A? Could he have gotten and A from you if we did not win the cup and he would of shelled out the farm to get Kovalchuk, Brad Richards, etc?
I gave most but not all players A grades as well. They reached the pinnacle of the sport as a team, so as a team they mostly get A grades in my book.
Can’t wait to defend the cup.
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DiggerRocket Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:57 pm
@kings of SB, Good point about not giving it all up for Kovalchuk and Richards. The tea, we have now, in addition to the cap space get the A from me.
adriano Reply:
July 25th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
@NOW IMPRESSED, They won the cup and they’re all coming back for another year. Never going to be a straight line, but they did it.
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Poppa K Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:36 pm
@evan, Agree. I’d like to see some of his picks, besides Drew, come in and have an impact. We all know the Taylor era put together the core. Rather then getting free agents or trades (which you have to do from time to time I know) I’d like to see a home grown star. If he makes it happen, he can write his own contract for the next 10 years in my book.
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bmova Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:38 pm
@Poppa K, Well he did draft Simmonds and Schenn which netted us Richards.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:52 pm
@bmova, yup.
puckbobb Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:28 pm
@evan, how about “G” for genius?
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mash-ola Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:08 pm
@evan, The goal was to win the Stanley Cup. Mission Accomplished.
He teetered precariously between being a genius and being fired… But winning championships cures all ills, I suppose.
A.
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He pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Gets an A for that. I will forgive the Ethan Moreau/Trent Hunter debacle.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:10 pm
@Steve Jensen, No GM is an oracle. When DL saw that these 2 were not producing as hoped he cut them loose and replaced them with the RIGHT players. That’s a good GM.
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west coast ram Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@HockeyNerd, when he waited to fire TM he was a bad GM. The players won the Cup and DL provided the right players to do it but it certainly required a big in-season move to get it done. My only critizism of DL was his overt loyalty to TM when it was obvious that the players were no longer responding to him and the fact that he didn’t really ever address the problems we had at left wing prior to the season’s start.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:54 pm
@HockeyNerd, exactly. there is nothing wrong with adding a few (cheap) vets to bolster a young roster, when they proved they didn’t belong he sent them packing. I don’t fault DL for that.
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historyguy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:51 pm
@Steve Jensen, Sure, Moreau and Hunter gave us nothing. But they cost us next to nothing, as very cheap UFA’s. Maybe having them here (whenever they were in the lineup) gave King and Nolan time to mature this year before their call-up.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:17 pm
@historyguy,
That’s a good call.
Perhaps Nolan and King came in at the optimum time to have the right effect.
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Leaking Dustin Brown was on the trading block was the smartest motivational tool he has used. DB was a freakin beast after that. Decent drafting and great trades…A for me.
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TJM Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:18 pm
@Cry Baby, No joke. He went on a figurative rampage with his scoring, and a literal rampage with his physical play. CRAZY run by Brown after that rumor.
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wes Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:52 pm
@Cry Baby, makes for an interesting storyline, but by all knowledgeable accounts it just didn’t go down quite that way. Luc Robitaille laughed off the suggestion that Lombardi ever shopped Brown. Luc’s version of events runs to lots of GMs around the league picking up the phone when they heard someone had asked about Brown (I’m guessing that initial phone call was placed in Toronto). Kind of like sharks when blood’s in the water, so to speak. That’s basically the way Lombardi has told it all along as well. And a credible account has it Tim Leiweke, the proverbial horses mouth himself, personally told Brown’s wife that Dustin wasn’t being shopped and wasn’t going anywhere.
I recall reading some blogs associated with other teams at the time speculation was at its peak, one blog editor (in Buffalo if I recall correctly) mocked the idea that Lombardi would shop Brown as being transparently nonsensical, that given Brown’s “bang for the buck” (a perennial 25 goal kind of a guy with ironman and leadership components, for just over $3M/yr), Lombardi would have to be an idiot if the rumors were true.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:20 pm
@wes,
Lieweke/Lombardi.
Good cop/bad cop?
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Sdgolfer Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:48 pm
@Cry Baby, Cool story bro.
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Cry Baby Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:02 pm
@Sdgolfer, I don’t really believe DL shopped Brown…I am also sure teams were inquiring. When the news broke the silence was deafening. There were no official comments on the subject. At the same time D B goes on a rampage beginning with hat trick the day the trade deadline passed. Mind games that worked!
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Never thought I’d agree with ANYTHING Bettman said but it does start at the top of any organization. This team was going nowhere when DL took over and slowly but surely he assembled the right talent and the right combination of pieces. Yes, the grade would probably be a lot different had we not made the playoffs. But we did, and we did BECAUSE he made EXACTLY the right personnel changes at the trade deadline. A very easy “A”.
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Deepsea_drumz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@HockeyNerd, He believes in what the Kings CAN be and does not get side tracked. A solid A from my view point. Thanks Mr. Lombardi. Go Kings!!
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OneTimer Reply:
July 25th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
@HockeyNerd,
And the BEST part is … he’s built us into a team that can make a couple if not several more runs at Stanley.
- 2nd or 3rd youngest team in the NHL just won the Cup,
- With a multitude of key components are signed loooong term.
- Oh, and we’re still pretty stacked in the pipeline.
- No summer sell-offs here!
- No cutting players/payroll to get under the cap here!
- No trade-deadline “rentals” left to walk after giving up assets in Feb to acquire them JUST for a Cup run.
Well done Mr. Lombardi. I was happy the day we hired you, and thank you for getting us to this place where I honestly, honestly have continued to hold the belief you could someday.
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“A” for the best customer the El Cid ever had.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:47 pm
@DesertKing,
Best promoter!
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add a plus to A
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rontheking Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:25 pm
@Mike in Oregon,
I would for sure. Most of it was genius planning…but when he rolled the dice he came up with sevens all the way to the cup!
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How can anyone vote anything less than an A?! He put together the 2012 Stanley Cup Champions! I can die happy largely because of this man
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President’s trophy, here we come! WIth Stanley Cups to follow!
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He delivered what no GM has ever delivered to L.A, the Stanley Cup. He deserves an “A”.
DL is a good GM. Is he a great GM? Only time will tell…
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Regular season results notwithstanding, it’s hard to argue with the plan and its execution. He has built a contender in six years, and not a flash-in-the-pan winner but a team that should contend for many years.
The deal for DD now looks like a great one when many people said ‘too much for too little’ at the time. Building a team and an organization that a player like Mitchell would commit to (even before they won) speaks volumes.
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bmova Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:42 pm
@bbb7, DD’s contract looks like a steal considering what Suter got and the deals given to tier-2 UFA defensemen.
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Where are all the “FIRE LOMBARDI” people now? Fickle, fickle people who jump to stupid conclusions and are a detriment to their team.
Proud to have been a supporter since jump
… but talk is cheap.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:34 pm
@TJM, @poorman is on moderation, otherwise he would definately have something for Lombardi, I promise you.
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Nash to Rangers…
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Real 7 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:38 pm
@pw, The Rangers acquired Rick Nash for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first-rounder. What do you think of the trade?
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BringBackButchGoring Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:42 pm
@Real 7, Nash way overrated; Erixon is going to be great, already better than JMFJ, IMO. Dubinski is overpaid but will help Columbus and Anisimov is probably better than what they got. With three number 1′s next draft, they could definitely package two of them to move up to a top three pick or perhaps get two top ten picks. I don’t hate this for Columbus as most do.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:49 pm
@Real 7,
NYR gave up two lineup regulars, and both are centers. Erikson only has 18 games NHL experience, so hard to tell on what his value really is.
Even trade.
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tim chaney Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:29 pm
@Michael J., columbus is building it back quick and nash is a good player, i still like our chances and maybe doan will come. http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/8192330/new-york-rangers-trade-3-players-columbus-blue-jackets-rick-nash
King Cobra Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:54 pm
@pw, Glad to see Nash is out of the West.
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OneTimer Reply:
July 25th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
@King Cobra,
Agree, except that Parise kid may make it a wash. (But I also think we’ve just proven how we can “handle” him, eh?)
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He did well but concerned about the long term contracts that Carter and Richards carry.
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historyguy Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@Bob Bobson, Yeah, long term contracts are a chancy deal. Of course, what this past year should teach us is that long-term contracts are moveable. Just because they’re both locked up long-term doesn’t mean they’ll be with the Kings for the entirety (though, 2 or 3 more cups would sure make it look smart if they were!).
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King Cobra Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:57 pm
@historyguy, Both contracts do have no trade clause. In the long term these are good contracts for such high quality players…
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Ds saved his butt……..period.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:24 pm
@neil, And exactly who made the decision to fire TM and hire DS?
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jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@HockeyNerd,
Me thinks Lewieke held DL’s feet to the fire on canning TM (thank god). But yes, DL did hire Sutter.
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neil Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:39 pm
@jess, i heard that luc also wanted tm out. we will never know how much dl had to do with firing tm and how much he had to do with king and nolan being brought up. also dl lucked out on frasier……dl was thisclose to losing his job.
Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:46 pm
@jess, my name is @puck73 and I concur with this sentiment.
Duncanz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:28 pm
My name is /\ /\ /\, and I’m sentimentally inclined to concur with everything @Stuey says.
Everyone needs a mini-me!
As much as I’d want to give the GM of our first cup winning team an A, to some extent, this all happened DESPITE Lombardi’s stubbornness.
He should have fired Murray a very long time ago. Talk about skin of the teeth getting into the playoffs. And there was the whole moreau/hunter/big washed up grinder thing….. Gagne was not an effective signing, either.
Lombardi does get major props for the Richards trade, and for the Johnson/Carter trade, which was really more like Johnson for Carter and Voynov. And he gets props for the King and Nolan callups, which didn’t look very promising at the time.
Above average: B.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@5buckcolonnadeticket,
To your second paragraph, what if TM had been fired prior to the season and then things we t further downhill? Then the GM gets the blame for dumping a winnng coach for a losing one.
TM had earned a shot at getting Kings off to a good start and he didn’t so the argument could be made the change came at the right time.
Also, Gagne’s value to the club cannot by any means be truly or fairly measured to this point.
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I see teams like the Rangers and Flyers make big splashes year after year by throwing money all over and what does it get them? DL built through the draft and added pieces as they were needed. Following the Detroit model is the way to go.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:38 pm
@Katie, Agree. Its been proven that Glen Sather pisses away more money then anyone on free agents. The only reason Slats still has his gig is because Dolans of MSG has no balls when it comes to firing anyone. It was proven in the Isiah Thomas fiasco.
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B+ for Deano. Why not an ‘A’? Keeping Terry Murray & Jamie Kompon as long as he did.
gKg!
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Optomistic Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:40 pm
@LBlocal, I gave him a B for the ssme reasons
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west coast ram Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 pm
@LBlocal, Agree 100%
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west coast ram Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:44 pm
….plus not addressing the left wing hole at the start of the season.
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Sdgolfer Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:50 pm
@LBlocal, And yet still won the Stanley Cup
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A+ Deanno is nothing short of a kings legend at this point. Retiring his coat and tie in the rafters
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DL gets an ‘A’ for the following:
1. Taking ethan moreau from TM like a book of matches from a 5 yr. old.
2. Hiring Sutter
3. The Johnson for Carter trade
4. -Even the seemingly disasterous Edmonton trade ended up tilting in our favor.
-And so much more!
Thanks DL! I never should’ve doubted you.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:27 pm
@jess, And I SHOULD have doubted TM. Do you know of any restaurant in Santa Monica that would serve a very large helping of my words?
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jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:30 pm
@HockeyNerd,
Don’t worry about it dude! AT least you are admitting it. Many others are still silent on their past mistakes, and will never admit it.
That’s why it would be really cool for Rich to have a crow eating thread, just to see who steps up, and who doesn’t.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:33 pm
@jess, That’s a fantastic idea! Ya there Rich?
LBlocal Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:45 pm
@jess, Like this foot in mouth, emotional moment I did, back on December 13th? Wearing it (like a burger king jersey). http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/12/13/kings-looking-at-sutter/#comment-954431 gKg!
Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 1:55 pm
@LBlocal,
Great reset! I’ve included the best rant from that post below. Any guesses who the author is?
“So many of you guys put me down for so long when I said both TM and DL had to go. How many times have I said that DL has picked two wrong coaches already; how many more picks should he get? And here he goes again. He’s Mr. Predictable. Darryl Sutter is hideous. Horrible! I’d be a better choice than Sutter. Fire DL please. TM is not the only problem. It’s this retread GM. I also don’t like hearing how he lit into the players. I hope AEG lit into DL real good, and put him on the clock. Six years is enough. Bye”
Hint: Not puck73
jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm
@LBlocal,
Haha NICE!
Hey how about my reply to “TD” two pages back from your post?
http://lakingsinsider.com/2011/12/12/midseason-replacements-do-they-work/
Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:46 pm
@ichael J., ahahahahahaha!! @Poorman at his terribly best!
CB14 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:03 pm
@jess, I like the first comment on that page that you linked too. A little foreshadowing on my part???
CB14 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:06 pm
@jess, P.S. Isn’t it fitting that you and I were the first two people to respond to “TD’s” love of TM comment? LOL Yours was much better thou.
bbb7 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:27 pm
@jess, And you weren’t alone:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/43529-Campbell-Darryl-Sutter-would-be-poor-choice-to-replace-Terry-Murray.html
jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:24 pm
@CB14,
Friggin awesome! I tell ya, those were cantankerous times! -And not so long ago
jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:25 pm
@CB14,
BTW GOOD CALL!! -Full Cred goes to you my friend.
jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 6:39 pm
@bbb7,
Interesting article. Essentially, I was making my decision based upon mass panic and emotional overload. I will make sure to never do that again! Thanks for sharing
I gave him the grade with which you associate GM of the year.
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Without a doubt, “A”. This team doesn’t hoist the Cup if DL doesn’t do the things he did. You can argue that he waited too long to fire TM or picked some wrong people, but in the end, the pieces he put together fit and the result is history.
Think about it.
* This team doesn’t get a defensive identity if he didn’t bring in TM.
* We all talk about the stockpile of talent in the system.
* The trade to get Richards was brilliant.
* The decision to replace TM with DL obviously turned out right.
* The trade to get Carter was also brilliant.
* He signed the entire Cup winning team to contracts without fanfare.
No GM is without their share of misses (Moreau, Halpern, etc.). And I wasn’t too happy with how he handled the DD negotiations (but really, I wasn’t happy about both parties in that one). And he probably just lucked out on winding up with Fraser on the Smyth trade.
But to NOT give him an “A” for this season….what does the guy have to do to earn that other than win the club’s first Cup?
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:41 pm
@vplaza, This post goes into legendary status for you Vincanity !
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vplaza Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:51 pm
@puck73,
LOL, just had to give DL his props for pulling it off. I know lots of things needed to fall into place in order for it to all work out in the end, but he gave the team the pieces it needed for things to fall into place.
Taking points away is merely nitpicking at this point, IMHO.
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At a gut level I didn’t like his decision at the beginning of last season to pick up Hunter and Moreau rather than giving some young talent a chance to blossom, though he might legitimately have felt that guys like King and Nolan hadn’t yet proven themselves.
But he’s wise enough to take the counsel of his advisors as to what’s not working and to make the hard calls to change course. Bringing in DS was the right move, as were the King and Nolan call-ups. The Richards and Carter deals were smart moves that looked good at the time and look even better now. And he’s managed to put together this team while keeping the financials sane and leaving room for more changes if needed.
Nobody gets it right every time but Dean has gotten it right way more often than not. The fans have been rewarded for their patience as he carefully made over this organization, and the fact that the Cup has been won and the Kings can expect to be in the conversation for the next several years at least tells you all you need to know.
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Cry Baby Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:05 pm
@responsible D, If you remember the kings had a long break and DS took a trip to Manchester. It was shortly after that that Nolan and King were called up. Rich had made a comment that TM did not visit Manch. DS was a brilliant addition. I too eat my words after the fact. I had predicted he would suck. The biggest difference for me is that DS instilled confidence. In his first game as a coach I remember him wrapping his arms around DD after a shift. He is connected to his players while TM was distant. I am so please with DS. I think the Kings have a few year window to be a great team. DS and DL are the right people to,lead this ship!
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responsible D Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:51 pm
@Cry Baby,
That Manchester trip was a key point in the season, no doubt.
I was very wary of the DS hiring, having seen things implode for him in San Jose and later in Calgary. I thought he was one of those old school coaches whose time had passed. I’m happy to say I was completely wrong about that.
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It is awfully hard to criticize DL at this point. However, it is also awfully hard to forget how disappointed I was in the team earlier this year, and how anxious I was – along with many others – to see a change at the top. Lombardi is a good GM, with a sprinkle of good luck thrown in. He did what I didn’t think he could – put together a Stanley Cup winner. I need to see more than one charmed playoffs, however, before I can be a True Believer. He gets a very solid B from me.
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Maybe i’m being a bit harsh, but Mareau and Hunter signings = B+. Condidering how close the Kings came to missing the playoffs, I think B+ is fair.
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I almost gave him an A, considering that we did just win a Stanley Cup with the team he put together. However, then I remembered that he gave a contract extension to Dan Cloutier before he ever played a game for the Kings.
B+
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Have to give Dean an A. A Stanley Cup and the best depth the organization has EVER had. Thanks to Dean the LA Kings will never be looked at the same in the hockey world. I have been a proud Die Hard since 1969 and am still smiling
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A strong B+! I thought getting MR was great!
But, keeping TM in the beginning of the season is one mistake he made, when most of us thought TM should have been gone at the end of 10-11 year!
The other, trust your prospects, SV, KING, NOLAN, help us in getting us into the playoffs. Needs to do more of that, then signing of hunter, morau, etc…
Then trading for Carter was a good one! Hiing of DS! But, he did wake up just in time to get us in the playoffs & almost blew it too!
In moving forward, I’m hoping in keeping the team as is & calling up prospects when the team becomes lazy sometime in the new season, which I’m sure will happen sometime in December!
Or is December the start of the seasons, the way talks are going for a new league contract…!!!!
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:43 pm
@Sammuch, Not bad for a guy who specializes in beach parties.
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Sammuch Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 pm
@puck73,
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Based on the fact that his team won the cup I’d say he did a better job than any other GM.
A
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While I am a tough grader I just can’t look myself in the mirror and give DL anything less than an A.
Not only has DL brought a cup to LA, he has locked up the core of a cup winning team for what seems like many years to come.
People sometimes point to some of the players that did little on the Kings, but went on to to do well once they left. I find this a problem with the coaching staff, not the DL. Then again, DL is responsible for picking the coach, but DL did take care of that problem as well and in grand fashion.
I had major doubts about both Richard’s and Carter’s contracts, but for me one cup is worth virtually any lenght of cap space problems. I’d rather win one cup and suffer just about anything afterwards than be a better than average team forever with no cup. I won’t be shocked if we have a mess a few years down the road, but at this point it does matter any more. Last year was worth any bad situation that may come with the current contracts in place.
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Even if we didn’t make the playoffs, he still should be praised, not fired. Look at our team, we are a playoff / contender team, he rebuilt it from scratch. TM had to go to wake the team up, but I didn’t think DL should be fired if we didn’t make it, if we didn’t make it, that was totally the players’ (minus Quick) fault.
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Go Kings Go!
Job well done A
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I would’ve given him an “F” in December. In July, he gets an “A” cuz we got the Cup and he pushed the right buttons!
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Still not a fan, but can’t argue with the result
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I will never forget the first hockeyfest in September 2009. Jonathon quick was the goalie the second half of the 08/09 campaign, a young goalie that looked pretty good, still he was very young.
After hockeyfest ended, I talked hockey with Dean for about 15 minutes, and I will never forget what he told me about Quick at that time, he said, ‘ Let me tell you something about goaltending, its not how many saves you make, it’s when you make them’. He also said, ‘ I have been around hockey along time, and I have never seen a goalie as competetive as this kid’.
When DL spouted this garbage to me, I started laughing at him and said, ‘ cmon Dean! You drafted Kipprusoff and Nabokov, and have benn around countless others, I’m not buying that!’ Then DL retorted, ” NO, I’m, tellin ya! This kid never quits, and hates to lose!’
Well, here we are, 3 seasons later, and DL and his people were DEAD On ! Jon Quick’s desire in tie games in the 3rd, shootouts, and OT is some of the best I have ever seen in a young goalie.
I could chronicle alot of the rest, but many of you are already doing a great job of that. That was just a little story I wanted to relate. And oh yah, he gets an A from me,STANLEY CUP! he made this fans dream come true.
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jess Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:09 pm
@puck73, NICE one!
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variable Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:26 pm
@puck73,
great story….and dl was right….he kept his faith in himself….and, by virtue of his actions, his team became even further intoxicated with his gospel about how he wanted to win…
…and they did…(!)
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KC23 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
@puck73, Love that story!
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Rich,
Correct me if I’m wrong. But didn’t the request from Smyth come before the trade for Richards?
Plain old C+ on Lombardi for me. Lady Luck played a major card on helping him keep his job this last season
1. The DD ‘holdout’ weakened DL position last summer. Even though I sided with DL at the time.
2. DL seemd to do little or nothing to influence TM when JQ was benched after 3 consecutive shutouts. That was a fiasco!
3. He also let Hunter and Moreau play like practice pylons for too long
4. He ignored Ferreira, was banging his fists on DL’s desk to bring King and Nolan from Manchester (DL’s own words). Both DW & JN should have been at training camp last summer.
5. Sending Jack Johnson to CBJ for Carter was a pretty safe trade to make considering the depth of the blue liners and the glaring weakness at wing at the time. Slava Voynov’s solid performance now makes that trade look like a stroke of genius.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:14 pm
@Gustavo, You and @BamaKingsFan were really piling on Doughty during his holdout, and I gotta say, I wasnt a big fan of it either. I believe like DL does, you get paid when you earn it. That being said, I didnt really want Doughty shipped out of here either unless some team really wanted to overpay.
As it turned out, thank God Doughty wasnt moved. He was outstanding in the playoffs, and was probably our best player in the Western Conference finals, and the Finals themselves.
Dean Lombardi…..God
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Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
@puck73,
I never questioned DD’s talents or potential. Just his ‘pay me on potential, not performance’ negotiating position.
I was very happy to see DD do so well in the playoffs. But our best player hands down during the season AND the playoffs was Quick, not Doughty.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:31 pm
@Gustavo, You could also make an arguement for #23. He scored big goals, and delivered timely hits. He really acted like a captain in the post season.
KC23 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:36 pm
@Gustavo, … He ignored Ferreira, was banging his fists on DL’s desk to bring King and Nolan from Manchester (DL’s own words). Both DW & JN should have been at training camp last summer. …
Dean was the one who got Ferriera here in the first place to point things out and obviously it didn’t get ignored, it was just a tad late, but clearly not too late.
Judging by what Weber and Suter took to the bank DD is a bargin. To be honest though. I still hold a little grudge against DD for his hold out for like $250,000. He is young and immature, but what a talent.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:41 pm
@KC23, I am still not happy about Doughty holding out either. To be honest, knowing DL’s convictions about paying your dues, and team first. I am kind of surprised Doughty is still here. I think what that should tell us is, is that Dean has been convinced from the beginning that Drew will go on and be one of the finest defensemen that ever plays this game.
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Osaka Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:23 pm
@Gustavo,
6. He built a Stanley Cup winner.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 9:46 am
@Osaka,
Yes, I give DL credit for the overall vision he forged for this organization and even more for being a class act. However, the process of building the team over the last few years has been a mixed bag of mistakes, good calls and lucky breaks.
The delayed call up of Nolan and King was not a ‘tad late’. It was detrimental to the team not to have them at training camp, instead of Hunter and Moreau. I’m sure Ferreira’s voice will be given much more attention, now.
TM’s tenure should not have lasted a minute longer past JQ’s benching after those 3 SOs.
Once again, the Mike Richards trade was a stroke of luck, NOT genius. And he gave up a lot to get him. I do give DL credit for acting on the opportunity, not for engineering it. That was Holgrem’s work.
Now moving forward, is that mixed bag good enough to ensure this team continues to perform at the highest level possible? I sincerely hope so. I love this team as much as anyone else. And despite my C+, I do not want DL to go anywhere, either.
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I mean…The guy did win a Stanley Cup…Right? Boom…jeez
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BrokeKingsFan Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:01 pm
sorry….I gave him an “A”
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Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@BrokeKingsFan,
DL was furious and put it on the players’ lack of performance when he had to fire TM in December. Now that the players performed and won the Cup, I’ll use DL’s own measuring stick and credit players and coaches for winning it, not management.
C+
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vplaza Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:54 pm
@Gustavo,
So, DL should have been happy with how players were performing when he had to fire TM?
And when the players that DL put together finally perform to their potential and win the Cup, DL doesn’t deserve any credit?
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 9:51 am
@vplaza,
The C+ includes credit for hiring DS. But DL did not do the inspiring, teaching and coaching that brought the players out of their slump. That was all DS’s doing, and the players themselves.
Credit for the players performance go to themselves and to the coaches. If there was a higher rating than A for DS, I’d give it to him.
kings of SB Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 9:13 pm
@Gustavo, C+ huh? It is nice to see that only 1% of voters agree with you.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:03 am
@kings of SB,
It’d be interesting to know how DL rates himself on the Hammond scale.
I believe DL is an honest man and a class act, but some of his decisions, late calls or no calls earlier in the season almost cost the team access to the playoffs….and his job.
There is no way I’ll give him credit for the performance the team delivered since March. That’s all DS and the players. Before March we were heading to the lottery and surely, a new GM.
I think that shiny metal thingie we all waited to claim for decades is blinding many, hence some of the less than objective ratings in here. Including mine, at times.
This past year DL deserves an A without question. The trade for Richards, even though it didn’t look like a winner right away, was the perfect move. Acquiring Richards gave the Kings a formidable 2nd line to ease the pressure off of Kopitar’s line. It was tough giving up two quality young players, but you always take the guy in his prime over unproven kids, especially when that guy is a proven winner. DL gave up a lot to get Carter, but if you look at it the way it turned out, he traded Johnson & a 1st for Carter and Voynov and it turned out to be a significant upgrade.
He handled the Smyth deal very well by not only clearing the $6.25M (which made the Carter deal possible), but he also got a very useful player in Fraser that played a key role.
And of course, he hired Sutter.
The only negative thing I can say about DL’s year is I think he overpaid Doughty some, but seeing what Weber and Suter just got, maybe he didn’t. And if Doughty can stay out of trouble and play like he did in the playoffs, he will be worth every penny.
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KC23 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:38 pm
@Dave, Over paid Doughty? Taken a good look at the Weber and Suter deal yet? DD was a bargin.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:53 pm
@KC23, It definately has turned out to be bargain, thats for sure. But like @Dave posted, at the beginning I wasnt a big fan of that kind of money for a young player who hadnt reached elite status yet.
The other thing is this, and you and I have discussed this, I just wonder if it wasnt Anshutz and Leiweike that didnt force the Doughty signing? I wondered this because the signing went against everything DL preaches against.
I guess we will never know.
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Dave Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 9:40 pm
@KC23, $7M was an overpayment for what Doughty did in the regular season. he made up for it in the playoffs.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 pm
@Dave,
I’m sorry, but I do not agree.
The Richards deal fell on DL’s lap when Holmgren decided to ship his MR & JC to make room for Bryzgalow. DL did not engineer anything there. He actually lucked out after failing to get the other Richards, that went to NY.
Fraser turned out to be a valuable piece, but there is no way I’m giving DL credit for it. Tambellini tried to send injured player to LA. He succeeded the 2nd time. CF was hurt, needed surgery and DL + all the psychics in Hollyweird could not have predicted such a positive outcome.
And why did he have to wait till the trading deadline to get J.Carter here? Wasn’t the imbalance between the blue line and the wing positions glaring early in the season?
I do like DL. The dude is a class act, but he made wrong or no calls that could have prevented the team from getting into the playoffs.
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:55 pm
@Gustavo,
The Richards trade happened before the Richards FA pursuit.
Carter may not have been available earlier. As evidenced by Lombardi’s pursuit of Brad Richards during the UFA period, he clearly knew there was a need for a top notch forward but was not ABLE to make a deal until the deadline. The fact the he pounced on the opportunity when it was there speaks volumes about his belief in the team (both the Richards and Carter trades are examples of it)
The guy got lucky for sure with some moves (Fraser for example), but his biggest strike of luck came from zero injuries to the defense and top 9 forwards during the playoffs. You have to be lucky to be good…or is it good to be lucky?
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Dave Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 9:45 pm
@Gustavo, i disagree on Richards. DL stepped up and offered two very good, young players for a guy coming off an injury and bad press. that was a big risk but it was the right move to make. and yes, he traded for Mike long before July 1st and the pursuit of Brad.
moving Smyth was the important part, getting Fraser was just a bonus. getting Tambellini to take that crazy contract for a guy well past his prime was a coup.
and as mentioned above, DL did try to do something in the top-6 by pursuing Kovalchuk and then Brad Richards. he wasn’t willing to break the bank to do it and he didn’t have to. he found the right guy at the right price and he made the deal that was largely criticized.
DL took major risks and they all paid off. not giving him credit for that is just silly. if DL played it safe, the Kings would not be Stanley Cup Champs and DL probably wouldn’t have a job and we’d be enduring another early exit and long offseason.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 10:22 pm
@Dave, Totally agree. What DL has done, I dont believe has ever been done in the salary cap era of the NHL, he managed to retain everyone from a Stanley Cup winner, AND has room to make another move if he so wishes!
This guy definately gets an A Plus.
KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 7:11 am
@Dave, Great post. It is not luck to have developed strong relationships with other GMs that put us on the fast track to get Richards. It was smart not to over pay Kovabucks. In fact look deeper into that and you see that because DL forced NJ to over spend on Kovabucks they didn’t have the resources to improve their team enough to beat the Kings in the finals.
An “A” is earned when one achieves over and above average. Dean has brought an incredible sense of professionalism and purpose to our Kings organization including our team. Sure things could have b,een different, as the summary states. But they weren’t. What resulted was a phenomenal, unexpected and of course, unprecedented run and we won the whole thing. That means some strategic decisions were made and those involved performed, above and beyond.
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what can you say about dl…?
sure he’s loquacious, often jumping several horses…a la a rodeo…when answering questions…he’s also like the book on tape that continues to read when the car is turned off…
whether it was a push from leiweke and AEG or not (?), dl pulled the trigger…and he pulled it several times…and lucky for everyone involved, he hit all the targets…
it’s amazing what could change in mere weeks in sports…to say that dl was on the hot seat around the trade deadline is an understatement….it got so bad at one time this year that the kings poor level of play found me, luc and stacia at some dive bar earlier in the season as the listless, ineffectual kings were ending another disappointing home performance…luc couldn’t even watch the third period….and that says it all right there about where the state of the team was at the time…
true to his m.o., dl stuck with the plan and filled in his “boxes” boldly, like he’s tried to do in previous years…
we don’t need to be reminded how many misses dl fired in the past when picking up/trading for ufa’s and players…when things were rough around here, there were many peeps on here that would remind us all about those poor picks….
but this year, dl got it right and got a lil’ lucky, too, with the king/nolan gamble…and he made it work inside his design – he’s always wanted to win with a certain style…now that he’s proven it can work, he will have to work even harder to maintain what he has….
hey….
it was a a rocky, bumpy, crocked, zigzagging road….
san francisco has Lombard Street….
and I guess LA will have Lombardi Way for a few more years to come, at least…
congrats dl – you and yr staff have definitely earned it…(!)
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Bringing coach Sutter in was mastery as was the move to bring up the big kids Kings and Nolan. Lombardi maybe overpaid for Carter but he needed to because without him the Kings maybe don’t get out of the first round. Carter with Richards gave LA two legit scoring threats and took some of the pressure off the first line. All good-great moves by Deano. Winning the Stanley Cup was the topper. GM Dean gets an A. Wondering what he’s going to do with all the depth at the forward ranks,defense and in goal.Good Luck Dean now and forever!!!
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:37 pm
@andy, Dealing from a position of strength is key in any negotiation, and as you stated about the depth, when you have it, it allows you to trade for people like…Williams, Greene, Stoll, Richards, Penner, Fraser, and Carter. All of whom were key in the post season.
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I think what impresses me most about DL is that he is not afraid to make a major move. Have all of his moves been perfect, hell no. Name one GM who has ever made 100% right moves. Did he have the determination to build a team around character and stick to that scenario–yes. Did he have the courage to give up a young strong defense man for a proven , unhappy goal scorer—yes. Did he listen to his advisers, coaches and scouts as to talent in the minors–yes.And most of all, did he have the guts to hire a coach like DS that he knew would raisethe eyebrows of the LA hockey community—–yes What more can you ask from a GM????
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bmova Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 2:00 am
@plywood, The only GM that I can think of that makes 100% right moves, or at least very close to it, is Ken Holland.
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KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 7:14 am
@bmova, Good call. IMHO, he is the best in the business, but he’ll have to prove it again over the next couple of years.
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Without trading for Richards and Carter, and bringing in Sutter (and sticking by it when a lot of hockey folks sooffed) there is no Cup. Consider that without Johnson leaving, Voynov doesn’t get the slot he has now and how well he played in the playoffs. He stuck by his principles of not only putting together a talente dteam but one with the right ‘culture’ Every interview he stands by that, that ‘winning attitude’ and ‘culture’ were more important to him than anything else. And that has paid off in spades,. Not only did they win the Cup, but aver. age 27, 2nd youngest team in the NHL, he’s put together a champsionship team that can repeat and be a threat to go deep and win for the next 6 to 7 tyears. That’s a sterling example of how you BUILD a championship not BUY one (are you listening Ed Snider).
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One word about DL….Coulombs.
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puck73 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:07 pm
@vplaza, Almost forgot about that! That was awesome ! And, as it turned out, he was right because we saw this happen at some other games this season as well.
Dean Lombardi….President, General Manager, and Calculus Major.
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Stuart Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:37 pm
@puck73, I remember saying this before DL did! I was right too!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:13 pm
@vplaza,
Ha! At first I thought you had spelled “Columbus” incorectly
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His start of the season was bad, but he made up for it come trade deadline time.
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Gary Livingston Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:00 pm
@DEH, Start? You mean trading for Mike Richards? Cause, that worked out well.
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I gave him an F just to keep it real and I’m still pissed about the whole Dan Cloutier thing.
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tim chaney Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 4:30 pm
@JB, he’s the same gm that called jonatan quick up…
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looking forward to playing the rangers…
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:09 am
@tim chaney,
…in the Finals. DS vs Torts. Epic media fest
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tim chaney Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 11:23 am
@Gustavo, big time…
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Can’t blame Dean for a winning team slumping. That’s the individual’s responsibilTy first, coaching staff second, GM last.
As the GM he can only be looked at for how he reacts to a slumping team and not be blamed for causing it in this situation. He did what he could tO correct it. Calling up new players, trading for help to fill a hole, and replacing a coach that no longer motivated the team. And, it worked.
A+
Enjoy my phone typos. Too lazy to fix!
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Osaka Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:11 pm
@Gary Livingston, They won the cup, proves he built the team with the right pieces. He did admit himself though that until they acquired Carter they had players playing out of their position or role and took blame for it. Also the DD situation wasn’t handled as well as it could be with his boss coming out in the press saying DL misspoke. Still, I couldn’t agree more with the type of team he built and the way he did it. He deserves nothing less than an A.
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B+. Would’ve been an A, but he waited too long to get rid of Terry Murray. As Rich pointed out, had this team not made the playoffs, Dean likely would’ve been out of a job. What a difference a Stanley Cup makes.
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Osaka Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:19 pm
@CB14, Rich was writing post how nothing had really changed since Sutter was hired, Kings were still struggling and struggling to score with Sutter. The turning point was the trade for Carter and the call up of Kings and Nolan. Those 3 players turned it around for the Kings. Not that they carried the team, but gave us depth and a balanced attack. Allowed players we already had to play in roles better suited for them. Also the size King and Nolan added and the ability to work the boards in the offensive zone was a weakness the Kings addressed. The Kings finally found their identity.
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CB14 Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:45 pm
@Osaka, The additions of Carter, King, and Nolan were huge, but I think the bigger addition was Dustin Brown playing his butt off the moment his name was brought up in trade rumors. IMO his emergence as a point per game player is the main reason the Kings even qualified for the playoffs. (Jonathan Quick is the reason the Kings were even in a position to be able to make the playoffs, of course) Carter and King didn’t heat up until the playoffs.
I’m not trying to discounting their performance, just saying that DB was the main reason the Kings turned around their season. From the JC/JJ trade on, DB had 25 points. Where as JC, DK, and JN COMBINED had 23 points. The Captain came up huge when it mattered the most, which is what Captains are expected to do.
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Osaka Reply:
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:59 pm
@CB14, Oh I agree with you on DB. He was the reason we beat Vancouver in the first round and they were the best team we played. A balanced attack helped out everyone though including Brown. The Kings were able to wear teams down. I agree 100% though, the trade rumor lit a fire under Dustin and he played like a man possessed.
KC23 Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 7:20 am
@CB14, I think the Brown hit on Sedine was the biggest, most important hit in King’s history. His PK work was way way way off the charts getting and setting up short handed goals. Props to Kopitar as well though.
No GM makes trades that work 100% of the time. No team has a 100% return on draft picks making the NHL. Lombardi has methodically changed the culture of the organization, built a Stanley Cup winning team, was able to bring back the entire team to defend, has almost all of the core locked up long-term, and is still under the cap. What the hell else does anyone want from their GM? He gives great interviews too.
His only fault is also his strength: loyalty. He held on to Murray too long, even though it was apparent that it was time for him to go. I’ll take that fault any day of the week. (I gave him an A.) Dean has always had a plan, communicated that plan, and stuck to that plan. And do you know what? It’s been a damn good plan. I would have been bummed if he was let go had the Kings not made the playoffs. I thought he had brought the organization a long way and was on the right track.
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I think the best move Lombardi has made was hiring Sutter. Says a lot about a GM that does the biggest thing they can do as in fire a coach and bring one in that you have to have so much confidence in. Remember, his job is also on the line if things are not going well or right, that is a TOUGH chair to sit in. His boss is the owner so Anshultz has to believe in what Lombardi has or is going to do with the Kings
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I can ‘t believe the people voting DL with sub par, less than A grades. He didn’t get us the bronze or the silver. He got us the GOLD!
You are like people who criticize the winner of the Olympic 10,000 meter final “for only being in the middke of the pack” for the first half of the race. Who cares? He nade adjustments. He stepped up the pace. That runner won the race! He won the Gold!
DL’s moves “won” us the Stanley Cup!
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just gunna go out on a limb here and say if we don’t sign darryl and dean their going ot have a change to go elsewhere….i find it disheartening that they would not have signed them right away after they saw what happened this year. Just sayin it was kind of a slap in the face according to some reliable sources Look for D and D to be courted by many teams after this season.
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I have pointed out my share of DL mistakes over the years. Most notably among them wasting our time with D grade players like Ethan Moreau and Trent Hunter, as well as signing Dan Cloutier and then giving the guy a contract extension for millions!
DL has made many more good moves than bad and as of now all past mistakes have been wiped clean.
The guy went to the edge of the cliff and turned it around and brought us the cup. You make your own luck and he gets an A for sure!!!
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A
I’ve always been a huge believer in DL and my faith was rewarded. He had a plan when he got here and while at times it was painful, you could see things getting better every year. He never deviated from the plan and you have to respect his convictions.
He made the right trades and the right signings. He kept a watchful eye on the cap and now look at where we are…champions of the hockey world with a good chance to continue this for a while. I’m not sure you could have asked anything more from him.
To me he’s the best executive in the game. I may be somewhat biased in that thought
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A, All day long.. We won the CUP, isn’t that what he was hired to do ? He did it so we should just enjoy the moment for now and in a few months we can get back to business of enjoying the product that D.L. has put together.We’ve been smiling from ear to ear and D.L. has been working trying to build on his foundation that HE started 6yrs.ago..The KINGS and us,their fans Will enjoy more moments like the ones we are enjoying now.KINGS #1….
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Twenty games does not prove the effectiveness of a GM or coach. Let’s face it, the Kings were sensational during the playoffs–a dominating 16-4. But virtually every team during a season will have a twenty game hot streak. Fortunately we had it at the right time. As others here have mentioned, we barely made the playoffs. Sutter got the job done, but it is hard to evaluate his overall effectiveness because compared to Terry Murray, he looked like a genius. So I would give himn a B. We’ll have a better idea of how good he is this eoming season when we see him dealing with the team’s ups and downs. Lombardi, on the other hand, has shown us a track record. This was his sixth season. In three of them we did not make the playoffs. It is often argued here that it takes time to build a winner. But other teams have done so much more rapidly during the same period that Lombardi was struggling. It appeared, over the past six years, that he was stumbling around, initially denouncing everything his predecessor had done, dismantling it and plunging off into a direction of his own. (He graciously gave Dave Taylor credit after the Cup was won.) We had to endure the negative results of his philosophy for three years and, until the final twenty games of the Playoffs this year, it appeared as if we were slipping back from the gains he had finally made in seasons four and five. It is hard to be critical of the GM of a team that has just won the Cup. Hopefully he has finally learned from the mistakes that his initial stubbornness inflicted. Once again, a successful twenty game stretch is no true indicator of a GM’s talents. That said, while I believe that based on his early dealing his current crop of players is more a result of fortune rather than skill, I commend him for how he has managed his cap space to keep his players under contract. Midway through the season I would have graded him at a D/F. Now I think he has earned himself a C. It remains to be seen whether he has learned enough lessons from his early fumblings to steer this club through the rough water that every team experiences during long seasons. This team should be for real and contend for several seasons. If they do and he can make good decisions to steer the over the bumps they will experience, his grade will go up.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:24 am
@Russ Dynda,
Pheeeewwwww!!…. Thank you for showing up at the right time. The A graders were giving me a hard time, lol.
However, I doubt your C and my C+ will be enough to overcome their misplaced grading generosity with some objectivity.
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Russ Dynda Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 10:49 am
@Gustavo, We tend to have short memories when euphoria sets in. I’m concerned because I want this team to be successful over a long time–not just 20 games. And Lombardi’s rather weak performance his first three seasons are an indication that he lacked insight into running a successful team over a period of time. I’ve pointed this out on here before–the year Lombardi took over, four of the six teams that finished last in their divisions were: Chicago, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia. Those four were successful within one season of that while we floundered for three and then marginally made the playoffs the next two. I don’t believe the Kings have reached the plateau they are at now because of Lombardi’s astute insight. He made numerous blunders that far offset his successful player choices. Dave Taylor drafted Kopitar, Brown and Quick. It wasn’t until the past couple seasons that Lombardi acquired effective players through trade and free agency. His early acquisitions were mostly busts, as was his choices of coaches. By pointing this out I’m not trying to browbeat Lombardi. But I’m trying to bring some reality to the discussion here. I’m hoping that Lombardi has grown from his many mistakes. I’m looking to the future. As with all teams, we can expect challenges and rough water at times ahead. It takes a talented GM to keep a team on top during those times. To me, Lombardi has yet to show that level of talent. He may have it. But to grade him high now, just because the team has had a hot streak, is premature.
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Gustavo Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
@Russ Dynda,
I do not criticize DL for his hiring of TM. The team at the time was in desperate need of the defensive structure TM brought. Luck and injuries played a role afterwards, as well, Specially last spring when Kopi hurt himself and Williams played with a bad shoulder. There is no telling how far the team could have gone in the playoffs. But Quick was not fully ‘cooked’ yet, either.
My C+ on DL only reflects what I think of his decisions or lack thereof this last season. Mixed bag of pluses and minuses. So in my book, most of the credit for the playoffs and Cup run performance goes to DS and the players.
I do think DL has the “talent”. I see it as a sum of traits, not just one particular thing. Integrity to deal honestly with his players, coaches and peers (even if sleazebuckets like Tambellini get the best of him initially) . Discipline to stay the course of his vision. Ambition to help the organization to higher levels of performance. Humility to recognize his own mistakes. Loyalty to those who helped him reach this point in his career.
Russ Dynda Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
@Russ Dynda, Gustavo:
Interesting discussion. I guess this is a matter of opinion. I see Terry Murray as an effective systems teacher–a great minor league coach as well as assistant on the NHL level. No question that Murray implemented the defensive structure that led to our eventual success. However, I’ve always divided coaching into two parts–practice coaching where you teach and install a system of play–and bench coaching, where you make decisions during games. Murray showed no aptitude for the latter. This is where Sutter totally outshined him. At the same time, Sutter, to his credit, took advantage of Murray’s having taught an effective system. I don’t see any reason why Lombardi could not have found a coach other than Murray with talent in both aspects of coaching. So to me, his hiring of Murray as head coach was a mistake.
Your assessment of the previous season’s end under Murray is right on as I see it. I do think that it was Quick’s lack in goal during that San Jose playoff series that cost us, something he overcame in spades this season.
I’m sorry, but I have to look at Lombardi in the overall six years. As far as I am concerned, this season was just a continuation of the past five EXCAPT for the magical playoff run. We were floundering around Xmas when he hired Sutter. After a good late winter run, we sputtered the last week or so, surrendered the Division championship, and barely clung to a playoff spot. In truth, our previous two regular seasons were better than this one. Then, in the Playoffs, the magical happened and, like you, I believe it was due to the players and Sutter, not Lombardi. Without that magical spurt–20 games–Lombardi’s job would have been in jeopardy.
Like you, I am willing to change my assessment of Lombardi in terms of him having learned from past mistakes. But unlike you, to this point I haven’t seen him display many admirable traits. You mention integrity in dealing with his playsrs. I remember him going before them and then reporting to the press how he berated them for his having to fire Murray. That was pure lack of professionalism and class. If he really felt that they were the cause of Murray’s failure, (which I don’t buy) he should have kept his diatribe behind closed doors and not broadcasted it to the press, Instead he should have taken the blame himself as the man who created the overall situation. You mention discipline to stay the course of his vision. Was that discipline or stubbornness in refusing to admit he was off course? His decimation upon arrival of the front office personnel. His firing of Pete DeMers, after Pete had been promised a virtual permanent part time position in the organization. His determination to show little respect for other expertise in his choice of playing personnel (The Hickey draft selection in particular where DL ignored the scouting reports which had thirteen current successful NHLers rated ahead Hickey and drafted him #4. I’ll toss in the Marc Crawford/Dan Cloutier decisions as an afterthought.) No, I haven’t seen much humility demonstrated by Mr. Lombardi. And the “loyalty” to those who helped him could also be interpreted as his reluctance to reach outside his comfort zone to make decisions–a trait that can be fatal to a manager on any level.
I’m hoping that Lombardi has indeed found himself and risen to a higher level of professionalism so that this organization can continue to maintain the level we are enjoying now. I would love to raise his grade to an A.
I would have given him an A, but he waited too long to recognize what was happening with Terry Murray, and it nearly cost him his job. He owes Quick big-time for keeping his team alive when it was not competitive enough.
That said, he did an excellent job of “making lemonade” with the Ryan Smyth move, and his latest acquisitions were pretty much right on. He never panicked. He did what he said he was doing–waiting for the right opportunities and cashing in on them. He gets credit for calling up King and Nolan, but really more for listening to Sutter, who took the time during the all star break to scout them. One gets a sense for how tight these two are, and that makes the next couple seasons look even brighter than they obviously appear.
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I gave him B. Yes he finally with the February moves, put togeher the SC winning team, and yes only one team wins, the cup, but seriously with the size that left the Kings last summer, he had to know that the team that went to Europe was too small at the forward position to compete for the puck, and the SC Cup. I’m not sure that I knew that, until after the fact, but I don’t run the team, and Dean does!
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Yes Dean may have been fired if the kings had not turned things around but you can’t fault him really. If you look at this team on paper then he has been earning that A for a long time. Yes it took years but guess what that gets you. Many more years of being a contender.
So many times we look at the short term and what somebody did yesterday does not matter today. Without DL and TM and DS and the players none of this happpens. DL is only a part of the equation. He did what he set out to do and that was make us a playoff and serious cup contender for years to come.
Now it is up to the players and coaches to go out and play up to there potential.
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If the goal of a GM is to make a big free agent splash then he gets an F. If the goal is to build a Stanley Cup winner then he gets an A.
I voted for the latter.
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Obvious ‘A’. Transformed the organization.
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I love the posts that refuse to give DL credit for Fraser & the team turning around under DS, but somehow manage to make big issues out of holding onto TM too long and the signings of Hunter and Moreau, which, after all, were cheap and relatively risk free.
The team could have been really small and inexperienced at the start of the season otherwise.
Those two were worth taking at the time and filled spots until the AHL guys were ready, and signing DS won us the Cup.
So it’s all good and DL gets full credit for it all working out.
And for those that say Kenny Holland never makes a mistake, ask Wings fans what they think right about now, and ask them once more if they don’t win the Cup again next season.
The Kings were in tatters not so long ago, perennial also-rans.
Now they are top of the heap.
We’ve got the best guy.
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Everyone is entitled to their opinion. For all of you who give Lombardi an A, I suggest you are premature and should keep your A-grade in mind next year if things don’t go as well.. I’m hoping we remain at the top and I think the best way that can happen is if Lombardi keeps his hands off the team and just lets them play. When he took over, the team was hardly in tatters. In fact, it had shown promise–42-35 with 89 points. It dropped to a dismal record under him, dropping 21 points his first year. I’m suggesting we won the Cup largely in spite of Lombardi, not because of him. I further suggest that we enjoy our success but keep in mind the reality of what has happened. We experienced a 20 game hot streak at the ideal time of the year. As far as I’m concerned we still have to prove ourselves over a full season to lay the claim to being a great team. I think the potential is there. But you have to make it happen on the ice over more than a 20 game span.
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I was very critical of Lombardi for trading Schenn, keeping Penner, and the stupidest thing I thought is that Quick was Stanley Cup material. Well he proved me wrong, and many other Kings fan`s very wrong. I never thought Lombardi would have the guts to trade for Jeff Carter, that he never would bring in a coach like Sutter. Well I`ll be the first to say way to go Dean, you did a great job, and if anyone doesn`t give you an A for a grade, well just show them your ring. You make the Kings fan`s proud.
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Far and away best player development in franchise history.
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Way to go Dean. Excellent. A
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Mikey J. Reply:
July 29th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
@Mikey J., Neat.
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