Quote:
Originally Posted by KINGS17
How are you stuck in a rut when all of your best players are under 25 years of age and only getting better?
It would be great to get an established star forward like Richards, but if there isn't one to be had, there isn't one to be had. I don't want to see a ton of young talent traded to get a guy like Iginla or "fill in the blank" that is probably on the downside of his productive years. I've caught that show from our management before and it never ends well.
Now if Lombardi wants to do his homework (he will) and move a young defenseman for a young up and coming winger with equal potential, then I am all for it.
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How long does the team have to wait until those players 25 or younger are playing to their full potential? Lombardi's plan has been to slowly bring along players into bigger roles, unless they are an exceptional talent such as Doughty, and the Kings don't have any other Doughty's coming up.
So what is Lombardi supposed to do, sit on his hands and tout that he has a young core? He's already done that and how much has this team improved as a result? Kopitar still has his ups and downs as a streaky scorer, same with Brown and the entire 2nd line. Simmonds has also slowed down this season, not playing as intense and aggressively as he was last season and Clifford and Lewis are still adapting to the pro game. At what point are we to expect the more experienced players like Kopitar and Brown to take their game to the next level?
Compare the Ducks who also have a young core and have experienced a hell of a lot more success than the Kings ever have. They made some bold moves, acquiring Pronger for Lupul along with prospects and picks, added a good mix of veterans and Burke set that team up to win a Stanley Cup. As soon as they got Pronger, we were all well aware that they were going to advance far and they did. That type of transaction sends a message to your players and to the rest of the league that your club is determined to win a championship.
Developing players is critical, but what is the ultimate goal? To win Cups or to boast that you have a deep prospect pool and brag about prospect grades on HF?