[Trade] Kings acquire PLD (8x$8.5 mil) for Vilardi, Iafallo, Kupari, and 2nd

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Kings rebuild isn't looking as promising as it once did TBH.

Turcotte busted. Byfield might still be a top 6 center but doesn't look elite.

Vilardi, Kupari, and Kaliyev are great supporting pieces but not sure any are top line players.

They traded their 1sts in 2022 and now 2023.

So really the only piece of the rebuild that still might be a truly elite piece is Clarke.

Honestly it goes to show how hard it can be to get a rebuild right. In 2020/2021 the Kings were applauded for their drafting and had by far the best prospect pool in the NHL.

Now it looks good but not great. And as mentioned the people driving the bust aren't really people drafted during the re-build but pieces they added via trade and UFA, or kept through the re-build (Kopitar, Doughty, Kempe, Fiala, Arvidsson, Danault)

Yeah, Byfield was described as a can't miss prospect. All draft picks are just guesses. 1OA is usually a lock, but not always and from there, every draft position has been historically hit and miss. 4 years later and the top of the 2019 draft isn't really making a huge impact. 2018 slightly better but not by much.

[dustygoon]

At 35, we are coming up on the last year of Kopitar's huge $10mm x 8 year contract. The guy was worth every penny including his last year. Doesn't often work like that.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

I'm just saying some have decided he will never reach his draft potential but don't really have anything to back their reasoning up outside of the same old rhetoric that he was the big guy and dominated smaller players in lower leagues.

I just don't like seeing how the expectation for top end prospects is instant results.

The original post indicated Clarke is looking like the only elite prospect/young player they have yet he is only 6 months younger than Byfield and doesn't have the AHL and NHL resume Byfield does.

I'm not against personal opinions, as I clearly have one on this front, I'm just saying the logic doesn't add up when you take all the facts into consideration.

Byfield scoring a PPG in the AHL at 20 doesnt scream elite either. It's good production for somebody his age, but not elite.

Now are there outliers? 100% guys like Robertson and Thompson didn't look like they'd be superstars at 20 either.

So it's not impossible, it just doesn't seem as likely that he's going to be an elite NHLer anymore.

He's young, and his body needed to mature physically which gives him a ton of upside still. And I would trade for him in a heartbeat if he was available, but to me an elite player means top 10 at his position and I don't see that from Byfield.

[midniteowl]

Kopita's 10M x 8 won 2 cups


McDavid's 12.5M x 8 won 2 rounds of playoff

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

At 35, we are coming up on the last year of Kopitar's huge $10mm x 8 year contract. The guy was worth every penny including his last year. Doesn't often work like that.

He's a great player and all. But in a lot of CP terms (as judged by how they define success here), it was a failure (8 years, 3 PO appearances, all first round losses). I assume they will make it next year, so 4 for 8.

IMO that contract looked better in the second half which is not par for the course.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

Kopita's 10M x 8 won 2 cups


McDavid's 12.5M x 8 won 2 rounds of playoff

Nope, LA's cups came when he was on 7 x 6.8M.

[Ashes]

Hopefully PLD and Hayes are traded asap so that the rest of the teams who fancy themselves as contenders next season can start harassing Conroy about Lindholm and co.

[Savvy27]

Byfield is in a bit of a unique situation because he underwhelmed at the world juniors.

2019-20 He only had 1 point in 7 games as an underager, which can be explained.
2020-21 After being drafted 2nd overall he only scored 7 points in 7 games and 6 of them came in an absolute blowout of Switzerland.

I know that kind of warped my perception of him. His AHL production was pretty good as an 18 year old but he hasn't done anything yet that suggests he's on track to be a top guy.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Nope, LA's cups came when he was on 7 x 6.8M.

Oh, I didn't know, thanks.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He's a great player and all. But in a lot of CP terms (as judged by how they define success here), it was a failure (8 years, 3 PO appearances, all first round losses). I assume they will make it next year, so 4 for 8.

IMO that contract looked better in the second half which is not par for the course.

You are right. He did seem to be more impactful in back half of that contract. They played so much hockey around those cup wins that maybe took some time to get back to 100%.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673481047198056449

[Vinny01]

https://twitter.com/darrendreger/sta...Id-kuUoekIUv4A

Dreger mentions the Habs trying to get back in but Winnipeg wants win now pieces rather than futures.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

https://twitter.com/darrendreger/sta...Id-kuUoekIUv4A

Dreger mentions the Habs trying to get back in but Winnipeg wants win now pieces rather than futures.

Winnipeg and Calgary, Sister Cities.

If it isn't about pretending to win now, it's about nothing at all.

[sureLoss]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673741363156860945

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673741363156860945

Wow, that's a nice return.

[TheIronMaiden]

This makes me want to trade Lindholm, and Toffoli even more.

[cannon7]

Not a terrible package for the Jets.

[Galakanokis]

I would rather have the Kings players than PLD. Great return for Winnipeg.

Get a move on Calgary!

[alan21]

LAK can now bring back Toffoli 50% retained to fill the spot Iafallo vacated for a handsome payoff to the Flames.

DO IT!

[Erick Estrada]

I guess it all comes down to how much you like Vilardi as the other two pieces aren't anything special.