Quoting: Leafsfan416
I get you are rebuilding but then are you just going to waste the rest of the years of Kopitar and Doughty. Are they cool with another 2-3 years of losing? I not saying this is the right move but I would think at top 6 of Doughty, Rielly, Walker, Clague, Bjornfot and Anderson would be really solid. IMO
Couple of comments:
1) Morgan Reilly isn't suddenly going to make this a competitive roster. He wouldn't change the team from pretender to contender, because there are still so many holes up front. This trade gives up 4 significant pieces that now can't be used to fill those other holes.
2) Losing Roy creates an imbalance of LD/RD, which the Kings aren't huge fans of. You mention 4 left and 2 right D. Also, you're not wrong in that the players you mention are going to be a solid group (hopefully), but Clague, Bjornfot and Anderson are all too green to be competitive for two years at least, if not more. So why move the 4 pieces to begin with if you're only talking about a year difference in when the team might be competitive?
3) "Waste" is a strong word. We won two Cups with them. No matter what, they weren't wasted. Now, they've got the experience and leadership to teach the next group of kids what that feels like. In a few years when the Turcottes/Vilardi's take over as 1C/2C or somehwere similar in the lineup, we'll still have Kopi as a 2C or 3C. I'm willing to bet on that. And Drew still has tons of good years ahead. He's had a tough go, but he's played with terrible or inexperienced linemates for the past 3 years. Once Bjornfot or someone else is brought in, he'll stabilize. I have faith in his ability. His game has never revolved around speed or offense, but his superior sense of the game, his hockey IQ. That doesn't disappear with age.
The organization seems to think the best bet to be competitive with Drew and Anze again is to hope the kids come up quickly. There's no immediately correct answer, but I think the team is doing it the correct way. That's why the trade won't work for LA.