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Even Without A First Round Pick, LA Kings Are Looking For Big Things From Their 2011 Draft Class

June 26, 2011 by 4 Comments

LOS ANGELES — The 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft, held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 24-25, was expected to be quite uneventful for the Los Angeles Kings, who did not have a pick in the first round after they traded it to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline in the deal that brought winger Dustin Penner to the Kings.


Logo courtesy: National Hockey League

Despite that, the Kings were more than optimistic about the prospects they were able to bring into the fold with their picks in rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 25.

“We’re excited,” Kings Co-Director of Amateur Scouting Michael Futa told LAKings.com. “You always talk about that when you’re leaving the draft, about your excitement level, and the energy.”

“Today was a long day, especially for the first time for us, as a group, to go through yesterday without a pick—that was an eternity,” Futa added. “To be active [in the first round the last handful of years], and then to see things fall the way they did [this year], we were thrilled.” Read more of this post

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Ryan Smyth Is Still With The Los Angeles Kings…For Now, Anyway

June 25, 2011 by 1 Comment

LOS ANGELES — Contrary to reports on June 24 that a deal had been completed, veteran left wing Ryan Smyth is still a member of the Los Angeles Kings, and it appears that no deal will happen for the next few days, at least.

Gilbert Brule
Photo: National Hockey League

“Without getting into the details, no, I don’t think we’re closer,” Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi told reporters following Day 2 of the 2011 National Hockey League Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 25.

The reported deal had Smyth going to the Edmonton Oilers, where he began his NHL career in 1995-96, playing eleven seasons in an Oilers jersey. In exchange, the Kings would receive a fourth or a fifth round draft pick, and forward Gilbert Brule.

Brule, 24, has one year left in a $1.85 million contract, but that’s $1.85 million more than the Kings are willing to carry on their books for him.

In other words, the addition of Brule in the deal is simply to move his salary off the Oilers’ books. Likewise, the Kings would not have retained his services, either, opting to apply that $1.85 million towards the acquisition of a top six left winger. Read more of this post

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Blockbuster Deal Gives LA Kings A Potent 1-2 Punch Down The Middle

June 24, 2011 by 13 Comments

BLOCKBUSTER TRADE: Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi and Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren got the drop on the rest in terms of draft day deals by completing a draft-eve, blockbuster trade that sent center Mike Richards to the Kings in exchange for right wing Wayne Simmonds, center prospect Brayden Schenn, and a second round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Also includes details on Ryan Smyth requesting to be traded and about the Kings and the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Mike Richards
Photo: Los Angeles Kings

LOS ANGELES — With the Stanley Cup Finals and the National Hockey League’s annual awards extravaganza behind us, at this time of year, attention turns to the annual NHL Entry Draft, which is often accompanied by a slew of draft day trades.

But this year, Los Angeles Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi Read more of this post

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