YEAR FOUR: Time To Make A Trade
Dean Lombardi was hired as General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings on April 21, 2006. Six years later, the Kings hosted the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history. The former GM of the Sharks certainly didn’t hit on every trade, draft pick, or free agent signing he made during his tenure in Los Angeles. But after a few short years in Los Angeles; he brought a sense of direction and an identity that the franchise had severely lacked for over a decade. The 2016-17 season was an absolute disappointment. With that said, I never understood how a GM who brought the franchise such success didn’t get the chance to breakdown the team he constructed and rebuild it. The Kings were only a year removed from a 102-point season when Lombardi was relieved of his GM duties. LOMBARDI 2.0? I was surprised when the Kings promoted Rob Blake as general manager. After all, he was hired as assistant GM by Lombardi for the 2013-14 season. He was one of ‘Dean’s guys.’ Wasn’t he just