Should LA Kings President Luc Robitaille Be Getting More Blame for Team’s Failures?
The Los Angeles Kings have had a rough go at it.
Different head coaches, different general managers, failed playoff appearances, and prospects not fully realizing their potential.
These are some of the issues the Kings have faced over the years.
Plenty of blame to throw around, but who is to blame for the downward spiral of the Kings? It is President Luc Robitaille.
Robitaille made a name for himself as a lethal goal-scoring left winger. In fact, he may be the best player at that position in NHL history. Although he played for several teams, Los Angeles is his home. After many successful seasons on the ice, he found a new off-ice role as the Kings’ team president. He was named to this post in 2017 and has held the same position since.
However, over the years, the team has failed. They do have two Stanley Cups, but nothing else since then.
One of the problems that Robitaille could have avoided is the issue regarding roster management. Several controversial contracts were awarded, and trades that should not have been made cost Los Angeles. The acquisitions of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Illya Kovalchuk are two headline deals that have increasingly set the team back for years.
Recently, the goaltending has taken a step back after legendary Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick moved on. Robitaille has done little to nothing to acquire a star goaltender to take the reins. Anton Forsberg was acquired to back up Darcy Kuemper, and that failed. Kuemper returned to the Kings two seasons ago and had a monster first season, but the wheels came off this past season. Replacing Quick has not been easy, yet the team has not come close to filling that void.
Another team issue that Robitaille has failed to address is the roster itself, mainly the forwards. The team has struggled due to the lack of roster shakeups. The team has failed in free agency aside from star Artemi Panarin. The roster, year after year, continues to be aging players in the second half of their careers. Free agency has done nothing for the Kings as they continue to pick up players who are 30+ and are projected to be bottom-six forwards or bottom-pairing defensemen.
High-profile draft picks Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte are two examples of how the Kings have treated their picks. Turcotte came in with high promise, yet has failed to live up to expectations due to health and injury issues. Byfield has been up and down, both in production and his overall game. He was projected to take over for the recently retired Anze Kopitar for top-line center, but he has not played up to expectations.
The issues behind Robitaille’s tenure do not stop at the roster. He has favored former partners and coworkers over people who may have been better fits for the job. The coaching staff has been a prime example. He refused to pull the plug on Todd McLellan as head coach but ultimately did in favor of assistant coach Jim Hiller. Hiller was good behind the bench in his first season, but the wheels fell off after that. A subpar effort from the Kings roster, a questionable challenge in the playoffs that costs the Kings a move to the second round that fans still talk about. For years straight of first-round exits thanks to the Edmonton Oilers. Robitaille finally pulls the plug and hires assistant coach D.J.Smith. That did not end well either.
Instead of hiring a fresh face and new voice as head coach, he hires Jim Hiller, who had been coaching in the NHL for years. Then he hired Smith, who had previously been a head coach. This does not stop at the head coach. He hired Rob Blake, a former Kings defenseman and Hockey Hall of Famer. This turned out to be a disaster. Who does Robitaille replace? Long-time NHL GM Ken Holland has not lived up to expectations.
Robitaille and management have issues letting go of the veteran core of the roster and have been accused of giving GMs and head coaches long leashes.
Those results have kept the Kings mediocre for years now; same result in the playoffs. Same roster coming back.
Robitaille has never taken full responsibility for the lack of team success and the failures by GM’s and coaches. Instead, he puts the blame fully on management and the GMs. He was a legendary player for the Kings, and long-time fans have turned against him because of the issues above.
The Kings organization has changed GM’s, head coaches, and assistant coaches with no new results benefiting the organization. Now it is time for Robitaille to go.
During his tenure, the Kings have not been successful in any area, and now it is his turn to find out what it is like to be unemployed.
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Categorized:Kings