New Era

"Aldo Cella" wrote in message

> Lets get this newsgroup jacked up... Dean Lombardi is going to take the
> Kings upward.
>
>

He will, but it's going to take time. The Pacific Division promises to be
brutally tough with Anaheim, San Jose and Dallas all built to win right now.
I'll be pleasantly surprised if the Kings finish out of the cellar, and very
pleasantly surprised if they manage to sneak into the playoffs.

For the most part, I love what I see from DL so far...the draft was strong,
Blake's return will give a big boost to the PP, and the addition of solid
two-way "character" forwards like Thornton, McCauley and Willsie should
improve overall team defense and stabilize the locker room situation, which
apparently spiraled out of control last year. (Will Belanger and/or Avery be
moved sometime later this summer?)

Best of all, the Demitra trade looks like an absolute case of grand theft! I
can't wait to see what O'Sullivan brings to the table. It may take a
while -- perhaps a year or even two -- but once he and Anze Kopitar get
settled in, this team could really start to make people sit up and take
notice.

My only reservation to this point? The choice of head coach. I'm not a huge
fan of Marc Crawford, but apparently there weren't too many other viable
candidates in the mix this offseason. (Just wish this retread hadn't been
given a five-year deal....) If things aren't working out by year three, I
would hope DL has the guts, and the authorization from AEG, to hand Crawford
his walking papers if a superior option becomes available.

Rick