Painting by Numbers with Ryan Smyth

Over his four-plus-year reign as Kings General Manager there can be little arguing Dean Lombardi’s incredible success at the NHL Draft table. However, the possible knocks on his rebuilding project in L.A. have been with free agent signings and trades for veteran players.
Some fans would have preferred a quick fix solution to the team he [...]

800 and Other Numbers

Saturday night at Staples Center was a lot of things to many different people.
It was Mattias Norstrom tribute night. It was Ilya Kovalchuk’s only appearance on LA ice this season. It was a night of nostalgia, seeing several former players that were here during the Andy Murray years – guys like Glen Murray, Mathieu Schneider and [...]

Kovy Finally Arrives in LA

Later tonight Ilya Kovalchuk will rejoin the Kings for the first time since his visit to their training facility back on July 13th.
Only this time around, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene probably won’t be as accommodating as they were during his last trip to Los Angeles. Having spurned the team for a better [...]

He’s Back… How Appropriate

When the New Jersey Devils tweeted “HE’S BACK: Ilya Kovalchuk signs with the Devils.” around noon yesterday, it seemed like the NHL’s summer reality show had come to an end.
Just like your parents always told you though – things aren’t always what they seem.
Yes, He’s Back!  In the news, on the market and so much [...]

Tuesday’s 10 Tidbits… on the deal with the Devil(s)

Yes, it’s true…as of 7am this morning, Wayne Simmonds is still listed as #17 on the Kings roster.
One of the many fascinating rumors surrounding the last few weeks of the Kings’ negotiations with Ilya Kovalchuk was that Simmonds had been asked to change his number, should the Kings sign Kovy.  It’s now a moot point.  The Russian superstar signed a bazillion dollar contract yesterday [...]