LA Kings: Three best trades made by Dean Lombardi
Dean Lombardi made several terrific trades as general manager of the LA Kings.
LA Kings fans are, and always will be indebted to former general manager Dean Lombardi. He was an architect. After taking over GM duties in 2006, inheriting key players such as Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick, Lombardi was able to take those strong columns and create his own Parthenon.
Dean made numerous, very much notable trades to acquire key players for the Kings. In fact, eight out of the 19 players that played for LA in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final were acquired via trades made by Dean Lombardi.
While most of Lombardi’s moves were regarded as good trades, a few did not turn out so great.
Let’s take a look at three of the best trades made by the former LA Kings GM.
LA Kings Acquire Marian Gaborik From the Columbus Blue Jackets for Matt Frattin, a Second-Round Pick and a Conditional Pick
During the 2013-14 season, the Kings were in the midst of another playoff push. Two years removed from a Stanley Cup title in 2012, the Kings were hoping to become the kings of the NHL again. But if they wanted to get back to the pinnacle of NHL greatness, additions needed to be made.
After being traded to the Blue Jackets in 2013 from the New York Rangers, Marian Gaborik never really lived up to the hype. Injuries and lack of production forced Columbus to move on from the scoring winger. Playing in only 22 games during the 13-14 season due to injuries, Gaborik’s value at the time was relatively low, and Dean Lombardi sought an opportunity to take advantage.
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The price for acquiring Gaborik was Matt Frattin, a prospect acquired in the Jonathan Bernier trade, a second-round draft pick, and a conditional pick. Not a bad price to pay for the potential scoring Gaborik could produce, and produce he did.
Marian Gaborik finished the season with LA Kings playing in 19 games scoring 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists) to get the Kings back into the playoffs. Winning their second Stanley Cup in three years, Gaborik was one of the main reasons.
He would go on to lead the league with 14 goals scored during the playoffs. None two bigger than possibly the two he scored in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semi-Final against the Anaheim Ducks.
LA Kings Acquire Justin Williams From the Carolina Hurricanes for Patrick O’Sullivan and a 2009 Second-Round Draft Pick
The LA Kings, during the 2008-09 season was in the midst of another losing season. But the future remained bright. Drew Doughty was in the middle of a promising rookie season, Anze Kopitar led the team in points, and Jonathan Quick was playing in his first full season in the NHL. Dean Lombardi saw the potential these players had but knew additional pieces needed to be brought in. Carolina Hurricanes winger Justin Williams would turn out to be one of those pieces.
The price for acquiring Justin Williams from the Hurricanes during the mid-season trade deadline was relatively high. Having to part with Patrick O’Sullivan must not have been easy for Dean Lombardi. Coming off a good first full season with the LA Kings in 2007-08, in which he scored 53 points and played in all 82 games, O’Sullivan was putting together another strong season in 2008-2009. A second-round pick was also included in the trade to pry Williams from the Hurricanes.
It is interesting to consider that while O’Sullivan had good years with the LA Kings, Justin Williams struggled. In September 2008, Williams tore his right Achilles tendon in an offseason workout, sidelining him for three months. In December of that year, he would come back to play in 32 games for the Hurricanes only to be injured again, breaking his left hand from a teammate’s slapshot. This was of no concern to Lombardi as he decided to trade for Wiliams while he was still on the injured reserve.
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Speaking with FrozenRoyalty.com, Lombardi did not seem too worried about the recent injuries Justin Williams had suffered.
“As far as injuries, I don’t think he’s injury-prone,” Lombardi stressed. “I guess you take a risk with any player, but Williams is not a soft player. He will play hurt and he’s only 27 years old. This is not an old player and he’s signed for three more years.”
Also in the interview, Dean mentioned the competitive drive Justin Williams brings on the ice and also gave a hint to a future deal.
“Williams is a competitor,” said Lombardi. “He was a late first rounder. One of the reasons he fell was because he wasn’t a great skater at the time. But just like Mike Richards, everyone overlooks his hockey sense and his competitiveness.”
Dean Lombardi’s confidence in Williams’ competitive drive would prove beneficial, as his contributions were imperative to the LA Kings’ success and two Stanley Cup wins. And his success was rewarded as he won the Conn Smythe as the NHL’s Playoff MVP during the 2014 Stanley Cup Championship run.
The LA Kings acquire Matt Greene and Jarret Stoll from the Edmonton Oilers for Lubomir Visnovsky
During the summer of 2008, Dean Lombardi knew he had the talent to start building a contender. Drew Doughty was just taken second overall and would be a great complement to the pieces already in place. He also knew there was still something missing, leadership.
In 2008, Matt Greene and Jarret Stoll were just two years removed from losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes while playing for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers desperately needed help on the blue line and looked to the LA Kings’ All-Star Lubomir Visnovsky.
Visnovsky was a fan favorite in LA. Who could forget the “Vote 4 Lubo” campaign video? At the time of the trade, he was a very capable offensive defenseman, and Dean Lombardi knew any trade involving the All-Star defenseman would require a sizeable return.
While Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene didn’t really fill the stat sheet much like other players acquired in trades did, their locker room presence meant more to the team. The leadership they brought to the young Kings team at the time was exactly what was needed to propel the team to the eventual peak of NHL lore.
Luc Robitaille summed up exactly what Matt Greene brought to the club, just after the Kings made the difficult decision to buy out his contract in 2017.
“Upon his arrival to Los Angeles he played a significant role in helping change the culture of the Kings, and his contribution to our two Stanley Cups in particular is immeasurable.”
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Whether it was Matt Green blocking shots with his face or the consistency Jarrett Stoll brought in the shootouts or face-offs, the impact each player made is something the Los Angeles Kings will need to find again in order to be successful.