For the first time since 2017, the Los Angeles Kings are set to have a new general manager as the team announced they and Rob Blake have "mutually agreed to part ways". However, they may not be out of a new general manager for long and might have to speed up the process because of the New York Islanders.
One of the logical replacements for the Blake would be Marc Bergevin, who was general manager of the Montreal Canadiens for almost a decade starting in 2012. He would be fired during the 2021 season and joined the Kings as a senior advisor a few months later.
He has remained in that role since January of 2022, and with his time with the franchise would be a logical option to replace Blake, as noted by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. However, the Kings may not have much time to make that decision or do an exhaustive search for the next general manager.
According to reports, Bergevin has met or is expected to meet with the New York Islanders as a potential replacement for Lou Lamoriello.
Would Marc Bergevin be enough change for the Los Angeles Kings?
The biggest question for the Los Angeles Kings is whether or not promoting Marc Bergevin would be enough change for the franchise. He has been with the Kings now for all four first round exits in the playoffs. It would seem he aligned with Luc Robitaille and Blake's vision for what this roster should look like and it could be more of the same with Bergevin.
However, he is an experienced general manager which could help pairing him with an inexperienced coach like Jim Hiller, assuming that he will return as head coach. Regardless of the decision the Kings make, the fact that Bergevin was interviewing with the New York Islanders probably had an impact on the announcement today.