As general manager, Rob Blake has navigated the Los Angeles Kings to three playoff appearances.
The first playoff series molded the start of a rebuild for the Los Angeles Kings. Blake navigated the rebuild precisely and tactfully struck the phones and free agency. Due to his patience and savviness, he has seen two recent appearances in back-to-back fashion but has been unable to climb past the Edmonton Oilers.
The time is now for Blake and the organization, as bodies have begun to sour from injuries; Rob Blake's lineup is dwindling. The only silver lining is that youngsters have more ice time, and Blake will have cap space to make moves.
History is an excellent resource for understanding an individual's routines and the possible future outcomes.
2018
The first trade deadline was a timeframe in which Blake pulled the trigger in mid-February, as he pulled off two separate trades. He first traded Marian Gaborik and Nick Shore to Ottawa for Dion Phaneuf and Nate Thompson. Eight days later, he levied off Darcy Kuemper to Arizona for Scott Wedgewood and Tobias Rieder. Blake dealt their aging star-scoring winger who, while injury-prone, was a catalyst in the 2014 Stanley Cup Championship.
Blake addressed depth on defense, in goal, and at center, adding a depth-scoring winger with speed in Rieder.
History will point out, however, that while these were arguably excellent insulation moves to help the LA Kings succeed in the playoffs, they faltered in sweeping fashion to the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up, the Vegas Golden Knights.
2022
Rob Blake would not make any bold move this year. He actually kept a low profile.
The Big Acquisition for solidifying their playoff aspirations in 2021-22 was a savvy trade, and a quieter one for Troy Stecher from the Detroit Red Wings for a 7th-round pick. Stecher would return to the side of past defensive partner Alex Edler.
Stecher was excellent early on in the playoffs, putting up four points (2-2 +5) in the first two games against the Oilers.
He was adequate, but he would not undo what would be a series collapse after going up 3-2 in the series. The Kings were without Viktor Arvidsson and Drew Doughty and could not salvage the lead in the series.
2023
2023 would be the year in which Drew Doughty and Viktor Arvidsson would be in play for the playoffs. Their team was threatening, but lacked one or two pieces from making the final push.
Blake was finally making a bold deadline move. Jonathan Quick, the longtime cornerstone, two-time Stanley Cup-winning Conn Smythe goaltender, was traded with a 1st round pick and a conditional third-round pick to Columbus for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov.
Additionally, Blake made a dubious trade to send Brendan Lemieux and a 5th-round pick to Philadelphia for Zack MacEwen.
Korpisalo would play excellently down the stretch, and Gavrikov would fit in seamlessly.MacEwen came with a broken jaw and would not come close to the production Lemieux had while in LA.
Korpisalo fizzled in the second half of the Edmonton series. MacEwen barely whiffed ice time in the playoffs.
Gavrikov was the only consistent bright spot.
Gavrikov would be the only piece that remained for these deals. MacEwen and Korpisalo would essentially act as rentals.
Moving Forward
Blake has shown shrewdness in most of his deals, with arguably his best decisions coming in the offseason. He added Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson during the offseason. The blockbuster Pierre Luc Dubois sign and trade will still need more marinating before it justifies a lousy trade, though the season results do not bode well.
His best move might have come out of free agency with Phillip Danault, but the player isn't getting any younger, and the clock is ticking.
Rob Blake has been in the league for a long time, whether as a player or in management. His predecessor made two marquee trades in 2012 and 2014 to capitalize on two Stanley Cup championships.
His predecessor also chased the window too hastily and made trades that set the organization back to a much-needed rebuild (Sekera, Lucic, Bishop).
He has yet to capitalize on a jolting trade near or on the deadline that pushes his team over the hump, or rather, past the first round of the playoffs. In the most recent offseason, he made it clear that this was the team that he was set on to make it over the hump.
The league is fluid, and plans change. It is already reported that Blake has been working the phones. Blake will have to make a move soon to address the holes that are now gaping in his lineup.
His history making moves around the deadline have yet to grasp enough momentum to push past the first round of the playoffs. The moves have also partially derailed the plan he has been guiding the team through since the start of the rebuild.
The future rests on a very thin line for Blake. His tenure as GM is at stake, as he has publicly stated he knows. Any acquisition moving forward could prove to be the last of Blake's tenure as GM or something that can get them over the hump at last, barring the recovery of the lengthy list of injured players.
Critical times ahead for Blake and the Kings.