Rewarding him for a job well done, Rob Blake has been offered and reportedly signed a three-year extension to remain general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, as per a report by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. LeBrun adds, “Likely won’t be officially announced for a week or two, but a source confirms the deal is done. His current deal was expiring June 30.”
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Hearing that GM Rob Blake has agreed to a three-year extension with the Kings. Likely won’t be officially announced for a week or two, but source confirms the deal is done. His current deal was expiring June 30. @TSNHockey @TheAthletic
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 18, 2022
While the first part of Blake’s tenure as GM wasn’t great, this past season, the Kings outperformed expectations, made the playoffs while retooling, and took the Edmonton Oilers to seven games in their first-round series. Blake and head coach Todd McClellan were praised for the work they did this past season and it showed on the ice. The Kings are in a good spot, likely looking to add more pieces this summer and they have the cap flexibility to make a splash, should they so choose.
Specifically, Blake sold high on assets like Jeff Carter (moved to the Penguins), Alec Martinez (sent to Vegas), Tyler Toffoli (traded to Vancouver) and Jake Muzzin (dealt to the Maple Leafs). That allowed the team to stockpile draft picks and prospects, some of which are already having an impact on the current Kings roster. He also added Phillip Danault in free agency and that was a move that paid off quite well.
Rob Blake Kings extensionWhat Is Blake’s Plan Moving Forward?
The question now will be, can Blake navigate new contracts for some of the young up-and-coming stars while getting the Kings back each season as a playoff contender? He’s got to ink a new deal with RFA Adrian Kempe, as he does with defensemen Mikey Anderson and Sean Durzi.
While he does so, who does he target that will really add some punch to a lineup that should take steps forward? He’ll have money to play with and some interesting names potentially worth chasing. Blake was asked about getting more scoring for next season and he said he’ll look both internally and externally for solutions. He said the team had more holes last year they needed to fill. They did so. Now, it’s more about developing players and seeing where the team can’t find those internal solutions.
Blake did say the team would like to sign Kempe long-term. He’ll see if the team can tackle that.
Next: Injury Updates for Flames, Oilers Ahead of Playoff Battle of Alberta
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