The Los Angeles Kings fired Dean Lombardi and Darryl Sutter after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years. That move doesn’t come as a huge surprise; at least, the removal of Sutter doesn’t.
The team, while again tops in the NHL in possession, struggled to score as Sutter refused to integrate players who could score into the lineup. As a result, he got the boot despite leading the team to two Stanley Cups.
Lombardi’s removal, on the other hand, comes as a bit of a surprise. While the contracts given to players like Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick have certainly hamstrung the team it’s hard to say other general managers wouldn’t have done the same.