[CBGB]

As Dean was heading up towards the podium, he looked at my hand full of notes and said "What's all that" to which I simply replied "Notes" - He chuckled and was soon on his way to deliver his message to Kings fans.

Following the ceremony he stopped and again asked, "what are all of those notes for".

I told him they were the transcripts from every single "State of the Franchise" meeting.

He didn't walk away and since Bob Miller didn't call my name, I asked if I could ask a few questions:

CBGB
Since you’ve been here, you’ve made 11 trades. You say “everything starts from the back” Other than JMFJ you only got Johan Fransson who I believe has signed in Sweden for 3 years. I know you work hard but there wasn’t one defensive diamond amongst the rocks?

DEAN LOMBARDI
I’d like to show you the supply marked for all defenseman and you’re going to find when you look at it, there’s not a lot. That’s why Nashville is sitting on gold.

Here’s an example. You can have good players but you can also have a limited number of them right? When we were taking ‘78’s and ‘79’s which was Stuart and Hamhuis draft year, if you look at the ’78 and ’79 defensemen, there were hardly any of them in the league. That’s why when Boston traded Thornton, they wanted a young guy, in that age group and they couldn’t find one. Stuart was the best one.

So when they looked at that… and that’s what I’m talking about here… every conversation I have starts with that and the closest I got was at the trade deadline. I finally got a nibble. I had one on the line so to speak.

Fransson’s a project. That’s a long shot.

There are not a lot of Jack Johnson deals there, and the only reason why that deal was there, is that they were under pressure to win and we were able to step back and take a hit, even though we took a hit in our room. If it’s even up in the summer, no way they’re making that trade, a defenseman like that.

At the deadline, there was a guy there at that age range and we couldn’t make it go.

Just because it’s not there, don’t think I’m not trying (laughs)

CBGB
What’s the status on Cammalerri? Are you going to try and resign him?

DEAN LOMBARDI
It’s the same thing. It’s going to be the same issue. Where his head is economically slash is there something else there. While he’s here, we still have to look at our ability to sign him.

CBGB
If you do get the 1st pick in the draft…? Stamkos? Or Trade it?

DEAN LOMBARDI
I leave tomorrow, I start in Boston and I go through Ontario. This is still a work in progress on how good these kids are. Here’s what happens. Lets just say you’ve got Stamkos who is clearly the best player available, lets just say that’s the case. The line is parted, there’s no question. You probably take the best asset even though we’ve got those holes, right?

But if that line starts getting a little blurry, lets say, hypothetically, that Doughty’s pretty good and the line gets blurred now. That’s how you mark that position. Then I go back to the other things. Part of the value of the player is how much he contributes to winning. It’s not only how good he is but which player has the biggest impact on winning and losing if they’re in the same group.

This is the analysis you have to go through. If that gets blurred, now I gotta say “you see what Niedermeyer and Pronger do”. That’s a classic example of defenseman. Then, you look at our holes and you go “Ooh, that’s not pretty” and you have to make a decision. That’s the thought process and that’ll have to play out. It’s not easy.

In answer to your other question, I’m not sure how far you would want to go down. The one thing that is probably fairly apparent is the potential of those top guys is not one where you would say “give me two guys HERE” are worth one guy here. You could do that a lot at drafts, particularly if you get here and now you’re picking here you might. But on this one???

That happened once, I forget which draft, I think it was Hershel Walker, they went to the team that had the 1st or 2nd pick and said “I’ll give you every one of my draft picks”

(Ricky Williams)

Yeah, but it did happen in hockey once, and this year, somebody might do that but I think most people probably won’t take it. Other years when it was Phillips, Zyuzin, those guys….

CBGB
In regards to Rob Blake, a lot of people were upset that we didn’t move him. Set the record straight.

DEAN LOMBARDI
Here’s the thing… Here’s how I see that. I don’t think it’s wrong to ask. But the player has that right. So you do your homework, you do the best you can do in terms gauging the market and what you think you can get and then you say “Okay, is it even worth it to ask?”

So you go through that step. Here’s the difference. Once he says “no”, that’s it. He has a contractual right, he negotiated for it. For management or anyone else to say anything different, you’re reneging on a deal, and there’s no lower form of… I think we all feel that way. We make a deal with somebody you stick with it. You can’t ask a guy well, “would you adjust it”? What if he says “No”, you stick with it, versus, I don’t think its right to, you know, for Sundin to take all that, all that stuff in the paper. That’s not his fault. He has that right. Same thing with Doug Weight. I think we all heard that when Weight said he wouldn’t move it they said “well, we’re not gonna play you” and “you’re never gonna play here”, that’s not right! I think it was the right way to approach it and that’s it.

You may not like the circumstances but if you bargain for something with your employer, you say “stick with it” why should you have that over your head? That’s essentially the way it played out.

UNKNOWN
He said he wants to help the team. He wants to come back. You have a relationship with Rob. You could have said to Rob “I’ll give you a verbal agreement right now. We’ll resign you for 2 years at a number”, whatever the number it is between your and Rob, “but we need some help. We could get a 1st round draft pick or defenseman you talk about”

See, we got screwed by Rob 4 years ago and I know you disagree with that perception but that’s our perception. Blake’s looking out for Blake AGAIN and we’re looking for a sign from Blake that he’s out for the Kings and not out for Blake”

DEAN LOMBARDI
We asked and…. I know what you’re saying. But if I do that and he says “no, I only want to go here” I think that’s wrong of me. I think you’re going to get a reputation for welching on a deal.

UNKNOWN
I just want to get tougher on the blue line. I was really sorry to see Brad (Stuart) go

DEAN LOMBARDI
I did too. I’d like to try and… he’s a right mix. He’s a good “4”. He’s physical and he cares

UNKNOWN
But if you bring back Modry… Oh God.

DEAN LOMBARDI
Now hold on. Here’s the thing. If you look at the list… (laughs) I agree with you.