Just one month into his new gig, it's clear Rob Blake assumed power in the Los Angeles Kings' front office with a plan.
The franchise icon, whose No. 4 hangs from the rafters at Staples Center, took over for two-time Stanley Cup visionary Dean Lombardi as the Kings' general manager when ownership decided to clean house upon missing the postseason for the second time in three years.
On Tuesday afternoon, Blake conducted his first orders of business, trading Ben Bishop's rights to Dallas and inking forward Tanner Pearson to a team-friendly four-year extension.
The Bishop deal was an inevitability, and fetching a fourth-round pick is a reasonable return for a player who started seven games for the organization. However, it's the latter move, a shrewd signing of one of Los Angeles' best forwards, that sticks out as a step in the right direction.
Pearson, just 24, was one of two Kings players to eclipse 20 goals last season, and set career highs in that mark (24) and points (44). His four-year, $15-million extension makes him the fifth-richest forward on Blake's roster - a bargain for a player of his caliber.
Working with new head coach John Stevens, Blake's No. 1 priority this offseason has to be improving the Kings' dismal offense, and locking down Pearson secures one of the top possession drivers on the team. Among all Los Angeles forwards with similar minutes, he ranked third with a 56.7 Corsi For rating, and trailed only Jeff Carter with 25 primary points at even strength.
Re-upping on Pearson at an appropriate price was a necessity if Blake and the Kings are seeking a retool rather than a full-fledged rebuild.
Blake still has plenty of work to do to return the Kings to relevance in the Western Conference, particularly unloading salary to create more cap flexibility, and infusing youth into a team that looked flat-out slow down the stretch. Not to mention, Pearson's linemate, Tyler Toffoli, needs a contract, too.
It's just a small sample at the beginning of his tenure, but the Kings' new GM is off to a good start heading into a summer with a long to-do list.
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