Dean Lombardi made a lot of mistakes. From costly contract commitments to ugly and public disputes with two former Kings, a series of unfortunate events led to the dismissal of the former Los Angeles general manager Monday.
The good news is Lombardi's resume is decorated with countless positives. Named to the Kings' top job in 2006, Lombardi took a perennial middle-of-the-pack club to the league's penthouse, built on savvy selections at the draft tables and rounded out with deft deals from talking trade.
A short history: With the Kings, Lombardi drafted a core of Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez, Tyler Toffoli, and Tanner Pearson. He also selected Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn, later dealing both for Mike Richards, who helped lead the Kings to their first Stanley Cup in 2012.
Lombardi's strength - pushing a team into the winner's circle - is his best asset, and it's an attractive one that rival clubs may desire in their own front office with the accomplished executive now available. Five GMs should be weary of Lombardi's future path:
Doug Armstrong
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St. Louis Blues | Tenure: 7 Seasons | Playoff Series Record: 3-5
No club has disappointed when it matters most like the Blues. On the job since the summer of 2010, Armstrong has assembled a core that has been one of the league's top teams in the regular season but one that continually comes up short in the spring.
St. Louis has seen just three playoff series wins under Armstrong, with two of those coming a year ago. That followed three straight early exits in the playoffs where the Blues were dumped in the opening round, despite finishing as either the top or second-best club in their division in the regular season.
The Blues lost some key pieces a year ago when Armstrong gambled and lost on captain David Backes and forward Troy Brouwer, though he cashed in at this year's deadline, trading defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk before losing another valuable asset for no return.
Still, enough pieces are there, as the Blues have a veteran core that can win in the playoffs, from Vladimir Tarasenko, to Alex Steen, and Alex Pietrangelo. They just may not have the right architect, and the best candidate to finally bring a winner to St. Louis could be Lombardi.
Bob Murray
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Anaheim Ducks | Tenure: 9 Seasons | Playoff Series Record: 4-7
The Ducks won the Cup in 2007, but the team's success in the postseason in the decade that's followed hasn't been as evident.
Despite winning four straight division banners - and a fifth this season, with playoff results to be determined - Anaheim's ability to win in the regular season hasn't translated to the playoffs, at least under Murray.
The GM has just four wins in 11 series, and the playoff results have been a mixed bag since 2010: two misses, three first round exits, and one trip each to the second and third rounds.
If things go south again this spring, could the Ducks call on Lombardi? The Orange County team boasts a roster similar to squads that saw Lombardi win it all on two occasions with the crosstown Kings, counting Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler among those players who fit Lombardi's mold.
Garth Snow
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New York Islanders | Tenure: 11 Seasons | Playoff Series Record: 1-4
The Islanders GM is one of the league's longest tenured - only the top guns in Nashville, Detroit, and San Jose have been afforded more time - but Snow doesn't have the track record to match his time at the controls.
There's already discussion of the Islanders adding a president role to their front office, and whether Lombardi would fit that description or simply fill Snow's shoes is a decision for ownership to determine.
Figure this: The Islanders hired Snow in the same year Lombardi joined the Kings. Lombardi has two Stanley Cup rings to show for his work. The Islanders manager, meanwhile, ran a five-year playoff drought and has a single playoff series win through his 11-year run.
To note, Lombardi would have his work cut out for him in joining the Islanders, as the club has several heavy contracts on the books, from Andrew Ladd, to Cal Clutterbuck, and Casey Cizikas, while captain John Tavares' future with the organization remains up in the air.
Don Sweeney
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Boston Bruins | Tenure: 2 Seasons | Playoff Series Record: 0-0
The Bruins manager has only been on the job for two years, with his second season finishing far better than his first.
Boston punched its ticket to this year's postseason after back-to-back playoff misses, with Sweeney's decisions righting the ship. His best move came in deciding to cut loose longtime coach Claude Julien. He was replaced with AHL bench boss Bruce Cassidy, whose 18-8-1 record got the Bruins back into the postseason.
The hitch comes with the availability of Lombardi, a Massachusetts native who may have the right ideas to take the Bruins to the next level. With Cassidy already on an interim deal, and Sweeney holding a short track record, the opportunity could arise for the Bruins to clean house and add Lombardi, even more so should the team flop in the postseason.
Boston has a host of up-and-comers, from Charlie McAvoy, to Jakub Zboril, and Zach Senyshyn, not to mention the young players already on the roster in David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo to serve as the building blocks for the next winning core in Boston.
Doug Wilson
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
San Jose Sharks | Tenure: 13 Seasons | Playoff Series Record: 13-11
The NHL's third-longest standing GM, Wilson is another manager who has seen success in the regular season but hasn't been able to realize the same results in the playoffs.
Despite 10 straight playoff appearances, the Sharks have regularly underwhelmed in the postseason. San Jose advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, but previous trips always left more to be desired.
The Sharks ice a veteran group that can compete for a championship, as evidenced from last year's run to the Finals. But it's an aging core, from Joe Thornton, to Brent Burns, and Joe Pavelski, among others, and time is running out for the squad to win it all.
Is Lombardi the missing piece needed to push the Sharks to victory? Interestingly enough, a move to San Jose would mark a return to the Silicon Valley for Lombardi, who served as GM of the Sharks from 1996 to 2003. He selected forward Patrick Marleau second overall in 1997, who remains with the Sharks today.
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