Comments on: A very good chance Ryan Smyth would have been bought out?

By: OneTimer

OneTimer — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:28:00 +0000

Sorry Bob, but I just gotta say that I’d stop short (way short) of calling Ryan Smyth an “idiot.” (And I’m really trying to not take you too literally.) Making the best choices for OURSELVES (as we see them) in life is frankly what we should all be doing, everyday. “Older, banged up player”, “Sentimental Canadian family guy/hometowner”, or “non-Los Angelino vibe guy” … sure, probably all of the above. But idiot? – um, no.

Go Kings.

By: Bob Knob

Bob Knob — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:46:00 +0000

It’s too bad he didn’t get bought out, his tears would have tasted even more delicious.

By: Bob Knob

Bob Knob — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 23:17:00 +0000

He sucked ass for the full last half of the season and then picked it up for the playoffs. Kinda makes you wonder about him. Did he get healthy just in time for the playoffs? Or was he dogging it half of the year? I think fitness is certainly an issue with him as well. But he’s an idiot so I’m sure he will do the same things he has always done to prepare for the season.

By: DougS

DougS — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 20:25:00 +0000

He was definitely in physical decline at that point. He would have been an albatross if he had stuck around for the last year of his contract.

By: USHA#17

USHA#17 — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000

As I recall in his final LA season the shifts were very short and most of his ice time was spent on his ass due to his inability to stand up to or skate through a check. Looked like this body quit on him.

By: USHA#17

USHA#17 — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:28:00 +0000

Smyth was a dog in 10-11. Running out of gas early he disrupted any chance(s) for the success of his line mates. Same thing transpired in Edmonton. Fast start, slow finish. The thing is in “shaping” trade he jumped the gun and blew the hole card of a team (IMO) happy to see him go. Most likely no love lost either way.

By: Quisp

Quisp — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:11:00 +0000

I wondered the same thing.

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:55:00 +0000

I wondering if the buyout would have been only if the trade had not gone through. Smyth had a NTC didn’t he? And he made it known he’d only accept a trade to Flames or Oilers. Leaving Lombardi with so few options meant that if trade talks fell through (which was close to happening by the look of the final trade), a buyout might have definitely been considered.

Instead we had a massively lopsided trade where Smyth was turned over for a conditional 7th round pick and fourth-liner Colin Fraser. Sorry, I mean Stanley Cup champion Colin Fraser. Whoops, I mean, now two time Stanley Cup champion Colin Fraser.

Guess we won that trade.

By: Kluka68

Kluka68 — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:45:00 +0000

Now that Kings won Stanley Cup, it’s strange to go back in time and think about the guy just asked for the trade from the team who got it all at the same year.

By: DougS

DougS — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 20:11:00 +0000

That kind of surprised me, too. It would have been a good move, but I don’t remember anyone that close to the organization saying at the time, “Well, if the Kings didn’t trade him, they were going to buy him out anyway.”