Kings part ways with GM after 2024-25 campaign

The Los Angeles Kings seemed to have their best chance in years at making a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the end of the season looked all too familiar for fans in Hollywood. For the fourth consecutive season, the Kings were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in six games the first round of the playoffs.

After yet another loss in the postseason against the same team once again, the Kings decided that it was time to make a change. On Monday, Los Angeles parted ways with vice president and general manager Rob Blake, according to the team in a post on social media.

“The LA Kings and Vice President/General Manager Rob Blake have mutually agreed to part ways, it was announced today by President Luc Robitaille,” the Kings wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The search for a replacement will begin immediately.”

Blake has been the Kings’ general manager since 2017 and has built a strong roster in the last few years, but Los Angeles has still not been able to win a playoff series with him at the helm. In fact, the Kings have not won a series since winning the Stanley Cup back in 2014.

This latest loss to the Oilers will be very tough for the Kings to take. After winning the first two games at home, the Kings blew a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 4, allowing Edmonton to tie the series at two games each. Los Angeles then lost Game 5 at home before the Oilers closed the series out in Game 6.

Out of the four series with Edmonton, this was the first one where the Kings had home-ice advantage. After failing to protect that in this series even after winning the first two games, it was clear that it is time for a change.

It’s unclear where the new general manager goes with this Kings roster, but there is a lot of youth and talent there that will give fans hope for the future. Maybe a new voice at the top will be enough to push them over the top and allow them to make a deep playoff run.