Dean Lombardi Roars Again, Roasts Oilers over Ryan Smyth Trade

The mouth of Dean Lombardi has been the gift that keeps on giving in 2011. Since January, when he roasted NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations and the league’s head of on-ice reviews, Mike Murphy, Lombardi has not had trouble making headlines with his quotes.  Friday afternoon was no different, with the Kings’ GM continuing his recent trend and letting the world know what he really thought of the Edmonton Oilers.

After Ryan Smyth’s trade request to Edmonton in June, Dean Lombardi quickly began searching for a resolution, with the hopes of not only freeing cap space, but possibly acquiring more picks in last month’s NHL Draft. Talks with the Oilers stalled initially after the Kings acquired Mike Richards, then again after the Kings determined that Gilbert Brule was not fit for a trade. Brule, who made headlines last month for picking up Bono as a hitchhiker in Vancouver, was slated to be the only player brought back to Los Angeles in exchange for Smyth, along with a draft pick. Concerns over his fitness however, eventually killed the trade and even ignited the Calgary Flames’ hopes of stealing Ryan Smyth from the grasps of their arch rivals.

That’s when Colin Fraser came into play. Fraser, a 26-year-old center and former Stanley Cup Champion with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, played in 67 games with the Oilers before ending his season early with a foot injury. According to Lombardi, the Kings were told Fraser was set to be medically cleared a few days after the trade the trade was finalized on June 26. Then, four days, it was reported that Fraser would be out nearly five months after needing foot surgery to repair damage that the Oilers failed to report to the Kings. Friday afternoon, Lombardi finally spoke.

"This kid needs surgery now, which is going to put him out four months. It’s not even close. To be told he’s going to be cleared that Wednesday and now we get him and he’s clearly not cleared and to clear him he’s going to need surgery … and that’s the one [injury] they told me about, let alone the other two. On the heels of Brule? Holy smoke. In my 20 years I’ve never had this happen once, let alone twice in one week. And people used to think maybe I was crazy but when I was scouting for Philly, Edmonton was my favorite city because of the history of the building and the crowds seemed like honest, working-class people. You still had a blue-collar feel at times. And I don’t think this conduct is emblematic of that city at all."

The best part? Lombardi made sure he got his money’s worth with his words at least.

"The bottom line for me, I would have rather invested my money with Bernie Madoff than invest in Edmonton’s word."

So now the Kings will turn to Tim Leiweke and their team of lawyers to explore their “legal avenues” against the Oilers, while Lombardi’s quotes will go viral for the third time this calendar year. As mentioned earlier, Lombardi reamed Mike Murphy in January.

"When the guy in Toronto making the decisions on the goals, in Ottawa and the one tonight, wanted the G.M.’s job in L.A. and was not happy about not getting it, you have to assume you are going to get those type of calls."

Then his prized, trade-deadline flop and former Oiler, Dustin Penner, was the target of Lombardi back in May.

"Dustin is at the crossroads of his career. He can choose to use his athletic ability to either become a dominant power forward in the National Hockey League or be a dominant number four hitter for the El Cid Lounge in a men’s softball league — the choice is his."

All in all, Dean Lombardi has been right every step of the way in his comments to the media. And while they might not reflect the views or endorsements of Gary Bettman, they certainly have made clear that the Kings have created a much needed swagger. The same swagger that has rightfully increased the team’s expectations and popularity over the last year.

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