He’ll Be Going With Whatever Works

The work ethic that Dean Lombardi seems intent on bringing to the Kings was apparent shortly after he was introduced as the team’s president and general manager on Friday.

An hour after the news conference, Lombardi was meeting with Mattias Norstrom, the Kings’ captain, and Craig Conroy, an alternate captain, to discuss what went wrong this season.

Lombardi was moving almost as fast as the Kings did. Tim Leiweke, president of AEG, the Kings’ parent company, had offered Lombardi the job five minutes into their first meeting.

“Everyone, from the assistant equipment manager to the general manager, has to be singing from the same hymn book,” Lombardi said. “I want to find out why this team collapsed. That starts with talking to the players.”

That was the first step in the reclamation project Lombardi was handed Friday. He was given a five-year contract believed to pay him about $1 million per season to turn around a King team that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs the last three seasons.

Lombardi was able to accomplish that task in San Jose, where he spent seven seasons as general manager before being fired in 2003. The Sharks made the playoffs five times while he was there, and the foundation he built has led to more success the last two seasons.

After deciding to fire Dave Taylor as general manager two weeks ago, Leiweke sought a more assertive leader. He focused primarily on Lombardi, who is said to have an almost obsessive attention to detail.

“The old-school way was coaches coach and managers manage,” Lombardi said. “I’m not sure that works in a salary cap era. You have to have everyone involved.”

Lombardi said his first task would be to prepare for the June 24 entry draft. He also will begin preliminary work on finding a new coach.

“That can wait, the draft is what we have to prepare for,” Lombardi said. “If you can get two players out of each draft, you’re doing good. The draft is still your lifeblood.”

Lombardi, who is expected to rework the front office, said Taylor would be offered a spot with the team.

“I see a foundation here from Dave Taylor that we can build on,” Lombardi said. “The task is to take it to the next level.”