Darryl Sutter “Undecided” on Returning to the Kings

In a bit of unexpected coaching news, Darryl Sutter hasn’t signed the contract offer laid on the table by the Kings and GM Dean Lombardi.

Lombardi called the offer “very fair,” but Sutter tells Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that he’s “still undecided” on whether or not he will return to the position.

“Darryl has an offer on the table,” Lombardi said Friday. “I think there’s an offer that’s certainly respectable. I don’t think this is about money. It’s [more about] are we ready to do this? That issue of where we’re going, and where we are, is always out there. It’s a different challenge.”

If Sutter doesn’t think the Kings are in a spot to grab another Stanley Cup, there are a number of coaching vacancies right now and Sutter isn’t likely be wanting for work. Anaheim, Calgary and Ottawa are all currently looking for a new head coach. The Minnesota Wild are no longer looking, after hiring Bruce Boudreau on Saturday night.

All three teams would likely want to talk with the two-time Stanley Cup winner if he were to allow himself to become a free agent over the summer.

Friedman elaborated on his report during Saturday’s “Headlines” segment on Sportsnet, saying that Sutter may like to see what the Kings do in free agency and how poised they are to win another championship. His affinity for Los Angeles “carries weight,” Friedman said, but his desire to win another championship is going to be a “big factor.”

The Kings have a bit of work ahead of them, and Lombardi has indicated that finding a way to re-sign Milan Lucic will be a part of that in the early going.