Instead of losing him to unrestricted free agency over the summer, the L.A. Kings traded captain Rob Blake, along with rookie forward Steve Reinprecht, to Colorado for forward Adam Deadmarsh, defenseman Aaron Miller, a first-round pick, a prospect and future considerations. Here's what you had to say about the trade:

Clippers on ice
I have been expecting this trade for months. In a sense, I am relieved because it is finally done, but I am also unhappy about it. Dave Taylor definitely could've gotten more, or at least the same without throwing in Reinprecht, who is a talented rookie. This was a major mistake. The Kings should've signed Blake for $8.5 million before Pronger got signed, because that is what drove up Blake's price, and in the end, it is what the Kings offerred. Phillip Anshultz is the Donald Sterling of hockey. I don't know what he was thinking when he told Dave Taylor and Tim Leiweike to trade Blake. Considering how rich he is, $10 million shouldn't be that hard to give up. You should only own a sports team if you want to win. I am fed up with the Kings and how they have treated their players and fans over the years. I'm sure ticket prices will go up again this summer too.

Sean Ayers
Moorpark, CA

Call the police, the Kings got robbed
If you're trading someone of Rob Blake's caliber to someone like Colorado who has tons of talented forwards, I'm asking for someone like Drury, Tanguay or Hejduk. L.A. got ripped off, and to top it all off, Colorado gets yet another talented, promising young player in Reinprecht.

Nick
Philadelphia

The perennial head-scratcher
Once again, the Kings lose – not taking anything away from Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller. Let's see, the Kings' defense isn't all that effective this season, so, let's trade the best defenseman in the league. What should we trade him for, a lesser defenseman (sorry Aaron) and another forward. Now our defense is even worse, in spite of what Dave Taylor may try to sell us. Thankfully, in L.A. we're used to having a back up team to root for (no, not the Ducks).

Glen Kubasak
Saugus, CA

Some kind of lineup in Denver
I have to say that I hate to see Deadmarsh leave. And Miller is a great defenseman who doesn't get enough credit for all of the slack that he has had to pick up lately. But to see Rob Blake come to Colorado is great. Some teams have great scoring lines. Some teams have outstanding defensive partners. The Avalanche have both.

Patrick Lobdell
Vancouver, WA

The sky is falling
All I can say is when does next season start? We might as well stop the season right now and just give Colorado the Cup. I am so disgusted I do not even know if I will watch the playoffs. Thanks Los Angeles!

Dave Newman
St. Louis

Between a rock and a bottom line
Blake should've been a King for life, and he never made any attempt at compromising for the team. Obviously, he wanted a lot of money, but the Kings were offering him a great deal and the chance to be one of a few players who start and finish their careers with one team. I will always be a Rob Blake fan, but he was wrong to handcuff the Kings in this case.

Charles Kim
San Francisco

A costly loss for the City of Angels
The Kings did nothing to fill the gap left by Blake with the players they received. They also did nothing to address the needs of the team. They still have no goaltending. They still have a weak defense, and now they have nobody to quarterback the power play. Most importantly, they lose the man who, with one check, inspired a team to play well. Kings management did not want to pay Blake, but they will pay dearly when it comes to the fans.

Mark Groves
Woodland Hills, CA

Better than nothing
L.A. got something for Blake; I can say that much. Sure beats getting squat after he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this campaign. But if you break it down by position (Blake-Miller and Reinprecht-Deadmarsh) and toss in the other variables (draft pick and a prospect), I still think the Avs made off like bandits, getting the high-scoring, hard-hitting Blake (even if its just for the playoffs, as he's alluded to testing the waters of free agency come July).

Dale
San Jose, CA

The smog must be affecting judgment
The Avalanche get Rob Blake and Steve Reinprecht? What was L.A. thinking? "Here's our best player, and oh … have our top young player, too. Enjoy." Drury, Tanguay, Hejduk, and now Reinprecht. There should be a law against having that much talent.

M. Zaiem Beg
Seattle

Stakes are high
As a Kings fan I hated to see Blake go, but I feel I must side with Dave Taylor on this one. No one team should have a single player make a quarter of the payroll. Yes, Blake is one of a kind, but if NHL hockey teams want to operate in the black and keep the already expensive ticket prices down, then salaries must be kept in check.

Brian Vickery
Los Angeles

Can we rescind it?
I've never followed Rob Blake, and I don't doubt he's more talented than Adam and Aaron, but I can guarantee he'll never match Adam's heart and Aaron's stand-up attitude. When Ray and Theo were brought in at the deadline it energized the entire state, but this trade hurts.

Brad Casey
Fort Collins, CO

A new beginning
As a Kings fan, I hate to see Rob Blake go, but this contract dispute was cancerous to team chemistry. Your team has no direction when the captain is bickering with management about respect and money. It was apparent with the Kings' play of late, that a change needed to be made. Hopefully, Deadmarsh and Miller can add a winning attitude and leadership the Kings have been lacking.

Thomas Olson
Fullerton, CA

The future is now
This deal is horrible for the Avalanche without a long-term commitment from Blake. I can understand the desire to make the trade; defensively, the team has had some lapses against elite competition (NJ, Detroit, St Louis). Unlike 'renting' Ray Bourque last season, who ultimately signed with the Avs for another year, Blake seems committed to free agency this summer. I think the cost of this trade was too high for a rental player.

John Arendt
Boulder, CO

As deep as the abyss
Holy moly! If you're looking for a weakness on the Avs, you'll have to do some serious searching. Perhaps their trainer or equipment manager isn't the best in the league … they've got every other position covered. Even though the West is no picnic, I find it difficult to believe that any team can beat the Avalanche in a seven-game series.

Cary Kriticos
New Britain, CT

Alan Greenspan, we have a problem
You never want to lose a player like Blake, but he forced the trade. Two weeks ago in the paper, he said he loved L.A. and didn't want to leave. They had offered him $40 million over 5 years, and he wanted $45 million over the 5 years. The Kings offered him $46 mil the other day in Minnesota, and he turned that down. He really did not want to stay in L.A. It's not about the team or the city; it's all about the mighty dollar. So for all the Kings fans that are going to blame management – DON'T. If you're going to blame someone, it's Rob that you should blame. I know that everyone who reads this would have no problem living on $9.2 mil a year to play a game.

Allen Adams
Los Angeles

The dupe of the year
If Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix thinks the rest of the NHL and its fans are stupid enough to believe that he made a fair trade to acquire Rob Blake, we might as well hand him the Stanley Cup and forget the rest of the season. As far as L.A. GM Dave Taylor goes, somebody should fire that idiot. How could he possibly in his heart of hearts believe he made his team better? Unless he is only looking at the payroll side of it. Hey L.A. how about Chris Draper, Steve Duchesne, and a draft pick for Palffy and Robitaille? Sounds fair to me.

Jeff Kotimko
Traverse City, MI

A wait-and-see approach
While it may seem like in the short term Colorado got the best of the deal, only time will tell who really did better. The Avalanche did aquire one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL to add to an already impressive team, but at what cost. If they don't win the Stanely Cup and they can't re-sign Blake, will that cost be to high? The Kings got two good players, but Adam Deadmarsh is injury prone, and Aaron Miller is no Rob Blake. The key to this deal lies in the draft pick and the future considerations that the Kings might get if Blake signs with Colorado. If the Kings can do a better job than they have in recent years of scouting and drafting young talented players for the future, instead of trading them away as is the policy with this team, then maybe the Stanley Cup can shine under the California sun, and trading Rob Blake will be just a memory.

Michael Mizukami
Anaheim, CA

Bye-bye Blake, don't let the door hit ya
Maybe Rob Blake can learn something from Joe Sakic, who's been in the same free agency situation this entire season without distracting his teammates. The "C" on Sakics' jersey truly stands for "Captain," not "Cashing In." Face it. Under Blake's Captaincy, the Kings have not won a single playoff game. And he wanted Dave Taylor to ante up a Pronger-type contract? Don't think so. I'll take Deadmarsh and Miller over that nonsense anytime.

PuckMonkey
Los Angeles

A tale of two cities
Score! Obviously this was a no-brainer for Colorado. Talk about acquiring a tank – one built like a Hummer with the firepower of an Uzi. Put Blake along with Bourque and you get the Wall of China. Ah, now the top contenders in the league need to rethink their strategies in terms of acquisition and how to break through that formidable wall. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out in the next few weeks. As for L.A., it seems they were trying to make the best of a bad situation. With no money, they were going to lose Blake soon enough, so why not get something for him now? Colorado has deep pockets and they were willing to pay. With no guarantees in this unsteady market, I say, take the money and run.

Negin
Menlo Park, CA

Rocky Mountain first-class
You have to admire the way the Avalanche run their organization. To get a guy like Blake, which was totally a surprise, they assured themselves (as well as their fans) a serious run at the Cup.

Dustin Weeter
Scottsdale, AZ

A sign of the times
Given their position, the Kings did the right thing and received a commendable return for Blake. Barring key injuries, it'll be a sin if the Avs don't win it all this year. The offseason will prove interesting with Sakic, Roy, and Blake all being unrestricted free agents.

Tony Song
Cambridge, MA

Royal foolishness
I can't believe the Kings would let themselves get ripped off this badly – trading your captain and one of the best defensemen in the league, along with a promising young forward. And for what?! A head-bashed in, mediocre forward, and a decent, yet aging, defenseman? Oh yeah and a draft pick … like Alexadre Daigle? The Kings will not win the Stanley Cup with this team; they'll have to wait until the cycle turns over again. Almost forgot the future considerations – maybe they'll get the head zamboni driver.

A. Douglas Kellogg
New York

The rich get richer
This just turns up the pressure even more on the Avs. Of course, it isn't like they haven't been there before. Rob Blake may just be THE guy to add to Colorado's power play, which is already one of the best. The addition of Blake just makes it scary. It's sad for the Kings, but that's life in pro sports.

Matt Echert
Albuquerque, NM