Matt Roy – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Examining offseason moves – Oilers thriving ex-RFA’s versus UFA signings – Teams with favourable schedules

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 16:15:29 +0000

DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 14: St Louis Blue defenseman Philip Broberg skates with the puck down the ice during an NHL game between the St Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars on December 14, 2024, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. (Photo by Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire)

Going into 2024-25, it looked like the Oilers had a great summer. Sure, they lost restricted free agents Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to St. Louis, but only because the Blues overpaid for them. Meanwhile, Edmonton was crafty, snagging Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson at bargain bin prices, while also re-signing Adam Henrique to a reasonable contract. The goaltending was still in a risky state given the reliance on the streaky Stuart Skinner and the defense looked thin, but up front, Edmonton seemed deeper than it had ever been in the Connor McDavid-era.

Reality has played out differently. Edmonton has a 23-12-3 record, so they don’t have much to complain about on that front. However, Skinner hasn’t been the bargain that they thought. Instead, the six-time 30-plus goal scorer has just six markers and 13 points through 37 appearances. He’s been so underwhelming that he’s been largely relegated to the fourth line and was even a healthy scratch Sunday.

Arvidsson hasn’t been much help either. Granted, injuries have been part of the issue, but even when healthy, he’s underwhelmed with four goals and nine points through 23 outings. Meanwhile, Henrique has three goals and 10 points in 38 games after finishing the 2023-24 regular season with 51 points.

With the benefit of hindsight, Edmonton should have prioritized its restricted free agents. Broberg has three goals and 14 points in 27 outings while managing a top four role. Holloway has looked even better, collecting 14 goals and 27 points in 40 appearances.

As for Skinner and Arvidsson being bargains while Broberg and Holloway were overpaid, the former duo costs $7 million combined for 2024-25 while the latter comes in at roughly $6.9. Oops.

To be fair, this isn’t what many would have predicted going into the campaign, and there’s still time for Skinner and Arvidsson to make their marks, especially come the playoffs. However, it does highlight how plans can go awry, and with nearly half the campaign now in the books, this seems like a good time to take stock of how teams did in the offseason.

That’ll be the theme of this week’s article: For every team I highlight below, I’m going focus on the players who were brought in over the summer and reevaluate whether it’s worked out.

Carolina Hurricanes (Tue @ TBL, Thu @ TOR, Fri vs VAN, Sun vs ANA)

Carolina has been middling recently, posting a 7-8-1 record over its past 16 games, though the Hurricanes are still 23-13-2 overall thanks to their commanding start. Next week is packed for Carolina and primarily at home, though the opponents will be difficult. The Hurricanes will play in Tampa Bay on Tuesday before hosting Toronto, Vancouver and Anaheim on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Even after factoring in Carolina’s recent underwhelming play, the Hurricanes are still well on their way to making the playoffs for the seventh straight campaign despite significant turnover. They lost two top-four defensemen -- Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce -- and top-six forward Teuvo Teravainen. Jake Guentzel also parted ways with Carolina, but he was a midseason rental, so he was less ingrained into the team.

Carolina led the league in xGA/60 in 2023-24 (2.65), but the team has dipped to 11th (2.90) this year. That’s not bad, but it does suggest that the losses of Skjei and Pesce have been felt.

Carolina did ink Shayne Gostisbehere to a three-year, $9.6 million contract over the summer, but the 31-year-old defenseman was brought in as more of a power-play specialist than a two-way option. He has served well in that role, supplying six goals and 27 points through 35 appearances, but unfortunately, he’s out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.

Interestingly, Brent Burns appears to be staying on the second power-play unit despite Gostisbehere’s injury. Burns is hot with two goals and four points over his past four appearances, but he has just one point with the man advantage this year, and unless he moves up to the top power-play grouping, it’s hard to see him having a strong second half.

Ty Smith seems to have gotten the special-teams assignment instead of Burns. The 24-year-old has averaged just 14:02 of ice time in Carolina’s three games without Gostisbehere, but 4:05 per contest has come with the man advantage. Smith has a goal (provided on the power play) in those three appearances after supplying three goals and 10 points in 13 outings with AHL Chicago. He’s worth a short-term pickup.

Moving back to the Hurricanes’ summer acquisitions, Carolina also inked Jack Roslovic to a one-year, $2.8 million deal. He’s worked out well in Carolina, collecting 17 goals and 25 points through 38 outings, which puts the 27-year-old on track to surpass his career high of 45 points. I’m not confident he’ll get there, though. His 22.4 shooting percentage doesn’t look sustainable and his role with the team hasn’t been consistent, resulting in him averaging a modest 14:00, including 1:15 on the power play. It’s hard to trust him unless he starts getting bigger minutes consistently, so there’s a risk of him slowing meaningfully in the second half.

Detroit Red Wings (Tue vs OTT, Fri vs CHI, Sun vs SEA)

The Red Wings are showing some life under new bench boss Todd McLellan, winning each of their past three games. Still, they have a lot of ground to make up given their 16-18-4 record. Fortunately, their upcoming competition is favorable -- they'll spend next week at home, hosting Ottawa on Tuesday, Chicago on Friday and Seattle on Sunday.

Detroit lost Gostisbehere and veteran forward David Perron over the summer, which threatened to hurt the team’s scoring, but the Red Wings hoped to mitigate that by bringing in Vladimir Tarasenko on a two-year, $9.5 million contract. Tarasenko isn’t the same player he was when he provided over 30 goals on six occasions from 2014-15 through 2021-22, but he still figured to be a valuable middle-six option after providing 23 goals and 55 points over 76 outings between Ottawa and Florida in 2023-24.

It hasn’t worked out like that, though. Tarasenko has just four goals and 14 points through 37 appearances and isn’t giving Red Wings fans much hope that he’ll have a strong second half. The veteran has no goals and three assists across his past 14 games. While Detroit has won its last three games by scoring at least four goals in each contest, Tarasenko has managed a single shot on net over that stretch.

Detroit re-signed Patrick Kane to a one-year, $4 million deal over the summer. Initially, Kane’s story this season looked a lot like Tarasenko -- Kane had just three goals and 10 points over his first 24 appearances of 2024-25 -- but he’s hit his stride, providing five goals and nine points across his past nine outings.

Detroit ranks 25th in goals per game with 2.68, which is a collapse compared to the Red Wings’ 3.35 last campaign. That’s in large part due to a decline in secondary scoring. Detroit had eight players with at least 15 goals. Just five are scoring at a pace to reach that mark this campaign. If Tarasenko could get going, that would certainly help, but it would be wrong to put the blame solely on him when the team as a whole has declined that much.

Minnesota Wild (Tue vs STL, Thu vs COL, Sat @ SJS, Sun @VGK)

The Wild have won four of their past five games, bringing their record up to 24-11-4 this campaign. They’ll look to continue the good times next week, starting with a home game against the Blues on Tuesday. After that, the Wild will host Colorado on Thursday before hitting the road for contests in San Jose on Saturday and Vegas on Sunday.

In contrast to their dominance this season, the Wild missed the playoffs in 2023-24 with a 39-34-9 record, so you’d think they had a successful summer, but this is largely the same team that fell short last campaign. The big difference has been Filip Gustavsson. He struggled in 2023-24 with a 20-18-4 record, 3.06 GAA and .899 save percentage but has rebounded this time, posting a 17-6-3 record, 2.28 GAA and .924 save percentage across 26 starts.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Gustavsson continue his dominance through the second half of the campaign. While it’s in contrast to last season, he has demonstrated this level of success before -- he was 22-9-7 with a 2.10 GAA and a .931 save percentage in 39 outings in 2022-23 -- so this isn’t coming out of nowhere.

Marco Rossi has also taken a step up. The 23-year-old finished 2023-24 with 21 goals and 40 points and is well on his way to shattering those totals this season, collecting 15 goals and 33 points through 39 outings so far. For the second straight campaign, Rossi has the distinction of getting plenty of ice time with Kirill Kaprizov, but the duo seems to be meshing better this year. Kaprizov showed up on the scoresheet for 16 of Rossi’s 40 points last season but has already featured on 21 of Rossi’s 33 points in 2024-25.

While Minnesota didn’t make any significant additions last summer, it is worth noting that the Wild signed Brock Faber to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension back in July. Faber was one of the few positives for the Wild in 2023-24, supplying eight goals, 47 points, 65 hits and 150 blocks in 82 appearances as a rookie. Locking him up long-term was a bit of a risk given his small sample size, but it’s looking like it was a great call. He has five goals, 20 points, 15 hits and 51 blocks through 39 outings in 2024-25.

Faber didn’t look ideal analytically last campaign with a relative 5v5 CF%/FF% of minus-2.8/minus-3.5, which suggests that the team performed worse from a puck possession perspective when he was on the ice, but the 22-year-old has shown some growth in that regard as a sophomore, posting a minus-1.7/minus-2.9 relative 5v5 CF%/FF%.

Ottawa Senators (Tue @ DET, Thu @ BUF, Sat @ PIT, Sun vs DAL)

Minnesota is enjoying a great campaign after a rough one, but the Senators are still floundering in mediocrity. Ottawa finished 37-41-4 in 2023-24, missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. The Senators are a more respectable, but still not great 19-17-2 this year.

Ottawa does have a shot at ending its postseason drought, but every point will be critical. Next week, the Senators will play in Detroit on Tuesday, host the Sabres on Thursday, play in Pittsburgh on Saturday and then head back home to face the Stars on Sunday.

There was some reason for cautious optimism going into this campaign. Joonas Korpisalo had been a big problem for the Senators in 2023-24, posting a 21-26-4 record, 3.27 GAA and .890 save percentage in 55 outings while finishing minus-16.1 in terms of goals saved above expected. To exchange him with Linus Ullmark in a trade with Boston over the summer seemed like a huge win, and it has been.

Ullmark did initially struggle in Ottawa and is presently dealing with a back injury, but he’s still been strong overall with a 12-7-2 record, 2.38 GAA and .915 save percentage across 23 games with the Senators. Unfortunately, Ottawa’s holdover goaltender, Anton Forsberg, has continued to struggle with a 3.04 GAA and an .885 save percentage in 12 outings, so Ottawa has to hope that Ullmark returns soon.

Even when he is playing, though, Ottawa is still limited by its offense, ranking 20th in goals per game with 2.95. Trading offensive defenseman Jakob Chychrun to Washington didn’t help. The Senators did receive Nick Jensen in the trade, but Jensen is more of a defensive option, contributing two goals, 13 points, 37 hits and 44 blocks in 38 contests with Ottawa this campaign.

The Senators also attempted to boost its secondary scoring by inking David Perron to a two-year, $8 million contract. Perron had recorded at least 36 points in each of his past eight campaigns, so he seemed like a reasonable bet, but the 36-year-old has been no help. Part of that is due to injuries, but even in the nine games he’s logged with Ottawa, Perron has no points.

To make matters worse, Claude Giroux is showing his age, collecting nine goals and 24 points through 38 appearances in 2024-25, putting the 36-year-old on pace to finish well below his totals of 79 and 64 points in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.

If Ottawa is to miss the playoffs this year, a lack of scoring will likely be the reason.

Pittsburgh Penguins (Tue vs CBJ, Thu vs EDM, Sat vs OTT, Sun vs TBL)

Pittsburgh was aggressive in the summer of 2023, bringing offensive defenseman Erik Karlsson into the fold, but that proved to be not enough for the 2023-24 Penguins, who missed the playoffs due to a 38-32-12 record. The Penguins didn’t make as big a splash this summer, and the results remain mixed with the Penguins sitting at 17-17-6. They are in the mix for a playoff spot, so their upcoming homestand will be important -- Pittsburgh will host Columbus on Tuesday, Edmonton on Thursday, Ottawa on Saturday and Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Goaltending was a weakness for Pittsburgh in 2023-24, but the Penguins didn’t change its duo, so Alex Nedeljkovic and Tristan Jarry are paired together for the second straight campaign. The results have been bad, Pittsburgh ranks last in goals allowed per game (3.63), though the defense in front of them is at least partially to blame given the team’s xGA/60 of 3.34, which ranks 29th in the NHL.

At least Rickard Rakell is having a good year. He dropped from 60 points in 2022-23 to just 37 last year, but he’s bounced back to 18 goals and 32 points through 40 appearances this campaign. One factor in that is likely the loss of Jake Guentzel, who the Penguins traded during 2023-24 to avoid potentially losing for nothing as an unrestricted free agent. With Guentzel gone, Rakell has taken his old spot on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby, and that seems to have benefited Rakell quite a bit.

Of course, that’s only because Crosby is defying Father Time with 11 goals and 42 points through 40 games at the age of 37. Malkin, 38, is showing his age more, but he’s still more than holding his own with eight goals and 32 points across 40 outings.

Without much cap space, the Penguins did attempt to supplement its offense on a budget by signing Anthony Beauvillier (one-year, $1.25 million) and Blake Lizotte (two-year, $3.7 million), which has worked out okay. Beauvillier has nine goals and 12 points through 39 appearances while Lizotte has eight goals and 12 points in 24 outings. They add a bit of skill to the bottom six, which is not nothing, but it’s not a lot.

Seattle Kraken (Mon vs NJD, Thu @ CBJ, Sat @ BUF, Sun @DET)

Seattle has been a mixed bag this campaign with a 17-19-3 record, but the Kraken have a somewhat favorable schedule next week. They’ll start by hosting the Devils and then go on the road to play in Columbus on Thursday, in Buffalo on Saturday and in Detroit on Sunday. New Jersey is the only adversary in that batch currently occupying a playoff position.

Although Seattle is still a fairly new franchise, there was some significant turnover during the summer. The biggest change came behind the bench rather than on the ice: Dave Hakstol was replaced by Dan Bylsma as the new bench boss. Under Bylsma, Seattle’s scoring has ticked up somewhat, going from 2.61 goals per game in 2023-24 to 2.90 this campaign, but that’s been undermined by the goals allowed per game increasing to 3.10 compared to 2.83 last year.

Jaden Schwartz has been one of the bigger winners under Bylsma. After collecting 13 goals and 30 points in 62 appearances while averaging 16:22 of ice time last season, Schwartz already has 12 goals and 25 points in 39 games in 2024-25, and he’s seen his playing time tick up to 17:41.

Bylsma has also been making good use of newcomer Chandler Stephenson. Like the coach, Stephenson was an offseason addition, signing a seven-year, $43.75 million deal. That’s a significant commitment to the 30-year-old, but so far, he’s fulfilled his top six duties about as well as expected, supplying four goals and 24 points through 38 appearances. He also has 12 power-play assists, quadrupling that of any other Seattle player.

Brandon Montour was Seattle’s other major free-agent splash, inking a seven-year contract worth one dollar shy of $50 million. Montour missed out on that buck because he was limited to 33 points in 66 regular-season outings with Florida in 2023-24 after setting a career high with 73 points in 2022-23, but he’s done well in his new environment, supplying eight goals and 22 points across 38 outings.

He has gone through something of a cold patch recently with three points (one goal) over his last 10 contests, but it’s not to the point yet where I’m too worried. Even in his amazing 2022-23 campaign, you can find an example of a quiet stretch from Feb. 9-28 in which he had four assists in nine appearances. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that this season will parallel 2022-23, merely stating that slower stretches happen, and the 30-year-old should start picking up the pace again before too long.

Vegas Golden Knights (Tue @ SJS, Thu vs NYI, Sat vs NYR, Sun vs MIN)

While Seattle hasn’t had much playoff success yet, the NHL’s other young franchise, Vegas, has already made the playoffs six times and won the Cup in 2023. The Golden Knights had a down year in 2023-24, posting a 45-29-8 record followed by a first-round exit, but they’re back in business this campaign at 26-9-3. The Golden Knights will start next week with a road match against the rebuilding Sharks before hosting two struggling teams in the Islanders on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday. Finally, Vegas will be up against a tough contender when they play at home against Minnesota on Sunday.

The Golden Knights more than any other franchise in the NHL is known for making bold trades and constantly having to maneuver to stay under the salary cap. The ceiling forced the Golden Knights to watch forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson walk as free agents over the summer. Vegas also traded Logan Thompson to Washington and Paul Cotter to New Jersey.

With those losses, how have the Golden Knights done so well? For starters, Vegas has an economical replacement for Thompson in Ilya Samsonov, who inked a one-year, $1.8 million deal with the Golden Knights. The 27-year-old Samsonov has been a nice backup in Vegas, providing a 10-3-1 record, 2.69 GAA and .907 save percentage in 14 outings. To some extent, he’s even outperformed starter Adin Hill, who is 16-6-2 with a 2.65 GAA and a .902 save percentage through 24 appearances.

You might look at those solid GAAs and middling save percentages and conclude that Vegas’ secret sauce is the defense in front of its netminders, but that’s not entirely the case. In terms of shots allowed per game, Vegas has been relatively good, ranking 12th with 27.9, but the team is also tied for 21st in xGA/60 (3.10) because the Golden Knights tend to give up a ton of high-danger shots, tying for eighth in that category with 142.

As a result, Vegas’ goaltenders don’t necessarily need to work a ton, but they do need to be at the top of their game, and they’ve done just that. Hill has a goals saved above expected of 8.4 and Samsonov is at 6.1, putting them in 14th and 18th, respectively, among all goaltenders, per Moneypuck.

Vegas has also received good value out of Tanner Pearson and Victor Olofsson, who each inked one-year contracts and combine for less than $2 million in cap space. Pearson has eight goals and 16 points through 38 outings, providing some nice scoring depth in a bottom-six capacity. Meanwhile, Olofsson did miss 20 straight games from Oct. 17-Nov. 29 because of a lower-body injury, but he’s been a great middle-six option when healthy, contributing eight goals and 13 points through 18 appearances.

Health in general has really been the key, though. In 2023-24, Vegas finished with just three players who logged the full 82 games while Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo were among those who endured significant absences. Vegas hasn’t been the poster child for health this year, but the situation hasn’t been nearly as bad. That’s helped Eichel especially, who leads the team with 50 points (10 goals) through 38 appearances in 2024-25.

Vegas also made midseason trades during 2023-24 that are paying off now. This is the team’s first full season with defenseman Noah Hanifin, who has six goals and 20 points in 38 outings while serving in a top-four capacity, and forward Tomas Hertl, who has 10 goals and 25 points in 38 games. The result is Vegas is a deep team both up front and on the blue line, even after watching some notable players go over the summer.

Washington Capitals (Mon @ BUF, Wed vs VAN, Fri vs MTL, Sat @ NSH)

The Capitals barely made the playoffs in 2023-24, finishing the regular season with a 40-31-11 record before being swept in the first round. They look very different this year, though, as demonstrated by their 25-10-3 record. Washington will start next week by playing in Buffalo on Monday before returning home to host the Canucks on Wednesday and the Canadiens on Friday. They’ll wrap things up with a game in Nashville on Saturday.

While some of the teams above have made major strides this campaign despite minimal changes over the summer, that doesn’t describe the Capitals. Washington was aggressive in addition pieces, acquiring Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa, Pierre-Luc Dubois from LA and Logan Thompson from Vegas in trades. Washington also made a big splash by signing Matt Roy to a six-year, $34.5 million contract.

Those additions have paid off superbly for Washington. Darcy Kuemper left plenty to be desired with the Capitals last season, posting a 3.31 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 33 starts, but Washington was able to part with him in the Dubois trade, and Thompson has been so much better, recording a 15-2-2 record, 2.30 GAA and .918 save percentage across 19 appearances this season. That upgrade in goaltending has been a critical factor in Washington’s success, especially because it has gone a long way toward counteracting the decline of Charlie Lindgren, who has a 10-8-1 record, 2.70 GAA and .898 save percentage in 19 outings in 2024-25, down from 25-16-7 with a 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage in 50 appearances last year.

The Capitals were able to snag Dubois from LA for the low cost of Kuemper because the 26-year-old Dubois comes with an $8.5 million cap hit through 2030-31, but he had an underwhelming 16 goals, 40 points and 70 PIM in 82 regular-season outings with the Kings last season. LA had a logjam up the middle, though, contributing to Dubois averaging just 15:42 in 2024-25. By contrast, Washington had a clear second-line opening for him, which he has settled into nicely, providing five goals, 29 points and 22 PIM in 38 games. You’d still like more from a player with his contract, but there’s no question that he’s added to the team’s scoring depth.

If Dubois has worked out with an asterisk because of his price point, then Chychrun has been a clearer win. He is on the final campaign of his contract, but his $4.6 million cap hit is superb value for the 26-year-old defenseman, who has 11 goals and 25 points this campaign. Washington already had John Carlson has a high-end offensive option on the blue line, and now Chychrun is providing Washington with another big weapon to either send out with Carlson or spread out across the top two pairings.

When it comes to the signings, Matt Roy was the major splash. The defenseman has a goal, eight points, 63 hits and 45 blocks in 28 appearances while averaging 19:24 of ice time. He’s never been a major offensive threat, but Washington already has that role well covered with Chychrun and Carlson. Roy is there to help in Washington’s end, which is why 55.4 percent of his 5v5 zone starts have been defensive.

All that has played a role in the Capitals’ success, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Alex Ovechkin’s role in all this. He has an incredible 18 goals and 28 points in 22 appearances. That said, Washington was still a strong 10-5-1 during the 16-game absence of Ovechkin from Nov. 21-Dec. 23 due to a fractured fibula, so clearly this team is more than just the byproduct of its superstar.

2024 NHL Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Robert Howard — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 19:23:41 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 28: Edmonton Oilers Right Wing Zach Hyman (18) battlesLos Angeles Kings Defenceman Matt Roy (3) and Los Angeles Kings Right Wing Adrian Kempe (9) for the puck in the first period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Los Angeles Kings on March 28 2024, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Is it better to face the devil you know? The Oilers and Kings will find out when they meet for the third consecutive season in the playoffs. The Oilers prevailed in the first two meetings, producing a come from behind victory in a seven-game series in 2022, while requiring six-games to eliminate them in 2023. The Oilers won their head-to-head matchup in the season, winning three of four games with a relatively low scoring goal differential of 11 to 9. The Kings held the powerful Oilers to only 2.75 goals per game, and will carry anything they feel unresolved in two closely fought series, into this one with them. The Oilers are confident. The Kings will want revenge.

While the core players are deeply familiar with each other, both teams will have new leadership behind the bench. The Oilers made an early coaching change after stumbling out of the gate under Jay Woodcroft and replacing him with Kris Noblauch in November. The Kings hired Jim Hillier to replace Todd McLellan in February. Since the change, the Oilers produced the best record in the league (69GP-46W-18L-5OT) as McDavid returned to health and the offense surged. The Kings were ninth (35GP-21W-12L-1OT) under Hillier from February on and improved enough to secure a playoff spot. The biggest change he brought was in implementing a 1-3-1 defensive system, which tightened up a unit that seemed to struggle with consistency early, after a good start.

It is a classic battle between a potent offense and a stifling defense. Edmonton is one of the top offensive teams in the league, both at even strength (ranked 1^st with 3.2 xGF/60 at 5v5) and the powerplay (ranked 3^rd with 10.08 xGF/60 – 4^th at 26.3% overall). Los Angeles is one of the top defensive teams in the league and ranked fourth at both 5-on-5 (2.29 xGA/60) and the power play (2.29 xGA/60). It will feature two gifted scorers in centremen Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against two elite shutdown pivots in Anze Kopitar and Philip Danault.

Knoblauch had success separating Draisaitl and McDavid for much of the season allowing them to drive their own lines, something that has been a challenge for past coaches. Uniting on a devastating power play, they represent the best one-two punch in the league. The supporting cast up front was bolstered by late season additions in Adam Henrique, Corey Perry and Sam Carrick. They have provided depth, and Henrique was enjoying a good season with Anaheim, bringing with him versatility as an excellent faceoff man and complementary winger in the top six of in a shutdown role on the third line.

Hillier has spread out the scoring across all four lines, deploying Kevin Fiala and Pierre Luc Dubois in the bottom six. Dubois has had a disappointing season, perhaps earning his spot on the fourth line, but did show signs of turning it around later in the season. Quinton Byfield enjoyed a breakout season at 21 years old but faded down the stretch. They are both improved but may be asking a lot for them to be difference makers in the playoffs.

Both teams have improved but there is still a sizable offensive advantage for the Oilers up front.

However, on defense, the Kings own the advantage, but it is mitigated by an improved Oilers group. Mattias Ekholm has had an outstanding season and provided the stability they were looking for when acquired at the trade deadline last year. He has allowed Evan Bouchard to blossom into a premier offensive defenseman, while contributing 45 points of his own, including 26 points in his last 30 games. The Oilers defense has been a question mark in the past. The Kings may not match that offensive firepower, but their top two pairings of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty along with Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy are very effective defensively. As a foursome they are one of the more effective in the league at shutting the door when called upon. They will face tremendous pressure game in, game out in a long series against a hungry, lethal Oilers machine.

KEY MATCHUPS

McDavid and Draisaitl Vs. Danault and Kopitar – As discussed above, containing the dynamic duo, along with 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman will be critical to any hopes the Kings have. They have two of the best for the job.

The bottom six – LA has balanced their four lines with some scoring ability on each. Will the late season additions by the Oilers be enough to counter? Has Pierre Luc Dubois improved in the late season enough to be a factor in depth scoring? It could be a critical factor for the unsung crew to rise up on occasion if the Kings have success minimizing the damage up on the top two lines.

Cam Talbot Vs. Stuart Skinner – The sophomore versus the resurgent veteran. Cam Talbot has been a nice surprise in the net for the Kings. He is well supported by their strong system so only needs to be solid to be effective. Skinner and the Oilers goalies struggled early in the season, but he seemed to settle down after the coaching change and has been consistent, and reminiscent of his strong rookie season. Neither is expected to be the savior of their respective squad, but exceeding expectations for either of them would be a valuable boost.

X-FACTOR

Los Angeles - The ability of the Kings defensive system to slow the Oilers down in transition, clog up the neutral zone, and create turnovers. If they can frustrate the Oilers early and steal a game in Edmonton, the momentum along with experienced leadership with Stanley Cup rings in the room provide a path for the Kings.

Edmonton – How hungry is Connor McDavid for his first Stanley Cup ring? Now firmly settled in his prime and joined by the strongest supporting cast he has had yet; can he lead them home? He should answer affirmatively and, if possible, raise his game yet again, as the great ones do.

FANTASY PLAYERS TO TARGET

Edmonton – Outside of the big names, Warren Foegele has proven to be a staple on Leon Draisaitl right side and playing for a contract. He has shown consistent improvement and could be a surprise. Adam Henrique has not lit up the scoreboard in Edmonton like he did in Anaheim but is currently starting the series on Connor McDavid’s left wing. We have already mentioned Mattias Ekholm’s finish. It does not appear to be a fluke. He is playing that well.

Los Angeles – Looking at production since the coaching change Feb 2, Adriam Kempe has led the scoring with 32 points in 29 games followed by Kevin Fiala with 30 in 34 games, and Anze Kopitar finding his point a game ways again with 29 in 33 games. Quinton Byfield finished very quietly with nine points in 23 games. It might be asking a lot for a 21-year-old to be a difference maker with the stakes this high. Since March 1, Trevor Moore has 17 points in 23 games.

PREDICTION

This will be a hard-fought battle with familiarity likely to provide plenty of contempt. Edmonton’s offence will prove too much over the course of the series and should take it in six games.

All Stats courtesy of www.naturalstattrick.com

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 18:37:33 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Los Angeles Kings Left Wing Kevin Fiala (22) lines up for a faceoff during the NHL game between the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild on October 15th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Kings’ old guard of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty were combined in 2022-23 with a newer cast entering its prime to form a competitive squad. Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe, Viktor Arvidsson, Phillip Danault and Doughty each exceeded the 50-point mark, giving Los Angeles a nice variety of offensive threats. The defense was top-notch too, allowing the third fewest five-on-five expected goals against (158.72). If only Los Angeles had adequate goaltending. Jonathan Quick entered the campaign at 36 and seemed to be running on empty, posting a 3.50 GAA and an .876 save percentage in 31 contests. Pheonix Copley was better, but still less than ideal with his 2.64 GAA and .903 save percentage in 37 games. It wasn’t until Los Angeles dealt Quick to Columbus in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo on March 1 that the Kings’ goaltending situation stabilized, though Los Angeles still lost to Edmonton in the first round after finishing the regular season with a 47-25-10 record.

What’s Changed? It cost the Kings forwards Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi, but they acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from Winnipeg, providing Los Angeles with a great second-line center today and a successor to Kopitar tomorrow. Korpisalo left as a free agent, so Los Angeles inked netminder Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

What would success look like? Throwing Dubois into what was already a strong offense could conceivably make Los Angeles one of the top-five scoring teams. The defense is also a good bet to remain among the league’s best, so what the Kings really need is a solid season out of Talbot. While he had a subpar 2.93 GAA and .898 save percentage in 36 contests with Ottawa last season, Talbot’s goals saved above expected last season was just -0.7, which suggests that he was only slightly below average after factoring out the team in front of him. So, when you pair Talbot with a world-class defense, you might not get something magical, but you should get a solid performance.

What could go wrong? Then again, Talbot is 36 years old and Los Angeles just saw how rough things can get for a goaltender in the twilight of their career. At worst Los Angeles has another Quick situation on its hands. Similarly, who knows how much Kopitar, also 36, has left in the tank. The one-two punch of Kopitar and Dubois might not play out as well as hoped, especially given that Dubois might need some time to adjust to his new team, which could lead to him disappointing early on.

Top Breakout Candidate: Given enough time, the Kings might have had a successor for Kopitar even without Dubois in Quinton Byfield. As it is, Byfield should still make big strides this season after finishing 2022-23 with three goals and 22 points in 53 contests. While his natural position is center, the Kings’ current depth up the middle is likely to shift him to the wing, and there’s a good chance he secures a top-six spot in the process. With 99 NHL games now under his belt, the 2020 second overall pick is a solid bet to take advantage of such an opportunity.

Forwards

Anze Kopitar - RW

There’s an argument to be made that Anze Kopitar is one of the more underappreciated star players of this generation. He’s played nearly 1,300 games and has 1,141 points in 17 seasons with the Kings and as he heads into his 36-year-old season, he’s coming off leading the Kings in scoring last year with 74 points, including 28 goals and his second Lady Byng Trophy. He did this while he captained the Kings back to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Kopitar continued to do all the little things that have made him an elite player for more than a decade. He had his 10th straight season with 50 or more points and his eighth season with 70-or-more points, his first one since 2017-2018 when he had 92. Overall, it was his best offensive season since 17-18 as he scored at nearly a point-per-game pace. While the offense was outstanding, he also faced many of the Kings’ toughest opposing players head-on and maintained steadily positive possession numbers against them while also putting up strong expected goal percentages. That he did this at 35 is impressive because this is usually when all players start slowing down. Kopitar will continue this season to be a mentor to Quinton Byfield, having him on his wing and looking to help guide him to being the next great center in L.A.

Adrian Kempe - RW

When it came to scoring goals for the Kings, no one did it as often or as efficiently as Adrian Kempe. He led Los Angeles with 41 goals which put him in the top-15 in the league (13th). Kempe excelled while on the wing with Anze Kopitar up the middle and took advantage of his outstanding playmaking abilities. He was also best on the team in power play goals with 11, one better than Viktor Arvidsson. Kempe wasn’t just an offensive weapon at 5-on-5 and the power play, however, he also scored three shorthanded goals to put a scare into opponents when he was on the ice killing penalties. Kempe proved to be a threat to score anytime he was on the ice as he also posted 27 goals at even strength. Being an all-around menace to opponents is a great quality to have when it comes to offense because it makes opponents uneasy. Kempe’s evolution into a big-time goal scorer the past two seasons (he scored 35 two years ago) has helped the Kings fill the void left by Dustin Brown’s retirement. Kempe’s style is much different, however, as he’s able to use his very good shot to score goals as opposed to mucking things up around the net. That he’s found a home alongside Kopitar puts him in position to score every shift of every game.

Quinton Byfield - LW

It feels like we’ve been waiting for some time for Quinton Byfield to explode offensively in the NHL and if last season was any indication, that breakout season might just be on the way. Byfield found a home on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe last season and played more than 500 minutes with them at 5-on-5. Their advanced numbers together were strong in terms of possession and expected goals. While Kopitar led the Kings in scoring and Kempe led the way in goals, Byfield’s stats were much more modest, yet still the best of his young NHL career. He had a career high 22 points in 53 games with three of those being goals. He saw some time on the power play and had a power play goal, but he hasn’t become a mainstay with the extra man. Byfield’s played 99 career games in the NHL, and he’s been very carefully eased into becoming a regular NHL player. If he can play a full 82 games and do so with Kopitar and Kempe often, it’s hard to see how that wouldn’t translate into more goals and points. Byfield is also 21 years old and had his development stunted because of the pandemic. He was the No. 2 pick in 2020 and given how he produced in junior hockey, it’s difficult to believe he won’t break out eventually.

Pierre-Luc Dubois - C

The Kings felt they had a need to add another center who could fill the net and make them a better team that can advance deeper into the postseason. They made a blockbuster trade with Winnipeg to acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois to make it happen. They gave up picks and prospects to land the 25-year-old pivot and heir apparent to the No. 1 center spot and Dubois will give the Kings a much deeper attack at center in general. While Phillip Danault has been outstanding as the No. 2 center the past two seasons, putting Dubois in that spot with his more natural offensive instincts and abilities makes L.A. that much more dangerous offensively and it’ll help the Kings more because Danault can now shut down opponents from the third line and be able to produce more offense from that spot as well. Dubois has been a strong scorer throughout his career with Columbus and Winnipeg but is coming off his most productive season in which he had a career high 63 points with 27 goals. Like the Kings, the Jets were a playoff team and Dubois was vital to their success, but now that he’s joining L.A., he’s part of a roster that’s both deeper up front and on defense as well as having an abundance of scoring wingers. He signed an eight-year, $68 million extension as part of the sign-and-trade deal with the Kings and how he fits in will be more than worth watching.

Kevin Fiala - LW

No player on the Kings was as productive as Kevin Fiala last season. Fiala finished second on the team in points with 72 (Kopitar led the way with 74) but missed 13 games due to injury. He racked up a team-leading 49 assists to help pad out his point total, but his 23 goals tied him with Gabriel Vilardi for fourth most on the team. After coming over from Minnesota in a trade last summer, it was fascinating to see how Fiala was going to fit into what the Kings were doing offensively. As it turned out, they couldn’t have asked for a better player to fit into their scheme. Fiala spent part of the season working on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe but also played a host of 5-on-5 minutes with Blake Lizotte and Viktor Arvidsson, the latter of whom he was teammates in Nashville. The offensive numbers really popped with Kopitar and Kempe, as could be expected, but it’s the ability to play with anyone in the Kings lineup that helps immensely. Certainly, Fiala is not a player L.A. wants to be playing fewer minutes with less-offensively creative players, but if he can lift them up offensively, that’s good for everyone involved. With the addition of Pierre-Luc Dubois it will be interesting to see how coach Todd McLellan sets his lines and who Fiala joins up front.

Arthur Kaliyev - RW

While the Kings have a host of exciting veteran scorers, one of their more exciting and growing more consistent goal providers is Arthur Kaliyev. Last season in 56 games, Kaliyev had 13 goals and 28 points and nearly doubled his output from the previous year when he had 27 points in 80 games. Kaliyev was an offensive spark plug for L.A. He averaged 11:41 of ice time per game, essentially third line minutes, but his even strength goals for per 60 made him one of the more productive forwards on the team. A blocked shot led to a lower-body injury that cost him 26 games last season, but the 22-year-old 2019 second-round pick was able to return during the postseason and played two games against Edmonton. Kaliyev’s upside is tremendous and with the addition of Dubois to the lineup it should help allow Kaliyev more opportunity to grow as a goal scorer and all-around offensive threat. The hope for him this season is that last season’s injury didn’t stunt his growth as a player, and he’ll be able to take another step forward as a scorer. Whether he plays with Dubois or Phillip Danault on the second or third line, he’ll have an outstanding centerman to work with.

Phillip Danault - C

There are few two-way centermen in the NHL who are on the kind of level Phillip Danault does and one of them (Patrice Bergeron) just retired. Danault’s defensive work is at an elite level as a faceoff man (54.4 percent; 17th in the NHL among players with 1,000 or more faceoffs), as a player who can control possession (nearly 53 percent shots attempted at 5-on-5) and expected goals (54.1 percent). On top of that, Danault is also a very good offensive producer. He set a career high with 54 points last season with 18 goals. He’s posted 50-or-more points in back-to-back seasons with Los Angeles further leaning into a side of him that was apparent but not best used with Montreal. Danault is a perennial Selke Trophy contender but with Bergeron retired, he’ll be in consideration as a front-runner. He’s vital to the Kings’ success and with Dubois in the fold, he’ll be counted on even more heavily for defensive matchups. The question is how much, if at all, will it affect his offensive output. Ideally, L.A. will deploy their top three lines as groups that can score at will, but Danault’s line will be able to do that as well as shut down opponents.

Viktor Arvidsson - RW

Part of what makes the Kings such a dangerous team is their offensive depth and Viktor Arvidsson is a major contributor to that. Last season, Arvidsson was fourth on the team in scoring with 59 points and third in goals with 26 in 77 games. When the Kings signed Arvidsson as a free agent in 2022, the hope was he’d evolve further into the type of offensive contributor he showed to be with the Nashville Predators. In two seasons, he’s scored 46 goals and 108 points and that checks out compared to what he did in previous seasons. What’s come back to normal in a good way for Arvidsson is his shooting percentage. His final year with the Predators he had his worst shooting season at 6.6 percent and it rebounded in his first season with the Kings at 8.8 and last season he shot 11.4. That’s much more in line with what he did earlier in his career. Although shot percentage can be volatile, seeing Arvidsson’s stats return to being closer to what he’s had throughout his career is a great sign for the Kings. Arvidsson spent virtually all of his 5-on-5 time with Phillip Danault last season and there’s not much reason to think that will change now, especially given how well they performed together. A repeat performance would make the Kings an even more dangerous team in the West.

Trevor Moore - LW

The growth of Trevor Moore’s career since he joined the Kings in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs has been nothing short of incredible. Last season, Moore posted 29 points with 10 goals in 59 games. A pair of upper-body injuries kept him out of 23 games in the second half of the season, but he was able to return for the playoffs. Moore’s raw numbers were down because of injuries. The year before he had a career high 48 points and while Moore’s scoring rate dipped a little bit (0.59 points per game to 0.49) it was still the second-best rate of his career. But points are only part of the reason why Moore is valuable to Los Angeles. Among players with 500 or more minutes played at 5-on-5, he had the second highest puck possession and expected goal percentage numbers and was a strong player in all facets including both sides of the puck on special teams. He’s a dynamite all-around player and teamed up with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson to be part of one of the most consistent lines the Kings rolled out during the season. With better health, that trio should once again be reunited and help make opponents miserable throughout the season.

Defense

Drew Doughty - D

After injuries held Drew Doughty to 39 games two years ago, he was back to looking more like his old self last season with 52 points in 81 games. Doughty’s ability to control the Kings’ play in all facets of the game through his puck-carrying and passing showed why he was so desperately missed. He led Kings skaters in time on ice and average time on-ice per game. He averaged the most minutes played on the power play and on the penalty kill. Doughty was a force on the power play with four goals and 23 assists. He had more assists on the power play than he did at even strength (20) which highlighted his importance to the Kings power play which ranked fourth in the NHL (25.3 percent). By comparison, Los Angeles’ power play was 27th the year before with Doughty out of the lineup for most of the season. As Doughty goes, the Kings offense goes and while the defensive metrics aren’t top tier around the league, he’s not as bad as many want you to believe. Besides, if the points pile up his value will always be high. The Kings have young puck carriers and point producers on the way up with Brandt Clarke and Jordan Spence, but this is Doughty’s team and his show to run.

Mikey Anderson - D

The value Mikey Anderson brings to the Los Angeles Kings goes well beyond the measure of goals and assists. He had five goals and 15 assists, but Anderson does the dirty work as Drew Doughty’s partner laying the body and driving opponents mad with his physical play along the boards and in front of the net. Anderson was also a stalwart on the Kings’ penalty kill with Doughty as their top defensive pair. Because Anderson was leaned on as the heavy, his possession numbers weren’t as strong as Doughty’s despite being seemingly attached at the hip. Although maintaining possession and generating shots is a vital part of being a defenseman in the modern NHL, Anderson’s throwback style comes with a different brand of value. He led the Kings in hits delivered with 162 and was third on the team in blocked shots (129). If there was a guy who would’ve been classically described as someone who “gets their uniform dirty” or “carries a lunchpail to work” it would be Anderson. More importantly, his dedication to doing all of that allows Doughty more freedom to help create and generate offense and that, for L.A., carries a lot of value alone. Look for him to continue playing that role to the hilt.

Vladislav Gavrikov - D

When the Kings acquired Vladislav Gavrikov from Columbus at the trade deadline, they knew they were adding a high-value defender capable of doing a lot of dirty work but also being a positive contributor on the offensive end as well. He put up 19 points between the Blue Jackets and Kings last season, but in L.A. he had nine points in 20 games and followed that up with one assist in six games against the Oilers in the postseason. Gavrikov also proved to be a strong defender when it came to puck possession with 54.1 shot attempt percentage with the Kings and a 58.9 expected goals-for percentage. Keeping the puck away from the opponent while also helping teammates generate quality chances are key reasons why the Kings re-signed Gavrikov for two years at $11.75 million. As far as auditions go, Gavrikov’s went sparkling for the Kings. He paired up with fellow defensive-minded blue liner Matt Roy for the majority of his time in L.A. but also played some with Drew Doughty, but it was with Roy he had his greatest success. It would be expected that they would pair up once again this season, but with Brandt Clarke likely being involved full-time next season, the pairs could shuffle a bit.

Matt Roy - D

Playing defense as a defenseman in the NHL these days is a quick way to not land in the limelight but an even faster way to earn the respect of teammates. By that measure, few would be more respected in the Kings locker room than Matt Roy. He was tops among defensemen in puck possession and expected goals but had 26 points over 82 games last season. He’s not tasked with being a top puck-carrier nor is he needed to quarterback the power play, but he was one of their top defenders on the penalty kill (third most minutes) and top defenders overall (third most 5-on-5 minutes played). While his defense is first and foremost for what makes him vital to the Kings, he also had a career year in scoring and his nine goals were five more than his previous career-high set in 2019-2020 and one of those was a shorthanded tally. The offensive contributions make for a great bonus out of a player who they depend on to shutdown opposing scorers and should he team up with Vladislav Gavrikov again this season, they’ll make a very formidable pair for opponents to try and deal with nightly.

Goaltending

Cam Talbot - G

It’s hard to believe it, but for the first time in over 15 years, Kings fans will start their season without Jonathan Quick as a part of their goaltending tandem. The last time the Southern California team kicked off a season without him on the roster was 2006 – to put that into perspective, the league’s best goaltender that year was Miikka Kiprusoff, Martin Brodeur was only halfway through his career with the Devils, and Henrik Lundqvist was just an exciting new young prospect for the New York Rangers fresh off his first year of North American hockey ever.

It’s almost anti-climactic for the Kings to end the Quick era with such a fizzle; after all, Cam Talbot is hardly a fresh young prospect set to take the reins from the team’s long-standing monarch and carry them through their next era. But in the scramble of the goaltending carousel over the last few years, the Kings largely sat things out – and now they’ll enter the 2023-24 season hoping that Talbot can bounce back from a mediocre season with the Ottawa Senators as they push to become perennial playoff contenders once again. Talbot, at first glance, had a fairly dismal campaign last season for Ottawa statistically. He posted an .898 unadjusted save percentage through 36 games played and fell short of his expected save percentage using advanced metrics, and he battled through a whopping three injuries over the course of the year. But there is room for optimism; he looked good to start the season once he returned from a fractured rib sustained in a pre-season practice and putting aside the way his numbers fizzled out around his back-to-back injuries at the end of the year, he was a slightly above-average league starter on a team that isn’t quite ready to

make the jump to being a playoff contender. He also plays a style that lends itself well to a team that can offer good structure, if inconsistency and a bit of inexperience; he’s content to play a patient game and feed off of what the defense is doing in front of him, and he lacks some of the unpredictability that could make it hard for younger Kings players to establish a good rhythm during the season. He’s not the long-term answer for L.A., but he’s not the riskiest move they could have made as they try to figure out what their post-Quick future looks like.

Projected starts: 45-50

Pheonix Copley - G

Last season, we said that it was finally Cal Petersen’s net to lose – and he did just that, getting usurped midway through the season by free agent signee Pheonix Copley of North Pole, Alaska. Copley has made a career of seemingly waiting in the wings (or in his case, specifically in the AHL) until the up-and-comers in the NHL faltered. He snuck in and took the backup gig for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19, then bode his time in the AHL for a few years before getting a chance to do it again in Los Angeles last year. Now, he’ll serve as one-half of a somewhat bizarre tandem for the Kings as they scramble to figure out their solution in net long-term – likely backing up Cam Talbot for the time being, but certainly not a clear-cut number two option by any stretch.

Copley does his best when he’s able to get a rhythm going in net, thriving on the ability to keep his feet moving and plenty of back-and-forth action up and down the ice. Where he struggles, though, is in sustained pressure on his own end or in sporadic hiccups by his defence; he’s shown difficulty maintaining his edges and holding his positioning within the crease over the course of his career, and he lacks some of the patience that his new tandem partner Talbot has made a cornerstone of his own game. Copley, in a way, plays a similar style to former Kings prospect Cal Petersen; he’s willing to chase down the play and take up a little extra space, but despite decent tracking ability he can struggle with keeping himself in the play when things start to go a little awry. He’s likely not the answer the Kings are looking for – but for now, he’s a decent stopgap until they figure out their next move.

Projected starts: 30-35

NHL PLAYOFF PREVIEW: EDMONTON OILERS VS. LOS ANGELES KINGS – Oilers firing on all cylinders heading into playoffs, McDavid hitting unmatched level

Corey Sznajder — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:26:56 +0000

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 30: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) skates past Los Angeles Kings Center Phillip Danault (24) in the first period of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the Los Angeles Kings on March 30, 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire)

The Setting

Despite winning 20 out of their last 25 games, the Oilers just missed the top seed in the Western Conference and are locked into a first-round rematch against the Los Angeles Kings. They took the Oilers to the brink last year but were outmatched in Game 7 after an all-world performance by Connor McDavid. They have an even more daunting task this time around as the league’s MVP is playing at an unmatched level this year, finding his way onto the scoresheet almost every night and finally surrounded by a capable supporting cast.

That said, the playoffs can be a tricky game and this Kings team doesn’t give up goals easily. A healthy Drew Doughty, the addition of Vladislav Gavrikov and another year of experience for players like Mikey Anderson, Matt Roy and Sean Durzi means they should be more prepared to handle the Oilers offense. They also improved their own offense with some off-season moves and some of their own players taking the next step. Los Angeles has a solid game-plan to slow down McDavid, but the difference this year is that the Oilers have improved to the point where they might not need their MVP to carry the team on his back.

The Matchup

The interesting thing about this series is that even though the Pacific Division standings have been fluid, both teams approached the last month like they were planning to see each other in the first round. Short two of their top goal-scorers (Fiala and Vilardi), defense has been where Los Angeles’ bread has been buttered lately. They added Vladislav Gavrikov at the deadline as a mobile, shutdown defender who can play a lot of minutes and they replaced their struggling franchise goaltender Jonathan Quick with Joonas Korpisalo. The trade was somewhat controversial, but they’ve been getting fantastic results out of him and Pheonix Copley, boasting the 3rd lowest goals against per 60 in the league over the past 25 games. Combine this with their tight defense and it’s a superstar’s worst nightmare as there isn’t going to be a lot of room to carry the puck.

The Oilers also buffed up their defense adding veteran Mattias Ekholm, adding a guy who can make retrieving the puck in the defensive zone less of an adventure will make it tough for the Kings to sustain a forecheck and his excellent mobility and stickwork is going to make rushes tough to come by if they try to counter. The addition of Nick Bjugstad also shores up some of the depth issues with Edmonton that will make it easier to win the 3^rd and 4^th line which have added up against them in the past. They only need someone to tread water in those minutes to keep McDavid fresh and they’ve been doing more than their share. The Kings 4^th liners are good enough to be some team’s top checking line, so improving the depth was very important for Edmonton heading into this series.

They even played eachother twice down the stretch, Edmonton taking both games with McDavid’s only point coming by way of a power play assist. The Kings tried to dictate the terms in both games, playing a disciplined, tight checking style and often lining up in a 1-3-1 forecheck in the neutral zone to force Edmonton’s stars to dump the puck in. Edmonton’s improved their offense by way of the forecheck and cycles, but Los Angeles is just as good at killing those plays, which means a lot of low shot games. This was especially true for the rematch in Los Angeles where Edmonton attempted only four shots at five-on-five for the entire period.

it’s easy to see how the early probing of the game went. Los Angeles didn’t want to make mistakes, kept the puck in front of them and their primary focus was not letting McDavid (or anyone else) get behind them. You can argue that it worked too because the score at five-on-five was only 1-1 between the two game and McDavid couldn’t get behind the Kings defense or create at will. The problem was Edmonton was willing to play this game without much issue. They dumped the puck in when they needed to and were patient with waiting for their chances.

An easy way to break the 1-3-1 is to prevent it from getting setup, which involves some risk with Edmonton staying out longer for their shifts, but it’s one you take everyday on offense if you have the advantage Edmonton does here. Los Angeles has improved their mobility on the back-end but they still don’t have a lot of players who can chase down McDavid if he gets a break. Hence why structure is going to be important for them to stay in this series and why the Oilers being content to play the checking game is catastrophic to their chances. Particulary when you factor in the Oilers advantage on the power play and how much of the post-season is five-on-five when the series gets beyond Game 3.

You can play as tight and as disciplined as you want, but eventually one team has to blink, and it was the Kings both times in the regular season. They tried to frustrate the Oilers at the expense of their own offense and while it worked, they couldn’t score on the power play while Edmonton struck on theirs, which put a wrench in their gameplan.

X-Factor

The difference makers for the Kings depends on who they get back from the injured list. They’ve been able to get by without Kevin Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi for most of the stretch run but against Edmonton, they were limited to a pop-gun offense. Part of playing the 1-3-1 is forcing turnovers and quick-striking the other way. They had no problem getting into the zone, but the offense was mostly one-and-done and their top line was stuck defending for most of their shifts. Edmonton was so quick on the back-check that it was tough for the Kings to create any east-west movement entering the zone and most of their passes off set breakouts were off-target or dead-on arrival.

Getting a structure breaker like Fiala could go a long way to solving this problem for the Kings and it’s a huge missing piece in their lineup. He can play anywhere from Kopitar’s line to leading a sheltered scoring line and gives LA someone who doesn’t need a lot of space to do damage. When you’re dealing with a team playing as disciplined as Edmonton was in these games, having someone who can make one check miss and draw coverage is the critical in getting the first domino to fall and opening the game up. Vilardi can bring a similar impact, but as a shooter and a power play option. Adrian Kempe and his straight-line speed is someone who can also do this, but the Oilers had a clampdown on him in the season series. He is dangerous though, as we saw in last year’s playoffs.

The other obvious X-Factor is Edmonton’s rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner, who is likely getting the nod after a disappointing season from free agent signing Jack Campbell. He has been reliable for the Oilers this year and was excellent in the season series, so there’s no reason for Edmonton to not have confidence in him going forward.

Prediction

The stars are aligning for Edmonton to have a long playoff run and the Kings have too many players currently injured to put a dent in it. The uncertainty in goal isn’t a small issue, but the Oilers are proving that they can be malleable with playoff hockey, and they can match up with any defensive roadblocks put in front of them.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:46:04 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 28: Los Angeles Kings center Adrian Kempe (9) waits for a face-off during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 28, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar

Time may roll on, but Anze Kopitar continues to find ways to make it irrelevant. The 35-year-old from Slovenia led the Kings in scoring with 19 goals 48 assists (67 points) while averaging 20:46 of ice time per game. He’s been the Kings’ top point-getter for the past five seasons and as team captain, it’s one of many crowns for him to wear. He remains a fixture on both the power play and shorthanded. His 22 power play points were tops on the team and he had second-most ice time killing penalties trailing only defenseman Matt Roy. While it could be troubling that a 35-year-old has been so prominent in the team’s success, in the Kings’ case it’s not because Kopitar has been so good and so consistent for so long. Other players around Kopitar’s age have been showing signs of coming back to the pack while he’s continued to excel, and he helped the Kings return to the postseason after missing it the previous three seasons. Although the roster around him gets younger, Kopitar remains as good as he’s ever been, and he'll be invaluable to their future helping show young players like Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte what it takes to be an elite player in the NHL.

Adrian Kempe

Although the 26-year-old Swede has been a fixture in the Kings lineup for a few seasons, 2021-2022 was a coming out party. His 35 goals led the Kings in that category, and he was second in points behind Kopitar. He’s become a terrific two-way player and is vital to their success on the power play and penalty kill. Of those 35 goals, six came with the man advantage and three while shorthanded. Kempe also isn’t gun shy either. He led L.A. with 247 shots and that he missed four games makes it even more impressive. Considering he shot 14.2 percent with that kind of shot volume, the more shots the better. After Dustin Brown’s recent retirement, Kempe is the heir apparent to his role as a physical power forward who can pile up points. Kempe was one of five Kings players with over 100 hits (111) last season and his overall play earned him the most ice time he’s had in his career, averaging 18:35 per game. When it comes to the advanced numbers Kempe’s were middle of the pack on the Kings, but on most other NHL rosters he would’ve had some of the best with CF% and xG% well above 50 percent. If L.A. Is going to continue to be a playoff team, they’ll need Kempe to continue to take charge like he did last season.

Alex Iafallo

One key to becoming an everyday NHL player is to play consistent game in and game out and be reliable and that’s how you could best describe Alex Iafallo. He’ll play around 18 minutes per game and contribute an outstanding two-way game when at 5-on-5. Iafallo can be counted on for 30-40 points per season and 15-20 goals. Last season he tied a career high with 17 goals and his 37 points was his second-best mark to 43 he had in 2019-2020. As he heads into his sixth NHL season, the nearly 29-year-old from Western New York is excellent in all situations. He’s a fixture on the top power play unit and helps that group maintain possession and make sure the puck movement flows. He’s also a mainstay on the penalty kill and can help turn a man-down situation into one where the attacking team must be aware they could get scored on themselves. Whether he’s asked to play on the top line or to anchor the second or third line, coach Todd McLellan knows what he’ll get from Iafallo and knows that his versatility will allow him to work well with his linemates. Iafallo helps maintain and drive possession on any line and most players he plays with have better CorsiFor percentage numbers than they do without him. What doesn’t show up in the raw stats for Iafallo is there in spades with the advanced numbers.

Kevin Fiala

After returning to the playoffs after a three-year dry spell, the Kings were able to better boil down what they needed to address in the offseason and the biggest one was adding goals. To solve that, the Kings added Kevin Fiala in a trade with the Minnesota Wild and locked him up to a seven-year, $55.125 million deal. What the 26-year-old from Switzerland adds is a potent goal scorer who blew up with 33 goals and 85 points last season. Fiala has been a 20-plus goal scorer the past three seasons, but the step he took last season made it impossible for the Wild to be able to afford him as a restricted free agent. A dynamic winger, Fiala will fit in well to the Kings puck possession game (52.3 CF% last season) and his ability to help improve scoring chances (56.2 xG%) will perk up L.A.’s offense regardless. Picture putting Fiala on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe and that’s a unit that will drive opposing teams mad because they can hang onto the puck and score by either crashing the net or using their skill to outmaneuver defenders. Fiala will have to maintain his scoring rate (0.8 points per game or better the past three seasons) but with the players they have and the younger players soon to make a jump of their own, Fiala is a perfect fit to help bring those generations together and keep the offense flowing.

Victor Arvidsson

When the Kings added Arvidsson from Nashville before last season, it was expected he would bring a spark to an L.A. offense that desperately needed it. Mission accomplished. In 66 games, Arvidsson had 20 goals and 29 assists making him one of three Kings to crack the 20-goal barrier. He wasn’t regularly on the top power play unit, but his eight power play points was fifth-best on the team. Like most of the Kings’ players, Arvidsson was strong on possession (56.4 CF% at 5-on-5) and contributed to creating better scoring chances while he was on the ice (56.7 xG% at 5-on-5). What makes Arvidsson different is that he doesn’t fit the prototypical build associated with the Kings. L.A. is always known for being a big team that uses physical play to soften up opponents and create space on the ice. Instead, Arvidsson–who stands at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds–takes advantage of the more physical play of his teammates and his maneuverability allows him to find space to create scoring chances. This season, Arvidsson will have a chance to reunite with former Nashville teammate Kevin Fiala to create goals. Deepening the team can allow for better matchups and for Arvidsson and his linemates that only serves to make the Kings that much more dangerous with the puck.

Phillip Danault

After so many years of flying under the radar as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, Philip Danault now gets proper recognition for it. What’s funny now is that perhaps his offensive abilities may have been underutilized as well. In his first season with the Kings, Danault was second on the team with 27 goals and third in points with 51. His 27 goals were a seasons-best by a long shot (his previous best was 13, done two times) and he proved himself to be a more than worthy No. 2 center behind Anze Kopitar. Added to the Kings because of his defensive prowess, that he became a serious offensive threat made life a lot easier for rookie Quinton Byfield. Danault popping goals meant Byfield wasn’t leaned on heavily to produce in his first season. Danault was a top-10 in voting for the Selke Trophy for league’s best defensive forward for the fourth straight year and he was outstanding of faceoffs once again winning nearly 54 percent of his draws. Although Kopitar is also an excellent defender up the middle, Danault’s presence cut down some of the pressure of handling penalty kills for Kopitar. Danault was third on the Kings in shorthanded ice time but had the best rate of power play goals against per 60 minutes played at 7.58 among those who played most time on the kill.

QuintOn Byfield

Being a rookie in the NHL is tough. Being the new guy, particularly when you were the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. It’s even more difficult with a broken ankle. Byfield broke his ankle in a preseason game before the start of last season and wound up missing the first three months. Trying to work off that and get caught up to a new way of hockey life was hard. He finished with five goals and five assists in 40 games and played depth minutes averaging 12:09 ice time per game. Learning the NHL on the fly as a rookie is hard enough without missing time to injury, but there’s little doubt Byfield will be relied upon more heavily and soon. With a healthy offseason and ideally a healthy training camp and preseason, Byfield is a leading candidate to have a breakout season. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and 20 years old he’s more than a handful on the ice. Center had been a weak spot for the Kings the previous few seasons, but now with Danault proving he can score as well as defend, Byfield’s time to shine is coming. The Kings’ added depth at forward and emergence of other young players, like Arthur Kaliyev, gives Byfield all the weapons he’ll need to have a strong season.

Trevor Moore

No one player came out of nowhere last season the way Trevor Moore did. Known mostly for being a solid third- or fourth-line player, Moore blew up with 48 points including 17 goals. He also tied for the league lead for most shorthanded goals with five. The 27-year-old’s play vaulted him up the line sheet to the second line next to Danault and Arvidsson and gave the Kings a second line that could both frustrate opponents defensively and generate plenty of offense. Moore’s ice time went up by more than a minute per game to 15:41, up from 14:32. Perhaps the most stunning of Moore’s statistics last season was how he became a shooter going from roughly 1.5 shots per game to 2.5. Moore’s emergence was something that got its roots in the truncated 2020-2021 season where he had 23 points in 56 games. That said, predicting Moore would’ve pushed for 20 goals and been fifth on the team in points would’ve been viewed as an optimistic hope more than a realistic happening. What’s more impressive is it may be repeatable. Moore shot 8.4 percent last season which is down from his career high mark of 11.4 last season and 10.0 the year before that.

Arthur Kaliyev

Kaliyev was able not just make the Kings roster as a rookie but became an invaluable part of the lineup because of his pure offensive abilities. In 80 games, Kaliyev had 14 goals and 13 assists and played 12:39 per game. It’s tough to make your mark with comparatively limited ice time, but Kaliyev made his mark as a weapon on the power play with six of his 14 goals coming with the man advantage, which tied him with Kempe and Kopitar for the team lead. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Kaliyev is decently sized, but it’s his shot that helps him stand out. Kaliyev can wire his shots and place them perfectly, a big reason why his output on the power play is so strong. If given any kind of space, he can make defenses pay for the lapse. When he was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2019, his two-way play was a point of concern and although he’s not exactly a candidate for penalty kill, he’s gotten a little better. That said, if he’s able to improve that part of his game more he’ll be a better fit for the top-two lines. For now, he’s an outstanding offensive threat deeper into the lineup and a unique weapon with the man advantage.

DEFENSE

Drew Doughty

It was a tough 2021-2022 season for the 2016 Norris Trophy winner. He missed weeks at the beginning of the season with a knee injury and a wrist injury in March knocked him out for the remainder of the season and playoffs. In 39 games, Doughty showed all his trademark abilities with 31 points including seven goals. He was a difference maker on the power play with four goals and 13 points total with the extra man. In all, he averaged 25:44 of ice time per game and was without a doubt their top defenseman. Although the Kings had a lot of success last season, it can’t be helped but to wonder how different it would’ve been with him in the lineup. Certainly, the seven-game exit to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs may have gone a bit different. What will be worth paying attention to this season is how Doughty bounces back at age 33 from his injury-marred season. He’s still an elite puck possession player as he led the team at 5-on-5 with 58.8 CF% and his 55.7 xG% was second to Alexander Edler among defensemen. Provided age and ill-effects from time missed with injury don’t have an impact, the Kings will be more than pleased to have Doughty running the show on the back end again.

Matt Roy

If there’s an unsung hero on the Kings roster, Matt Roy might be the most logical selection. After being pressed into duty in 2019-2020, Roy has turned into one of the steadiest defenders on the team and a key player when it comes to defending leads and shadowing the opponents’ top forwards. Roy had two goals and 17 assists last season, but he was tops in minutes played on the penalty kill with 138:24 and his 8.24 power play goals against per 60 was one of the best marks among regular penalty killers. Incredibly, Roy got 95.3 percent of his zone starts in his team’s end of the ice. Every defense needs a guy like that who puts their every effort into making life miserable for opponents and easier on their goaltenders and Roy is L.A.’s guy. If there was an award for best defensive defenseman, Roy would likely be in that conversation because of how he’s used and how his puck possession numbers are still outstanding (55.7 CF%). It’s not a glamorous role, but he’s vital to helping the Kings win and shut down opposing teams.

Sean Durzi

As a bolt from the blue, Sean Durzi arrived on the Kings blue line and became a high-impact offensive player for Los Angeles. At 23, Durzi finally broke into the NHL last season and played 64 games for the Kings racking up three goals and 24 assists. Durzi was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 and, after parts of three seasons in the AHL, established himself as a very capable player at 5-on-5 but also a strong quarterback on the power play. Durzi had two goals and 13 assists–more than half his points–with the man advantage. Equal parts having solid puck possession and a good shot made him an ideal player for the power play unit, particularly in Doughty’s absence. Durzi’s mobility with the puck also allowed him to fit in seamlessly to the Kings blue line. Durzi can help move the puck out of the zone against the league’s third and fourth lines and give the Kings attack a jump up the ice. After all, the Kings will have better depth up front which means skilled players get worked in deeper to the line mix. Of Kings defensemen with more than 500 minutes at 5-on-5, Durzi was sixth of seven with a 51.6 CF% and only his most common defense partner Tobias Bjornfot was lower. A healthy blue line and better matchups should make for improvements all around for Durzi.

Alexander Edler

When the Kings signed the longtime Vancouver Canucks defenseman last season it was seen as a dart in the dark that the 36-year-old Swede could give them a little something. Turns out he did that and more but was bitten by the injury bug. Edler was tops on the Kings with a 58.3 xG% and was fourth with a 56.9 CF% with three goals and 16 assists in 41 games. He missed more than three months of action from December to March with a broken ankle but returned in time for the end of the season and playoffs. Edler’s success was something else to see as he hadn’t put up advanced numbers like he had since the heyday of the Canucks from 2010 through 2015. His CF% was the best of his career and his xG% was his best by more than five percent. It’s usually said you know what you’re going to get when you add older players to the roster but expecting what Edler had been with Vancouver in his final few seasons there and instead getting a version of him more like what he was 10 years ago is the happiest kind of surprise. If Edler’s health can hold up and he returns to this brand of play, the Kings’ depth on the blue line will look even better than it does on paper.

GOALTENDING

Jonathan Quick

At long last, the Los Angeles Kings are in the final year of their seemingly endless deal signed for starter Jonathan Quick. It appeared as if the team was going to have to cut ties early – and at times it appeared as if the team had hamstrung itself by failing to do so – but as year ten gets underway, it certainly seems as if one of the league’s 2010’s crease giants may actually get to finish out his massive deal with the club that drafted him to begin with.

It certainly seems ill-advised to make any kind of prediction regarding Quick with more than a mild degree of confidence, given how the last handful of seasons have played out. Even when the now-36-year-old veteran struggled, the team doggedly left him as their number one – and just when it seemed as if he had truly hit a permanent technical decline, he made a miraculous bounce-back last year to edge up-and-comer Cal Petersen out as the team’s number one once again. Just when you think you know what Quick is going to be, he manages to mix things up once again. He’s no longer the league’s fastest-moving skater in net, nor is he still a sure bet for a handful of impossible-looking stops every night. That impressive ability to almost separate his upper body movements from his lower-body control, giving him a dangerously wide stance that could stop on a dime while making a flashy windmill glove save, has dulled as he’s logged 700 career games and continued to climb. He still has the ability to read an offensive approach at an elite level, but the execution is just a bit too muted to still consider him in the league’s top-tier at what he does. That being said, he seemed to catch a second wind last year. It might have been due to the über-competitive nature he’s so well known for, but whatever caused it kept the Kings from taking yet another backslide as their younger netminder hit a few road bumps in the season. That bodes well for both the Kings and Petersen this year if Quick is once again able to dig deep and pull out a few more of those league-topping games – but given the performances he gave in the three seasons leading up to last year, it’s hard to truly bet on him.

Projected starts: 30-35

Cal Petersen

It’s finally Cal Petersen’s net to lose. The only problem, of course, is that he did just that last season; just when it appeared the Kings were poised to tab him as their true number one, he started to struggle and opened the door for yet another year of the Jonathan Quick show. The good news is that every young goaltender goes through growing pains, so it’s hard to look at one rough year and discount the seasons that Petersen was LA’s most reliable option. The bad news, though, is that Jonathan Quick’s ten-year deal is set to finally expire this summer – and he both has a lot of mileage on his skates and a family that could influence whether or not he wants to continue on with the team as a veteran safety net in 2023.

Look for Petersen to shake off some stretches of bad reads this year if he hopes to put up the kind of numbers fans expected after his league debut. When he plays well, he’s got all the lower-body agility that Jonathan Quick possesses, but a little bit of a more aggressive initial positioning to his game and a bit of a stronger grasp on how to work his angles. He just needs to make sure he isn’t putting himself in a position where he has to rely on his dazzling saves every night; while it’s valuable that he’s capable of show-stopping pad reaches and glove saves, it shouldn’t be his go-to move.

Projected starts: 50-55

2022 NHL PLAYOFFS: EDMONTON VS. LOS ANGELES – Standoff down the middle between McDavid and Danault, Draisaitl and Kopitar

Corey Sznajder — Sun, 01 May 2022 18:30:43 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 07: Edmonton Oilers Goalie Mike Smith (41) makes a save as Edmonton Oilers Defenceman Darnell Nurse (25) and Los Angeles Kings Center Phillip Danault (24) look on during a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Edmonton Oilers on April 7, 2022, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles

The Edmonton Oilers enter the playoffs for the third year in a row looking for their first series win since 2017. Those five years have been filled with awful regular seasons and playoff disappointments, but they come into this year with more positive perspective. They’re on a nice 20-6-3 run since March and their five-on-five play has improved dramatically since Jay Woodcroft took over as head coach, supplementing an elite power play. On top of that, they are finally getting some solid contributions on the wings, meaning McDavid and Draisaitl can play on separate lines and McDavid playing some spectacular all-around hockey right now.

All of this speaks to them finally getting over the hump, right? Well, not necessarily. There were similar vibes going into last year’s playoffs where McDavid was running away with the Hart Trophy race only for his team to drop three straight overtime game to the Winnipeg Jets en route to a four-game sweep. Their opponent this year, the Los Angeles Kings, poses a similar challenge.

The Oilers are a better team than the Kings. They won their last three meetings, including a 4-3 win in LA just under a month ago. The Kings are also walking wounded into the playoffs, missing their star defensemen in Drew Doughty and needing to rely on youngsters like Sean Durzi or throw a truckload of minutes at 36-year-old Alex Edler, who has also battled injuries this year. There is a lot of patchwork on this Kings blue-line, and it should be a series the Oilers can win.

That’s just not how the game works, though. Hockey is often decided by the thinnest margin of errors and just one mistake or a bad matchup can throw an entire series out of whack. The Oilers know all about that from their series against the Jets and other teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs have been on the wrong end of this as well. One challenge the Kings pose to Edmonton is one that the Leafs and a few other teams had to deal with in last year’s playoffs, Phillip Danault.

The Danault/McDavid Matchup

Danault didn’t make much of an impact on the scoresheet last Spring, scoring only one goal in 23 playoff games and tallying only four total points. Keeping the other team off the scoreboard, however, is where he shined as he was on the ice for only six total five-on-five goals throughout the playoffs. Frustrating the likes of Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele and Mark Stone in the process. Los Angeles was impressed enough by this to sign Danault to a six-year contract and he has delivered on both ends. Scoring a career high 27 goals, his line with Viktor Arvidsson and Trevor Moore has been one of the best in the NHL from a shot volume standpoint. The trio have been excellent at tilting the ice for the Kings and provided some scoring punch to back it up.

It might not be the most dangerous collection of players, but they complement each other well. Danault has evolved into more of a Swiss-Army Knife type of center rather than a typical shutdown guy. Providing a strong presence in the defensive zone to create turnovers while the speed Arvidsson and Moore bring helps create rushes. Danault is also the master of always being in the right place and we’re seeing that more offensively. Watch some of his goals and you’ll notice most of them come from 5-10 feet around the net. Which complements the waterbug style of play of Arvidsson and Moore, who are going to throw anything and everything at the net if they get the chance. They exemplify why it’s never a bad idea to go to the net and Danault has the poise to convert on those rebound opportunities.

The elephant in the room with this matchup is that McDavid dominated it during the season series. Danault spent over 26 minutes of 5v5 time matched up against McDavid and the Kings were outscored 3-1 and struggled to contain McDavid from creating scoring chances, posting an Expected Goal Percentage of 27.5%. If McDavid “only” scores three goals against LA in a seven-game series and they win their other matchups, they might accept this, but you do not want one of your top two lines having to fight an uphill battle for most of their shifts, so they are hoping that line can play on offense a little more in this series.

An interesting note of the regular season matchup is that Woodcroft didn’t exactly shy away from playing his star against Danault when they played in Edmonton, a matchup that Kings coach Todd McLellan was more than happy to roll with. The two lines played at a stalemate, and you got a sense of how this matchup is going to tilt the series.

There are a few things to highlight. The first is how Danault’s line plays against McDavid in the defensive zone. They know the Oilers are a team that likes to take shots from the point and the wingers are very aggressive with shadowing the defenders to not give them any space. It’s a tough game because one misstep can lead to Evander Kane or McDavid wide open somewhere else in the zone, but what makes Danault such a good player on this line is that he is very good at reading where the play is going and covering up loose pucks. You can see that in this sequence after the Oilers won a faceoff.

Danault is already there to block the net shot and if he’s not there he’s in front of the net to clear the puck or start a breakout the other way. With the Kings defense being so beat up, you’ll often see them go back to protect the house while the forwards come down to retrieve most of the loose pucks. It’s a way to get some easier exits for a defense that’s inexperienced and has some slower players logging big minutes. The downside is that your coverage loosens up and are prone to breakdowns if the puck doesn’t get out, which is what happened on those last two Draisaitl chances.

The other end is how well McDavid’s line defended Danault. For all of their strengths, the way they create offense is a little predictable. They will go behind the goal line for most of their cycles, trying to draw the defense away from the front of the net in hopes of setting up a close-range chance. If it’s not open, Arvidsson or Moore will usually get a shot from the perimeter and try to loosen up the coverage that way. It’s not a bad strategy, as setting up shop from Gretzky’s Office will get you some decent scoring chances. It just didn’t yield many results for the Kings because the Oilers knew it was coming. Their defense didn’t chase or cheat when the Kings tried to setup from there and didn’t bother defending the points. You can see the Oilers had as many as three players patrolling the front of the net in some of these clips. Danault’s offense has come a long way, but this is where the lack of a game-breaker like Johnny Gaudreau could hurt the Kings.

The ”other” matchup

The matchup between Leon Draisaitl and Anze Kopitar isn’t short of narratives. Draisaitl just had his third 100+ point season in the past four years and is of a similar build to Kopitar in his prime. The difference being that Kopitar was one of the best two-way players in the league and Draisaitl is a one-way player in the most extreme sense of the word. Imagine having Kopitar’s size, vision and playmaking ability but you replaced all of his defensive awareness with an obscene one-timer and an even better wrist shot. That is Leon Draisaitl in a nutshell, and this is going to be a great matchup if they go head-to-head. Kopitar isn’t the offensive force he was during LA’s Cup runs, but he is still one of the best at slowing the game down, keeping the puck down low and creating space for his linemates. Adrian Kempe has benefited from this with a 30+ goal season and emerging as one of the Kings best players in transition.

Draisaitl’s line has made a living by outscoring their defensive shortcomings the past four years. It’s a tough thing to bank on, but Draisaitl rare combination of elite passing and shooting can be enough to at least win a matchup against a team that struggles to score like the Kings. You saw in the earlier clip how they got a couple of chances and a goal against Danault’s line during the season series from just retrieving and cycling the puck to death. Having two puck hounds like Zach Hyman and Kailer Yamamoto helps this cause. They’re at a slight speed disadvantage against defenders like Durzi or Jordan Spence, but it doesn’t matter as much when you have possession of the puck and the ability to get the puck through traffic like Draisaitl can. When the play is going to the other way in transition is where the issues arise but again, they’re banking on this line to outscore their problems, which they can do if the Kings can’t find someone else to create off the rush to help Kempe.

X-Factors: Breakouts and Mistakes

The word “patchwork” was used to describe the Kings defense and while that is true, the Oilers have their own roster shuffle going on there too. They’re similar to the Kings with how much their forwards help on breakouts and it’s going to be critical that they play a clean game exiting the zone. Sloppy puck retrievals are breakouts are usually how playoff series are decided because that’s where the foundation to both your offense and defensive play starts. A clean retrieval and exit leads to good offense while a turnover leads to offense for the other team and a chain reaction of you playing in your own zone until you can clear the puck.

This has been a sore spot for both the Oilers and Kings defense.

Both teams have similar but different issues. Edmonton’s defense doesn’t turn the puck over when retrieving the puck that often, but they have a devil of a time starting any breakouts when they have to start play from their own zone. This puts a lot of pressure on McDavid and their other forwards to help out and makes them expend a lot of energy with just getting up the ice. The Kings, on the other hand, are better at starting breakouts, but they also turn the puck over a lot, some of the main culprits being their stronger puck movers in Durzi, Troy Stecher and Jordan Spence. This is where not having Drew Doughty hurts, although they will be getting two of their more reliable defensemen back in Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy. How they dole out of the minutes without a true #1 to settle everything down remains to be seen.

That said, this issue goes both ways, as the Oilers defense has had a lot of issues handling forecheck pressure. Which is where they’re hoping the deadline acquisition of Brett Kulak pays off.

X-Factors Evan Bouchard and Quinton Byfield

Taking nothing away from Darnell Nurse, it would not be a surprise if Evan Bouchard ends up being the best defenseman in this series. The “second” year blue liner has been trusted with a full-time role alongside Duncan Keith and gives the Oilers an excellent complement to the McDavid line. He is one of Edmonton’s only defensemen who can beat a forecheck without making a mess of the puck and he returns the favor at the other end with how he intercepts other team’s breakouts. The Kings had a very tough time dealing with him in their last matchup and he can be a huge difference maker for the Oilers.

If there’s anything that can give LA a major leg up in this series, it’s a coming out party for their future star, Quinton Byfield. The youngster’s had a rough go of it to start his NHL career, starting the season on injured reserve and spending most of his shifts getting the puck out of the defensive zone and not showing the high-end skill that got him drafted. You see it in spurts, though and LA’s bottom-six isn’t the easiest place to put up points. That said, this series is a good chance for him to have a breakout. The skill is there, and Edmonton’s depth can be exposed. The Kings also have some good players to pair him with if everyone is healthy and the Danault line isn’t tinkered with. Byfield hasn’t gotten much time with Arthur Kaliyev or Alex Iafallo, who could make a great third line if LA wants to play the matchup game.

Prediction:

The Kings are a team on the rise and there’s a lot of hesitancy to pick Edmonton after so many years of disappointment. That said, this should be a series the Oilers win. There’s enough for things to go wrong, but they’ve been the better five-on-five team, have three of the top five players in the series and are currently healthier. The goaltending and foot speed issues on the blue line are going to be a problem deeper in the playoffs, but they should be able to conquer their first-round demons.

Edmonton in 6

Los Angeles Kings 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:42:29 +0000

Before Rob Blake took over as the General Manager of the Kings, the Deam Lombradi/Darryl Lombardi era Kings were known primarily for two things: defensive hockey played by big men, and winning Stanley Cups despite lacking in abundant skill. But by the time that Blake was put in charge, after he had been in place as an assistant GM for four seasons, the writing for that style of hockey was on the wall. Big and lumbering were out and speed and skill were in.

The Kings had a few players able to cross over from style to style, such as Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, and of course the stylistic changes would not have had a huge impact on netminder Jonathan Quick, but most of the roster would need a refresh. That was partly due to the carry-over players lacking the elements that were beginning to define the game more and more, but it was also partially due to the inevitable toll that age and long Springs have. The game had moved on and the Kings would have to catch up.

Looking at the 20 players listed below, as well as a number of those who were strongly considered but ultimately did not make the final cut, we can see how complete the turnover has been at the organizational level. Start with the fact that a full 14 of the 20 named below were drafted or signed after Blake was named the GM. Of the remaining six, only one, Russian forward Nikolai Prokhorkin, predates Blake’s executive career in Los Angeles.

Part of the turnover was due not only to a simple changing of the guard, but that the Kings, in a down portion of the success cycle, stopped trading away picks (they had six and four respectively in the two drafts prior to Blake’s being named GM) and last year went in with extras, making nine picks in seven rounds, including two first rounders.

Another aspect to the turnaround has been that the Kings are emphasizing speed and skill in their draft picks. That is not to say that the team has avoided bigger players (not even considering goalies). For every 6-5” Andre Lee (2019, 7^th round), there is a 5-7” Aidan Dudas (4^th round, 2018). For every 6-2” Arthur Kaliyev (2^nd round, 2019), or Gabriel VIlardi (1^st round, 2017) there are an abundance of 5-11” dynamos, such as Jaret-Anderson Dolan (2^nd round, 2017), Akil Thomas (2^nd round, 2018) or this year’s draft prize, Alex Turcotte (1^st round, 2019). Whereas they would formerly augment their system with big players like 6-5” Kurtis MacDermid or 6-3” Matt Luff, they know bring in 5-10” Sheldon Rempal and 5-7” Blake Lizotte.

The tear down is now more or less complete in LA, but the buildup is only getting started. Blake and company have been taking a slow route so far, not rushing prospects. In fact, of the first two Blake draft classes, only one player, Anderson-Dolan, has even played a single game in the NHL, and even he only appeared in five contests. (Gabriel Vilardi made have doubled that count, were it not for a devastating back injury that curtailed his 2018-19 season). The Kings now have a pipeline full of players in Blake’s preferred mold. The next step is to put them on the ice at the NHL level and see who sticks and how it comes together.

-Ryan Wagman

Los Angeles Kings Left Wing Carl Grundstrom (38) (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

1 Alex Turcotte, C (5^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Despite missing a big chunk of the first half with a lower body injury, there was no doubt that Turcotte would be a top pick in this past June’s draft. The type of center whose success is partially attributed to near elite hockey IQ, he senses lanes of opportunity better, and more quickly than just about anyone in his age group. His puck skills are also at a very high level. He has a very sharp wrist shot with a lightning quick release and his hands are among the softest outside of the NHL, able to create havoc from in tight. Turcotte is a fantastically dynamic player when he rushes the net and, in fact, carries that dynamism with him for all assignments. He is a puck hound, constantly forcing turnovers and driving possession and scoring chance creation. He needs to beef up to help him increase his durability, but has first line center upside and should be ready as soon as 2020-21. - RW

2 Tobias Bjornfot, D (22^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Bjornfot has been looking great in the pre-season, both at the WJSS and in SHL pre-season games. He is expected to earn a full-time spot with one of the top SHL teams this year. He is an active, smart defenseman who can play both progressive as well as conservative when needed. His puck skills are strong and he rarely makes a bad play. His passing skills are also strong. He is physically strong for his age and moves well. He can push plays with his skating and be a dangerous fourth attacker. He can also shut down plays with strength and skating abilities. There aren’t any real flaws in his game. Bjornfot has a high probability top four potential and maybe even top pairing if his development curve will continue to be strong. The concern that could keep him from the top pair is that his offensive numbers probably won’t be that high. - JH

3 Rasmus Kupari, C (20^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) Kupari had a terrific season with Karpat in the Liiga and looks more than ready to leave Finland for North America. His greatest asset is, without doubt, his skating. Highly agile on his skates, he can make tight turns and cuts and he possesses strong edge control. He stops and starts well and has excellent top-end speed. He can maneuver with the puck in tight spaces and has a lot of puck skill as well. He improved his decision making last season, showing that his hockey sense is no longer as much of an issue as it used to be. He can be creative offensively and find his linemates with pinpoint passing. Kupari is defensively reliable and he uses his speed to close on opponents quickly. H has the potential to play on the Kings’ top two lines within a few years. - MB

4 Gabriel Vilardi, C (11^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Vilardi played only four games for Ontario last year because of a lingering back injury that appears to be threatening his promising career. Still not cleared to return to the ice, he is currently in limbo. If you ignore the injury concerns, he is still a very promising prospect. He possesses a great size and skill package down the middle and is a terrific playmaker who thinks the game at a high level and really can dominate possession down low. He is just so strong and difficult to separate from the puck. On the other hand, his skating, especially his first few strides, really needed to improve and one would have to assume that this back injury has only decreased his skating ability further. Unfortunately, at this point, Vilardi’s career seems to be in serious jeopardy, giving Kings’ fans Scott Barney flashbacks. - BO

5 Arthur Kaliyev, LW (33^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the most polarizing prospects from the 2019 NHL Draft class, Kaliyev ended up sliding to the second round where the Kings selected him. Yes, there are some concerns over both his pace of play and his eagerness to involve himself physically and without the puck. That said, he is nearly the complete package on the offensive side of the puck. He possesses both a booming slapshot and a quick release wrist shot, which he can use while cutting in or driving wide. He operates best as a triggerman in the slot, but he can create his own chances. He is also an underrated playmaker whose poise and patience with the puck has improved greatly through his time in the OHL. There are warts, but there is also massive potential for Kaliyev to develop into a consistent 30 goal scorer in a top six role for the LA Kings. - BO

6 Akil Thomas, C (51^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 4) Recently named captain of the Niagara IceDogs for the upcoming 2019-20 season, Thomas is an elite playmaker. He uses both great hands and quick feet to exploit gaps in defenses, drawing defenders in before making a great pass to an open teammate for an easy goal. His vision is excellent. He is also a capable defensive player who shows hustle in all three zones. Where Thomas still struggles is in trying to play through traffic and driving the middle of the ice. He needs to get stronger on the puck and become more assertive to take his game to that next level. he profiles as a top six forward, likely as a winger and not a center where he currently plays, and he should be able to make an impact within a couple of years. - BO

7 Samuel Fagemo, LW (50^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Fagemo turned many heads last season when he went from being snubbed at the 2018 NHL draft to one of the best junior forwards in the SHL. He is an attacking forward with a knack for goal scoring. He is good at finding open space for himself, and has a strong wrist shot which is dangerous from various distances. The knock on him earlier was a lack of speed in combination of him creating his chances at junior level with speed as a weapon. His feet have gotten quicker and he will probably get an even bigger role this season in the SHL and the Swedish WJC team. His hockey sense and defensive game will be red flags, though. Fagemo tends to try do too much by himself, rather than to play the team game. That element has improved and he processes the offensive game quickly and is often available for a pass. - JH

8 Carl Grundstrom, RW (57^th overall, 2016 [Toronto]. Last Year: 4 [Toronto]) Grundstrom is a hard-working, physical player. He gets in deep and gets the job done which often results in good production offensively as he never takes a shift off. The downside to a straight-lines player like this is the fact that his skillset is not the best, which can impact him in different situations. For instance, with the Toronto Marlies last season, he was an impact penalty killer always getting the puck deep and forechecking hard, but on power play his lack of technical finesse stood out and would lead to turnovers once the play slowed down and more pressure was applied. He will need to learn to play better under pressure and be more patient, not everything being done at top speed. Grundstrom will start the season with the LA Kings as a bottom six forward and will most likely stay a bottom six forward considering his classic dump and chase forechecking style and his hard work. - SC

9 Kale Clague, D (51^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) An intelligent, mobile defenseman, Clague had an up-and-down first full year in the Kings’ pro system. He finished in the top-10 in rookie defensive scoring in the AHL, using his immense skill, deceptive skating, and high-end vision to make an impact in transition and in the offensive zone. What plagued him most as a prospect tearing up the WHL over the last few years was his inconsistent defensive zone play, which is just what made his debut season with AHL Ontario a challenging one. Pushed into a top-pair role, the left-hander struggled to acclimate himself with the speed of the pro game, and had a number of difficult nights on defense. He had improved on his defensive game a little before a broken foot ended his season in March, but not to the point of being an NHLer. Expect him to return to an AHL top-pair role this year, though his overall ceiling speaks top-four potential. - TD

10 Jaret Anderson-Dolan, C (165^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 5) Anderson-Dolan had a tough season last year battling injuries, but managed to finish the season strong. After impressing at camp, he started the season playing five games for the Kings in which he managed a single assist. He was returned to Spokane where he was expected to dominate and put up some huge numbers. In only his second game back though, he suffered a broken wrist, putting him out for close to two months, affecting his play and status for Canada at the World Juniors. He managed to play through the tournament, but didn't have the impact that he would have otherwise. He finished the season by putting up 20 goals and 43 points in 32 games for the Chiefs, and 15 in 13 games in the playoffs, demonstrating that his multi-tool impact was still there. Anderson-Dolan will make another push for the Kings this year, and has a legit shot, although playing in the AHL is probably more realistic. - KO

11 Cal Petersen, G (129^th overall, 2013 [Buffalo]. Last Year: 6) It is hard to blame him entirely for a poor season, but Petersen’s stats tailed off big time from 2017-18 to last season, posting a 13-22-1 record with a GAA over four in the AHL. Ontario was horrid, winning fewer games (25) than any other team in the league, and all things considered, the 24-year-old netminder actually held up well. His athleticism, raw movement, and wild style was on display, and his mental side was tested but he did not crack often. His use of his hulking size and ability to read plays looked improved, even on a bad team. Petersen has fared well since signing with Los Angeles, but has been surpassed on the depth chart by the resurgent Jack Campbell. He will need to make a major splash soon to be considered for a long-term NHL tenure with LA, but he has the tools to be a lower-tier starter or high-end reserve goalie. - TD

12 Nikolai Prokhorkin, LW (121^st overall, 2012. Last Year: 17) After a career year in SKA, Prokhorkin decided to move to North America as he signed a one-year deal in California. A member of the Gold Medal winning team in 2018, he was trusted with top-line minutes in St. Petersburg and he delivered with 41 points in 41 regular-season games, posting career highs for both goals and assists. He is now much more mature compared with his first attempt in North America back in 2012 and shouldn’t have many problems in fitting into the Kings’ lineup considering his skills and skating abilities. He has a very good shot with a fast release, sees the ice well and doesn’t shy away from contact even if he is not a physical player. Considering the Kings’ last season, bringing Prokhorkin into the fold may have been a very good move for the franchise to rebound back after a bad 2018-19. - ASR

13 Mikey Eyssimont, C (142^ndoverall, 2016. Last Year: 7) Though his first full pro year did not go as anyone planned, Eyssimont showed just why he could pan out to be a potential fifth-round steal of a draft pick in the near future. The 20 points (10G, 10A) he scored in 63 games looks unimpressive, but he showed out well in a depth role with AHL Ontario, controlling possession with his blazing speed, sick hands, and developing wrist shot. His acceleration and balance are high-end, but his stick-handling is his biggest strength, as the 22-year-old exhibits incredible rhythm and deceptive stick language with the puck on his blade. His defensive game is not as mature as one would like it to be, especially for someone with three years of NCAA experience, but it is slowly coming along. He has solid energy line/depth scorer potential and could reach that ceiling soon. - TD

14 Mikey Anderson, D (103^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 11) After a phenomenally decorated amateur career, including two NCAA championships with Minnesota-Duluth and accompanied by two runs with the American WJC squad, Anderson is joining older brother Joey as a professional. He is a consummate two way blueliner, equally comfortable pinching deep in the offensive zone as he is boxing out opposing forwards in front of his own goalie. He is not a blazer, but has good feet and will win his share of races for iced pucks. He lacks first power play unit upside offensively, but he protects the puck well at the offensive blueline and is skilled at passing the puck in deep to a teammate in a better position to create a scoring chance. His own zone smarts give him a chance to be a viable penalty kill option. He could use one to two seasons in the AHL to round off his game, but his upside is as a solid #4/5 defender at the highest level. - RW

15 Sean Durzi, D (52^nd overall, 2018 [Toronto]. Last Year: 9 [Toronto]) At the heart of Durzi’s game is his elite mobility. One of the key returns from the Jake Muzzin trade, he is a major asset offensively because of how well he can start the breakout. He is tough to pin down in his own end and can really create time and space with his feet. He is also a terrific powerplay QB who has great vision at the point and who is very adept at using that mobility to attack and open up lanes. Defensively, Durzi’s game will need to improve. He battled a shoulder injury this past year, but will need to get stronger to handle pro sized forwards down low and near the crease. He will have to learn to be more assertive if he wants to receive consistent 5 on 5 ice time. While he may be a few years away, Durzi could develop into a Torey Krug kind of player for the Kings. - BO

16 Aidan Dudas, C (113^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 8) A heart and soul offensive player, Dudas is an aggressive North/South attacker who also possesses a great release that gives him a lot of potential as a goal scorer. His skating has improved since being drafted, especially his top gear. His production was not terrific this past season, but he should be a breakout candidate this year given his skill set. Dudas profiles as a middle six scoring winger who will need to continue to improve his skating – especially considering his diminutive stature - improve his strength on the puck, and become more consistent playing through the middle of the ice in order to reach his potential. - BO

17 Markus Phillips, D (118^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) Even though his offensive game never truly developed the way that many had anticipated it would, Phillips is still a valuable prospect who could develop into a steady, third pairing NHL defender. He won an OHL championship with Guelph last year, playing a key role in helping to shut down the opposition’s best. He doesn’t have great reach with his stocky build, but he possesses great four way mobility and terrific defensive instincts that rarely sees him beat one on one or caught out of position. Phillips is also solid with the puck and is skilled enough to evade the forecheck and start the breakout, even if he is not aggressive in attacking the offensive zone. The upside is not high, but he looks like a safe bet to play an NHL role sometime down the road. -BO

18 Sheldon Rempal, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 30, 2018. Last Year: 12) With a lack of size or shooting skill, Rempal’s game has become one of the most refined and well-engineered in the Kings’ system. He knows what works for him, and he has all but mastered his own player-specific gameplay style; speed, tenacity, and scintillating hands being the front-end traits of that game. The undrafted forward out of Clarkson University had a solid first pro year, totaling 15 goals and 25 assists in 59 games in the AHL, though he was held scoreless in seven NHL contests. He is a dynamic playmaker with great vision, and a slippery skater who has impressive balance and body strength. His defensive inconsistencies will need major improvements, while his inability to carry his own line so far in pro hockey has hindered his development as well. Otherwise, he was a bright spot on a dim Reign club and might have a shot at the Kings bottom six out of training camp this season. - TD

19 Matt Roy, D (194^th overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) A right-shot defenseman with a quiet but effective game, Roy is panning out as a steal of an overaged seventh-round pick in 2015. His 2018-19 season with AHL Ontario was great, displaying a high hockey IQ, narrow gaps, and a level of toughness against the boards not seen elsewhere on the Reign blueline, earning a recall to Los Angeles where he more than held his own in 25 NHL games. While not the most mobile or agile of skaters, Roy more than makes up for it in smarts and physicality, which has made him into a solid shutdown depth defenseman. He could contend for a spot on an open Kings blueline this season. - TD

20 Matt Luff, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Sep. 23, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) With the Kings in a downward spiral last season, Luff was one of several depth forwards given an opportunity to succeed in the NHL, and he earned it. The shot-heavy winger was one of Ontario’s best last season (36-11-20-31) and added eight NHL goals with L.A. despite minimal ice time. Possessing a weighty wrist shot with a quick release and a lot of spin, Luff is a bit of a volume shooter for a depth, energy line forward. The right-hander has some untapped puck skills and decent speed, as well as formidable rink senses that make him a serviceable defensive player. He is tough with the puck, but he will need to grow further into his 6-3” frame to truly be an impactful offensive player, as he can and will be bumped off balance pretty easily. Expect him to spend some time with Los Angeles again next season. - TD

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:43:02 +0000

The Pacific Division is the hardest division in the American Hockey League to come to conclusions upon. Out of the league's four sub-classes, the Pacific Division consists of the fewest teams, with seven, rather than the customary eight, they play the fewest games (68), and have different travel guidelines and restrictions that limit the array of teams to schedule games against.

In addition, the division features perhaps the largest disparity between the talent level of the clubs. You have a team like Bakersfield that will casually reel off a 17-game winning streak, and teams like Ontario, who have already effectively been eliminated from postseason contention with more than a dozen games left on the calendar. 26 points separate the Condors and the Reign in the standings.

However, the prospects involved still have the same job to do, and in a sense, their efforts are amplified because of the frequency of common opponents and the aspect of there being fewer games from which to impress your organization. With that, let's take a look at the Pacific Division's brightest young guns from February.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 18: Edmonton Oilers center Cooper Marody (65) skates up ice during their NHL preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 18, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Edmonton won 4-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

The Condors are a killing machine, a club that has won 19 out of their last 21 games and are being led by a couple of top Edmonton Oilers prospects. Tyler Benson (4th in Oilers' preseason prospect rankings) and Cooper Marody (5th) are the team's two leading scorers and have been absolute dynamite over a historically hot streak.

Benson's (9-37-46) first pro season has been an exhibition on what he can do when his health cooperates, as the play-making left wing's creativity, hockey IQ, and discipline have all been on full display. The 20-year-old drives play and carries his own line with his intellect and vision and looks like a surefire middle-six NHL assist machine, even if he severely lacks a finishing touch to his team-leading shot totals (141, 6.3%).

Marody (13-30-43), since coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers last year, has had an equally impressive rookie pro season. The stocky, muscular centerman has displayed his wicked wrist shot -- while improving his hands down low in the zone and his specialty moves in one-on-one situations -- in the process of earning a short, albeit scoreless, recall to Edmonton.

The two have similar ceilings, as versatile middle-sixers. However, if I were an Oilers fan, I would be a little worried about the front office's supposed plan to let their top prospects become "overripe" in the AHL, which might stunt the development of these two forwards. They look like NHL-ready players already, especially in Marody's case, because he is already 22 years old.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

As a first-year pro who needed to prove himself capable of scoring in the pros -- something he did at will in the WHL -- Jayden Halbgewachs has to be pretty satisfied with himself this season. Despite a pretty concrete third-line role with less power play time than he probably should be getting, Halbgewachs (12th) has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at times in 2018-19.

With 26 points (10-16-26), the former Moose Jaw Warriors star has proved to be a worthy free agent signing for the Sharks organization, who inked the undrafted Halbgewachs to a contract in December of 2017. He exhibits quick hands whether passing or stickhandling, and is a very fast decision-maker, which translates well to the NHL. Though he is undersized and is not the fastest skater, his agility and technical skating skill plays up his otherwise average skating.

San Jose got a very intriguing prospect at the trade deadline in 21-year-old Swede Jonathan Dahlen, who entered his third farm system in as many years in the deal that sent him from Vancouver to the Sharks organization. Dahlen (5th in Canucks' preseason prospect rankings) has been a solid addition to the Barracuda top-six, totaling four assists in four games since the trade.

Dahlen possesses silky-smooth hands and a top-tier hockey IQ, while his improved skating speed has made him a dangerous offensive player. He could stand to shoot more, especially on the rush, but coaches love pass-first wingers who can carry their own line like this. Also, of interest, Dahlen told hockeynews.se that his offensive game was being stifled while playing for the Utica Comets, the Canucks' AHL affiliate. A change of scenery will likely suit the left-hander well going forward.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

The Gulls received some help via trade for the last fourth of the AHL schedule, in the form of former Iowa Wild forward Justin Kloos, an undrafted 25-year-old with some quiet NHL potential. What the future holds for Kloos remains to be seen, but for short-term assistance in the AHL, the Ducks got a steal.

Kloos (16th in Minnesota's preseason prospect rankings) is a hard-working middle-six checking forward with the touch and offensive senses of a depth scorer. His shot is a legitimate weapon in the attacking zone, and something he is very willing to let loose, but he also possesses solid vision and stick skills. His presence has already made a difference for the San Diego offense (1-7-8 in 11 games).

In a tight postseason race, the addition of Kloos comes at the right time, due to the absences of Sam Steel (1st), Isac Lundestrom (2nd), Troy Terry (3rd) and Max Jones (8th), all of whom made a massive mark on the Gulls' offense earlier this season. Steel, Terry, and Jones are kicking it with the lowly Ducks in the NHL, while Lundestrom plays out his assignment in Sweden.

Gulls faithful will hope Kalle Kossila (15th) can step up, as the 25-year-old center has been a near point-per-game player in the AHL this season and has what it takes to carry a line and a team, at least at the AHL level. Though his stints in the NHL to this point have been less than promising, Kossila (13-17-30) is a mature, skilled playmaker who consistently gets everyone involved in plays.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles remain a very intriguing team with their depth in scoring, and a sizable amount of that depth scoring is coming from an interesting bunch of prospects in the Avalanche system. The impressively resurgent A.J. Greer (18th) and solid rookie, 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut (4th) are a start, but it extends beyond those two.

Defenseman Nicolas Meloche (15th), a former high second-rounder whose development path to this point has been very rocky, is back on the right track. The 6-3", 205 lb rearguard is leveraging his great size more, using his bulk to pester opposing forwards down low in his zone, and pinching more against the boards in the offensive zone.

What Meloche (6-14-20) needs to work on more is his willingness to shoot, rather than over pass (which is his fallback move). His shot can be a weapon at even strength and on the power play, and to use it more consistently and more frequently should be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old right-hander. He isn't the most fleet-of-foot skater, though he is pretty quick for a big man, and will need to find a way to contribute offensively somehow.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Tucson's lineup got a facelift with the addition of former Milwaukee Admirals forward Emil Pettersson, who was acquired via trade with the Nashville Predators organization. Pettersson (13th in Nashville rankings) might be past his realistic NHL chances, but can provide a boost to a stagnant offense.

Pettersson (0-5-5 since the trade) is a smart and reliable two-way center whose hustle and competitiveness can be infectious, and a decently skilled offensive threat who appears on the power play. With the Coyotes in the thick of the playoff race in the NHL's Western Conference, it won't be now that they give the Swede a try, but his play this season could earn him a recall and an NHL debut eventually.

An under-the-radar guy with NHL specs is Michael Bunting, who is seemingly getting better by the game. Though the AHL All-Star, not ranked in our preseason Coyotes prospect rankings, lacks any skill that ranks above the average tier, he is a consistent producer and plays with a physical edge on the Roadrunners' top two lines. Bunting (11-17-28), a fourth-round selection in 2014, made his NHL debut this season, and has since played with the competitive drive and leadership qualities of a future major-league star.

Tucson's other league All-Star, Kyle Capobianco (7th), will be out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury suffered shortly after a well-deserved promotion to the NHL. The Roadrunners will miss his smooth skating, passing skills, and three-zone awareness, things that they really can't replace. Capobianco (7-25-32) had been the team's leading scorer for a good portion of the season.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

This season, the Heat have been a team of redemption for a lot of players. Once high-profile prospects who flamed out under their initial draft teams, like Alan Quine (ineligible), Kerby Rychel (17th), and Curtis Lazar (ineligible) have taken refuge in the Stockton locker room, providing a veteran boost to an otherwise pretty young team.

The Flames system doesn't quite benefit from the presence of this type of player, though. For example, Lazar was summoned by the parent club in mid-February but has yet to appear in a game. Calgary and Stockton alike must see contributions from their top prospects before anyone else.

Guys such as Dillon Dube, for instance. Dube (2nd) has been dynamite for the Heat since being assigned by the Flames after being held to just five points in 23 NHL games. The two-time World Junior Championship competitor for Canada has improving rink sense that are helping him round out an otherwise electric offensive game that features above average ranks in shot tools, energy/hustle, puck skills, and acceleration/footwork.

Matthew Phillips (6th) has proven, despite his 5-7" size and how he fell to the sixth round of the 2016 draft, that he can be a pro-caliber player with the right opportunity. Having torn up the WHL with Victoria for four seasons, his last a 112-point campaign, his offensive skills are obvious.

He is a quick, head-down skater with lightning-like top speed and sick hands, especially in tight. His shot is as fast as that of someone six inches taller and has been used on the power play as a legitimate weapon in the slot. Phillips (11-18-29) is an absolute pest on and off the puck in all three zones, as well. He will probably need another year to develop, but his size and skillset, from a style standpoint, make him kind of like a Diet Johnny Gaudreau.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

A quick stick tap for defenseman Matt Roy. The first time I took his game in, I didn't think anything of him, but he kept improving and become a leader -- on and off the ice -- of a thin Ontario team, and earned a recall to Los Angeles, where he has spent the last ten games. Roy (not ranked), a right-handed Michigan Tech alum, is a true shutdown defenseman whose stick positioning, physicality down low, and shot-blocking, make him a penalty kill staple anywhere he goes.

The 24-year-old started the season behind guys like Alex Lintuniemi (16th) and Sean Walker (20th) on the depth chart, as well as on the pecking order for potential NHL promotion/staying power. Roy (8-21-29) has arguably surpassed both of them.

Another person who has impressed greatly in spite of the circumstances is rookie winger Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired by the Kings in a late-January trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Jake Muzzin to The Six. Grundstrom (4th in Toronto's preseason prospect rankings) is a rugged but speedy forward with excellent hands and purposeful passing, earning a recent recall to the NHL with that versatile skillset and overall creativity.

Grundstrom (3-7-10) is only 21 and will assist the rebuilding Kings in getting back to the top of the mountain. L.A.'s farm system was ranked 16th out of 31 in our preseason farm system rankings, and the middling prospect core became significantly better with the presence of Grundstrom.

Los Angeles – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 16:19:26 +0000

In the last six years, the Los Angeles Kings have both won two Stanley Cups and twice finished out of the postseason picture altogether. These two conflicting results are not altogether unconnected.

Although there is major disagreement between statistical analysts and more traditional pundits, it should be fair to state that the first championship was unexpected. In 2012, the Kings were the eighth seed in the Western Conference, despite having championship caliber possession rates. They played a heavy, physical stifling game, making it very difficult for opponents to get anything going.

Although their approach only worked marginally well in the regular season, it was invincible in the postseason. Despite the shock of the title, the Kings have since been caught in the cycle of trying to recreate that approach, even as the key players who made it all work have aged and/or left the organization.

To keep the dream alive – and in fairness, the dream came true once again in 2014 – the Kings have traded away many young players and drafted more of a type that they presumed would fit in with the twice successful blueprint. As strong as the short term results of that strategy were (2014 Stanley Cup champs!), Los Angeles is now left with a shallow system, with too much uniformity among the prospect assets they still have.

As the organization let former GM Dean Lombardi and former coach Darryl Sutter go after the conclusion of this season, it is not likely fair to pre-judge their 2017 draft haul. But it is fair to note that they seemed to draft a different breed of player than they had been of late. More offensive skill and upside, less stress on size and ruggedness. In fact, none of the players they drafted is taller than 6-2”. Further, none of the 2017 draft class is a defensive specialist. Previous drafts generally had an abundance of those two player types.

This approach also ignored the fact that the Kings two championships were not the result of a team of grinders, but rather of a small set of stars who played within a strong system, that were supplemented by grinders on cheap salaries. As the stars (Kopitar, Doughty, Quick, Carter) grew more and more expensive, the need to have the second tier of the team come cheap grew. As discussed in the essay on another team, drafting grinders is not a sound strategy. Players who are already grinders as juniors are generally not skilled enough to play offensive roles (there are exceptions).

These grinders have not been good enough to make the NHL roster and give the Kings young, fresh legs to provide new supplements to the core. The only exception to this rule – in fact, the only Kings’ draftee to emerge as a legit NHLer from their last six draft classes, has been Tanner Pearson, drafted in the first round a few weeks after that first parade. Others will eventually join Pearson with the Kings, but their approach over a five year span, as an overall strategy, has been a failure and has set the team back in their current quest to regain their previous status as championship contenders.

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

1 Gabriel Vilardi – Held back by injuries in his draft year, Vilardi was one of the most surprising fallers on draft day, shockingly lasting to the Kings’ pick at #11. A phenomenal playmaker, with a big, stocky frame, he resembles Ryan Getzlaf more than a little bit. As he led Windsor tot the Memorial Cup, he seemed to create jaw dropping assists at least once per game. There are some concerns about his skating speed, but he is no worse than average there. His hockey smarts and heads up play will allow him to overcome that mild handicap.

May 21, 2015: Manchester Monarchs left wing Adrian Kempe (9).

2 Adrian Kempe – An electrifying skater, Kempe has scuffled a bit in his first two season in North America, but seems likely to make the Kings in a middle six role this year. A creative puck carrier, he can be very dangerous when given room to roam. He has a nice wrist shot and can reach a fifth gear when needed. Decision making issues have kept him from maximizing his natural tools, but he has been pushed at a young age. Turning 21 in September, he will get as many chances as he needs.

Kale Clague

3 Kale Clague – A smooth skating, offensively inclined blueliner, Clague, the Kings’ top pick in the 2016 draft, is still rounding out the rough edges he sometimes displays in his own zone. More a passer than a shooter, he controls the blueline well on the powerplay and is a good fit for the modern mold of the puck moving defender. Some expect him to be given serious consideration for the Kings roster this year, but he is more likely to go back to Brandon for one more season.

4 Jonny Brodzinski – A high end puck player, Brodzinski is the type of player most teams are hoping for when they take a late round flier on a collegiate, or college-bound player. He took big steps forward in his second AHL campaign, learning to use his shot with more frequency as well as more deadliness. He is an above average skater and has grown more comfortable with the physicality of the pro game, although his own style is quite clean. Has a chance to make the Kings out of camp.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

5 Jaret Anderson-Dolan – A plus skater with an excellent shot, Anderson-Dolan is an atypical Kings’ prospect in that he is physically undersized and was drafted almost solely for his offensive abilities. He processes the game quickly and has a high compete level. Impressive in how he can adjust his playing style to suit the game at hand. Needs to work on his defensive positioning and responsibilities as well as learn to create more on his own, but there is a lot to like here.

6 Paul LaDue – A former NCAA champ, LaDue was a great value for the Kings as a sixth round pick. He has developed tremendously on both sides of the puck since being drafted five years ago and was so strong in his first pro season, that he spent roughly one third of it in the NHL and is expected to make the NHL club out of camp in the third pairing. While his offensive tools (puck moving, shot, and skating) are all above average, his hockey IQ is a separator.

7 Austin Wagner – Likely the best skater in the Kings’ system, Wagner has not developed offensively as had been the expectation when he was drafted, but he plays an advanced two-way game and is an ace penalty killer. He is alert off the puck and tough on it. A better shooter than playmaker, he also plays the type of physical game that the Kings have long admired. His blend of skills, IQ and skating have the door open for him to develop into either a middle six or bottom six future role.

Cal Petersen

8 Cal Petersen – If not for an uncharacteristically bad performance in the Frozen Four semifinals, Petersen would have turned pro with the distinction of having improved his save percentage six years in a row, spanning elite U18 hockey, the NAHL, USHL and NCAA. He has a fantastic glove hand and plus agility. His play reading is generally very accurate allowing him to react correctly to opposition scoring chances. The Kings best goalie prospect since before Jonathan Quick made the NHL.

9 Alex Iafallo – After three solid seasons with Minnesota-Duluth, Iafallo exploded as a senior, leading the Bulldogs to a Frozen Four final. A high IQ forward, the Kings signed him as a free agent shortly after his final collegiate game. Although his top speed is only around average, his first few steps give him an edge in short races. He can cycle and curl with the puck and is comfortable rushing the net and sticking around to cause discomfort to opposing netminder and defensemen.

10 Mike Amadio – A top playmaker and goal scorer for North Bay in the OHL, Amadio adjusted well in his rookie AHL season showing no degradation to his offensive vision and general on-ice awareness. Both his shot and his puck skills grade out as above average and he makes up for average-at-best skating with his hockey smarts, as he wastes little effort going to pockets of the ice of little practical consequence. More willingness to use his strong shot could have him on the cusp of an NHL debut.

11 Markus Phillips – A fantastic skater, Phillips plays a 200-foot game and kicked his overall game into overdrive in his draft eligible season. Formerly a top ten pick in the OHL Entry draft, he has a high velocity wrist shot and very strong puck moving skills. His hockey IQ sometimes betrays him though, as he can get lost in his own end, or cough up the puck when under heavy fore-checking pressure. With minor refinements, he could be a good one.

12 Oscar Fantenberg – Born only three weeks after our cutoff for aged-based prospect eligibility, the Kings signed Fantenberg as a free agent this offseason. A veteran of six seasons of high level hokey in Sweden and one in the KHL, he plays a solid two way game, with understated puck moving skills. A solid skater with a high hockey IQ, he does not do any one thing exceptionally well, but likewise there are no negative traits that will drag him down. Likely to move right to the NHL in a depth role.

13 Chaz Reddekopp – This 2015 seventh round pick was drafting in the then Kings mold of plus-sized, defensive defenseman, but has since developed a strong offensive bent that gives him higher upside than many other prospects of this type. He has decent wheels for a big man, can play the puck or shoot it. He has grown more comfortable in all aspects of the game, indicative of his intelligence. He also is still a physical force, but now spends less time in the penalty box.

14 Mikey Eyssimont – A strong possession player, Eyssimont can carry the puck up the ice, control the game from the cycle, and uses long reach to either maintain, or re-establish possession. He has very soft hands and a sniper’s wrist shot. Would like to see him score more for St. Cloud State, but it is hard to complain about a player who led his team in both goals and points. Positions himself well to be available when one of his teammates is handling the puck.

15 Spencer Watson – The penultimate selection of the 2014 draft, Watson is an undersized point producer with an impressive track record in the OHL. His offensive tools are all above average with the ability to dangle, a strong shot and impressive top speed. His complete lack of a physical game may have been what kept him in the OHL for a fifth year, and he is now as ready as he ever will be for the challenge of the AHL.

16 Mikey Anderson – Younger brother of New Jersey prospect Joey Anderson, Mikey is a sneaky fast skater with good vision and a strong understanding of the game and his role within it. He does not have any one top end trait, but does everything well enough to find a role and be productive in it. Although slightly undersized, he plays a physical brand of hockey, but lacks the explosive force to be very effective at it.

17 Matt Villalta – Fresh off a very promising OHL rookie campaign, the Kings snatched Villalta as a third round pick, giving Petersen a challenger for the goalie of the future mantle. A decent athlete with above average competitiveness and play reading ability, he can remain calm and collected even under heavy pressure. He has come a long way in a short time span and there may be even more potential there with additional OHL experience.

18 Kurtis MacDermid – Passed over at the draft in his first year of eligibility, MacDermid did not need to try again, as the Kings gave him an ELC before his next OHL season could get cracking. While his puck skills are OK, any chance he has to make an NHL impact will come from his defensive zone play and high end physicality. He plays every inch of his 6-5”, 210 frame. Also spends way too much time in the penalty box. Better balance between aggression and recklessness could see him emerge as a third pairing guy.

19 Michael Mersch – Slow of foot and hand, Mersch nonetheless has been a strong offensive producer over the past three years in the AHL by dint of plus hockey IQ. He has a very big body and plays a big man’s game, crashing the net with abandon and thriving in the corners and near the crease. In addition to his skating deficit holding him back, he has been bitten by the injury bug the past two years. He may not have too many more chances to make his mark in the NHL.

20 Matt Roy – The literal definition of a two-way player, Roy played both left wing and defense as an amateur, but will be developed by the Kings on the blueline. Reliable in all facets of the game, he relies on positioning more than physicality in his own zone and smart puck play to contribute to the offense. Has no above average tools, but his impressive hockey IQ helps it all play up. Low ceiling, but a decent prospect.

An early judgement of the first post-Lombardi draft suggests that the Kings are taking a new tack to prospect acquisition, wisely looking for talent over a more pure focus on defensive play and physicality, as had previously been the case. In light of the years spent pursuing a repeat of their earlier successes, they are still two drafts away from re-establishing a pipeline worth envying.