Speculation: 2021-21 LA Kings News/Rumors/Roster discussion

[SettlementRichie10]

Half this board has been overreacting since a week before the season ended. It’s pretty funny, Kings haven’t been bad long enough yet for me to be upset about anything. I’m just enjoying the ride while I sit on early early retirement...haha.

The Kings have one playoff game win in seven seasons. Just curious what “bad enough” means to you? Seven straight seasons without a single playoff birth?

 

[Docgonzo]

The Kings have one playoff game win in seven seasons. Just curious what “bad enough” means to you? Seven straight seasons without a single playoff birth?

Um trading prospects for players over 30, making zero hope for the future. Like basically late 90s and mid 2000s. If the Kings are where they are now without the farm system, then I’d panic.

 

[No Name The Nameless]

Kings actually have the 4th youngest average age roster, coming in at 25.45. Only the Blackhawks, Rangers and Devils are younger.

I'm not talking about age. I'm talking about the old style of play.

 

[Lt Dan]

Brandon Saad will be a UFA and A guy I think we could and should target.

Colorado has to sign Landeskog, Saad, Grubauer, Dubnyk, and Calvert. Plus Bellemare, Soderberg, and Nemeth.
Something has to give and I think it is Saad

 

[johnjm22]

I've argued for awhile that I don't think the Kings will add significant salary to the roster, largely due to AEG's current business situation.

Solomon leaving could be another indication of that.

If you're hoping for the Kings to make big moves this off season or add a star player, I think you're going to be disappointed.

 

[Fishhead]

The Kings have one playoff game win in seven seasons. Just curious what “bad enough” means to you? Seven straight seasons without a single playoff birth?

This is only the 3rd season without a playoff birth, FWIW. Most rebuilding teams go around 5 years missing so the Kings aren't off target there.

 

[Schrute farms]

Well, does the sauce suck?

It sucks for them having to wait all day smelling the sauce throughout the house -- but it ends with a Stanley Cup! lol

 

[BigKing]

This is only the 3rd season without a playoff birth, FWIW. Most rebuilding teams go around 5 years missing so the Kings aren't off target there.

But they missed in 2017 and had a dead cat bounce in '18 that led to the playoffs but also a sweep. It definitely feels like five years and it definitely is only two appearances in seven years.

Man this has been a real rough stretch. Agree that they aren't off target by missing the last three years in a row but I think they are off target if they don't make an appearance this season. Blake has used all of his draft picks since 2017 and hasn't traded futures for immediate help outside of the small Torrey Mitchell deal. It's three years of an "official" rebuild but that rebuild had a two draft base behind it.

 

[johnjm22]

Kings should be targeting Mike Reilly in free agency.

I know it sounds boring, but he's very underrated, and it's low risk.

 

[YP44]

I've argued for awhile that I don't think the Kings will add significant salary to the roster, largely due to AEG's current business situation.

Solomon leaving could be another indication of that.

If you're hoping for the Kings to make big moves this off season or add a star player, I think you're going to be disappointed.

well then the team is doing a lousy job managing fan expectations.

 

[KingsFan7824]

well then the team is doing a lousy job managing fan expectations.

The draft will be the first indication. If they keep the pick, it might be more of the same. Then blame the two usual suspects, even if these decisions are above their pay grade.

 

[SettlementRichie10]

This is only the 3rd season without a playoff birth, FWIW. Most rebuilding teams go around 5 years missing so the Kings aren't off target there.

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

 

[johnjm22]

well then the team is doing a lousy job managing fan expectations.

Or certain fans have unrealistic views.

King probably aren't trading for Eichel or signing Hamilton/Landeskog etc.

I'm not saying something big won't happen because I don't know. I'm just saying it's probably unlikely.

 

[SFKingshomer]

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

Adding Eichel will be more like those years. Borderline playoff team and nothing more.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

What is a successful contention year in your mind? They had 102pts and 98pts respectively.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

102 points the year after a Cup win can't really be overshot. 17/18 is more debateable since it was kind of an extension of the previous attempts but I wouldn't battle on that one.

 

[crassbonanza]

This is only the 3rd season without a playoff birth, FWIW. Most rebuilding teams go around 5 years missing so the Kings aren't off target there.

Since 2014-15, the Kings are tied with the Devils(kind of funny) for the second fewest post season wins with 1, only beating out the lowly Sabres. Not only do the Kings have the second fewest wins since 2014-15, they also have by far the worst winning percentage, coming in with a .111, second place is the Devils again at .200. No other teams are below .300.

They did make the playoffs so at least they aren't as bad as the Sabres, but otherwise this has been an abysmal 7 year stretch.

 

[Fishhead]

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

Nope, but that's not what the post said.

 

[Fishhead]

Since 2014-15, the Kings are tied with the Devils(kind of funny) for the second fewest post season wins with 1, only beating out the lowly Sabres. Not only do the Kings have the second fewest wins since 2014-15, they also have by far the worst winning percentage, coming in with a .111, second place is the Devils again at .200. No other teams are below .300.

They did make the playoffs so at least they aren't as bad as the Sabres, but otherwise this has been an abysmal 7 year stretch.

Yeah it hasn't been pretty, but remember in 17-18 Vegas steamrolled everyone on the way to the finals. They were only 2 and 3 points behind SJ and Anaheim during the season, if they had a few more points that year they would have had a good chance of winning a round. I completely remember the debates on whether they should rest players to avoid Vegas in the first round. So yes, their winning pct. has sucked, but both times they faced the eventual cup finalist in the first round.

102 and 98 points aren't terrible, so while they weren't strong contenders they haven't been bad for the last 7 years.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Brandon Saad will be a UFA and A guy I think we could and should target.

Colorado has to sign Landeskog, Saad, Grubauer, Dubnyk, and Calvert. Plus Bellemare, Soderberg, and Nemeth.
Something has to give and I think it is Saad

2 years/$16m.

Are we really counting 15/16 and 17/18 as successful contention years?

They were all in for 15-16, so that's its own thing. 17-18 was still whatever was left after 2016, and in any normal year, Carter missing 50 games would've killed the team. However, this being the Kings after the Cups, it was another instance of bad timing. Of all the years for Kopitar to have his best year, it had to be 17-18. He should've had 50 points, the team should've been bottom 7, Doughty should've been thinking about things more, there's no pursuit of Kovalchuk or anyone else, etc, etc.

They set themselves up nicely in 15-16 though. Until they lost the division in the 2nd half. Hey, what do you know, another instance of wonderful timing. The moment Kopitar re-signs, that's when the team starts crapping the bed again.

 

[crassbonanza]

Yeah it hasn't been pretty, but remember in 17-18 Vegas steamrolled everyone on the way to the finals. They were only 2 and 3 points behind SJ and Anaheim during the season, if they had a few more points that year they would have had a good chance of winning a round. I completely remember the debates on whether they should rest players to avoid Vegas in the first round. So yes, their winning pct. has sucked, but both times they faced the eventual cup finalist in the first round.

102 and 98 points aren't terrible, so while they weren't strong contenders they haven't been bad for the last 7 years.

I mean, I guess we can look at it all sorts of ways, but in my opinion we really have been bad for 7 years. In that 7 year stretch only 7 teams have fewer than 11 post season wins. The Oilers(8), the Panthers(5), the Red Wings(4), the Yotes(4), the Kings(1), the Devils(1) and the Sabres(0). That's a rough group to be with and who knows how long the Kings will be there.

Honestly, looking at these numbers, the saddest thing is the horrific 1.56 GF/GP the Kings posted.

 

[YP44]

Or certain fans have unrealistic views.

King probably aren't trading for Eichel or signing Hamilton/Landeskog etc.

I'm not saying something big won't happen because I don't know. I'm just saying it's probably unlikely.

well didn't Blake basically say this is a very important off season and there is a need to upgrade the roster. he also said Drew was right in regards to not wasting Kopitar, and Doughty's remaining good years. Hard not to get fans expecting something (maybe not as big as the guys you mentioned).

 

[johnjm22]

well didn't Blake basically say this is a very important off season and there is a need to upgrade the roster. he also said Drew was right in regards to not wasting Kopitar, and Doughty's remaining good years. Hard not to get fans expecting something (maybe not as big as the guys you mentioned).

Yeah, but what else is he supposed to say?

Making vague statements about improving things is what every GM says going into the offseason. It's the equivalent of a coach talking about getting pucks in deep during an in-game interview. It doesn't really mean anything.

 

[YP44]

Yeah, but what else is he supposed to say?

Making vague statements about improving things is what every GM says going into the offseason. It's the equivalent of a coach talking about getting pucks in deep during an in-game interview. It doesn't really mean anything.

he could have poured a little bit of cold water on it by deflecting to organic growth, and youth needing to take a step forward. he really did not.

I would not be surprised if the team does not bring a top 6 wing and top 4 D in, but that is what the team should try and do IMO. That is the bar for me, and nothing the Kings GM has said has turned me away from not expecting this.

My point is the fans expectations are set by the organization.

 

[BigKing]

102 points the year after a Cup win can't really be overshot. 17/18 is more debateable since it was kind of an extension of the previous attempts but I wouldn't battle on that one.

I know what you mean, but it was 102 points a year after a 95 point season that saw them miss the playoffs. Of course, they had 95 points in 2012 and won the Cup but that same 95 points had them out of the playoffs in '15. When giving them 101 points for the 2013 season, I have them averaging slightly below 99 points a season from 2010 - '16. That's a pretty solid seven year run regardless of the playoff success. Funny that the 2016 team that definitely shouldn't have gone all-in had the highest regular season point total out of any Kings team since 1990. Still crazy to look at the blueline they put out there in the playoffs that season. Scuderi/Schenn/McBain. Yikes.

Regardless, I didn't think they were going to get rolled by San Jose like that. Feel like they had a great home record that season so going to the games was still fun. Actually, I think they played well at home in 2015 as well so going to the games was still fun then.

I mean, I guess we can look at it all sorts of ways, but in my opinion we really have been bad for 7 years. In that 7 year stretch only 7 teams have fewer than 11 post season wins. The Oilers(8), the Panthers(5), the Red Wings(4), the Yotes(4), the Kings(1), the Devils(1) and the Sabres(0). That's a rough group to be with and who knows how long the Kings will be there.

Honestly, looking at these numbers, the saddest thing is the horrific 1.56 GF/GP the Kings posted.

I think that we became assholes after 2014 since we got spoiled. We went from just being happy to be in the playoffs to "Cup or Bust". I wouldn't say they were really bad in 2015, 16 or '18 but the final results were really bad: especially the first two because expectations were sky high.

What can't be argued too much though is that the last three seasons are probably the worst three year stretch to watch. Passionless hockey without Bob as your old drinking buddy to get you through another bad Kings season. That's part of the reason Faust is hated so much even if people don't know it: it's always tough to follow in a legend's footsteps and Faust has only had 2018--his first season--as a "good" season on the ice. He's synonymous with a garbage product.