You have no cap space, no blue chip prospects, and no depth. You don't have enough skill up front, and you have no means of improving the situation. You are not Pittsburgh.
You're in this painful spot -- I remember it well -- where you have to convince yourself a coach's system is the reason you're not successful. You're about to spend the next two years chasing the absolute mediocrity of the 1st round appearance. Believe me, it's already miserable, you're just new at this.
Right. I joined the bandwagon in 2012 when the Kings won that big shiny silver thing. After that, I was hooked, brah.
Please. The Kings being mediocre is the norm, not the exception. I've seen failed rebuilds, baffling trades and people celebrating single playoff wins like Stanley Cups.
Point being, I've seen enough bad to know that the current state of the franchise isn't miserable. You bring up Pittsburgh. Those blue chip, can't miss prospects Sheary, Rust and Guentzel really changed their fortunes. Where are we going to find studs like those? How did they land a phenom like Justin Schultz? Or a perennial winner like Phil Kessel? Man, how can their core, who is about the same age as LA's, go 8 years between Cups? They must be sorcerers. Good thing they didn't sell off their guys to Toronto for Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri.
Pretty sure that core was written off too, but a few adjustments and a change in philosophy and leadership brought them right back to the dance. I understand LA doesn't have a Crosby or Malkin, but they're not exactly light years away either.
The Kings may end up being eliminated in the first round for the next few seasons. Or they could retool a bit and become a legit threat again. I don't know for sure, and neither do you. I know, that's tough to accept.
