Mike Brophy thinks the Kings have more upside right now than the Leafs, Islanders, Blues or Canucks.
In one of my final stories for my previous employer, The Hockey News, I went out on a limb and suggested the Los Angeles Kings would make the playoffs this season.
Guaranteed it, in fact.
Well, having scoured the internet and read every NHL season preview I could get my hands on, it is clear that I am seriously outnumbered. Just about everybody has the Kings poised to finish dead last in the Western Conference, perhaps even last overall.
And just about everybody lists the same reasons: a weak and inexperienced defence and no goaltending. When you consider winning in the NHL is predicated on keeping the puck out of your net, that makes sense.
So let me say this then: the Kings could miss the playoffs and may very well finish last in the West (I think the Islanders have the best shot at finishing last overall), but I'd rather be the Los Angeles Kings than the Toronto Maple Leafs, or the Islanders, or the St. Louis Blues, or the Vancouver Canucks, or the Colorado Avalanche.
The Kings are weak in goal, no question about it. But it's not all about the guys between the pipes, even though neither Jason LaBarbera nor Erik Ersberg will never be mistaken for Patrick Roy. No, the entire team has to take credit for the Kings 28th-place finish in team defence last season. Allowing 266 goals is indeed a team effort. Besides, the Kings believe Jonathan Bernier, just 20, is their goalie of the future and he just needs time in the minors to develop.
That said, when I look at the Kings I see a team that has the potential to take a giant step forward very soon as long as ownership continues to show patience. GM Dean Lombardi has been very calculating in turning this team around and he understands there are no quick fixes in today's NHL.
Starting with the much-maligned defence, how many teams wouldn't want to have Jack Johnson, 21, Drew Doughty, 18, and Thomas Hickey, 19, to build around? If those players live up to their potential, the Kings will be set on defence for the next decade. They also think Colton Teubert will be an impact player in the near future. Matt Greene adds some size and toughness while Tom Preissing and Sean O'Donnell are reliable veterans. Frankly I don't think the Kings' defence is as bad as others have suggested.
Up front the Kings have enough fire power to be competitive. Centre Anze Kopitar has star potential and after having finished 23rd in league scoring last season with 32 goals and 77 points in 82 games, don't be surprised if he finishes in the top 10 this season. And he is just 21 years old. Left winger Dustin Brown, meanwhile, has progressed from scoring 14 goals as a rookie to 17 as a sophomore and finally 33 last season. The 23-year-old is emerging as a bona fide front-line winger with speed and toughness.
It doesn't stop there. Left winger Alexander Frolov, 26, has averaged 64 points the past three seasons; centre Patrick O'Sullivan responded to an additional four minutes of playing time last season by increasing his production to 53 points from 19 the year before. And Jarret Stoll, 26, is due for a bounce-back season having been acquired from Edmonton in a deal for defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky last June.
What remains to be seen is what kind of an impact Terry Murray has on the team. He was hired to replace Marc Crawford as coach and brings with him a 360-277-100 record from his past stops in Washington, Philadelphia and Florida.
Regardless, when I compare the Kings to some of the other teams that are expected to finish near the bottom of the league or, if they are lucky, compete for the eighth and final playoff spot in their respective division, I see a team with promise.
What does a team like Toronto have to look forward to? Vesa Toskala is solid in net, but he has played just 11 playoff games in his career. Defenceman Luke Schenn has been a pleasant surprise thus far, but the 18-year-old's upside is that of a solid No. 2 or 3 defender. The Islanders can't attract any big-name free agents and don't have many young players, beyond Kyle Okposo, to build around.
The Canucks don't have much scoring to speak of and aren't really sure they want to throw big money at the Sedin twins next summer to keep them. Daniel and Henrik are fine players, but they'll command big bucks and many feel they are either low end first-liners or high-end second-liners. Colorado is an old team with little in the system and questionable (that is polite for lousy) goaltending.
Only the Blues come close to matching Los Angeles in having a number of quality youngsters to build around, but St. Louis was dealt a severe blow when defenceman Erik Johnson blew out a knew while horsing around on a golf course just prior to the opening of training camp and he is expected to miss the entire season.
So at the end of the day, the Los Angeles Kings may miss the playoffs this season, but they are definitely moving in the right direction.
