The Los Angeles Kings believe their 2014-15 season was an anomaly.
The Kings failed to even quality for the playoffs just a year after winning the Stanley Cup. It was a forgettable season filled with tumultuous issues on and off the ice.
In spite of that, the Kings made some drastic roster changes, including the addition of power forward Milan Lucic to help counteract the loss of “Corsi God” Justin Williams, in an attempt bring the club back to an elite level.
Will they return as a Western Conference powerhouse or was last season a sign of decline?
Head coach: Darryl Sutter
GM: Dean Lombardi
Team payroll: $66.9 million against $71.4 million salary cap
Last season record: 40-27-15
Goals for: 220 (18th in NHL)
Goals against: 205 (5th in NHL)
PP: 19.0 per cent (11th in the NHL)
PK: 80.9 per cent (16th in the NHL)
Corsi for per 60: 59.2, fifth in NHL (via stats.hockeyanalysis.com)
Key acquisitions: Milan Lucic, Christian Ehrhoff, Jhonas Enroth
Key departures: Justin Williams, Slava Voynov, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll, Robyn Regehr, Martin Jones, Andrej Sekera
Rookies to Watch:
Valentin Zykov: The 20-year-old projects to open the season with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, but if the 6-foot power forward develops like the team thinks he can, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him up with the big club by mid-season.
Derek Forbort: At 6-foot-4, Forbort has the size to be an effective defenceman at the NHL level. He spent last season in the AHL with Manchester, where he displayed impressive puck moving skills.
Jordan Weal: Weal is a bit undersized at 5-foot-9. However, his ability to create offence is an undeniable asset. Last year he tied for the AHL playoff scoring lead.
Highlight of 2014-15
Jonathan Quick displays his athleticism in a ridiculous sequence of saves against Daniel Briere and the Colorado Avalanche.
Pre-season positional letter grades
Forwards: Despite losing some key contributors, the Kings are still loaded up front. The group offers speed, size, scoring ability and they are one of the best possession teams in the entire league. Jeff Carter should score 30 goals while Anze Kopitar, a pending UFA, should bounce back with a monster year. GRADE: A
Defence: Andrej Sekera is gone. So are Slava Voynov and Robyn Regehr. Still, a unit headlined by Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin has enough talent to maintain its quality level of play. Adding Christian Ehrhoff will help in the short-term, while Brayden McNabb, Alec Martinez and Matt Greene should all be, at the very least, serviceable players. GRADE: A-
Goaltending: The Kings are very comfortable with Jonathan Quick as their starter and brought in a new backup (Enroth) to replace the departed Martin Jones. Enroth provides experience and stability in the role. Quick’s reputation may exceed his actual level of play, but he was still one the top goalies in the league last season. GRADE: A
The Kings will have a successful season if… they maintain their impressive possession stats while improving offensively. Last season was a grind to score goals and they averaged just 2.66 goals per game. Kopitar is coming off a career-worst offensive season, scoring just 16 goals in 79 games. He’s expected to open the season alongside Lucic and Marian Gaborik on the top line.
The Kings will have a disappointing season if… off-ice troubles re-surface again. There were plenty of rumours surrounding the discontent of the locker room and the Kings. Plus, issues with Mike Richards, Voynov, and Jarret Stoll prompted the team to implement an off-ice conduct education program, covering domestic violence, drugs, and alcohol.