PuckTheDucks

2015-16 Los Angeles Kings Preview.

The stats from last year’s campaign:

• Record: 40-27-15 (95 points)
• Division: 4th
• Conference: 9th
• NHL: 18th
• Goals For: 2.66, 18th
• Goals Against: 2.40, T 4th
• Power Play: 19%, 11th
• Penalty Kill: 80.9, 16th

Additions

• (LW) Milan Lucic (trade)
• (C) Jordan Weal (call up) – Listed as a center, expected to play on the wing.
• (D) Christian Ehrhoff (signed)
• (G) Jhonas Enroth (signed)

Losses

• (C) Jarret Stoll (not resigned)
• (RW) Justin Williams (not resigned)
• (D) Slava Voynov (legal issues)
• (D) Andrej Sekera (not resigned)
• (G) Martin Jones (traded)

Three straight Western Conference Final appearances and two Stanley Cups would have you thinking that a franchise that had been shut out of championships for it’s first 40 years is pretty happy with their standing in the NHL – but after becoming the 5th team to miss the playoffs the year after winning a cup the Kings are hungrier than ever to regain their throne as the top team in the league.

2014’s offseason stood as a lesson learned for GM Dean Lombardi. Lombardi’s loyalty to the men that helped bring the city two championships turned around and bit him in the behind when Slava Voynov broke the law, Mike Richards decided to start the season not as prepared as he promised (when Lombardi was going to use the Kings Buy-Out to release him) and players like Matt Greene rewarded Lombardi’s loyalty with a tired, underwhelming season. Lombardi, who has shown an amazing ability to learn and adapt to the “New NHL” made it clear that he would not be victim to the same type of mistakes again.  This season’s Kings return most of the same faces but with a couple key changes that have allowed players to adjust where they are in the lineup and the rolls they will have going forward.

The Kings made an effort to gain team speed over the offseason without losing any of their size or grit. Jordan Weal is expected to get a chance to play at the NHL level this year and he will bring some explosion to the bottom 6. The additions of Christian Ehrhoff and Milan Lucic also should help in the speed department and Nick Dowd has a lot more spring in his step then Stoll on the third-line.  I have included each players reported height and weight to help give an appreciation of what other teams are up against…. 4 lines of big, fast, heavy hockey players.

Line 1:

Milan Lucic (6’4” 235 lbs.) – Anze Kopitar (6’3” 225 lbs.) – Marian Gaborik  (6’1” 204 lbs.)

The Kings shocked the hockey world when they traded the 13th pick in the draft, young stud RFA goalie Martin Jones (now with San Jose) and #1 or #2 Defensive prospect (depending on who you ask) Colin Miller to Boston for Lucic. “But Lucic only has 1 year left on his contract!”, “But Lucic’s stats diminished last year!” where the cries from the peanut gallery. Let’s get real folks… this is Milan Freaking Lucic. Let’s put aside the fact that Lombardi got Boston to take on almost half of his six-million dollar salary… and that we can attest his diminishing point production to an injured center last season in David Kriejci… this is a 27 year old who has already been a huge part of a cup winning team that plays a very similar system to the Los Angeles Kings. Oh, did I mention he is playing on a line with Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik?

Talk about filling a hole… Dwight King, Trevor Lewis, and Dustin Brown were just three of the players who tried to be the 3rd piece of the Kopitar/Gaborik combo in 2014/15 and though Dwight King exceeded most of our expectations, it is unfair to expect him to complement those two the way we would hope. Lucic brings size, strength, and a tenacity that makes every player look over their shoulder when they go near the boards to dig out a puck. He will help create loose pucks and openings in the offensive zone while not diminishing the two way game that Coach Sutter preaches and Kopitar excels at. Not only is this line expected to contribute a bulk of the offense but it is also responsible for shutting down the other team’s top scoring line.

Line 2:

Tanner Pearson (6’1” 200 lbs.) – Jeff Carter (6’4” 215 lbs.) – Tyler Toffoli (6’1” 200lbs.)

The latest and greatest version of “That 70’s Line”, boy is this line fun to watch. Before Tanner Pearson’s season was cut short by a leg injury on January 10th, this line was the top scoring line for the Kings, if not the only scoring line for what seemed like several games.  The Kings will reunite this line to start the year and it will be exciting to see how another year of experience for sniper Toffoli, who was rewarded for his efforts last year with a 2 year, 6.5 millon dollar “bridge deal”, and the hungry Pearson have progressed their game. Jeff Carter may be the best center in the league that no one talks about and has really grown in his role as a leader on this team. Underrated fact about Carter; on top of all of his other abilities, Carter finished last year winning 52.6% of his face-offs taking over 1100 draws – his most since he joined the Kings.

Line 3:

Dwight Kings (6’4” 230 lbs.) – Nick Shore (6’ 190 lbs.) – Dustin Brown (6’ 210 lbs.)

I can’t say enough great things about Dwight King. He embodies everything that I think of when I hear “Lombardi type player”. Dwight King rose through the King’s system with very little fanfare and when he was brought up, our first impression was nothing special. He has used hard work and his big frame to become a contributor to two Cup runs and has played solid in every roll that Kings have asked of him and now finds himself in a roll he can excel at on the 3rd line.

The biggest piece of the Lucic trade that goes unnoticed? For the first time in his NHL career Dustin Brown is playing where is he supposed to, the third line. Season after season Brown was always paired with Anze Kopitar on the first line. He had some goals, he showed flashes of greatness but I always got the feeling that this was a true 3rd line power forward being asked to take his roll to the first line. His stats have suffered and trade rumors ran wild – but it is his ability to do all the little things that help an organization win that makes him the captain of this squad.  With the addition of Lucic, Brown can be a part of what should be the best 3rd line in hockey. Brown and King both have played 1st line minutes and combine them with a young, talented puck mover in Shore this line should see a jump in their production and greatly contribute to the Kings success.

Line 4:

Kyle Clifford (6’2” 212 lbs.) – Trevor Lewis (6’1” 200 lbs.) – Jordan Nolan (6’3” 225 lbs.)/Jordan Weal (5’10” 171 lbs.)

Coach Sutter plays 4 lines, plain and simple. When the kings are rolling you will see the 4th line play through the 3rd period – none of this shorten the bench stuff. This year the bottom 6 gets more exciting with the addition of Jordan Weal.  Weal was a third round 70th overall draft pick by LA in 2010. The 23 year old has spent the last 3 seasons marinating with the Manchester Monarchs, the Kings’ AHL affiliate. Combine Weal with any combination of Lewis, Clifford, Nolan or anyone else and we will get an opportunity to see if this kid is as good as the hype. Weal is not the traditional Kings big frame (he is listed as 5’10” – 171 lbs.) but his style of play and the education he has gotten coming up through the King’s system gives him the best opportunity to continue to grow and succeed at this level.

Kyle Clifford has been a staple on the King’s since he made the club as a 19 year old. Every year he continues to grow as his role as the Kings tough guy and his heart and determination on the ice is noticed and appreciated by fans, coaches, and his fellow players. He along with Jordan Nolan adds even more size and grit to the squad. Along with veteran Trevor Lewis this line is not expected to put up big numbers but instead keep the intensity at a high level, control the puck and play solid defense while wearing down any of the other teams 4 lines.

The extra skaters:

Andy Andreoff – Weal/Nolan

Anderoff signed for the league minimum to come back to Los Angeles, he is expected to make the team as the 13th forward.

Defensive Pairings:

Just as the offence rolls 4 lines the Defense has 3 pairs that are all expected to contribute for 3 periods.

Pair 1:

Jake Muzzin (6’3 215 lbs.) – Drew Doughty (6’1” 213 lbs.)

Drew Doughty is amazing, and apparently he came into camp in the best shape of his life; but if I have one wish for the Kings this season… It’s Drew will learn how to take a little off of his shot and more consistently – Hit the net. For all of the awesomeness that Doughty brings to the team, and trust me there is a lot of awesomeness… there are way too many times a season when Drew lets loose a huge shot that misses wide and immediately turns into a rush the other direction. This kills puck possession, does not allow for rebound and 2nd chance opportunities and in addition it leads to his partner (Jake Muzzin) being forced to come up with big plays on Defense. Let’s talk about defenseman Jake Muzzin, he has a solid wrist shot, he’s a good passer but is prone to some horrific mental lapses. There are times during the game that you can watch one mistake by Muzzin snowball into a catastrophic mistake that leads to a goal against or a penalty. The hope is that with age and experience Muzzin will limit these issues and become the other half of one of the best pairs in hockey.

Pair 2:

Brayden McNabb (6’4” 210 lbs.) – Christian Ehrhoff (6’2” 205 lbs.)

There is a lot of underrated talent on this pairing and it might wind up being one of the biggest keys to the King’s success. Brayden McNabb flew under the radar last season but was a pleasant surprise for a team that was hurting for success stories. The 24 year old played in 71 games for the Kings after their defense started to fall apart due to injuries and the Slava Voynov situation. McNabb finished the year giving the Kings confidence that they had a player who can play in every situation and has shown a knack for smooth passing that leads to offensive opportunities. He will be partnered with newly acquired veteran Christain Ehrhoff and it will be interesting to see if this new 2nd pair can really gel.

Pair 3:

Alec Martinez (6’1” 209 lbs.)  – Matt Greene (6’3” 234 lbs.)

Although Matt Greene has been slowed by the many tough miles that are on his skates, he continues to be an on and off ice leader on the Kings. Back in a familiar role, partnered on the 3rd pairing with Alec Martinez, both of these players benefited from the Christian Ehrhoff signing. The signing allowed Martinez to go back to his position on the 3rd pairing, a role he has won 2 cups in, and places him back with his longtime partner Greene.

Youngster Jamie McBain is expected to handle the 7th d-man duties to start the year with veteran Jeff Schultz and former Kings first round pick, Derek Forbort, seeing the ice at some point.

Between the pipes:

Jonathan Quick (6’1” 22O lbs.) – Jhonas Enronth  (5’11” 165 lbs.)

What can be said about this guy that hasn’t already been said? Quick is the man. He’s athletic, reliable, and will steal a couple games for the Kings that they have no business winning. Playoffs? He might be the best in the business.  Joining him this season will be Jhonas Enronth, a 27 year old who signed with the Kings after a brief stint in Dallas. The Enronth signing does a couple things for the Kings –

It gives them a reliable backup to Jonathan Quick – Enroth, appeared in 50 games with Buffalo and Dallas last season. In 131 career games, the Stockholm native is 43-61-14 with a 2.88 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, and five shutouts. Enronth also allows the two King’s prospect goaltenders –  J-F Berube and Patrik Bartosak another year to continue their development in the Kings system. Peter Budaj (Boo-dye), might have my favorite name in the NHL but is a longshot to make the team after signing a try-out contract.

– JD Dorfman