Offseason review: Don't sleep on the LA Kings this year
Written by David Quadrelli.
The Los Angeles Kings have gone through some painful years as of late, but after drafting well and being patient with their young prospects, they’re on the cusp of reaping the rewards.
What happened in 2021?
The Kings were actually better than their record suggests, and were actually right in the playoff hunt in the West Division up until the trade deadline. The St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild separated themselves from the pack, but the Kings finished the year with just six fewer wins than the Blues, who made the playoffs.
The Kings’ young prospects took a step, and the organization as a whole continued to add to an already impressive pool of young talent when they drafted Brandt Clarke with the eighth overall pick.
What did they do in the offseason?
Kings general manager Rob Blake made a good bet when he went out and acquired Viktor Arvidsson on July 1st. In exchange, the Kings gave up a 2021 second round pick and a 2022 third round pick, but in the end, became a better team.
Although his production took a slight dip last season, Arvidsson’s scoring touch is undeniable, and he and Anze Kopitar should benefit from playing with one another. Just two seasons ago, Arvidsson potted 34 goals in 58 games with the Nashville Predators.
The Kings also went out and acquired Phillip Danault, the star defensive center who most recently played with the Montreal Canadiens. Danault is going to help solidify the Kings’ forward group and is a solid veteran presence for a team looking to smoothly transition out of a rebuild.
Speaking of veteran presences, the Kings signed defenseman Alex Edler, who has spent the past 14 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. Edler is the Canucks’ franchise leader in almost every category for defensemen, and is one goal away from scoring his 100th NHL goal.
Edler was still logging big minutes for the Canucks last offseason and is exceptional at adapting his game to remain effective no matter how much the league changes.
Andreas Athanasiou was re-signed this offseason as well, while depth forward Trevor Moore got an two-year extension.
What to expect in 2021-22
As it has been for the last number of years, the Kings’ forward group will be headlined by captain Anze Kopitar. Behind him are a whole bunch of hungry but unproven forwards.
Quinton Byfield, whom the Kings selected with the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is going to be a name to keep an eye on.
At just 18 years old, he wasn’t quite NHL ready last season, but after a full offseason of training and 32 AHL games along with six NHL games under his belt, expect Byfield to make a push to be an impact player for the Kings.
The Kings still have some question marks in net and on defense, but Cal Petersen seems poised to take another step. He signed a three-year extension valued at $15 million last week, so the Kings clearly believe in him as the man capable of taking the reins that have been in the hands of Jonathan Quick for over a decade.
One bold prediction…
The Kings will qualify for the playoffs in a Pacific Division where many are already counting them out.
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