2017-18 Primer: Los Angeles Kings
With the NHL season now just a couple of weeks away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Los Angeles Kings.
Last Season: 39-35-8 record (86 points), fifth in Pacific Division (missed playoffs)
Remaining Cap Space: $6.83MM per CapFriendly
Key Additions: F Mike Cammalleri (free agency, New Jersey), D Christian Folin (free agency, Minnesota), G Darcy Kuemper (free agency, Minnesota), D Oscar Fantenberg (free agency, KHL), G Cal Petersen (free agency, Buffalo), F Alex Iafallo (free agency, NCAA)
Key Departures: D Brayden McNabb (expansion, Vegas), F Devin Setoguchi (free agency, Germany), F Jarome Iginla (free agency, unsigned), G Ben Bishop (trade, Dallas)
[Related: Kings Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Anze Kopitar – It’s not always a young player breaking out that brings a team back to contention, and that likely won’t be the case with Los Angeles. Though Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson could have even more room to grow as potential top-line options, it’s Kopitar that will be under the microscope this year.
In what turned out to be a disappointing year for the Kings, Kopitar himself had a frustratingly poor season. Though his point total of 52 still put him second on the team, an extremely low shooting percentage kept him to just 12 goals all year and his possession numbers hit a career low. Kopitar had never scored fewer than 10 even strength goals in his career, but tallied just seven last year.
That said, there may be nothing to worry about for the Kings. The aforementioned shooting percentage is the most likely culprit of the decline, as he came in more than 4% under his career norm. He should bounce back from the low total, though may never again reach the 30+ marks of his youth.
Key Storyline: It was clear in 2016-17 that the entire organization expected to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite being out of a playoff spot at the trade deadline, the team still went out and acquired Jarome Iginla and Ben Bishop to try and sneak in. They wouldn’t, and it ended up costing nearly the entire management and coaching staffs their jobs.
There are new but familiar faces in town to run the show now, as President Luc Robitaille and GM Rob Blake have taken over the front office while John Stevens will take over the head coaching duties. All three have Kings blood running through their veins, and will be entrusted in guiding the franchise back to the promised land.
That may be easier said than done though, as the team has several aging core pieces and a lack of elite prospect capital. They added a couple of solid names in that department at the draft (one of which signed his entry-level contract just today), but will have to keep working to create the type of homegrown pipeline that once carried them to multiple Stanley Cups. Blake and Robitaille were both late-round Kings’ draft picks themselves (in the fourth and ninth rounds respectively), and should have a good understanding of the value of drafting.
With all of this turnover there still remains the looming Drew Doughty decision, as the superstar defender will be eligible for a contract extension as of July 1st, 2018. With just two years left on his current deal, Doughty would be one of the most sought-after free agents on the open market should he ever reach free agency. With that in mind, the new front office will need to decide whether handing out an extremely expensive, long-term extension to a player who will turn 30 during its first year is worth it.
Doughty is clearly one of the best players in the world, but if Los Angeles takes a step backwards and misses the playoffs again, speculation about his availability on the trade market will surely spike.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Sign Jaret Anderson-Dolan To ELC
The Los Angeles Kings have seen enough of Jaret Anderson-Dolan to believe he has earned an entry-level contract, signing the second-round pick to a three-year deal today. The 18-year old forward was selected 41st overall at this year’s draft, after dominating the WHL alongside Kailer Yamamoto for the Spokane Chiefs.
Anderson-Dolan shot up draft boards this past season after exploding offensively, going from just 26 points in 2015-16 to 76 in 2016-17. That included 39 goals and a trip to the U18 World Junior Championships as captain of Team Canada. Though he was held scoreless in that tournament, he could get a chance to return to the international stage this year among the U20 group. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll be part of an improved Spokane team that should end the year with a better record that last season’s 27-33-12 final.
For the Kings, the addition of Anderson-Dolan and fellow 2017 draftee Gabe Vilardi will give a boost to a relatively uninspiring prospect system. While the NHL team continues to age and fall further away from their Stanley Cup runs, there will need to be an infusion of youth at some point.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Los Angeles Kings
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Los Angeles Kings
Current Cap Hit: $68,168,560 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Oscar Fantenberg (One year remaining, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
None
This is not a very young team and the only player to have an entry-level deal is Fantenberg, who is the 25-year-old blueliner, who signed a one-year, two-way deal earlier this year. The defenseman has never played in the U.S. before, but he opened some eyes recently when he found himself on the Kings’ roster to travel to Japan for some exhibition games, suggesting he has a legitimate chance to earn a starting job on the team’s defense.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Mike Cammalleri ($1MM, UFA)
F Jordan Nolan ($950K, UFA)
F Nick Shore ($925K, RFA)
D Christian Folin ($800K, UFA)
D Derek Forbort ($650K, RFA)
D Kevin Gravel ($650K, RFA)
G Darcy Kuemper ($650K, UFA)
F Nic Dowd ($640K, UFA)
Have originally started his career in L.A., Cammalleri returns to his former team after a three-year stint in New Jersey, which came after a three-year stint in Calgary and after a three-year stint in Montreal. The 35-year-old wing isn’t the same guy who put up many 20-plus goal seasons, but the hope is he can fill a back-six line for the coming season at a low price. Nolan will fight for a fourth-line role, while Gravel may also have to fight for a bottom pairing on defense, especially since he is still waiver-exempt.
Shore is one of those young players the Kings hope will have a breakout year. The 24-year-old wing has not been able to put it all together yet. He finished last year with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points, but is capable of more if he can put it all together.
Forbert played on the first line a year ago and managed to play in all 82 games. The team now hopes the 25-year-old starts to cash in on the team’s promise when they drafted him in the first round back in 2010. His defensive proficiency is designed to allow others to focus on offense more. The team also hopes Folin, signed away from Minnesota this offseason, will grab one of the last couple of defensive openings. The 26-year-old played 51 games for the Wild last season, but has had trouble getting a full-time role.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/22/17
The cuts keep coming from training camps around the league as the season draws near, with less than two weeks from opening night. Teams are starting to whittle down the players they’ll take in the regular season. Like every day, we’ll keep track of all the cuts right here:
Anaheim Ducks
F Antoine Morand – Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Colorado Avalanche
F Travis Barron – Ottawa (OHL)
F J.C. Beaudin – San Antonio (AHL)
F Julien Nantel – San Antonio (AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Hayden Hodgson – released from PTO
Dallas Stars
F Nick Caamano – Flint (OHL)
Los Angeles Kings
F Shane Walsh – released from PTO
F Evan Weinger – released from PTO
D Clayton Kirichenko – released from PTO
Minnesota Wild
D Gustav Bouramman – Iowa (AHL)
D Dylan Labbe – Iowa (AHL)
D Hunter Warner – Iowa (AHL)
F Adam Gilmour – Iowa (AHL)
F Pavel Jenys – Iowa (AHL)
F Chase Lang – Iowa (AHL)
F Mario Lucia – Iowa (AHL)
F Gerald Mayhew – Iowa (AHL)
F Dante Salituro – Iowa (AHL)
G Adam Vay – Iowa (AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Niki Petti – Laval (AHL)
F Yannick Veilleux – Laval (AHL)
F Thomas Ebbing – Laval (AHL)
F Antoine Waked – Laval (AHL)
D Stefan Leblanc – Laval (AHL)
D Simon Bourque – Laval (AHL)
D Tom Parisi – Laval (AHL)
F Markus Eisenschmid – Laval (AHL)
G Michael McNiven – Laval (AHL)
New York Islanders
F Kieffer Bellows – Portland (WHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau – Halifax (QMJHL)
D David Quenneville – Medicine Hat (WHL)
New York Rangers
D Sean Day – Hartford (AHL)
D Sergey Zborovskiy – Hartford (AHL)
F Dawson Leedahl – Hartford (AHL)
Vancouver Canucks
F Carter Bancks – Utica (AHL)
F Wacey Hamilton – Utica (AHL)
D Jaime Sifers– Utica (AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights
D Dylan Coghlan – Tri-City (WHL)
F Bryce Gervais – Chicago (AHL)
F Cody Glass – Portland (WHL)
D Nicolas Hague – Mississauga (OHL)
F Stephen MacAulay – Chicago (AHL)
D Kenney Morrison – Chicago (AHL)
D Dmitry Osipov – Chicago (AHL)
F Nick Suzuki – Owen Sound (OHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Patrice Cormier – Manitoba (AHL)
F Francis Beauvillier – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brody Sutter – Manitoba (AHL)
D Kirill Gotovets – Manitoba (AHL)
D Peter Stoykewych – Manitoba (AHL)
G Eric Comrie – Manitoba (AHL)
Training Camp Cuts: 09/19/17
After many teams opened their preseason schedule last night, there will continue to be training camp cuts this week. Teams will be paring down their rosters up to opening night, when they’ll carry just 23 skaters. Here we’ll keep track of all the days cuts.
Calgary Flames
F Brett Findlay – Stockton (AHL)
F Rod Pelley – Stockton (AHL)
F Hunter Smith – Stockton (AHL)
D Kayle Doetzel – Stockton (AHL)
D Oleg Yevenko – Stockton (AHL)
G Mason McDonald – Stockton (AHL)
F Sam Dove-McFalls – Saint John (QMJHL)
F Zach Fischer – Medicine Hat (WHL)
F Glenn Gawdin – Swift Current (WHL)
F Ben Hawerchuk – Barrie (OHL)
F Brad Morrison – Vancouver (WHL)
F Matthew Phillips – Victoria (WHL)
F Mark Rassell – Medicine Hat (WHL)
F Adam Ruzicka – Sarnia (OHL)
D Tyson Helgesen – Spokane (WHL)
G Nick Schneider – Calgary (WHL)
F Joel Lowry – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Daniel Maggio – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Dylan Olsen – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Sam Ruopp – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
D Cliff Watson – released from PTO, will attend AHL training camp
Dallas Stars
F Shaw Boomhower – Missisauga (OHL)
F Zach Roberts – Owen Sound (OHL)
F Tomas Soustal – Kelowna (WHL)
F Cole Tymkin – London (OHL)
F Brett Davis – Kootenay (WHL)
F Jason Robertson – Kingston (OHL)
D Ondrej Vala – Kamloops (WHL)
Detroit Red Wings
F Givani Smith – Guelph (OHL)
New Jersey Devils
F Nikita Popugaev – Prince George (WHL)
F Marian Studenic – Hamilton (OHL)
F Nicolas Guay – Drummondville (QMJHL)
D Jocktan Chainey – Halifax (QMJHL)
D Colby Sissons – Swift Current (WHL)
G Evan Cormier – Saginaw (OHL)
New York Rangers
F Robin Kovacs – Hartford (AHL)
F Adam Chapie – Hartford (AHL)
D Brenden Kotyk – Hartford (AHL)
F Tim Gettinger – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
F Ty Ronning – Vancouver (WHL)
Ottawa Senators
F Pius Suter – Zurich (NLA)
Vancouver Canucks
F Kole Lind – Kelowna (WHL)
F Jonah Gadjovich – Owen Sound (OHL)
D Matt Brassard – Oshawa (OHL)
D Cole Candella – Hamilton (OHL)
D Dylan Plouffe – Vancouver (WHL)
G Michael DiPietro – Windsor (OHL)
Vegas Golden Knights
D Scooter Vaughn – released from PTO
D Nikolas Brouillard – released from PTO
F Alex Barre-Boulet – Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
F Ben Jones – Niagara (OHL)
F Patrick Bajkov – Everett (WHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs – Moose Jaw (WHL)
D Keoni Texeira – Portland (WHL)
D Will Warm – Edmonton (WHL)
G Jiri Patera – Ceder Rapids (USHL)
G Dylan Ferguson – Kamloops (WHL)
Dean Lombardi Hired by Philadelphia Flyers
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweets that Dean Lombardi was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers to do some work under general manager Ron Hextall. Lombardi won two Stanley Cup Championships as general manager of the Los Angeles Kings but was relieved of his duties this spring after the team’s continued struggles both in the win column and with their salary cap issues. The Kings replaced him with Rob Blake.
Many wondered what would happen to Lombardi. He was rumored to go to Philadelphia back in May, but nothing had come out of it until now. What his position will be remains unknown, but Lombardi and Hextall go way back as Hextall was an assistant general manager for Lombardi and the Kings before he got the Flyers GM gig. LeBrun writes that the Kings, who still owe him money for this season have signed off on the deal.
Lombardi also has a history with the Flyers as he served as a scout in 2003 until 2006 before becoming general manager of the Kings.
Doughty Hopeful To Remain With Kings On Next Contract
Last weekend, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had some intriguing comments about his future in an interview with Matt Larkin of The Hockey News where he suggested that he could be okay leaving the team in pursuit of a contender if the team struggles over these next couple of seasons. Speaking with reporters, including Curtis Zupke of the LA Times, Doughty clarified the statement and stated his desire to remain with Los Angeles long-term:
“You just never know what can happen … but I want to be here and I’m pretty sure that the L.A. Kings and all [my] teammates want me to be here, too. I’m sure something will happen and we will get it done.”
Doughty has two years remaining on his current contract with a $7MM cap hit and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019. The Kings already have more than $53MM committed to just 11 players for the 2019-20 season but undoubtedly will be prepared to make a significant offer to keep Doughty around well beyond then.
Marian Gaborik Will Not Travel With Kings To China
The Los Angeles Kings will be heading to China to play two preseason games in just over a week, but Marian Gaborik won’t be going with them. Head coach John Stevens confirmed as much to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, saying that Gaborik would remain in Los Angeles to continue working on his knee rehab. Gaborik underwent a “non-surgical” procedure on his knee in August, and will try to return at some point in camp.
Stevens did say that Gaborik had been skating already, and that he’s working extremely hard to get back to the point where he can return to practice. The 35-year old has put up just 43 points over the last two seasons combined, but some of that could have to do with the chronic knee injury. If it’s fixed, perhaps some of his noticable decline in speed will be mitigated and he can reclaim some of his goal-scoring prowess. If not, it could be a long four years—the time left on his current contract—for the Kings.
Drew Doughty Walks Back Comments About Potentially Leaving Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty walked back comments made earlier about potentially leaving the Kings. Initially, Doughty told the Hockey News that he just wanted to win Stanley Cups and that he didn’t care where he played. Today, he clarified those comments by saying he only wants to win a Cup in Los Angeles. Doughty has two more years left on his deal before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
[SOURCE LINK]
Kings Happy To Have Solidified Goalie Pipeline
- Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider writes that the Los Angeles Kings have finally accomplished their goal of building up their goaltending pipeline with three key acquisitions this summer. The team brought in former Minnesota Wild backup Darcy Kuemper to backup veteran Jonathan Quick this year on a one-year deal. That was step one. However, the key acquisitions were signing Notre Dame goaltender Cal Petersen on the first day of free agency in July and then drafting Matthew Villalta in the third round of the 2017 draft this summer. According to Rosen, that stocks the pipeline for the next few years. Petersen was the first goalie to be named captain in Notre Dame’s history and finished with 23 wins, 2.22 GAA and a .926 save percentage in his junior season, taking the team to its third Frozen Four appearance. He also was among the top five finalists for the Mike Richter Award, which goes to the top collegiate goaltender. The 18-year-old Villalta was a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, picking up 25 wins and a 2.41 GAA and a .918 save percentage for the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.