The Los Angeles Kings took a big step forward last season, putting together a storybook run to the playoffs. Is the Kings new core ready to contend?
2021-2022 Season Performance
Regular Season
The Kings didn’t get off to a quick start to the 21/22 season, but a 7 game winning streak before the 20 game mark propelled them into the hunt and they held off the Golden Knights for the third seed in the Pacific. They got there with a strong 5v5 game, where they generated much more than they gave up. Finishing was a big concern, as was the powerplay. While the kids started to make an impact, it was veteran offseason additions that propelled the team into the playoffs as Phillip Danault and Victor Arvidsson had strong seasons.
Playoffs
The Kings drew the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. They played a hard fought 7 game series, but the star power of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl proved too much. The Kings were unable to control the flow of play in the series as they generally had in the regular season but their goaltending was excellent and held them in most games. Their lack of finishing carried over, though, and may have been the difference in the series.
Looking Ahead to 2022-2023
Offseason Moves
The Kings big offseason move came via trade prior to the draft. They acquired Kevin Fiala from the Wild as a salary cap reality set in in Minnesota. Fiala is projected as a top line forward and is just entering his prime. Strong goal scoring ability should help alleviate some of the scoring struggles the Kings experienced last season.
Aside from Fiala, the Kings had a fairly mundane offseason. They resigned a handful of players on expired contracts, both RFAs and UFAs. Alex Edler is one such player, and he brings a strong impact and a veteran presence to the Kings blue line. With plenty of young defensemen coming up through the system, Edler’s experience will be a welcome addition.
According to CapFriendly, the Kings have about $1.3M in cap space with a 22 player roster. It leaves some wiggle room as the season gets underway.
22/23 Roster
Despite their success last season, the Kings roster doesn’t look ready to push into contender status just yet. The addition of Fiala was a key move to add talent to the top six, but their bottom six still needs some work. Their offense is expected to struggle once again and the play of 36 year old Jonathan Quick will go a long way to deciding their fate this season.
Pacific Division Landscape
The Kings are in tough if they hope to repeat their 21/22 results. The Pacific looks stronger this season, with Edmonton, Calgary, and a healthy Vegas team all looking strong. The Kings sit well back in the projected standings and will have an uphill battle to make the playoffs in 22/23.
Long Term Outlook
It’s not all doom and gloom for the Kings, however. Hockey prospecting has the Kings rated with the 4th best prospect pool in the NHL and the majority of the players they have under longer term contracts are in their primes. As the youth develops and starts to push into the NHL, the Kings should be able to supplement their core with young talent and push their way up the standings.
Want to check out more projections for the 22/23 season? Sign up for an annual membership to get access to all 22/23 team and player projection plots and peruse the full set of free agent player cards. Plots will be updated through the offseason as the 22/23 rosters take shape and updated to track progress through the season.
Historical player data from Natural Stat Trick. Contract data from CapFriendly.
