Los Angeles Kings 2015 State of the Team

We’ve been going around the NHL and analyzing the state of teams for the 2015 season. Up next is the Los Angeles Kings, a team that won two Stanley Cups over a period of three years.

First, I want to address the elephant in the room. While not many teams in the League have this problem, the Kings’ are in need of an image revamp. If you read the news or follow the NHL or the Kings then you know that illegal activities and legal issues have been the focus of attention this offseason. Defenseman Slava Voynov has been suspended (domestic violence), Mike Richards’ contract has been voided (drugs), and Jarret Stoll was set free to test the free agency market (drugs).

So this offseason hasn’t been too kind to the Kings. Everything has surrounded their extracurricular activities, with good reason, and is darkening the team’s recent rise to one of the better postseason teams.

With that said, let’s take a deeper look into the LA Kings organization.

Management

Dean Lombardi has a lot on his plate. He isn’t just trying to make deals and trades to field a Stanley Cup-caliber team. No, he is also setting up workshops and programs to educate his players on right and wrong behavior. That’s right; he isn’t just a GM, but a father to his team. Lombardi has been front and center about the problems players have been experiencing and has taken the blame, saying that he and the organization have not done enough to educate the players. Well, that is all changing.

I respect and admire how he hasn’t been shy about his team’s issues. I believe he has done a fairly decent job at combating the drama (although many believe he could have done a better job with the domestic violence issues).

Aside from all of that Lombardi has kept busy by adding hardnosed forward Milan Lucic to the roster and re-signing Tyler Toffoli to a two-year bridge deal. It is also worth mentioning that the team re-signed defenseman Jamie McBain. Many people won’t think much of it, but NBC pointed out that this deal may pay off dividends for the team. Other than those signings, Lombardi hasn’t really added anyone during free agency that is worth mentioning.

Darryl Sutter also had a rough year, mostly because there was apparently tension between him and his team. So much tension and hatred existed that Sutter was actually locked out of the locker room. At least, this is what Larry Brooks of the New York Post wrote in a column. The situation was finally straightened out by Lombardi who confirmed that Sutter was prevented from entering the locker room after a win in Tampa Bay.

The team came to his defense:

"“I think he’s demanding and pretty honest for the most part,” Brown said. “Players are going to disagree from time to time. I guess if you’re always agreeing and saying, ‘OK,’ then you’re probably not winning.“The thing with Darryl is he pushes us, but he allows us to push back … ultimately that’s what creates a winning environment. We didn’t have that prior to Darryl, quite honest.” [Los Angeles Times]"

Whatever the status, if they like him or hate him, Sutter is doing something right. His team just missed the playoffs this postseason, but was able to win Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

Sutter is the type of coach that can read the game extremely well and gets results. He’s tough on his players. He’ll tell them straight when they aren’t playing up to his standards. Does that rub players the wrong way sometimes? Of course. Maybe he isn’t well liked, but he does his job well.

Grade: B

Roster

The Kings roster has, so far, undergone some big changes. Aside from losing Stoll and Richards (not that big a deal) and Voynov to suspension (one of the team’s top defensemen), the team also lost Justin Williams, who signed with the Washington Capitals and defenseman Andrej Sekera, whom they gave up a fair share of assets for at the deadline. Without a doubt Williams will be missed. How many players have his postseason resume? Not many. His experience and his veteran presence will be felt.

With all the Kings have lost, it is important to remember who they have. Toffoli will return and Lucic will bring a physical style. He’s a big body and is not afraid of a challenge. Aside from them, the Kings have their core players: captain Dustin Brown, goaltender Jonathan Quick, highly-talented defenseman Drew Doughty, and, of course, you cannot forget Anze Kopitar.

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