LAK HALFWAY HOME: REPORT CARD TIME

LOS ANGELES, CA — With a 24-12-5 record halfway through the NHL’s 2024-25 campaign, the Los Angeles Kings have been one of the season’s pleasant surprises.

Losing Drew Doughty to a broken ankle in the first preseason game, many thought the injury would snap the Kings’ three season streak of making the postseason. While some wrote them off, the team showed resiliency in the face of a massive loss. They stuck to their identity of being a strong defensive team while adding some toughness resulting in them being in the thick of the Pacific Division race and on pace for a franchise-best regular season record.

I routinely give out grades at the halfway point, but nothing is routine today given the tragedy of the devastating wildfires that engulfed my hometown. My home is located just outside the Palisades Fire evacuation zone, and we are fortunate to have not been affected. But friends of mine have lost their homes and I assume some reading this have been affected as we rebuild and recover from this historic tragedy.

Sports can help the recovery by giving a couple of hours of escape in challenging and difficult times. Taking three hours to watch a game doesn’t reduce the magnitude of the devastation, and it won’t bring back what we’ve lost, but the few hours we spend away from the gravity of the moment is an important escape.

FRONT OFFICE

Rob Blake: B

It’s a provisional B because the first 82 games are just window dressing for how Blake will be graded, the results in the post season. He’s recovered from the disastrous P-L Dubois deal with an off-season that’s turned out to be strong (Darcy Kuemper bounce back season, the addition of toughness and size by both internal and external assets, the installation of Hiller as full-time coach) but the lack of a right-handed scoring presence is becoming a larger concern.

HEAD COACH

Jim Hiller: A-

He wins by playing 11 forwards and seven defensemen. He’s restored Los Angeles’ home ice advantage on the corner of 11th and Figueroa. He’s established a contender-level defense without Doughty by getting buy-in from his players and instilling confidence in a team that’s lacked it. If the Kings could find a way to win the Pacific, Hiller would have to be in the conversation for the Jack Adams Award. What keeps him from an “A” is one thing – the 29th ranked powerplay that is not only non-productive but that takes momentum away in-game too often.

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar: A

Regression? What about progression? The 37-year-old captain continues to defy Father Time and is on a point a game pace that would give him his highest point total since the 2017-18 season. He continues to lead by example in his penultimate season as a King. Maybe one more season after the expiration of his two-year deal. Why not?

Adrian Kempe: A

On pace for his second 40-goal season of his career, he’s more than just a goal scorer. He’s a core player, a leader in the room, an alpha dog on the ice and doing it at a $5.5M cap hit for this season and next.

Warren Foegele: A

He’s forged a solid partnership with Quinton Byfield and on track to set a career-high in goals that would prove that his 20-goal campaign last season in Edmonton wasn’t all due to having Leon Draisaitl as his pivot. The speed on the wing he provides has been a key both at 5-on-5 play and the penalty kill. Another bargain at $3.5 million per for this season and two more.

Alex Laferriere: A-

He’s already eclipsed his career high in goals (13) just halfway through his sophomore season. His recent goal drought (one in 13 games) robs him of an “A” grade but he’s establishing himself as a top six forward with his all-around play. Will be interested to see how he handles the third period benching and public criticism from Hiller in Edmonton.

Quinton Byfield: B

Despite lower offensive numbers, his play on the defensive side of the puck has improved significantly. The trust from Hiller has grown over the season’s first half, Byfield is no longer shielded against the opposition’s top centers and his presence on the penalty kill has helped improved the unit’s proficiency. Despite that growth in his game, his offensive production must improve over the final 41 games.

Alex Turcotte: B

The best number for Turcotte is the first column you see on his stat line – games played. With good health, he’s forged a presence on the top line with Kopitar and Kempe and the 12 minutes a night he averaged in the first half should elevate over the second half. There’s still a question as to how productive a goal-scorer he will be and will get chances on the top line.

Tanner Jeannot: B

Brought in to provide more toughness, Jeannot has done that while being on pace for double-digit goals. The suspension he received for his blindside hit on Vancouver’s Brock Boeser was the low light of his first half, but he’s added a facet the team will need in the postseason.

Kevin Fiala: C

The player who defines “risk/reward” and with diminishing returns, coming off consecutive 70+ seasons, he’s on pace for a 44-point season due to his inability to facilitate for his linemates. He’s on pace for another 25+ goal season but the eight assists he’s registered is a massive drop due to his inability to find permanence on the depth chart at 5-on-5 and the powerplay’s failure. You can live with his flaws given the roster his offensively talent-laden but not at half the production of prior seasons.  

Phil Danault: C

Though still playing 17 minutes a night, Danault appears to have lost a step this season, and it shows in the goal column, only three which is considerably off the pace of the 17 he potted last season. The reduced production has him trending towards a 3C role which isn’t a bad thing, but it amplifies the need for Byfield to be an offensively productive 2C.

Trevor Moore: C

The injury bug has returned and has produced a significant fall off from last season’s career-high 31 goal campaign. You can see the visible frustration at times from missing games and significant reduction in goal production (a 13-goal pace) making him one of the players that needs to raise his offensive game in the second half.

Trevor Lewis: C

The outcry from some corners about Lewis is fascinating for a player who has the coach’s trust and plays just a shade over 10 minutes a night. He’s a rarity – a player who’s hit the coveted 1,000 NHL games played milestone despite scoring only 101 goals – and has accepted the role that others might not. Assuming he’s healthy, he’ll continue to be a fixture on the fourth line.

Samuel Helenius: C

The 4C of the future arrived a season early and hasn’t appeared out of place in the 21 games he’s appeared in. The needed shift towards size on the bottom-six has started with him and fellow rookie Andre Lee. There doesn’t appear to be much upside in his offense, so high single digits in goals scored looks to be a ceiling but his on-ice presence sets him up for a solid NHL career.

Andre Lee: C

When Lee and Helenius play together, it’s a sight Kings fans have rarely seen. The 6’5” winger coupled with the 6’6” center gives the opposition something to think about when they step on the ice together. He potted his NHL goal in the last game he appeared (January 1 vs. NJ) and may not get the same 19 games he got in the season’s first half but appears to be on track to be a future bottom six winger.

Akil Thomas: C

This season was going to be the one that Thomas established himself after multiple injury-plagued ones, but it hasn’t worked out. He’s had one short stint on injured reserve but otherwise has been a healthy scratch since late December. He may get more ice time in the second half in favor of Lewis but most nights he’s likely the extra forward.

DEFENSEMEN

Vladislav Gavrikov: A

When Doughty went down, Gavrikov stepped up for both his teammates and himself. After Mikey Anderson had an uneven start, Hiller moved Gavrikov to his off/right side where he’s excelled. Playing almost three minutes more than his career average (23:55 vs. 21:05), he stabilized Anderson’s game, and you could make the case for him being the team’s first half MVP. To his benefit, his best season comes as his contract expires at season end which makes the decision to re-sign him a more difficult and costly one.

Mikey Anderson: A

Rock solid. Reliable. Dependable. Like Gavrikov, Anderson’s been asked to do more in Doughty’s absence and he’s responded with his best season as a King. He’s added more offense to his game – equaling his career-high in goals with a team-leading five for defensemen – while possessing one of the best value contracts in the NHL ($4.125M cap hit for six more seasons).

Joel Edmundson: A

It was Rip City when Blake signed Edmundson on July 1, 2024 for $15.4 million over four seasons. The critics were loud about the massive overpayment for the 31-year-old rearguard despite the fact Edmundson was and is an improvement over last season’s LD3, Andreas Englund. In this case, the critics were wrong, Edmundson has also thrived with elevated ice time, has become a reliable partner for Brandt Clarke and is a leader in the room.

Brandt Clarke: B

The progression is there – not so much with his offense but on the defensive side of the puck. It’s evident the work that Clarke put in last summer has made him a more well-rounded defenseman, his gap control has improved significantly and he’s learned to hone in his offensive aggressiveness when necessary to limit the risk in his game. The question remains as to how high his offensive production will be.

Jordan Spence: B

Like the entire defensive corps, Spence has quietly had a solid first half. It doesn’t appear he’ll be more than a 25-30 points scorer and any powerplay time he receives will evaporate when Doughty returns, but Spence is an above average RD3.

Jacob Moverare: B

The unquestioned nicest guy in the room is becoming more impactful as the season lengthens. His defense-first approach has found chemistry with Spence over the past few weeks and although he’ll see less ice time with Doughty’s return looming with Gavrikov going back to his natural left side, the Kings should feel fortunate that he’s escaped a waiver claim multiple times.

Kyle Burroughs: B

The “designated” 7D who’s value goes way beyond the eight minutes a night he plays. A newcomer when arriving by trade over the summer and a far reduced role than what he experienced in San Jose, he’s been fully embraced by the team with his locker room presence that has helped this team become more connected off the ice.

GOALTENDERS

Darcy Kuemper: A

Ok, you wouldn’t trade Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a pick for Kuemper, but the trade for Dubois has worked out. Kuemper has only three regulation losses in 21 starts and his .923 save percentage and 2.11 goals-against-average is among the league’s best. He’s both stolen games and kept the Kings in games early with big saves. The numbers he’s posted aren’t an anomaly – he’s had three full seasons with a save percentage of .920 or better – and if he stays healthy (two trips to the IR is a concern) he may be the No.1 key to finally winning a playoff round.

David Rittich: B

He’s shared the net (19 starts in 41 games) but hasn’t produced the sterling numbers that Kuemper has (11-9-0, .887 save percentage) and that could lead to a lessened share in the season’s second-half. A known quantity that you want in a 1B/2 goaltender.

SECOND HALF OUTLOOK

With the loss to the Oilers on Monday night, the Kings start the second half of the season in third place in the Pacific Division and the reality of a fourth consecutive first round playoffs match with Edmonton a reality. Despite trailing the first place Vegas Golden Knights by eight points with two games in hand, the schedule is very friendly when they will play 21 of 29 games at home starting with the February 5 match against the Montreal Canadiens.

If they can continue the home ice dominance they’ve established under Hiller, a first-ever Pacific Division could be in the offing.