SO MANY QUESTIONS IN LOS ANGELES AS 2024-25 SEASON BEGINS

LOS ANGELES, CA — A key to success in sports is consistency, the ability to replicate performance,  and as the Los Angeles Kings commence the 2024-25 season, they have established a level of consistency.

Over the past three seasons, they have averaged a shade over 100 standings points. It’s a level that some NHL franchises aspire to achieve, but as Opening Night in Buffalo arrived (not an optimal place to open for these Kings based on recent history, but a successful showing in Game 1), another measure of consistency – three consecutive first-round postseason losses (all to the Edmonton Oilers) – is a greater measure of where this franchise currently stands.

On the heels of the third consecutive early ouster, change was at hand in the off-season. General Manager Rob Blake, who some thought would be the first and most significant casualty of change, was given another off-season to get his team to legitimate Stanley Cup contender status.

Blake’s teams are 0-for-4 in the post season – Los Angeles was swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in his first season after taking over for Dean Lombardi in addition to the Edmonton losses – and while taking three seasons to return to the playoffs with the 2018-19 season is a reasonable amount of time for a rebuild, the consistency of playoff failures say that Blake has managed the Kings into a level of mediocrity that is difficult to escape. The team hasn’t proven to be good enough to win the Cup but isn’t bad enough to garner high draft picks.

What hovers over this team, which makes it difficult to assess how they perform over an 82-game schedule, is the fractured ankle to defenseman Drew Doughty that potentially has him missing up to 40 games this season. I believe the LA forwards group is superior to last season’s, the challenge is how well they defend without their best defenseman in combination with losing arguably its best defender on the blueline, Matt Roy leaving via free agency. Giving more time to Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke may replace Doughty’s offense but how they play in their own end is a substantial unknown.

At the start of a season with more questions than answers for the Kings, currently 1-0-1 after losing in overtime to the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon, I’m posing one question for each member of the organization. How these questions are answered will tell the tale of the upcoming season.

MANAGEMENT

GM Rob Blake – When will your team win a playoff round? A question in place for the last four seasons as Los Angeles hasn’t won a playoff round since winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2014. But it’s not a question that should be asked to a General Manager entering his eighth campaign. Blake has the benefit of a non-reactionary ownership that has tolerated the lack of post-season success that others don’t.

Coach Jim Hiller – Who’s the Boss? Hiller’s ability to turn the team around last mid-season earned him a multi-year contract (interesting that Hiller is presently signed longer than Blake). The team responded to a change in personality from deposed coach Todd McLellan, but the season ended the same way it had for the two prior seasons. With a full training camp to effect change, can the first time NHL coach lead the team out of mediocrity and closer to championship contention?

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar – Does Old Man River just keep rolling along? You take for granted slotting in Captain Kopi for 75 points and 20 minutes of continuing excellent two-way play and he’s still the team’s No.1 center entering his 19th NHL season at age 37. There’s no sign of regression in his play, especially after netting a hattrick in Thursday’s opener, but if there is, who will emerge in the middle?

Adrian Kempe – Can he rejoin the Over-30 Club? Kempe led the team in scoring for the first time in his eight-season career, improving his point total for the third consecutive season. The only blemish was the drop in the goal-scoring total from 41 to 28. Kempe spoke at camp open about his puck luck last season (his shooting percentage dropped by 5% to 11.4) which Kempe chalks up to not getting the bounces he got in previous two seasons.

Trevor Moore – Can he stay in the over-30 club? A career-best bounce back season saw Moore eclipse the 30-goal mark (Blake can put on his resume he traded and developed a 30G man) for the first time in his career. The best part of his game is his willingness to shoot the puck (second to Kempe in shots-on-goal last season) and his partnership with Danault has worked well. It was only health that resulted in the 30-goal season, but early season success went along way to boosting his confidence. Maybe a move to the Kopitar line is in his future if Laferriere doesn’t produce but a 50-point plus season should be in the cards.

Alex Laferriere – Will he succeed in the rare top line air? Blake did not swing big in free agency or the trade market for a big-time scoring winger and as a result the second-year player starts on a line with Kopitar and Kempe. This time last year, no one had the Harvard kid making the roster much less playing 81 games and scoring 12 goals. That’s solid for a middle-six player and the question is can he elevate significantly offensively or is he Alex Iafallo 2.0?

Phil Danault – 2C or 3C? Like his pivot brother Kopitar, there is consistency when it comes to production. You can slot Danault in for 50 points and solid two-way play. The 27 goals registered in his first season in LA is not in the cards, but consistency and reliability are. If Quinton Byfield emerges offensively in his shift back to center, having Danault as a 3C would be a significant advantage on most nights.

Tanner Jeannot – Know your role? Brought in for his physical play, Jeannot’s addition is an attempt to change the perception/reality that the team didn’t make it difficult on opponents. Blake surrendered two picks (one a second-round 2025) for a player in the walk year of his two-year deal signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 24 goals he netted for Nashville shouldn’t be expected but being healthy and playing close to 82 games (something he hasn’t done since his big 2021-22 season) is essential.

Quinton Byfield – QBig this season? In his exit interview last May, when Byfield was asked about his continuing role despite achieving success on left wing with Kopitar and Kempe, he responded that his natural position was center. With the trade of PL Dubois, Byfield will get his wish. The first day of camp showed an interesting trio grouping with Fiala and newcomer Warren Foegele, but regardless of his linemates, Byfield must drive play and regain the goal scoring touch in last season’s first half (one goal in his last 24 games including the playoffs). It’s a 23-man roster but his continuing ascension is pivotal to the team’s destiny. If his preseason is any indication, QB may be 1C by the time the season ends. He’s been a 200-foot demon.

Kevin Fiala – Which Kevin? The most explosive and unpredictable player on the team. At his best, he’s a dangerous offensive weapon who led the team in powerplay goals last season (11 goals), at his worst, he still makes questionable decisions and takes needless penalties. He will always be tied to the player that was dealt for him, emerging Wild defenseman Brock Faber but for an average offensive team, it was a necessary move. 30 goals and leading the team in scoring isn’t out of the question.

Warren Foegele – Was the deal Warrented? Bringing Foegele on a three-year contract was a bit of surprise and his presence on wing adds to overall team speed. The 28-year-old is coming off his best season, scoring 20 goals for the first time with the Edmonton Oilers but that mark was achieved with Leon Draisaitl as his primary center (#haloeffect). If he can earn more ice time than his career average of 13 minutes per game and play 82 (far more than the injury-plagued and departed Viktor Arvidsson), his deal has a chance to be a value one like Kempe and Moore.

Arthur Kaliyev – IF? The player who most needed a big training camp and preseason won’t get his chance due to a broken clavicle suffered early in camp. After a disastrous 2023-24 season that led to a reported trade request, Kaliyev and the organization came to camp on the same page, professing a clean slate in the hopes of unlocking an improved player. The injury has turned the possibility of a season of redemption to a probability of another lost season given the timing of recovery of surgery. The best case is that Kaliyev heals well and provides offense down the stretch, but if the team is playing well at the Trade Deadline, he won’t be able to get the opportunity.  You could see him on waivers when he returns to full health.

The fourth line – Who are these guys? The biggest change is on LAK’s fourth line as fixtures Blake Lizotte (signed in Pittsburgh after being a non-tendered restricted free agent) and Carl Grundstrom (traded to San Jose for depth defenseman Kyle Burroughs) are gone. Promises have been made that youth will be served – specifically, Alex Turcotte and Akil Thomas – on this unit but don’t forget the eldest King, Trevor Lewis provided enough value to get one more year at 37 years old. The AHL’s leading goal scorer, Sammy Fagemo is a possibility but only if he finds a way to unlock his offensive talent at the NHL level. Don’t be surprised if Blake explores who is available as an established 4C in the first half of the season.

DEFENSE

Drew Doughty – When? The original question was going to be ‘is it getting old losing in the first round’ but given the broken ankle suffered in his first preseason against Vegas, reduces the question to a singular word.  If you don’t believe any player is irreplaceable, then Doughty is clearly the most difficult player to replace. Los Angeles’ season may come down to the length of Doughty’s absence and how the team plays in his absence. It’s a substantial void to fill.

Mikey Anderson – Ready, Steady, Go? A model of consistency. Put in ink, not pencil, Anderson delivering 20 minutes a night of cerebral play and with the likelihood of a change in offensive scheme, perhaps Anderson can elevate his production that dipped below 20 points last season. Ultimately, he may be a second pair defenseman if a more offensively gifted left defenseman emerges or is acquired, but his partnership with Doughty is a team strength. With Doughty out, Hiller has asked for more from the 25-year-old defender both on and off the ice.

Brandt Clarke – The Next Big Thing? Matt Roy’s departure clears a path to full-time duty for the 21-year-old, who, by appearing in 25 games over two seasons, is ineligible for Calder Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year) consideration. With all the expectations placed on him, no one has higher expectations than Clarke himself. “I expect the best of myself, I want to be great,” Clarke related to me during Kings rookie camp. It would have been preferable to ease him into significant minutes, but the Doughty injury raises the stakes.

Vladislav Gavrikov – Home Sweet Home? Like Roy before him, Gavrikov is a top four defenseman entering the walk year of his deal signed in June 2023. His arrival from Columbus steadied the defense and he added some scoring punch last season with six goals. As for his future, Gavrikov has publicly stated that he likes playing and living in Los Angeles but the decision on an extension likely comes down to price tag. Gavrikov signed a front-loaded two-year deal in June 2023 (cap hit $5.875M, 2024-25 salary $5.25M) and will likely command a deal at $ 6 million per season on his next deal.

Joel Edmondson – Overpriced acquisition? Blake got currency in public forums trading away the enigmatic Dubois to Washington without salary retention but lost goodwill with the $15.4 million, four-year deal given to the veteran defenseman. His size and physicality are badly needed and the $3.85M AAV isn’t as obscene as critics think given he’s been a $3 million per season player since 2018-19 season. In fairness, such a cap hit for your LD3 is as high as you will see in the NHL.

Jordan Spence – RD1 or bust? As is the case with Clarke, opportunity is at hand with Roy’s departure. His first full season in LA was solid in a third pair role (2G, 24 A in 14:28 average TOI) and that experience likely puts him a skate up on Clarke for the spot next to Gavrikov.  With Doughty missing, he may lead the right defenseman in time-on-ice as the team awaits the real RD1 return.

Kyle Burroughs – How many minutes? The defenseman acquired from San Jose for Carl Grundstrom was thought to be a depth add but it’s likely he plays at least 17 minutes a night in Doughty’s absence. He’s the most NHL experienced right side defenseman but not by much as Burroughs has only 168 NHL games on his resume. Burroughs will leave the offense in the hands of Clarke and Spence with Burroughs starts the season with Gavrikov.

Andreas Engulnd – No more whipping boy? Given the response of some to the Edmundson free agent deal, the heat given to the bottom pair role player should lessen. The presence of Jeannot and Edmondson won’t leave Englund on an island when it comes to mixing it up, the primary reason he suited up for every game last season, but it won’t be the case this season.

GOALTENDING

Darcy Kuemper – Second time the charm? Through trading and drafting, Los Angeles has rebuilt the goaltending pipeline. Kuemper will be the answer to the future Dubois trade trivia question, David Rittich and Pheonix Copley returned on one-year deals and most importantly, Erik Portillo, Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky are the next generation. Kuemper may be the equivalent of an NFL system quarterback, more a function of the team around him (winning a Cup in Colorado, losing the starting job in Washington to Charlie Lindgren). Kuemper hasn’t looked particular sharp in the preseason and the split of games between him and David Rittich is unknown.

PREDICTION

With six players departed from the squad that played in Game 5 in Edmonton last May, a turnover of more than 25 percent of the roster was significant. But without adding an impact player and with the aging core, how impactful will the new faces be?

Will Kuemper be an improvement over Cam Talbot? Does the toughness and physicality Edmundson and Jeannot bring provide a deterrent to opponents? Can Byfield continue his ascension and Clarke provide impact in his first full NHL season? Turcotte and Thomas will bring energy but how much offense can they add?

Assuming Los Angeles stays in the top eight, where they land in the eight isn’t consequential (though some will say landing anywhere where they don’t face Edmonton in the first round is). Despite the lack of playoff success, if Los Angeles were to reach the post season for the fourth consecutive season, it’s no small feat – only eight NHL teams have reached the post season for the past three seasons.

Los Angeles may have a better team and still may regress in the standings – a drop to 95 points as a wildcard is what my prediction is – but despite the documented difficulty of getting to the postseason consistently – like the last two seasons, it’s all about playoff success.