KINGS REACHING BREAKING POINT?

TORONTO, ON — The Los Angeles Kings have two wins in the month of January. I witnessed one of them last Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

After beating the New York Rangers 2-1 a week ago, the schedule markers gave them a gift with the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres up next. It was a great opportunity to pick up three straight wins and silence the doubters. But L.A. blew a tire against the Sharks and lost in overtime, and then blew up entirely in the final two periods of a 5-3 loss to the Sabres.

With another loss Friday in Colorado, the Kings have the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators up next before the All-Star break. Kings GM Rob Blake has been adamant about finding answers from within, chatter picked up in the second half of this week over a possible coaching change.

Before the club’s 2-1 victory over the Blueshirts and subsequent losses to two of the worst teams in the NHL, Blake told reporters Todd McLellan’s job was safe. After Monday’s loss to San Jose, McLellan admitted there was concern and “definitely frustration” in the room. Following Wednesday’s mess, he took ownership after Dennis Bernstein asked him if his seat is getting hot.

“I’m responsible for this,” McLellan said. “When you look at the team that played the first 25-30 games, it doesn’t look like the team that’s playing right now. And I’m responsible for it.”

With his team freefalling – not even the public shaming from teammate Drew Doughty got the Kings on track versus the tough Avalanche – Blake might not have any other choice. The Kings are up against the salary cap, so a major roster move is unlikely. The Kings get Viktor Arvidsson back from back surgery in February, which should help, and maybe Blake wants to see what his team can do with three threatening (on paper) lines, but how much longer are they willing to wait?

And what are Blake’s options? Does he look external to potential candidates like Craig Berube or Gerard Gallant, or would he be more inclined to stick internal and give an interim tag to Marco Sturm, the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate in Ontario?

There’s smoke. How the Kings play in the next few weeks (or days) will determine how big the fire gets.

McLellan has also tried lighting a different kind of fire under the seat of prized off-season acquisition Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Dubois has been shaky all season. With 10 goals and 10 assists in 46 games, he isn’t living up to the hype of an $8.5 million player. To his credit, though, he’s always in the dressing room when the media walks in and is always willing to field questions, even the uncomfortable ones. I asked him this week about his role with the club and his performance, which he admitted isn’t nearly where it should be.

“I think when you get to a new team, there’s a lot of things to figure out,” he said. “I had a lot of experience my first year in Winnipeg, kind of bouncing line, bouncing around positions, trying to figure out where you’re going to fit in. When you’re in a team for three years, you have your role and then you just go with it; you have a flow with it, and you don’t even have to think. When you go to a new team, the flow is broken, you got to find a new rhythm. I’m still trying to figure that out.

“The players (in L.A.) have been great trying to help me out and get in that rhythm. I’m sure one I get in it, it will feel natural again.”

The 25-year-old understands there is plenty of public criticism after such a major move and given how well Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo have performed with the Jets. McLellan has met with Dubois multiple times this season to try and get him rolling, and while he has shown signs of breaking out, the consistency hasn’t been there.

Dubois knew coming into Los Angeles that his role would be different this season because of the club’s depth up the middle. He seems confident he will turn his game around, and leaning on the likes of centres Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault for assistance has been educational.

“Everybody knows that if you want to win a Stanley Cup in this league, you need a lot of things, but you also need the four centres to be solid,” Dubois said. “The only way to get better sometimes is learn from the best, and being able to play with Kopi, Phil and (Blake Lizotte) have been great and the discussions we can have are pretty fun too.”

With 36 games left in the regular-season, the times for studying might be over and proper production from Dubois and the rest of the Kings will be what gets this team back to where it was before the calendar flipped to 2024.

The team’s playoff hopes depends on it, and McLellan’s job might, too.

PRICEY PANTHERS

Sam Reinhart picked up his 36th goal of the season on Friday, good for second in the NHL in goals behind only Auston Matthews. The Florida Panthers know how important he is to their core and overall success and contract negotiations are expected to pick up at some point this season. But so far, they have not started, a source with knowledge of the situation told TFP this week.

During an interview with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli earlier this month, Reinhart stated he has “got no problem with contract negotiations being ongoing” in the middle of the season, prompting many to believe talks were underway.

However, his comments were taken out of context, I’m told, and the Panthers and Reinhart’s agent have not had any negotiations, to date.

That doesn’t mean the two sides aren’t talking. As Reinhart also mentioned, the lines of communication between the club and his rep are “positive,” but there is a different between talking and negotiating. So far, actual contract negotiations have yet to begin.

Panthers GM Bill Zito does have his work cut out of him. Reinhart’s teammate Brandon Montour is also due for a big raise, despite having an off year offensively compared to the 73 points he put up in 2022-23, but the team has to think long-term and who else might be ready to cash in on a big deal.

Enter Carter Verhaeghe.

The 29-year-old is tied with Matthew Tkachuk for second on the Panthers in points (49), behind Reinhart. Verhaeghe has another year left on his contract and you can be sure the Panthers will want to have a conversation with his camp after the season – and they know they’ll have to pay up.

Verhaeghe has a salary cap hit of $4.166 million and he could see that number double on his next season.

With over $50 million in projected cap space for the 2025-26 season, about $17 million to $18 million could be allocated towards Reinhart and Verhaeghe’s next deals. It’s too premature to concern yourself too much that far out, but you can be sure the Panthers are aware of it.

HERE AND THERE

• Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios tried to reduce the noise surrounding defenceman Jakob Chychrun this week, but that won’t shake the fact he is willing to listen to trade inquiries, as I reported earlier this month.

• Teams have not only called the Montreal Canadiens about rugged defenceman Arber Xhekaj, but some have also pitched offers. In fact, word is the Habs received an offer for a young NHL forward, a former first-round pick, with second-line potential. Montreal declined.

• The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to explore the trade market, but the sense I’ve gotten the last two weeks is that GM Brad Treliving isn’t eager to make a move. Maybe, but I believe the more accurate description is that he is not eager to pay a premium to fill potholes – and he can’t repave the entire road. The Leafs remain interested in guys like Chris Tanev, but until they up their offers, they’ll remain on the sidelines. I believe they’ll move their first-round pick, but they have to love the return. And teams have asked about Fraser Minten, but he isn’t on the table for a rental. The sense of urgency might pick up closer to the trade deadline, but that’s where this team is at, right now.

• Calgary has lost four straight and are now seven points back of a wildcard spot in the West. At some point soon, maybe sooner than later, the Flames will begin to shift into sell mode. Who goes first (or second, if you consider Nikita Zadorov first) is anybody’s guess, right now.

• With all the talk in Vancouver surrounding the Canucks’ interest in Jake Guentzel, it wouldn’t be shocked if they focus on a second-line centre, instead. If Pittsburgh stays in the playoff race, moving Guentzel might not fly too well with captain Sidney Crosby and Penguins ownership – even in a walk-year. Elias Lindholm is on their radar and could be a prime rental addition.

• Term wasn’t announced when Patrick Roy was hired as Head Coach of the New York Islanders, but I’m told it’s a three-year contract (the rest of this season and the following two seasons).

• Danny Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers were busy this week locking up Owen Tippett and Ryan Poehling to contract extensions. We saw Tippett’s deal eight-year deal coming down the pike after Anthony Di Marco reported three days earlier the Philly was getting serious about a deal. We didn’t see Poehling’s two-year deal, but a nice piece of business by the team. But these contracts weren’t the only thing the Flyers had cooking lately. On the trade front, Morgan Frost’s name has popped up again and I believe the Flyers have been engaged in trade discussions – they are still willing to move him in a talent-for-talent type of move. I’m not sure a trade will occur before the deadline, as this type of move may be better served for the off-season, but never say never.

• Adam Henrique will be a popular guy over the next four-to-six weeks. The Anaheim Ducks are collecting information and trade calls, and as I reported earlier this month, there seems to be a willingness to move him well in advance of the trade deadline. If the Ducks eat half his deal and are willing to take a contract back on top of it, I think the Edmonton Oilers could pursue.

• The San Jose Sharks are expected to speak with Alexander Barabanov’s camp during or shortly after the All-Star break. The Sharks like him, but unless they give him a juicy extension, I’m led to believe he’ll be moved by the deadline.