Puck Daddy's 2016-17 NHL Preview: Los Angeles Kings

Last Season: 48-28-6 (102 points), 2nd in the Pacific, 5th in the West

The Kings started out their season with three straight losses, being outscored 12-2, which made some wonder if 2015-16 would be a further fall from their 2014 Stanley Cup. They quickly got back on track with seven straight wins and were the class of the Pacific Division for most of the year.

General manager Dean Lombardi got to work with a few moves after the New Year. He dealt for center Vincent Lecavalier, which stabilized their lower lines, and added defenseman Luke Schenn in the same trade. The biggest move the Kings made was locking up franchise center Anze Kopitar to an eight-year, $80 million contract on Jan. 16.

Lombardi acquired forward Milan Lucic before the season, and the hulking winger fit perfectly with 20 goals and 55 points.

The Kings stayed on cruise control for most of the season, and even looked like a Stanley Cup favorite with wins over the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in March. But after Los Angeles beat the Boston Bruins on March 19 to clinch a playoff spot, they slowed down.

After that game, the Kings went 4-6-1 to limp into the playoffs without a division title. They blew a 3-0 lead to the Winnipeg Jets in their last game of the season to lose the Pacific Division to the Anaheim Ducks.

In the postseason, Los Angeles was no match for the San Jose Sharks. The Kings were beat in five games to their rival, which led to an offseason of questions.

Despite the playoff failure, several Kings were rewarded for their regular season successes. Kopitar won the Selke Trophy following a 74-point campaign. Defenseman Drew Doughty captured the Norris Trophy after he notched 51 points while averaging 28:01 of action.

2015-16 Season, In One Picture

Did They Get Better, Worse, Or Are They About The Same?

Worse. The Kings lost Lucic to the Edmonton Oilers in free agency, and their perilous salary cap situation prevented them from making any big moves to bolster areas of need.

Los Angeles looked for value and added forward Teddy Purcell along with defensemen Tom Gilbert and Zach Trotman. Lombardi signed goaltender Jeff Zatkoff to back up workhorse No. 1 goaltender Jonathan Quick. He replaces Jhonas Enroth.

Their core of Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Doughty, Jake Muzzin and Jonathan Quick remains one of the NHL’s best but they didn’t have the flexibility to add pieces to make them better.

Five Most Fascinating Players

1. Jonathan Quick. General managers and coaches consider Quick one of the NHL’s top netminders. He received the third-most Vezina votes last season – a year he had a 2.22 goal-against average and .918 save percentage. But some of his underlying numbers can look troubling. Last season he ranked 12th amongst goaltenders who played at least 2,000 minutes in 5-on-5 save percentage. In the playoffs he had a 3.06 goal-against average and .886 save percentage. There’s always a debate on what Quick is vs. what he isn’t.

2. Anze Koptiar. Kopitar will enter his first season as Kings’ captain at the height of his powers. His 25 goals and 74 points indicated a return to form for Kopitar after a down year in 2014-15. He’s one of the top players in the NHL and his game involves a lot of subtleties. There are some questions as how he will perform as captain, but he should be OK.

3. Dustin Brown.The last several years have been difficult for Brown. During that stretch he has averaged 12.3 goals per-game and 27.3 points per-game. He’s making $5.875 million per-year through 2021-22 and his deal is seen as one of the worst contracts in the NHL. The Kings took Brown’s captain’s ‘C’ from him last summer and he vented about how the whole process unfolded. It doesn’t quite seem his heart is in Los Angeles anymore, but he has several years left on his contract. How will he look in his first season not as Kings captain? Will he end the year on Los Angeles or will Lombardi figure a out a way to trade him?

4. Drew Doughty. Doughty is one of the most dynamic defenseman in the NHL. On any other team, he’d be an offensive threat. On Los Angeles he’s tasked with playing a grinding two-way style that limits his numbers. Norris Trophy voters took notice by giving him the nod for the award for the first time in his career.

5. Tyler Toffoli. The young winger had a breakout season last year with 31 goals. He’s entering a contract year and considering the lack of salary cap wiggle room with Los Angeles, it’ll be interesting to see how Toffoli’s negotiations play out. He’s a fan favorite, embraces the Los Angeles lifestyle and hardly turns down a public appearance when the Kings ask. Toffoli is a great fit for the Kings, but can his camp and the team make a new deal work?

Mascot Hijinks Video Break

Can We Trust Them At Even Strength?

Yes we can. The last several years, the Kings have been one of the best puck possession teams in the NHL. Last season they held a 56.27 score, zone and venue adjusted 5-on-5 CF%. This ranked first in the NHL. The team holds onto the puck for long lengths of time up and down the lineup. Doughty held a 58.66 zone, venue and score adjusted 5-on-5 CF% and Kopitar was at 57.46. Lower line grinder Trevor Lewis held a CF% of 55.44. The Kings certainly have some issues, but even strength puck possession is not one of them.

Can We Trust Them On Special Teams?

On the power play, the Kings can be a dynamic group. Doughty (tem-high 24 power play points) and Muzzin are solid on the point. Kopitar is a presence down low at keeping the puck away from the other team. Jeff Carter has one of the quickest and most powerful wrist shots in the NHL. This group should improve if Marian Gaborik is healthy, which is always a question. Last season they ranked eighth in the NHL with the man-advantage.

The penalty kill ranked 15th in the NHL at 81.4 percent, which is somewhat surprising considering how many solid two-way players the Kings employ. San Jose’s power play torched the Kings’ penalty kill in their first-round series. LA had a 76.2 penalty kill percentage in the postseason.

Can We Trust Their Goaltending?

Quick is a relatively reliable goaltender. Since he assumed the starting role in 2009-10, Quick has started 60-or-more games in five of the six seasons not affected by a lockout. Since his Stanley Cup in 2012, he hasn’t held a goal-against average above 2.24 in a full season, or a save percentage below .915. Zatkoff should be a solid value backup and Los Angeles has Peter Budaj – who was excellent in the minors last season – with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

Player Mostly Likely To Be In Vegas Next Season

The assumption is the Kings will try to get Las Vegas to bite on Brown, but it’s hard to see the expansion franchise taking on that contract.

Coach Hot Seat Rating (1-10, 10 being scorching hot)

2. Darryl Sutter’s last two seasons as coach haven’t gone all that well. The Kings struggled in 2014-15 and didn’t make the playoffs. They were just flat out beat by the Sharks in the postseason last year. Sutter’s two Stanley Cups carry a lot of cred, and Lombardi is extremely loyal – sometimes to a fault. Any other coach would probably be on a hotter seat but it would take a lot for him to get let go. Plus, Sutter just signed a new two-year contract extension so it’s hard to see the Kings parting ways with him any time soon.

Prediction

The Kings will make the playoffs and will finish second in the Pacific Division. They’ll win a round in the postseason, but won’t make it to the Western Conference Final. Contracts for Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson will wait until the summer as Los Angeles works through their salary cap struggles.

2016-17 Season Preview
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper