NHL Preview 2019-20: Los Angeles Kings

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's former Los Angeles Kings captain and star defenseman - and current General Manager - Rob Blake, who will deserve much of the blame if the season unfolds like I think it will.)

GM: Rob Blake (since 2017). 6/10
Coach: Todd McLellan (since 2019). 6/10

2018-19 record: 31-42-9, 71 points (8th in Pacific Division, 15th in Western Conference), out of the playoffs.

Departures: Peter Budaj (G), Brendan Leipsic (RW), Dion Phaneuf (D), Willie Desjardins (HC), Brayden McNabb (D), Matt Greene (D).

Arrivals: Joakim Ryan (D), Martin Frk (LW), Todd McLellan (head coach).

Top forwards: Ilya Kovalchuk (30 goals, 50 points), Jeff Carter (60 points), Anze Kopitar (captain, 60-85 points), Adrian Kempe (40-50 points), Dustin Brown (20 goals and 40-45 points), Tyler Toffoli (40 points), Trevor Lewis (25-30 points), Kyle Clifford (20 points).

Must-improve forwards: Every single one of them. You don't finish 30th in total scoring and 27th on powerplay scoring and have a ton of players that can be proud of the season they're having, particualrly not with a handful of Olympians in the lot.

Top defensemen: Drew Doughty (35-45 points), Alec Martinez (40-45 points), Derek Forbort (20-30 points).

Goalies: Jonathan Quick (85/100), Jack Campbell (79/100).

Top rookies: Matt Roy (24, D), Blake Lizotte (21, C), Gabriel Vilardi (20, 11th overall pick in 2017, C), Carl Grundstrom (21, LW), Austin Wagner (22, LW).

Analysis:
Ron Hextall, please have mercy on the Kings and take over for Blake.

This situation looks extremely bleak - and it's going to get worse before it gets better because they're not helping themselves get out of it.

Prediction: 8th in the Pacific Division, 31st in the NHL.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Los Angeles Kings

GM: Rob Blake (since 2017). 6/10
Coach: John Stevens (since 2017). 5.5/10

2016-17 record: 39-35-8, 86 points, 22nd overall, out of playoffs.

Departures: Ben Bishop (G), Jarome Iginla (RW), Dean Lombardi (GM), Darryl Sutter (HC), Brayden McNabb (D), Matt Greene (D).

Arrivals: Michael Cammelleri (LW), Darcy Kuemper (G), Christian Folin (D).

Top forwards: Jeff Carter (65-85 points), Anze Kopitar (captain, 60-85 points), Tanner Pearson (50-65 points), Tyler Toffoli (40 points), Cammalleri (should be scoring a goal per two games, hopefully he dresses for over 60, not closer to 40), Marian Gaborik (a three-time 40-goal man who now struggles to score 10 and plays 50-some games per season), Trevor Lewis (25-30 points).

Must-improve forwards: Dustin Brown, the shell of a 24-28-goal scorer who last reached the 15-goal mark in 2013-14 and lost his captaincy along the way; Kopitar, who took on the "C", then signed a deal with a $10M cap hit and buckled under the pressure, going from being one of the best two-way forwards in the game to a checking forward in a single summer - a fate shared around the league by the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrice Bergeron and Tomas Plekanec the very same year.

Top defensemen: Drew Doughty (35-45 points), Alec Martinez (40-45 points), Jake Muzzin (30-40 points).

Goalies: Jonathan Quick (91/100), Kuemper (79/100).

Top rookies: Adrian Kempe (21 years old, LW), Paul LaDue (25, D), Michael Mersch (25, LW), Gabriel Vilardi (18, 11th overall pick in 2017, C), Kale Clague (19, D).

Analysis:
One thing I am not known for is hopeless optimism. I believe in patience and struggle, in working hard to get to where you want to go and striking out many times trying out the same thing more than once until the world catches up with my way - the right way - of thinking.

In essence, I should be the GM of an NHL team.

The Kings barely qualify as such. I believe the shake-up will have some positive effects, and I believe all of last season's under-achievers (chief among them Kopitar) will bounce back. Not enough to make the playoffs, mind you, but enough to contend for a spot until the last month of play, until they run out of gas for lack of depth on offense.

John Stevens will not be able to pull this off. As a matter of fact, the Kings' structure looks like it underwent a putsch, what with the assistant-GM taking over the GM's job and the associate coach - someone he was probably in constant contact with - taking over as head coach. Backstabbers don't make it for long in hockey - sports aren't politics.

Prediction: 5th in the Pacific Division.

Today's Darryl Sutter Quote

The NHL playoffs are awesome because it's the time of year where Los Angeles Kings head coach Darryl Sutter's forced to hold daily press conferences, and more attention is thrown at the league and journalists who wouldn't normally be on the beat get to ask stupid or obvious questions for a soundbite.

Spring must be nearer, because the ever-quotable coach came up with this beauty (fast-forward to 55 seconds in for just that part):



I mean come on, this is probably the most honest and best quote this week:
“You don’t have to do anything. Just try and win. There’s no such thing as a ‘must-win.’ Nobody gets locked up or thrown in the ocean or anything like that. I’m not into that. It’s just a game.”

Never retire, Mr. Sutter, I implore you.

Sports Prank Of The Day (Week? Month? Year?)

How do you mess with a New Jersey Devils fan who happened to be on vacation when they lost the Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings?

Turn his cubicle into a Kings' shrine, of course!

(I'd totally work in that cubicle!)

Drinking From The Cup

What do you do when you've won the Stanley Cup - the hardest trophy to win in all of sports?

You dress your kids up as Spider-Man and let them drink chocolate milk out of it, that's what!

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