17. Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings got exposed by the Vegas Golden Knights. They scored just three goals in four games. Their lack of discipline hurt them. As did the Kings’ lack of speed, as the Golden Knights skated circles around them.
So what did the Kings do this offseason? Get even older by signing Ilya Kovalchuk. The Kings are an aging team and their expiration date could be this season. Anze Kopitar, Kovalchuk, Dustin Brown (who’s out with a broken finger), Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis, Nate Thompson, Dion Phaneuf, Alec Martinez, and Jonathan Quick are each on the wrong side of 30. That’s a lot of older players to rely on.
A huge reason they made the postseason last year was due to a really bad Pacific Division. The Calgary Flames finished 14 points behind them. They also benefited from a meltdown from the St. Louis Blues, who finished four points behind them. Each of those teams has significantly improved. As have the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kings have enough talent to make the postseason again. But their lack of youth is a bit alarming. Gabriel Vilardi, Tyler Toffoli, Adrian Kempe, Daniel Brickley (who’s in the AHL), and Tanner Pearson are the only young guys worth writing home about. The Kings have a small margin of error and they likely have a bit of regression heading their way as well. That’s a recipe for disaster.