Is Todd McLellan the right head coach for the Los Angeles Kings?
The Los Angeles Kings, as expected, have announced they have hired Todd McLellan as their head coach. Is he the right coach for a team without an identity?
A few days ago, the Los Angeles Kings were the favorites to hire Todd McLellan to be their next head coach. It didn’t take them long to close the deal after the Buffalo Sabres stepped out of the running. On Tuesday, April 16, the team announced they have hired him to a multi-year deal. The precise details of the deal have yet to be released.
McLellan is a fine coach who has had success in the NHL. Even though he has never won a Stanley Cup, he’s capable of getting veteran players to play hard. McLellan got the San Jose Sharks to consecutive Western Conference Finals once upon a time. And, had it not been for some questionable refereeing, would have taken the Edmonton Oilers there too.
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It’s also worth noting general manager Rob Blake has a strong relationship with McLellan, as McLellan coached Blake with the Sharks. One of the most important ingredients of a successful team is having your head coach and general manager on the same page.
They have a working relationship and they understand each other. Now, how much is that worth? We don’t know. But it is worth something.
However, I’m not sold on McLellan as a fit with the Kings. Sure, they have Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick. If complemented by the proper role players, that’s a core you can win with. It’s a core the Kings have won two Stanley Cups with.
There’s just one problem. The Kings don’t have those complementary players. They’ll have to rely on their young players to fill those roles. McLellan has not done well with young players. Of their top 10 players in points in 2018-19, only three of them are 25 years or younger.
McLellan will have to get the most out of guys like Tyler Toffoli, Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Brendan Leipsic, and Austin Wagner. With the Oilers, he failed to get the most out of those guys.
What the McLellan hire tells me is the Kings aren’t done with this core. If this is the case, they owe it to Kopitar and company to go out there and improve their roster. Blake needs to give McLellan a fair hand at the Pacific Division poker table.
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With the Oilers, he had two aces up his sleeves in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. His current hand with the Kings doesn’t look quite as generous. McLellan could be the right guy in Los Angeles, but only if his general manager makes the roster optimal for him.