As each NHL team is eliminated from playoff contention -- either mathematically or by losing in the postseason -- we'll take a look at why its quest for the Stanley Cup fell short in 2017-18, along with three keys to its offseason and a way-too-early prediction for what 2018-19 will hold.
What went wrong
A number of things went right for the Los Angeles Kings, actually.
The departure of Darryl Sutter and promotion of John Stevens to head coach allowed some key Kings to locate their long-lost smiles. Anze Kopitar's point total increased by 40. Dustin Brown's increased by 25. Drew Doughty's increased by 28. Jake Muzzin's jumped 14 points in eight fewer games. Jonathan Quick won the Jennings Trophy in leading the Kings to a 2.46 team goals-against average, and he anchored a league-best penalty kill (85.0 percent). All of this was quite good!
Not as good: Losing Jeff Carter for all but 27 games after surgery in October to repair an ankle tendon. That impacted the team's secondary scoring behind the Kopitar line, as the Kings were 16th in goals per game, at 2.89.
The Kings were inconsistent, even in making a return trip to the playoffs as the first wild card after missing out last season. Alas, the Vegas Golden Knights rolled through them in historic playoff victory.
Keys to the offseason
1. The Drew Doughty conundrum.
Doughty, the Kings' Norris Trophy-winning defenseman, is entering the final year of his contract. The Kings can re-sign him after July 1, maxing him out to an eight-year contact that no other team can give him without the benefit of a sign-and-trade.
But Doughty has made a lot of noise about maximizing his market value, to the point that he said he'll trade contract numbers with fellow 2019 unrestricted free agent Erik Karlsson.
Does Doughty re-sign? Does he test the market? What can the Kings do to ensure that their 28-year-old cornerstone defenseman isn't playing the same role for, say, the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019-20?
2. Improve the offensive depth.
This is an obvious need. The Kings don't have much cap space to work with this offseason -- just under $3 million, by Cap Friendly's count -- but making this lineup more dangerous beyond the top two lines is essential. One interesting call: winger Tobias Rieder, a trade-deadline pickup from the Coyotes who is a restricted free agent and had six points in 20 games.
3. Making the right call on draft picks.
The difficult call for general manager Rob Blake is how to utilize the Kings' draft picks. He didn't want to dabble in the trade-deadline rental market, citing the Kings' lack of high draft picks in recent years due to trades. To wit, Gabriel Vilardi, their bright, young prospect skating for the Kingston Frontenacs this season, was the first first-round pick the Kings made in three seasons.
Does Blake move some high picks to bolster the lineup, or does he play the long game?
Realistic expectation for 2018-19
The next wave of talent for L.A. was impressive this season, including Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. But the old guard still has a window to contend, though it's shrinking rapidly.
Brown, Carter and midseason trade addition Dion Phaneuf all turn 34 next season. Kopitar is north of 30. So is Quick. Do they have another playoff appearance in them? Sure, if the stars shine as they did this season. But Blake needs to figure out the years beyond that -- with the hope that Doughty remains part of them.