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ESPN Staff Writer- Chris Peters is ESPN's NHL draft and prospects analyst. The Chicago native previously covered the NHL for CBSSports.com and founded the popular independent blog UnitedStatesofHockey.com where he covered the game at all levels since 2010.
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 2018-19, along with three keys to its offseason, impact prospects for 2019-20 and a way-too-early prediction on what next season will hold.
What went wrong
After the first 26 games of the season, the Los Angeles Kings were basically cooked, with a 9-16-1 record. Included in that span: a six-game losing streak and the firing of coach John Stevens just 13 games into the campaign, with Willie Desjardins replacing him on an interim basis. The Kings had generated 2.11 goals per game at a time when offense was booming. Goalie Jonathan Quick, who has served as a slump buster in the past, played only five games from opening night through Nov. 29 because of injury.
As the Kings' season limps to the finish line, they're the worst offensive team in hockey and in the bottom 20 defensively. Anze Kopitar regressed hard, following up his 92-point Hart Trophy finalist season with the second lowest points-per-game average of his career. Drew Doughty could end up with a plus/minus below minus-30, by far the worst of his career. Jeff Carter's return from injury saw him generate the worst goal-scoring season on average in his career.
What went wrong? Name it, and it probably did for the Kings.
Keys to the offseason
Find the next head coach. Desjardins losing the interim tag to become the Kings' next head coach would be a shock after leading the Kings to a .422 points percentage ... but hey, that would be an improvement over the .421 points percentage he had in his final season in Vancouver.
Among the intriguing candidates to take over behind the bench:
Todd McLellan, fired by the Edmonton Oilers this season, coached GM Rob Blake with the San Jose Sharks
Current assistant coach Marco Sturm, a 14-year NHL veteran who coached Team Germany to Olympic silver last year
D.J. Smith, the Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach who was a Colorado Avalanche teammate of Blake's in 2002-03
Trade Quick. This won't be easy for a few reasons. First, a finite number of teams need a starting goaltender, let alone a 33-year-old one who has battled through injuries and makes $5.8 million against the salary cap through 2023. (At least the actual dollars on his contract drop precipitously after next season's $7 million salary.) Mostly, this isn't going to be easy because Quick was a core member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams and a supremely popular player during the Kings' resurgence. But he doesn't have trade protection, and the Kings need the younger building blocks he could bring back in a trade.
The Kovalchuk question. Ilya Kovalchuk selected the Kings for two reasons: so his family had a great place to live (and since they settled in Beverly Hills, mission accomplished there) and to win a Stanley Cup (which was basically "mission: abandoned" this season). He's shown flashes of the old Kovy during this lost season, but not enough of them, scoring 14 goals and 16 assists in 59 games. He makes $6.25 million against the cap on a buyout-proof over-35 deal, and he has a no-move clause. Does he want to stick around for a rebuild or take his talents elsewhere? More to the point: Do the Kings believe that with a different coach, he could be a difference-maker again?
Maximizing the draft. At the time of their elimination, the Kings were very much in play for the worst record in the NHL this season and the favorable lottery odds that come with it. Either American-born center Jack Hughes or Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko -- the expected top two picks -- could change the trajectory of the franchise, but any of the first few picks could make an impact.
However, their success needs to extend past the top of the draft board. The Kings have seven draft picks in the first four rounds, including the Maple Leafs' first-round pick acquired in the Jake Muzzin deal. (With this draft so critical, one wonders whether the Kings will continue to swat away suitors looking to hire assistant GM and draft guru Mike Futa away, or let him finally get his shot in the big chair somewhere else.)
Impact prospects for 2019-20
The Kings have a very strong prospect pool, but their most promising prospects may not yet be ready to help the NHL roster. There are, however, a few players who should be able to fill depth roles and a few others who might help out a bit later in the season as call-ups. Here are a few most likely to help next season.
Carl Grundstrom, LW, age 21: Acquired in the Muzzin trade, Grundstrom was a great addition to a prospect pool that has some good young players who are a few years away. Grundstrom is one of the more NHL-ready players and already has made his presence felt during his first call-up with the Kings. It's not hard to see him carving out a secondary scoring role for next season.
Sheldon Rempal, LW, age 23: The lesser heralded of the Kings' two big college free-agent signings last offseason, Rempal has made a significant impact at the AHL level for the Ontario Reign; it earned him seven games with the Kings this season as well. Rempal has good speed and combines some energy with his skill. I could see him taking up a scoring depth role next season and helping speed up the Kings' attack. He is going to need to sign a new contract before he can do that, however.
Kale Clague, D, age 20: Playing in his first professional season, Clague has shown the ability to move the puck at the AHL level. I don't think he's quite ready for a full-time role next season, but if the Kings have some room in their bottom pairing, Clague would be an inexpensive option. He ranks fifth among under-21 defensemen in the AHL with 29 points in 52 games.
Cal Petersen, G, age 24: The Kings signed backup Jack Campbell to an extension, but that doesn't change things too much for Petersen. His AHL numbers aren't spectacular, but when he was called up, he was excellent for the Kings, posting a .924 save percentage in 11 games. The odds of Quick making it through all of next season healthy seem unlikely -- and there is that lingering trade scenario mentioned above -- so there should be a time that the team needs Petersen to step up for it again.
Realistic expectation for 2019-20
The danger for the Kings entering 2018-19 was that they could be exposed as a slow, aging group that wasn't built to contend in the current incarnation of the NHL. The good news is that they're going to get younger when (and if) 18-year-old center Rasmus Kupari (drafted No. 20 overall in 2018) makes the jump and after the Kings add another piece in the 2019 draft. The bad news is that Blake has some serious heavy lifting to do when it comes to reshaping this roster: The Kings have eight players over 30 with contracts that extend through 2020, including players like Dustin Brown, Kovalchuk and Dion Phaneuf who have trade protection.
The Western Conference is so top-heavy that it's impossible to rule out any team for a wild-card playoff push, but unless Blake can add offense, clear out some veterans and transform this team into something that resembles the NHL in 2019, it's hard to consider them a favorite to reach the playoffs a year from now.