Los Angeles Kings Season Preview

By Cecil Butler III
Associated Content

Los Angeles Kings
2006 Record (W-L-OTL-PTS): 27-41-14-68; 4th in Pacific Division
2006 Postseason (if applicable): n/a
Coach Name (record w/team): Marc Crawford; 27-41-14 (.397)
Key Additions: D Brad Stuart (Calgary); LW Kyle Calder (Detroit); LW Ladislav Nagy (Dallas); C Michal Handzus (Chicago); D Tom Preissing (Ottawa); D Dan Klemm (Dallas)
Key Subtractions: D Aaron Miller (Vancouver); G Mathieu Garon (Edmonton)

Some would call the Pacific division very top heavy with Anaheim, San Jose, and Dallas all fighting for the top spot in the division and the conference. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings have almost quietly put together an offseason where they really overhauled a lot of their team and are looking to improve their standing last season.

68 points was not nearly a good performance, and head coach Marc Crawford will be looking for them to get better with the new pieces. Can the Kings make up the gap between the top of the division and where the Kings were last season, or will this team continue to fall short?

Offense: There is a lot of potential on this team on offense to put some goals on the board. Both with some of the names that GM Dean Lombardi brought in and with some of the players the team already has. For instance, both Ladislav Nagy and Michal Handzus have the potential to be dynamic on offense. Nagy has been a top goal scorer before and coming over from division rival Dallas means he's familiar with the division (Nagy was with Phoenix before, also in the Pacific Division.

Nagy is a good playmaker, but he was also a bit of a threat to score on occasion and he knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. Meanwhile, Handzus' first season in Chicago was over really before it got going. He only played 8 games for them before going down with a knee injury. Handzus can give them a great two-way presence, but he's definitely got the ability to help put points on the board. Looking across the roster, there are some dynamic names there that could be big goal producers.

Mike Cammalleri and Alexander Frolov, both 30-goal scorers, will benefit from the additions of these guys, as well as offensive-minded defenders in Brad Stuart and Tom Preissing. Veteran Kyle Calder has the ability to also stretch the ice and score for them. Meanwhile, Anze Kopitar is a really good player; watch out for him, this really could be the breakout season for them with other moves they made. Lubomir Visnovsky and Rob Blake lead a very offensive defense; they will be joined by Stuart and Preissing. Their offense will be solid.
Grade: B+

Defense: Potential is there, but you have to wonder how this unit will work together early in the season. They have some pieces in place, like Visnovsky, Blake, and possible Calder Trophy candidate Jack Johnson; they will have those free agent signings, Stuart, Preissing, and Jon Klemm, to add to those guys. It will be interesting to see how quickly they all get on the same page. Visnovsky, Stuart, and Blake make them a pretty dangerous offensive team.

Even Preissing and Johnson have skills to offer when it comes to offense. The question is whether they can really stop teams from scoring. Rob Blake is a longtime vet that knows how to play defense, but the rest of the guys will need to play with the same urgency and focus that Blake brings to the ice. Stuart was a defensive liability at times in his previous stops, and Jon Klemm is getting up there in age. The mixing of these guys must be solid or the Kings could allow as many, or more, goals than they score early in the season.
Grade: B

Goaltending: Do the Kings even have their goaltending situation settled? It seems as though the team will definitely go with Jason Labarbera as the starting goaltender, but he really has not yet proven that he's going to be able to assume that role and perform as a capable NHL goaltender. He is not without talent; he was once named Player of the Year in the AHL with Hartford, but the team is still unsure whether or not that success will translate into the NHL.

If he cannot stand up and get the job done, then where does the Kings organization go from there? Would they go with veteran Dan Cloutier, or will they look elsewhere for an answer at goaltender. Labarbera will be afforded every chance to succeed this season, but the Kings want to turn it around quickly and if they feel a goaltending change would facilitate that improvement, then they will not be afraid to pull the plug.
Grade: B-

Coaching: Marc Crawford won the Stanley Cup when he was the coach in Colorado, but that seems like it was ages ago. Crawford's most recent headlines have more to do with the Steve Moore-Todd Bertuzzi incident while he was the coach in Vancouver and being caught laughing on the bench. But Crawford is long gone from Vancouver, looking to get a new start with the Kings.

Last season did not go very well, but he's got a lot more weapons in line this year for the Kings to try and make a run. We know that Crawford likes having a lot of weapons on offense, and he's got some young talent at his disposal. Crawford has the ability to get this team back into contention within a couple of years. More than anything, this could be the beginning of his and the Kings' redemption.
Grade: B+

Bold Predictions
Points/Conference Standing: 75 - 85 pts; bottom half of conference; 6th - 10th in conference)
Team MVP: Mike Cammalleri
Prediction Notes: With the potential offensive firepower combined with the mind of Marc Crawford and his natural aggressive style, it could mean a lot of goals for the Kings. Names like Cammalleri, Kopitar, Handzus, and Frolov could light it up early and often. It wills till be tough with the depth of the three teams in front of them in the division, but the Kings could battle for a bottom half playoff spot. If their defense and goaltending find themselves early, this could really be an interesting season for Crawford and the Kings. In the end, they will not have enough to make the playoffs, but the Kings will be competitive.