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Goals Coming at Fast and Furious Pace It was quite the night around NHL rinks on Thursday with Charlie Coyle of the Boston Bruins and Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets both recording hat tricks while...
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The 2022-23 season was the second in a row in which the Kings made it into the playoffs. However, just like the season prior, they were eliminated in the first round.
Los Angeles finished the NHL betting regular season with a 47-25-10 record, qualifying for the postseason in early April after a win over Vancouver. The Kings lost to the Oilers in the first round for the second straight year in six games.
The Kings made a few moves in the offseason to try to boost their roster and NHL lines, starting with trading for center Pierre-Luc Dubois. Dubois should serve as another one of Los Angeles’ top centers after finishing last season with 27 goals and 63 points.
Los Angeles also signed goalie Cam Talbot and center Trevor Lewis to one-year contracts. Talbot should serve as a backup goalie, going 17-14-2 last season with a .898 save percentage, while Lewis adds a veteran presence and depth to the position. He recorded 20 points last year.
To acquire Dubois, the Kings had to send forwards Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari to the Jets. Vilardi and Iafallo were some of LA’s most productive forwards last season, with Vilardi scoring 23 goals and 41 points and Iafallo tallying 14 goals and 36 points. Kupari, meanwhile, recorded 15 points in his second full season in the league.
The Kings also made another trade by sending defenseman Sean Durzi to Arizona for a second-round pick. Durzi is a solid two-way defenseman, recording 38 points last year, and his nine goals were tied for the lead among Kings’ defensemen last season.
Los Angeles also elected not to re-sign defensemen Sean Walker and Alex Edler and left wing Brendan Lemieux.
Todd McLellan has been the Kings’ head coach for four seasons, recording a 141-115-34 record and leading Los Angeles to two playoff appearances.
McLellan was previously a head coach for Edmonton and San Jose for a combined 11 years. In that time, he led the Sharks to six playoff appearances in seven years and one postseason appearance in four years with the Oilers.
After two seasons ending with the same results, the Kings made some bigger changes in the offseason in hopes of a further playoff run this year. However, with all of Los Angeles’ outgoing offense, they will have to find a way to replicate that in its newcomers.
Dubois should be a strong addition to the Kings’ top six and bring some of that needed scoring, while defenseman Drew Doughty brings solid offense to the defensive side. The West remains a tough conference, but the Kings should have what it takes to return to the playoffs, with NHL odds favoring them to get back as well.
Yes, the Kings won the Cup twice in 2012 and 2014.
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The Kings last made it out of the first round of the playoffs in 2014.
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Todd McClellan is the head coach of the Kings.
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The Los Angeles Kings were founded in 1967.
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