The Los Angeles Kings play game 5 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Oilers in Edmonton, which could be the Kings’ last game of the season.
Regardless of how this playoff season ends, the Kings face a massive off-season that could turn into a rebuild.
Will the Kings promote prospects instead of signing free agents?
Los Angeles General Manager Rob Blake should know the upcoming situation after the season ends. The Kings have no cap room to bring on anyone else in terms of a high-end player but could bring in some homegrown talent to fill roster voids. Los Angeles has unrestricted free agents, including Viktor Arvidsson, Trevor Lewis, Matt Roy, Cam Talbot, David Rittich, and Aaron Dell. Restricted free agents include Blake Lizotte, Carl Grundstrom, Quinton Byfield, Arthur Kaliyev, and Jordan Spence.
The Kings will certainly bring back Byfield, but at what cost? Kaliyev may be on his way out, and all three goaltenders are not guaranteed to return next season. With that said, the Kings also need to turn things around and get some youth on the main roster. The average age of this season’s roster is 28.26 years, 14th in the league. Trevor Lewis is 37, Anze Kopitar is 36, and Drew Doughty is 34.
While Doughty and Kopitar have some time left, Blake might want to let some players walk to open up cap space. In what could be a youth movement rebuild, Alex Turcotte, Samuel Fagemo, and Brandt Clarke could be full-time players next season. Turcotte could slot in the bottom six, Fagemo is a sniper and could see time in the top six, and Clarke is a second-pairing defenseman until Doughty retires.
Los Angeles needs to start bringing in their young talent, who is playing in the American Hockey League with the Ontario Reign.
The Kings are not getting younger, and the free-agent crop is filled with veterans.
Los Angeles could use a nice, young core to be ready when Kopitar, Lewis, and Doughty hang them up. Blake cannot afford to sign veteran players in their ’30s on multi-year deals worth upwards of $7 million per year. He should work with this young talent and slowly bring them into a full-time role before it is too late.
The young talent could help the overall vibe of the team, new faces, and new direction. Fagemo is capable of leading the Kings in goals, while Clarke is an offensive machine from the blue line.
The rise could be turning, but the turnaround could depend on how the season finishes. We could be in for a big surprise on the roster for opening night at the start of the 2024-25 season. The salary cap will go up over time, but the Kings may not have enough talent to acquire a big-name one.
Besides, the young guns in Ontario are extremely talented and could raise some eyebrows with playing time in Los Angeles and prove themselves with an increased role.
Keep your eyes on Blake because he could be trying to save his job this off-season.
PHOTO: Getty Images
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