The Los Angeles Kings are having a disappointing season, to say the least.
The team has underperformed, coaching has been a question, and management may not be in a hurry to make changes.
So the question is: how bad does it have to get before changes are made?
Kings’ GM Ken Holland is in his first year, and it has been a big disappointment. After reportedly signing a three-year deal, his moves have been underwhelming, and the pressure is on him big time. with the team struggling fans are desperate for him to make a move. The roster needs a shake-up and needs one now.
The bad news is that the players who may be available will not fetch a big return or a player of significance.
Unrestricted free agents after the season that could be moved include Andrii Kuzmenko, Corey Perry, Jeff Malott, Taylor Ward, and Jacob Moverare.
Defenseman Brandt Clarke is a restricted free agent after this season, and goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg are not free agents until the 2027-28 season. Unless something changes, anyone on this list will likely garner a couple of draft picks.
Head coach Jim Hiller has been under fire since the first-round loss last season to the Edmonton Oilers. Since then, he has done nothing to suggest that his style has changed, and his roster management has also come into question. In overtime games, he selects players that should be on the bench, often leading to a loss. The team has gone downhill since last season, and Hiller often looks like he has given up. He has no interest in changing anything. Why he still has a job behind the Kings’ bench is the most confusing. If he is let go, some of the names who could replace him include Peter DeBoer, Peter Laviolette, and Bruce Boudreau.
President Luc Robitaille is also in hot water. His decisions to make the Kings better have severely backfired. Hiller should have been gone, and Holland should have never been considered for the GM job, given his track record. Robitaille’s press conferences could be repeated by anyone, often saying the Kings are close and they are right there. The Kings have not come close to the second round in years. He should be out of a job like Hiller and Holland.
The fact that management is in no hurry to make changes is a major concern. This team is sinking in the standings and in confidence. The players often look like they have given up and are getting beaten by teams lower in the standings.
Los Angeles has lost more games than it has won over the past two months and shows no signs of turning this around.
Is management scared of making moves? If nothing changes during the season, then there may be wholesale changes this offseason.
This team is in the most distress I have ever seen.
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