3 Kings in danger of regression in 2024-25 season

The 2023-24 season for the Los Angeles Kings brought a considerable change in leadership as head coach Todd McLellan was terminated and replaced by assistant coach Jim Hiller on an interim basis. He managed to lead them to a postseason spot, only to face the Edmonton Oilers for the third consecutive season.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the third time was not the charm, as Edmonton eliminated them to advance to round two, sending the Kings home for yet another early summer. Meanwhile, the Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. This offseason has already brought several notable changes to the roster, with general manager Rob Blake working to improve the team.

Gone is the often-underperforming forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper, returning for his second stint with the team. Cam Talbot signed with the Detroit Red Wings, Matt Roy also joined the Capitals, and Viktor Arvidsson decided to move to the Oilers.

Kings fans are right to wonder when they can expect to go on continued postseason runs again, especially considering that the two most important players on the roster, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar, aren’t getting any younger.

Can longtime defenseman Drew Doughty fend off Father Time?

One of the longest-tenured members of the Kings and an integral part of both of their Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, Doughty continues to plug away in his role as the top defenseman on the Los Angeles roster, playing in all situations.

But the fact remains that he’ll be turning 35 years of age this season, and Father Time waits for absolutely nobody. The good news is that despite having endured injury concerns in the past, Doughty managed to play all 82 regular season games in 2023-24, amassing 50 points.

Doughty’s style of play makes him more susceptible to injuries, and with 1,177 games under his belt, he has accumulated considerable mileage.

Will Darcy Kuemper recapture some of his previous starting glory?

Not long ago, Kuemper was considered one of the top starting goaltenders in the NHL, even finishing fifth in Vezina Trophy voting during the 2018-19 season as a member of the Arizona Coyotes. Traded to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 2021-22 session, Kuemper would help lead the team to their first Stanley Cup victory since 2001, finishing with respectable numbers that included a 2.57 goals against average.

Once again a free agent, Kuemper signed a lengthy contract with the Washington Capitals, whose Stanley Cup window had largely closed in recent seasons. In his first year with the Capitals, he posted a 22-26-7 record as the team missed the postseason.

Last season, Kuemper was supplanted by Charlie Lindgren, who delivered strong performances and relegated Kuemper to the backup role. Kuemper’s 3.31 goals against average was the highest he had posted in a season since his immediate stint with the struggling Coyotes team in 2018 upon his acquisition.

Now, Kuemper will be relied upon as the main goaltender for the Los Angeles Kings, with David Rittich serving as the backup. However, given Kuemper’s recent decline in performance and his mid-30s age, Kings fans have reason to be skeptical about their team’s goaltending situation heading into the season.

Still, General Manager Rob Blake remains comfortable with the tandem Los Angeles has in goal, via Joe Reedy of the Associated Press.

“We’ve had to go to different goalies here in the last couple of years for different circumstances. But, we have comfort in those two getting us where we want to go.”

Kuemper is tied to the Kings for three more seasons three seasons on the five-year $26.25 million contract he inked with the Capitals in 2022.

How will Jim Hiller fare in first season as head coach?

This will be Hiller’s first time entering a season as an NHL head coach, an experience that is always new. Shortly after having the interim tag removed by the Kings, Hiller explained that his goal is to return the Kings to contention by adopting a gritty style of play, via Tracey Myers of NHL.com

“To reach the ultimate goal, you have to play that (gritty) style. So where in other areas of the game with the puck can we try to create more offense? That’s really what it is,” Hiller said on May 23.

“There’s no magic formula but there are things that we can zero in on,” Hiller said. “We can watch video, we can count numbers, we can look at some areas and say, ‘This wasn’t good enough, why wasn’t it? What can we do here to make this better?’ So that’s the stamp.”

Will Hiller be able to not only get the Kings back to the postseason but help them avoid being 1st round fodder for a more talented opponent?

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