Luc Robitaille, center, addresses the press after the announcement of his appointment as president of the Kings. Rob Blake, right, is the new vice president and general manager of the team. The announcement was made at a press conference on Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at Staples Center in Los Angeles by Dan Beckerman, left, President and CEO of AEG. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Over the last three seasons, the Los Angeles Kings have had moments when they looked like they could make noise. However, for the most part, they have looked nothing more than a third-place team in the division. Last season they were tremendous at home. That magic did not go into the postseason as they were once again eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. GM Ken Holland, in his first season, had enough of the average play and fired head coach Jim Hiller on Sunday. There are many questions that surround this team but is it once and for all time to tear it down and rebuild?
The firing of Hiller was something we saw coming. It was time and he lost the room. he was replaced by associate head coach D.J. Smith, who previously coached the Ottawa Senators.His first game coaching the Kings was on Monday night in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Although the loss was to a top-tier team, Los Angeles did have some spark, playing three rookies in the lineup. That gave the team more speed and energy,A loss is a loss though. The Kings are falling farther in the standings and they are running out of time.
Los Angeles is losing captain Anze Kopitar after this season and nobody is stepping up to take that first line center spot.The defense still needs adjusting and the goaltender position could use an upgrade. The rookies (Angus Booth, Jared Wright, and Kenny Connors) performed extremely well in their NHL debuts but this team will not win a Stanley Cup with them leading the charge.
The roster needs to be torn down and restarted with a new roster. Only a few players are carrying their weight, including newcomer Artemi Panarin, as he has three points in four games with the Kings. The Kings need more scorers. They need quality defensemen and they need a goaltending duo that can help them compete in the tough Pacific Division.
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The trade deadline is coming up and this will be a critical time for Holland to try to work his magic for the future of this organization.They are low on prospects outside of Hampton Slukynsky and Carter George, both goaltenders. They need prospects who give them hope for the future and right now the options are few and far between.
Aside from the roster, Los Angeles needs to clean house. Smith is not the best coach based on previous seasons so they need to find a tough-minded coach who will lead this team to a better future. Kings president Luc Robitaille should also be replaced as he has done nothing within the organization to make it any better. He has had time to mold this organization into a serious threat and he has failed to do so.
The Kings have not yet had to rebuild in awhile, but this offseason may be the time to do so. Several changes need to be made this off-season to change the direction of the team. Right now they are not in a position to make the playoffs or make noise in the playoffs. Teams around them are getting better and they are still struggling. A true overhaul is needed and needed sooner than later or we can expect the same result next season.
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Categorized:Kings