Los Angeles Kings: 2014-2015 Roster Plotlines
For 2014-15, it’s time to look at the Los Angeles Kings in a different light. Winning one championship is hard. Of the past eleven Cup champions, nine different teams have had to bear a Gary Bettman postgame speech.
The fact that the Kings have won two of the last three shows that they’re no novelty. It’s driven home by the point that they’ve won 41 playoff games over that span. To put it in perspective, that’s one more victory than they had in their first Cup-winning regular season!
Jun 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) celebrates after a goal by right wing Marian Gaborik (not pictured) during the third period in game five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
We enter this season with GM Dean Lombardi in empire building mode. While it appears as if the team already carries a lot of mileage, don’t be fooled by those grizzled playoff beards. The majority of the players are in the primes of their careers or haven’t even started it yet. Can you believe that Jeff Carter and Mike Richards haven’t touched 30 yet? Even Justin Williams, who I’m certain fought in the Crusades, somehow sits at the highly functional sports age of 32!
Currently, the Kings sit only a million dollars under the cap, but face greater issues in the near future.
The Kings have everything. Skill, size, speed and the best goaltender in the game. They are deep, experienced and have the proven chemistry to overcome historic adversity. Even the front office has built a more than adequate pipeline to fill holes without the luxury of high draft picks.
If there are any hole in the organization, it’s that they don’t have a time machine to erase the salary cap clause from the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Currently, the Kings sit only a million dollars under the cap, but face greater issues in the near future.
Jarret Stoll, Justin Williams, Alec Martinez, and Robyn Regehr will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the year. Most likely, Martinez and Regher will walk, Stoll will be retained if he takes his second pay cut and Williams will leave unless he signs another long term deal during the season.
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At the same time, the Kings face more complex set of issues dealing with their restricted free agents.
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will all be looking for pay raises. Complicating matters, Andy Andreoff and Brayden McNabb are two prospects that must clear waivers if they don’t make the team at the start of the season. Seeing how they are both capable and cheap, there has been credible rumors that the team will try to move one of their RFAs before during the preseason.
Jun 3, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings general manager Dean Lombardi during media day before game one of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Lombardi is juggling two payroll issues this season. While the Kings are under the cap, it is important to have flexibility for the coming season to make roster adjustments due to performance or injury issues. We saw the team slowly shed some of their contracts last season to gain space which eventually led to room for Marian Gaborik. Similarly, this is a pattern that will repeat itself this season.
Jun 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) waits for a face off against the New York Rangers during the second period in game five of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The other problem to address is Anze Kopitar’s free agency after the 2015-16 season. Seeing how Patrick Kane and Jordan Toews just signed long-term extensions with a cap hit of $10.5 million, it’ll be safe to say that he will be in that rarified air when his time comes. One thing working in the Kings favor is that the salary cap grew by almost $5 million last season, which is the likely amount of Kopitar’s raise. If we see similar increases the next two years, it’ll mitigate some of the team’s tougher decisions.
The focus for this season is to resign Toffoli, Muzzin and Jones to larger cap-friendly deals, while Kyle Clifford may have a target on his back. Even Pearson may be sell-high candidate if the price is right. We will also see defenseman Derek Forbort get a look as a probable successor on the blue line. There may not be movement with the team’s established players, but even the minor tweaking of the roster will have a significant impact as the team looks to repeat as champions.
Jun 9, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Los Angeles Kings right wing Marian Gaborik (12) takes the puck away from New York Rangers left wing Benoit Pouliot (67) during the first period in game three of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dean Lombardi smells dynasty, but in this day and age it can’t be done by just kicking up your heels. If we learned anything from last season, a series of small moves can make enough of a difference to win a game seven. Or three of them. Or a Stanley Cup. Or to build a dynasty.