A Recap of the 2020-21 LA Kings Season

The 2020-21 season for the Los Angeles Kings has officially ended.

The season brought some bright spots, NHL debuts, and some disappointments.

Over the first 3/4 of the season, the Kings were primed and in serious contention for a playoff spot. They were playing well as a group, and everything seemed to be clicking. We were sure they would claim that last spot if they kept playing well, and, at the time, who would have doubted them claiming that spot? The closer to the trade deadline they got, the more something seemed off. They were not playing the crisp hockey they were.

Jeff Carter was then traded, and that seemed to put the nail in the coffin as they did not play well down the stretch and missed out on that last playoff spot.

During different points of the season, the Kings saw action from some of their young guns. Forwards Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Drake Rymsha, Arthur Kaliyev, and defenseman Austin Strand all made their NHL debuts. This gave us a look into the future and what the Kings have in the fold.

While some played only 1 game, others saw as many as 6—Kupari and Kaliyev ars the only ones to have scored their first NHL goals. The future looks bright for these young guns.

This year was not about wins and losses. It was about seeing what they have in their prospects.

Over the next 45 days, this team may look dramatically different.

The NHL free agency, the NHL draft, and the Seattle Kraken expansion draft are coming up in June.

While no blockbuster trades or moves look to be made, even with cap space available, small depth moves will most likely be made by general manager Rob Blake.

Featured Image: Debora Robinson/Getty Images