Is It Time for the LA Kings to Tear It Down and Start Over?
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 carry over into the postseason, as the Edmonton Oilers once again eliminated them.
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 surrounding this team, but is it time to tear it down and rebuild once and for all?
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, but a loss is still a loss. 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.
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.
Based on previous seasons, Smith is not the best coach, 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 improve it. 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 a while, but this offseason may be the time to do so. Several changes need to be made this off-season to shift the team’s direction. Right now, they are not in a position to make the playoffs or to make noise in them. Teams around them are improving, yet they are still struggling.
A true overhaul is needed, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later, or we can expect the same result next season.
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Categorized:Kings