2014-15 record: 40-27-15 (95 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Dustin Brown
After three straight years of at least making the Conference Finals, winning the Stanley Cup in two of those years, the Los Angeles Kings' late rally towards the playoffs finally fell short. The 2014-15 season was a forgettable one for them, as the cloud of legal issues and under-performance by some key players conspired to finally bring down a team that was looking to make their usual late push. Now, they will have to soldier on without clutch performer Justin Williams and defensemen Robyn Regehr and Andrej Sekera. In addition, the dark cloud off the ice claimed both Jarrett Stoll and Mike Richards, while the same cloud still hangs over Slava Voynov, who missed much of last season while he was sorting out those issues. The good news is that 2015-16 will be a new year, and they add Milan Lucic to the mix, who will be looking to add physicality. A healthy Tanner Pearson, as well as a bounce back year from Dustin Brown, would help immensely, as players such as Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Tyler Toffoli, and Jeff Carter had to carry the load too often up front. Defensively, Drew Doughty was a Norris Trophy finalist despite just registering one power play goal, but along with Jake Muzzin, wore down as the Kings' blue line depth was severely tested throughout the season. Getting healthy support players is key to continued success, although it would help more if the offense picks up a little. Jonathan Quick was his usual self, though 72 games is a little much, particularly since the Kings didn't have a great deal of confidence in the since departed Martin Jones despite equally solid numbers from him. It will be up to Darryl Sutter to find a way to give Quick more rest and have confidence in new backup Jhonas Enroth.
Prediction: 2nd in the Pacific Division
The Kings will rank near the top in puck possession once again. However, more of those pucks need to end up in the back of the net if they want to try for a third Stanley Cup in five seasons. Getting some much needed help for star players such as Quick, Kopitar, and Doughty would also be great, as well as some consistency in winning games, as the slow start, end strong method finally caught up with the Kings last season.
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