After winning two Stanley Cups, the Los Angeles Kings have not aged well. Their 53 points are good enough for 30th in the NHL, ahead of only the Ottawa Senators. On top of that, there are six players over the age of 30 on the roster with contracts valued at $4 million-plus, none of which expire until 2021. That six becomes a seven once Drew Doughty turns 30 in December, and by that point, his cap hit will have ballooned to $11 million through 2027.
All of this has serious news sources pushing the “Lose for Hughes” plan while fickle Los Angeles sports fans find more interesting things to do than brave the trip downtown to Staples Center.