Los Angeles missed the playoffs last season for the 2nd time in 3 years. In that third year, they were quickly bounced out of the first-round.
It’s been quite the fall from grace for a team that won two Stanley Cups. LA had been a power in the league for years, boasting one of the best systems in the league and the players to execute it. The Kings stifled opponents, controlling play dramatically, and scoring just enough.
And even now, they still have a lot of those pieces. Jeff Carter is an elite scorer. Anze Kopitar continues to be a two-way stud.