Crowning the Kings of the NHL
The Los Angeles Kings haven’t lived up to their royal moniker since Wayne Gretzky was breaking hearts of fans across Ontario, instead playing more like the league’s jester. Now, after taking a stranglehold against the New Jersey Devils, they could soon be kings of the entire league. What’s even scarier is that the Kings are built to last.
Los Angeles is the only team in the history of the NHL to take a 3-0 series lead in each of the four best-of-seven series. So, they’re pretty good, despite fumbling through a large portion of the season. When Jeff Carter arrived via trade, however, the team sizzled down the stretch, going 13-5-3 and increasing their offensive output by almost one goal per game.
The core of the team is under 30 and some players, like Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Slava Voynov, are under 25. The two oldest players, Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi, are still playing quality hockey and have team-friendly contracts.
Even more encouraging is the fact that Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Kopitar and Doughty are all locked up long-term, and there is still one year left before Jonathan Quick becomes a free agent and two seasons before Dustin Brown does as well.
After the season ends, the Kings don’t have any major pieces set to hit unrestricted free agency, either. Dustin Penner has had a great playoff after a disappointing season-and-a-half since coming over from Edmonton, but he’s not putting GM Dean Lombardi in a must-sign situation. Neither is third line center Jarret Stoll, who may use the bright lights of the playoffs to earn a nice pay increase, but one that the Kings don’t need to be on the hook for.
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With 20 players signed for next season at only slightly over $54 million, the Kings can cut loose their own free agents and pursue some of the top names available. Theoretically, the Kings could start next season with both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on the roster and still be under the projected salary cap. If the Kings choose to forgo chasing the big names in free agency, they can dangle Jonathan Bernier to a goaltending-starved team like Tampa Bay or Columbus to bring in talent. These are pretty nice options to have.
As if this doesn’t paint a rosy enough future, despite making some big trades the last few years, the team still has a decent farm system. Hockey’s Future recently ranked the LA system as the 12th-best in all of hockey, and with the fifth-youngest team already, the Kings should enjoy lasting success.
The future is not as bright for New Jersey. The Devils made a remarkable turnaround from one year to the next, going from the lottery to a berth in the Stanley Cup Final, but the success might be fleeting as they face two pressing issues heading into next season.
Star winger Zach Parise is an unrestricted free agent, and with a tumultuous ownership group he may choose to see what the open market has for him. As the best forward available, Parise will command a huge contract, one which the Devils, reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy, may not be willing or able to match. Parise is New Jersey’s best two-way forward, and losing him would be monumental. When Parise missed almost all of 2010-11 with a knee injury, the Devils responded by falling flat and finishing in the draft lottery.
New Jersey could also find themselves without the constant from their three Stanley Cup victories, Martin Brodeur. The 40-year-old Brodeur has seen his play dip the past two seasons, although he’s had a renaissance playoff and may decide to go out on his own terms, rather than let the game tell him his career is over. That would leave the Devils without a goaltender as there is no heir apparent waiting to step in.
Furthermore, the New Jersey system isn’t brimming with talent to help replace any major losses. Hockey’s Future ranks the Devils farm system at 22nd, and if New Jersey forfeits this year’s first-round pick as penance for the Ilya Kovalchuk signing, the chance of that trending up is remote.
While the system isn’t likely to help the team in the near future, to make matters worse, the current roster is old. The Devils are the second-oldest team in the league, with players like Patrik Elias, Marek Zidlicky and Petr Sykora 35 years or older. Father Time wins all battles, and many older players experience a swift and sudden decline. That doesn’t mean it will happen next year, but relying on a 36-year-old Elias to crack 70 points again is a major gamble.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Expecting the Devils to land back in the lottery, even if they lose Brodeur and Parise, is extreme. Kovalchuk was one of the 10 best players in the league this season, and Adam Henrique emerged as a potential No. 1 center in his rookie year. Plus, Travis Zajac will start next season healthy and Adam Larsson, although scratched for most of the playoffs, still holds tremendous potential. Those four players represent a strong core moving forward, and with only 13 players signed through next season the Devils can re-tool on the fly to complement them.
The Kings have largely had their way with the Devils in the Stanley Cup Final, and with no major issues in the offseason, remaining among the NHL’s elite should be just as easy. For New Jersey, getting back in the series will take a Herculean effort, something management must match in the offseason to keep this team elite.
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