Los Angeles Kings: 3 storylines to watch this season
The Inconsistent Champion
The Los Angeles Kings have developed a habit of limping through the regular season, before turning on the jets and overpowering everybody come playoff time.
That's fine in a league which doesn't exactly celebrate Presidents' Trophy champions, but as the Kings look to add to their dynastic resume, a "signature season" should be the expectation. Winning 16 games in the playoffs is great and all, but sustaining greatness for seven months throughout the regular season takes more skill and commitment and should probably matter more to hockey fans and to the Kings.
Can Jonathan Quick and the Kings bring their usual playoff brilliance to the regular season? If they're looking to cement their status as the greatest team of the salary cap era, they'll have to.
Mike Richards
In the salary cap era, efficiency is key and the Kings have powered their multiple recent championship victories on the backs of precisely that type of efficiency.
The Kings have zero confirmed no-trade clauses on the books, they have useful players on entry-level deals throughout the lineup, and general manager Dean Lombardi's contract work has been spectacular. As other contenders like the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins spent September weakening themselves in order to become salary cap compliant, the Kings were able to stand pat.
Continuing to be efficient will be a mounting challenge for the Kings going forward, particularly with Tyler Toffoli, Tanner Pearson, Jake Muzzin, Kyle Clifford and Justin Williams signed to contracts that are set to expire following this season, and Anze Kopitar's deal set to expire the subsequent summer.
Keeping the concept of efficiency in mind, it'll be worth watching Kings fourth-line center Mike Richards closely this season. Richards was never a serious compliance buyout candidate this June, but probably should've been.
Richards hasn't been a top-six quality forward in a few years now, hasn't managed more than 50 points in a season since 2010-11, and is signed through 2019-20 on a deal that carries a $5.75 million cap-hit.
This could get ugly if Richards doesn't bounce back this season. The multiple Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold Medal winner can still help a team win games, but he's admitted that his commitment to fitness has been lacking. Perhaps a summer rededicating himself in the gym will pay dividends.
The Kings are likely to face some very difficult choices in the not-too-distant future, and when they do, it'll be as a direct result of Lombardi's decision not to exercise a compliance buyout on Richards deal. They better hope that the juice in this case, is worth the squeeze.
Doughty for Norris
With Zdeno Chara losing his fastball, Kings defender Drew Doughty is probably the best blue-liner in hockey.
For a variety of reasons, be it his lack of counting stats, or his playing most of his games in the Pacific Time Zone, Norris Trophy voters haven't given Doughty much credit in recent years.
Is this the year that the NHL's best two-way defenseman gets some serious consideration for an award he should perpetually be considered for?