With nine games remaining on the schedule, the Los Angeles Kings find themselves outside the NHL playoff picture.
But according to one Stanley Cup-winning coach, they could be as dangerous as any team should they sneak their way into the postseason.
Dan Bylsma - who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins to a championship in 2009 - stated his belief that no team wants to draw the Kings in the opening round on TSN 1050 in Toronto on Wednesday:
I think there's always a matchup that you - well I say want to avoid, but you know you don't match up well against that team or that's going to be a different matchup for your team.
But I do know I don't think anybody - anybody - wants to get the L.A. Kings in the first round. So whether you're the top right now with Anaheim looking down, or other teams, you're hoping the Kings don't get in and you're hoping they definitely don't fall to your seed in the first round.
Despite struggling to put wins together over the course of the season, the Kings remain the league's top possession team at even strength with a Corsi For rating of 54.8, a full percentage point over second-place Chicago.
And while the Kings sit one point behind the Calgary Flames in the standings, HockeyStats gives them an 81.4 percent chance of making the playoffs, compared to 36.7 percent for Alberta's surprise team.
As such, the Kings are likely to finish third in the Pacific Division. That could be very bad news for the Vancouver Canucks, who sit in second place.
- With h/t to Nichols On Hockey