Five players I’m excited to watch the LA Kings play
With the new division alignments, these five players will be exciting to watch when they play against the LA Kings in 2021.
As part of the return to play plan for the 2021 season, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to temporarily realign the divisions, exiling the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers from the Pacific Division. Instead, all Canadian teams will remain north of the border for the 56-game schedule due to ongoing issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The LA Kings will be part of a hybrid West Division, welcoming in the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild.
We previously touched on several players the Kings will avoid with the all-Canadian division. Still, they’ll be equally replaced with high-quality talent from the new teams entering the West. Let’s look at the five most exciting players the LA Kings will have to face eight times in 2021.
Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
A perennial Hart Trophy candidate, Nathan MacKinnon has blossomed into a top-five player in the NHL, and he’s only 25 years old. The first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft tallied 35 goals and 93 points in just 69 games last night. Combining his speed and stickhandling skills makes him one of the best power forwards in the game.
MacKinnon led the league with 318 shots on goal last season. He’s an excellent asset on the Avalanche’s first power play unit, tallying 12 goals and 19 assists a year ago. The LA Kings defense will have their hands full trying to limit MacKinnon’s production.
Alex Pietrangelo, Golden Knights
The big, free-agent splash for the Golden Knights, Alex Pietrangelo, ended a 12-year run with the St. Louis Blues, who replaced their captain with Torey Krug. The former fourth overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft was part of a top-heavy defensemen draft class, with Drew Doughty selected two picks ahead of him.
Pietrangelo brings a much-needed veteran presence for the Golden Knights, who are Stanley Cup contenders in 2021. Last season, the 30-year-old scored 16 goals with 36 assists in 70 games. Division realignment or not, Pietrangelo will be a problem in the Pacific Division for the foreseeable future.
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Kevin Fiala, Wild
Kevin Fiala is a shining star on a Minnesota Wild team flirting with a rebuild. Fiala aside, the Wild’s top four point-producers were at least 32 years of age or older. The 24-year-old was drafted 11th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Nashville Predators but was traded to the Wild in February 2019. He flourished in the COVID-19 shortened campaign, scoring 23 goals and 54 points in 64 games.
Like MacKinnon, Fiala is dangerous on special teams, scoring nine goals with nine assists for the Wild last season. He played all over the top-nine forwards last season, so he’ll be a tough task for LA Kings’ defenders regardless of which line he plays. We tabbed him as one of three players to watch on the Minnesota Wild.
Cale Makar, Avalanche
The reigning Calder Trophy winner, Cale Makar, is a legitimate scoring threat on the Avalanche’s blue line. Drafted fourth overall in 2017, Makar and Bowen Byram will form a dynamic pairing one day. The former scored 12 goals with 38 assists and a +12 rating in 57 games last year.
He’s an excellent puck facilitator, but he’s also clutch, with four game-winning goals during his rookie campaign. He just turned 22 years old and is only going to get better. Makar was excellent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring four goals with 11 points in 15 games. In two career games against the LA Kings, he has yet to record a point. That will change in 2021.
Kyle Clifford, Blues
Kyle Clifford is the only non-first rounder in this list, but he will always have a special place in LA Kings fans’ hearts. Drafted 35th overall in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft, the 29-year-old won two Stanley Cups in Los Angeles. While he’s not a major point-producer, Clifford is the veteran presence a team like the St. Louis Blues needs, especially with their captain Alex Pietrangelo departing in free agency.
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Last season, Clifford scored seven goals and 17 points split between the LA Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. When he returns to the Staples Center, expect a well-deserved tribute video.