A very important summer
While playoffs were preached at the beginning of the season by some of the veterans, the real goal was for Kings management to fully evaluate some of LA’s fringe players. With the young talent currently playing in Ontario soon to crack the lineup, it’ll be interesting to see who gets brought back into the fold next year.
Players like Austin Wagner, Blake Lizotte, Matt Luff, Carl Grundstrom, and Andreas Athanasiou, who all played important minutes this season, could have a hard time cracking the lineup next year.
There is a lot of work to do for general manager Rob Blake and the company this off-season. With the expansion draft looming, a top ten pick in the entry draft coming up, and lots of cap space to work with, this will be a very important summer for the future of this franchise.
Jack Eichel, anyone?
The 2021 season was a disappointment, yes, but to say it has been a failure would be wrong. Young players were given a chance to develop, and others were evaluated. The high-end prospect pool is on the cusp of making an impact, and the LA Kings should be a better team going forward.
So pump the brakes on any fire Todd or GMRB talk.