The Los Angeles Kings and the rest of the NHL has been off for roughly two weeks while the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament has taken place. That break is coming to an end on Saturday as the Kings return to the ice to play the Utah Hockey Club.
There is just under 30 games left in the regular season and the Kings are once again fighting for a playoff spot. These are some of the top questions coming out of this break for the Los Angeles Kings while looking ahead to the rest of the season.
Can Kevin Fiala continue his hot streak?
Kevin Fiala had a pretty rough season and wasn't producing like he had in prior seasons. However, that all changed in the last four games before the break. He would end up with five goals over that stretch and was a big reason the Kings would secure wins over the Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars.
He now is second on the team in goals with 21 on the season and the Kings are going to need him to continue to produce for an offense that hasn't really impressed. Adrian Kempe has shouldered much of the scoring and when he isn't scoring the offense really struggles. A second reliable goal-scorer like Fiala will be a big boost for this team.
Does Brandt Clarke return to being a healthy scratch?
When Drew Doughty made his season debut at the end of January, Brandt Clarke was a healthy scratch for those first two games. It was certainly a decision that was questioned and unfortunately brought up trade speculation that the Kings might move the former first round pick.
Clarke did return to the lineup after only two games but that might have been due to the fact that Mikey Anderson suffered an injury that kept him out of the lineup. Now with Anderson healthy and seemingly ready to return on Saturday, the question remains about what this roster looks like when everyone is healthy.
One notable change when Doughty returned was that the Kings went with a 12 forwards, six defensemen roster alignment. However, for most of the season the Kings have utilized an alignment of 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
A return to this alignment would be the most likely scenario because it is hard to imagine that the Kings would want to keep Brandt Clarke a healthy scratch. If this is not an option, then the next question could help.
What moves do the Los Angeles Kings make at the NHL Trade Deadline?
The NHL Trade Deadline is only a few weeks away on March 7th, which is when all teams must have any trades they want to complete this season finalized. For the Los Angeles Kings, the needs are pretty clear and they will want to improve their offense and power play unit, ideally with a right-handed shooter.
The reason this could help the previous question is that the Kings could offer one of their defensemen, which is a strength of this team. The return of Doughty has created a bit of a logjam so moving either Vladislav Gavrikov or Jordan Spence would create an opportunity for Brandt Clarke but also improve the forward group.
Last season, the Kings were relatively quiet with no notable moves but in 2003 the Kings traded Jonathan Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets and as part of the return got Vladislav Gavrikov. It would be surprising if the Kings don't make any moves before the trade deadline.
Can the Kings' schedule help them move up in the Pacific Division?
The Los Angeles Kings are currently third in the Pacific Division as they are seven points behind the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers but only two points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and five points ahead of the Calgary Flames. While it is a tight race, the Kings have some things working in their favor that could help them move up in the standings.
The first is that they have at least two games in hand on each of those teams with only 53 games played to this point of the season. The Canucks, Flames, and Oilers all have played 55 while the Golden Knights have played 56 this season.
In addition to the extra games, the Kings are going to be at home for the majority of their remaining games. Out of the 29 games left in the regular season, 19 of them are at home which they have been very tough to beat. They currently have a home record of 17-3-2 with a road record of 12-14-5 and if they keep playing at this level at home, they certainly could go on a run and put pressure on the Oilers and Golden Knights.