NHL Team Preview:  Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have been trying to get back in the postseason as they ended the 2020-2021 season tied with the San Jose Sharks for sixth in the West Division with 49 points (21-28-7). Los Angeles added to their team from the previous season and really kept their entire team and got rid of a couple of draft picks. 

This season will be telling to see exactly where they should head in the future. 

Big Additions

One big addition that the Los Angeles Kings have made was in their only trade in the offseason. They acquired right-winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators for two draft picks. Last season, he played in 50 games and finished with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists). 

They also signed a pair of free agents as they acquired defenseman Alexander Edler as he played his entire career in Vancouver and he only had eight assists in 52 games last season. He did, however, provide quality minutes in a backup line as a veteran. Left-winger Phillip Danault also signed as he finished last year with 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 53 games with the Montreal Canadiens. 

Impactful Subtractions

Surprisingly, the Los Angeles Kings did not lose many impactful players from the previous season. One player they lost was their third-string goalie Troy Grosenick, who went 2-2-0 with 2.27 goals per game and a .933 save percentage in his career. 

Their biggest non-goalie loss during the offseason was left winger Andreas Athanasiou. He had the most points last season out of any Kings player that is no longer with the franchise as he appeared in 47 games and finished with 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists). They kept each of their top-seven highest point total players so these somehow are their biggest losses for this season. 

Key Players

We are going to highlight the best goalie and best skater for the Kings. Center Anze Kopitar had the best season a year ago and appeared in all 56 games and led the team in points with 50 (13 goals, 37 assists). He has been a part of Los Angeles since his rookie season since the 2006-2007 season so being one of the best veteran players on the team is huge. 

Goalie Jonathan Quick is one of the most important players for any team in the National Hockey League. He was limited last season as he appeared in just 22 games and went 11-9-0 and allowed 2.86 goals per game and a .898 save percentage. 

2021-2022 Win Total

As of this writing, the Kings are listed to finish with 84.5 points at the end of the regular season. They finished with 49 points in the 56-game season a year ago so expecting 13 more wins in 26 games isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. Going with the over for this bet seems to be the better play but nothing for winning the division or even making the playoffs seems a little bit out of the way for this franchise.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.