The Los Angeles Kings went into the playoffs with quite a bit of confidence that they would have a successful and deep postseason run. While it would have been an extreme longshot to see them get to the Stanley Cup Final, there seemed to be a good chance that they could win one or two rounds.

However, the Kings were short-circuited in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers once again. The Oilers knocked the Kings out of the postseason two years in a row, so that meant the Kings were not going into the offseason thinking that their fortunes would turn around as a matter of course.

Instead, major changes were made, both through free agency and the trade front. The Kings had traded for Joonas Korpisalo with the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to the trade deadline, and his performance during the regular season was one of the reasons that the team had confidence going into the playoffs.

However, Korpisalo was lost to free agency as he signed a deal with the Ottawa Senators, a team that believes a solid goaltender will make the difference in them becoming a playoff team.

As a result, the Kings went after and signed the much traveled Cam Talbot. While Talbot has had several impressive seasons in his career, he has rarely been able to string them together.

That could be good news for the Kings since he was not good last year for the Senators. Talbot had a 17-14-2 record last season with a 2.93 goals against average and an .898 save percentage.

This move seems to be a net loss for the Kings, and worth a grade of C-minus.

Kings acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois

Technically, Dubois was traded to the Kings by the Winnipeg Jets, but in reality he was a free-agent acquisition. Dubois wanted no part of remaining with the Jets, but he put his name on a contract with them so he could get the maximum value in a sign-and-trade deal with the Kings.

In addition to being happy to be out of Winnipeg, Dubois is elated to sign an eight-year deal with the Kings that will pay him $8.5 million per season. The center is likely to play a second-line role with the Kings, as Los Angeles still has Anze Kopitar to man the No. 1 spot.

The Kings are expecting consistency and production from Dubois because they certainly gave up a lot to get him. The Kings gave up Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari, and that means the heat will be on Dubois to produce from the start.

Pressure has been an issue for Dubois in the past, and the only way it will dissipate is if he gets off to a sharp start.

He seems to be going in with a strong attitude, and he may be a bit more mature than the player who was with the Blue Jackets and Jets for the first part of  his career.

“Honestly, I think it’s just an opportunity for me to be who I am. I think I’m misunderstood at times,” he said. “I think now it will be a fun opportunity for me to just be who I am and not show anybody, not prove to anybody but just fully be me.”

Kings have strength up the middle

One of the most widely accepted concepts in the NHL is that if a team is going to win consistently, it has to have strength up the middle. The Kings appear to be in a solid position as they will be able to deliver Kopitar, Dubois and Phillip Danault up the middle. There is a chance that Danault will be the No. 2 center and Dubois will have to be the No. 3 center. Even if that is the case, the Kings are expecting Dubois to have a highly productive offensive year.

He had a career best 63 points last year, and that included 27 goals and 36 assists. Dubois was a solid performer with the man advantage, tallying 11 of his goals when opponents were shorthanded. He also had a solid 13.2 shooting percentage, and that's a trend that will likely continue in the seasons to come. He has never been below 11.4 in any of his 6 seasons in the NHL.

The acquisition of Dubois has come at a high price. While there could be a big payoff if he adjusts quickly to his new surroundings, the Kings have given up a lot. Give the Kings a grade of B for this acquisition.