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The Los Angeles Kings didn't have much salary cap space to improve their team at the trade deadline. The Kings' main goal is to get over the first-round hump in the playoffs, but they had no choice but to roll with the players they have in the locker room. One move they did make was acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko from the Philadelphia Flyers, which only cost them a third-round pick.
The Kings have to feel comfortable that they'll get a spot in the top three of the Pacific Division. Los Angeles has 83 points with two games in hand on the next closest team, as the Vancouver Canucks sit seven points back. An interesting wrinkle for the red-hot Kings is whether they can catch the Edmonton Oilers. Los Angeles is two points behind Edmonton with two games in hand and five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first in the division.
Were the Kings afraid to use too many assets again this season after all their past postseason failures? Or did they look at the rest of the Pacific Division and believe they had a roster good enough to compete?
Pacific Division's form hasn't been great
The running joke for the Kings is their three consecutive playoff losses to the Oilers. Gary Bettman's playoff format props up division rivalries, but it's something the Kings wish they could avoid. If the standings hold for the remainder of the year, it'll be Oilers and Kings in the first round for the fourth straight year.
It's challenging to have optimism when facing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for at least four games. However, McDavid hasn't been his usual self in NHL play for the last few months. It's undetermined whether it has been an injury he is battling or something else, but he isn't comfortable out there.
Draisaitl missed the Oilers' most recent game with an undisclosed injury, and McDavid also left that one early with an injury. Likely, the Oilers won't be heading into the postseason at 100 percent health, which is a welcome sight for the Kings.
Stuart Skinner has also been struggling for Edmonton this season. There were always questions about whether he was the starting goaltender the Oilers needed in McDavid and Draisaitl's prime, and it's becoming clear he could be an issue. Skinner also left the most recent game with an injury. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Skinner are all on the injury report a month before the playoffs begin, which is problematic for a team hoping to return to the finals.
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The Kings will have to take care of the Oilers first. However, it's worth noting the Golden Knights have also been struggling recently. If Los Angeles can clear the first hurdle, it could be smoother than usual sailing to the Western Conference Final. The conference finals will also feature a battered team from whoever emerges from the daunting Central Division.
Darcy Kuemper gives Kings Stanley Cup experience, stability in goal
The Kings weren't as active at the trade deadline as some may have liked, but their best move already came in the offseason. Los Angeles hasn't had a reliable goaltender since Jonathan Quick in his prime, and they decided their best course of action was to clear up that issue after dropping out of the 2024 playoffs in the first round. In a move that worked out well for both teams, the Kings acquired Darcy Kuemper from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Dubois has been performing well in his first season in Washington, but Kuemper has been lights out for Los Angeles. Although injuries have been a concern for Kuemper, he will elevate the Kings to another level if he remains healthy for the postseason. He started 40 games this season, owning a 2.13 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.
Kuemper has experienced the battles before, winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. He was a victim of a cap crunch in Denver, and it didn't work out as well as he would've liked in Washington. However, he seems right at home again in the Western Conference. If he can lead the Kings through a few rounds, Kuemper can add to his growing resume as a reliable, clutch goaltender.
If there is one concerning thing about Kuemper, it is his health. David Rittich is a significant downgrade in quality, as he owns a 2.75 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage this season. The Kings have plenty of hope and potential if Kuemper is in the crease, but things don't look as good when Rittich comes in.
Either way, the Kings are shaping up to be a tougher out in 2024-25 than they have been in any of the last few seasons.
