EL SEGUNDO — Mere hours after their sobering elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for a second consecutive season, the Kings were reflective but already looking ahead to another opportunity next year.
Even though the Kings advanced no further in the postseason than last year, in fact they lost in six games in this campaign’s first round rather than seven in 2022, they asserted, to a man, that the team had improved considerably year over year.
“We’re definitely a better team this year than we were last year, I don’t think there’s any doubt at all about that. But, unfortunately, (Edmonton) got better, too,” said defenseman Drew Doughty, who, like winger Viktor Arvidsson, missed last year’s series with an injury but played in all six games this time.
Yet 2022-23 was a banner year during the regular season, wherein the Kings fell a point shy of the franchise record 105 points from 1974-75 and posted the second-best conversion rate on the power play in team history. They scored more per game than in any season since 1993-94, the same moment they last had a 40-goal scorer (Luc Robitaille) before Adrian Kempe potted 41 this season. Trade acquisition Kevin Fiala had six points in three playoff games and, during the regular season, became just the second King to average more than a point-per-game over 60 or more contests in a campaign since Ziggy Palffy in 2003-4.
If literally every Kings player and coach proved less than persuasive and the numbers rang hollow, take it from the authority on scoring, Edmonton captain Connor McDavid, whose 153 points this season were a throwback to the 80s and the second most ever for a player other than Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux.
“I saw huge growth offensively. We knew their system, they played their system really well. They’re so well-coached, Todd (McLellan) has that group really dialed in,” said McDavid, who played for McLellan early in his career. “A healthy Arvidsson, a healthy Doughty, you add Fiala to that series, that’s a pretty potent offensive side. And the power play, I remember last year it wasn’t clicking the way it was this year.”
Advancement in their own process as well as keeping pace with Edmonton, defending champion Colorado and division winner Vegas, among others, started Sunday. Where General Manager Rob Blake was able to enrich his roster with significant pieces in each of the past two offseasons –– a trio of pick-ups headlined by free-agent signing Phillip Danault in 2021 and Fiala via trade in 2022 –– the Kings now face salary-cap constraints.
“It’s more shaping, probably, this summer. The growth of some more players that are getting into that mix that are pushing the leadership group,” said Blake, adding he didn’t see many holes to fill. “I’m not sure it’s as easy to go and add like it has been in the past summers because of the salary-cap situation for the year.”
Per CapFriendly, the Kings project to have around $2.6 million in cap space for next season currently, which will likely necessitate moves to accommodate re-signings and acquisitions. All three roster players the Kings scooped up at the trade deadline (defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, goalie Joonas Koripsalo and winger Zack MacEwen) are headed toward some form of free agency, as are several members of the Kings’ bottom-six forward group, most notably Gabe Vilardi.
There’s mutual interest in an extension between unrestricted free agents to be Gavrikov and Korpisalo and the Kings, but the cap space they have following extensions for defenseman Mikey Anderson, forward Trevor Moore and backup goalie Pheonix Copley may not be quite enough to sign either, let alone both. Vilardi is arbitration-eligible, and after 23 goals in 63 games, the Kings would likely strive to avoid a hearing by agreeing to terms.
Vilardi provided an internal boost, the type the Kings hope for from some younger players next season as well. One that has been almost as mercurial as he has been tantalizing is sniping winger Arthur Kaliyev, who flashed brilliance at times early on but found himself scratched and then sick during the playoffs.
“Kaliyev can be an impactful NHL player, and not only can be, but we need him to be,” McLellan said.
Defenseman Alex Edler is an unrestricted free agent and fellow rearguard Sean Walker is in the final year of his contract. Edler said he would have to evaluate several factors including team interest, his health (which he said was fine, in fact there were no offseason surgeries awaiting the Kings) and his family’s wishes before deciding to return to the Kings or perhaps the NHL at all next season. Walker, who surmounted a grisly facial injury two years ago and a career-threatening knee injury last season, said that in looking at the totality of the situation, he wasn’t overly confident that he’d return next season. Then, prospect Brandt Clarke will be back in what was already a deep defense corps for the Kings that excluded solid aspirants such as Jordan Spence.
“You know the guys that are coming up, you know where the cap’s at. So, we’ll see what happens,” Walker said. “I know I can contribute and play here, and that’s where I want to be, but at the end of the day, the organization’s got to do what they think is best.”
Blake threw his support behind McLellan, offering only an affirmative “yes” when asked if McLellan would return as coach for the fifth and, for now, final season of his pact. McLellan expressed satisfaction with assistant coaches Trent Yawney and Jim Hiller as well. Yawney worked with the defenseman and ran the penalty kill, the latter of which faltered in the playoffs and often earlier in the season.
Amid the free-flowing dialogue, the elephant in the room was the future of goalie Cal Petersen, who was once anointed the starter and given $15 million reasons to stop the puck over three years. Year 1 of that meaty extension got off to an acrid start at the NHL level and didn’t improve as much as one might expect even after a demotion to the minors, where he competed for most of the season. He wasn’t claimed off waivers and subsequent interest was also evidently non-existent, leaving the Kings with a reclamation endeavor to add to what McLellan described as a “summer project” doing a deep dive on the woeful PK. Petersen, 28, went 16-20-4 with a .904 save percentage in the minors, and performed poorly in two playoff outings, losing both with a .826 mark.
“We’ve got to get Cal to be an NHL goaltender,” Blake said. “That’s why we signed him to (the contract). It was a tough start to the season, in that situation, he was real good about going down and playing games, but that’s a big summer for him to come back and compete.”
When asked to clarify if that meant he thought Petersen would start the year with the big club, Blake’s response bordered on non-committal.
“Yeah, hopefully, yeah,” he said.
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