One team that has flown under the radar for some reason is the Los Angeles Kings. In addition to being home to one of the game’s best goalies in Jonathan Quick, the Kings boast several talented players in Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson, Anze Kopitar and (potentially) Drew Doughty. Not to mention they traded for one of the best leaders in the game in Mike Richards and acquired Simon Gagne, who though often-injured, has been a stellar performer in the postseason. Gavin Humes of Rink Royalty has this to say about the Kings:
"The Los Angeles Kings head into this coming season with high expectations. In fact, this season is the first in quite a while where the Kings and their fans are perfectly justified in their optimism. Last season’s strong performances were derailed in the playoffs when they encountered a San Jose Sharks team looking to shed their “choker” label, and without their star forward, Anze Kopitar, lost to a brutal injury near the end of the season. Despite the loss, and the fact that the Kings ran into a strong San Jose team, they performed quite well, and converting on an important power play near the end of Game 6 might have turned the entire series on its head."
Read the rest of Humes’ preview at Rink Royalty.