Welcome to the Kings Royal Report. Here we will discuss the good, bad, and ugly of the Los Angeles Kings. It will be a place to bring up recent reports, discuss prospects, brainstorm ideas, and break down the coming schedule. If you are looking for bold and creative ideas, you are in the perfect place! Now, let’s get to the good stuff!
As the Edmonton Oilers prepare for Game 7 against the Vancouver Canucks, Kings fans will get to see what their team is aspiring to be. The roster is filled with talent but they still fell short of making a playoff run. Now, the team has already addressed some of its issues, providing fans with a glimpse of what the rest of this offseason could bring.
Kings Should Target Martin Necas
With the Carolina Hurricanes getting eliminated in Round 2 of the playoffs to the New York Rangers, rumors have grown regarding Martin Necas’ availability. In early April on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek discussed that the Hurricanes could be forced into moving Necas. Now, Friedman believes Jake Guentzel will be Carolina’s top offseason priority, opening Necas up for trade.
If Necas is made available, the Kings must find a way to bring him to Los Angeles. He is just 25 years old, right-handed, and can play center and wing. With the Kings’ weakest position being the right wing, Necas would provide positional value, fitting the Kings’ contention window perfectly as he is soon to hit his prime. It is hard to gauge what Carolina would want in return, but the Kings have plenty of assets to make a deal work. As well, Carolina would prefer to move Necas to the opposing conference as he is likely to become a star in an elevated role.
Changes on the Bench
The Kings have parted ways with assistant coach Trent Yawney. He has been with the Kings since the 2019-20 season, primarily focusing on the penalty kill and defense. While it is hard to determine what specifically prompted this decision, it is likely a result of the team’s Round 1 struggles against the Oilers.
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After finishing the regular season with the league’s second-best penalty kill at 84.58%, the team’s success rate dropped to 55% against the Oilers in Round 1. This was the second consecutive season the Kings fell to the Oilers in Round 1, with the penalty kill having a 43.75% success rate in the 2023 Playoffs. They finished last in that category in both playoff appearances.
What makes this so intriguing is Kings’ management made this decision based on a select clip of games Yawney has coached. During the 2023-24 regular season, the Kings finished with a 2.56 goals-against average. This was not a result of stellar goaltending as the team finished with the sixth lowest expected goals against in the league with 234.97, according to Moneypuck. On the penalty kill, they finished with the 12th lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes at 6.8.
The reasoning for this decision shows the team is likely moving on from the 1-3-1 system implemented by former head coach Todd McLellan. When McLellan was fired earlier this season, Jim Hiller was named interim head coach and continued running the system. At the end of the season press conference, general manager Rob Blake said he would consider having Los Angeles move away from the 1-3-1 system. With Hiller’s future status with the team unknown, it appears the Kings will be overhauling their coaching unit. It is possible to see them bring in a new head coach, or promote Hiller to head coach full-time, likely allowing whoever their next head coach is to make the decision themselves.
Since the Kings have so many concerns to address, there is no way to truly know how the rest of the offseason will play out. The team could trust the current group, make major changes, or meet somewhere in the middle. However, with what we know now regarding their recent decisions and trade rumors growing across the league, it appears the Kings will have many options if they decide to proceed down that route.
