Kings could be sneaky contenders with Pierre-Luc Dubois in the mix
After making a blockbuster trade for another impact center, the Los Angeles Kings look like they could be a serious threat in the Western Conference.
Pierre-Luc Dubois isn't the type of player to single-handedly put a team on his back, but he might just be the kind of guy capable of elevating a team already nipping at the heels of the NHL's top dogs.
That's what the Los Angeles Kings are hoping.
The Kings gave up a substantial package to bring Dubois to town, but now that the dust is settled Los Angeles is beginning to look like a scary squad. The group ranked 10th among NHL teams in points in 2022-23 (104) with the 12th-best goal differential (+23) — but there's more to the Kings than those numbers indicate, starting with what Dubois brings.
Although the big 25-year-old is often billed as a top-line center, he won't have to fill that role in Los Angeles with Anze Kopitar under contract for one more season. Kopitar is still a superstar at the age of 35 and he's the rare top center who takes on massive defensive responsibilities. Last season he had an even-strength defensive-zone start rate of 51.3%.
That means Dubois is likely to be unleashed in offensive situations the way he's accustomed to. In his career, he's had an offensive-zone start rate of 62.9% and that could climb even higher in 2023-24. Not only can Dubois rely on Kopitar to soak up tough assignments above him, the Kings also feature Phillip Danault — one of the NHL's premier defensive centres.
Because Dubois finds himself between two pivots capable of doing all of the dirty work, he can focus on filling the net — and helping his linemates do the same. His career-high point total of 63 he set in 2022-23 should come under serious threat this season.
With Kopitar, Dubois, and Danault the Kings have one of the best group of centers in the NHL. It's tough to quantify the value of that in precise terms, but we're coming off a playoffs where the Vegas Golden Knights battered opponents by having three dangerous offensive lines — and the Seattle Kraken exceeded expectations behind their impressive forward depth.
Something that's easier to quantify is the notion that the Kings were better than their basic numbers indicated in 2022-23. For the most part that's because the team received atrocious goaltending. Los Angeles' team save percentage of .889 on the season ranked 27th in the NHL. The next-worst team with more than 100 points was the Edmonton Oilers, whose .900 mark was 15th.
When the Kings added veteran netminder Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets midseason, they became a different squad, posting a 13-5-2 record from that point on with a +25 goal differential.
That's not altogether surprising as Los Angeles was one of the NHL's best teams at driving the play in 2022-23. Here's how they fared in a number of key metrics with their league ranking in brackets:
Last year's Kings were some solid goaltending away from being ranking among the NHL's elite. The situation in the crease is uncertain for 2023-24 with Pheonix Copley as the only goaltender currently under contract, but it seems reasonable to assume Los Angeles can improve on last year's tire fire.
Adding an impact center like Dubois to the mix makes it even more likely the Kings can continue to tilt the ice next season, but that doesn't mean there aren't hurdles for this group in 2023-24.
With Kopitar and Drew Doughty's combined age sitting at 68, the possibility of injury or decline looms for that duo. Two of the players the Kings gave up for Dubois — Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo — were significant contributors last season, and their absence on the wings can't be ignored. Trading Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes opens up some minutes on the blueline.
Goaltending will almost certainly improve, but the Kings only have $3.716 million in cap room to play with, and may need some further tinkering to find a solution.
On the flip side, the team has some young forwards like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev who may be ready to step into bigger roles and compensate for the loss of Vilardi and Iafallo. Midseason acquisition Vladislav Gavrikov is back, and having him all year will bolster the defence corps significantly.
The Kings have some questions to answer, but they're closer to being one of the NHL's best squads than they're given credit for. That was the case before they added Dubois, and it's even more true now.
