Another early post-season exit has some observers calling for the Los Angeles Kings to rebuild, plus we look at some suggested off-season moves for the Chicago Blackhawks.
For the fifth straight season, the Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
There were several notable differences this time. The Kings were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche instead of the Edmonton Oilers. They were swept in four games, and it was the final game for retiring captain Anze Kopitar.
ESPN.com's Ryan S. Clark believes the first order of off-season business is determining whether interim coach D.J. Smith remains as the full-time bench boss. He also felt they must find a top-six forward to replace Kopitar at center, which means bypassing the talent-thin free-agent market to find one through a trade.
Clark thinks the Kings should remain in playoff contention next season, but Eric Stephens of The Athletic casts a more critical eye on their roster. He believes what the Kings have done over the past five seasons hasn't worked, and they must rebuild their roster.
Stephens assumes the Kings will hire a new coach, despite Smith's commendable job guiding them into the playoffs. He pointed out that forwards Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin and Kevin Fiala are their only reliable scorers, while young Quinton Byfield has yet to prove he's first-line center material. He considers their defense corps far from dynamic, and he noted that they have no prized prospects ready to step up next season.
The Kings could attempt another major addition as they did when they acquired Panarin from the New York Rangers in February. However, Stephens felt they should follow the model of the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, whose years of rebuilding turned them into rising teams in the Western Conference.
It's unlikely the Kings will heed Stephens' advice.
Ken Holland wasn't brought in as GM last year to oversee a rebuild. His addition of Panarin is a prime indicator that he intends to turn the Kings into contenders by retooling the roster.
Turning to the Chicago Blackhawks, Scott Power of The Athletic recently examined what additions might be in store if they fail to win this year's draft lottery or if promising winger Roman Kantserov doesn't make the cut.
Powers believes the Blackhawks have the draft capital to pursue a legitimate top-six forward in this summer's trade market. However, he felt it would take more than draft picks to land someone like Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars or Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues.
Thomas has a full no-trade clause and might not waive it to join a rebuilding team. The Maple Leafs aren't rebuilding, meaning they'll likely retain Knies.
Robertson is an RFA with arbitration rights who's a year away from UFA eligibility. The Blackhawks would have to ensure he's open to a long-term extension or risk losing him to free agency in a year.
Powers also thinks the Blackhawks need a veteran top-four defenseman.
Free-agent targets could include Darren Raddysh of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mario Ferraro of the Sharks or former Blackhawk Connor Murphy of the Oilers.
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