The year 2021 marked a significant turning point for two franchises in the NHL: the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings were finally making strides toward competing for a playoff spot after a long time away from the postseason, while the Oilers, after a brief taste in 2017, aimed for a deep playoff run as their core players entered their primes.
At the time, the Kings' core included established players from their championship era: Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty. While some of these players seemed ageless, Brown would retire after the 2021-22 season, and Quick would not finish the 2022-23 season with the Kings. Leading up to the 2021-22 season, General Manager Rob Blake had begun to gather some young players with promising futures. However the cultivated group of assets accrued have not only been lessened over the years, but have yet to make a significant impact in the playoffs.
During their first playoff matchup in 2021-22 between the Oilers and the Kings, Jordan Spence played in three games, and Quinton Byfield participated in two, while Mikey Anderson played in all seven games. With the exception of Anderson, the future core players have not made much of an impact in the playoffs or given the trust to play regularly. Notably, this discussion excludes Alex Turcotte, Alex Laferriere, Brandt Clarke, and to an extent, even Erik Portillo. It also omits Arthur Kaliyev, who has played in a career nine playoff games but has also been a healthy scratch for nine.
On the other hand, the Oilers possess a core that is ripe for contention, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid is 27, Draisaitl is 29, Zach Hyman is 32, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 31, Darnell Nurse is 29, and Evan Bouchard is 25. Most of these players were given a one-way ticket to leading their team while at a young age. This seasoned and talented core, even considering some bad contracts, has played in nine playoff series over the last three seasons.
In contrast, the Kings have only played in three series over that timeframe. They rely heavily on their remaining core members, Kopitar (37) and Doughty (35), even with Doughty absent for the season thus far. There is a significant divide between the aging core and the emerging younger players. Byfield (22), Laferriere (23), Turcotte (23), Spence (23), and Clarke (21) have combined for just 11 points, two goals in 26 playoff games, with a -5 rating. Portillo (24), Clarke, and Turcotte have yet to participate in an NHL playoff game. However, Anderson (25) boasts 18 playoff games and has proven to be elite defensively.
In fairness to their young players, particularly the centerice prospect pipeline that was once boasted as one of the best in the league, management signed veterans like Phillip Danault and, as recently as last year, Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both had taken on crucial roles and had received significant ice time, which affects the development of the emerging talent. For players like Turcotte and Byfield, success and increased ice time have come while playing on the wing, rather than in their natural center positions, which the Kings will need them to fill in the increasingly alarming future.
Many players on the Kings' roster find themselves in a sort of middle ground. Adrian Kempe (28), Kevin Fiala (28), Warren Foegele (28), Trevor Moore (29), Vladislav Gavrikov (29), and Tanner Jeannot (27) are all in their prime. During their primes, even with some players not on the Kings last season, they have yet to forge past the first round with the Kings. That quest still remains a lukewarm thought heading towards the halfway point in the current NHL session. While Kempe and Fiala play crucial roles for the franchise, questions remain about whether they can be foundational players for a Stanley Cup-contending team once Kopitar retires. There are also concerns about whether younger players like Byfield (2nd), Clarke (8th), and Turcotte (5th) who are their higher draft picks, have not yet consistently demonstrated their ability to be impact players—will be ready in two seasons to forge the team’s path towards true contention.
In two seasons, Doughty will be 37 years old. If he is re-signed, Gavrikov will be 31, Joel Edmundson—whose playing style may not age well—will be 33, and Phillip Danault will also be 33. Additionally, if Darcy Kuemper remains the Kings' goaltender, he will be 36 when Anze Kopitar retires. Kuemper's contract, valued at $5.25 million, may make him an uncomfortable top option in his price range even at his age in 2026-27, especially considering that Portillo has still only played one NHL game (this season) and an untested talent like Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky are unlikely to dethrone a veteran 36-year-old from the crease in such a short turnaround.
So the Kings look to have accomplished their return to being a playoff contender in the remaining years of Doughty and Kopitar. But are they well equipped to be championship contenders by the time Kopitar retires?
The Kings made a return to playoff contention in the 2021-22 season, shedding assets and cap space in an attempt to reclaim their place among the elite franchises. However, they received a reality check along the way regarding cup aspirations regardless of a game seven loss in which they played with ‘house-money.’ The Oilers were on the rise, building around a 24-year-old McDavid and a 26-year-old Draisaitl, along with a promising 22-year-old Bouchard. While the Oilers do have some contracts that have soured along the way, like those of Evander Kane and Nurse, both have contributed to the Oilers' success in making deep playoff runs, nearly winning it all last season.
There is not all gloom in Southern California. The Kings have had their moments, particularly with Kempe, who scored one of the most memorable goals in the franchise's post-championship era during a game five overtime in Oil Country. LA had opportunities to defeat the Oilers twice in that playoff run during Brown's retirement journey crusade, in which they failed twice.
The Kings have won three exceptionally hard-fought games North of the border in overtime during their trilogy, with one coming off of the man-advantage with now Winnipeg Jet Alex Iafallo. The irony is that the Oilers, not the Kings, have basically mutilated the Kings penalty kill in each series (7 powerplay goals in 2021-22, 9 in 2022-23, and 9 again in 2023-24).
Since the series in 2021-22, the Kings have only won three games in two series, with all wins coming in overtime. For the Oilers, since that 2021-22 series, they have seven out of their eight playoff victories against the Kings achieved in regulation.
It’s important to emphasize that the Kings were not "close" to victory. They were outscored 25-20 in the 2022-23 series, their closest matchup of the three. Last season, the Kings were outscored 22-13 in five games, and even in the seven-game series in 2021-22 when they could have advanced, they were outscored 27-17. When analyzing performances, the notion of "closeness" fades away. A more apt comparison is the 2017-18 series against the Vegas Golden Knights, which was a sweep but saw the Kings outscored only 6-3 across four games, averaging just over two goals combined from both teams in each game. LA would kick off its hybrid-style rebuild shortly after that abbreviated playoff series.
There are legitimate questions surrounding the Los Angeles franchise, and each time they face the Oilers, the uncertainty regarding the success of the organization deepens. Their future core isn’t quite ready to take charge, while the remaining veterans are too old to effectively compete with the league's perennial MVPs out West.
Their northern rivals will continue to contend during the prime era of players like 97 and 29. During which, the Kings have served as a stepping stone for deep playoff runs over the last three years. A fourth consecutive playoff matchup would be a dream come true for those who closely watch the Oilers. Unfortunately, the Kings have become fuel to the Oilers' cup contention, as they have struggled in the postseason overcoming the same opponent. During this period, the future core of the Kings is tentatively given the keys to the kingdom on a lease rather than ownership outright.
This rivalry could very well be the defining reason for Blake and the current management's potential downfall. Miscalculations and poor timing can shape history, particularly regarding five years of disappointing hockey. Each time the Kings play against the Oilers, it serves as a stark reminder of their current shortcomings and past failures.
Winning against a team that has knocked you out of the playoffs three times in a row is incredibly satisfying. However, the overall circumstances and the possibility of facing them in a fourth consecutive playoff series do not bode well for the Kings once again. This situation underscores the organizational issues that have persisted over the last four seasons.