EL SEGUNDO, CA — As the draft dust settled and free agency kicked off, the Los Angeles Kings needed to upgrade their roster or, rather particularly, patch up the backend.
Whether or not the level of optimism of hiring a Hall of Fame General Manager protrudes into your personal opinion over these Kings, it's undoubtedly difficult to maintain that optimism over the first 24 hours that defined the start of Holland's first free agency as the Kings' chef de cuisine.
Vladislav Gavrikov walking into free agency is biting the bullet that may end up being a mortal error. Ever since the rangy Russian defender was acquired in 2022-23, he had been the go-to defender not named Drew Doughty. With the departure of Matt Roy to free agency in the previous season, his role was further solidified as the number two in the defensive corps. Coupled with the fact that the Kings have struggled in their attempts to cultivate a left-handed defenseman with top-four upside, Gavrikov would become a staple of the team's defensive identity, which saw the team finish with the second-fewest goals allowed in the league last season.
Gavrikov was the Kings' top defender last season in terms of deployment and matchup usage, playing on his offside. He was paired with another left-handed defenseman, Mikey Anderson, for the vast majority of his minutes. Anderson is another defense-first defenseman that the organization has accumulated with aplomb. The pair, along with the spectacular play of Darcy Kuemper (often a symbiotic relationship), would influence the Kings to threaten a division crown and a Jennings race with Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
Yet, the stalwart Russian defender would see less ice time down the stretch and be even used less in the playoffs, as Doughty and Joel Edmundson would see more of the ice than the more than capable defenseman that will now likely draw in next season next to a former Norris winner in Adam Fox.
And that's not the only blow to the backend. Another defenseman who didn't whiff the same regular ice time come playoff time, Jordan Spence, is now gone. He will now get the ice time he's looking for in Ottawa. It was revealed that the young defenseman was not too thrilled with his usage in the playoffs and had requested a change of scenery.
Ask, and you shall receive.
New York will rejoice in having a very capable defenseman who can shut down the opposition while also chipping in offensively at a slightly higher rate than most other defense-first defensemen. The same can be said for Ottawa, but with some more offensive kick and transition offense.
On the other hand, Los Angeles may struggle to recover from a void that is being sparsely filled by players they would acquire in return from a less-than-stellar free agency spending spree. I'm also curious about the offer Gavrikov turned down after signing for 7x7 in the Big Apple. There were reports that he could have fetched up to $9-10 million—yet with the most amount of cap room the Kings have had in years, Holland fell short in negotiations.
Speaking of Holland, instead of capitalizing on big game hunting and filling the massive gap on the blue line, has cashed in on questionable contracts for the D corps. Big-ticket names failing to land in LA has fueled speculation that Manhattan Beach has become less of a destination place to play each year but will welcome those questionable contracts in Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci on the backend.
Whether or not this represents a Deja Vu of last season is purely in the eye of the beholder. Joel Edmundson was acquired in free agency the previous season, causing a mass conflagration of panic that by the end of the season had turned into an acceptance of a reliable 3-4 defenseman who was more or less utilized as the 2-3 in the playoffs. The end result was a 2-0 series turned on its head. Big minutes went to more experienced, senior players despite the effect on the ice. It's probably not the best strategy to have that type of deployment; see Ceci in Dallas, for example, when Miro Heiskanen went down.
Is there a cure for their ailment(s) or a treatment on the backend?
It's not looking like it. The defensive corps just took a massive hit to its overall mobility and the ability to outlet with ease, something that the Kings leaned on in the playoffs: transition offense. That excelled at the start of last season and kept the Kings alive in the six-game playoff series against the Oilers. This aspect may take a considerable and perilous step backward with only two reliable puck movers on their blue line next season.
Is that the plan, or is it a problematic outcome due to the aftermath effect of Rob Blake?
Many mistakes were made by Blake, but he's left a blueprint for a 'good' team, as Holland has mentioned a few times in his availabilities thus far. It's a clear-cut reason why he took the job; he wanted to win with a team that could compete. Whether or not it's a 'very good' team, though, has been the proof in the pudding result for four seasons straight.
Hindsight is always 20-20, but it's certainly difficult in the current paradigm to see Holland's vision for upheaval towards being 'very good' concerning replacing the losses on the backend. Holland will also complete a firm handshake with some legacy linchpins that have, to some extent, hindered their prospective status as a 'contender.' A list of teams that have raised Lord Stanley with a 35+ year old in the two top positional categories (1C, 1D) during the salary cap era is nonexistent.
The organization has been incredibly loyal to the future Hall of Famer in Doughty, as it has been to Anze Kopitar. There's merit in having loyalty and respect for players who were central figures in reeling in the first two championships, but at what point are they no longer the key cogs in the machine?
The franchise defenseman in Doughty is still regarded as the minute-munching alpha, even if the results decline as age increases—what about a transition of power?
The defensive corps next season will feature Doughty and his heir apparent, Brandt Clarke, serving as symbolic polar opposites, representing the past and the future while contending for present success. They will be the only two defenders with higher-end offensive upside on the backend.
It is also worth mentioning that Clarke is the last of the formerly respectable right-handed defensive depth chart and prospect pool. Being the last man standing should represent an 'all in' motion to let the player 'be.' Unlike Evan Bouchard in Edmonton, Clarke has had to conform to fit the system and watch as the organization continues to utilize Doughty to an extreme extent. It should, however, be like Bouchard, off-leash for the offensive defenseman poised for weaponization.
On the backend, Clarke stands as an offensive needle in a haystack.
Speaking of offense, that was on tap when it mattered: during the playoffs, and that's primarily due to the powerplay. The Kings found lucrative success with a five-forward powerplay and will have the same personnel this upcoming season to operate it again. However, does that mean Doughty runs the second unit despite needing Clarke's growth to become a first-unit quarterback in the long term?
It's relatively picturesque for the Kings to continue the trend of acquiring veteran-ready talent, prioritizing a build around legacy players. At the same time, their prospects whittle down into role-playing, lesser positions (see soon-to-be 26-year-old Akil Thomas). With this in mind, is it too hard to believe that Clarke will be the 4-5 next season? Someone who will be off the powerplay to make room for a soon-to-be 36-year-old Doughty, and Clarke won't sniff the penalty kill, barring majors or injuries mid-game.
With veterans like Edmundson, Anderson, Ceci, and Dumoulin, how much five-on-five is their future number one going to relatively see?
The defensive corps, much like the fourth line of the forward group, was not fully utilized in the postseason and, as an indirect result, has shed two players who were part of a formula that produced a 105-point, second-lowest goal-allowed in the league season. This will be a weak spot entirely on display next season.
As Holland mentioned, they expect a step up from their future 1D's game next season. I'll believe it when I see it here, as Doughty will most certainly still get prioritization. The situation is less so with the centre position at least, as Clarke doesn't have the same experience as Quinton Byfield or a much more straightforward pathway to the top of the roster.
However, Clarke still represents the future of the Kings while the organization still prioritizes the past. The roster, and particularly the backend, has just become significantly slower and outdated. They sacrificed an already underwhelming defensive corps (in terms of production) to add more size and experience.
That outletting and high pace game that continues to evolve around the league is certainly not trending in Los Angeles. The chip-and-chase strategy, getting the puck behind Edmundson, Ceci, Dumoulin, Clarke, and even now, Doughty, will be a go-to plan to hem the Kings in their own zone next season.
Holland has taken a significant step toward addressing some clear-cut holes on the roster. Still, it might be a matter of if, not when, for the leakages to send the team downstream. I'll give Holland the benefit of the doubt until the puck drops for the new season, but as of right now, it doesn't look good for the blueline in Los Angeles.
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