With the Los Angeles Kings elimination in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, fans around social media are quite emotional about the state of the team and organization.

Anger, frustration, sadness, and dissatisfaction seem to be common themes amongst Kings fans right now.

Although all these feelings are very valid in their own ways, I have some hope to present to the fans.

Their AHL affiliate Ontario Reign have been on a roll over the last few months, and that has carried over into the playoffs.

Round one ended rather quickly, defeating the Bakersfield Condors in impressive fashion.

So far in round two, the Reign took down the Abbotsford Canucks in game one, again in a commanding way.

After hearing all this, here lies the question people ask me about the team. How good are the Ontario Reign?

And after game one of the Abbotsford series, I would say they are Calder Cup contenders.

One thing I hear a lot when I talk to other members of the media and hardcore Reign fans is that this team is built to make a deep run.

Let’s start with the obvious. Alex Turcotte, Brandt Clarke, and Akil Thomas have all made big impacts on this team.

Turcotte's always a burst of energy when he is on the ice. He reminds me of when you get star power in Mario Kart and you start making your ways through all the other racers.

As one of the Kings' top prospects for a while now, I expect him to make large leaps next season for the NHL club, if he can stay healthy.

Furthermore, the experience he is getting with a potential deep run in the Calder Cup playoffs is only going to help him.

And that can be said for all the King's prospects looking to make an impact in the 2024-25 season.

Clarke continues to be a threat with the puck offensively, and even though his goal numbers have slowed down since his demotion back down to the Reign, his puck moving skills remain the best on the team.

Then you have Thomas, who tallied three goals and an assist in seven games with the Kings this season.

Thomas is someone who is always cool, calm, and collected on the ice, with great hockey IQ, and knows what to do with the puck at all times.

Those three guys I can see making big impacts on the Kings' roster next season.

Not only are those three the heartbeat of the team, but the Reign are 12 forwards deep, making this team a clear cut favorite to make a push for the Calder Cup.

Samuel Fagemo was 2nd in the AHL with 43 goals. Even though he has not been at his best so far in the playoffs, his teammates have picked him up big time.

Charles Hudon is a threat on the ice with his powerful one-time blast, making him dangerous on the power play.

Hudon gives the power play another option, being a lefty version of Fagemo. This is why as a penalty kill unit, you cannot just swarm Fagemo, because Hudon will take advantage.

TJ.. Tynan was racking up points all year long, and is continuing to do so in the playoffs. Not the most flashy player, but the captain moves the puck exceptionally well, giving other guys grade-A chances consistently.

Tyler Madden has been the most impressive this postseason, tallying three goals this postseason, two of them being the game winners.

What makes this Reign team special is their bottom six. All of them being contributors in one way or the other.

The third line consisting of Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius, and Taylor Ward all have the ability to score, and play a heavy game, never giving up any space in the neutral zone.

In addition, the fourth line brings the energy, with big hits coming from Hayden Hodgson and Jacob Doty, the other team does not want to play against the boards when they are on the ice.

Nikita Pavlychev is also a key contributor on that fourth line, even scoring a goal of his own in game one against Abbotsford.

There is not much to say about the defensemen other than they have been fantastic, skating all over the ice, and playing their role perfectly.

On top of that, Erik Portillo has been spectacular so far in the playoffs. The six foot six netminder has stopped 77 of the 80 pucks shot at him, good enough for the third best percentage of all qualified goalies.

I expect Portillo to at least be the backup goalie for the Kings starting next season. Portillo is very poised in the net, and has improved his positioning and rebound control dramatically over the course of this season.

Not to mention, Francesco Pinelli and Martin Chromiak, two regular skaters throughout the entire regular season, have been scratched three games in a row.

Yes, they are really that good. Their talent top to bottom exceeds that of the majority of other teams in the playoffs right now, plus excellent goaltending, there is a lot to look forward to for this Ontario Reign squad.

So if you're a Kings fan, I would keep my eyes peeled and pay attention to this Reign run, there is optimism in the air