**Regular Season Finish: 14th **
The Los Angeles Kings are one of a number teams in the NHL that are on their way to completing the transition between being an NHL bottom-feeder and a team looking to compete in the playoffs year in and year out. With an excellent core in place, the Kings had a promising start last year, but injuries and scoring issues left them in the basement of the Western Conference at the end of the season.
Perennial scoring leader Anze Kopitar needs a little more help up front, as the Kings struggled to put together a consistent scoring attack night in and night out. Injuries to star defenseman Jack Johnson and Tom Preissing did little to help the Kings’ offensive woes, but they were able to add Justin Williams from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline, a move which should help out next season. Drafting Brayden Schenn from the Brandon Wheat Kings with the 5th pick overall should also give the Kings another top-tier forward to share the scoring load with Kopitar.
The Kings also added veteran defenseman Rob Scuderi, fresh off of his sterling performance in the 2009 Playoffs, where he played an integral role in helping the Penguins win their first Stanley Cup in over a decade. Scuderi is an excellent pickup for the Kings, as he should provide excellent leadership for budding superstars like Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson on the blueline.
One final issue that the Kings were able to resolve was the re-signing of Johnson, who was a restricted free agent. The Kings clearly didn’t want to let the future of their defense walk away, and locked him up for another two years, in which time, the rest of the young Kings should develop enough for them to become a competitive franchise in the Western Conference. Before that can happen, however, the Kings will need to figure out exactly how they will solve their goaltending issues, as a strong keeper is crucial to any good team.