In this edition of Los Angeles Kings News & Rumors, I’ll be discussing the team’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, the announcement that teams will be allowed to re-pick their players for the World Junior Championships in August and the implications of that decision on Brandt Clarke, and some quotes from Todd McLellan and possible lineup changes.
Kings vs. Knights
The playoff race is heating up in the Pacific Division, and after the Kings’ loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 15, Friday’s game against the Golden Knights becomes even more important. Winning games in the division will be huge for the Kings down the stretch and a win in Vegas will be massive to get them back on track.
Related: Kings’ Long-Term Power-Play Solution Lies in Prospect Development
They built up a ton of momentum heading into the long break, and it seems like some of it has worn off. A win against the Golden Knights would go a long way in returning the momentum, and after two straight shutout losses, they’re a team low in confidence. However, they also got a big boost in Jack Eichel on Feb. 16.
The star center played in his first game since last March on Feb. 16 in the team’s 2-0 loss. While his first game didn’t go as planned, and it might take some time to get acclimated to his new teammates, adding a player of Eichel’s caliber improves that team. His line will likely be matched up against the Phillip Danault line, which should be an interesting battle all night. Fortunately, the return of Eichel also meant the exit of Mark Stone, as the Golden Knights navigate a tricky cap situation. As with any game against the Knights, Friday will be a tough game for the Kings, who will have to be far more focused than they were against the Oilers.
Clarke Could Get a Second Chance
Before the 2022 World Junior Championships, Team Canada made a shocking decision and didn’t invite Clarke to their camp. This decision caused a lot of uproar in both King’s circles and in Barrie. Unfortunately, the tournament was canceled, but the silver lining is that now Canada has a chance to mend their mistake and add Clarke to their roster. There might be some reservations about cutting players who made the team back in December but leaving Clarke off again will be difficult for Canada.
Since the announcement that he would not be invited to Team Canada’s camp, Clarke has left no doubt that he is the best defenseman in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He leads defensemen in both points and points per game — he is on track for 84 points, which would be the highest total since Evan Bouchard’s 87-point campaign in 2017-18. Despite his flaws, Clarke is an incredible defenseman who has made big strides in his defensive game this season; there really isn’t an excuse to leave him off the team this time around. For a team that rostered zero right-shot defensemen, and lacked offensive spark from the back end, they could certainly use a player of his caliber.
An interesting tidbit to come out of Wednesday’s practice was that Carl Grundstrom might be replacing Andreas Athanasiou on the third line. It was reported that Grundstrom was taking more line rushes than Athanasiou with that line. Of course, this doesn’t automatically mean Grundstrom will draw in, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see McLellan make a change after a tough loss against the Oilers. Athanasiou isn’t the winger I’d replace on that line, but the team has to find some combination to get them going. Another interesting thing to come out of Wednesday’s practice was McLellan’s comments regarding Quinton Byfield. On Byfield, McLellan said,
“I think there’s ups and downs with him, it’s not easy, it hasn’t been smooth, I think he’s at the point now where he needs to be poked a little bit and he’s getting that. He’s been a pro now for a year and how he started in the American League is how he’s started here, he’s learned a lot of lessons. I talk a lot about permission, it’s time for him to start giving himself permission and let’s go.”
I try not to read too much into one quote, but this one was interesting to me. Particularly the comments about giving himself permission. McLellan wants Byfield to take control of games more, maybe show off the dominant offensive ability he has, but that’s difficult given Byfield’s current situation. He was inserted onto a line that has struggled all season, with two players who are playing mediocre hockey in Athanasiou and Dustin Brown. That’s asking a lot from anyone to carry that line and it’s likely asking too much of a 19-year-old with limited NHL experience.
I have similar feelings about his comments that “it’s not easy, it hasn’t been smooth.” While this is true, it ignores the context that Byfield hasn’t been put in a great position to succeed. I get the point McLellan is making, that at a certain point it’s up to Byfield to take his chance and run with it, but you can’t expect much from a player given his current situation. If you’re going to play him eight minutes a night, and 10 seconds on the power play, you can’t expect much from him. Yes, players have to earn their ice time, but Byfield can’t “give himself permission,” with such limited usage.
Kings Hit the Road
After playing the Oilers at home, the Kings will now play eight of their next 10 games on the road. These next 10 games can be massive for the team and can set the tone for the rest of their season. A strong performance over the next 10 games puts them in a strong position for a playoff spot, while a rough 10 games could see them on the outside looking in. The Kings have been a good team on the road this season, with an 11-6-5 record, and they’ll need to keep up those performances in the coming weeks.
My name is Austin Stanovich, as a lifelong player and fan I’m hoping to bring my own unique perspective on the hockey world, specifically covering the Los Angeles Kings. As a SoCal native I grew up a Kings fan, and after graduating from Long Beach State in 2020 I’ve joined The Hockey Writers crew as a columnist for the Kings.