Anaheim Ducks: Early Season Pacific Division Power Rankings

8- Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings added a proven NHL goal scorer in Ilya Kovalchuk in the off-season, bringing the 35-year-old back to North America after five years playing in the KHL. They didn’t add much else in terms of signings, or trades, hoping instead that their team of wily veterans could find themselves and the magic that helped them win two Stanley Cups in three years less than a decade ago.

So far that has not been the case, the Kings find themselves the worst team in the Pacific Division standings, posting a 4-8-1 record thus far. This was poor enough for management to make a change behind the bench, firing coach John Stevens in just his second year with the team.

To this point in the season, not a single King has a positive +/- rating. Kovalchuk has breathed some life into the team posting 11 points in 13 games and Drew Doughty has been dominant on the heels of a huge contract extension, posting 10 points in 13 games. This, however, has not been enough.

Starting goaltender Jonathan Quick finds himself injured yet again with an injury similar to the Anaheim Duck Corey Perry, putting his season in jeopardy. The tandem of Jack Campbell and Peter Budaj does little to inspire confidence.

The Kings won only 2 games in their first 10, allowing 36 goals while only potting 18 of their own. Since the first 10, they’ve been 2-1. Nevertheless, those two wins came against other struggling teams such as the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Rangers, with their loss coming to another struggling team the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Kings have without question been disappointing thus far in the season. They are hopeful that a change behind the bench, giving Willie Desjardins the interim role, will rally the troops and save what could end up a lost season for the aging Kings.