As the Los Angeles Kings prepare to face the Dallas Stars again, it’s an ideal time to evaluate how the team compares to some of the league’s best.
The Kings recently played the Stars before the Four Nations break in the first half of a back-to-back. They beat the Stars in a shootout 5-4 before losing the following night in another shootout, this time 2-1, to the Anaheim Ducks. Last season, the Stars dominated the Kings in their series, going 3-0-0 and outscoring them 13-3. The Kings could turn the tide this season, playing for a possible season-series sweep and having a slight scoring advantage of 8-6.
Angelenos should be happy if the Kings sweep the Stars, right? Are they making headway against the league’s top franchises? Not quite.
The Stars should be viewed as a model franchise in the National Hockey League, and Jim Nill deserves recognition as one of the top General Managers. Although the team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2019-20 season, it has rebounded well by transitioning its veteran core to being secondary to its young talent. That youth comes in the form of Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, and Miro Heiskanen, who have been given significant responsibilities. Heiskanen took on a primary role almost immediately after joining the team.
The Stars are coming off of back-to-back conference finals, coming within two wins of returning to the finals each time, losing to the eventual champions in 2022-23. During this period, the Stars have ranked inside the top five in both scoring and fewest goals allowed in the NHL twice. When Heiskanen returns, the team will likely be well-positioned to make a deep playoff run again.
In contrast, the LA Kings have remained committed to a defense-first strategy, believing that this approach wins championships. While this method served them well during their championship-winning period, it is essential to outscore opponents. Unlike the Stars, who have evolved into perennial contenders, the Kings have stuck to a formula that has failed to produce results in the playoffs for the past three seasons.
Since the 2021-22 season, the Kings have ranked in the top five for fewest goals allowed twice (3rd in 2023-24 and 1st in 2024-25). However, they have not finished in the top five for goal scoring, only achieving a top ten finish in 2022-23 (10th), where they not only produced a historically good season franchise pointwise but also came close to overcoming their first-round playoff struggles, ultimately losing in six games.
The Kings are leading the league in the fewest allowed goals, although they have played some games in hand compared to some other defensively stellar squads. Despite this defensive success, their goal production is on pace to be the lowest since their return to the playoffs in 2021-22, with only 155 goals scored so far (compared to 235 in 2021-22).
Inversely, the Stars exemplify a successful blueprint for team building, they can score in the top five, having elite defending to boot, while deploying their youth as primaries. There is a clear design here, and the NHL often sees teams replicate successful designs, but there is also an opportunity for unique approaches.
After losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the finals in 2019-20, the Stars quickly transitioned to a younger roster. Key players were entrusted with significant roles right away. In contrast, the Kings have slowly but gradually integrated their younger talent, almost treating the transfer of responsibilities as a long-term investment while expecting immediate returns.
Anze Kopitar had led the Kings in ice time among forwards until Adrian Kempe finally surpassed him this season. Young Quinton Byfield, Kopitar’s heir apparent, has steadily increased his ice time: 14:04 (8th highest for Kings’ forwards in 22-23), 16:29 (6th in 23-24), and 18:27 (4th in 24-25). Meanwhile, Alex Turcotte another high draft pick like Byfield, aspires to secure a permanent center position, has also seen increased playing time: 6:59 (22-23), 9:17 (23-24), and 12:23 (24-25). Turcotte has followed the Byfield progression schematic but is likely two seasons from being a full-time center.
On defense, the Kings find themselves in a more precarious situation. The 35-year-old Drew Doughty remains a key player and top rearguard on the Kings’ blueline, again amongst the league leaders in ice time despite his age. His ice time has been amplified after returning from injury. Brandt Clarke, his potential successor, has recently seen limited ice time, playing only seven shifts in the last game against Utah. Clarke’s ice time did increase from 13:39 last season to 16:33 this year, thanks to Doughty’s injury and his expanded role on the power play.
Despite some challenges to their D-core, young defenseman Jordan Spence has shown promise after a shaky start to the year, with his ice time rising from 14:26 to 17:44. However, with Doughty back, Spence saw his lowest time on ice in the last two games: 12:17 against Anaheim and 12:19 against Utah.
Overall, the Kings could benefit from studying the Stars’ model of success. However, given their current trajectory, it seems unlikely that the Kings’ front office won’t adopt strategies from another team’s playbook. They appear determined to continue with an aging core and formula that has not experienced postseason success in over a decade.
Sure, they aren’t the Stars, but can the trade deadline spark some hope to the Kings’ schematic?
LA will likely make a diminutive move at the deadline, giving them some offensive punch. This move will put salve on their offensive production concerns down the stretch but not enough to even the odds with their Western Conference juggernaut peers, who have the talent, youth, and build to succeed.
