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Every season the same question is proposed to the Stanley
Cup Champs – Can they repeat? Well history is certainly
against them especially in this salary cap era of perpetual
equality. There has only been one repeat champion in the
past 20 years. This was accomplished by the 1998 Detroit Red
Wings. Detroit also was the last team to make back to back
Stanley Cup appearances when they accomplish this feat in
2009. So while history does not favor a repeat performance,
there are quite a few factors that favor a strong repeat
performance.
First of all, there is normally a lot written about a short off season with a small recovery period. Yet the
Kings have no off-season or long-term injuries from which they are recovering from. They also only
required only 20 playoff games to win their first Stanley Cup Championship. This quick work along with
what appears to be a delayed start to the upcoming season due to the expiring CBA should ensure that
they are all well rested.
The Kings are also bringing back the entire core of players from last season as all UFAs and RFAs have
been resigned with the exception of Scott Parse. Thus the team that was finalized after the trade
deadline and that gelled under new coach Darryl Sutter will be returning intact. The addition of Mike
Richards and Jeff Carter has shown that GM Dean Lombardi is willing to work the trade market when a
need is apparent. Those deals were accomplished without sacrificing elite assets from their farm
organization. The Kings still have high quality prospects (Tyler Toffoli, Andrei Loktionov, Jake Muzzin,
Tanner Pearson) as well as all their picks through 2015 except their 2013 1st rounder, which is part of
the compensation for Jeff Carter. Those prospects might be ready to contribute to the 2012/13 LA Kings
or could be a part of a trade. The Kings currently sit mid pack with 24 players signed and just over 7.8
million in cap space on the expiring salary cap picture. How they look exactly once we resume hockey is
up in the air, but they should be in a fairly comfortable situation.
The final and perhaps most important reason the Kings are well prepared
to defend their championship lies in the net. Jonathan Quick has proven
himself to be among the league’s elite and at 26 years old will be
backstopping the Kings for the long haul. The Kings tight defensive
system and Jonathan Bernier complement Quick extremely well and will
ensure the Kings meet the challenge well prepared.
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