2009-10 NHL preview: Los Angeles Kings

Playoffs or bust seems to be the Mantra of the Los Angeles Kings these days. This is a team that has not seen the post season since 2002, and the organization seems to be taking an all or nothing approach. The Kings are not looking for a moral victory here; they are looking for a playoff birth. By setting that as the goal the Kings organization is saying to their roster that they should be in the top eight all year long. They don’t want a back alley entrance into the post season, they want to go out and earn it.

With that goal in mind many of their core players stayed in Los Angeles this summer to train together. While this is still a younger NHL team, many of the pieces have been around long enough that to first know that significant improvement is the goal, and how to go out and bring about that improvement.

The biggest plus for this team is its solid defense that was developed last season. Head Coach Terry Murray has them committed to a in zone system that has begun to pay dividends. This team finished last year with a 2.76 Goals Against Average which was just outside the top ten for the entire NHL.

The Kings also need to score more goals, and in the off season, they traded for Ryan Smyth and they hope he will bring so much needed offense with him. On top of that they would like to see more improvement and contributions fro third year pro Jack Johnson. If they get those two things a playoff birth just may be within their reach.

Additions- D Rob Scuderi, RW Brandon Segal, and LW Ryan Smyth

Subtractions- C Brian Boyle, LW Matt Moulson, D Tom Preissing, and D Kyle Quincey