Coming out of the lockout there was hope. The Kings made a big splash and acquired Pavol Demitra. They made a couple of low-key signings in an attempt to patch up the goaltending in acquiring Mathieu Garon from the Montreal Canadiens, and then acquiring Jason LaBarbera from the Rangers. Garon was long thought to be a potential starter stuck behind Jose Theodore in Montreal and Jason LaBarbera had absolutely shredded the AHL. Hope.
A good start confirmed these hopes. In fact, until a rough game in Buffalo, there didn't appear to be a serious flaw with the team. Lubomir Visnovsky had turned into one of the elite offensive defensemen in the game. Alex Frolov, Craig Conroy, and Pavol Demitra formed one of the best top lines in the league for a period of time. The Kings were riding high. Mathieu Garon and Jason Labarbera each turned in solid stints as the team's #1 goaltender (Labarbera was one of the best goalies in the league in October before cooling off and being sidelined due to various issues). After that tumultuous evening in Buffalo, though, things changed. The Kings tumbled wildly out of control from the top of the conference. By April they were fighting for their playoff lives with very slim hopes. They missed the playoffs completely.
The off-season brought change. Head Coach Andy Murray was fired before the season could finish, and General Manager Dave Taylor was fired to begin the off-season. Shortly thereafter, Dean Lombardi was brought in as his replacement. He signed Marc Crawford to be the Kings' new head coach. He then acquired Dan Cloutier -- a former 30 game winner -- from the Canucks for a nominal fee. He traded Pavol Demitra to the Wild for a draft pick and high-end prospect Patrick O'Sullivan. He traded Eric Belanger and Tim Gleason to the Hurricanes for super-prospect Jack Johnson and old Oleg Tverdovsky. The future appeared to be bright, but it's still proved to be a bumpy road.
Marc Crawford quickly appeared to be a poor fit for this team. While he got some young forwards to break out and produce (Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Alex Frolov, Mike Cammalleri, and eventually Patrick O'Sullivan) and flourish under his tutilege, the defense floundered and his management of the goaltending situation was suspect at best. He clung to the idea that Dan Cloutier was somehow a passable goalie despite several examples to the contrary. All the while, Mathieu Garon rotted on the bench despite the fact that he had clearly outplayed Cloutier. The defense always was rough at absolute best.
The trade deadline brought about the end of an era, Matty Norstrom sent to Dallas for some draft picks (ultimately I consider this a good deal, as much as I love Matty, his time had come to an end, I think). Sean Avery was shipped to the Rangers for Marc-Andre Cliche. Craig Conroy was sent back to the Flames after an exceptionally disappointing second season with the Kings. The only bright spots during the season would have to be Anze Kopitar and maybe Jack Johnson making his pro debut at the end of the season (and consequently fighting two Phoenix Coyotes, including Shane Doan who I'm sure most Kings fans aren't particularly fond of).
The 07-08 season brought forth another disappointing year in which the Kings finished 29th in the league. However they were able to make some slight strides. Jack Johnson looked decent and showed a world of potential in his rookie year. Patrick O'Sullivan emerged as a potentially elite two-way forward. Dustin Brown elevated his game to another level. Rookies like Brian Boyle, Peter Harrold, Erik Ersberg (A goalie! Very savvy acquisition by Dean Lombardi) Matt Moulson, and Teddy Purcell all showed promise in limited opportunity with the Kings. The low finish in the league paved the way to draft highly touted d-man Drew Doughty. They also picked up sturdy, solid Colten Teubert in an effort to bolster the backend for the future.
While the 08-09 season might not feature the Kings battling for a Stanley Cup, they should show great promise for the future. Marc Crawford no longer remains at the helm of the Kings bench, but rather former Philadelphia head coach Terry Murray (many people credit the emergence of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to Murray, he was an assistant coach in Philly before being signed by the Kings). Young goaltending prospects like Jonathan Bernier, Erik Ersberg, and Jeff Zatkoff provide hope for the future of the franchise. Look for Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Patrick O'Sullivan to form a very solid top line. If the Kings can find a solid second line center (they have a number of options with Brian Boyle, Michal Handzus, and newly acquired Jarret Stoll) to accomodate Alexander Frolov, they may even have a shot at a low playoff spot.
Ultimately, under the direction of Dean Lombardi, the Kings have made great strides to become a powerhouse in the NHL for a long time. While times may be lean at the moment, the future still appears bright. It hurts fans to watch their team struggle on a night-to-night basis, but this is the unfortunate reality of building a team the right way. With time, those night-to-night struggles will be a thing of the past.
Keywords: Anze Kopitar, Dean Lombardi, Dustin Brown, Future, Los Angeles Kings, Marc Crawford, Patrick O'Sullivan, Terry Murray
