Kings Pacific Showdown: Coaches and Outlook

The Los Angeles Kings found balance with Todd McLellan, who was hired before the 2019-20 season and coached for five seasons. Under his leadership, the team made its first playoff appearance since the 2017-18 season in 2021-22 and achieved an overall record of 164-130-44. However, during the same time last year, the Kings struggled under McLellan, going 3-8-6 in a brutal 17-game stretch.

The Kings decided to part ways with McLellan and promoted Jim Hiller, giving him his first head coaching role in the National Hockey League. Hiller previously worked with the Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs organizations.

Hiller faced the same playoff challenge McLellan had the previous two seasons, going up against the Edmonton Oilers. Unfortunately, the eventual Stanley Cup runners-up pushed aside Hiller's first-time head-coach playoff appearance in five games.

That being said, while Hiller is new to the position, he brings a fresh perspective to the locker room. He is less rigid than past coaches, and under his leadership, the Kings moved away from the fan-hated 1-3-1 system and adopted the 1-2-2 formation. This change has allowed for smooth transitions while maintaining their identity. As of this article, they have allowed the fewest goals in the league.

Hiller's coaching philosophy emphasizes a tight structure and defensive responsibility, and this season feels different, which is reflected in their 23-10-5 record. Hiller has effectively managed the team, pushing the right buttons at crucial moments, and the players have responded positively.

Vegas

The Vegas Golden Knights are led by Bruce Cassidy, one of the most successful coaches in the league. With over 108 playoff games under his belt, including a Stanley Cup Final with the Boston Bruins and a Stanley Cup Championship with the Golden Knights, Cassidy is the most experienced coach among the three teams and is the only one to have won the Jack Adams Award.

In his third season with the Golden Knights, Cassidy has guided them to a record of 203-123-60. Currently, the Knights are 27-9-3, leading the Pacific Division and sitting atop the league standings. Cassidy has positioned the Knights as serious contenders for another Pacific Division title and a potential Stanley Cup win.

Edmonton

After a disastrous start to the 2023-24 season under Jay Woodcroft (3-9-1), the Oilers looked externally and hired Kris Knoblauch. Under Knoblauch, the Oilers became one of the hottest teams in the league, posting a 46-18-5 record and finishing with a .703-point percentage. They advanced to the Finals but lost to the Florida Panthers in a game seven after being down 0-3 in the series.

Knoblauch deserves credit for his success in a relatively short time, although he is still new to head coaching at this level. He had previously been an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons. He currently has the Oilers at 24-12-3 after losing the season's first three games (ironically), positioned well to compete for another championship.

Final Outlook

The Oilers and Knights boast an embarrassment of talent and resources regarding contention. Both clubs have superstar players or at least elite positional talent. Notable names include Jack Eichel, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard, Noah Hanifin, and Alex Pietrangelo, just to name a 'few."

The Kings have some elite talent, particularly in Adrian Kempe. They also feature Kevin Fiala, a dynamic player who doesn't quite fit the Kings' traditional style of responsible-check-for-chances type play. While the team still has the pillars from their championship decade ago in Anze Kopitar (37) and Drew Doughty (35), Doughty has yet to play this season. The Kings' foundation isn't at the same prime level as the Knights and Oilers.

While coaching is essential, it only goes so far. The league has a high level of parity, and the regular season leaves an ambiguous outlook for previewing potential matchups. At the end of the day, in the playoffs, having game-breakers in their prime will be the difference.

The Kings are pushing forward with maybe one game-breaker (Kempe), which would make it seem like a challenging task to take down either Vegas or Edmonton. However, the concept of the hard-working approach and team effort to compete against star-studded teams is reminiscent of the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, who achieved success without a true "superstar," but excelled with outstanding performances from elite players like Pietrangelo and Ryan O'Reilly (though both were in their primes).

This season, the Kings are determined to prove their doubters wrong, and there's a different feeling with Hiller at the helm. The Oilers and Knights have all the traditional ingredients needed to be contenders and have savvy bench bosses behind the helm. For the Kings, the focus is on creating their own success story, which they aim to accomplish through an all-hands effort, even if their similar approach to seasons past has faced massive pitfalls. This time, they look to give part of the burden to their younger players, paving the way for future success.

Required Reading

Part I: Centers

Part II: Defensemen

Part III: Wingers

Part IV: Goalies