Dobber’s Offseason Fantasy Grades 2020: Los Angeles Kings

Dobber

2021-01-01

Dobber’s offseason fantasy hockey grades – Los Angeles Kings

For the last 17 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 18th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer…er, winter. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Sheldon Rempal, Joakim Ryan, Paul Ladue, Ben Hutton, Trevor Lewis, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Tim Schaller

Incoming – Lias Andersson, Andreas Athanasiou, Olli Maatta

Impact of changes – Maatta joins the team, filling the void left by the Alec Martinez trade way back…wow, almost a year ago now. Andersson fills that "questionable, young, promising guy on the third line" void created when Prokhorkin decided to return to Russia. So basically, this is the same team as last year, with a couple more slots open for a couple of promising prospects to fill. And that's what this organization is about – prospects. They won their Cups, and now the rebuild is in full swing.

Adding Athanasiou is taking a swing for the fences, much like they did with Prokhorkin last year. Either he works out and returns to form as a legitimate top-sixer (and the talent is certainly there), or he just can't hack it in his own end at the NHL level. Small price to pay for a 56-game tryout. But him being around likely pushes Andersson back to the minors for another year (and he won't be happy with that, I'm sure).

Ready for full-time – Andersson has fallen from grace. It started with his tossing the WJC silver medal into the crowd and finished with his sulking about the Rangers not playing him properly. Or playing him enough. Or keeping him in the NHL. Meanwhile, since being drafted seventh overall in 2017 he has been a combined minus-53 in 140 AHL and NHL games. How should the team have treated him? At any rate, he's Los Angeles' problem now as they acquired him for a second-round pick. How is he doing since the acquired him? Well, for HV71 he has 11 points in 19 games and is minus-5. Not exactly shooting the lights out. But look for Andersson to make the Kings at first. Because if he doesn't, he might pick up his ball and go home.

Quinton Byfield was the second overall draft pick in October. As a bigger center (huge, at 6-4, 215 pounds), he'll take a little longer to hit his peak. The Kings may take their time with him, after seeing what Edmonton did with Jesse Puljujarvi. But the elite tools are all there and if they keep him on the roster he is a potential Calder candidate. I have Byfield playing the six-game trial that doesn't activate his contract, and then coming in full time for 2021-22 when there is a better team around him and a winning atmosphere.

Gabe Vilardi's back seems to be holding up as he showed last season during his brief stint with Los Angeles. As I noted in the Fantasy Guide, he had seven points in the eight games in which he played at least 12 minutes of ice time. If he can play the entire 56-game season then reaching 35 points is not out of the question.

Carl Grundstrom bet on himself when he signed his new two-year contract. He has to clear waivers in order to be sent down, and he made the first season a two-way deal with the second year a one-way. He'll likely be claimed if sent down. A wonderful agitator who loves to throw the body around, the 23-year-old also has some offensive upside. Potentially, as a third-liner this season he could pick up as many as 15 or 20 points along with 40 PIM and 100+ Hits. Eventually he could be a 40-point, 200-Hits player and a great multi-category asset.

Matt Luff has been a solid producer at the AHL level and he has now reached the point in his career where he needs to clear waivers in order to be sent down. He is already on the cusp of making the Kings, having already played 51 NHL games the last two seasons. If he makes the squad it will be as a depth player, and doesn't hold much fantasy value at this time.

Defenseman Kale Clague, as things stand now, could make the team. The Kings have just five proven NHLers signed, so it's assumed they will sign at least one more. But between Clague, Tobias Bjornfot and Mikey Anderson, two of them will be on the team right now. As far as 2020-21 goes, none of these players will have fantasy value. Longer-term, Clague has the highest offensive upside, but he's also the least certain to hit it, of the three. Bjornfot has the highest NHL certainty and best all-around game, while Anderson has those effort and leadership intangibles that make him a good bet to become an NHLer.

Los Angeles Kings prospect depth chart and fantasy upsides can be found here

Fantasy Outlook – The Kings finished second-last in goals scored for the second consecutive season. Last year I predicted they would increase their scoring by 10%, but it turned out to be closer to 3%. This is a team that still revolves around Anze Kopitar up front. Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter have each lost a step or seven, while former superstar defenseman Drew Doughty is now 31 years old and coming off of two consecutive painful (to watch) seasons. The Kings have the best prospect pipelines in the league though, so it's just a matter of holding the fort until the kids are ready. Right now it is up to Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe, Gabe Vilardi and defenseman Sean Walker to keep things afloat. In net, Cal Petersen is considered by many poolies as a current backup but future starter. Mainly because of Jonathan Quick's reputation, pedigree and huge contract. But I consider Petersen the team's starter and I think the 26-year-old starts a few more games than Quick – and with much better numbers.

Prospects Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Tyler Madden, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Arthur Kaliyev, Samuel Fagemo, Carl Grundstrom and Rasmus Kupari are each in my Top 70 on the Fantasy Prospect Forwards list. That's eight players, plus another four inside the Top 200.

Without the great prospects, this team is an F for fantasy value. But man, those are great prospects and the goals will come soon.

Fantasy Grade: C+ (last year was C+)

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2020 Offseason Fantasy Hockey Grades

Winnipeg

Washington

Vegas

Vancouver

Toronto

Tampa Bay

St. Louis

San Jose

Pittsburgh

Philadelphia

Ottawa

NY Rangers

NY Islanders

New Jersey

Nashville

Montreal

Minnesota

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UPCOMING GAMES

Mar 19 - 19:03 DET vs CBJ
Mar 19 - 19:03 N.J vs PIT
Mar 19 - 19:03 PHI vs TOR
Mar 19 - 19:03 NYR vs WPG
Mar 19 - 19:03 BOS vs OTT
Mar 19 - 19:03 NYI vs CAR
Mar 19 - 20:03 NSH vs S.J
Mar 19 - 20:03 STL vs COL
Mar 19 - 21:03 EDM vs MTL
Mar 19 - 22:03 VGK vs T.B
Mar 19 - 22:03 L.A vs CHI
Mar 19 - 22:03 VAN vs BUF
Mar 19 - 22:03 ANA vs MIN

Starting Goalies

Top Skater Views

  Players Team
DANIIL MIROMANOV CGY
CONNOR MCMICHAEL WSH
CONNOR BEDARD CHI
EVGENY KUZNETSOV CAR
YEGOR SHARANGOVICH CGY

Top Goalie Profile Views

  Players Team
DUSTIN WOLF CGY
CHARLIE LINDGREN WSH
DANIIL TARASOV CBJ
JOEY DACCORD SEA
DEVIN COOLEY S.J

LINE COMBOS

  Frequency L.A Players
20.7 ANZE KOPITAR ADRIAN KEMPE QUINTON BYFIELD
12.6 TREVOR MOORE KEVIN FIALA PHILLIP DANAULT
9.0 ALEX TURCOTTE ALEX LAFERRIERE PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS

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