LA Kings 2021-22 Line Predictions

The NHL season is only one month away and now that most teams around the NHL have finished their off-season moves, they have to get through their training camps to finally visualize and create the final lines and rosters for their teams. For some organizations it’ll be easy knowing who’ll crack the roster and who won't, but that isn’t the case for the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings are once again in a tough position where they have no idea how the lines will look like and who’ll be on the Ontario Reign and who will be in LA to play in the NHL. The Kings have so many talented rookies and prospects as well as so many depth pieces, that it’ll be a long and hard thought process for head coach Todd McLellan once training camp comes and goes.

In this article, we’ll predict the lines for the very first game of the season and it won’t be an easy job. The variety of prospects and depth power will make it a questionable and strange lineup, but at this point, anything goes.

First Line

Alex Iafallo-Anze Kopitar-Dustin Brown

This was Los Angeles’ first line for the majority of last season, and I don’t expect it to change. This first line last year helped Dustin Brown find his scoring touch and it also helped Alex Iafallo prove himself as a skillful top six forward who plays a solid two way game. Captain Anze Kopitar benefited from this line combo as well. Kopitar managed to rack up on assists (and a few goals as well), and it helped him not only hit 50 points in 56 games, but also 1000 career points.

I fully expect this to be the starting line for LA next season and it’s all thanks to the chemistry that the three gentlemen have built over the last calendar year. I do not see McLellan breaking the chemistry up, and the only way he does break it, is if it starts to underproduce and slow down production wise.

Second Line

Adrian Kempe-Phillip Danault-Viktor Arvidsson

It isn’t necessarily the “new guy” line, but we can say it’s two thirds of that.

The additions of Arvidsson and Danualt were so amazing this season, that we can expect the two of them to help this team become a borderline playoff team thanks to them. Even though Viktor Arvidsson hasn’t been his younger self these past few years, if he plays on a line with a defensive forward (EI: Phillip Danault) it’ll help him become far more offensive and less worried defensively, and it’ll give him the freedom to be a 30 goal-scorer once again. Not to mention that the two new players will not only help the second line be more productive, but it could help Adrian Kempe elevate his game and become a larger point producer.

If Arvidsson resumes his play as a high-level goal scorer and a 60 point player, Kempe could help feed Arvidsson and generate some assists. It will not only help Kempe with his development, but also make him far more excited playing the game and much more of a joy to watch. Danault is self explanatory as he’ll be the shutdown player as he always has been, and may put up a ton of assists sending the puck over to Arvidsson and Kempe.

Third Line

Andreas Athanasiou-Quinton Byfield-Gabe Vilardi

This is where it starts to get difficult because anything goes with every player available. The depth in LA feels neverending with so many different players to choose from. Andreas Athanasiou is a guarantee on the third line, but I must admit I was surprised with Rob Blake’s decision to keep him.

The chart above shows Athanasiou’s player card from his 2020-21 season with the LA Kings, and as you can tell it isn’t as pretty as you’d like it to be. He was once a 40 point player who’s skill has heavily fallen off. I think it’s fair to say that his previous success in Detroit was mainly thanks to Dylan Larkin as the two played on the same line for a few years. It never hurts to give him another shot though, especially for cheap.

Quinton Byfield is an interesting player to look at because of how he’s done so far. He was continuously dominant in the AHL and once he arrived into the NHL he didn’t look entirely out of place. He has been training in the off-season and based on his growth as a player, he may as well crack the roster instantaneously and become a top player contending for the Calder trophy as the best rookie.

It’s Gabe Vilardi’s year this season. Kings fans have been waiting for him to break out, and after last year, he deserves to have his breakout year. Last year wasn’t the greatest for Gabe, and he’ll probably be motivated after a year like that. Playing with Byfeild will help him and he’ll finally make a name for himself this season. This move will also help him transition to right wing, which makes more sense to me (and every other fan) than him playing down the middle.

Fourth Line

Trevor Moore-Jaret Anderson-Dolan-Vladimir Tkachev

Lots of players to choose from here, but the final idea for this line is making sure JAD gets playing time and Moore makes more of an appearance than any other player available. Trevor Moore, a player loved by all in LA, was re-signed to a multi-year deal and since it’s over a million dollars, he must get lots of playing time in. He’s a perfect fourth line winger, and he’ll be the staple to a solid bottom six. Jaret Anderson-Dolan has been deserving of some playing time in the past few years, and this year should be the season he finally makes it. He’s got potential, and the organization cannot waste his prime by making him sit in the press box.

Tkachev was signed from the KHL, but I don’t think people realize how good he is.

With this sort of potential, the Kings really look like they’ve gotten themselves a steal. The chances of him being a star are visibly there, and I do think he’ll have a good enough camp to crack the roster and be a regular fourth liner, up until he proves himself as a top six winger in the next few years.

Extra’s and notable players:

Alex Turcotte (AHL), Arthur Kalieyev (AHL), Lias Andersson (Extra Forward), Rasmus Kupari (AHL), Carl Grundstrom (Extra Forward), Brendan Lemiex (Extra Forward), Blake Lizotte (AHL), Austin Wagner (Extra Forward)

DEFENCE

First Line

Mikey Anderson- Drew Doughty

Doughty is ultimately a lock on the first defence line. He has been their go-to guy for years and he will stay that way for at least a couple more years. Anderson on the other hand is a tad of a wild decision to place on line one, but I can’t stress enough how positive I feel about him.

His elite defensive minded play has helped him solidify his spot in the NHL, and colour me shocked if he doesn’t crack the opening night roster. He’s arguably a top 20 defensive defenceman and his potential is sky high. This year he will prove himself and will earn his respect around the league if he receives the playing time he very well deserves.

Second Line

Alex Edler- Matt Roy

Alex Edler joined the Kings roster after almost 1000 career games in Vancouver, and he’ll help out with the young players joining the team. Edler is a fantastic penalty killer and he knows how to break up rushes and defend against some of the toughest competition in the NHL. In his early years he was a monster offensively, and as he sits at 99 career NHL goals, he hopes to get his 100th as soon as possible. Matt Roy is one of the more underrated defenseman in the league as he plays a solid two way game and he’s got a rocket of a shot. If he can find some sort of chemistry with Edler, this line could be unstoppable and it could generate some offensive power while being LA’s shutdown pairing.

Third Line

Tobias Bjornfot- Sean Walker

Tobias Bjornfot wasn’t rushed into the NHL as some people like to think. He has the feel of an NHL player and he plays like one too. He didn’t get too many games last year, but fans can expect him to play at least 50 out of the 82 games this year. He doesn’t necessarily need any more seasoning, and this year could be his breakout year. Edler won’t play on the same line as him, but he will be the perfect mentor for him. Something about Tobias reminds me of young Alex Edler. Could it be the play style? Possibly. Could it be the Swede connections? Most likely.

Sean Walker made himself a popular player amongst Kings players in the last three years, and he could be described as the perfect third line defenceman. If his minutes are limited, he could be a great player who holds down the defensive side of things while Bjornfot plays the more offensive aspect of the game. Walker is a fantastic player, and if he doesn’t get injured, he’ll play all 82 games.

Extra’s and Notable Players:

Olli Maatta (Extra Defenceman), Christian Wolanin (AHL)

GOALTENDING

Starter: Cal Petersen

Backup Jonathan Quick

There isn’t too much to this; the goaltending will stay the same. Quick isn’t the goalie he once was but he’s still a solid backup goalie. His athleticism is still in him which puts him a bit over the top, and it does make him serviceable, even though his contract isn’t exactly perfect.

Cal Petersen on the other hand, is ready to have the best season of his life. Never underestimate a player in a contract year because they always want that paycheck. Petersen was the flashlight in the dark for the Kings last season and he truly saved the Kings from some unbearable losses last year. If the team itself won’t be in a playoff position come April, Cal will be the guy that pushes them into that position.

The other goalies and younger guys will get seasoning in their respective league’s as they haven’t taken their game to the next step, but they will eventually.

…

The Kings roster is so out-of-the-ordinary this season and it’s not exactly a bad thing. The Kings have the best prospect pool in the entire NHL, and you cannot possibly expect them all to play in the same year. Some of these guys are NHL ready and some of them aren’t quite yet. The skill does need to be spread out so that some players can start out in the NHL right away, and some will get extra development. One thing we know for sure is that by the end of the season, we’ll see most of the younger stars from Ontario play a few games in the NHL. Until then, the Kings have built themselves a great roster that will battle out for a playoff spot jibing to the other few pacific teams trying to squeak in.