When general manager Rob Blake pushed his payroll to the salary-cap limit to acquire center Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer, Blake expected the Kings to have the depth and skill to contend for the Stanley Cup.
On Friday, with his dysfunctional team clinging to a wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference, Blake made Todd McLellan pay the price for the Kings’ stumbles by firing the 56-year-old coach after slightly more than 4½ seasons behind their bench.
Jim Hiller, an assistant under McLellan, will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season.