It didn’t end well last season for the Kings.
But after a first-round loss to the San Jose Sharks, Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi had the chance to ruminate about the path to take next, giving it long thought during the summer. Perhaps, less could be more: minor renovation instead of a drastic overhaul.
Then the World Cup of Hockey gave him the opportunity to get feedback about his Kings players in the tournament, namely defenseman Drew Doughty for champion Team Canada and center Anze Kopitar for Team Europe, which lost in the finals.