The Los Angeles Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three years and have a core in place to contend for the forseeable future. Matt Dumba Wild Jersey . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Kings roster that might have some tweaking around the edges, but wont have to make dramatic changes in order to be a Cup contender again next season. Since winning their first Stanley Cup, in 2012, the Kings have been the leagues best puck possession team, carrying the play at even strength to the tune of nearly 57% possession in the past two seasons. Thats dominant stuff. Possession alone doesnt assure success because, as the Kings have found at times, actual goals are required to wins games and sometimes those dont come so easily. But, the Kings have enough guys with scoring pedigree, so even if Dustin Brown and Justin Williams arent scoring at usual rates, maybe its Tyler Toffoli or Tanner Pearson or Marian Gaborik that fills the offensive void. In the case of the playoffs, they all contributed and that was enough for the Kings to get crowned. Thats not to suggest it was easy. Winning three seven-game series and three overtime games in the Final requires a certain amount of good fortune to be smiling down on the team, but that was also a Murderers Row for the Kings to face in the Western Conference playoffs. The Boston Bruins were the only team in the league with fewer regulation losses than the Sharks, Ducks and Blackhawks, so any team going through that opposition needs a favourable bounce or two. But theres a reason that the Kings are in position to take advantage of those bounces and that goes back to their dominant puck possession and a team that has skill, size and skating throughout the lineup. Maybe the Kings will make a move or two in the offseason. Bringing back Gaborik would seem to be a priority, and there are a couple of free agent defencemen whose status needs to be addressed, but this is a team built to win now and, with a solid group of young players, theyre built to keep winning in the future. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACH Dean Lombardi/Darryl Sutter Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Anze Kopitar 78.37 82 29 41 70 61.0% $7.8M Jeff Carter 76.33 72 27 23 50 56.8% $5.272M Justin Williams 73.87 82 19 24 43 60.6% $3.65M Tyler Toffoli 68.42 62 12 17 29 60.4% $717K Dustin Brown 67.34 79 15 12 27 57.9% $5.875M Tanner Pearson 65.52 25 3 4 7 55.0% $735K Mike Richards 65.49 82 11 30 41 54.6% $5.75M Jaret Stoll 63.74 78 8 19 27 55.9% $3.25M Trevor Lewis 58.73 73 6 5 11 53.4% $1.525M Jordan Nolan 57.66 64 6 4 10 53.1% $700K Kyle Clifford 57.55 71 3 5 8 53.9% $1.075M Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Marian Gaborik 72.91 41 11 19 30 54.2% UFA $7.5M Dwight King 65.94 77 15 15 30 58.5% RFA $750K One of the games premier two-way players, Anze Kopitar is a rare player who takes on the toughest matchups, yet dominates anyway. Since 2009-2010, he ranks 11th in the league with 342 points, to go with elite puck possession numbers. The 26-year-old has won two Stanley Cups, leading the playoffs in scoring in both of those seasons, and is likely among the top handful of all-around players in the sport. Hes also missed eight games, total, in the past seven seasons. Since 2008-2009, Jeff Carter ranks sixth in the NHL with 189 goals, and his arrival in Los Angeles elevated the Kings into the championship tier. On the way to this latest Cup win, Carter frequently skated between rookies Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli, and the line was so effective that there are high hopes for what they might be able to do over a full season. Conn Smythe Trophy winner Justin Williams had an outstanding playoff run, but hes been an exceptional puck possession player since arriving in Los Angeles and his playoff production offset what was really an underwhelming regular season; his 0.52 points per game was the second-lowest since his rookie year. Even after a good showing in the 2013 playoffs, Tyler Toffoli started last season in the AHL, scoring 15 goals and 23 points in 18 games before getting recalled. Hes fit right in to the Kings puck possession game and, with improved skating and a quick release on his shot, Toffoli has the offensive skills to be a big contributor. It was a tough season for team captain Dustin Brown, whose 27 points were his fewest in a season since his 31-game rookie year in 2003-2004. His hit totals were down and his 15:50 average time on ice per game was his lowest since 2005-2006. And yet, by the end of the playoffs, he was back on Kopitars wing and scored eight points in the last eight playoff games. Browns new contract, which runs for eight years, kicks in next season and the Kings had better hope that Brown can get back to being a productive scorer for at least a portion of those years. The 30th pick in the 2012 Draft, Tanner Pearson had 79 points in 105 AHL games then worked his way up the Kings depth chart, playing fourth-line minutes before he ended up with Carter and Toffoli, using his speed to create opportunities. Getting notable contributions from Pearson and Toffoli, on inexpensive rookie deals, allows the Kings more flexibility when it comes to signing others. Declining productitivity resulted in Mike Richards getting demoted to the Kings fourth line at times during the playoffs, which sends him into the offseason with questions about his status because his contract has six years left and, unless there is a sudden reversal, the next six years for Richards could be trouble. In some circumstances, Richards might be a buyout candidate, but he likely has enough of a reputation that he could be traded if the Kings are looking to create room under the cap. A reliable two-way player who has missed eight games in the past four seasons, Jarret Stoll is a consistent physical presence who has won nearly 56% of his faceoffs over the past five seasons, yet his time on ice (15:52) was his lowest since his rookie season, 2003-2004. There arent many forwards that play as much as Trevor Lewis, yet score so rarely, but he consistently generates positive possession stats, making him a useful checker in the Kings bottom six. Jordan Nolan provides a physical presence on the fourth line, though he was bumped out of the lineup for all but three games in the postseason. Nolan has 20 points in 134 career games, which is easily replaceable, yet hes also an inexpensive depth option for the Kings. In four NHL seasons, Kyle Clifford has fought 42 times and scored 48 points (22 G, 26 A) with positive possession stats in 276 games. He was a regular in the lineup during the run to the Stanley Cup and was terrific in the final series, scoring four points in five games and Clifford was a standout in the deciding game. Can the 23-year-old produce enough to take on a bigger role? Dwight King had something of a breakthrough season, scoring a career-high 30 points, spending significant time on the first line, which led to his stellar possession stats. Hes not a first-line type of player, but as a physical third-line winger who can chip in offensively, King fits the bill. Marian Gaboriks impressive production -- 19 goals, 38 points in 45 (regular season plus playoff) games -- after he was acquired at the trade deadline should earn him a good contract as a free agent and the Kings are likely interested in retaining his services, but if they cant keep Gaborik, the Kings could also dip in for other marquee free agents, whether thats Paul Stastny, Matt Moulson, Mike Cammalleri, Ales Hemsky or others. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Drew Doughty 73.83 78 10 27 37 58.5% $7.0M Jake Muzzin 71.10 76 5 19 24 61.1% $1.0M Alec Martinez 69.19 61 11 11 22 56.3% $1.1M Slava Voynov 67.95 82 4 30 34 55.0% $4.167M Robyn Regehr 62.03 79 3 11 14 53.4% $3.0M Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Matt Greene 64.07 38 2 4 6 58.4% UFA $2.95M Willie Mitchell 63.69 76 1 11 12 55.5% UFA $3.5M While his regular-season point production doesnt always live up to expectations, Drew Doughty has been a standout in puck possession terms; best in the league among defencemen to play at least 4000 5-on-5 minutes over the past four seasons. In the Kings two Stanley Cup runs, Doughty has put his full game on display, playing big minutes against tough opponents and simultaneously producing offensively. He can skate, hit and has seemingly boundless confidence in his ability, which serves him well most of the time. Jake Muzzin has been positively remarkable in terms of puck possession over the past couple seasons and while he started on the Kings third pairing, he finished the year alongside Doughty, and acquitted himself well. So, just like that, 25-year-old Muzzin is a top pair defenceman, with good size and a good shot from the point. Not bad for an undrafted free agent out of junior hockey. Even before he scored the Stanley-Cup-winning goal, Alec Martinez had something of a breakout campaign, scoring 11 goals during the regular season -- an amazing rate for a guy getting less than 16 minutes of ice time per game. While he tends to play easier minutes, Martinez has consistently put up good possession numbers. Playing more than 22 minutes per game for the past couple seasons, Slava Voynov has solid possession numbers and his 59 points over those two seasons puts him in a six-way tie for 28th among defencemen, with a group that includes Doughty, Zdeno Chara and Dion Phaneuf. Thats good, and the 24-year-old probably has more to give as he matures. Robyn Regehr has clearly lost a step, which isnt unusual fora 34-year-old that has spent many years matched up against the oppositions best forwards, but he had his role cut back and was injured in the playoffs, playing only eight of the Kings 26 games. With Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene headed for unrestricted free agency, Regehr does offer some insurance as a physical, stay-at-home defenceman. If both Greene and Mitchell head elsewhere, that would open up some holes on the blueline, but Brayden McNabb, a prospect acquired from Buffalo, should have a shot to earn one spot on the blueline and there shouldnt be great difficulty finding a veteran defenceman that would be interested in playing with this group. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Jonathan Quick 68.84 49 27 17 4 2.07 .915 $5.8M Martin Jones 77.59 19 12 6 0 1.81 .934 $550K Jonathan Quick has been an above-average starting goaltender over the last four seasons, though his perceived value may be inflated somewhat since he is a two-time Stanley Cup winner. Since having back surgery following the Kings 2012 Cup, Quick has a .910 save percentage during the regular season, ranking 26th out of 33 goaltenders to play in at least 50 games over that span. With Quick signed through 2023, the Kings could really use him getting back to his previous form, but theyre such a dominant possession team that they dont need Quick to be great in order to win.. When the Kings dealt Ben Scrivens to Edmonton, that opened up a spot for Martin Jones, who excelled when Quick was hurt in December. The 24-year-old, who was undrafted out of junior, has great size and should be able to handle a decent workload as Quicks backup. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Brayden McNabb D Manchester (AHL) 10-26-36, +14, 52 GP Valentin Zykov RW Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) 23-40-63, +32, 53 GP Linden Vey C Manchester (AHL) 14-34-48, +8, 43 GP Derek Forbort D Manchester (AHL) 1-16-17, +19, 74 GP Nick Shore RW Manchester (AHL) 14-24-38, +18, 68 GP Michael Mersch RW Wisconsin (Big 10) 22-13-35, +7, 37 GP Nic Dowd C St. Cloud St. (NCHC) 22-18-40, +17, 38 GP Jordan Weal C Manchester (AHL) 23-47-70, +28, 76 GP Kevin Gravel D St. Cloud St. (NCHC) 10-13-23, +9, 38 GP Nikolai Prokhorkin LW CSKA Moscow (KHL) 19-18-37, +12, 52 GP Jonny Brodzinski RW St. Cloud St. (NCHC) 21-20-41, +15, 38 GP Patrik Bartosak G Red Deer (WHL) 2.80 GAA, .924 SV%, 65 GP A big, physical defenceman who can handle the puck, Brayden McNabb was acquired from Buffalo last season and, with three AHL seasons under his belt, the 23-year-old ought to be ready for an NHL job. Drafted in the second round last summer, Valentin Zykov is a big winger who can score, but needs time to improve his skating before he challenges for a spot with the Kings. Given the development of Pearson and Toffoli in that regard, it seems reasonable to have hopes Zykov can achieve similar improvement. A fourth-round pick in 2009, Linden Vey has produced in the AHL, scoring 115 points in 117 games over the past two seasons, and did get into 18 games with the Kings last season. He needs to get stronger, but could have a chance to challenge for a job if the Kings have any turnover up front. Taken with the 15th pick in 2010, Derek Forbort has been slow developing, but the 6-foot-4 defensive defenceman moves well and could put himself in consideration for promotion with improved passing and puck skills. Picked in the third round in 2011, Nick Shore had a sold, if unspectacular, first pro season after three years at Denver University. If he continues to progress next season, hell be closing in on a shot at the NHL. A big forward who gets to the net to score goals, Michael Mersch was a fourth-round pick in 2011 and scored 45 goals in 79 games over his last two seasons at Wisconsin. He had four points in 11 (regular season plus playoff) games with Manchester of the AHL after his collegiate season finished. Alabama native is a big centre, drafted in the seventh round in 2009, Nic Dowd wrapped up a productive career at St. Cloud State, scoing 79 points (36 G, 43 A) in 80 games over his junior and senior seasons, before adding four points in 11 (regular season plus playoff) games with Manchester. While the Kings load up on big forwards, Jordan Weal is on the small side, but there is no ignoring his production -- 198 points in his last two years of junior or 70 points in 76 AHL games last season -- so the 22-year-old has to be on the Kings radar. A defensive defenceman with good size, Kevin Gravel played four years at St. Cloud State after he was a fifth-round pick of the Kings in 2010. Selected in the fourth round of the 2012 Draft, Nikolai Prokhorkin is plying his trade in Russia, but after a very productive year, leading his team in scoring, hes one to watch with significant upside should he decide to come to North America. Picked in the fifth round last summer, Jonny Brodzinski is something of a late bloomer who has scored 43 goals and 74 points in 80 games for St. Cloud State. A fifth-round selection last summer, Patrik Bartosak put up great numbers -- including a .929 save percentage in 120 games played -- over the past couple seasons in the WHL, and played well in four late-season AHL games. Lets see what he does with a couple of years of pro development. Kings advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT 29th - Nikolay Goldobin, Nikita Scherbak, Brayden Point. FREE AGENCY According to www.capgeek.com, the Kings have approximately $54.0M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 13 players. Check out my possible Kings lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top six winger, one top four defenceman, another defenceman. What I said the Kings needed last year: One top four defenceman. They added: Matt Frattin, Dan Carcillo, Ben Scrivens. TRADE MARKET Mike Richards, Robyn Regehr. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. J.T. Brown Wild Jersey . Levante, which had lost five straight including a Copa del Rey game last weekend, fell behind at its Ciutat de Valencia stadium when Ionut Sapanura opened the scoring for Elche in the 26th minute. Zach Parise Jersey . Subway workers in Rio de Janeiro, meanwhile, were holding an assembly to vote on whether they would strike to demand higher wages, threatening to disrupt transportation. By late Tuesday night there was no announcement of their decision. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Devan-dubnyk-wild-jersey/ . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday.SAN JOSE – Toronto’s slide continues. An empty spin through California has the Leafs fading further and further out of a playoff spot. They fell for the 11th time in the past 14 games in NorCal on Thursday night, dropped 3-1 by the Sharks on the third leg of an arduous four-game trip. “In this league you can’t go through stretches like this,” said an exasperated Phil Kessel after the latest defeat. “Obviously it’s disappointing here. I think we’re playing decent hockey, but we’re just not winning any games.” Increasingly battered – both on and off the ice – the Leafs are fading fast from the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They sit five points back of the Rangers for the final wild card spot – with the Panthers sandwiched in between – despite playing four more games. Theyre even further behind Boston and perhaps hopelessly behind the division-leading trio of Tampa, Montreal and Detroit. A challenging road-heavy schedule compounded with a number of other key factors (coaching change, poor play before that coaching change, a swing in luck and an increasing spate of injuries) has proved just too much for this club to take, even in light of some improvements made under Peter Horachek’s direction. Toronto is in the thick of playing 17 of 22 on the road – losing nine of the first 11. Scoring troubles have only exacerbated those challenges. Once leading the league in offence, the Leafs have just 10 goals in the past seven games. “I don’t know what, we’ve got to slay a dragon or something,” Kessel said, wondering aloud whom the club had ticked off to earn such luck recently. “We’ve got to get one bounce don’t you think?” They had a swarm of quality opportunities against Antti Niemi on this most recent night, including a Tyler Bozak shot that squirted just outside the goal-line. Mike Santorelli rung another off the post. And Sam Carrick, still searching for his first NHL goal, had not one but two great chances to beat the Sharks goaltender. “It’s pretty frustrating, but we’ve got to stick with it,” said Kessel, amid a pretty dramatic dry spell himself. “I’m not putting up any goals or anything right now so we’ve got to figure it out.” Injuries too have proved too much to handle for a club that went about solidifying its depth in the offseason. The Leafs have essentially stopped scoring since Joffrey Lupul and Peter Holland went down with injury against Boston three weeks ago. Add more recent maladies to Leo Komarov and David Booth and the Leafs are suddenly fronting fewer and fewer options up front. And though not simply just an injury-issue – their power-play has sputtered, they’ve obviously been unlucky at times and are playing a more conservative style – this lineup is noticeably thinner both at centre and on the wing these days. Though having fine seasons, Mike Santorelli and Daniel Winnik just don’t add a lot of punch in a top-six role. The plight of David Clarkson, meanwhile, continues. Clarkson has just one goal in the past 19 games and found himself buried on the fourth line by the end of Thursday’s game. The struggles go beyond just depth though. Still leading the team in scoring and amongst the NHL’s scoring leaders, Kessel has just a single even-strength goal in the past 17 games. Nazem Kadri too has gone seven straight without a goal. “We just can’t get it to go into the net,” Kessel sighed. “I don’t know if we’re gripping our sticks or what it is, but it’s not going in for us right now as you guys can tell. And that gets frustrating, but we’ve got to stick with it and things will change hopefully.” The Leafs demonstrated considerable progress in Horachek’s first four games behind the bench – holding opponents to an average of 23 shots – but slipped a bit in that regard on Thursday against a speedy, skilled Sharks lineup. Firing shots from anywhere and everywhere the Sharks mustered 41 shots at James Reimer, beating him twice in a span of 11 seconds in the first. He was brilliant from there on out, finishing with 39 saves. Reimer was especially on point in a middle frame that saw the Leafs outshot 17-4. Unlike past skids there’s at least an understanding, even acceptance amid the group, of the manner in which the club has to continue playing to to have success down the line. That was almost never the case in the past under Carlyle when wins piled up on a house of cards that eventually collapsed. “We’re confident as a group in what we’re doing and we’re going to continue to keep doing it and eventually our luck will change a little bit if we keep playing this way and give ourselves chances to win games,” Cody Franson said. “I thought it was another night where we did that.” Five Points 1. Power-Play Misfire The Leafs first power-play unit has mostly been a wrecking ball this season, but they’ve come up short of late at a point when the club could use the extra jolt. Toronto came into Thursday’s game with just two power-play goals in the previous five gamees, going 0-6 combined against the Kings and Ducks. Jordan Greenway Wild Jersey. That led the coaching staff to shake things up in a big way to start the game against the Sharks. Kadri briefly rejoined the point of that top power-play grouping, replacing Franson, who teamed with Jake Gardiner, Mike Santorelli, Richard Panik and Daniel Winnik. That lasted for a period before things reverted back. Neither recipe spelled success. The Leafs finished 0-3 with the man advantage and are now 2-19 in the past six games. 2. Power-Play Misfire II Cooling recently the Leafs first power-play unit, with the majority of opportunity, has been dominant for the better part of the year; Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak have combined for 22 of the Leafs 31 power-play goals this season. It’s been the second grouping though – consisting mostly of Kadri, Clarkson and the likes of Lupul (when healthy), Holland, Santorelli and even Panik recently – that’s misfired completely. Kadri has just two power-play points all year and Clarkson, despite ample opportunity, has just a single power-play point this season and it came all the way back on Oct. 31st. This was not at all the case last season. Toronto’s second unit then of Kadri, Lupul and Mason Raymond was effective, combining for 19 goals with secondary ice-time. The Leafs are limited in power-play personnel because of injuries, but it sure looks like time they try something different with that second grouping. The Clarkson experiment, for one, appears due for a change. 3. Shake-Up Horachek resisted reuniting Kessel and Bozak with van Riemsdyk up until Thursday – back-to-back shutouts sealing the deal – insisting earlier in the week that a breakup was better for the club defensively. “Ultimately down the road I think it’ll benefit us in a big way,” he said. Amid further injury though and some intensifying scoring troubles, Horachek blended up his lineup against the Sharks and reconnected that old questionable top unit. The line actually connected on quite a few opportunities and proved positive in the possession game for a change. “I thought they really came out with a good effort,” said Horachek. Maybe more interesting was the shake-up on defence. Horachek flipped Roman Polak onto the top pair with Dion Phaneuf, sliding Franson into second unit duties with Morgan Rielly. “Roman’s obviously a bigger, heavier guy and I thought that might free up Franny to have some more offence,” Horachek said of the move. 4. Kessel’s Possession A scourge in Toronto’s hapless possession game under Randy Carlyle, Kessel has seen those numbers rise considerably in a brief window under Horachek. What Kessels noticed in that time-frame was his line – which saw Winnik mostly replace van Riemsdyk until Thursday – spending far less time in the defensive zone. “I think we’re improving on getting the puck out of our zone,” Kessel said earlier this week. “I think defensively we’re using our [forward] options a little better and when you get it quicker I think you don’t play as much in the defensive zone.” Kessel had an alarming 42 percent possession mark in the first 40 games under Carlyle, but has seen that number jump to 53 percent under Horachek (entering Thursday’s game). He finished at 49 percent against the Sharks. 5. Broken Nose According to the Leafs, David Booth merely broke his nose when he was elbowed in the face by Ducks defenceman Sami Vatanen Wednesday night. Horachek neither confirmed nor denied whether Booth – who has a history of concussions – was given a concussion test after the incident. “I don’t know if he did a concussion test, but he seemed to be fine after the game and he seemed to be fine this morning,” Horachek said, pausing before posing another strange query. “What’s a concussion test?” Booth missed 54 games with two concussions during the 2009-10 season. He appeared disoriented following the elbow from Vatanen, unable to make it to the bench or dressing room without assistance. That would seem to be an easy case for the NHL’s Modified SCAT2 concussion test and yet it’s not entirely clear whether such a tool was employed for the 29-year-old Booth. He sat out against the Sharks, but could apparently return Saturday against the Blues. Stats-Pack 1 – Even-strength goal for Phil Kessel in the past 17 games. 2-9-0 – Leafs record in their past 11 games on the road. 1 – Number of goals in the past 19 games for David Clarkson. 10 – Goals in the past seven games for the Leafs. 2-19 – Leafs on the power-play in the past six games. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3 Season: 19.5% (12th) PK: 3-3 Season: 82.2% (12th) Quote of the Night “I don’t even know how it didn’t go in. We kept whacking at it and it just wouldn’t go in.” -Phil Kessel on one of the Leafs best scoring chances against the Sharks. Up Next The Leafs conclude their four-game road trip in St. Louis on Saturday. ' ' '