There is almost no way to look like a sage when it comes to making specific predictions for any NHL team, in any season.



Everyone remembers the misses, naturally. Who isn’t still scarred by those lofty Tampa Bay Lightning prognostications of glory? Heck, I remember the misses – this is Lisa speaking – and I’m probably going to get thrown out of next summer’s contraction draft effort by The Athletic because I picked Dustin Byfuglien and took a chance on Nolan Patrick this season.



This is why Mr. Cooper has been enlisted. First, he picked up the phone when I called – a mistake he may not make again – and essentially helps provide cover when some of our outrageous predictions fail to materialize. Wait, last year he wrote a story explaining how Ilya Kovalchuk could hit 25 to 30 goals. D’oh.



(OK, we aren’t going to get too outrageous.)



And so, onward and upward with our bold predictions for the Kings...