LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Los Angeles Kings Center Anze Kopitar (11) embraces Vegas Golden Knights Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) at the conclusion of the game during game 4 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings on April 17, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Kings entered the off-season with cap issues, scoring questions and lack of offensive depth. How have they fared so far?

After being unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs by the eventual Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights, the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Rob Blake had some serious introspection to do.

Scoring just three goals in four games, the fatal flaw that plagued them all season was on display for all to see under the harsh light of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite a career year from captain Anze Kopitar and a bounce-back season by former captain Dustin Brown, the Kings were exposed as being woefully thin in the offensive zone.

They did, however, lead the league in fewest goals against, despite a revolving door on the third pairing. Any team with Drew Doughty is going to be formidable with the dynamic defenseman on the ice doing his thing for nearly half an hour each game.

The early season Carter injury was a huge blow

Jeff Carter is one of the most gifted scoring centers in the NHL. He has a lethal quick-release shot. When Carter went down in October and missed 55 games, the Kings’ thin scoring depth was exposed in glaring fashion.

His linemates, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson, started strong but faded into non-factors on most nights. Hoping for goal-scoring help from the likes of Torrey Mitchell, Brooks Laich, Jussi Jokinen, Andrew Crescenzi, Jonny Brodzinski, Michael Amadio, Nick Shore, Marian Gaborik, Nic Dowd, Kyle Clifford, Tobias Rieder, Nate Thompson, and Andy Andreoff were fruitless and ill-fated endeavors.

There were, however, some flashes of hope from rookie players like Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe. Even wily veteran Trevor Lewis, when not hurt, had his best season.

The 2018-2019 Gameplan

With Drew Doughty entering the final year of his contract, negotiating an extension for the perennial Norris Trophy candidate was the highest priority for Rob Blake. Or so everyone thought because before that deal was done, Blake swooped in and walked away with the returning Russian, Ilya Kovalchuk, who caught most by surprise when he announced he was headed back to the NHL.

The signing of the prolific scoring winger, who bolted for the KHL in the middle of his contract with the New Jersey Devils, gives the Kings a proven goal-scorer to line up with Kopitar and Brown on the top line. Kovalchuk is 35 now. However, he recently led Russia to an Olympic Gold Medal and is showing no signs of age yet. It’s a three-year deal and time will tell (or take its toll).

As for the Doughty signing, which immediately followed the Kovalchuk announcement, that was a no-brainer. He has earned the right to be the highest paid defenseman in the league ($11 million per season) and it was either going to be as a King or somewhere else. The thought of seeing Doughty skating in another team’s jersey is enough to make any Kings fan tear up and/or gnash their teeth.

Wildcard Watch – Hoping the Rookie is Ready

In the 2017 NHL Draft, a player expected to go in the top five inexplicably fell into the Los Angeles Kings’ lap at number 11. Gabriel Vilardi is an Anze Kopitar-like center with great hands, strength, and size along with great vision and playmaking ability.

In just 32 regular-season games with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs last season, he amassed 22 goals and 58 points before adding another 22 points in 16 playoff contests.

The Kings front office, as well as their fans, are hoping that the future could be here, perhaps as soon as October 5, when they open the new season at Staples Center against the San Jose Sharks.

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If he has a strong camp, Vilardi could conceivably skate onto the ice on Opening Night as the third line center. Envisioning a high-energy third line of Vilardi with Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo on his wings could give the Los Angeles Kings the ability to roll three very deep and dynamic lines.