The Los Angeles Kings are at a crossroads.
After a very good start to the season, the California team experienced a terrible slump. Since the beginning of January, the team has only had three wins in 15 games. That led to the firing of head coach Todd McLellan on Friday.
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He has been at the helm of the team since April 2019. His assistant Jim Hiller took over as interim head coach. He will remain in office until the end of this campaign and the Kings will then make a decision.
General manager Rob Blake discussed the matter with the media on Monday. He was asked in particular about the performances of striker Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The Quebecer, who was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets at a high price this summer, has scored a total of 10 goals and as many assists for 20 points in 48 games so far in 2023-2024. He is in the first year of an eight-year contract that will pay him $8.5 million annually.
The Kings' GM said it wasn't just Dubois “who hasn't played well in the last 24 games,” but that it was “the whole team.”
Blake is also aware that if his club doesn't turn things around, he will be the next to lose his job. The former National League player's contract is expected to expire at the end of the 2024-2025 season.
“I completely understand the impact,” he said when asked about his professional status if his team didn’t win.
An outside view
Blake believes Hiller is the man for the job, having served as an assistant head coach with the Detroit Red Wings (2014-2015), Toronto Maple Leafs (2015 to 2019), Toronto Islanders New York (2019-2022) and the Toronto Red Wings has worked Kings (2022 to 2024).
“Jim will take a very different approach in every way,” Blake said.
The CEO also made it clear that he wanted to hire an assistant from outside the organization to support Hiller.
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He also used his press conference to suggest that striker Viktor Arvidsson would be back in training on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Swede has not yet played this season.
Finally, the Kings placed Blake Lizotte's name on the long-term injured list.