After defeating the New York Rangers in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, the Los Angeles Kings have had to re-establish their footing in the Western Conference, setting forth on a multi-year re-tool while still holding on to veterans Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty. However, since the Kings’ Cup victory in 2014, even after the recent retooling of the roster, they have failed to make it beyond the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Already going through a coaching change during the regular season, Los Angeles has some major decisions to make during the upcoming offseason, decisions that will influence the future success of the organization. One of those decisions will come on the blue line, as the Kings debate whether or not to retain the services of Matt Roy.
With their season coming to an end two weeks ago, there have reportedly been no extension talks between Los Angeles and Roy’s camp. However, Dennis Bernstein of TheFourthPeriod reports that the Kings organization is expecting extension talks to progress closer to June, a short time before Roy would have the opportunity to discuss a potential contract with the 31 other teams across the league.
Heading into the offseason, Los Angeles will have approximately $23.25MM of cap space to work with, but will notably need to address the contractual futures of up-and-coming talents Quinton Byfield and Jordan Spence with both become restricted free agents this summer. Beyond those two, the Kings are highly expected to make a splash in the goaltending market, which will take its chunk out of the available cap space.
Earning only $3.15MM a year on his current contract, Roy’s play over the last three years may have priced him out of Los Angeles’ lineup next season. Since the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, Roy has suited up in 230 regular season games for the Kings, scoring 16 goals and 72 points in total while averaging over 130 hits and 150 blocks a year in the process.
Kings have three good RHD so yeah, eat up cap on a player they don’t need. Rob Blake is destroying this team
LA has made a string of mind boggling decisions which has cap strapped them going forward. New decision makers are needed in a big way. Luc and Blake need to be replaced if they hope to ever get out of the 1st round. Relying on 11&8 to play top minutes against other teams top players wears them out come April and May.
Isn’t that a coaches’ issue?
if this man is not a maple leaf if he hits the open market, Brad Treliving has done something wrong.
RH? ✅
can out up points? ✅
hits? ✅
likely to be overpaid on the market ✅✅ ✅
Another stupid dumb ass mistake! As long as moron saboteur Rob Blake is still allowed to destroy this hockey club I will no longer support the Kings. This is completely unacceptable and AEG should be ashamed of their lack of interest for the good of the franchise.
As a 17 year season ticket holder and only missing 6 games the last two seasons. Roy can move on. Gabby cleans up so many of his messes. He lacks the wow factor He is the run of the mill #4. It is time for Clarke to put on his big boy pads and take 18 minutes a night. He is Jake Muzzin 2.0. What did muzzin do in Toronto? That would be NOTHING. Pay Roy 5 mill and buyer beware
Muzzin was excellent in Toronto and worth every penny until he suffered career-ending injuries.
Toronto had 99 problems but Muzzin wasn’t one. Their problem was spending 48.5% of their cap to 4 forwards and another 15% to 2 defensemen that weren’t worth that.
Anze Kopitar is the most underrated player of this era and it’s not close.
Anyone who doesn’t have him as a first ballot HOF’er should lose their vote and they should watch Netflix instead of hockey.
Although you’re comment has nothing to do with this article, I agree 100%!
I like Roy, if they can get him on a 5 x 5 deal that would work. There is no guarantee that Gabrikov signs an extension!