Ryan Sikes 
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Over the last couple of years, the LA Kings have been linked to a number of left-shot defensemen. Rumors were swirling during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season that GM Rob Blake was in the market for a young, dynamic defenseman to plug in along the left side.
Thus far, the Kings have put a bandaid on a bullet hole, bringing in Alex Edler as a steady veteran presence. The 36-year-old missed half of the 2021-22 season with a broken ankle but had gotten off to a tremendous start.
Over the summer, the Kings tackled more firepower on the offensive side of the puck, adding Kevin Fiala in a trade. Blake also re-signed Edler on a team-friendly contract, with the expectation to serve in a leadership role left vacant after Dustin Brown announced his retirement.
It’s worth noting that the Kings also sent Tobias Bjornfot and Jacob Moverare down to the AHL due to waiver constraints with players on the NHL roster. However, Los Angeles took a calculated risk with Moverare, who had to clear waivers before being assigned to the Ontario Reign.
But through the first two games, the Kings haven’t shown much promise defensively.
Added, right-shot defensemen have been tasked with playing on their off-side, which could be the general theme through the first ten games or so in a feeling-out process.
And it’s certainly a small sample size, but the early returns on the LA Kings’ blueline have not been promising.
“We’re trying to figure out who we are, how do we want to play the game,” McLellan said after Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Seattle. “For the media that was there this morning or yesterday, it doesn’t happen automatically, you get to recreate yourself every year. The reference point that we had after game one was last year, now we have six periods in the bag and much better defensively today.”
With a number of injuries to Kings’ defensemen last year, Sean Durzi carved out a role for himself at the NHL level. However, with Sean Walker due back from ACL surgery at the start of this year, the primary question — or puzzle to solve — was: How is everyone going to get ice time?
It’s a topic that Blake addressed in his media presser before Opening Night, specifically in terms of Brandt Clarke, who made the roster out of training camp. The Kings’ GM stressed the importance of finding regular minutes for the young defenseman to develop.
In Game 1, Durzi drew in on his off-side and made an errant stretch pass up-ice that resulted in a turnover and ultimately the game-winner for Vegas with just under 30 seconds to play in regulation. Whether or not it was a direct consequence, Durzi was scratched from the lineup in Game 2.
Instead, Walker shifted over to the left side, which conflicted with Blake’s plan for the veteran defenseman.
“(He’s) played there at times,” Blake said of potentially slotting Walker in along the left side. “I think we got to get him comfortable coming back from knee surgery before we experiment again with the left side.”
| Player | Position | GP | CF% | xGF | xGA | xGF% | HDCF% |
| Brandt Clarke | D | 1 | 52.63 | 0.39 | 0.29 | 57.40 | 66.67 |
| Drew Doughty | D | 2 | 55.17 | 1.38 | 1.09 | 55.85 | 50.00 |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 2 | 51.85 | 1.23 | 1.26 | 49.37 | 33.33 |
| Sean Durzi | D | 1 | 41.46 | 0.94 | 1.26 | 42.80 | 41.67 |
| Alexander Edler | D | 2 | 31.48 | 0.95 | 1.63 | 36.69 | 44.44 |
| Matt Roy | D | 2 | 45.21 | 1.36 | 2.52 | 34.99 | 35.00 |
| Sean Walker | D | 2 | 41.38 | 1.04 | 2.29 | 31.23 | 40.00 |
Source: Natural Stat Trick
Speaking of Walker, again dealing with small sample sizes here, but he hasn’t looked very good, accounting for a 31.2 xGF%, and leads all NHL defensemen with 13 high-danger chances against (HDCA).
He also turned the puck over on the opening faceoff on Thursday, leading to the puck being dumped back into the Kings’ defensive zone. He then botched the outlet pass, giving it right back to Seattle. A microcosm in where was a rough night for Walker.
Matt Roy is right behind him, with a 34.99 xGF% and 12 HDCA, which is uncharacteristic from a player McLellan often refers to as “Steady Eddie.” Edler lands within the top 8 of NHL defensemen with 10 HDCA and comes in at a 36.69 xGF% through the first two games as well.
It’s kind of a mess right now, with players playing out of position, trying to find ice time for everyone. That said, the Kings are likely to give this rotation a little bit longer, especially with options in the AHL starting up their season on Friday.
Los Angeles is 0-2-0 on the year, and they are about to embark on a five-game road trip. Certainly, the Kings would like to avoid another 1-5-1 start, given the expectations going into this year, along with what figures to be a highly-competitive Pacific Division.
That said, if the blueline is still struggling after this roadtrip, a change might be in order. Whether that be calling up Bjornfot or Moverare as internal options or seeking a trade, Rob Blake’s hand might be forced to finally address the left side of the defense.