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King's Achilles' Heel is already blatantly obvious

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© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

We’re only two games into the NHL regular season, and yet it's already evident that the Los Angeles Kings have a few glaring weaknesses. Sure, there are still 80 games left to go, and we shouldn’t hit the panic button yet, but this is a big issue that could cost the Kings a playoff spot. 

Against the Colorado Avalanche and the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Kings’ biggest problems on the ice were committing too many penalties, poor defense, and neutral-zone turnovers.  

These costly mistakes nearly derailed them to a 0-2 start to the season. Thankfully, they pulled out a miraculous win last night against the Golden Knights after getting embarrassed at home against the Avs, but they need to make adjustments heading into their next games. 

Penalties Continue to Hurt 

In the season opener against Colorado, the Kings played so bad that it was offensive to watch. Los Angeles took seven penalties, putting constant pressure on their penalty-kill unit. 

The key moment came when the Avalanche capitalized on one of the Kings' penalties and scored in the power play by Martin Necas from the right side of the ice. There was a lot of poor discipline from the Kings in that game, which led to extended time in the defensive zone and disrupted LA’s offensive momentum. 

Against Vegas, the Kings performed much better in terms of penalties and looked more effective offensively, but some of their other problems got much worse. One of their major penalties was when Alex Turcotte committed midway through the second period, which completely shifted the game's tone. 

Power-Play Defense Collapse

The Kings held a 3-1 lead heading into the second period, but two major power-play goals turned that lead into a 3-5 deficit just like that, looking like the Kings were going to have a meltdown of a game.

It was really against Vegas that the power play looked weak and lacked cohesion. A Golden Knights team that was one of the best on the power play last season, it was no surprise that with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel, they would look even better this season. 

The breakdowns from the Kings weren’t just about not being in the right place at the right time; it was slow rotations and late reactions. Vegas exposed those gaps to move the puck freely and find open looks, exposing the Kings' defensive unit that was looking completely lost out there. 

It’s only two games into the season, and it’s clear the Kings’ Achilles’ Heel lies in their undisciplined penalties, inconsistent power-play defense, and neutral-zone miscues. This is how the games will look for Los Angeles this season, ending in shootouts and high-scoring thrillers. 

But if the Kings are going to contend in this tough division, they must clean up those areas quickly. 

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Who Will Be The First NHL Player To Earn $20 Million Per Season?

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Four NHL stars signed new contracts in the past two weeks.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid signed a two-year deal worth $12.5 million annually on Monday, while Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed the richest deal in NHL history at eight years and a $17-million cap hit.

On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Jets re-signed Kyle Connor for eight years at $12 million per season, and the Vegas Golden Knights re-signed Jack Eichel for eight years at $13.5 million annually.

Kaprizov’s new deal is a prime example of how NHL players' compensation is changing with the increase in the salary cap.

Some were under the impression that McDavid would become the highest-paid player in the league, given his reputation and the boatload of Hart Trophies, Ted Lindsay Awards and more individual honors he’s won over the years.

In any case, it may have to be a different player who overtakes Kaprizov in terms of average annual value before McDavid's contract extension expires following the 2027-28 campaign.

Some incredibly talented players will require new contracts before then. This raises the question: who will be the first NHL player to earn a $20-million cap hit?

Nikita Kucherov, Auston Matthews, Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are among several other high-caliber players who will be requiring contract extensions in the near future. 

Kucherov and Matthews have noteworthy individual awards to their name, including a Hart Trophy each, Art Ross Trophy wins for Kucherov and 'Rocket' Richard wins for Matthews. Due to their unique abilities and results offensively, they could earn themselves a big ticket, especially Matthews, who is a center, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and located in a high-taxed environment.

When Matthews signed his four-year contract worth $13.25 million per season, he took 15.06 percent of the salary cap. According to the NHL, when his contract expires following the 2027-28 season, the salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million.

This means if Matthews were to sign a contract that paid him $20 million per season at that projected cap number, he would receive about 17.62 percent.

Richest Contracts In NHL History: McDavid Doesn't Break Kaprizov's New RecordRichest Contracts In NHL History: McDavid Doesn't Break Kaprizov's New RecordKirill Kaprizov’s new contract is an NHL history-maker, and Connor McDavid chose not to break it one week later.

Makar and Hughes are two superstar defenseman who provide a sense of offensive dominance from the back end that is rarely seen in NHL history. Both blueliners earn a cap hit of under $10 million, and many would believe they’re underpaid.

Each negotiation for every player is different, including the demands and motives of signing a new contract. However, there is a possibility that these two D-men could get massive raises on their next contracts.

When the Colorado Avalanche failed to re-sign star right winger Mikko Rantanen, they traded him and found a replacement who performs nearly as well for less money. They'll be hard-pressed to find anyone available who can do anything close to what Makar does. The same goes in Vancouver with Hughes, who demonstrates valuable leadership qualities on top of his play.

It's possible that in the summer of 2028, these players will deserve not only double their current cap hits but potentially $20 million a year as well.

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Gibson Takes the Heat, But Detroit’s Defensive Lapses Deserve the Blame in Montreal Rout

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A closer look at Montreal’s five goals in Thursday’s victory over Detroit and an assessment of how many can truly be pinned on John Gibson. 

The Detroit Red Wings had a troubling start to the season of Thursday as they found themselves down 3-1 early in the first period. They saw their chances in the second and third but never were able to crack the Habs defense and young goaltender Jakub Dobes. Montreal ended up prevailing 5-1 as the Red Wings were booed off the ice in their very first game of the season. 

John Gibson Pulled In Red Wings Debut As Part Of 5-1 Loss To Canadiens John Gibson Pulled In Red Wings Debut As Part Of 5-1 Loss To Canadiens The Detroit Red Wings have seen it all through 100 years of history in the National Hockey League, and have delivered multiple cherished memories for their legions of fans across the world. 

Every facet of the Red Wings’ game came under scrutiny, the offense struggled to finish, the defense blew key assignments, and newly acquired goaltender John Gibson couldn’t come up with the saves Detroit needed. While the forwards generated a decent number of chances, it wouldn’t be fair to pin the loss solely on Gibson. Most of Montreal’s goals were avoidable, but defensive breakdowns turned them into easy opportunities for the Canadiens.

Take the Habs first goal for example. The Canadiens opened the scoring with a quick and efficient passing play. Brendan Gallagher, positioned along the boards, spotted a streaking Zach Bolduc breaking up the ice. After receiving a pass from defenseman Mike Matheson, Gallagher immediately sent the puck ahead into open ice, perfectly placed for Bolduc to collect.

Bolduc blew past Red Wings defenseman Travis Hamonic and forward Michael Rasmussen, creating a clean breakaway. He finished the play with a low blocker-side shot past goaltender John Gibson for the first goal. 

Breakaways are difficult for any goalie to stop, but the Red Wings’ defensive struggles continued on Montreal’s second tally. The pairing of Hamonic and Albert Johansson was again caught out of position. Johansson was caught deep in the offensive zone, allowing Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen to slip behind him. A quick pass found a charging Alex Newhook, setting up a two-on-one rush.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Newhook fed Kapanen across the slot, and although Gibson managed to get a piece of the shot, it wasn’t enough to prevent Kapanen from burying it into the open net. 

"We Earned Those": Todd McLellan Says Red Wings Deserved Fan Boos After 5-1 Loss Throughout his first Training Camp as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Todd McLellan emphasized the importance of mental fortitude and responding the right way when things inevitably go wrong over the course of an 82-game season.

Montreal’s next two goals came off unfortunate deflections, one off Ben Chiarot’s stick and another off Johansson, continuing Detroit’s defensive woes. The fifth goal was likely the only one Gibson could have handled better. On a Canadiens power play, Cole Caufield fired a point shot that Gibson initially stopped but failed to control. The rebound kicked directly into the slot, where Juraj Slafkovsky pounced and fired it home. 

Ideally, Gibson would have directed the rebound to the corner or toward the side boards, keeping it away from a dangerous netfront chance. While the shot itself was difficult to handle, better rebound control or a quicker defensive response from Detroit could have prevented the goal.

Gibson was eventually pulled for Cam Talbot in the third, who finished the game with saves on four shots. Gibson's final stat line was just eight saves on 13 shots with five goals allowed but the game tells a very different story as many of the goals he never had a chance on. 

The Red Wings management team took a big swing grabbing Gibson and he likely has more to prove than what was showed on Thursday. There’s no word yet on who will start Saturday against the Maple Leafs, but if Gibson gets the nod again, the hope is that he’ll have a better chance to showcase his abilities, rather than being left in no-win situations where he’s forced to make highlight-reel saves on odd-man rushes and breakaways.

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3 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #3

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have 3 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Jersey #3 is one of the more popular numbers to be worn.

Let's take a look at who wore 3, and where they are now

František Kučera - 2001 - Drafted by Chicago in 1986. 

He played 48 games as a Jacket and had seven points in the first year of the Blue Jackets' existence. 

He retired in 2004 after returning to his home country of Czechia. 

Jaroslav Špaček - 2002-2004 - Drafted by Florida in 1998. 

Špaček played 153 games for Columbus and had 72 points in the early years of Columbus. 

His son David Špaček, born in Columbus, was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2022. He will start this season with the AHL's Iowa Wild. David was born in Columbus. 

Nowadays, the elder Špaček is the Director of Youth Hockey for HC Plzeň in Czechia. 

Marc Methot - 2009-2012 - Drafted by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round of the 2003 NHL Draft.

Methot played six years and 275 games for the CBJ, totaling 51 points on the Columbus blue line. He was the definition of a defensive defenseman. 

On July 1, 2012, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators for future CBJ Captain Nick Foligno. After the trade to Ottawa, he would play another 349 NHL games. 

He retired during the 2018-19 season after playing 9 games. 

Jordan Leopold - 2015 - Drafted by Anaheim in 1999. 

Leopold played 18 games for Columbus after being traded from the St. Louis Blues on November 15, 2014. On March 2, 2015, he was dealt again, this time to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Justin Falk. He retired after the 2015 season. 

He has been an assistant coach for Andover High in Minnesota for the past couple of years. 

Seth Jones - 2016-2021 - Drafted by Nashville in 2013. 

Jones played 381 games for the Jackets after coming over from the Nashville Predators. He scored 50 goals and totaled 223 points during his time in Columbus. Jones is currently second all-time in CBJ history in goals by a defenseman, second in assists, and second in points. He's also 7th in all-time assists and 10th in all-time points. 

He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021 in exchange for Adam Boqvist. Chicago traded him to the Florida Panthers in 2025, where he went on to win the Stanley Cup. 

The son of former NBA player Popeye Jones was described by Elite Prospects as, "A defenseman with an excellent frame. Jones' athleticism allows him to be a very good skater for a player of his size. He has excellent mobility and is solid both offensively and defensively. Jones gives a smart first pass and is also capable of utilizing his skating ability to bring the puck up himself. He has good hockey sense and is an asset on the power play thanks to his mobility, puck-handling, and a very dangerous slap shot."

Jack Johnson - 2025 - Drafted by Carolina in 2005.

Johnson played 486 games for Columbus after being traded from the LA Kings for Jeff Carter. He scored 36 goals and had 156 points in seven years.

He's bounced around since leaving Columbus, but finally won a Stanley Cup in 2022. He found his way back to Cannon City in the summer of 2024. Unfortunately for Johnson, he only played in 41 games for Columbus last year and had 6 points. 

He and Head Coach Dean Evason didn't see eye to eye, leading to Johnson being scratched most of the season. Johnson's family even boycotted the family day held ahead of the 2025 Stadium Series Game at Ohio Stadium. 

There are three days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #3?

Game one against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena didn't end well for the CBJ. They played well; they just couldn't beat Juuse Saros. They thought they took the lead, but a very iffy goalie interference call took the goal back.

The Jackets also came out of Nashville relatively healthy. Dean Evason said that defenseman Dante Fabbro, who missed a couple of shifts in the last two periods, is going to be ok. The Jackets are in Minnesota and will practice today. 

Mathieu Olivier - “I thought our game was really good. We put a lot of pressure on them, did the right things to win. Ultimately, their goalie was really good. So was Jet. It was a very tight game, and that’s just the way it goes sometimes, but as far as the way we played, I don’t think there’s much to look at and not be satisfied with. We played well. Just not satisfied with not getting the two points, but other than that, not a bad performance by our group.”

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