Los Angeles Kings Predicted to Lose in First Round Again

The Los Angeles Kings entered the NHL offseason following another first-round playoff exit to the Edmonton Oilers. The loss in the playoffs marked the fourth straight year that Los Angeles had fallen to Edmonton in the first round.

The Kings brought in former Oilers executive Ken Holland to run the show, and there was some real optimism around the team. However, things haven't quite gone the way that the Kings would have liked this summer.

Los Angeles has made a few moves, but nothing that the team has done has been overly exciting. The Kings' defense was special last season and proved a big boost during games.

But the front office has allowed Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence to leave the team, leaving some holes to fill. All in all, it has been a strange offseason for the Kings, and one that could see them fall behind even more.

NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report is low on Los Angeles entering the year and is predicting them to lose in the first round of the playoffs once again.

"The Kings needed to make some changes this offseason after a fourth straight first-round exit against the Edmonton Oilers. They made changes. They were not changes for the better...

That is not going to get them over the hump that is the Oilers or the first round," Gretz wrote.

Los Angeles has not won a playoff series since 2014, when they won the Stanley Cup. It has been a frustrating decade for the Kings, and this offseason may not have helped things.

There is still time for the Kings to make some last-minute moves; otherwise, they could have another wasted season next year.