Analyst Labels West Contender a ‘Subtraction by Addition’ Team

The Los Angeles Kings hold the distinction of being the NHL’s worst club in terms of net difference from last season to this. According to The Athletic, the Kings scored a -18 on their list of which teams improved the most or the least. Ouch.

The post writes:

“You’ve heard of addition by subtraction? Well, the Kings pulled off the rare feat of subtraction by addition. On defense, the team turned Vladislav Gavrikov, an actual top-pair defenseman, into Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, two low-end third-pair defensemen — at best. They also parted ways with Jordan Spence, an undersized defender who looked promising in a sheltered role last year.”

The first comment on the post by a reader notes, “Subtraction by Addition”, that should be the Kings’ team motto this year.” The response garnered over 110 likes.

The scribe goes on to note that the Kings spent the same $8.5 million to downgrade their blue line by 18 goals, betting on their system to elevate aging newcomers. It’s a risky move—and a puzzling one.

New GM Ken Holland was clearly feeling the pressure to make changes after the Kings were ousted for the umpteenth straight time by the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, but analysts have overwhelmingly criticized Holland’s first moves.

Kings Not the Only Pacific Team Who Took a Hit

While the Golden Knights got a net positive grade thanks to the addition of Mitch Marner, the Edmonton Oilers were a -8 net difference, the Vancouver Canucks were a -2, and the Calgary Flames were given a net zero grade. In other words, the other contenders in the conference all got worse except for Vegas.

That’s good news for the Kings. However, Seattle and San Jose were given decent grades thanks to their additions. The Kings should be a better club than both of those teams, but one has to wonder how far LA falls down the standings.

Next: Crosby Trade Talk Goes Beyond Speculation: “Ready to Chase Cup Elsewhere”