Before the season got underway on October 6th of last year, I put forth five bold predictions for the then upcoming season of the Los Angeles Kings.
It is always fun to revisit predictions, critique yourself, and maybe even have a laugh or two at some of them. However, for the most part, we had only ONE truly laughable (Well, half of it actually), prediction, and a handful of "almost" and "kind of.." predictions.
Maybe this year we should be even more bold!
Anyways, for a little fun let's go back and revisit some of those bold predictions.
Here is the original article (Click to be redirected) so you can read the in depth detail of my predictions and why I made them. Without further adieu, let us reflect.
1st Prediction:
The Los Angeles Kings win the Pacific Division and make the Conference Finals
Well hey, this one looked pretty good for a while. Then the trades happened, the stretch run happened, and the rest is history.
Nevertheless, the Kings did certainly look like a clear cut favorite to win the division and make the conference finals through three-fourths of the season. They still might have very well made the conference finals, had they not run into a powerhouse San Jose team which ran all the way to the finals. Maybe it wasn't so bold to predict a division win, but a conference finals appearance after failing to make the playoffs in an improved Western Conference? Yea a bit bold. The Kings almost made good on this one.
Verdict: Too bold!
2nd Prediction:
Milan Lucic scores 60 points, Ehrhoff scores 40
We were certainly high on both Lucic and Ehrhoff getting it done with the Kings. This one came half true. The other half embarrassingly wrong. Ehrhoff flamed out in spectacular fashion, never looking comfortable with the Kings. He was waived, and then traded later in the year, playing only 40 games and managing 10 points. A pace that would have been good for 20. The reasoning for such a high total? Top 4 minutes, second powerplay time, and an offensive leaning puckmover to help out the Kings offense. It never came to fruition.
Lucic on the other hand, worked out swimmingly. He fit in nicely with the Kings after a feeling out process in the early goings of the year. He scored 55 points, just shy of the 60 prediction. Stylistically, Lucic fit with the Kings for many reasons. It was something that was actually touched on in an
ESPN Insider article I wrote prior to the season commencing. Granted, most of the meshing and success of Lucic came alongside Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. However, it was for many of the same reasons we predicted the Kopitar/Gaborik/Lucic trifecta to work. Unfortunately for the Kings, the prediction came true but it was for simply one year.
Verdict: Half right, half LOL
3rd Prediction:
3. Tyler Toffoli scores 35 goals
Hey oh we came close on this one also. At the time of making this prediction I recall thinking that 30 was bold and that 35 was perhaps way too bold. However, Toffoli flirted with a 40 goal pace through most of the season. Again, much like every player on the Kings and the team as a whole, the latter third of the year really took its toll. Toffoli found twine a staggering 31 times this past season,which was beyond any expectation. Despite falling four goals short, we will go ahead and call this one fulfilled because I think few people even expected 30 out of the young sniper.
Verdict: Correct! Nearly!
4th Prediction:
Michael Mersch comes up midseason....and stays
Another one that was kind of fulfilled.
Mersch did make it up mid year. December 9th to be exact. That was actually a bit earlier than I had anticipated, but nevertheless the burgeoning power forward was igniting the AHL and earned his way to his first NHL games. It lasted just a month before he was sent back down in mid January, only to be recalled yet again for a few games a month later in mid/late February before finally being sent back down for the remainder of the year. All in all he collected 17 game at the NHL level, and proved to be...still a product needing some molding. He showed flashes of his power game around the net, including his first NHL goal. Nevertheless, Mersch did not quite have the staying power of some of his midseason call-up predecessors ala Pearson, Toffoli, King or Jordan Nolan. Next year should be a big year for Mersch.
As far as the prediction goes? Half right. He did get the midseason call up, but failed to solidify a roster spot to stick the remainder of the year.
Verdict: Half right, half wrong
and finally
5th prediction:
5. One of the core is traded
Jordan Weal, Christian Ehrhoff and Valentin Zykov were core pieces right? Ah nevermind.
This one was flat out wrong. Not only did the Kings not trade a core piece, they brought in rental players to try and supplement the core. This all happened despite continued struggles of Dustin Brown, a down year from Dwight King (If you want to consider him "core") and some fairly unsubstantiated rumors around the deadline that the Kings were looking to move Tanner Pearson (Really?).
The Kings stood pat, and kept the core intact.
Verdict: *EHHHHHHHH*
Nobody in life bats a thousand, but those actually did not turn out all that far from the truth. Perhaps we should go bolder with the predictions in the upcoming season. That way our revisiting of it in a year's time can be that much more humorous. Look for those predictions closer to the start of the 2016-17 season.
Alright, let's have it for the Ehrhoff prediction.
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