Here’s the second of the division-by-division summer preview looks, this time swinging north to the Atlantic Division. This season’s standings are followed by the team-by-team looks… 1. Philadelphia Flyers, 106 points (2nd in Eastern Conference) 2. Pittsburgh Penguins, 106 points (4th in Eastern Conference) 3. New York Rangers, 93 points (8th in Eastern Conference) 4. [...]

The Kings have signed defenseman Nicolas Deslauriers to a three-year entry-level contract. Deslauriers, 20, was a third-round draft pick in 2009 and has completed his junior-hockey career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Deslauriers (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) totaled 13 goals and 30 assists in 48 regular-season games with the Gatineau Olympiques this season. The [...]

The rumors were finally put to rest this morning when the group known as True North Sports and Entertainment announced that is has purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and intends to move the organ-eye-zation to Winnipeg. What does that mean for the Kings? According to various reports, the Winnipeg team will spend the 2011-12 season in [...]

First, I hope everyone is enjoying Memorial Day! As promised, here is the start of a division-by-division look at the NHL heading into the summer, in terms of what each team faces. Here’s how the division finished this season, followed by a team-by-team glance… 1. Washington Capitals, 107 points (1st in Eastern Conference) 2. Tampa [...]

Maxim Kitsyn’s bid for the Memorial Cup fell one game short, as Kitsyn and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors were defeated 3-1 by the Saint John Sea Dogs in the junior tournament’s championship game. Saint John took the lead 2:24 into the game with a shorthanded goal and never trailed, as the Sea Dogs led [...]

Kings prospect Maxim Kitsyn is headed to the championship of the Memorial Cup, the pinnacle of junior hockey. Kitsyn and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors beat the Kootenay Ice 3-1 tonight to advance to Sunday’s one-game championship against the Saint John Sea Dogs. In Friday’s semifinal win, Kitsyn had a plus-1 rating and committed two [...]

Spraying to all fields here… First, a reminder that spots are still available for the 23rd-annual Dave Taylor/Jim Fox Golf Classic, which will take place Monday, June 13, at the Moorpark Country Club. The tournament, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, includes Kings alumni and personalities such as Fox, Taylor, Marcel Dionne, Gary Edwards, Daryl [...]

Here’s the latest video interview with Anze Kopitar, who talks about his experience of watching the playoffs and his recovery from his major leg surgery…

Kings prospect Maxim Kitsyn and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors picked up a big win last night in the Memorial Cup as they beat the Owen Sound Attack 3-1 in the tournament’s final round-robin game. Kitsyn had one assist. Mississauga finished the round with a 2-1 record and advanced directly to the semifinals, where it [...]

As a follow-up to the playoff recap video from last week, the folks at KingsVision have released the extended interviews — director’s cut? — with Terry Murray and Jack Johnson, talking about the lead-up to the playoffs and the first-round series against San Jose…

The Kings have signed prospects Linden Vey and Jean-Francois Berube to three-year entry level contracts. Vey, 19, was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft and is coming off a season in which he led the Western Hockey League in scoring, with 116 points in 69 games (46 goals, 70 assists). Vey’s Medicine Hat Tigers [...]

The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, with Kings prospect Maxim Kitsyn, boosted their Memorial Cup chances last night with a 2-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice in round-robin play. Kootenay took a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal, 7:55 into the first period, but Kitsyn tied the game for Mississauga just 1:23 later with an even-strength [...]

The folks over at the Hockey’s Future website — www.hockeysfuture.com — have released their spring “organization rankings,” and the Kings are ranked No. 1. The site lists the Kings’ top prospects, in order, as Brayden Schenn, Jonathan Bernier, Andrei Loktionov, Tyler Toffoli and Derek Forbort. Hard to quibble too much, although I would say that [...]

It was a tough start to the Memorial Cup for Maxim Kitsyn and his Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, who lost 4-3 to the Saint John Sea Dogs last night in the opening game of the Memorial Cup. The Majors, the tournament hosts, the led Sea Dogs (the Quebec league champions) 2-1 in the first period, [...]

Justin Williams talked to LAKings.com this week about his recovery from recent shoulder surgery, plus his thoughts on the recently completed season and the summer ahead… WILLIAMS: “I think the surgery went real well. I’ve never had a surgery above my waist, so it was relatively all new for me. My range of motion has [...]

Jarret Stoll and Brad Richardson were at Dodger Stadium last night to throw out the first pitch, and were also featured on the FSN pregame show. Here’s how it went…

Just got in, but I would be remiss if I let the day pass without extending condolences to the loved ones of Jonathan Moncrief, who passed away at age 43. Moncrief wrote about the Kings for the Examiner.com website, and while any death is sad, those who leave long before their time are even more [...]

Jonathan Quick was a guest on the “NHL Live” show on the NHL Network and SiriusXM radio today, along with his brother-in-law and former teammate, Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders…

Here’s a follow-up on yesterday’s post about Oscar Moller. Even if, as expected, Moller starts next season playing professionally in Sweden, it’s almost certain that the Kings will retain his rights. Moller, according to reports overseas, is expected to sign a two-year contract with a team in Sweden. In terms of the NHL, Moller is [...]

First, a very happy birthday to Jim Fox, who, much like his cherished wines, is only getting better with age. Along those lines, a couple quick items… The 23rd-annual Dave Taylor/Jim Fox Golf Classic will take place Monday, June 13, at the Moorpark Country Club. The tournament, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, includes Kings [...]