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Los Angeles Kings 2011-2012 Betting Preview

Shea Matthews weighs in with his 2011-2012 Los Angeles Kings Season Gambling Picks and NHL Preview, plus he provides the lastest NHL odds, Kings future lines, and Stanley Cup predictions…

Bet On NHL Hockey Los Angeles Kings Season Preview

With the Kings’ main rival in the Pacific Division making significant moves to improve their team during the offseason, the Los Angeles Kings made sure that they were not left out of the roster shaping party.

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Odds To Win Pacific Division: +150
Odds to Win Stanley Cup: 14/1
Last season: 46-30-6, 98 points (4th place Pacific, 7th place Western)
Acquisitions: Mike Richards, C; Simon Gagne, LW; Colin Fraser, C
Departures: Wayne Simmonds, RW; Brayden Schenn, C; Ryan Smyth, LW; Michal Handzus, C; Alexei Ponikarovsky, LW
Youngsters to keep an Eye On: Andrei Loktionov, C; Justin Azevedo, C; Dwight King, LW; Slava Voynov, D; Thomas Hickey, D; Jake Muzzin, D

The Kings made a splash to say the least, acquiring Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Colin Fraser to bolster a forward unit that really struggled to score goals last season. The flip side to the acquisitions is the loss of gritty Wayne Simmonds, prospect Brayden Schenn and valuable veterans Ryan Smyth, Michael Handzus and Alexei Ponikarovski.

On paper, Los Angeles appears to have the offensive ingredients of a true Cup contender. There is elite talent, veteran leadership, and grit to spare. First line center Anze Kopitar could play with Simon Gagne and Dustin Brown, Mike Richards could have Dustin Penner and Justin Williams on his wings and Jarret Stoll will likely have Kyle Clifford and wither Kevin Westgarth or Ethan Moreau on his line. The still undetermined fourth line will likely call on youngsters or players that emerge during the preseason.

All together, Los Angeles has a strong Top Six forwards and will have some grit to fill out the roster. How they gel right off the bat is the main question for the Kings. They need to score more than they did last season and with this group there is no reasonable reason why they won’t do just that! [ad-4437448]

Defensively, the Kings are still waiting on Drew Doughty – a contact situation that has gotten a tad ugly. I will assume that Doughty and the Kings come to some agreement – the season depends on it! Along with Doughty, Los Angeles will have Jack Johnson, Willie Mitchell and Matt Green to fill out the Top Four defensive positions – solid as any team in the Pacific Division. Names like Rob Scuderi and Alec Martinez will likely fill the other two spots.

Los Angeles will go into the 2011-2012 season with two quality backstops – Jonathan Quick as the Number One and Jonathan Bernier acting as a more-than-capable backup. With a strong defense ahead of the keepers, expect Los Angeles to be strong this season and for the goaltenders to more than hold their own.

Betting Prediction: Simon Gagne has dubbed the Kings, “Philadelphia West”. He, Brad Richards, Justin Williams and Coach Terry Murray, assistant John Stevens and general manager Dean Lombardi have all spent time in the Flyers organization at one time. Philadelphia has been a solid team for sure but has been unable to get over the hump for quite some time. I expect a similar outcome for the Kings this year – close but no cigar. Los Angeles is good, but likely not good enough to unseat the improved Sharks in the Pacific for this year at least. The Drew Doughty situation casts a bit of a cloud on this team – something that may take some time to dissipate.

Fearless Forecast: The Kings (+150 to win the Pacific) look good this season but finish a close 2nd in the Pacific behind a strong Sharks unit. The pieces are certainly be in place but the Stanley Cup may be a year or two away!

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By DaveB

Dave B has been a Fantasy Football writer for us for 10 years. A couch potato wannabe, Dave’s insights have been read by 10’s of people for years. He hope’s for world peace + global relaxation. Enjoy and remember only smoke things that are completely natural.