3 Upgrades Los Angeles Kings Need In The New Year

The Los Angeles Kings are a very good hockey team this season and should cruise to the playoffs. They are very strong in a number of areas, but still need some work if they are to truly compete and go on a deep run. There's three areas in particular where they may want to upgrade this season.

Backup Goalie

The Kings had their backup goalie Pheonix Copley go down to injury a little while back. This forced them to call up David Rittich, who has been good. But Rittich isn't the answer to the Kings' backup goalie hole since there is no timetable for Copley's return. There are a lot of options out there in the goalie market, but there are also a fair amount of teams also looking. If something happens to Cam Talbot in the playoffs, the team needs a goalie they can be confident in.

3rd Pairing LD

The Kings recently put Tobias Bjornfot on waivers and recalled Brandt Clarke. This was removing a LD from the roster and adding a RD. If there is anywhere on the defense that the Kings need to upgrade, it is their third pairing on the left side. Andreas Englund is currently playing every night, but the team can find better. Whether it is just a depth add or someone to play nearly every night, this is an area where the Kings could use a bit more.

Middle-6 Winger

The Kings have a very solid top of the lineup at forward, but the wing will come into question the harder the games get. With Viktor Arvidsson injured and considered month-to-month, there shouldn't be an expectation for him to return. Alex Laferriere and Carl Grundstrom have been playing on the wing on the second and third line, but can they handle those roles in the playoffs or down the stretch? We might not get to see since the Kings should acquire help to fill one of those spots.